Cianciola Cycling

December Ride

2011-12-19T11:49:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

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

2011-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-09-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-08-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

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"

2011-08-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

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"

2011-08-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

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.

Special ride

2011-08-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Talk about perfect riding conditions. Today was it!

Sunny
80 degrees
Light wind, 5-10
Wales, 41 miles

This was an historical and very specialized ride for me because I did something today that I have never done in my 10-year cycling career.

I rode out to Wales to have a sandwich and granola bar, then quickly got back on the bike and cranked it out coming home, when I ran into a chap and chatted for a bit as we headed to GF park on the NB trail.

But the thing that made this ride historical and special can not be revealed here just yet. I probably will not write about all the details until next week, when final decisions have been made.

Best rest-assured, when the time comes I'll have plenty to share with you here.

What great weather for riding. I only wish we had a day like this coming on Saturday for my Tour de PhilCast II ride out in the countryside. Rain seems likely, and if it's wet the ride will be postponed until a later date. An announcement will be posted Saturday morning by 9-ish on both Twitter and Facebook accounts.

CLICK HERE for my FB account

CLICK HERE for my Twitter account

Season Miles: 1,571

Corn thieves and a 'complex' question

2011-08-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

The main feature of this ride was the return of wind...lots of it. I haven't felt gusts of wind like that in a long time.

Partly sunny
82 degrees
Wind 12-20+ gusts
Three Bridges, 36 miles

Lets see, lots to cover today including corn, water, snot and noises.

Taking it easy and enjoying a little sunshine, I noticed on the way south into Franklin that the wind was high and going to be a bitch coming back home. Trying to put that thought out of my head, I pushed onward at an easy pace without much of anything or anyone around me.

At the halfway point is when I made my first stop. This is where my 'complex' question comes in. Down at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex you would think there would be a source for water somewhere at that building. It IS after all a SPORTS complex that is located right next to a popular multi-use bike trail. Nothing at all available outside on the building or near it. Today I pulled up to the doors and tried them to see if they were open. Indeed, that set of doors was open, leading to a second set of doors also open. In I went with my bike to explore on foot.

I figured there would be a bubbler in what is a huge and empty hallway of sorts. Nothing. So lets review. No bubbler or water faucet of any kind outside on the building and no bubbler inside. I walk on and see a small game room, where I at least see a soda machine. Still, no place to get a cold drink of water.
Come on Milwaukee Co. Sports Complex...stick a damn bubbler up there!

Heading back into the wind now, there is a section of the Oak Leaf that runs alongside a corn field. I saw a couple walking together on the way down, but now the woman was standing with her back to me as the dude came walking out of the field juggling about a half-dozen ears of freshly picked corn! Really? Corn thieves caught in the act. Wow.

I was really irritated by a running right nostril for most of this ride. Snot city! I have NEVER had allergies throughout my entire life, but that has to be what this is, right? Those of you with them...was there something about today's weather? Is this a time of year when something is in the air? Help! I don't get it. But all I know is that it's my right side....eye waters a bit and I swear I could be doing the farmers blow out of the right side every five minutes. It's really very irritating on a ride.

Speaking of irritating...
My bike has started making noises again.

Do you know what a sandhill crane squawking sounds like? Well, my bottom bracket kinda sounds like that at times now. Then to keep up with the bird sound theme, adding to that noise I noticed that when freewheeling at times I would hear a high-pitched squeaking noise that sounded a little like baby birds in a nest. Now, I know there was no nest back there around the area of my rear hub where the sound was coming from, so I assume that once again my bike has developed some technical issues.

I'm a stickler for a quiet bike, and right now, I'm not riding one. Guess I'll head out to do a little lubricating and see if that helps on the next ride.

Season Miles: 1,530

Mission accomplished

2011-08-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be a nice sunny day today.
Nope.
The plan was to head out on a ride at about noon Monday, but as I looked out my windows all I could see was the occasional bit of hazy sun through some dark, stormy looking clouds.

Should I stay or should I go?

Well, since you are reading a post here I gather that you have figured out how I answered that question. I did the right thing. I rode, figuring what would be the worst thing that could happen...a downpour? Been there. Done that. Lets ride.

About a mile or so in the plan came together. I'd only go old school on a short 26-mile Loomis and back route, but I'd do it fast, pushing to see if I could come up with a little better average speed for a change. Plus, the faster I go on a short route the quicker I am finished and the less chance there would be for me to get stuck in the rain.

Big ring. Hard tempo at times, just like Saturday, only this time there were no carrots dangling in front of me to act as incentive. This one I did all by myself. By the second half when I started to tire I kept up the effort in Root River Parkway with the voice of Johan in my head. I could hear him telling me in my earpiece, "Come on Phil. You can do it. Keep up the pace. Allez, allez Phil. You can do it. Come on!"

I wonder if that's what he actually yells to his riders from the team car. I'll have to ask "Matty Hollywood" Busche about that.

Anyway, I made the effort like the old days. Rather than just ride, I rode today in the hopes of seeing a better average speed than normal. For the first time in a long time when I was finished and turning off my computer it was with great anticipation that I flicked through the options to get to the 'average speed' display.

It did it.
16.4
Mission accomplished.

Hazy sun, black clouds mix
84 degrees
Wind 5-10
Loomis, 26 miles (16.4 ave. speed)

To think, I was going to blow off the ride because of dark clouds too! I only felt a few drops six blocks from the end. That's it. Glad I made the right choice today.

Season Miles: 1,494

Carrot legs & the family reunion

2011-08-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

One of the most satisfying things about cycling to me is the fact that you never know what each ride will bring you. Today my ride brought me joy and plenty of stories to share with you. THIS is what summer is all about. A ride. A post-ride lunch of chicken salad, red grapes and watermelon chunks after a shower and then the ritual of writing up a ride post out on the screen porch with a large lemonade at my side.

Before I left today I told my wife about a running gag I have regarding Saturday rides in Whitnall Park. I decided that is where I would go today to check out all the people at picnics there. I explained to Sandy that there is a bubbler in a picnic area right in the middle of what is my crit course there.

Over the years while riding here on a Saturday I have stopped there for water as a large family gathering was enjoying a party in that same area. Not once has anyone offered me something cold to drink. Not once. Seems odd to me.
I told Sandy that maybe today would be the day that someone would actually offer a hot cyclist something to eat or drink from their party.

But before I get to what happened there, I must first share the first of the carrot stories with you.

Not far into the ride I picked up a couple of roadies wearing matching gold-ish in color jerseys that said 312 on them. After they passed me I decided to stay within shouting distance. This meant picking up the pace to about 19 mph to hang with them once I caught them. I like to take situations like this and use them to push myself to ride a harder tempo than normal.

I have found this summer that I am slower than ever, getting much too comfortable in the middle ring most of the time going 15's. Not today. Today it was like old times. Big ring. Hard tempo. The two riders stayed on the path while I went straight at one point on the Oak Leaf Trail.

While waiting at the light at Highway 100 I figured I would see them cross on the path a couple of blocks down. After a couple of minutes...boom...there they were. The chase was on again for me.

I kept repeating in my head to myself, "Bridge...bridge....breathe...bridge....bridge...close the gap nice and steady."

I was able to catch them a second time when they slowed at an intersection. Then this time for some reason I ended up taking the point. So there I was turning 19's in front working hard and they were having a nice little conversation back there. Then it went quiet. They must have turned off. I appreciated having them to use as my carrot to chase.

Into Whitnall Park I saw about a 10-point buck just meandering down the side of the road next to me. Then another few miles down the road I saw three more deer eating.

When I started doing laps there they were...a family gathering right where I had predicted there would be one today. I did two laps hard to make sure they saw me before I pulled off to get water.

There must have been 50 people there and it appeared as if they were all in the process of gathering for a large group photo. I got a few looks as I pulled out a Powerbar and stretched my legs at a nearby table.

A cute young girl in a sun dress gave me a shy glance a couple of times. I thought to myself, "This could be it. This could be the moment when someone, after all these years of doing this, was going to offer me a cold drink!"

"Would you mind taking a few pictures for us?"

Are you kidding me? That's why you were looking my way?

Sure. Who can say no to a cute girl in a sun dress on a summer afternoon? She piled two smart phones into my sweaty, gloved hands and showed me where to snap.

I proceeded to take numerous pictures for them with both phones. Then another lady from what I believe was the Hansen clan came out from her pose and asked me to take more pictures with HER camera.

I did.

Then I pointed the camera at myself and took a picture, giving them all a laugh. As I filled my water bottle a guy walked toward my bike and was looking at it. Maybe this would be the one to ask if I wanted a soda!

"Just checking out your wheels," he said. Then he proceeded to tell about his bikes. Then I filled my water bottle up and mounted up. Someone yelled out thanks. That was it. Not a single offer of food or drink. My streak stays in-tact. I don't get it. But that seems to be the norm.

Getting closer to exiting the park I saw a sign that said Landworks at what appeared to be a company party. I pulled in because my wife has an old friend of hers that owns that company and I wanted to see if indeed it was her company. As I pulled in I saw her at a table and we chatted, having not seen each other in years. It was a nice chat, but again, no offer of a cold drink. Good thing I wasn't thirsty or low on fluids on this ride.

Then the second carrot was dangled in front of me on the way back in Root River Parkway. Approaching Loomis I looked up only to see what appeared to be an amazing pair of legs riding at me in the opposite direction. (Not a guy's legs either!) I never in that glimpse even saw what those legs were connected to. All I remember is thinking to myself, "Why aren't legs like that ever ahead of me? Why are they always just passing me from the other direction?"

I rode on to Loomis and then decided that my body felt pretty good in the heat. It was time to push again. I would hit the hammer (as much a hammer as I have these days) and ride hard in an attempt to see if those legs were somewhere ahead yet. She had a big head start on me, so this seemed a little foolish. But what the heck? A carrot to chase is a carrot to chase, right?

For a long time I held a steady 20 mph as was working to do that. Nothing in sight up ahead. I forged on hoping it would pay off, making this a game of sorts now.

Then I saw someone...yes...a rider up ahead. Maybe it was legs.
I pushed on closing the gap rather quickly only to find it was a dude.

I passed him and pushed onward. After a couple of miles I saw something ahead again. Yes. Maybe this was legs. Keep pushing.

I caught her. It wasn't legs. It was an elderly lady.

I was pretty gassed and nearing Greenfield Park by this time so I gave up any chase, knowing that the carrot in the shape of nice legs served me well today. For the first time in a while I rode with purpose today. Rusty, but it felt good.

Partly sunny and warm
84
Wind 5-10
Whitnall Crit 2 laps + Loomis Loop, 31 miles (15.5 mph ave)

Two years ago seeing that average speed would have been a disaster. Now days, I'm quite pleased with my effort today.

So lets review shall we?

--No one at a family picnic has ever offered me a cold beverage yet
--Nice legs make a good training carrot to chase
--I'm slow
--I still love the simple joy the adventure of a ride can bring.

Season Miles: 1,468

Happens to the best of them

2011-08-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday and the weather can not seem to make up its mind...clouds or sun? At least it's dry and I am thinking about taking a ride later in the day. Errands and yard work call for most of the day however.

Reading my friend Matthew Busche's blog I had to smile at his stories of bike woes while racing in Poland. Even the pros with the best of equipment can struggle at times. His was an odd chain issue out of nowhere.

He had a puncture too, something I have not had to deal with in a long time. But I guess I just jinxed it now.

A week from today it's the PhilCast show ride...Tour de PhilCast II, rolling out from Backyard Bikes in LaGrange at 11:00...as long as it's dry! Social ride...two groups...13 and 26 miles with lunch outside afterward.

phil@thephilcast.com if you are interested...let me know.

Thank god for Andy and iced-cold Pepsi

2011-08-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Turns out I bit off more than I could chew today.

My schedule was open and the weather was great. I decided to put some miles in today....more than usual. I wasn't sure exactly where I would end up, but I headed west with my jersey pockets stuffed with lunch.

All along the plan was to take it easy, thinking maybe I'd even attempt a round-trip out to the lake house and back, which would be 80 miles. Could this have even been the day I attempt my one solo century of the year?

