Dave's Good Stuff

I’ve gotten pretty good at the rollers^*. Every day I ride a little longer and a little harder. There’s no doubt that it’s good preparation, even if it’s neither ideal, nor as enjoyable as actual outdoor riding.

Still, I miss my new bike. It’s hanging on the wall in the little bike alcove I made last year, and hasn’t seen any action in weeks. I console it every day as I pass by, knowing that at my approach, it’s gears start to vibrate and it’s chain starts to glisten, but I continue on my way, and it’s left hanging. Poor thing. I’m a bad bikefriend.

But it’s just too cold out for me. I proved I could do it last year, and realized that it just wasn’t any fun at all. Furthermore, I don’t have any way to have a car both at work and at home when I commute by bike these days. I could feasibly stop with the wussing, and deal with the cold, but the logistics of needing a car here and there, and only having the one for both places are, at least for the moment, prohibitively difficult to overcome.

When it warms up, I may find a way to commute a couple two or three times a week into work, but I think, at least until I find myself with either two cars, or a roommate with a car I have evening access to, cycling to work full time is so very 2008. The latter may happen this summer. That would be cool.

At least, when it warms up, I’ll be able to take her out for evening and weekend spins. I know she’d enjoy it, and I know I would too. She really is quite pretty, and deserves the attention. She may not be able to see it now, but she’ll get it. Of that I have no doubt whatsoever.

^* Some notes on the roller activities on motionbased.com… The mileage, while accurate in terms of GPS data, doesn’t reflect the equivalent miles, given the amount of time, and speed while on the saddle. The moving time, similarly, doesn’t appear to be accurate at all, leaving the total time as a better guage of actual saddle time. Elevation schmelevation. The Edge 705 is fantastic for outdoor riding statistics… not so hot for indoor stats.

… was nice and toasty warm on this, my first ride of 2009.

Starting out at around 50°F, and closing out at around 40°F, I was wearing long leggings, a wicking base layer and a windbreaker up top, my Salsa N’Agua gloves, and plastic baggies between my wool socks and shoes. As I said, everything was nice and toasty except my toes. I think it was a combination between poorly set cleats and the cold, but my toes were all numb from the cleat down by the time I hit mile 20.

I took the Kona out. It’s very nearly as heavy as my old Fire Mountain, though the 700c wheels and 37mm tires are better suited for roads than the 26″/2.5″ set up was on the old one. Hence, my low average speed (13.8mph) combined with the relatively high top speed (38.1mph).

I can tell it’s been a while since I’ve really ridden. My HR was generally high the whole time, topping out at 202bpm, and the hills were especially taxing. Still, though I could feel it fading towards the end, my recovery was still pretty strong after completing a climb.

The highlight of the trip was the gorgeous sunset I saw as I was heading west on 83rd. One thing that Kansas has to offer is it’s sunsets. I *wish* I’d brought my camera. It would have been the perfect time to break it out while on a ride.

Oh well… next time.

So, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s pretty cold. It’s been in the single digits for a while now, and in case I haven’t mentioned it, I’m not a fan of riding in the cold. My excuse the last week or so has been b/c I’ve been sick with a minor upper respiratory tract infection. My excuse this week is that it’s Christmas week, and as such, is pretty hectic. My excuse next week will be b/c it’s New Years, and I’ll be very tired because of it.

I know, those are excuses, not reasons. After all is said and done, the truth is if I wanted to, I’d find a way. But unlike others, I’ve had to face the cold (ha!) harsh reality that riding in the sub-zero cold is too harsh for me. I won’t whine about why it’s too harsh for me, suffice to say that for daily outings, it just is. Riding should be fun. Riding in tear-freezing temperatures, at least for me, isn’t. That’s my burden to bear, and I bear it without shame.

But that leaves me with a problem. I do love to ride, and I love the benefits of riding. I’m healthier and happier. That’s what got me into it to begin with, after all, and that’s what will keep me in. But how to ride when the weather doesn’t allow, or when one allows the weather to stand in the way (as is my case)? There are three main choices… stationary bikes, trainers, and rollers.

I prefer rollers over stationary bikes and trainers b/c rollers force you to stay balanced, while the more traditional trainers keep you upright on their own. Rollers train your riding form as well as your fitness level. I currently have a set of rollers I use when it’s too cold out, but they aren’t perfect. They’re not bad, mind you, as far as rollers go, but they suffer from the same thing most other rollers suffer from… they’re rigid. They just sit there holding the wheels in place, and as such, they don’t feel natural. Sure, you can move side to side, and mine have wheel guards to keep me from rolling off the cylinders, but there’s no forward/backward motion, so it feels stiff and unforgiving. Moreover, they don’t allow for out of the saddle sprinting very well. Once I’m up and rolling, I’m stuck in the saddle until I stop.

