Posts Tagged ‘Hour of Power’

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Don’t let Strava go to your head

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Saturday I had a “free” day from training. It wasn’t a rest day, but a day without intervals. Typically, I was supposed to go out and ride. It was just a matter of figuring out what I wanted to do.

The ride got started late in the day due to an event I was in charge of earlier. After being on my feet all morning into the afternoon caused me to be a little down about the ride. Still, I didn’t hesitate. I got home, changed and rolled the bike out of the driveway.

Since I had some freedom in what I was doing, I decided to do a little Strava hunting. What better place to do so then in my old hunting grounds — the Sunshine Cycle Shop Hour of Power route. There were already several Strava segments created from the route. There was one more that I wanted to create. This ride would give me the data I needed as well as show me how I stacked up along the route.

We’re talking about a 30+ mile ride with over 2000 feet of climbing. Along the way would be several “sprint zones” that often culminated with a climb. Typically, I have made this ride in a group and as you approach the sprint zones the group rides very much as you would in a race to see who would reach the line first. The goal in the ride was to claim as many of the “wins” as you could.

Doing the route alone is a different experience. There is no hiding in the group. You are riding exposed and without the motivation of other riders around you. I set as my goal to average 17 mph for the ride and try to land in the top ten of the various Strava segments.

I was quite surprised by the results and it reminded me of something important to consider before you start going out and bragging about your Strava KOM awards!

  • The first segment is aptly named “HOP 1st KOM” and it starts on Tanner Road between Rutherford Road and Reid School Road. It has an average of a 6% grade for just under a half a mile. I scored a KOM with a time of 1:28.
  • The next segment is one I had created earlier and is one of my favorite ones on the ride — when we are in a group. When you are riding it alone, it isn’t quite as fun. Drafting plays a big role in the “HOP Meece Bridge Sprint Zone.” The overall grade is less at 2%, but the over mile long sprint zone has a long stretch of straight road perfect for a lead out. There would be no lead out today, but I still took the KOM with a time of 2:59.
  • Now it was on to another one of my favorite segments on this route: “Quarry Road Climb on Hour of Power Ride.” Oddly enough, the average grade at 1.7% is less than the previous segment, but it definitely feels like you are climbing more! Covering 1.3 miles, the segment as listed in Strava is slightly longer than the traditional zone for the Hour of Power. Still, it is close enough and once again I took the KOM by covering the distance in 3:54.
  • Next? “HOP 3rd KOM” (technically the HOP Meece Bridge Sprint Zone isn’t really a “KOM” but Strava doesn’t offer sprint points) so this is the third climb to contest. It is one that I typically have not participated in while doing the group ride. However, I gave it a shot over the short .3 mile segment with a 6.2% grade. I bagged another KOM with a time of 46 seconds.
  • The route is well into the second half by this time and I was having trouble maintaining my 17 mph average as I neared the segment I created called the “HOP State Park Gate Sprint Zone.” Ironically, on a segment that has an average grade of -1% it is the climbing that gets you! You have a long lead out on rolling terrain before you (almost literally) dive down to the bottom of the dam at the Paris Mountain State Park. At that point, you kick up over .2 miles on a 6% grade. Your legs go from wildly spinning to grinding it up in a matter of seconds. This segment also became mine with a time of 2:32.
  • You’re not finished yet! There is still “Oakleaf.” In Strava this “optional sprint zone” covers a little more road than we typically contest on the route. In Strava it is called, “White Oak on Hour of Power.” It culminates in a climb up an 8% grade. What makes it really hard is the fact that it comes after 20 miles of hard riding and other sprint zones. It is why some bypass this segment. I didn’t bypass it this time, but neither did I give it much of a go. I ended up 3rd with a time of 5:39 over the 1 mile segment.
  • Finally, there is the climb up “Nature Trail at Herdkoltz Park.” Since, I already owned that KOM, I took it easy up the 7% grade covering a half a mile. My time of 1:50 was still holding.

So, what was surprising? It was simply the fact that I got so many KOMs on this route. I didn’t expect that at all. Sure, I didn’t hang back, but neither did I give it all I had on each segment. Beyond a doubt, I have completed every single one of these segments faster than I did on that ride.

That leads me to the lesson to learn from Strava KOMs. If you get one, don’t be bragging about it! You may get embarrassed.

Take for instance the Meece Bridge Sprint Zone… I finished that segment on Saturday with a time of 2:59. George Hincapie is listed in 43rd place with a time of 4:07. Anybody out there think that I could beat George head-to-head on that segment? I didn’t think so.

The thing is that segments “important” to you are not so significant to others. Just because you are spilling your guts to get the KOM doesn’t mean that they guys in second place did. He could just be out there using that segment to get somewhere else. Should he decide to take your spot, he could do so with no trouble.

Having said that, Strava is still fun for “bragging rights” among your buddies. It can breathe new life into some old rides and give you something new to talk about. More than that, it can give you some motivation to improve yourself.

So, anyone ready to go out there and knock me off the top? Start at Sunshine Cycle Shop and follow the route from there. See if you can average 17 mph or more while getting your best times on the segments. No fair to go out and cherry pick! Let me know how you do.

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Fear and loving

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Let’s start with the loving. Saturday morning I was back on the Sunshine Cycle Shop Hour of Power. It was great to be back out there where it really all began for me. The problem is it didn’t go exactly the way I wished.

The beautiful redhead was getting ready to leave for her exercise that morning. As I walked by with my cup of coffee I said, “Well, I’ll go get my torture suit on.” She gave me a sideways glance that said, “Don’t you go talking like that when I’ve heard you complain for three months about not getting to ride your bike!” Yes ma’am. “Now get out there and ride!”

As soon as I started rolling down the driveway, I was glad I got up early on a Saturday to head out with the boys. My next concern was who would show up. It has been so long since I showed up at the shop for a ride, I was afraid I might not find any of my old friends there.

Thankfully, I found John, Tony, Web, Luis, and Gary waiting. There were a few faces I either recognized without names to go with them, or with no recognition at all. I guess it all came together when Art rolled up. Now there were three or four of us from the original rides.