I rode out to Wales feeling fine. After a break to eat the PB&J and banana lunch I packed I hit the trail west again. I stopped to do a good deed, helping a rider I saw west of Wales who was walking with his flat front tire in hand. Turns out he changed his flat but the air cartridge he had didn't work for him....stranded....until I came along because I ride with a small hand pump on my back. I gave it to him and he pumped up the tire enough to be on his way. So was I then, feeling good about the fact that I could help out a fellow rider in need.

I took Waterville Road just east of Dousman and its rolling hills feeling the energy leaving my body. As I continued it became clear there was no way I was going to ride 80 miles today. I began to struggle.

I had the thought to turn around before making it out to the lake house to make the return trip a little shorter. But that would have left me without the chance to re-fuel on food and beverage at the lake house. I was stuck heading all the way out there.

I made it to the lake but was spent. The thought of riding 40 miles back seemed impossible.

I called my friend Andy on his day off and as luck would have it he was ready, willing and able to drive out and give me a lift home.

That's why I say thank goodness for Andy and ice-cold Pepsi, which sure hit the spot once I got to the house.

Sunny, 82
Wind 8-12
40 miles

What seemed like it was going to be a great long day in the saddle turned out to be an interesting 40 miles instead.

Who knows why? Some days you just don't bring it. But in my head I thought I was going to be able to.

Still, a 40-mile ride on a beautiful sunny afternoon ain't bad....as long as you've got a good friend on standby to come get you once you crap out!

Season Miles: 1,437

Old school

2011-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

When I first started riding the main route I took was south to Loomis and back, a simple urban 26 miles.

I don't ride it that much these days because 26 miles seems short to me.

But today, with some dark clouds looming I wanted to keep it short...thus a return to the old route.

But about 1/4 of the way in I decided to try to ride it harder than usual, you know, treat it like a TT. This is the same distance as the TT that Cadel Evans used to win the Tour de France.

Problem is that if you want to ride this fast you need to do that from the start. Plus, it would help if I could get out of the saddle, which I still can not. My right foot is still hurting. In fact the front half of that foot was numb with pain for much of the ride.

This is a tough route to ride for average speed. There are a lot of intersections meaning a lot of stop lights and signs.

In the old days it went like this:
-Normal average speed on this route would be in the 16's.
-Average higher speed/bigger effort would be 17's.
-Fastest was an 18 ave. speed all out on this course.

Today my average speed was 15.3. Yikes. I was actually trying in the big ring for the first portion of the ride too!

Hot and muggy, 92 degrees, hazy sun/clouds mix
Wind 8-12 mph
Loomis, 26 miles

I hope this condition with my foot goes away before the snow hits! It's too bad because the rest of me feels pretty good these days out there.

Season Miles: 1,397

The new path

2011-07-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

First off I can report to you that the new path section that goes under the still-torn-up Bluemound Rd. is now open, although there is a nasty bump as you start the asphalt section coming on....marked by an orange barrel for now.

Being a nice sunny hot day I went out to do "Three Bridges" route easy, although I guess this could be called SIX Bridges because I went out on the path with the bridges and came back the same way via a turn-around at the Milwaukee Sports complex, thereby passing on any climbing on the way home. (my right foot is still swollen enough in the shoe that the front of my foot keeps going numb on a ride!)

For as a nice a day as it was there were very few people out and about on the route. It was kind of a dull, workhorse ride for the exercise.

Sunshine, 84 degrees
Light wind
Three Bridges, 36 miles

And now to my other news...
I've made a personal decision to end a 10-year relationship.

When I started riding after my hip replacement surgery ten years ago now, the first bike I bought was a Trek. I have purchased and enjoyed riding three more different Trek bikes in that time frame, including the Madone I am riding now. It's over.

I tried to be brand loyal because Trek is based here in Wisconsin and I was satisfied with the product as well.

That's why earlier this spring when I heard about a job opening at Trek I thought it would be a great opportunity for me. Many people in my profession have made the jump from being on the air to becoming involved in corporate communications, something I never used to have an interest in doing.

But when I saw an opening at Trek for a media relations assistant it sounded like the perfect chance for me to make that leap as well.

Cycling. Trek. Wisconsin. Media. Perfect fit.

I applied for the position, even taking a day trip to HQ in Waterford to check the place out. After not receiving anything back from them in weeks I even called and was personally transferred to the office of the man who was making the hire, where I left a message describing who I am and what I was looking for.

I never received a call back...not even a simple email back. Nothing.

What kind of way is that to do business, especially considering this is a MEDIA RELATIONS person? I'm a 30-year media veteran in this market with a known passion for a decade of cycling. It was like I didn't exist.
I believe it was rude and unprofessional of them to never at least let me know what happened with filling that position.

Then it dawned on me....Why, as frustrated as I am with how that company treated me, am I riding around advertising one of their models on the road? I guess I just got so used to all things Trek=positive that I never thought of it until now.

You've lost my loyalty with that kind of treatment Trek. I am sure there are many other makers of fine carbon fiber road bikes that will be interested in my business in the future. Meantime, I think I'll put some black tape over the big Trek decal on my bike.

Shame on you Trek. It could have been such a good match, and even if you didn't feel that way you should have at least informed me of that fact, not just ignored me. Great media relations guys. Bye-bye.

Season Miles: 1,371

Hottie and the hot tar

2011-07-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well despite the fact that I really had no business being on a bike today I went out just to do what I call a hair coloring ride...nice & easy.

This bout with gout is almost a month old now, and although it's almost gone it lingers, and today was bothering me a lot more than yesterday on the bike.

But the weather was so nice there was no way I could sit still and stay off my feet today.

Sunny, 82
Wind 10-12, east
Springdale and back on NB trail

There were pretty many people on the trail today taking advantage of the sunshine. On the way out with the tailwind I put in only a small bit of work. On the way back I sat up, wincing with some pain once in a while from that sore right foot that was slightly swelled and uncomfortable in my riding shoe.

I can report that they were putting fresh hot tar on the new underpass bike path at Bluemound, so although you still can not cross on top, you'll now be able to ride underneath that road out there on 100-and-whatever it is where it's all torn up.

On the way back they were rolling the hot tar and I stopped to walk my bike on the grass. A hottie construction worker chick smiled and said, "It's almost done." Then she told me, "As soon as he's done rolling it there you could take your bike on it. But I don't know, you might pop your tires because it's so hot."

Huh?

Kinda funny. I passed on the chance to be the very first rider on the newly-topped path there and instead walked over the gravel and grit on the side. It sure will be nice to have that new section done though.

Know what else would be nice?
NO MORE FOOT issues! It's a shame because the rest of me feels pretty good on the bike, but this deal just cripples you because you can't put any pressure onto the pedal whatsoever. Yuk. Rain tomorrow...rest for a couple of days at least.

You ridin' with the PhilCast on the Tour de PhilCast II ride? Let me know with an RSVP to phil@thephilcast.com Sat. Aug. 13...rolling out from Backyard Bikes in LaGrange, WI at 11:00. Meeting for outside picnic lunch after the ride. 26 and 13 miles social ride routes.

Season Miles: 1,335

Under a blue sky

2011-07-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

I had the time to do it today so I headed south to 7-Mile Road for a longer ride in the afternoon. 50 miles in all to the south and back on a day that saw near-ideal conditions to get lost in time traveling down a country road.

Sunny and 84
Light wind, 5-10
7-Mile Rd. via 92nd., 50 miles

Things were very dead out there today. On the way down in Franklin an elderly lady waved me down, her 'bent' leaning on a picnic bench and with a map in her hands. She wanted to know if the street she was about to turn onto was indeed Drexel. It was. She was happy for the help. I think she might have been from out of state because a saw a flag on her bike with the name of a town and a GA after that.

She smiled and said, "Sorry I slowed you down to ask."

Huh, I must have looked fast to her!

For some reason although my right foot feels much better I can not climb out of the saddle at all yet. The pressure on the ball of that foot and the toe area is so painful (I tried it ONCE) that my entire leg almost collapsed in pain. So any hill I came upon had to be climbed in the saddle. And the worst part is that the front half of that foot keeps going numb during the ride too. Whatever.

I stopped to eat the PB&J I brought along for lunch in some shade next to a creek. Then in the final miles I was pretty tired and ready to park it.

Getting hot again...and more humid on Tuesday too.
Sounds like a ride day to me.

Season Miles: 1,315

Hottest in years

2011-07-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

They were saying that today might be the hottest day Milwaukee has seen in five years. I believe it.

Even with my love of heat, today you had to be careful.

Sunny, HOT, humid, 102 degrees!
Windy, 12-15
Almost Wales, 36 miles

I never intended to ride west today but of all things my toe dictated direction. At the start today as I was doing my cyclocross through the gavel construction area to get on the Oak Leaf Trail my gout-tainted right big toe really hurt me. I knew I would not be able to climb at all today, thus shooting my plan to ride some laps in Whitnall Park. I would go west where it was flat instead.

Into the wind and up the false flat at a steady pace allowing my body to adjust to the heat. With the wind in my face it was at least somewhat cooling, not that there was anything cool about this effort.

But I enjoy the hot weather. My best advice to riders is to pay extra attention to your body temperature. Your body will tell you when there is danger ahead. Today, I listened.

And I rode smart.

I had an entire water bottle in me between Greenfield Park and Springdale on the New Berlin Path. Feeling good and enjoying the sun and heat, I decided to keep going into Waukesha. The only climb I would have to deal with on the way out and back would be the hill at Carroll University. After getting up that I decided my next stop would be the learning center building in Waukesha that is located just in front of the entrance to the Glacial Drumlin Trail.

It was there that I took a break, paying attention to my body. If you feel the heat building...if you stop sweating...if you actually get tingles or goose bumps...well, you've taken on too much heat and are ready for a breakdown. I avoided that with this stop.

I took off my helmet, gloves, glasses, and went right to the water faucet they have sticking out of the building. Cold water. High pressure. Awesome feeling of water dumped over my head running down onto my body.

I filled water bottles number three and four and decided to check out the GD path for a bit.

Lots of water. Little shade. At times you could feel the bursts of heat like an oven door opening as it reflected off the path. It drains you in a hurry no matter how much water you are taking in.

With no shade and a long stretch slightly uphill I started to overheat. I decided there was no reason to go to Wales. I would stop and turn around at the next intersection, which is where I got a surprise.

As I pulled over at the stop sign at Highway DT I only had one foot unclipped when two guys rolled up next to me, one of them on a white Specialized bike. I had NO CLUE anyone was behind me. I must have been pulling for them for a while but heard nothing due to all the wind I was riding into.

We exchanged hellos and off they went across the road. Despite knowing I needed to turn around here the thought of a chase and group ride with them occurred to me of course. But I did the right thing. Ironic that I was at Highway DT, my late grandma's initials. Maybe she was the one who looked down and told my brain, nope, let them go and stick to your plan Phil...it's a good one.

So I turned around to head back to that same water stop.

It was much easier going back because of the wind and elevation direction now both being in my favor. I got there in no time and repeated the water stop I did on the way out. Thank goodness for that place!

I climbed Carroll hill no problem and got myself back onto the NB trail, where wow, I was able to crank it up for some reason. Sweat pouring off my arms and hands as I was in the drops for much of the way to Calhoun, just wanting to get out of the sun a little quicker now. It was really burning down on me by this time...coming up on two in the afternoon.

A quick stop at the new Trailside Cycles at Calhoun to talk to the guy who works there, Warren, who happened to be outside when I rolled up and he asked me how it was out there on the ride.

36 miles--6 water bottles.

When I got home I felt pretty darned good. Aside from the toe issue I probably had more miles in me, but I did the right thing. You can only go so long without a water/shade stop, and if you get into a position on the road where you could not do that you would be in trouble for sure.

I was more hungry than thirsty afterward, so after a quick and cooling shower I was rewarded with the post-ride meal of champions:
Peanut butter and honey on toast.

This is one I'll remember in the depths of the upcoming winter...the day I rode when it was over 100 degrees with a heat index of Lord knows what, but I bet it's over 110 degrees!

Season Miles: 1,265

Perfect weather

2011-07-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

I know for many of you it's too hot and muggy. But I love to ride in this. I'd say today provided almost perfect conditions for me to ride in.

