Spinning wheels

This past week has seem a few old tired items refreshed. Mostly bike items...not this old tired writer. The Bianchi received a new chain, new middle front sprocket (thanks to Pedallers) and the Garmin Edge 305 was replaced.

As summer marches on, the miles pile up. After more than 4500 miles this season parts wear out and break. Over the years I've owned and operated a lot of equipment. With that said I'm a firm believer in the fact that "If you use the equipment..things will break and wear out". So deal with it!!!! Being somewhat mechanically inclined I do as many repairs as possible and continue to educate myself as to the finer workings of bicycles. Yet there are a few things that a good bike mechanic can tweek just so.... So using one does make good sense. The guys at Pedallers have treated me well. A couple local bike shops seem to use rather young help in their shops. I feel a little better using a shop with a more mature support cast. I highly recommend them to any and everyone.

Cycling this week was in two areas, both local. I have grown to like a challenging ride on the eastside that wanders through Rush, Bloomfield , Victor, back to Brighton. This route is a modified version of (made longer to accommodate Middle Rd hill, and River rd) RBC #233, offers some nice short steep climbs. I've run this both clockwise and counterclockwise this week. The rest of the week was spent riding near home trying to add a new twist to old routes.

One new discovery has been the ability to load maps in the Garmin 305. It is a multi step process which includes creating the route in Bike Route Toaster ,then transferring this to Training Center. Bike route toaster automatically enters all the course markers (turning prompts). This also helped me figure out how to add course markers to pre-riden routes in Training Center. There are still a few bugs in the system (mostly on my end,)but I'll figure them out in due time.

The next big event is the Highlander. That is the BEAST of the EAST as far as rides go with over 12,000 ft of climb. I normally do the Lowlander which has over 6000 ft of climb. My goal is to complete this in under 7 hours. My best time was last year with a time of 7h 29m 22s. Shaving 31 minutes off this will be a real challenge. I plan on using the hills around Middlebury , Dale and Perry as my training area.

International Adventures

The dog days of August are upon us. I'm a little tired ...the Bianchi is a little tired. All I can do is R & R. That's Rest and Repair. I've backed down a little on intensity, by adding a few more rest days along with a couple of easier rides and the Bianchi is undergoing some much needed repair. I still enjoy riding everyday, although it is not always practical.
RIDES
I've completed the hard stretch of events By cycling in the Niagara Frontier Cycling clubs CAN AM Invitational . This is a neat Ride that crosses the border into Canada at the Peace bridge in Buffalo, then recrosses into the USA at Lewiston. Cheryl and I Rode the first 30 miles together. The morning was so beautiful weather wise. We strolled along the Niagara river stopping at the Falls to witness its amazing feel of power. We met a woman and her child from France. Then on to the Whirlpool rapids. A short time latter we re-entered the USA and after some confusing directions we parted ways with Cheryl opting for the metric ride. The first 30 were great with a slight tailwinds and mostly a slight downhill. Unfortunately after crossing badck into the USA we had a direction mishap in which Cheryl was climbing back up the escarpment which she would have avoided.
The next 20miles were familiar ground having ridden this a few times before with the FANY and TDC. Tailwinds made this an easy ride. After the turn south the combination of a gradual upward incline along with the fury of the SW winds came into play. The next 25 miles were a real workout culminating with the climb up the escarpment which was about 1 mile long at a pretty good grade. After riding a basically flat course the legs did not like having to encounter a real climb. Once over the top we rode mostly bike paths along the Niagara river back to the start. As we rounded Grand Island and were pointed SW, the FULL FURY of the winds came into play. " Hills make you stronger...Wind makes you mean", make let me tell you there were a few hundred mean people pedaling on Sunday. Latter when I was home I looked up the winds on Weatherbug, and they stated that the average winds in Buffalo yesterday were 17 mph with gusts up to 29mph. They were tough!!!!
It was nice to see so many people enjoying the riverside, from picnics to bike ridding, skate boarding, even one couple practicing Ballroom dancing. There were a few thousand people in a 5 mile stretch.
I ran into MIKE & MIKE, a couple of guys that I meet on the FANY ride. One is from Grand Island the other from PA. What a couple of cutups these guys are. We rode for a few miles and had a blast at the picnic at the end. All the fun is here.
Hmmm, 2 centuries under 7 hours and a metric in 9 days....Not bad for an old fart.
REPAIRS
The poor old Bianchi is showing signs of wear and tear from the 4300+ miles this season. The day after the FANY the left shift lever broke.It must be a defect in the carbon, for there appears to be a bubble were it broke. Bianchi Warranted this 2 years ago, but not this time, so BOB (from Peddalers) suggested an alloy lever. Replaced the chain and now see where the middle sprocket has to much wear on it. Even the Garmin Edge 305 needed some TLC. After speaking with a rep from Garmin I shipped it back to them, and they will ship me a new one seeing as it is still under warranty.