The day was wonderful. It was cool and there were intermittent clouds. We started out at an easy pace. About 10 minutes in, Art moved to the front and really started to get us moving. Now, understand that Art is over 60 years-old. He can still turn the screws.

As we rode along, I pulled up beside one of the “new” riders. Turns out he has been on several of the rides since I had my accident. What attracted my attention was his green Ireland jersey. I asked him where he got the jersey. With an unfeigned Irish accent he said, “On the Internet.” I’ve met riders from several different countries on my HOP rides. Now I can add Ireland to the list.

Things started going downhill for me as we started the first climb. I can tell my bike handling skills are still a little rusty. As I started up the hill I shifted to an easier gear. The spinning certainly got easier, but I didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Ah, the chain dropped! I started to pull over to the side as I tried to get my derailleur to pull the chain back in place.

Just about the time I slowed. A rider came around on my right side. Thankfully, we didn’t touch. The group went on up the hill as I got myself back in shape. As the group disappeared over the rise in front of me, I chuckled that they must still think I’m in shape seeing how they’ve gone off and left me!

Turns out that being off the back kept me from another possible accident. Gary’s cleat broke as he was spinning up another hill. I learned later that his foot slipped off and kicked his front wheel almost taking him and the riders around him down. Of course, I didn’t see it because I was still trying to catch back up.

On Meece Bridge Road things got back to normal as the three POA riders lined up to easily take the sprint to the Pee Tree. Knowing who was in the group, I wasn’t sure who might be the competition. There were a couple of guys who looked pretty fast, but I wasn’t sure. Turns out in this instance John and Luis left me sitting pretty and I took the line with no problem.

There was a rider in a Cycledrome kit who came in after me and I got the impression the main reason he didn’t give me more of a run for my money was because he wasn’t aware of the distances and terrain. I’d need to keep an eye out on him as the day progressed. Having him there to push me along brought some more interest to the ride.

Turns out it didn’t matter. A few minutes after Meece Bridge we headed toward the stop sign at the end of East Darby Road. Everyone is relaxed after the recent sprint and there is a short climb followed by a long downhill. Finally there is a short uphill to the sign.

I was off the back again as I was taking it easy after the effort. John was just in front of me as we started to gain on the group that was tightly bunched. Suddenly, a small dog ran out into the pack. The group swung to the left and several riders put on their brakes. The rider with the Ireland jersey locked up his rear and slid his bike sideways. Smoke poured from his rear tire as the rubber was burned by the friction from the asphalt.

It all happened in a split second. Once the sliding bike was righted and going forward I relaxed. I thought it was over. Then suddenly I saw Art thrown violently over the handlebars into the ground! I didn’t even see if he hit anyone. No one else went down.

John came over to the side of the road to avoid the suddenly arrested group. This was just as I was starting to pull up to his right. I went off the road to avoid him. The group stopped like a single organism — other than me. I kept going. I was shaking. Seeing Art go over the bars and land on his head was… well, a little unsettling. I didn’t want to see him if he was bad off.

The good news is that there was not any obvious broken bones. His shoulder was sore and he seemed a bit groggy, but he started to get more comfortable as we waited for transportation to take Art to a doctor. To be honest, that was the most important thing of the whole day. I was glad to receive a message later from Art letting me know he was okay.

When I’m in my sixties, I hope I am as tough as Art the Dart!

The rest of the ride was cut short because of the amount of time we spent waiting for Art to be picked up. The group could have split up and just a couple of riders could have waited with Art, but it just didn’t seem right to leave him. No one wanted to be the person to say, “Okay, I’m going to go ahead and finish the ride” while Art was sitting in the ditch holding his shoulder!

I love riding and I love the Hour of Power. However, I was introduced once again to the fear of going down. The good news is that the love won out over the fear today.

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Back to the HOP

Monday, May 17th, 2010

My last post probably gave you the indication that I was facing some motivation issues. It seems that ever since I upgraded to Category 3, I’ve been having some “lost in the weeds” moments. I’ve lost a bit of focus.

I think part of that loss of determination has had to do with the time trial bike and iBike issues. I’m just not comfortable yet on the TT bike. Part of that discomfort is due to the problems I’ve been having getting the iBike set up.

It is hard for me to follow the work out programs that my coach is giving me. The problem is determining exactly what numbers I’m working with. Now, I don’t want to blame this all on the iBike. I simply have not had the time to learn how to make sure that it is configured correctly.

Certainly, it is not nearly as easy to work with the computer than it is to work with my Garmin-Quarq CinQo combination. Still, I’ve seen enough of the potential to say that I believe I can make good use of the iBike. I’ll just need some time to devote to learning how to set it up and use it.

The other issue with the TT bike is that it isn’t as easy to find the terrain to train with. It is somewhat like a mountain bike. To make the best use of the bike, I need to have it out of traffic and without too much climbing involved. This means it takes more time getting to and from an area to train. That is one thing I just don’t have a lot of.

So, I was very happy when my coach told me to ride the Sunshine Cycle Shop Hour of Power shop ride on Saturday. I was told to “just let the meter run.” This means, I got to ride how I felt. Pressure was off and the fun was on!

There wasn’t a large group that started out. However, right from the start, Tyler Crotts went to the front and set a faster pace. We all followed. It was uncharacteristically quiet in the group. We were just rolling along in silence.

We then neared Meece Bridge Road — it was time for the Pee Tree Sprint. Knowing that this was a small group I thought I would play around a bit. I attacked early. As I set off, I knew I would hear about it because the “official” attack zone was after Meece Bridge.

Still, I wasn’t wanting a field sprint. My thought was to create a selection by attacking early. My guess was that Tyler and a French rider who has joined us on several rides would separate with me from the group. My next goal would be to start laying down a pace that would wear them down and the hold it to keep a sprint from developing in the closing meters.

I have to hand it to Tyler. He stayed right there. I would see his shadow coming up behind me as we began the final move to the straight that would lead to the sprint. It was here I made my fatal error.

