Posted On Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 By David Veatch
I’m not dead. I’m very much alive, in fact. I’ve just had precious little to write about with regards to the primary focus of this blog… cycling. So instead of blurring the focus of the subject matter, I’ve opted to just wait until I had more to write. However, it’s been a while and some of you know nothing about me but what you find out here. So… Some very positive things happening personally. Since I decided long ago to keep such things off this blog, you’ll just have to wait to meet her. I will say this… she must be pretty special. I’ve not been to church in 20 years, and she’s gotten me there no less than 4 times since late December… and maybe 5. My attitude towards organized religion is perfectly summed up by the Mohandas Gandhi quote “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” That said, I have met quite a few very nice people through her and the friend that set us up together, all of whom go to their church. It’s an interesting change of pace for me… Besides Church, we’ve done quite a more »
Posted On Friday, January 30th, 2009 By David Veatch
Tomorrow morning, if the weather forecast proves true, I’m going to take the Dew Drop out for a spin. Probably only 30-40 miles or so. 2-3 hours, tops. It’s a heavier bike, and so will go slower, but that’s not a bad thing as it builds endurance and strength that much more quickly. I’ll be leaving from my house at around 9:30 or so, and probably running the standard Shawnee to Lenexa to Johnson Drive and back route as seen here. Or something very similar to it. I’ve thought about taking her out on the trails, but I’m still a little leary of those for some reason… I’d take advantage of the best weather of the day for a ride, but that’s reserved for walking the Plaza with a Very Special Person (henceforth to be known as VSP). I’ll brave the cooler morning temperatures to make room for that.
Posted On Sunday, August 10th, 2008 By David Veatch
I cleaned and lubed the drivetrains and checked the tires of both the Kona and the Fuji. The GF and I had it in mind to ride the Indian Creek Trial from 151st between Mur-Len and Ridgeview all the way out to Stateline (or wherever it ends now) and back. I was going to ride the Kona so I wouldn’t be too fast for her on her Fuji. The bikes all checked out and loaded up on the car, we set out. And… stopped. Two full lanes are closed on I35, the highway is reduced to a parking lot at the moment. 45 minutes after we start driving, we get finally there, in spite of construction and plenty of stupid drivers. We unload and get ready to ride off when I hear her yell “I have a flat!” Sure enough, her front tire is completely flat. And here we are without any spare tubes or a pump. Why, when everything checked out perfectly right before we drove off? *sigh* A touch frustrated, we load the bikes back up and head back home. This time, we take Pflumm all the way, and beat our previous highway time by half. I change more »
Posted On Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 By David Veatch
It was raining fairly hard and steady the whole way in this morning. In fact, it’s been raining fairly hard and steady since around 8 last night. We noticed it while playing pool, and it just hasn’t let up. I, of course, love riding in the rain. Sure, it means more maintenance on the bike (extra lubing and whatnot), but the joy that is a ride in the cool rain, especially after so many tortuously hot days is indescribable. So I won’t bother trying to describe it. That would be silly. I took the Kona in, because it has fenders, and it’s proven itself in the rain. I’ve been told that the Campy Record Triple bottom bracket that I had installed on the Torelli has sealed bearings and is OK to ride in the rain, but I just don’t trust it. It was hella expensive, and I’d rather just ride safe than sorry with it. When I first contemplated the Kona last night, I had a moment of regret. I’ve been spoiled with the Torelli, but the truth is (and this happens every time I switch out) once I get on the Kona, it’s like putting on an old pair more »
Posted On Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 By David Veatch
On Sunday, and then again yesterday, I went out and rode the Indian Creek trails. I’ve become far more comfortable on the streets lately, and didn’t want the hassle of dealing with the tight corridor when extra traffic (other cyclists, pedestrians) is involved. But, the GF wants to get more riding in, having been inspired by the TPB, and wants to start easy, which is to say, with hills numbering very very few. I’d ridden the Indian Creek Trails years ago before I picked up the Torelli, and only remember one little hill that gave me trouble. Bear in mind, that was back in my days of “Granny Gear is for Wussies” thinking. Now, I’ll hit Granny Gear without a second thought if it’s necessary or appropriate. I’m still trying to get the GF to appreciate it’s benefits. Once she truly does, she’ll find that she’ll go farther with less effort and generally train better with a full range of gears at her disposal. Both rides were very hot. At least while I was on the streets getting to and from the trail. Once on the trail, the temperature cooled down dramatically. Between the creek and the trees, it almost more »
Posted On Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 By David Veatch