Camaraderie is so abundant in cycling. As I attend these various rides and events, you see and meet people whom you've ridden with at other events. Mike & Mike , Mike and Barb from RBC, at Tioga Karl, Denny, FANY Tom, Mike & Mike, and many others.
Because at the end of the day we have all ridden the same miles..climbed the same hills...Have a few good stories to share....

First sub 7 hour century

This past week has offered a diversity of both terrain and riding partners. From the lowland Shores of lake Ontario, to the Hills of Tioga County ,NY. Along with some interesting riding partners. The week started out with thoughts of Bike Tioga . This is a ride that starts in Owego NY and traverse Tioga County. The terrain is a mixture of river and creek valley’s and some interesting hills tossed into the mix. Tioga is located between the Chemung River and the south of Keuka and Cayuga Lakes. Most of this area was carved out by the retreating Glaciers millions of years ago.

On Friday evening Cheryl and I went to Owego NY, She to ride 56 miles , me to ride 106 miles. Both admirable distances for each. We arrived at Hickories Park along the Chemung river in Owego arriving just before dark. We set up camp and spent the night to the natural sounds of the river flowing...NOT more like the sounds of a major highway traffic just across the river.

Bike Tioga usually puts on a nice ride. The entry fees are rock bottom, so there aren't any official sag points. Every year they change up the routes, and this years 106 mile ride was in the shape of a "8". Today's weather was a real change from the past few days. NO RAIN, and the promise of a bright sky. The morning was a little chilly with a mist raising up against the backdrop of the hills.

Got started about 7:45 am. The first 23 miles were a steady up hill with a few quick rollers. Going through the towns and villages of Owego, Spencer and Candor. Some of which I rode parts of in the past. Missed one turn, but recovered and back on track quickly. Then I climbed for the next 3 miles on Dean Creek Rd. Still feeling pretty good, not winded or tired. Cruised down into the Valley. I passed Cheryl going the other way about 34 miles in. She looked pretty fresh and was at her 20 mile mark. She road the first part of my "8" going the other way on her 56 mile ride.

Next went through the villages of Waverly and Sayre, PA. There looked to be a neat Italian bakery and deli combination in Waverly. My first stop was at 47 miles to take off a layer, And again at 52 miles to put my jacket back on. The winds still had a nasty chill to them. One thing I did miss in the first 2 hours, were my knee warmers.Up to this point I rode mainly alone, at a good pace. In Waverly I ran across a couple on a tandem that I meet at the GreatFingerlakes Bicycle Tour I rode with them for 4 miles until they turned for the 69 mile ride. Out of Waverly it was a steady climb on rollers to the high point of the day, 1504 ft, then fly down for 2 miles then a stead decent with rollers for the next 20 miles. I missed (couldn't find) a store at 60 miles to get some water. Those 2 bottles were getting pretty empty. After passing each other many times for more than 20miles , I rode with a father, son team with the son on his first century. I told his dad that his son was my hero for riding this ride. We both missed the store and were both out of water. We did find a store 6 miles up(About the 85 mile mark) and replenished our supplies, and had a treat. Gatorade and Ho Ho's ...what a kick in the butt of sugar and sodium. It did the trick. After that we worked together for 10 miles and moved right along.
Finally I was approaching the 100 mile(century) mark of the ride.That was just about the Summit of the last hill a few miles before Owego. I looked at my time...and lo and behold I achieved a great goal I set earlier in the season MY FIRST SUB 7 HOUR CENTURY... ...6hours 41 minutes....... Wow was I excited.I still had almost 7 miles left of the ride. I entered the start Finish area and walked up to Cheryl and was she surprised to see me so soon. About an hour quicker than I said I'd be back. Also meet a few Bike Journal riders, Denny, Chip and Karl
A few photo's

We headed on Home and still made it back in time to see the entire Rochester Critt Race with the BIG boys. It finally rained towards the end. It's amazing the close quarters and speeds they maintain.
No ride on Sunday, I was planning on doing one after my open house but I've had enough of riding in the rain the past 2 weeks.