It was at that point I should have laid it down hard. Instead I let the fact that I had been unable to shake him get in my brain and didn’t follow my plan to the end. Instead, I let Tyler sit there on my wheel. I entered a moment of indecision — do I try to ride him off or wait for the sprint?

I ended up doing neither very well. I did pick it up, but it was too late and then I started a half-hearted sprint. Basically, I just have him a nice little lead-out. I determined I wouldn’t do that again!

So, at the quarry road, I determined I would exact my revenge. On the way there we stopped to regroup at an intersection. While there, Mike found a long rooster feather on the road. He handed it to me and I stuck in in my helmet. Then we started off again with the feather fluttering out the back of my head.

As we neared the quarry road climb, Mike started cracking all sorts of “chicken” puns. It was just one after the other. We rode along egging him on to come up with a new one. Meanwhile, Web and Tyler went on ahead. By the time I reached the bottom they were well on their way up the climb.

It felt so good just to find a rhythm and start reeling them in. Before we reached the halfway point, I saw Tyler sit up and look back. I knew then he wouldn’t be contesting it. It didn’t matter, I wanted to let it out. So, I kept the pace strong until near the very end.

Basically, the same thing happened at the next two contested points — the Paris Mountain State Park gate and Nature Trail. I finished alone at the top of each of them simply because no one really challenged. That was okay. The main thing was that I got some angst out of my system.

I split off from the group at that point to go do another hour by climbing Paris Mountain up Audubon Road. About thirty minutes after finishing Nature Trail I was on top of the mountain by the towers looking out over a hazy Greenville. After taking it in, I headed back to the shop to grab a coffee and hang out with the guys for a bit.

These were the days that first got me into riding. It is good to return to them ever so often just to remember what it was like. I’m sure that once my race calendar picks up again I’ll be raring to go. However, it is always nice to know that I can go back to the HOP.

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A mile of pain

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

This morning I had a fun ride with the Sunshine Cycle Shop Hour of Power crew.  Granted there was a smaller number due to the weather and another large organized century ride.  The group stayed together well and while it wasn’t as fast as it can be, it was great for me.

The last time I was on the bike was last Saturday when I finished my racing season.  I took the wheels off the bike and it hung in my basement the entire week until I put it back together for the morning ride.  I even forgot to put air in the tires before I left!  I must have been riding around on 80 pounds of pressure.

I felt good, but continued to take it easy through the ride.  I don’t think I came out of the saddle for speed until we reached the Meece Bridge Road sprint zone.  We didn’t even sprint.  However, for the sake of testing the legs I uncorked near the end anyway.  Even then I didn’t get much over 1000 watts.

Once I approached the quarry road, I decided to make some plans for the future.  I pushed the lap button on my Garmin as we crossed the bridge.  My plan was to go up at a nice steady speed and set a baseline for this climb that can be quite painful.  I was curious what the data profile would look like.

picture-17

The red line is my heart rate, gray line = cadence, blue = speed, yellow = power, and orange = elevation.  Not sure why the speed is jumping around.  Could it be the Garmin was freaking out due to the cloudy skies?  Interestingly, it only happened during a 10 minute period in the whole ride.

Anyway, here are the numbers: Distance = 1 mile, Average Grade = 2.4% (that is all?), Elevation Gain = 128 feet, Power Max = 582 watts, Power Avg = 355 watts, Heart Rate Max = 188 bpm, Heart Rate Avg = 183 bpm, Cadence Min = 68 / Max = 113 / Avg = 87 rpm, Speed = 19.2 mph.

Now, I’ll just store these numbers away and compare it to future attempts during the ride.  It will be very interesting to see how this one compares to one of those times when we’re actually racing up that 2.4% grade.  Of course, that is the average.

The hardest section of the climb is about 7% for about a third of a mile.  A few slight dips in the beginning and halfway are followed by a long shallow climb at the top.  It brings the average down, but the fact that it follows the harder climb makes the finishing sprint a killer.

I call it the mile of pain.  Besides the physical characteristics about the mile there is the competitive side.  Normally in this group we are racing to the top.  That means you have someone breathing down your neck the whole way.  On those days, you can feel that queasy feeling at the finish.

Today I climbed it in 3 minutes and 10 seconds.  Don’t know when I’ll be able to climb it again.  With the Ride For Mike coming up, it will be several weeks before I’ll be back on the Hour of Power ride.

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Hello, Max Heart Rate

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

Today was Tyler Crotts’ last official Hour of Power ride before he heads off to Brevard College for the year.  I don’t think it will be his last Hour of Power for the year though.  I’m sure he’ll be coming back so his elders can help keep him humble.

I was still feeling the effects of Thursday night’s ride.  It was a tough one, and I didn’t sleep that well Thursday or Friday night.  I knew the alarm was about to go off before it rang.  After an inner battle, I finally rolled out so I could be there to kick Tyler’s you-know-what.

The first order of business was to pump up my tires that had been switched a bit.  I had taken my tires from my race wheel set and moved them to my training wheel set.  My regular riders were starting to show threads.  It seemed like a good idea to get some more out of the race tires while getting my race wheels all prepped with new rubber for the SC Road Race Championships.

Wouldn’t you know it… the tube exploded at 100 psi.  I didn’t have time to change the flat.  I just threw my front SL on the bike and headed for the shop.

Pulling up I found a good crowd ready to roll out!  There were several levels of riders represented.  Of course, the ones I noticed first were the number of Greenville Spinners Bicycle Race Team members.  Randy was bringing some reinforcements!

Hmmmm, John James was the only other POA guy there.  It would be just the two of us.  Oh boy, and there was Jeff Cash.  Tony was there as well, but he was riding his cross bike.  The sprints could be interesting today.  I’m sure Tyler would be gunning for one himself.

The first test came at the pee-tree sprint on Meece Bridge Road (click to see the infamous tree).  The Spinners started the train.  Looking ahead, I saw Jeff, Randy, and one other rider breaking away.  John was sitting holding a steady pace and letting them move.  I decided to bridge up so I could recover a bit before fighting it out.

I caught them and moved onto Jeff’s wheel.  He was the one I was watching out for.  The plan was to match his acceleration until we crested the small rise about 300 meters or so from the finish.  Then I would attack from third wheel.