I’m here to tell you, that’s not natural at all. My future gf/fiance/wife will appreciate the benefits of occasional out-of-the-saddle riding.

The other problems rollers present are all easily overcome.

• Bored? Sit them in front of a television (or sit a television in front of them). Better yet, sit them in front of a television with a DVD player attached. If that’s not your thing, put on some music and ride to the rhythm.
• Getting too hot or staying too cold? You’re indoors… I’m going to assume that being able to afford a bike and rollers means you can afford to control your climate. You can always put a fan up to give you the illusion of wind (or to just keep you cool). Consider a headband to keep the sweat out of your eyes. If you’re rolling as you should be, you’ll sweat.
• Can’t mount or dismount? Well… this remains a bit of a struggle for me. I still need a wall for support, but I’m making it a goal for January to conquer that weakness. More on that later…

However, as I said, the one thing I’ve found that the rollers simply don’t do is feel natural. In a fixed position on the ground, they don’t let the bike move naturally as you pedal, which (unless you’re like me and have a perfectly flawless stroke), becomes very obvious after the first few revolutions. This fixed position also makes it difficult to stand up while riding. Not impossible, but you have to be really really careful and know what you’re doing. I’ve not tried it yet, b/c I’m not keen on launching myself off the rollers and into the television stand. Maybe someday…

And that’s why I really want to find myself in possession of an E-Motion Roller. The videos on the site highlight the natural movement of these rollers, as well as the bumper system that makes out of the saddle and in the saddle equally natural.

The only problem is that they’re not cheap. Still, one gets what one pays for, and since I’m dead set on hitting the mountains again next year, not to mention staying in shape in the meantime, I’m seriously considering dropping the not-insignificant cash for these things. Perhaps the most important point, however, is that since they’re good enough for The Fat Cyclist, they’re certainly good enough for me.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to trying out the mount/dismount technique shown in the last video on their video page.

When, at the same time one encounters temperatures below 10… verily, below 5, and a persistent cough due to cold, one might be tempted to throw on layer after wind breaking layer, air up the tires, lube up the chain with a durable lubricant, wheel the bicycle out of the garage and make ones way against 10+ mph cross and head winds the 8 miles to work.

Not me. This morning, I resisted the temptation, utter and compelling though it was, and decided to eschew the saddle for the seat… the handlebar for the steering wheel… the painful yet oddly numb fingers and toes and lips and nose for the same, but toasty and warm.

I’m proud of myself. It’s not often that I’ll be so staunch and resolute in the resistance of temptation, hedonist that I am. But this morning, I put my foot down, and though the Drop was calling my name loudly and clearly, I had to let her down, pass her by, and sit my butt down in the seat behind a steering wheel instead.

My cough, painful and persistent as it is, might have bolstered my ability to resist the temptation to ride this morning, but I don’t want to give it too much credit. That inner strength is mine and mine alone.

I’m home again today on account of throat crud. About halfway through my ride home yesterday, I felt a familiar soreness when I swallowed. I rejected it it out of hand. Nope. Not going to happen again, not so soon. I can’t remember the last time I was sick, but I don’t think it was that long ago.

Blah. Doesn’t matter. I’m home now, and it’s snowing out. Today would have been a fantastic day to ride! But the way it’s snowing, I’m sure I’ll have tomorrow as well.

BTW, the answer to yesterday’s question is Steven Brust. I *love* the communication style between his characters.

Temperature at Departure: 16°F
Average Speed: 13.2mph.
Wind Chill Factor: ~0°F

That, my friends, is cold. It may not be Antarctica cold, but it’s cold. I did OK in the clothing department, though my face suffered a bit. I’ve not bothered yet with the balaclava, on account of not liking the affect it has on breathing and how grungy they get, though this morning gave me cause to seriously reconsider that position.

I’ve found, that on days as cold as today, that as much as clothing, the trick to keeping warm is to balance the time you spend out in it, and the speed at which you ride in it. You can’t go too fast b/c the bitterly cold wind will work it’s way through clothing eventually. For me, it starts with the fingers and toes and moves in from there. Then again, you can’t go too slow b/c the cold air will, eventually, work it’s way through the same clothing.