Earlier in the week I Rode with BikerJohn in the Tour de Parma. John and I have had a running debate on hilly and flat terrain.

In the begining...err maybe somewhere's in the middle

I started this thing a few weeks ago, yet today will be the official start.

Mainly, this will pertain to cycling. Sprinkled with observation's of the world.

Having recently completed my second FANY ride I feel optimistic as to the direction my health is progressing. Hey, 518 miles(peddling) in 7 days is nothing to sneeze at. Last year on my first FANY ride, I was heavier and slower. This past winter in the gym I worked on my legs and shoulders hoping to improve my performance. It certainly helped. The largest improvement of all has been in weight loss. I'm currently at 188 lbs. On April 1 I was 229lbs. Biggest fear on weight is not gaining it back during the winter. The two welcome sign photo's show the difference a year makes ...On bottom 2007..top 2008

Cycling goals have been the same for the past 5 years...get stronger , faster and become a better climber. Well...making strides in those directions. It sure is a lot more fun(not to mention easier) not to lug an extra 40 lbs up the hills.

How did I get started in all this. Back in '99 I realized that smoking 3 packs a day wasn't any fun any more. Robyn asked me what I wanted for x-mass a week before..one of the items mentioned was the PATCH. X-mass morning Robyn and Peter handed me a present that was a box of patches, 6 weeks latter I was pretty well weened from nicotine , falling off the wagon for the last time in late May 2000. Over the next couple of years I learned how to operate a fork. The LBS creep ed on and like the demise of smoking,I had to spend a period of time convincing myself to do something about it. One afternoon in the summer of 2003, as I walked into the house to a ringing phone, was a cold call from a gym in Batavia. In an hour I was at the gym attempting to do something about the battle of the Bulge. I would lose some for while ,then gain it all back and then repeat this over the next couple of years. But overall the gym is a great benefit, within 6 weeks of going 3x a week I didn't seem to have anymore back pain.

The Raleigh era ...Then I got the bright idea that if I rode bicycle on the off days It would improve my cardio. SO I resurrected Rachel's old (1990) Raleigh 12 speed and rode that about. Little did I know that a bike is suppose to fit the rider. So there I was riding 3-5 miles with my knees out sideways, the seat to low and thinking I was king of the world...Until I got off the darn thing. My back would hurt, knees felt like someone beat on them... I would wonder How in the heck could people ride for long distances with so much pain? Despite all this I kept at it. I also did some research and figured out how to TRY to make the Raleigh fit better. It was a better fit, still a long way from a great fit( That bike frame I figured out a year latter was to small for me)During the Raleigh era is when I nicknamed some of my most treacherous climbs. Remember this is when I was in extremal poor bike shape.

The likes of Heartbreak came about first... Keep in mind that all hills and rides are subjective to ones personal perception at the time they encounter them..more on this subject latter another time . Heartbreak is a huge (at the time) 2 stage climb on Black St. between South St. and Summit St.Rd. heading west. I have since learned that the second stage kicks up to 10% grade... The first couple of times I attempted this, I walked up the second stage. Finally after a couple of weeks I actually peddled over the top. The sounds of the theme to Rocky was blaring in my head Arms triumphantly waving...I had finally conquered my first major hill in my cycling quest. Oh' don't worry, there were a few more times I had to hike up over that humungus hill. Today Heartbreak is just another smallrise up ahead...what a differance a few years makes.......Cheryl has her own personal story of her first conquest of Heartbreak.

So now I'm tooling around a 9 - 10 mile course feeling good, yet I am still feeling challenged by another climb such as Asbury Rd.