It never happened.  John came flying around and Jeff jumped on his wheel.  I held my pace to let those two guys go for it.  I figured my chances were pretty good with John.  I might as well save myself for the next battle.

It came sooner than I thought it would!  Before I knew it we were pulling onto Grove Meadow Road.  This is the “pace-line road.”  It is a long stretch without stop signs.  We typically end up getting in a single line pace-line and move along at around 22 – 24 mph.

I got on the front first.  I figured I would get my pain out of the way early so I could recover before turning up the quarry road.  It worked like a charm.  As we turned onto Keller Road, I was about 10th and sat in for the next couple of minutes before we hit the bottom of the climb.

John started them up with a nice steady pace.  I stayed in my 53 and just launched a do-or-die attack from behind.  Looking back was not an option.  However, I know now that John picked up a “false” pace as though he was coming after me and others sat on his wheel.  It bought me some more time.

My goal was to stay in this attack mode until I reached the false flat.  I didn’t make it.  I had to shift down and recover about 50 meters from my target.  Later I noticed that my computer had me pegging 197 bpm at that point!

Once I did make it over the hump, I hazarded a glance behind and didn’t see anyone.  I was now moving at around 16 mph and trying to recover a bit.  Then I looked back again to see a lone rider coming up behind me.  It was Jeff.  He was just coming around this corner – this picture is from the vantage point about where I was.

No way was I going to give it up after suffering so much!  I grabbed some more gear and tried to stay over 20 mph. Thankfully, it worked and my go-for-broke attack paid off… but I’d say two matches went up in smoke at once with that one!

It took me until the State Park entrance sprint before I was recovered enough to give it another go.  Right away I messed up because I got separated from John’s lead out because I got caught behind some slower riders.  Things worked out though because the break came to a halt due to a car stopped in the middle of the road.

Seems that these folks stopped to talk to some people standing on the shoulder of the road.  As we came up on them and began to make our way around the stopped vehicle, we noticed that the people on the shoulder of the road were attempting to coax a pot-bellied pig to move out of the ditch.

The pig out of the way, we started ratcheting things up again.  I got on Jeff’s wheel as he was following Tyler.  Web Fitton and Randy Hutchison were also in the mix at that point.  However, as we hit the bottom of the climb… it was Tyler, Jeff, and me.

Then things got dicey – and it had nothing to do with a pig.  Jeff and I had momentum taking us right onto Tyler’s wheel.  I could see Jeff was getting ready to move on Tyler, but I realized I could get the jump on him by pinning him behind Tyler while I moved up the right side.

I made my move, but Tyler must have been aware of Jeff because he moved to the right.  That brought Jeff over to me and for a moment the three of us were bar-to-bar with me tight-rope-riding the white line.  Thankfully, none of us touched and Jeff and I drag raced for the line.

After that, John played spoiler for Art and took Oak Leaf.  On Nature Trail Jeff finished strong by holding off John.  We all rolled into the shop pretty tired, but with lots of stories to tell.

It was such a beautiful day, I decided to put in some extra miles and did an easy spin down Chick Springs to Main Street.  From there I did a couple laps of Cleveland Park and then went home.  A very profitable 45 mile morning.

Speaking of beautiful…  If you get a chance, click on the links I’ve placed in the post.  They are Google Street Views of some of the points on our ride.  Of course, these were taken in the winter, but if you play around with the views, you can get a good idea of the terrain and scenery that we get to enjoy around here.

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Better to hit the grass than an SUV

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

In an effort to pull myself out of my funk, I decided not to do the Asheville race on Saturday. The plan was to go out and just have some fun riding with the guys. Turns out what should have been a simple effort turned into a ride of survival.

I showed up at the Hour of Power ride with my Garmin set to show only my speed and distance. No heart rate readings and no power data was going to distract me from just having some fun. I might ride hard. I might take it easy. I had no agenda.

Things started off well enough and I even did a number on the guys and took the Meece Bridge Road sprint in commanding fashion. Better yet, I was still feeling pretty good afterward. Perhaps this could be the day that things would turn around.

Between that sprint and the quarry road sprint, we have a section where we form a pace line and go for a couple of miles at a good pace. I got on front early on and started to pull the line. Looking down I could see I was holding a steady pace of around 23 mph and feeling more power was in the tank.

As we hit the base of the quarry road challenge, I wasn’t sure how I was going to work things with Tyler. He had said he was going to go for it on this one. It didn’t matter to me, but I wasn’t sure if he would prefer that I help pace him up for the win or if he would want to beat me. I decided he would probably prefer to beat me.

Turns out he wasn’t the one I needed to be concerned with. Randy Hutchison was there in his Greenville Spinners’ Race Team kit. He had given me a run for my money on Meece Bridge and now he was attacking right away on this climb following the wheel of Luis.

I love Luis, and he is a great guy to get behind at the start of an attack, but I knew he wasn’t going to sustain that all the way to the top. Randy on the other hand might easily use the pull to get a good jump on me. It was time to move.

They stayed ahead until we reached the false flat. By just putting out a steady tempo, I managed to pull myself and Tyler up to them without overdoing it. Then it was time to sit and recover before the next effort.

Randy was behind Luis (who was still there on the front as we neared the final turn) and I began to move out around them. My plan was to trap Randy behind Luis as I attacked. It would allow me to get a bit of a gap on him and that might be all the difference.

As I attacked I swung just a little too wide to the left and it opened a space for Randy. I just had to put the hammer down. It seemed to be working because a quick glance between my legs showed empty road. There was still some time.

However, rather than just spinning it out to the end, I eased slightly to shift to my big ring thinking I could bring that up to speed and put the nail in the coffin. Problem is, I never got the chance. Just as I starting to turn the pedals Randy came by me. Of course, I was in too big of a ring to respond. I let him go. He played that one well.

Then the ride went south.

Not nearly as bad as it looks.

Not nearly as bad as it looks.

I have become experienced on the bike enough that I don’t cause other people to wreck. However, I have not yet learned those bike handling skills that help keep me from being wrecked by other people. Is there a text book out there I could study?