Sunny and hot 94 degrees
Humid
Light wind
Three Bridges, 35 miles

Despite dealing with a right foot that is at about 75% I was in a hurry to get out there and soak up some of this heat and sun. A bout of gout is lingering and my foot is a little swollen and sore to the touch. One thing is clear...there would be no riding out of the saddle. The one time I tried it was an adventure in pain. It's OK other than that, except my toes go a little numb from time to time. Like I said, not a 100% yet.

The story of this ride came while in the parkway heading south toward Loomis. I was riding along minding my own business when I swore I heard voices coming up behind me....female voices.

Figuring I was about to be passed by a couple of women I decided to pick up the pace a little and give them a steady pull. They'd either grab onto my wheel and work together or blow past me.

Riding with a little cross wind and feeling pretty good and fresh yet, I was able to provide them a steady 20.5 pace for a good section. As I crossed Loomis I didn't hear any voices and began wondering if the whole thing was just imagined. But as I looked back to check on traffic as I approached the Franklin path entrance there they were. I saw two bikes riding together coming off Loomis. They were now going to still be behind me

I rode the path enjoying the sunshine and wondering if they were still somewhere behind me. A few miles in....sure enough...I thought I could hear talking back there again. I rode up to the Milw. Co. Sports Complex and waited at the intersection. I figured if they came up behind me and went straight I'd hook up with them and keep going. If not, I'd turn around. They never showed. They must have turned off at some point behind me.

The path was dead, both on the way down and on the way back. I did see "The Knave" down there however, sporting the same old bike and the same old look as he did years ago when we had our epic battles.

Also at one point I looked up only to see a big deer about five feet away from me on my right. It never moved.

The new path UNDER Bluemound is almost done and it is going to be sweet. But for now I am still having to walk the bike over gravel to take my routes.

Season Miles: 1,229

Playing hurt

2011-07-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well this one was odd from the start...
I am indeed playing hurt.
Gout in my right toe reared its ugly head earlier in the week after over a three-year hiatus. Things were not right, but better than they had been and I felt I needed a little exercise after being a celebrity judge Thursday night at "Feasting For Fido", a fundraiser done by the Wisconsin Humane Society.

Yeah, it's a tough job but someone has to do it!

And someone named Phil had to burn some calories today despite the gout pain.

It was hard to get my riding shoe on my right foot because it was still somewhat swollen and painful to the touch.

Once the shoe was on I rode out of the driveway only to realize I didn't put my helmet on. Oops. Back to the house. Then just a couple of blocks up there was a train blocking the street and not moving an inch. Drat. I turned around and found another way to get around all the construction.

The area around where I need to start all my rides is really ripped up. There is no way to avoid gravel, sand, dirt, dump trucks, close quarters with vehicles. Yuk.

The foot was OK as long as all I did was keep a high spin and not use much downforce on the pedal. I made the mistake once, ONCE, of getting out of the saddle. It was then I yelled out loud because it felt like someone hit me in the toe with a sledge hammer.

So I went out to Waukesha and back on the NB trail.

Hazy sun
84-ish
Light wind
Waukesha via New Berlin Trail, 23 miles

After the short ride it hurt to pull that shoe off. I headed for the shower, then headed for the freezer to ice the foot while watching today's stage of the Tour de France.
Season Miles: 1,193

Passed and gassed

2011-07-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

A few interesting stories from a second day in a row of hot and humid riding the way I like it.

My legs were tired after the climbing workout on Monday, but by 11-30 I was on the road under the sun. Heading toward Loomis in the parkway I was tooling along into some wind minding my own business when out of the blue a roadie blows by me on the left. I immediately look down to see my speed so as to get a handle as to how fast this guy was going. I was only doing 17.7 when I checked. He was gone.

Doing Sunny Slope at the start of my rides is going to get old fast. That's a lot of climbing when I am not even warmed up yet thanks to all the construction keeping me from getting onto the OLT when I usually do. I was already tired when this guy passed.

After he was gone about a block or more up I decided to use the stretch to Loomis as a workout on bridging the gap. I put the Madone into the big ring where it should normally be and I worked with about as much as I could muster. I was hardly gaining on him at all. Then I gained a bit on him the cheater's way...he had to wait for traffic at 76th and I did not. But even with that advantage it didn't take long for him to pull away by leaps and bounds.

Sunny, muggy and hot
86 degrees
Wind, 8-10
Three Bridges, 40 miles

As I turned to get onto the Three Bridges route in Franklin he kept going straight far ahead of me. He never saw me, but I saluted him and said out loud as I turned, "Good on ya mate. Good riding." Two more riders passed me today too. I guess I was just slow on the first half of the ride.

Now it was time to recover and take it easy seeing the sights on the path. Only problem was that there were no sights to see. It was really dead in there, both on the way down and on the way back.

One oddity on the path today. At one point on the way back I looked up to see a Franklin police car driving head-on down the path at me. Never saw that before!

Then came more passing and gassing on the parkway on the way home. At one point a woman in a sleeveless jersey passed me as I was starting off from a stop sign. She's riding a flat-bar bike with knobby tires and I'm not catching her. What the???

I had to get up to 18.3 to pass her. Why I felt the need to do that is beyond me. Then it got worse. I decided that before I got back on the path I'd take this section and go all out to show the little lady what I can do. Bah...what an idiot I am out there. Into the drops and up a couple of gears and I blasted away. I just about blew up at the end of the run, but it did force me to push beyond my comfort zone. She was gone now and I dialed it down.

A few miles later I heard a rider coming up behind me, then he passed me on the left riding a Seven bike. Nice guy...he kept yelling out 'clear' as he passed through intersections ahead of me. I had nothing left in my legs or mind to try to get up to his wheel and ride with him.

Then I heard a guy say 'left' from behind me again. But wait, that's no guy, it's THE SLEEVELESS CHICK riding past me again. She had fought back and passed me for Christ sake. Well, I dialed it up a bit again and went passed her a second time before I turned off the beaten path and headed for the climbs back home around the construction.

Once again you see how fellow riders, strangers, help each other out there by pushing us to ride harder. That guy early-on helped me. Sleeveless pushed me and I pushed her back. It's all good.

But the best of the ride came toward the end when, due to the construction re-route, I stopped at Nora B's in Elm Grove to see my friend Nora...show her my bike...and drink the best cup of ice water I believe I have ever downed in my life!

Season Miles: 1,170

Climb every mountain

2011-07-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so they weren't mountains, but they felt like them.

After being off the bike and on a binge of eating and drinking odd things for two weeks of holiday and vacation I felt it was time to clean out my system of the poisons and start the long road back to being in riding shape.

Because of total destruction on Bluemound I could not even get to any of my routes...so I decided to climb Sunny Slope as a detour. No easy task for the first time back.

Hot. Muggy. No training. Hills. Yup, felt like mountains today.

I took the Minooka route, minus the steep hill up to the actual dog park, knowing I'd have to climb back up Sunny Slope on the way back home a second time.

Sunny and hot
86 degrees
Windy, 12-15
Minooka Park, 28 miles

So here we go...more rides coming this week as I watch the Tour de France begin climbing this week as well.

Season Miles: 1,130

Credit what I'll call the hot babysitter

2011-06-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ya just never know what lies ahead on a ride.
Today I decided to do a few laps at Whitnall Park.

I completed five solid laps, climbing up those two hills each lap in what was a more-humid and warm day than yesterday.

Sunny
85 degrees and humid
Wind, 10-12
Whitnall Crit, 11 laps, 40 miles

At the end of the planned five laps I pulled off at the pavilion where there is a working bubbler to get a drink, fill my bottles and down a granola bar before taking the 12-mile ride back home.

So what happened?
Why the six more laps instead of just going home.

I credit what I'll call the hot babysitter. There she was with two little girls and a dog. As they walked on the route in the opposite direction of me I kept saying to myself, "I'll go one more lap to see them again." The kids waved to me and what I can only assume was the hot babysitter said hi, and after a few times passing them it became a game with her and the kids. They were laughing and waiting for me to come around in the later laps.

On lap #11 I waved a final goodbye as they headed off the route onto another street. No need for lap 12. I rode home, legs dead tired by the end of this 40 miles today.

I hadn't eaten properly and it showed. There was nothing in the tank for the final 4-5 miles.

Lesson: eat before you ride.

No riding for the holiday weekend now.
HAPPY 4th OF JULY...the heat and humidity feel good to me.

Season Miles: 1,122

The watch

2011-06-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

I got a later start today because I grabbed some lunch and drove to my wife's place of employment to surprise her with a little picnic for lunch break. It was way too nice outside for her to be trapped in a cubicle all day long.

So after the little lunch I grabbed my all-white team FDJ kit to go on a maiden voyage with my new riding watch. You see, my lunch idea was just a payback nice thing to do for her after what she did for me.

Last week I stopped into a sporting goods store to kill some time on the way to a meeting. I mentioned to her that night that I had seen a summer riding watch that I really like, which has been no easy task.

At the time I told myself not to spend money I don't have, so I walked away from it even though I did need a new riding watch.

Last weekend she came home from grocery shopping and handed me a bag. Inside she said was my early birthday present. My birthday isn't until the end of August, but as Sandy said, "What good would it do you then? I wanted you to have it to wear while you are riding all summer."

Smooth.

Today I have a story from both on the way out and on the way back in.

Sunny
77
Wind 12-15
Three Bridges, 35 miles

Very early in the ride on the first section of path I passed a blond lady roadie wearing a pink jersey. She was stopped at the side of the path talking on her cell phone.
Blocks later I realized that she had picked up the ride and was on my wheel. After a stop sign she took the lead and three times she made a light and I did not. So three times I used her as a carrot to catch up to her, only to wait again at a light. Finally at Highway 100 we were both stopped for the light and we chatted a bit about how the wind had come up, but how nice a day it was for a ride.

Then for a pretty long time in the parkway I think I was pulling for her. She would fall slightly back, but was always there riding her dark blue Waterford. But as I approached Franklin and the bridges, she was gone. It was nice to have someone around today because it forced me to go into the wind at 16-17 instead of 13-14 on my own.

On the way back the wind was not a whole lot better. I grabbed a banana and turned around at the sports complex. I did a couple of sections at hard tempo, and that tired me out.

Back in the parkway I came up behind a guy that was riding what turned out to be a noisy Trek just squeaking away. But he had some kind of fancy deep-rimmed wheels on his machine. He was going slowly and I drifted past him without saying a word, going about 16 mph.

Suddenly down the road I hear that squeaking noise, which tells me that once I went past he decided to go faster and grab my wheel.

LET ME REPEAT MYSELF: I don't mind that at all, but if you do that out there on the road, PLEASE SAY SOMETHING. It's impolite and flat-out dangerous to suck a wheel unannounced back there like that.

I got mad. Then I got busy. I told myself that no matter how tired I was...no matter how much wind was in my face...I was NOT going to let this squeak-bag pass me if I could help it.

As fast as the squeaker was there the squeaker was gone. I don't know if he turned off or just gave up. Don't care either. Point was he was gone.

A good first-ever ride for my cool new summer riding watch! It looks good with my black and white bike and my white helmet. Like I always say, if you can't BE good, at least LOOK good.
Season Miles: 1,082

Pulled over by the law

2011-06-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well it finally happened.
A) I finally got back on my bike and got some solid road work in today
B) The sun finally returned
C) The rain finally stopped
D) I got pulled over by the law!
Finally.

The stars aligned. I had an open Saturday morning and the weather was near-perfect. So as my poor wife headed into work on a Saturday, I headed for the Madone. I was on the road heading west by 9:15 in the morning, the earliest start to a ride for me this season.

It was effortless.
Both mind and body were fully-charged and things were coming easy riding out to Wales. I would find out later that one reason I felt so good was that what I THOUGHT was a cross wind going out was actually more like a tail wind because I had it in the face coming home. But it wasn't bad at all.

Sunny
75-ish
Light wind, 5-10
54 miles, past Dousman to the end of the paved trail and back

I got to Wales just taking it easy, spinning up the false flat to the rest stop at a steady low-90's rpm. There I ate a granola bar and quickly decided to keep going to Dousman today. The trail was busy with people, mostly bike riders enjoying the day. Then it finally happened...

