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....!