We were in an easy pace line between zones. I had moved to the back just taking it easy. My wheel was lined up right behind the rider before me. Suddenly, he slowed and moved to the left.

I avoided my brakes in attempt to keep from having the rider behind me plow into me. My bike shifted slightly to the right and my momentum carried my front wheel up near axle of the rider in front. This is called overlapping – or crossing wheels.

The ride ahead weaved back toward the right pushing me near the edge of the road. I was flirting with the edge of the asphalt when he served back toward the left. Ahhhhh, I slowed some and moved back away from the edge. Unfortunately, he moved back my way one more time and I couldn’t avoid it this time. It had only taken a couple of seconds.

My bike slipped off the road into the thick grass and I did a Jens Voigt into the shoulder of the road. The first thing I felt hit was my head. It turned and I felt my neck wrench. Then it was my right arm and shoulder. I was too worried at that moment about my head hitting to think about what was happening to my legs.

Embarrassed, I disentangled myself and jumped up. Because I went down in the grass, the bike appeared to be in good shape. There were no wounds on my upper body, but I could see blood pouring from my knee. All in all, I felt pretty good with the fact I hadn’t broken anything.

Then someone pointed out that my right shifter was broken. No way! This is the second SRAM Force shifter I have had to break in the same place. Yes, I know, I wrecked, but still! Two times in the same spot tells me that they could come up with a better design.

The day wasn’t over. Thankfully, the bike shifted fine and if I held the lever a certain way, I could still brake. There was still opportunity to salvage the ride.

Randy attacked early on the State Park Road sprint. I was pacing myself to slowly pull him back when Luis came around me and yelled for me to hop on. I did and it was fun to watch the space between Randy and us get eaten up without me having to work hardly at all.

As we neared him, I saw him glance back. He was aware of us and I knew he would tried to accelerate and get in our train. I needed to break his draft. As Luis began to come around him, sure enough Randy sped up. However, I swung wide left which disrupted the draft for him. Once I saw we had gapped him, I moved back to Luis’ wheel. It worked.

We really needed one more rider, but I had to do what I was dealt. Luis had to drop off before the descent to the bottom of the dam. I was going to have to work a bit for this one. I put the hammer down and came around the turn that is followed by the quick descent.

Up ahead I saw a truck in the road. He looked to be driving slowly along. I was moving at nearly 40 mph by this point. There were no brake lights, but suddenly it dawned on me that the guy wasn’t moving! The distance was closing fast.

There was no way I was going to be able to stop. I looked ahead and saw there were no cars coming. About that time he saw me and put his truck in gear. All I could do was swing wide to the left and come around him.

My momentum was messed up and my timing was as well. I have the timing down for exactly when I need to shift my gearing for the climb. The truck incident messed me up and I was caught in too big a gear with no momentum. Tyler came around me and there was nothing I could do.

Still, the success was in the fact I didn’t plaster myself to the back of an SUV!

This morning I am soooooore. My neck is stiff and my right shoulder hurts. It will work out. Maybe yesterday was just what I needed to purge myself of the bad vibes. You’ve got to think that things will turn for the better at some point.

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Time for a break

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Three tough rides this week have left me pretty tired. Throw in some late nights with the Tour De France and I’m ready for a break. Sitting here after the morning ride before lunch, I feel like going and crawling into bed for a looooong nap. Yeah, I’m tired, but it has been fun.

There was a good group out on the Hour of Power ride this morning. I thought with the Tour being on we might have less people.  However, most of the regulars were there – and some fast men to make it interesting.

The first thing I realized was that apple butter is not a good thing to put on your toast before going on a ride. Basically, for me I’ve found that any type of fruit substance before a ride doesn’t sit that well.  By the time we got off of Tanner Road onto Reid School Road, I had indigestion.

Of course, this was right before the Meece Bridge Road sprint.  I got into the group, but didn’t even try for it.  Luis and John were up ahead and then I saw John pulling the pace line.  Jeff Cash was on his wheel.  I was afraid at that point that we had put John in a bad situation.  However, he controlled it and scored one for the POA boys.

By the time we reached the quarry road, I was feeling much better. I eased to the rear of the group and tried to get the heart rate down and catch my breath.  We hit it and there was John ahead of me again with Jeff marking him.  I eased up to them but didn’t go on the front.

Then Jeff went forward and I followed him up toward the false flat.  I moved to the front and tried to stamp out a steady cadence.  My idea was to narrow down the players and then see who would be left.  I wasn’t surprised when those players ended up being John and Jeff.

Jeff came around and then John.  I accelerated to get on John’s wheel.  Then John pulled off after bringing me to Jeff’s.  I sat there for a bit and then attacked around him.  After a short gap, I looked back to see that neither of them reacted.  Score two for POA.

It was on that climb I realized I needed a break.  I had no snap at all.  Plus by the time I reached the top I was in recover and survive mode.  For much of the next portion of the ride, I was just trying to hang on.

There was a small sprint point soon after the climb.  Billy moved to the front and followed a Spinners rider who attacked.  He was able to move around him and reach the fire hydrant first. Score three for POA.

Next up was the State Park gate sprint. As we were making our way toward that zone, I pulled up beside John near the front. “Save yourself for Mont Vonteux,” he said. I replied, “I was wanting to ask you if you could take the State Park sprint. I don’t think I can do it.”  He didn’t want to do it, but said that Billy could probably take it.

I rode up to Billy and he was good for the try.  Then it was just a matter of letting Luis know and then setting him up. Billy sat in and got ready for the train.

As we moved into the zone, Tony moved to the front.  He pulled for just a bit and then moved over, saying as we sped by him, “Just kidding!”

Luis moved to the front with me on his wheel.  I wasn’t exactly sure who was directly behind me, but I knew John would be there taking care of Billy.  Our job was to stretch out the field and leave John and Billy to launch up the hill.

Luis wasn’t pulling his normal killer pace and I heard John yell from behind us, “GO FASTER!” Luis picked it up a bit for several yards and then pulled over.  Now it was my time to pull.