The thing is… the trick, you see, is that it’ll take a lot longer on a calm day to get cold than on a windy day. So…

For that reason, I typically err on the side of taking it real easy on cold days and minimizing the break away sprints. Even on the downhills, I’ll feather the brakes in order to keep the speed down. For me, today’s temperature, at 16°F, and wearing my claw finger Toastadas, 16mph was about all I could manage before the digits felt the bite of the frigid wind. Faster than that, and they started to ache a bit.

So take it easy out there. It’s cold out.

Temperature at departure – ~34°F.

It was pleasantly warm on the way in to work this morning. I was dressed more heavily than usual, on account of the drop in temperature expected this afternoon, but even my face, which I typically leave uncovered, was relatively comfortable. Even with a mildly stiff NNW wind, I wasn’t that cold.

Third day back in the saddle and I’m already feeling better because of it.

Other than the temperature, it was completely, blissfully, wonderfully uneventful.

My last commute was in October. Early October. It was relatively warm out in the 50′s and 60′s. It took nearly two months for the Dew Drop to arrive, and in that time, I only rode the Torelli twice. Both of those rides were in October.

Kansas is notorious for having about two weeks of Autumn. It’s hot for months. Then it’s fantastically nice for two weeks. Then it’s bitter cold for months. Spring comes, and it’s fantastically nice for two weeks before it starts raining, and then it’s hot again.

I missed Autumn. I missed the fantastically nice days. Honestly, I could have gotten out, but my motivation was quite low, and I opted to get back into pool again instead. But the new bike is here, and while it’s just in time to head off the expanding waist line, it’s too late to enjoy the last few really good days of the year. Sure, we may have more mild days coming up in the next few weeks, but I’m not counting on it.

So both yesterday and today, I faced cross/headwinds on every ride. Plus it was cold. Kansas is up to it’s old tricks…

Back to the new bike. The Dew Drop is a wonderful ride. It’s smooth on it’s 60psi 37mm tires. It’s quiet… nay *stealthy* on it’s new drivetrain components. It’s solid and sure on it’s disc brakes. It has really comfortable bar tape. I think it’s rubber. Basically, as Noah puts it, it’s a sweet ride. He even got a picture of me with it.

I look kinda goofy.

The bike does not.

The Dew Drop, having arrived, and then having been equipped for commuting, was used for the first time this fine December 1st (in an interesting, if relatively insignificant, bit of serendipity) to great effect.

It was an uneventful ride, which, truth be told, is how I’d prefer it. I must admit it would be nice to have a remarkable ride, if what I was remarking upon was an overabundance of wealth falling out of the back of a truck and the owner giving me a shrug and a *meh*, thus indicating that his misfortune was my fortune, or, having already secured said swag, I rode around, tossing money at puzzled pedestrians while flailing about and yelling in a frightening manner. However, given the very nature of this activity I’ve decided to partake in, and the nature of those who share the thoroughfares and byways on which I perform said partaking, it is more likely, though not, I maintain, inevitable, that I would remark upon the remarkable from a hospital bed, having had not money thrown at me, but several tons of metal and plastic controlled (not controlled?) by an inattentive pilot.

Temperature at departure… 27°F. with a pretty good NW crosswind. I was chilly, but not overly so, thanks to my clothing choices.

Feet: Wool socks, plastic bags over the toes, MTB shoes and neoprene toe covers.
Legs: Neoprene leg covers and sweats.
Torso: Neoprene base layer and a windbreaker.
Head: Headcover and helmet.
Hands: Salsa Cycles N’Agua gloves.

About the only thing I expect to change as the temperatures drop is fleece pull over layer, swapping out the N’Agua’s with the Toastadas, and adding full foot neoprene boots for the feet.

Plus, disc brakes rock.

Living solo as I do these days, I don’t have the benefit of being able to leave my car here at work, needing it, as I often do, after hours. So, instead, I’ve had to alter how I get my work clothes to work. I previously outlined three methods, reproduced here for your convenience:

Method, The First: Involved packing the next day’s clothes each night (or frantically in the morning) in the panniers and carrying them with me every day. Method, The Second: I tried driving a week’s worth of clothes into work Sunday night, and then exchanging them for another weeks worth of clothes the following Sunday. Method, The Third: Drive a weeks worth of clothes in on the first work day of the week, leave the car at work, and drive everything back on the last.

The first method is out. I used that method for quite a while, and have decided that I’m just not a fan.

The third method won’t work for reasons just discussed. In case you’re short term memory is similar to mine these days, it’s b/c I need my car in the evenings.

That leaves the second method. It did not work out so well previously b/c I had the option of evening transportation. Without that in place, necessity (and a desire to not pack my clothes every single day) forces me to give it another shot. I’ll let you know how it works out. I’m sure you simply cannot wait.