Between Wales and Dousman heading west the rangers had the path blocked with a large ATV vehicle. One ranger in full ranger uniform was on the side of the path writing a ticket to a bike rider while another woman working with the ranger was waving me down to stop. They were checking for the needed trail pass.

I made the lady laugh out loud as I unclipped and came to a stop saying, "Finally. I've been waiting two years to get checked in here just so I could whip out the pass I bought!" She replied, "Right, make it worth your while." Exactly. Pretty funny. I figured it would happen sooner or later and I actually wanted to be checked.

The corn you ride right past heading toward Dousman is already knee high. None of this knee high by fourth of July...it's already there or higher.

Once in Dousman I stopped at Bicycle Doctor, my plan being I would raid my emergency $$ in my saddle bag and buy a Powerbar for the ride home. Huh. Turns out I must have used that emergency money earlier and forgot to replace it because there was no cash to be found. So I took the path west up to the point where it turns into gravel, then turned around and headed back.

A quick stop at Wales again for the second granola bar I had brought along. My wife picked up something new...nice thought but bad result. While they tasted great, they had a layer of something sweet on the bottom, something that had turned to a mushy goo while heating up in my jersey pocket.

I did a little hard tempo between Wales and Waukesha, where the downhill false flat invites you to pick up the pace to the low 20's. After that it was mostly just sight-seeing along the busy path, and by sight-seeing I mean girl watching of course.

All was well until only a few blocks from home. My left quad suddenly had a massive failure after starting from a stop light. The thing wanted to knot up so bad that I thought I would have to walk the final two blocks! I guess that's from doing 54 miles with no training in your legs to build up to that.

Pleased today to be back.
Tour de France starts one week from today.
Don't forget to enter the PhilCast Pick the Podium contest. Go to the contest page at thephilcast.com for details.
Season Miles: 1.046

Lightning Crashes

2011-06-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

The title to today's ride post is not only appropriate for the day, but it also happens to be the title of a song I really like from the 90's by a band called Live. "Lightning Crashes" is off their Throwing Copper CD if interested.

But today it was actual lightning that ended this ride.

Knowing there is severe weather in the forecast but having some major pent-up yearning to get back on the bike bubbling inside me, I decided to go out but stay close to home. By riding on my Elm Grove crit course I knew if conditions changed quickly I could get back home in about five minutes.

By the end of lap four I had to make a decision because I could see a line of dark nasty clouds coming. Should I pull off now to play it safe? But wait, writing down on my blog that I did FOUR laps seems very lame. For some reason FIVE laps is a nice round number. Go or turn off? Go or turn off? Make a decision Phil because this is the turn....

I went for it.

As it turned out I was able to complete lap five just fine. In fact on the turnaround I told myself that perhaps there was blue sky behind that line...keep going...take a chance.

I got about three blocks into lap number six and saw a bright bolt of lightning, followed by the bang of thunder. That's all it took. No sense being a hero. I turned around and headed for home.

I almost made it dry too. Five blocks from home the sky opened up. The rain actually felt good on me, but it's the slippery road that I worry about. You just see the areas of rainbow colors from the oil coming up on the road surface. That stuff can be like ice on road bike tires and I have no desire to put it down on my hip.

Safe and sound and wet, I parked it.

Clouds/rain
70's, muggy, lt. wind
Elm Grove crit, 5.3 laps! 16 miles

Then there's this note to anyone who ever drove past one of those roadside contraptions the cops put out to tell you YOUR speed...

Well the cops have a working machine set up at one the corners where I hang a right turn, so every time I came out of that turn it flashed my speed at me. (Kinda humbling actually) Anyway, I was doing 16's on the turn except for one lap where it told me I was going 27 MPH! Not. I wish.

So if they ever give you a ticket based on that thing, I'd question how accurate it actually was. There was no way in hell I was going 27 mph through a turn...not even on DRY pavement.

Oh, and as I write this on my porch....the sun is out. Can't win this season.

Season Miles: 992

Cold shot

2011-06-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

While 'cold shot' may very well be a great SRV song, it was no fun on the road today.

I wasn't planning on even riding after a hard 46 miles yesterday and tired legs and a sore back today.

But I finished cutting a bunch of brush in the yard, ate lunch and saw that the sun was still out. So I headed out for some sort of easy recovery ride.

Had I known I probably wouldn't have bothered at all.
Turned out to be only 11 miles!

My legs were like stone. My head wasn't into it. Neither was my heart. My brain told me that I had a massive tailwind heading west on the NB trail and that I would be coming back INTO that wind.

I cut it off and turned around at Mooreland Rd.

I was actually COLD riding back into a 15-20 mph wind off the lake. I certainly could have used a wind vest with the temp only in the 60's and into that wind. Yuk.

Season Miles: 976

New 'old' glasses

2011-06-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have gotten a ride in. After the nice hot weather it turned cold and wet again, and then over the weekend chores called. But today I got 46 miles in.

Sun
72
Wind 10-12
7-Mile Road, 46 miles

It felt good to be back out there riding and soaking up some sunshine. I had to squeeze it in between some yard work today as well.

Talked to Matthew Busche's dad Craig who stopped by on his way out on a training ride. I was cutting grass so he pulled over and we had a chat. He sure is proud of Matthew's accomplishment in his second year as a pro...as he should be!

We plan to ride together soon, when he needs an easy spin day rather than his usual riding, which is much faster and harder than my pace.

Looks like the Oak Leaf is going to go UNDER Bluemound, where it is all torn up right now. But it sure looks like the path is going to be moved a bit. Fine with me...one less busy intersection to cross in the city.

First ride with my new old riding glasses too. I found a pair of Bolle Vigilante frames with my Rx insert still usable with the frame. Paired the old insert up with the new frame and shaded lens and it's like I have new riding glasses!

Season Miles: 965

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

2011-06-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

These are the days I would like to bottle up and uncork in the dead of winter's freeze around here. Although even I, a lover of sun, heat and humidity, was a bit surprised when I checked my thermometer at the end of my ride today only to see a 98 degrees registered. Wow. No wonder I was feeling a little crisp after three hours in the saddle today.

These days are all about riding. I can't concentrate on anything else in the morning because it is all just a countdown until I can get out and perform in the heat. So today I would be out on the road at 10:30, riding until 1:30.

I headed west to Wales figuring there would be no shortage of people watching there. I was wrong. The NB trail was sparse and the GD trail was a ghost town.

Early in the ride while just starting to climb up the hill at Greenfield Park golf course another roadie coming down the hill said "Phil" to me. Huh. I have no idea who that was, but he looked serious on the bike!

Heading into the west wind and up the slight false flat to Wales I took it easy, turning low 80's rpm at 13's-14 mph. When I arrived to take a short break and eat my granola bar there was no peace and quiet for the stop. A gaggle of about a dozen jr. high-aged girls were all there giggling and screaming at a picnic bench the entire time.

And a wag of the finger and a tip of the hat:
Wag of the finger goes to Wales. You have a nice rest stop located right on a bike path and the water is still capped up there? What? Are you waiting for a 200 degree heat index before turning it on? Shame on you.

The tip of the hat goes to the learning center in Waukesha near the trail head of the GD trail where not only do they have two bubblers working but also a water spout with tons of pressure behind the cold water. I dumped about three bottles over my head, in my face and down my back. Then I dumped one down my pie hole and continued on with the ride.

I grabbed the big ring and now did upper 80's rpm and 17's-18 mph on the way back on the GD trail.

HOT, Humid, 98 degrees!
Wind, 8-12
Wales, 41 miles

I was so glad I cut this ride off and turned around at Wales despite thoughts of going on the Dousman or even farther. I had no idea how hot it had actually gotten, and with the sun beating down on me for three hours even I was indeed feeling a little crisp by the end of 41 miles.

Great ride though. Time to go drink more Gatorade!

Season Miles: 919

Welcome back my friends heat & huidity

2011-06-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

God how I love it hot and humid.

After morning thundershowers the sun broke through for the first of what is predicted to be three hot and humid days in a row.

To take advantage today I started with an easy 30 miles. Man it feels good to feel the heat again. I did five laps hard on the Whitnall Crit course and then stopped at the bubbler to partake in this season's very first cold water dump on the head.

Ah the burning eyes...the tingling skin...sweat pouring out of your body. You can't beat it in my book. And tomorrow is only supposed to be hotter, with the forecast saying all sun, humid and mid-90's. Perfect. Who's in?

Sun/upper 80's
Humid
Wind 10-15
30 miles/5 laps on Whitnall Crit

Tuesday will be all about pushing through the heat to do more miles. I'm already looking forward to the challenge. I'll take mid-90's any day over 40's.

Season Miles: 878

For the birds

2011-06-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

This ride was literally for the birds...the birds of Horicon Marsh, as Sandy and I took part in the first-ever "Tour de Marsh" event in support of our fine feathered friends on Saturday.

The first thing you learn there is that after the long drive on the freeway you discover that the marsh is in some very hilly territory. Now, that's fine with me, but it proved to be a real challenge for my wife.

Some how she managed to ride her bike for the very first time today since last fall for a total of 24 hilly, hot, windy miles. We were able to cross the entire marsh on a gravel road called Marsh Road today, with water just feet from us on both sides. It was a little tricky because I was riding my Klein with road tires, but no problems thank goodness.

Before crossing the marsh we stopped at the federal visitors center, where they offered up cold water, bananas and apples along with a lesson or two about what birds had been hanging around. The big attraction today was a group of white pelicans. I was able to do an interview with a ranger there and then on we went. (The audio can be heard on the Monday PhilCast show, found at thephilcast.com)

While crossing the marsh the sun broke through and it was HOT. I was treated to the sight of a white pelican floating right in front of me at one point.

Just as I got the binoculars up to my eyes and zeroed in on the bird it decided to take off, meaning I got quite a close-up show of it taking flight. Now that's something you don't see every day on a ride.

There is a quiet in the marsh that is calming to the soul. The chirping of birds seems to be the only thing you hear. No cars. No buses. No horns. No people. You get a sense that this is nature's house and you are but a temporary invader of the space the birds call home.

Here is a picture of me with some of the great guys who helped organize and run the Tour de Marsh. Turns out I have some fans up in the little town of Kekoskee. Thanks guys!

I hope this will be an annual event, because if it is I would like to get a big group together and combo this event with a Tour de PhilCast ride perhaps.

So at the end of the ride Sandy had pushed herself to her limit. We made it back across the marsh on the gravel and then took a hilly country road or two back to the visitors center where Sandy waited for me as I cranked it up a couple of big hills back to the park where we had started off from so that I could get the truck and drive back to pick her up. In the end it all worked out.

Sunny and Hot!
80's
Breezy
30 miles/Tour de Marsh

I was so proud of the effort Sandy made today. She really gave it her all and enjoyed herself in the marsh portion of the ride especially. It was a rare chance to get up close and personal with another beautiful portion of our state.

Season Miles: 848

Three turtles

2011-05-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

First of all know two things about this day:
1. I was playing hurt
2. Freakish wind

Memorial Day saw me twist and turn and bend with ax, saw, pole saw and various cutting tools in hand as I cleared brush from our lake place for a couple of hours longer than I should have.

I awoke today sore in places I didn't know I had. But the worst was a barking left hammy. Looking outside the wind was gusting and the forecast was for storms by afternoon.

But I had coordinated a small group to ride today, as 'der Jan' and 'Pack Yak' Rich were to meet me at eleven. Hammy be damned. Forecast be damned. We met. We rode.

Clouds, some hazy sun at times
Windy, warm and humid
80-ish with winds 15-20 mph
Wales and back/40 miles

Rich had never taken the route to Wales with me, so despite dark clouds freaking me out as usual and der Jan calling me a baby as usual, we headed west to show Rich that wonderful route.

On the way out we saw the most awesome turtle ever. The thing was huge, with a tail that looked like it should be on a small dinosaur. I've never seen a turtle that big. But there it was just sitting on the side of the path.

Only a few raindrops at the turn around in Wales and we quickly headed back. Then on the way back we saw another turtle, this one much smaller than the first but still a pretty good sized one.