I pushed it up into the 30s and once on a slight downhill tickled 40 mph.  It didn’t last too long though.  I heard John say, “Pull over for when we start down the hill.”  In my tired state it didn’t register completely and I started to move to the left.  “Not yet!” he commanded.  I got back on the pedals and decided to smash it until I was told to move.

Finally, John said, “Now!” I gladly got off the front.  John, Billy, and Jeff went flying past me like I was sitting still.  I rode just fast enough to keep them in sight as they made the turns to start up the climb to the gate.  John dropped Billy off in a great position, but Jeff was right on his wheel.  For a bit they were right there together and then I saw Billy move ahead.  Score four for POA.

Once more I was just hanging on as we suffered up Oak Leaf. By the time I hit the 12% grade at the top, I was ready to call it a day.  However, after I caught up with the group and we made our way toward Nature Trail, John asked, “Are you going to try for this one?” I gave a noncommittal, “I’ll try.”

John then moved to the front and as we descended to the bottom of the road just before the climb up Nature Trail, I got all the gear I could and tried to build my speed for the ascent.  If I was going to try this, I was going to hit it and try to coast as far up as I could!  John moved over and I took a deep breath and went for it.

At first I was in the big ring and was climbing at 20 mph plus.  For a moment I felt really good and stayed there listening to the swish – swish – swish of my wheels as I sped up the climb.  Then it ended. Just like that I didn’t feel it anymore.

Glancing behind me I couldn’t see anyone between me and the first turn. No need to kill myself.  Hopefully John was serving as a buffer.  I shifted out of the big ring and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible toward the top.

Looking back again I saw riders coming around and not at a slow pace. I could see myself getting pipped right at the top.  I searched my gears for some more leverage.  Finally I decided I didn’t care.  If they caught me, they could have it.  Turns out I didn’t have to worry. I made it to the top with time to spare.  Score five for POA.

To be fair, I have to point out that while the POA members took all of the sprints, Jeff Cash with Window Gang probably took the points jersey for the ride.  We ganged up on him every sprint, but he was there in the mix 2nd or 3rd for each of them.  He made the morning a whole lot more fun.  Thanks, Jeff!

Now I’m off for that nap! You all have fun out there Tuesday night.  I’m taking a break.  Hopefully, I’ll have my legs back for the POA Cycling Summer Series race on Thursday evening.

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A tale of two rides

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

I woke up before the alarm went off.  The light of the already rising sun was coming through the window.  Over on the dresser were the various items I would need for my morning ride.  After a bit of psyching myself up, I rolled out of bed to get ready to head out to Sunshine Cycle Shop for the Hour of Power.

Friday’s recovery ride had my body feeling pretty good.  The calf that has been giving trouble still hurt slightly, but not nearly as bad as the morning before.  I figured after getting a bite to eat, I would be ready for some fun sprinting.

As I pulled into the lot, I could see a good number of riders.  A quick glance showed that the normal sprinters weren’t around.  Luis was the only one I could see.  Bob sometimes mixes it up, but there was no John, Tyler, Tony, Peter, or any of those guys.  Hmmmm, this could be interesting.

Then Mike came out and announced that we were going to do the traditional route backward.  I guess there would be no need to have anyone there going for the sprints – we wouldn’t know where to attack.  Suddenly, my morning was taking on a whole different feel.

Turns out it was okay.  It was a pretty good workout.  You think that the route will be easier because there are so many long climbs going the traditional route.  However, what goes up must come down.  The difference is that the backward route has more short “popping” climbs.

The one negative was that our stops to wait for the slower riders were much longer.  It was much harder to get the feeling of a sustained effort.  Most times it was Luis, JWinn, Billy (who joined us after the ride started), and myself building a gap and then waiting.

I’m pretty sure that if we hadn’t had the down times I would have averaged some solid wattage for the entire ride.  What that means is that this route is not easier.  As a matter of fact, my average wattage was 189 watts for the entire ride.  Compare that with 162 watts of one of my recent Hour of Power rides.  The climbing?  This morning we climbed 3038 feet cumulative.  The traditional route takes us over 3020 feet.  This route is looking harder all the time!

Still, it just didn’t seem as fun and it didn’t seem to be as good of a work out.  For most part, though, it was good to mix things up.  I’m sure we’ll be doing it some more in the future.

Once back at the shop I hung out for a bit, but I was feeling like I needed to get a bit more in on my legs.  I mentioned to Bob that I was planning on getting in some more miles and he decided to go with me.  It was a simple ride, but it was a great one.

It wasn’t the route.  It was basically an over and back of Altamont Road.  The one change was that Bob decided to take us on Audubon Road.  Other than that we headed over to Furman to cool down in the shade before heading back up to the top and then returning to the shop.

First, it was fun to hang out with Bob.  It seems like a long time since the old crew had been together on one of these rides.  With just the two of us it was kind of like old times.  We were taking it easy, so there was time to talk.

After cresting the top, I started down at an easy pace.  Bob followed.  The air was cool because of the shade and the wind created as I descended.  Over to the right I could see out toward the mountains in the distance.  The bike shifted easily beneath me as I carved my way through the curves.

It was during this section that I got hit with that thought.  It is a sensation that every cyclist experiences.  It is that almost giddy feeling that comes to your upper chest and pops up on your face as a smile.  I call it the “everything’s right with the world” feeling.  You might want to call it a “Now THIS is why I ride my bike” experience.

Of course, we had to turn around and head back.  As we started up Altamont, I told Bob I wasn’t going to press my lap button to time the climb.  This one was going to go unrecorded.  We discussed what we thought our times might be.  I guessed it could be anywhere between 16 and 18 minutes.

What a difference it makes riding with someone!  The climb seemed to go much faster with someone to talk to and get encouragement from during the hateful sections.  As we neared the top, I saw a lone rider ahead of us.  It was an encouragement to keep my pace up and perhaps we could catch him before the top.

He must have heard us talking because he picked up his pace.  As we neared the wall I said to Bob, “He can have it.”  Then we turned onto that final climb.  I put my head down and just began to pace it up.  When I glanced up, I saw that the rider ahead was much closer now.  Then I went around him.  Whew!  He was suffering!