The following Spring I go back at it again. All bolstered up with a winters worth of research and such online magazines such as RoadBike Rider. In my mind I can sail along....NOT.... I graduate to riding 4-5 times a week(still going to the gym 3 x a week), and back at that diet thing. I start to explore other roads in the local quadrant I ride in. Can you believe it..Some one put more hills in the way. The beginnings of Red Route 1 (RR1) take shape. I still struggle up many of these. By now (2004)I have put a cycleputer on the Raleigh, and have discovered a thing called Organized rides. I have read about them on the puter. I was riding around 20miles a ride, with 30 miles feeling like an endless quest, thinking this is a large amount. Riding mostly alone I had nothing to gauge my progress to. So happily I pedal on.

As I mentioned I had learned about organized rides, and this thing called CENTURIES . The thought of 100 miles miles is daunting. But there is this one little ride called the Highlander ,starts and ends in Naples. Its only June I think..so lets train a little and see what happens. Mind you a 20 mile ride is the end of my limits at this point in time. In august of that year I meet up with someone from Naples who is also a novice rider. The two of us decide to do do the Highlander. As a training tool we have broke the course in to thirds. The plan is to do a third a week for three weeks. Well two out of three ain't bad. I also did a 75 mile ride from home to Hamlin beach St Park as a test of endurance. ... deem myself ready to go!!!!!!

That fateful Saturday in September arrives and I show up me and my 12 speed Raleigh (along with my first pair of brand new bike shorts, and Cycling jersey) arrive at Bristol MT. Ski resort Parking lot at 6:45 am. I get out and look about and immediately feel out of place. There are hundreds on the latest and greatest bikes ever made here.Not to mention everyone is about half the girth I am. So off I go determined to complete my first 100 mile ride on the old but trusty Raleigh . And what a ride it was.It was hard. Let me rephrase that...It was a great ride, easy in places...And the most dificult thing I have ever attemted in other places. I swallowed my pride and walked up parts of 4 hills...County Rd 32, Millers hill(I think I'm the only person to be photographed walking up Millers) Vine valley Rd. , and County Rd 12. but I do FINNISH. Yes I did. A little over 9 hours total time..but I finish before the kitchen closes down too. I remember arriving home about 6:30 pm that night thinking...YES , I did it, and most suprisingly, I could still walk. Woke up the next morning, still suprised that walking wasn't that difficult, I even took a small spin that afternoon....Yup I could hang with the big boys.

At a time in my life where I needed something challenging to accomplish cycling provided the outlet. I learned a lot about myself that day and about cycling.

During the winter of 2004-5 I discovered Bike Journal. A place to keep a log of miles ridden and routes used. I also had been bitten by the organized ride bug and found a few other local rides on the puter. So back at the 20-50 miles a week schedule, and actually looking forward to the little climbs I was doing. This is where I came across good ole' Halp Duez. A neat little climb at the south end of Asbury Rd, on the way to Lake LeRoy. A 2 stage hill that is 1/4 mile long and the second half kicks up to 10 - 11 % grade. A real wall at he time.

May 9th, 2005......one word describes it all "Bianchi"

Who would have thought that the color Celeste would fan the flames of my new passion with such vigor. This bike was going to allow me to fly up these hills,achieve greater speeds, place me among those in the know of cycling... There was certainly a change, but there was just a few little things that had to be addressed first

1) I was still pretty heavy by cycling standards

2) I didn't have a whole lot of muscle or technic

and worst of all

3) YOU STILL HAD TO PEDAL UP THE DAM HILL

Yet was thrilled at this new machine and the ease in which it glided down the roads.

In the past 3 years, the Bianchi is m y way of loosing myself from the daily grind. It has taken me to great heights and great places. A list of accomplishments

Tour de Cure Rochester & Buffalo last 4 years,

Bike Tioga past 2(third on Saturday)

Thurmont Maryland(home of camp David)

Gettysburg Pa,

Niagara on The lake.

Across NY state 2x

Adirondack Mnt (4 days)

Around 8 finger lakes, Conisus, Canadaugua,Honeyoe, Seneca, Cayuga,Otisco, Keuka, Skanieatlas

St Lawrence Seaway,

Toledo ,OH,

Dayton, OH

Lancaster ,PA
Gulf coast Florida (7 days)

Cherry Valley, NY

Up Maple Beach Rd (18 -20 %) without stopping

And more than I can place here now

Where to next? I'll just head off over that way....!