AT Cycling Log - 100,000 miles done! Next stop ???

[mechBgon]

Watts per kilogram (over various time spans) is another significant metric, especially when ascending is involved. I don't have a power meter, so I don't have a good way to quantify mine. Strava estimates it, but Strava gives pretty wild numbers if I'm using a "mountain bike" on the road. I've actually reclassified my mountain-commuter as a cyclocross bike to deflate the numbers a bit. With the narrow hand position I use for road speeds, its cruising efficiency is not typical of a mountain bike.


http://app.strava.com/activities/91743480 <--- my 19-mile mountain-bike ride today. 3700ft ascent and several new KOM marks. I was on a mission to create some new Strava segments for tough, technical climbs that are difficult to complete without stalling. I managed to "clean" all of them on this outing, thanks partly to a fresh rear tire at a squooshy low pressure. Anyway, it was a good muscle-stamina and cardio workout.

Total: 42,180

 

[RichieZ]

Watts per kilogram (over various time spans) is another significant metric, especially when ascending is involved.

no doubt, I am targeting 3W/kg @FT as a recreational rider.

 

[mechBgon]

no doubt, I am targeting 3W/kg @FT as a recreational rider.

Nice chart The VO2 Max work will really help, as long as it doesn't kill you :sneaky: I don't do formal interval training myself, but hitting medium-sized hills at high intensity in an attempt to beat my Strava PRs probably amounts to the same effect.

One frustrating thing is that, as Greg Lemond said, it never gets easier. You just go faster on the same level of suffering.

 

[_Rick_]

12 miles up a small hill. Almost threw up on top, apparently I ate that banana too soon before taking off. Only had light for an hour as well, so kept it short and as intensive as was possible....

42192

 

[drteming]

11 XC miles.

Total: 42,203

 

[mechBgon]

3 + 24 miles today. I was all "hmm, what sort of ride should I do after work?" and for some reason I decided to do the popular local time-trial course with my commuting mountain bike, in the dark, at 36°F / 2C: http://app.strava.com/activities/92112069

Actually it's a handy benchmark for my fitness. I have results for that bike with both summer tires (fast) and winter studded tires (very power-hungry). My result was 32:13, 96 seconds off my PR (without studded tires) and at a higher average heart rate. So clearly I have some room to improve.

Total: 42,230

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Light rain this morning. Heading out anyways. Expecting storms as well. Should be interesting.

 

[_Rick_]

Light rain this morning. Heading out anyways. Expecting storms as well. Should be interesting.

Don't die!
Storms are scary, and together with rain, you may get into a situation where hypothermia becomes an issue.
And don't get hit by branches or roofing...

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Don't die!
Storms are scary, and together with rain, you may get into a situation where hypothermia becomes an issue.
And don't get hit by branches or roofing...

It turned out to be nothing much. Windy with a good rain. The part of Texas I live in is warm to hot year round so it was still in the mid 70f range. Also rode every hill I saw along the route to make it more intense. +30 42260

 

[mechBgon]

7 today, just the short commute. The weather's going to take a turn for the worse this weekend, so I guess I should try to get some riding in tomorrow after work.

Total: 42267

 

[_Rick_]

I'm currently gathering my courage to benefit from the sudden sunshine as well.
It's pretty cold out though, and I have big plans: around 60 miles and an undetermined amount of feet vertical, probably 2.5-3k in two climbs.

My greatest fear is not making it home for sunset...

Edit:
made it home, before nightfall. Just.

Was out 5 hours. The 60 miles guesstimate was roughly on target, but the climbs actually amounted to 4k ft. 4.5 miles @ 9% on the second one. I think that around halfway up, my body just gave out.
I slowed to a crawl, got slightly dizzy, despite a quick refreshment break at the bottom --just slurped a gel and swapped bottles.
By the time I was up, it was also getting quite cold, even in the sun. My breath started condensing two thirds of the way up.
Took another break on top to refill the bidon - went through 1.4 liters until that point. Never touched the new one though, because the cold was getting to me, and from there on it was thankfully pretty much downhill all the way.

The way it got cold up there was also a sure indication that the mountain season is now over. I was wearing full winter gear, and the cold just penetrated right through the two layers.
Now I've had a hot chocolate, and I'll order a burger with fries and cheese nuggets to regain some composure but I guess it was worth it. Only did three "real" mountain tours this season because of the weather and stressful work. Too bad I didn't get to put a check-mark on the Galibier....

so, 64 miles more!

42331

 

[mechBgon]

Was out 5 hours. The 60 miles guesstimate was roughly on target, but the climbs actually amounted to 4k ft. 4.5 miles @ 9% on the second one. I think that around halfway up, my body just gave out.
I slowed to a crawl, got slightly dizzy, despite a quick refreshment break at the bottom --just slurped a gel and swapped bottles.
By the time I was up, it was also getting quite cold, even in the sun. My breath started condensing two thirds of the way up.