The third turtle was of course me, although I will say I played through some pain and did 40 miles with a trick hammy and a sore body. Those two started picking up the pace on the way back and I knew that would happen. 18..19...20....21....22.....I'm out, dropped off the back with no spunk in the legs to chase.

Later we did a nice pace line section on the NB trail. I always like doing a pace line and in this case was even able to take a few turns on the front. But for much of this ride I was firmly planted on the wheel of Rich. I also can really appreciate riding with a couple of veteran cyclists whom you can trust to ride inches from on the road.

No Wed. ride because I will be at a media day event at the Milwaukee Mile to interview some of the drivers from the Indy 500 who will be in town on Father's Day weekend for a race here.

You can hear whatever interviews I do on the Thursday PhilCast show.

Season Miles: 818

Guess what crossed the road?

2011-05-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

So any guesses?
After a week off the bike due to some hellish spring weather I finally got a ride in today.

Sun
61 degrees
Wind NE 10-15
Three Bridges route, 35 miles

On the way out I happened to just in time catch something out of the corner of my eye. Some sort of animal was crossing the road. Before I knew it I had to hit my brakes pretty hard to avoid smacking the stupid thing. It was an opossum. Those things have to be the dumbest animal out there. It never looked at me and never hurried...just kept going in his own little world. And man...that bare rat-like tail is gross. I'm glad I didn't take the thing out, not because there would be one less opossum in the world but because it would have messed up my bike!

On the path out there was also a funny moment when this little girl, no more than 5-6 years old, who was riding a little tiny bike out there with her mom said to me, "Nice bike." The little kid said that! Kinda cool.

I decided that despite the fact that I would be going into the NE wind on the way back that I would make the loop rather than take the same path home. This means some climbing into the wind, including the hill at the Franklin Correctional Center, where, as usual, I hummed "I'm Free" by the Who as I rode past the barbed-wire fences.

No issues on this ride, but it is clear that I am way out of shape for this time of year and far behind where I was last season at this time. Baby steps.

Happy Memorial Day weekend and thanks to all who have served our great country. No riding planned for me until Tuesday of next week.

Season Miles: 778

Tour de Marsh, Sat. June 4th

2011-05-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

On June 4th “Tour de Marsh” in support of the Horicon Marsh. All the way around tour is about 36 miles and the loop through the middle on a road that is usually NOT open to the public will be shorter...take either one. The ride starts from various communities in that area. I'll be starting with Sandy from the Kekoskee location that day. For info click on the link below and perhaps I'll see you there?

http://www.travelwisconsin.com/event_detail/Tour_de_Marsh.aspx
http://www.wiscnews.com/news/local/article_59bb9024-8290-11e0-be27-001cc4c03286.html

Lunch of champions

2011-05-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

The plan today was to get two things out of a ride on a nice-weather Friday:

1. Let my lily-white winter skin soak up some sun for three hours.
2. Just spin out my sore, tired legs from yesterday's hard climbing workout.

So with the Madone in the shop I pulled out the backup Klein and headed out for the lunch of champions. Ride to Wales where I would pull out my PB&J, banana and granola bar and sit on a bench in the sun for lunch.

Heading out I had thoughts of cutting it short. It was clear that the wind was once again at my back, blowing 10-12 off the lake from the east. This means tailwind out and headwind back. Not ideal, but at least the ride heading west to Wales is a slight false-flat uphill, meaning although I would be coming home into the wind at least it would be slightly downhill for a time.

The Glacial-Drumlin trail has now filled in creating a beautiful canopy of trees. Combine that with the bushes on the sides that are now in bloom and you get a sense of riding in a lush green tunnel. If you have not been out there do yourself a favor on a sunny day and enjoy the view.

I enjoyed my lunch in the sunshine and headed back.

The first part was fine. But the stretch from Waukesha to Greenfield Park on the New Berlin trail can be brutal when the wind is in your face and your legs feel like jello. That stretch was a challenge to just keep going. My legs were really shot.

In fact last night when I got up out of my chair to go to bed my left thigh just locked up in an insane cramp. There was no way that I could twist or turn to alleviate the terrible pain and spasms. I guess I over did it on the climbing yesterday!

So keeping that in mind I figure I did pretty good to put in 41 miles less than 24 hours later.

Sunshine
71 degrees
Wind 6-12, east off lake
Wales, 41 miles

No riding planned for this weekend, with rain in the forecast and other things to accomplish. That's fine. My legs need a rest anyway now.

Madone is ready. The noise was just the need for the crank to be tightened to spec. Nothing serious and we'll be good to go with her next week.

Season Miles: 743

Inspired by Chris Horner and Matthew Busche

2011-05-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

As I type this ride report I am watching Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California. And it was Stage 4 on Wednesday that really inspired me to go out in a hard effort today and here is the story.

Seeing one of my favorite pro riders Chris Horner just hammer it up the final climb of Sierra Rd. leaving everyone, even his teammate Levi behind was such a treat to watch.

And even better was the fact that my friend and neighbor Matthew was looking awesome in the limelight. No shortage of face time on Versus TV for Matty Hollywood as I call him now, as he pulled the team up a climb. After the victory Chris even mentioned all the hard work Matt put in on the stage.

It inspired me to do some climbing today in Whitnall Park, where I turned 10 laps. And for the occasion I even wore the Amgen ToC socks and jersey that I bought while at the TT in L.A. last year.

Partly Sunny
68 degrees
Wind 6-12
36 miles, 10 laps Whitnall Crit

But before I started the laps I put in a hard turn on the way to the park. Some guy with two bags draped over his back wheel, a hi-viz vest and no helmet passed me. The thought occurred to me, why would someone be concerned enough about safety to wear a vest like that but NOT be wearing a helmet?

Well, for whatever reason he rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like how he kind of fast-rolled through a stop sign to go around me on the left. Usually that's no biggie with me. But he hit a nerve today and I figured no guy with a bagged bike and no helmet was going to pass me right now.

I got busy.
I felt strong.
I passed him, then picked up my tempo even more.

As I cranked it out at one point I closed my eyes for a flash and saw myself pulling Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer. I can only imagine doing it. Matty Hollywood from down the street IS doing it! Wow. So cool.

At Whitnall Park, where the last of the flowering crab trees are looking beautiful (as are the tulips) each lap features three hills. The first is sharp, steep and it hurts. After that there is no downhill reward either. After a short flat comes hill #2, a longer, more drawn out climb that comes when you are still tired from the first pop.

Then, after a bit of a break, the final climb on the second half comes. It's not as bad as the 1-2 punch on the front half of the lap.

After 10 laps I stopped at Botanical Gardens HQ to fill my water bottle, eat a banana and a granola bar, then head back.

On the way back my bottom bracket started making a loud creaking noise, almost like microwave popcorn popping. Something wasn't right. So as soon as I got home I showered and then took the machine down to Rainbow Jersey where they will take it apart and give me a report.

At least they heard the noise too when the mechanic tested the bike in their parking lot. We'll see what's up and I'll have an update here.

So it looks like the backup Klein will get called into action for a Friday ride.
Season Miles: 702

Tire testing

2011-05-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

There is at least one thing you need to know about me as you read these posts; Me and changes to my bike get along like gas and fire. It's volatile and should be avoided.

Trouble is when I took my Madone in for a spring cleaning and checkup I had Rainbow Jersey slap a fresh set of rubber on for the season. The tires I have come to like so much are no longer made by Schwalbe. Instead I was told about the new model that is most like the ones I had grown so used to.

Today when I got my bike back I simply had to go out, even if it was brief, to test these new tires.

To my surprise they felt great.

Sunny
Windy, 15-20 mph
Cool, 52 degrees
Elm Grove Crit, 5 laps, 17 miles

The change of rubber on the road passed the test with flying colors. The only issue I had was with my Flighdeck computer, which at first failed to show on the digital display which ring and which gear I was in. This seemed to lock up the entire computer, which, needless to say had me frustrated.

But about a mile into the ride it started flashing and showing gear changes that I wasn't making. It was as if a ghost had taken over. Every button I pushed while riding couldn't stop the madness. But then it happened.

The computer seemed to re-set itself and suddenly all the displays were proper and in working order.

Ahhhh, now life is back to normal.
All I need now would be a little warm air to filter in this week to make it seem more like spring riding season.

Season Miles: 663

646

2011-05-16T05:33:00.001-07:00

Correction--Thanks to someone who left a comment earlier for me to check my math. I hit a '7' instead of a '6' a couple of posts back making my season miles total off by a hundred.
All is well with the world now that we know I have only ridden 646 miles so far this lousy-weather spring.

Dedication ride

2011-05-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

I really had no business being out there at all in these weather conditions:

Wind advisory, to 40-45 mph out of NE
48 degrees, wind chill in the 30's
Clouds
20 miles NB Trail

And I had no plans to ride today until I received a Sunday-morning email from some friends telling me about a ceremony they had Saturday night for a mutual friend lost to cancer too soon.

And something I had written, along with my Livestrong yellow bracelet was involved in the ceremony as it turns out. Part of the ceremony was to mark what would have been her birthday today. There's more to it than that, and I was ready to write up an emotional post about an emotional ride today. But I think I will just leave it at that...with a dedication ride on a day with such horrible weather conditions that I would have never even attempted it without the dedication.

Season Miles: 646

Good intentions

2011-05-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

As the Associated Press used to write on its wire machines (back in the day of printed news wire machines) when they killed a story, "Bust It".

That's what I did today. I had intentions of an easy neighborhood ride just to take the edge off my legs after yesterday's big effort ride.

But as I left, right before my very eyes the weather was changing in a flash. It went from a mild day with hazy sunshine to a rather bizarre condition that reminded me of what is called marine layer on the west coast. Suddenly there was this odd foggy condition and the temps dipped within blocks.

I rode out to the course and into a cold wind. It was horrible. My legs were dead. The sun was gone. The cold fog had rolled in and no good was going to come of this ride attempt today.

Bust it.

I headed for home as soon as I could. I'll live to ride another day.
Add four miles to the season total and make lunch.
Season Miles: 626

7-Mile Rd. solution

2011-05-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out the proper turnaround for my 7-Mile Rd. route today. This was my intent as I set out today under hazy skies and mild temps in the 60's. There was a slight chance of rain but I took that chance today in search of figuring this route out once and for all.

Hazy sunshine
65-72 degrees
Wind 6-12
7-Mile Rd., 45 miles

After riding the "Three Bridges" path in Franklin and going through the Franklin industrial park I turn right on Oakwood, taking me past the remote control airplane park. Take that all the way to 92nd and turn left. The issue I had on Sunday was that I turned left onto County Line Road, which is a big mistake because it dead-ends on 76th, thus dumping you onto an unsafe hell hole of a mile or so on 76th.

No, rather than a left at County Line you make a right and a quick left to continue out on 92nd all the way to 7-Mile Road, where you take another left down to 60th, which dumps you back crossing Oakwood and into Franklin's industrial park again. Then you have the option of taking the same path back or take the street route past the correctional facility which provides some hills.

I took the path back today.

Things went well for me today in terms of training as well. No rain and I rode this at tempo for periods of time. 2:57 of saddle time for 45 miles comes to about 15.2 mph average, which for me at this time of year puts a smile on my face.

I really feel I earned the dinner my wife and I will be going out for this evening to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Now, while I am looking forward to pigging out on some great food, I can tell you this much: Nothing tasted much better than the PB&J I just downed with an iced-cold glass of milk out here on the porch after the ride. That should hold me over until dinner.

Looks like Friday will be the next chance at a ride perhaps.

Season Miles: 622

Can't trust those weathermen

2011-05-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

Nope, you just can't trust those darned weathermen on TV. Last words I heard about Monday--dry most of the day with the rain holding off until Monday night.

Great. That means perhaps a shot at a small recovery ride today.

Although the clouds had come by noon-ish I was inspired to ride after the horrible news about the death of a pro rider who crashed in today's Stage 3 of the Giro in Italy. Click here for more info on that.

I had the brains to stay close to home because it was looking dark to the west. So I decided to do some laps in Elm Grove. Good thing too.