At the top I glanced at my computer.  Yes, I didn’t use the timer, but I couldn’t help but notice the time of day as we started the climb.  Turns out we covered the two miles in 15 minutes and 30 seconds.  That really wasn’t so bad for not trying.

Right there at the first turn from the top was a dad and his two daughters with a lemonade stand.  The Life’s Little Instruction Book says to always stop and buy lemonade from these young entrepreneurs, so we pulled up and got a couple of cups.  Wow!  That was some great lemonade!

From there is was an easy ride back to Sunshine Cycle Shop.  That second 22 mile ride took as long to complete as the earlier 28 mile one.  We climbed nearly as much, though we didn’t work quite as hard.  If I had to rate the two, I’d have to give the second one the higher score.

Overall it was a good day – and a good week.  I’ve finally started getting in some +100 mile weeks.  Yep, I haven’t had a 200 mile week in ages.  This month has been my biggest month yet for the year with over 450 miles.  In the past, July has always been a good mileage month.  I’m looking forward to it.

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Talking Trash

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

Trash talking can be fun.  It always reaches that point where it gets old and you hope everyone has the maturity to just shut up before it gets on everyone’s nerves.  However, at this point, trash talking with Tyler Crotts has not reached that point.  It is even better when the talk leads to some fun competition on the road.  It can spice up an otherwise routine ride.

Tyler is a freshman at Brevard College.  He is a member of their cycling team (not a bad crew in mountain biking).  Most recently he is known as one of the newest members of the Sunshine Cycle Shop staff.

I don’t know why I started ribbing him.  I guess some of it is because everyone else at the shop was doing it.  On top of that, he gives as good as he gets and does it with a smile.

After showing up for a ride Thursday evening to find no one there to ride with, it was nice to pull up to the Sunshine Cycle Shop parking lot and find a good crowd of riders ready to roll out.  There were several riders I did not know well – or at all.  Molly was the lone lady in the group – a rose among thorns.

I knew that before the ride was over there would be some fireworks sparked by the trash talk.  It would be welcome since the group seemed quieter than normal.  We all just needed to warm up first.

I was feeling pretty melancholy at the start so I led us out from the shop.  The point was my position until we reached Rutherford Road.  At that point, I slid back a bit to socialize some with the group.  The melancholy was passing.

We headed up Tanner to Reid School Road and then a quick dive over to Stallings Road.  As we were riding along this extension, I heard Art say, “Cop!”  I didn’t turn to look for myself, but as I made my right turn onto Stallings, I pulled over.  My mind was trying to figure out what we had done wrong that would get us pulled over.

I heard the engine pulling up behind me.  I decided that if the police asked me any questions, I would point them to John, our ride leader.  Hey, that’s his job, right?

Turns out it wasn’t a police car at all.  It was a wrecker truck!  The lights were flashing and I guess the lights made it look like a police car from a distance in Art’s little rearview mirror.

With that bit of excitement over, we headed toward our rendezvous with Meece Bridge Road.  This is a favorite sprint point.  However, most riders know it by another name.

When I first started the ride, I thought they were calling it the “Peach Tree” sprint.  I never did see a peach tree though.  There was a magnolia type tree with low branches at the conclusion of the zone where riders would often take a nature break.  Ahhhhhh, now I understand… they weren’t saying “peach.”

My hope was that I could get a pull going that would bring Tyler up behind me.  I would stretch it out and then either attack when he attempted to come around me, or wear him down and let John finish him off at the line.

Things were going as planned though I admit I was about ready for the pull to end.  I could see Tyler’s wheel just behind my own.  I knew he would sit there until the last second.  The finish was coming up and I decided to try and get a jump on him.

I stood and attacked.  Tyler responded.  I was spinning for all I was worth.  Tyler pulled even.  I tried to get a little more.  Tyler passed me.  I felt like I was sitting still!  Tyler left me.  I looked down to see I had only put out 800 watts.

As he took his blue Giant over the finish, I looked down at my feet.  Well, that explains it!  I had been riding in my 39 ring the whole time.  I had forgotten to shift out of it during the climb up to the attack zone.

My confidence returning, I waited to redeem myself on the quarry road sprint.  Tyler had a bit of a lead heading up to the base of the climb.  John and I were riding side-by-side at that point.

“Let’s crush him,” I said to John.  “I’ll pull you and wear him down and then you finish him off.”  “No,” he replied.  “I’ll pull you and you finish him off.”  We both knew the work would be at the finish.

About that time John Davidson came by us and said, “I’ll give you guys a pull to get you started.”  So, I jumped in behind him and then John came around and we entered the climb in that order.  There was Tyler and one other rider ahead of us.

I was in my big ring and I didn’t even shift out of it.  As I came around Tyler I thought I heard him say something like, “You’ve got it.”  I forgot to ask later if he indeed conceded the sprint, but based on our finish I imagine he did.

The attack felt great!  I was going over 20 mph up the climb in that first section.  The effort didn’t hit my legs until just before the false flat.  If my legs would just get me over the rise, there was no way anyone was going to get me.

As I neared the tree line that means there is only about 150 meters to go, I looked back.  I saw a lone rider at least 150 meters behind me.  It was Bob.  Farther back behind him were a number of riders.  All I had to do was keep my cushion and this sprint would be mine!

Nobody tried anything until we reached the State Park entrance sprint.  Actually, I was the one that lead the group out.  It is so fun to have a line of bikes pacing along at over 30 mph as we head toward the dip in the road near the dam.

From behind, I heard John tell me to pull off.  He went flying past me with Tyler right on his wheel.  There was a small gap behind him to the next rider, but I couldn’t fill it fast enough.  As we neared the climb up to the entrance, John and Tyler had a gap with a couple of riders between us.

I almost gave it to them, but I simply couldn’t let Tyler get there first – not today!  So, I sucked it up and went after them.  I think the gap worked in my favor.  Both riders eased up a bit and appeared to be measuring each other.  It gave me the element of surprise and with my momentum; I came around both of them with not enough time for them to react.  Sweet!