Took another break on top to refill the bidon - went through 1.4 liters until that point. Never touched the new one though, because the cold was getting to me, and from there on it was thankfully pretty much downhill all the way.

The way it got cold up there was also a sure indication that the mountain season is now over. I was wearing full winter gear, and the cold just penetrated right through the two layers.

That sounds like tricky conditions. Personally, I tend to get drenched with sweat on the climbs, then very cold on the descents due to the triple whammy of low heat production, wind chill, and being wet. One of my countermeasures is a stuffable O2 rain shell that I stuff in my trunk bag, then whip it out and put it on for the descents. Fully waterproof and windproof, cheap, and can be rolled down to the size of a soda can if you work at it. It's one of my wintertime essentials, along with some plastic bags I can put over my feet as impromptu waterproof/windproof booties.

For me, I got 3 + 19 miles today. After work I decided to just take the mountain-commuting bike and ride up a few nearby hills on the road, then head home:

http://app.strava.com/activities/92470279

Weather was OK, about 45F / 7C and dry. The legs just didn't have a lot of energy today. I've been eating a little lighter to try to lose some weight, but if I want good riding results, I think I'll need to at least eat a sandwich a couple hours beforehand.

Total: 42353

 

[_Rick_]

I was actually quite happy with my state of dress, given that I didn't change - neither uphill nor downhill was too hot or too cold.
But I think the second climb was quite cold and that really exhausted me, which made the slight chill up on the plateau that extra little bit of punishment.
Down in the valley it was nice and warm again, at least, and I only started shivering again when I got home. Hot chocolate well earned.

Here's the track btw: http://www.strava.com/activities/92382000

As for a rain jacket/shell - I've been looking at some at the local bike store, but haven't found one yet that truly convinced me...But I'll sorely need to get one, especially now that I've also started looking at MTBs...

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Rode my same longish trail (for me) with my dad and his friend. Took it more at their pace, which allowed me to realize my conditioning is improving quite a bit. Previously I couldn't even grind out this course without 4-5 breaks. Now the only breaks I took (2ish) were the ones needed by the other guys. Gonna start thinking about progressing to other, more difficult trails so I can keep progressing. Also thinking about buying some disc brakes finally.

Overall + 11: 42,364

 

[mechBgon]

The Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes are a good value, that's what I use on my XC bike. If you want hydraulic, Shimano SLX are nice. Retrofitting disc brakes is a lot more economical if your wheels already have disc mounts on the hubs; otherwise you're looking at new wheels, or else a wheel rebuild with new disc-compatible hubs. PM me any time if I can help with that stuff


So a couple weeks ago, I foolishly set a Strava segment goal: by the end of December, climb a certain climb in 21 minutes or less (my PR was 22:05). PROBLEM: the ascent goes up to about 3400ft elevation, and it's winter, so when snow hits up there, it's going to stay. And snow is coming, so time is running out.

So I went out there tonight and took a crack at the goal. I squeaked out a 21:33, so it's a new PR, but that's only halfway to the goal :\ And that was with an extra-light set of tires helping out, and I made sure to eat plenty so I'd have energy.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained... anyway, 4 + 31 miles for me today.

Total: 42399

 

[SociallyChallenged]

The Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes are a good value, that's what I use on my XC bike. If you want hydraulic, Shimano SLX are nice. Retrofitting disc brakes is a lot more economical if your wheels already have disc mounts on the hubs; otherwise you're looking at new wheels, or else a wheel rebuild with new disc-compatible hubs. PM me any time if I can help with that stuff


So a couple weeks ago, I foolishly set a Strava segment goal: by the end of December, climb a certain climb in 21 minutes or less (my PR was 22:05). PROBLEM: the ascent goes up to about 3400ft elevation, and it's winter, so when snow hits up there, it's going to stay. And snow is coming, so time is running out.

So I went out there tonight and took a crack at the goal. I squeaked out a 21:33, so it's a new PR, but that's only halfway to the goal :\ And that was with an extra-light set of tires helping out, and I made sure to eat plenty so I'd have energy.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained... anyway, 4 + 31 miles for me today.

Total: 42399

I appreciate the suggestions. I've learned more about what brands/models of disc brakes I'm looking to avoid so the input on some good ones is helpful. I'm probably looking more into some hydraulic ones that will transfer over with me to more of an all mountain bike. Luckily, my bike frame and wheels did come with the appropriate mounts, etc for the disc brakes. Will have to look into different types and which rotor size will be best for me. I'll probably go a bit bigger in anticipation of switching to a more aggressive ride. If I have some questions, I'll PM you - thanks!

 

[RichieZ]

41mi today

Total: 42,440

 

[FleshLight]

+63

42,503

http://app.strava.com/activities/92787832

 

[mechBgon]

Today I took the direct route to work, then got groceries on the way home, for an estimated 11 miles. It was quite windy (for our area) since there's a weather change-up going on, but at least it wasn't raining.