Cloudy, then rain
61 degrees
East wind off lake at 12-15
7 miles, Elm Grove Crit, 2 laps

I was on the road at 12:35 and by 12:55 it started to rain. So much for most of Monday being dry!

Now in the summer, a light rain while caught out on a ride isn't enough to make me turn around. But with what feels like a wind chill while you are being pelted in the face by cold rain...well, I threw in the towel in a hurry, got home, wiped the bike off and hit the shower.

Oh well. It's seven more miles this season at the very least.

Season Miles: 577

Amsterdam?

2011-05-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

There were so many bikes out there on this Sunday afternoon that at times it looked like Amsterdam.

And while the sun was out at the start of this 47-mile effort it had long disappeared by the halfway point. The east wind off Lake Michigan hung around. Lets just say that my little yellow wind jacket has become my best friend as of late.

Sun to clouds
60-63 degrees
Wind 5-10 off lake
47 miles, 7-Mile Rd. w/Botanical lap on way back

I felt real good about this ride. I was nice and steady and smooth the entire time. I took it easy on the "Three Bridges" portion of the ride on the paths in Franklin, just sight-seeing and people watching.

On the way back I decided to climb Barn Hill and check out Botanical Gardens. Wow! That place was jumpin'! I guess the Mothers Day brunch at the restaurant there is a hit!

I walked into the jammed building to fill my water bottle and I could feel all the eyes on me from people dressed in their Sunday best looking at a guy clicking along on the floor in some spandex-like superhero outfit. Pretty funny. Talk about being out of place somewhere!

I'm dedicating the ride today to Dominic Gill, whom I learned about over the weekend. I watched his Take a Seat video Saturday and it was very inspirational for me. Click here to watch it. It's an hour long, and better than any waste-of-time TV show you'll spend an hour on.

I had some very solid miles in this past week and for the first time am starting to feel like I'm getting into riding shape this season.

Season Miles: 570

Special Delivery

2011-05-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, this little ride a little bit of everything in store for me.

Indeed, I set out to make a special delivery of sorts. Here is the back story on that. I wanted to get my pass application for riding on the Glacial-Drumlin trail in. After making out a check with the application paperwork I had picked up along the trail on Wednesday during my 54-mile ride I could not for the life of me figure out how to turn the thing into an envelope. Apparently my brain cells are now limited.

My plan was to put the ap and the check into a regular envelope and ride back out toward Wales to deposit the entire thing in the drop box.

Now heading west into a stiff west wind was a chore. I knew it would be. But the thing to do here is put your head down and just take your time. When I finally got to the box I dropped the envelope in and decided to continue west into the wind for one more segment of path. Thank GOD I made the decision to wear my wind jacket today...I almost didn't. The sun was now dancing behind clouds and it was chilly.

Mostly cloudy
63
Windy, 12-15
Toward Wales and back, 35 miles

I turned around at DT, loaded up my second bottle and looked forward to an easier time of it heading home. Or so I thought.

Oh at first it was fine, until I saw a guy coming from the other way toward me, then turn around as I crossed the street on the New Berlin trail. It was as if he was baiting me. Bold. I bit. I decided to grab his wheel. And now there was some cross-wind too. Well this skinny dude was haulin' ass. But I felt I had the legs so I tried to stay on. It was work. Major work. This guy was dancing with 25 mph steady all the way from Springdale to Calhoun, the longest stretch of that path.

I huffed. I puffed. I sprinted out of the saddle at times just to keep pace. There was no way I could overtake to even attempt to take a pull for him.

After crossing Calhoun he took off again. I was gassed. Done. Fork-sticking time. It was then I just said, "See ya bumblebee (he was in yellow and black) I'm cooked."

He was gone for a short bit and when I came up on Sunny Slope there he was loading his bike onto the back of his parked car. I slowed and yelled out to him, "Thanks for the pull. I would have taken a turn at the front but you were too fast." He said thanks and that was that.

From there to Greenfield Park it was like a race horse taking a cool-down lap. Time to back off the accelerator. Coming into the park I heard a guy behind me say "On your left." I pulled over and as he passed he said, "Now that's more like it."

I have no idea what he was talking about. My best guess was that perhaps he too was behind me trying to keep up and could only catch and pass after I was off the gas. Who knows. I don't think he was mad about anything. Just odd.

One final surprise too...what started as a sunny and mild day was now cloudy with a light blowing rain!

Like I said, this special delivery ride had a little bit of everything.

Season Miles: 523

It's all about performance

2011-05-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's all about performance in this video piece that's too funny...funny because I bet so many of us roadies can relate!

Click here...sound up...enjoy.

Longest of the new season

2011-05-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

Nice hard effort today getting some serious time in the saddle on a long adventure thanks to the return of the sun.

Sunny
55-63 degrees
Lt. wind
54 miles to Dousman and back

As I headed out early in the ride I had no handle on which way the wind was blowing as I tried to determine if I would head west or south. As it turned out I made the wrong decision, at least if I would have wanted a tailwind rather than a headwind all the way in from Dousman. Oh well.

This turned out to be my longest ride of the season at 54 miles. I wanted to pick up an application for a trail pass, needed on the Glacial-Drumlin Trail. (heads up-you can no longer get one on-line either)

The first box on the trail that I passed was empty, but the second one had the envelopes you can send in with a check. So I stuffed a couple into my jersey pocket and continued west to Wales.

Interesting thing happened on the way. East of the Wales rest stop a woman walking flagged me down. She asked if I had seen a guy walking his bike. I had not. She explained that she was riding with a friend when he crashed, so she rode ahead to get the car, then walked from the nearest road to find him.

Now I was worried. I told her I would ride ahead and check and if I saw him would tell him that she would wait for him at the rest stop.

Sure enough I saw the guy ahead. He was OK but looked a little dazed. I chatted him up while we walked toward the rest stop where the woman saw us and all was well.

I stopped there to open the turkey sandwich I had packed for lunch, but ate only half before getting back on the bike. It was just cool enough to not want to cool down sitting there so I finished the sandwich while on the bike.

The green buds are popping along the path now which is nice to see. Soon the canopy of trees and leaves will be formed overhead. It is quite beautiful in there.

I decided to just keep going west. What the heck! Yup, went all the way to Dousman where I stopped in at Bicycle Doctor. The dude behind the counter gladly filled my empty water bottle with a smile and I was on my way back.

At times the slight wind was sucking the life out of my legs at this distance and I had to take it real easy up the Carroll University hill because my quads were ready to cramp.

From there is was just a matter of keeping up an easy spin heading east into that darned wind off the lake keeping it cooler than it should be.

I did regret not having a wind breaker on. But I always have to laugh when I see others on the path with much less on than my two long-sleeved layers. Like the young, tan girl rollerblading with tiny shorts and a tube top on. Really? Brrrrr. Nice to look at though I'll admit.

Back to rain on Thursday. I'll need a recovery day anyway. Maybe a ride to the south on Friday when the sun returns....

Season Miles: 488

Tourist route

2011-04-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well now the 'real' riding season can begin.
I cut my grass for the first time today and shaved my legs for the first time this season...let the training begin!

The sun finally came out today after yet another horrible week of cloudy, wet and cold weather.

Sun
60 degree
Wind 5-10
Tourist Route
26 miles

My riding bud 'der Jan' got out of work early enough to drop over this afternoon for a short ride.
He took me on what I would call the tourist route. This would make a great little ride to take out-of-towners on to show off some Milwaukee landmarks to them. Plus, it is a very pretty ride at times as well, with lots of green and water to look at.

Heading east on the Hank Aaron trail you pass behind State Fair Park...ride near the beautiful old buildings of Zablocki Medical Center...get a super view of Miller Park...ride along past the casino in the valley and end up at the river at the Harley-Davidson museum.

It was there that der Jan snapped a tourist photo of me as well.

I was freezing down there. The wind was coming off the lake and all I had on was bibs and a jersey with arm warmers. I think der Jan finds my constant whining about being cold amusing.

We did a couple of short stretches at what was for me anyway hard tempo in the Menomonee Parkway on the way home. It felt good to take it to my threshold a couple of times. I need to practice doing that more now.

It was a good little ride. Too bad the forecast looks very questionable again for about another week. This sure has not been a great season to get going with riding.

Season Miles: 434

Elm Grove intervals

2011-04-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

First things first. This short training effort I did today is dedicated to little Manny Wilke. Go to his web page to get the story. Many of my PhilCast show listeners donated to the cause and today is a big operation day for little Manny. I wore his T-shirt after the ride...

Now, about today's unique ride. I'd like to take you through a little coaching here if I can. I'm not saying this is for everyone, but it works for me.

This was not a TRUE interval workout, but I still call it intervals. REAL intervals consist of numerous reps of short, all-out bursts with very little recovery time between them.

This is sort of like that, only not as serious lets say. Give them a try to give your training a little more focus at times. I also think that this really helps you on those occasions you find yourself falling off the back of a group ride.

The idea is to repeat making a hard, short effort to get a spike in your heart rate and put your body at the limit. If you do not practice this once in a while then when you call on your body to do it on a ride it won't know what the heck is going on and more than likely you will simply blow up and watch the group fade away ahead of you.

Hazy Sun

Wind, 6-10

Elm Grove Crit, five laps

Practice this as if you needed to make a big effort to catch up or grab the wheel of the rider in front of you. Then recover and repeat. Here is a lap for me...

-Slight false-flat up on the way out. Middle chain ring and into the wind. Just ride steady.

-Turning around takes a few blocks on one end. When I get back onto the main route shift into the big ring and maintain a hard tempo going back.

-Once I get through a marked intersection I grab a big gear, flop to the drops and hammer. This is where you pretend you need to go all out for a burst to grab that wheel ahead of you. HR peaking. Breathing labored.

-Pick your spot to pull up and catch your breath. I used a certain road sign.

-Turned around each lap in the Elm Grove Village Hall parking lot and did it all again.

This way your body is getting used to the idea that at times you may just be asking it to hit the limit during a future ride. Now it knows what to expect!

Looks like this will be it for me until Friday when nice weather is predicted at last. Meantime, rain and jury duty is on the docket for me.

Season Miles: 409

Bike racin' is back!

2011-04-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

It is a tradition of mine to put in a big ride on Easter eve. Then I come home and enjoy a nice meal and some Easter candy with my wife, eating almost guilt free because of the effort.

41 miles today under mostly cloudy and very windy conditions. But the real news here is that the WCA was racing on one of my very own training courses, the Whitnall Park crit course.

Mostly cloudy
55
Windy, gusts 20 mph
41 miles

It's always fun to watch racing on a home course. Here are a few photos I snapped after stopping to hang there for a while on the way out on my ride today.

There is always an exciting vibe at a local bike race, especially this early in the season. It was a nice touch to my annual Easter eve ride this year. But try as I might, I never did see a single one of these racers with THIS on their bike...

That's right, I was rockin' my Easter Bunny on the Madone today. I pull that little guy out once a year to strap on for this single ride. And although I had him on those bars just right I must admit that by just a few blocks into the ride it appeared that I had sentenced the Easter Bunny to die by hanging upside down!

Oh well, the intentions were good.

By the time I got down to the Milwaukee County Sports Complex I decided that the stiff wind was a little too much to keep going out. I turned around and headed back to Whitnall Park to catch more racing. At times the wind would try to toss the entire front end of the bike. And most times it sounded as if there was a tornado in my head.

At the race the second time around on the way home I bumped into an old riding friend that I had not seen in years. Erwin was one of the guys who traveled to Spain with us to train for a week back in 2003. He was out to catch some racing and wanted to get home to get on his bike too!

Then I saw a results sheet posted that showed Matthew Busche's dad Craig, whom I have ridden with before, placed 35th in a field of 52 in the Masters 4/5 Cat. Nice. I wish I would have known he was racing today.

By the end of the 41 miles today I was tired. But I was SICK and tired of that tornado sound in my ears.

Happy Easter!
Season miles: 393

Cruel spring

2011-04-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

I have often wondered what it would be like to live in a place without seasons. You see deep down inside I am a beach bum wannabe. Give me sun, heat and humidity most days of the year and I'd be happy. And I would be happy in part because I would be able to get out and clear my head on a bike almost any day I would want.