After suffering up Oak Leaf, I really felt that Nature Trail was not in the cards for me.  However, by the time we reached base of that final climb of the day, I started feeling better.  Once again I stayed in the big ring.  If I could just get the momentum going, I could make good time.

Bob took off and got a good-sized gap on us all.  I slipped in behind John and Tyler.  The plan was to stay and attack Tyler when the time felt right.  The problem was, being in a bigger gear; I couldn’t go as slow as they were.  To keep my momentum, I had to come around them.

Once again I felt the bike start getting faster and faster beneath me.  Turning the big gear felt easier because it was as though I was on a fixie.  The pedal motion kept building with each stroke.

Looking back between my legs I could see a wheel.  I assumed it was Tyler.  I kept going in hopes of riding him off.  My next glance back showed empty asphalt.  Now, I just needed to catch Bob.

Yes!  Nature Trail was mine.  The point being, it wasn’t Tyler’s.  Of course, that didn’t stop the trash talk.  Really, Tyler might have a point.  It is one thing to finish first in a race.  It is another one to finish first on a shop ride.

Wait a minute.  It is true that Tyler finished in front of me during the last Blair Cup.  However, I finished in front of him in the first one.  Hmmmm, that means we are tied.  Guess that means the trash talking (and the fun) will continue until June 25th when we face off again in a points race.

The quarry road sprint gave me my highest one-minute peak wattage at 625 watts.  That put that bar on my power profile over the cat 3 line!  One more bar to raise and I’ll have the goal of getting all of them over the line.

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Remember the joy of “just riding”

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

I have a confession to make.  My bike sat in the basement from Monday to this Saturday morning.  Actually, I didn’t even know where it was.  Was it in the basement or was it still in the back of the Suburban?

Thankfully the beautiful redhead was watching out for me and had moved the bike out of the truck to its spot downstairs.  I crawled out of bed with just enough time to wake up a bit and then go look at the Giant that was waiting for me in the darkness of the unfinished portion of basement.

It was unchanged.  I looked at it for a bit.  Did I really want to go out there?  Unlike a dog, the bike couldn’t wag its tail and act excited.  The desire to get back on that thing had to come from within me.  I’d like to say that at that moment the desire washed over me.  Nope.  What made me get on the bike was the realization that the guys were going to be waiting for me and I would soon be late.

My Saturday morning ride

My Saturday morning ride

It was the Sunshine Cycle Shop’s Hour of Power ride that I was leaving for.  Almost immediately after getting in the group I started to feel better.  Group riding isn’t just about how “I” feel – it is really like an organism.  Sometimes you can receive strength and encouragement from those around you.  Yes, on the flip side, it can also be a drain.  However, with these guys it is always good.

There is plenty of time for socializing as we ride easy during the “neutral” sections.  However, as we neared the first sprint of the day, John talked to Luis and me about the upcoming effort.  “Let’s do this like a race.  One of us go for it and the others cover any moves that come.”  Tony was nearby and I got the impression he figured something was up with those POA kits grouping together like that.

Sure enough he went uncharacteristically early.  Luis went with him.  “Oh good,” I thought.  “I don’t have to work on this one.”  John and I sat back to let Luis go man-on-man with Tony.  Just for good measure I did a short sprint to see how the legs would do.  Hmmmmm, not bad – at less than 100% I put out 1100+ watts.

Tony held off Luis at that point.  I determined he wasn’t going to get the next one.  That one would be the quarry road.  We made the left turn out of a pace line and then headed toward the base of the climb.  Bryant had taken the lead so he could get a head start up the climb.  I drafted off of him – he just never ceases to amaze me.

As the road kicked up, Web moved to the front and I sat on his wheel.  Earlier I told John I would try to stretch out the field and let him conserve for a final sprint at the top.  However, I had enough of a lead that as I went around a right hand bend that would obscure me from their view, I attacked in hopes that I could get a lead before they realized what happened.

Sure enough as I topped the false flat and made the left hand turn toward the uphill finish, I could not see anyone behind me.  I eased up to rest.  My heart rate was knocking on 180 bpm at this point and there was no need to make things worse.

I looked back again and here they came with Tony at the lead.  I picked up the pace just slightly.  There was a full on field sprint coming behind me!  I tried to time it so that I could go as slow as I could and still make it before the group.  As I was passing the finish, John came out of nowhere to take second.

The State Park finish was fun as usual.  Tony and I had another battle on that one.  It was one of the funnest of the day for me as it was neck and neck to the finish.  Mt. Mitchell hadn’t taken the kick out of my legs and I was able to barely hold Tony off.

Nature Trail has always been a climb I hate.  However, I’m finding that it is coming to me.  I started near the end of the group today and still managed to work my way up to finish 1-2-3 with John and Luis.  I’m starting to enjoy that little stretch of road.

At the top most of the guys headed toward the shop, but John and I headed toward Paris Mountain.  He was on his way home and I was enjoying riding so much that I didn’t want to call it a day quite yet.  We talked as we climbed Altamont and then separated as we neared his home on the way to Travelers Rest.

I went on to TR and stopped at Leopard Forest Coffee Shop.  It was nice to sit for a bit with a muffin and coffee checking my Twitter and e-mail (have I mentioned that I am LOVING my new iPhone?) before heading back home.

I hopped on the Swamp Rabbit Trail right there and started home.  I wanted to see how far I could go.  The trail went quite a ways out of TR, through the back of the Furman campus, and then finally to section where they said not to enter.

At that point I wasn’t sure where I was.  I turned in the general direction of Greenville and started pedaling.  This led me to Berea.  Things seemed a little more familiar as I continued until I got to Highway 25.  This was a section of Greenville I don’t frequent every often.

At long last I came upon a sign telling me that Greenville was only 3 miles away if I would just take a turn.  Otherwise, I would end up in Easley.  I made the turn and after a solid 3 hours on the bike I arrived at home after 53 miles.  I didn’t see that coming while I was looking at the Giant in the basement this morning!

Sometimes it just pays to get on your bike and ride.  No big event.  No big goal to train for.  Just ride.

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