Those were the words that greeted us as we rolled into the Aid station at Vail Pass. It was the last of three grueling passes, and the sign spoke nearly true. It was all downhill from there. Mostly. Triple Bypass The day finally arrived. 8 months and then some of training, preparing, dreading, and looking forward. 6 months of riding to work, and hitting as many weekend miles as the weather allowed. All the trepidation, all the excitement, it all came down to this day. I woke at 04:30 to the sounds of Reveille. It somehow seemed appropriate. We snarfed down some of my brother’s pre-ride nutrition (yogurt, oatmeal and fruit), had some coffee and our all-too-kind hosts drove us to the starting line. It was hard to believe were finally there. Even as we rode to the park-n-ride where my registration packet waited for me, it still hadn’t sunk in that we were finally there. It was cool out, almost cold. Clear skies with no threat of rain, or snow, or sleet. The arm and leg warmers had already proved their worth, though I wish I’d packed my long fingered gloves. The Edge was fully charged, and ready to more »
Posted On Monday, July 21st, 2008 By David Veatch
Matthew had scheduled a paintball session for Friday afternoon, but my brother and I were really too concerned with making sure we were prepared for the Big Ride, and requested that it be rescheduled for Sunday (we were banking on not being too tired). He was agreeable, and so my brother and I drove down to Bergen Park (again) and met up with the rest of the “Warm Up” ride participants. While we were waiting, we noticed (how could we not) a silver Porsche Carrera drive up with a bike rack on top carrying a nice Scott. We couldn’t help but make a little fun of it. I mean, seriously… a Carrera, with a bike rack? C’mon. Turns out that it’s the Team Evergreen Club President! I want to be a bike club president if it allows me to afford a Porsche! He gives a bit of a speech to us, talking about the origins of the ride, and how it’s turned into one of, if not The premiere single day event in the country. He wishes us all the best of luck, and we all click in and set out…. …on a hard ride with some seriously confidence busting more »
Posted On Sunday, July 20th, 2008 By David Veatch
After the success of the previous day’s ride, my brother and I wanted to ratchet it up a notch on Thursday. Not a huge notch, mind you, we were still cognizant of working ourselves too hard too early. We didn’t want to come down with altitude sickness, or stress our bodies too much before the Big Ride on Saturday. But we were also very pumped up. That meant more climbing and at a higher altitude. This time, Matthew took us down to Bergen Park again to pick up my bike, and a few other odds and ends, and drove us all the way up to Echo Lake at the foot of Mt. Evans Road. Matthew drove back down to Bergen Park to wait for us. What a star! Echo Lake to 12,000ft and back to Bergen Park The climb up Mt. Evans Road is, all and all, a little steeper than up to Juniper Pass from Bergen Park. Combine the additional grade with the additional altitude, and we were working harder. But the extra effort was well worth it. It’s absolutely gorgeous up there. Made all the more compelling by having gotten there under our own power. All the pictures more »
Posted On Saturday, July 19th, 2008 By David Veatch
I’m used to waking up early in order to ride into work with time to cool off. My normal 05:00 CST wake-up time nearly came through for me, and I woke at 06:30 MST, and was unable to go back to sleep. So I got up and joined our host who was already up with coffee ready. It wasn’t long before my brother was up, and we started planning the week’s training. He was very concerned with not overdoing it, and fortifying ourselves with proper nutrition. I’ve been winging this whole thing from the start, so I continued that trend and just went with the flow. He been counting protein grams, and making sure to get the ride types of food at the right time during his preparation. I’ve been eating frozen pizzas and whatever else the GF puts in front of me. Granted, I’ve been eating *better*, but I’ve not been strict by even the least strict sense of the word “strict.” For the most part, I’ve been training like I ride… by the seat of the pants. Elk Meadow to 10,000ft and back to Bergen Park So, we eat what he recommends, and hang out for a few more »
Posted On Thursday, July 17th, 2008 By David Veatch
Due to health issues that I won’t go into in depth, we had to make many (many) stops on the way out. We hit every rest station, and then some. Our 9 hour drive turned into more like 11 or 12. We weren’t in a huge hurry, though, so it really wasn’t a big deal. Finally arriving in Denver, we stopped at the Swedish Medical Center, where the GF’s newborn niece was… well… born. A week premature, and weighing in at almost 7 pounds, she’s very very tiny. She’s almost, but not quite, as long as my forearm. I didn’t hold her, but the GF did, nearly swooning in the process she was so taken by her. While at the hospital, we decided to head off at the pass the health issues that were plaguing us on the drive out. That added about an hour to our hospital stay, and having driven for about 12 hours already, I was getting tired and even a little cranky. However, I’m not one to force my agenda on anyone, especially when there be health concerns on the table. In the end, the wait was worth it. Health concerns dealt with. Leaving the hospital, more »