I think about these things during terrible stretches of weather each spring, stretches like the one we are in right now around SE Wisconsin. Just when you think we've turned the corner and the riding routine is kicking back in Mother Nature decides that most of April is going to be just another wasted month. But I guess the great hope here lies in the fact that this craptacular weather can't last forever. Maybe when it comes to the spring weather situation here it's like the old saying...

Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.

So I guess I won't quit on Wisconsin springtime...yet. I think about it quite a bit though, especially when it's 40-something and raining outside!

In a hurry

2011-04-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it seems I am always in a hurry to do nothing. With one last nice day forecast for today before three days of cold and rain hit, I was eager to get out on the road again.

But sometimes you put others first, even before your own riding. And sometimes those 'others' can be our four-legged friends. As a dog lover, I know the value of quality time spent at a dog park. So when my friend Andy called and volunteered to drive us out to a park I had never visited before I took him up on it.

So Gabby and I piled into Andy's Honda with his pug named Nellie and off we went. Throughout the visit I was trying to make sure to keep track of time so that I would have enough of the afternoon to ride.

Gabby had a ball, from running through the rough high grass to sticking her head into old animal holes in the ground that she had hunted out. She was getting a chance to be a cairn terrier.

As antsy as I was to get out on my Trek and soak up some of this warm sun I could see my dog's well-being was more important at this time.

Slowly I just relaxed and smiled as she roamed the dog park. I knew my time on a bike would come after her fun.

When we left the park Andy took us to a nearby custard stand, the kind where the girls still come up to the car to take and bring your order.

This wasn't the cycling plan for today. But you know what? As the small (and I stress that I was a good boy and only had a small) chocolate cone went down I thought to myself that this was a pretty good plan too.

They even brought out a little dish with some custard and a doggie biscuit in it for Gabby and Nellie. Today was a good day to be those dogs.

Within ten minutes of getting home from the dog park adventure I was already rolling out, in such a hurry that I noticed a half block out that I had forgotten to put on my helmet. Duh!

Once I rode back home to get my helmet on it was off to at least enjoy the warm air for an easy recovery ride after yesterday's hard 45 miles.

Sun
65
Light Wind
18 miles, 6 laps on the Elm Grove crit course

My legs were a bit dead from yesterday, but just to hear the birds sing and almost see the grass greening before my very eyes I was glad to be out there at last. Just 18 miles today, but I bet Gabby thanks me for not spending all day out there trying to do more.

Season Miles: 352

Back in the 50's...

2011-04-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

...and in more ways than one with this 50's theme today...

First of all the temperature dropped into the low 50's as compared to Sunday's freakishly-warm high of 82 degrees. So I pulled on layers once again, a full Team FDJ tights and jacket look today. With all due respect to my friend Matthew Busche of Team Radio Shack, until he starts getting me free RS gear to wear I am sticking with my favorite kit, FDJ. And knowing the world of pro cycling as I do, if I am waiting to get some free team gear I might as well be waiting for hell to freeze over because that would probably happen first!

Sunny
52 degrees
Light wind
Three hours/45 miles

I just wanted to put in some base training miles today. No hard tempo. No intervals. No climbing. Just time spent in the saddle. I ended up doing a lap of the Botanical Crit as I headed south, so a shout out to Ellen and my other friends there at Botanical Gardens. A quick check shows no sign of the crab apple trees popping yet, but the burst of color must be only weeks away now. I'll keep you updated here.

The other 50's thing about this long ride today was the fact that I had music in my ears, something I hardly ever do. My wife has a SWEET collection of 50's songs on her iPod which I had wired up for today. I took a lot of path sections to stay extra safe, just hugging the right side and holding my line as I hummed along to some great songs.

I was about to turn around when "Green Onions" came on. Man, no way could I stop to that awesome song so I kept going all the way down to 7-Mile Rd. before I turned around.

I must say I felt good for most of this ride, tiring only for the last 4-5 miles. This is the longest ride of the new season for me too. Last year spring was much more riding-friendly as I had 600 miles in already as of this date.

This year...not so much. But the weather has been a challenge for sure.

One other thing of note today...
For those of you who remember my posts from several years back you will remember the road stories about a character known as "The Knave". Well, for the first time this season I saw him out there today. Ah memories. Those stories....only one word can describe the battles: EPIC.

Season Miles: 334

Just like summer

2011-04-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

And suddenly it was summer.

One week ago there was so much hail that it looked like snow on the ground here in the Milwaukee area. Today, 80 degrees and sunny. Such is life in SE Wisconsin in April.

Sunny
80 degrees
Windy, 15-20
41 miles, Wales

Today brought back a lot of summer riding memories, from using sun tan lotion for the first time this season and drinking warm water from the bottles to typing this post in the screen porch after finding a pair of shorts to put on post-ride shower. (I had to go into the basement to dig up some summer clothes)

I'm nothing if not all about the ceremonial so to mark the first ride of the new season with bare arms and legs I wore my new Italia jersey for the first time today, a Christmas gift from riding bud "der Jan".

Like worms coming out of the ground after a warm summer's night rain, people packed the paths, their bright-white legs all at once being exposed to sun for the first time this year perhaps.

I rode west to hook up with der Jan who had his fancy new bike out today. Together we went into the wind all the way out to Wales where we took a short break.

Funny thing is it seemed like the wind was still pretty much in our face coming back as well. How exactly does that work?

On the way back it felt good to ride a little hard tempo on the Glacial-Drumlin trail. Between that stretch and another later in the ride on the New Berlin trail where I pushed it a bit I was able to find the edge of pain and being more tired than I should be. It's early in the season so there is only so much juice in the tank to use.

Speaking of using juice, for a while there on the way in we were riding behind a guy with a motor on his bike. Goofy thing...and certainly stinky to be behind.

It was fantastic to to feel warm again. I can not begin to tell you how much better I always feel on a bike the warmer it is. I was pleased with the effort today for sure.

Now if only the warm air was here to stay.

Season Miles: 289

Cold Disappointment

2011-04-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

The title of this post says it all.

I knew when I headed out that I didn't feel much like any sort of adventure ride today...

49 degrees
Cloudy
Light wind off the lake
11 miles on the Elm Grove Crit

...so I decided to stay near home and just do some laps. The problem was that I got a chill and just never warmed up to this ride...literally.

Working that third lap into a slight wind it seemed to cut into me through my ears and down to my toes. I knew it would be my final lap.

Some times it just doesn't work out.

Last year we had a fantastically-warm spring around here and I had many more miles in my legs by this point in the season.

Oh well, like the title says....cold disappointment.
Season Miles: 248

Thought it was warm but it snot

2011-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

...no shortage of snot on this longer ride today on the Madone. A pesky wind off the lake left me glad I had layered up pretty well before heading out today.

44 degrees
Sun
5-10 wind
35 miles

I headed south to do a "Three Bridges" ride, taking my winter detour at the start because the entrance to the path is so mucked up with glass and rocks and gravel. I don't want my good bike anywhere near all that.

I felt good and was happy to be back on the 'real' bike. Imagine a bike actually shifting when you tell it to!

There is a nasty patch of ice at Wimmer Wetlands which I had to dismount for. But once past that it was clear sailing and I love the new blacktop in Root River Parkway, where it appears they have just completed a major tree planting project.

Sorry about the wind noise, but here is a little video clip of another sign of spring on this route...

That's right. One year ago according to my training log March really went out like a lamb with a high of 70 degrees! Awesome. Seems I was riding more last year at this time too, probably because the weather in general was more mild.

Today on the way back I tried something new, bypassing the Greenfield Park Golf Course path by going straight at the lagoon up to 124th so I could take the path that 'der Jan' showed me home.

Coming home into some wind drained my legs. Then I started to suffer. Then it got worse! Coming up a little hill to 124th both my quads started to knot up. It was so bad that I had to stop and get off the bike for a stretch and a rest.

No lack of hydration here, just a lack of miles in my legs. It's mainly the muscle that runs from the groin down the inside of the thigh to the knee that fatigues and cramps up. My right knee was gimpy today too. I suppose the cold air doesn't help these things when you are an aging wannabe.

Season Miles: 237

Roof Open

2011-03-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see I took the Hank Aaron Trail for a brief 18-mile ride today and the roof at Miller Park was open. Hard to believe that Opening Day there is this coming Monday already.

I wanted to see if I could replicate the new route that reader 'der Jan' showed me on Sunday.

I think I did pretty well, only missing one turn early in the route that put me a few blocks out of my way before turning around.

A nagging little east wind kept things a lot cooler than I would like on the way out. My issue with this route comes toward the end of the paved portion just east of the ball yard.

There is a section of gravel and mud that then leads to a short burst of pavement again as the trail ends and twists you up to the roadside.

I'd like to be able to take the path past Miller Park, but I don't see how to do that if you want to avoid that patch...which I do. If that thing gets wet at all it's a messy, slippery and dangerous section that I want no part of.

Perhaps there is a way around it earlier, but it seems like that would take the nice view of Miller Park away. The next time I ride with 'der Jan' I'll get him on the case and report back here.

Just 18 today, and it was on the old third-string Trek hybrid too! Still waiting for that cursed wheel/tire back for the Klein. If you missed the story, well, listen to the Tuesday PhilCast show to hear it all.

Season Miles: 202

New route

2011-03-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Somehow I managed to get a little 17-mile ride in today, a day I never thought I would be out riding.

But "der Jan" dropped me an email asking if by chance I was interested in a short ride. He offered to drop by and help me get a new tire on the Klein too.

Although I had made a promise to my wife to go somewhere in the afternoon, there was a small window of time available. We went for it.

He showed me a way to head east, a new route that I will certainly expand and make part of my rotation this season. It's the Hank Aaron trail, taking me behind the Petit Ice Center, through Zablocki Medical Center and around Miller Park.

That's where we turned around today, but eventually he is going to show me how to make this a loop, or perhaps also expand to the east while heading toward the lakefront.

It was cold at 35 degrees, but I will say that under the right conditions it wasn't bad. Those conditions would include the sun being out, the nagging cold north/northeast wind out of your face, and tucked behind der Jan!

I had to laugh at my out-of-shape self toward the end. He was riding his single speed as training for the early racing season...and here I am turning 105 rpm steady and huffing and puffing on my fancy carbon fiber bike just trying to remain his wheel sucker.

I WAS vindicated however today when he admitted there is something odd about my wheel situation. I have taken a lot of crap for struggling to change my own tire/tube. But even he couldn't do it today. He ended up taking the wheel home with him so as not to eat away at the short time we had to actually ride. Priorities.

Season Miles: 184

LIVE, from the porch!

2011-03-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am writing this while back in my old summer position, on the wicker rocking chair out on the screen porch, post-ride!

I've got a space heater going and at 50-ish outside it is perfect in here for my first return to the place I so love after a ride...my little screen porch in the city.

Today being the only good weather day predicted for the week I took the REAL bike out. Yes, carbon fiber hit the wind for the first time in 2011 as I brought out the Madone. I figure all the rain Sunday washed away the road salt of winter. 30 miles-clouds-50-ish

The start was sketchy today. Here I am trying to remember all the things on the regular bike, things like how the computer works and the shifting and just getting the 'feel' of the bike back when I notice I am getting onto Root River Parkway out of habit. I don't want to be there! Duh. Let me explain...

You see there is STILL snow (or some ugly black form of it) blocking the entrance to the Oak Leaf Trail where I get on, so I had to detour around that. Seems I forgot that I had wanted to head west on the New Berlin Trail today. I knew my usual south route would end up being flooded and muddy around Wimmer Wetlands.

So I did a U-turn in the parkway and headed back to Greenfield Park where I jumped onto the NB path, which is clear and dry.

My plan was to head out on the nice flat route, avoid any climbing and just get up to almost Waukesha, where I figured the path would be flooded. I thought that would make a good turnaround point.

50 degrees and a nagging west wind in the face on the way out made it a little tough. Sunshine would have helped. NOW it comes out as I type this. The ride was all clouds.

I knew it would be fun to ride fast for the first time this season on this stretch coming home because there would be a little tailwind.

I also nailed it on my flooding prediction.