Total: 42,514

 

[mechBgon]

This week's weather looks bad, except for today (near freezing, no precipitation, no wind). So I decided to take one last shot at my Strava segment goal (climb a certain climb in 21 minutes or less). Strava report: http://app.strava.com/activities/93259903

I put my raceday wheels on my mountain bike with extra-light tires and no extra equipment, and on my way to The Big Climb, I made sure to take my legs up to redline for a few minutes on a short climb. Historically, this has been a big help for me, even if it does burn off some glycogen.

Anyway, I got out there, set aside my extra jacket and stuff, and started the climb. It starts with over 500ft of ascent on a paved road, then switches to dirt, then keeps getting steeper. This time there was some mud, which didn't help. But nevertheless, I set new PRs for the road part, the dirt part, and the whole thing combined, AND beat my 21-minute target nicely with a 20:20 And then collapsed in the snow for a while.

It's a good thing Strava's not habit-forming. Anyway, that makes 31 + 3 miles for today and I am about to go buy a frozen pizza to celebrate, so that'll be another 3 miles.

Total: 42,551

 

[mechBgon]

It snowed overnight and kept snowing this morning, so it was time to put the studded tires onto Reflecto-Bike:



After work I decided to go over to the off-road trails and crank out some climbs, because I'm signed up for an 8-day Strava climbing challenge. Unfortunately this ride got tacked onto my morning commute, resulting in GPS mayhem and a wild underestimate of my ascending stats! Talk about adding insult to injury... I go muscle an unsuspended 40lb bike up snowy hills in freezing rain and the GPS says I'm descending on a 350ft climb.



Anyway, I would need about 2500ft of ascent per day for the next 5 days to meet the goal, and the weather's looking dismal, so it's likely I'll abandon that one. But I got some good training out of the ride regardless.

Total: 42,571

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Rode an easy 8mi ride today. Legs felts heavy today, but I know the bike is feeling rough due to needing some maintenance. Gonna clean everything this weekend. Need to replace brake/shifter cables in the near future.

Total: 42,579

 

[_Rick_]

Add another 32.5 miles, at a nice average 30 kph. I need to do something about bike fit though. Still taking quite the punishment on the saddle, and my knees went quite bad after the 5 hours ride last week.
Might need to give the saddle even more lift, and see if there's some room to move it forward on the rail, so I get a better hip angle. On the flipside, that means it'll be harder to get the hip to connect with the saddle, and more pressure on the squishy bits....

total: 42611

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

It snowed overnight and kept snowing this morning, so it was time to put the studded tires onto Reflecto-Bike:


After work I decided to go over to the off-road trails and crank out some climbs, because I'm signed up for an 8-day Strava climbing challenge. Unfortunately this ride got tacked onto my morning commute, resulting in GPS mayhem and a wild underestimate of my ascending stats! Talk about adding insult to injury... I go muscle an unsuspended 40lb bike up snowy hills in freezing rain and the GPS says I'm descending on a 350ft climb.


Anyway, I would need about 2500ft of ascent per day for the next 5 days to meet the goal, and the weather's looking dismal, so it's likely I'll abandon that one. But I got some good training out of the ride regardless.

Total: 42,571

What type of reflective tape did you use on the bike and also what headlight?
+36
Total 42647

 

[mechBgon]

What type of reflective tape did you use on the bike and also what headlight?
+36
Total 42647

That tape is this stuff: http://www.night-gear.com/reflexite-v92-dot-c2-daybright-white-conspicuity-tape-2-x-12-strip/ It sticks well to single-axis curves like a straight cylindrical tube, but won't comform to a multiple-axis curve like a curved fender or a helmet shell without wrinkling and looking ghetto.

That particular bike is shown with three headlights. One is down on the fork just above the front tire. It's a Busch & Muller "Luxos B," powered by a dynamo built into the front wheel hub. These are like a low beam on a fancy car, the beam pattern has a sharp horizontal cutoff. Which happens to make it terrible for off-roading. But since that's a commuting bike, it's nice for a baseline headlight that can't run out of power.

The bigger headlight on the handlebar is a DiNotte 1200+, with a flood beam that makes it good for off-roading (since it's not too sensitive to where the bike's aiming). In cold weather, it signals "low battery" much too soon, so I try to save it for when I really need that much power.

The smaller headlight on the handlebar is a Cygolite Metro 360, which is a commuter-oriented self-contained headlight with a GREAT daytime-flash mode to help me get safely through the high-turnover parking sections of my city commute. Those are a decent bang for the buck at around $60... I could nitpick it for a few things, but at that price... hey.


Today we had dry weather a bit above freezing. I rode to work, ran an errand on my bike mid-day, and climbed some road climbs on the way home, so that's 4 + 4 + 18 today for me.

Total: 42673