Here is a photo of exactly where I figured I would be turning around.

Now if you take a close look you will see a runner on the other side of the pond taking off his socks and shoes. As I paused for a drink he waded through the water in his bare feet.

We chatted once he got over to my side about how this same spot always seems to be flooded after any kind of heavy rain.

I have ridden through this before, but I did not want to get the bike into it this time around. I had it in my head that this would be my halfway turning point today and after our chat that is exactly what I did.

I like going fast.
Why does going fast have to take so much effort though?! My plan was to kick the Madone into the big ring where it belongs for the stretch and try to ride hard tempo for that entire flat stretch between Springdale and Calhoun.

Now when I say fast, that for me anyway means 20 mph, so I tried to maintain 20 mph for the run. I made it most of the time all the way, although it should never feel as tough as it did today. Such is being out of shape in March.

But as I often post here, "I'll take it."

The forecast for the rest of the week looks horrible with highs in the 30's and lots of rain...maybe some snow mixed in. One of these days winter will actually be done and the real riding will begin.

Season Miles: 168

Rain, rain you're OK

2011-03-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

So riders, lets hit the re-set button now that a new week is here.

As I type this update on Sunday morning the pitter-patter (is that how you spell pitter-patter?) of a spring rain hits my windows. No this is not good outside riding weather. But it IS good for riding in a way because the streets are now finally getting washed of the winter salt and sand.

The cold from hell that hit me last week and robbed me of my chance to ride in that fantastic mild weather lingers on today. This was a nasty sick for me.

And back to the weather, winter returns by mid-week. I see the high temp for Thursday is supposed to only be 33! Snow is possible.

However Monday should be dry and mild and my head should finally be clear enough to give a ride a try. I have been feeling very weak though, so I'll have to take it easy. But I'll try to get out there because it looks like the rest of the week will be more winter than spring.

I feel bad for all those robins that flew up here too early.

Brrr

2011-03-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping that the forecast for warmer weather by mid week is correct, because it was cold out there today. Still, sunshine and 35-37 degrees with dry roads and light winds equals a ride in March.

I took the old Trek 7500FX out into Elm Grove to turn some laps today and scored eight laps out there for a total of 23 miles. I hope to get several rides in outside this week.

These temps are such that I at times find it hard to believe how much snot the human body can produce!

50+ predicted for Wednesday. I hope that's right because perhaps I could get the Madone out for the first time this season.

When I do laps like this I have a little saying I say to myself to keep track of the number of laps I have in.

-Working 1, just begun

-Working 2, more to do

-Working 3, good for me

-Working 4, gotta do more

-Working 5, feeling alive

-Working 6, getting my kicks

-Working 7, feels like heaven

-Working 8, feeling great

-Working 9, doing fine

-Working 10, do it again

-Working 11, feels like heaven

-Working 12, more on the shelf (I know, it's a stretch)

Then if you go into the teens you just need a lot of words that ride with teen.

Season Miles: 138

Madone Fever

2011-03-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Looking at the forecast for the coming week it looks like Wednesday could be a dandy with sunshine and 50+ on the docket. I am itching to get the 'real' bike out for the first time this season.

I am not sure it is clean enough out there on the road to have the Madone brought back into action though. I will have to play that one by ear when the time comes.

Daylight Saving Time caught me off guard this year. I had the old VCR set to record the final stage of Paris-Nice but it is set for the OLD time, meaning now I am off and I can not switch it because I am out of town. Luckily it appears that Versus is going to repeat the two hours of coverage on Monday afternoon.

I was able to watch the Saturday stage live on-line on my laptop. EPIC ending to a great stage. Brutal weather and a successful attack at the end marked by that wild 'almost crash' was some high drama. I liked the entire Paris-Nice race this year. It's great to see cycling on TV again.

False Start

2011-03-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

March can be a very frustrating time of year.

Just when you think winter has released its cold grip and you get outside on a bike the next day it looks and feels like December again. Frustrating.

I wanted to try to get out Friday but other duties called. Saturday now and the wind is howling and the sky is ugly. No ride this weekend. No matter, again, other chores call.

The week ahead looks like a mix of dry and rain. But the good news is that the temps are at least supposed to be around 40 for much of the week. The last of the snow should be melting away from the bike paths.

I guess we could use a good rain too, washing away all the salt, grit, sand and grime from the the roads. Even getting rid of at least SOME of all that crap would help.

Don't forget...Paris-Nice conclusion to watch this weekend...my version of March Madness...let the pro cycling season in Europe begin!

Back to Botanical

2011-03-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while I ended up back on my beloved Botanical Gardens route today.

Hazy Sun/Clouds

42 degrees

24 miles

I headed out today on the heavy old Trek 7500FX just to get back-to-back rides in before the rain and snow hit. I wanted to explore how clear my route to Whitnall Park actually was. I had to detour at the start, where the path at Bluemound is still buried in snow and ice.

But once around that, the only time I had to dismount was for a bit of an ice burg under the overpass at Wimmer Wetlands. The new blacktop in Root River Parkway is such a welcome change from the potholes I battled there for years.

As I turned into Botanical Gardens I suddenly decided that in honor of today marking the first climbing of this year's Paris-Nice race that I would go ahead and climb up my old friend "Barn Hill".

When I got to the top I decided to check on someone I know who works with the Friends of Botanical. She wasn't in, so I left a message with the nice lady I was chatting with behind the desk named Diane.

Having not eaten anything all day (I know, my bad) I had stuffed two granola bars into my jersey pockets as I headed out the door. Granola bars never tasted better as I munched on them inside the garden's new building.

I must tell you that throughout the season, of the 3,000 to 4,000 miles I ride, none are more beautiful than the ones I do in spring at Botanical Gardens when the crab apples are in full bloom and your legs and mind have a freshness about them that only comes at the start of another riding season. Soon enough the crab apples will bloom there.

But for now I was just happy to be out on those sloppy roads getting a taste of being back outside once again.

Season Miles: 115

Paris-Nice Inspired

2011-03-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Dark, dank and cold.

But inspired by watching the first stage of Paris-Nice on Sunday I went out and did 18 miles or six laps of the Elm Grove crit course.

I can not think of a single cyclist who could watch Sunday's stage and NOT be inspired watching Jens Voight in a successful breakaway. It was a fun stage to watch.

The thing I can not understand about the pros in this race is actually how little gear they are wearing. Bob Roll mentioned it was only 34 degrees as they rolled out of the suburbs of Paris. Chilly. But many looked like they were in the Tour de France in July, wearing only bibs. That's why they call this the race to the sun, because they leave the cold of Paris behind and end up in the warm sunshine of the south of France.

Meantime, it was 39 out there for me today and I had four layers on top!

I was plenty warm and felt good to be out there despite the poor weather. There is still a little ice on the roads too, so you have to ride with your head in the game. No shortage of road salt either, so I continue to use the third-string Trek 7500FX bike.

It's all good though...better than having to resort to the trainer, which I totally hate at this time of year.

Season Miles: 91

Paris-Nice

2011-03-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that Paris-Nice, a week-long stage race kicks off this weekend and you can watch coverage on the Versus channel. Coverage starts at 3:00 our time Sunday. Set your recording devices.

And remember that Team Radio Shack's Matthew Busche of Tosa has been selected to the team for this spring classic. He'll be riding in support of Levi it would seem.

As for me, I was a lazy slouch this past week. The weather had me down and twice I passed on getting on the trainer inside.

I think once the sun comes out a little more and the temps finally get up to at least the low 40's with cleaner roads I'll be more inspired to start riding outside.

It's just a little too early yet to be out there, and I'm so burned out on doing "Carmichael's" that I am sort of in a funk when it comes to cycling right now.

Looking forward to Paris-Nice though. The coverage starts at 3:00 p.m. all week long on Versus.

Ill wind blows

2011-03-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

As Sinatra sings, 'Ill wind blow. You're blowin' me no good." And it was no good out there today.

Still, a 39-degree day with sunshine and roads that are 75% clear in March means that if I can squeeze in a ride I'll do it.

I got 12 miles in this afternoon, although I had to detour off my usual Elm Grove route because one of the roads was blocked by ice.

The wind was kicking up 12-20 and it really made things feel cold. I never got into any rhythm but just gutted out a dozen knowing that tomorrow the high temp is only supposed to be 28.

Season Miles: 73

So long February

2011-02-28T12:42:00.001-08:00

So long February. I said goodbye with a Carmichael :45 workout today. The last five minutes seemed to take forever...not really into it today.

1:00

2011-02-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

Well I wanted to do something a little different today so rather than another Carmichael workout I went with what would be the trainer version of an LSD ride.

Now some people call this a Long, Slow, Distance ride. Others call an LSD ride a Long, Steady, Ride. I think the second title sounds better.

In either case, the point is that you are in the saddle longer than you are used to, not going for any sort of rpm, speed or more-difficult gearing. Rather, this is about pushing yourself to stay on board for longer than you are used to.

This was the first time this indoor season that I have hit an hour. And you can tell. My body is used to quitting at :45 so the final 15 minutes today were tough to get in. But I did it.

What a difference a week makes

2011-02-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

One week ago today I did a 36-mile ride outside on a wonderful 50-degree, dry day in February. No such luck today, with snow and ice everywhere.

I did a Carmichael today, the second day in a row doing this :45 workout.

Things felt OK.

I plan to try something just a little different on Thursday.

Back inside

2011-02-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

The nice weather and three outdoor rides of last week are but a fond memory. Now, as the snow piles up again outside my door, I am back on the trainer in my basement doing a :45-min Carmichael today.

Blah.

But it WAS a good sweat.
More of this to come for the rest of the week.

Tempting...

2011-02-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

As I type this entry there is a snowstorm underway outside my window, packing threats of rain, sleet and ice to go along with 5-9 inches of the white death. Crap.

Coming off a week of being able to get three rides in OUTSIDE on dry roads in February, this latest covering from Old Man Winter is an unwanted gift that I wish he would stop giving.

I was tempted to ride with my one of my riding buds and blog reader "Der Jan" on Saturday. It was cold, but the sun was out and there was no wind. He told me he was just finishing up with work and wondered if I was interested in getting a few miles in with him.

Of course I was, but my time was tight. I could have squeezed a ride in, but I played it safe knowing that in a few hours I was needed as the emcee of a big charity banquet downtown. I didn't want to take a chance. I could just see me getting flat 30 miles out delaying us, or worse yet, me crashing. That would be something...I walk up to the stage as the host of this fancy dinner program at the Pfister with road rash on my face!

So as tempting as it sounded, I passed on the ride. I hope he went because it may be the last chance to ride outside again for a while thanks to the snow that is now falling more heavily than when I started writing this post. Looks like it will be back to the basement trainer for me this week.

Just Like Belgium

2011-02-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

I have to believe that today's ride would be just what it would feel like if I were a pro riding in Belgium in early spring. The weather was perfect for that setting:

--47 degrees

--Dark, dank sky

--Snow on the ground all around

--Fog

--Blowing drizzle

There was nothing good about this weather, except for the fact that it came on February 17th in Milwaukee. Roads clear of snow and ice? Temperatures above freezing? Bah, what's a little rain...what's a few giant snow-melt puddles...what's a little cold wind in the face? Piece of cake in February. As ugly as this day looked outside it was still better than 45 minutes on the trainer in my basement.

Three days. Three rides. Three different bikes too. Today I took out my second-stringer, the Klein. Man, each move up my bike food chain sure is a nice change for the better then it comes to feel and performance.

From the Navigator 400 to the Trek 7500 FX to this Klein and each time the ride got better.

Today I stayed close to home because the rear tire on this bike has been on the trainer. It looks like it has worn pretty much and I didn't feel like struggling with a rear tire change in this weather.

I did three laps on my Elm Grove crit course. Coming back on the second half of each lap the wind was blowing the drizzle such that it sounded like freezing rain hitting the wind jacket I had on.

None of that mattered though. I was not going long today, just blowing out the cobwebs from my legs after yesterday's big 36-mile adventure out of nowhere. Just a dozen miles today. Sloppy yes, but outside.

You'll have to excuse me now. I have three bikes to go clean up.

Season Miles= 61