Business casual rehearsal

I still have a lot left to learn about aero bars. My brother in law — props to him — and I went out this route so I could try 10 miles with the aero bars and skin suit. I also pulled off the seat bag and the bottle cages. My legs aren't shaved because over the 10 miles at Lowe's Motor Speedway the hair amounts to 2.4 seconds. If I come in behind somebody by 10 seconds or fewer once I've been to Lowe's, I shave. Also I don't have a time-trial helmet yet.

Anyway, the bike is harder for me to handle with the aero bars. I also came out of the aeros when I was going up hill or had a car tailing and not passing. I slowed myself several times by not shifting into a higher gear before I went back into the aeros. My posture was pretty crappy (evidence forthcoming) and the wind was not favorable. Bottom line: 27:41.1. I wouldn't have been last with that time at Lowe's but I know I can go faster than that — without aerobars. At least two more rehearsals are planned before April 30 and I hope at least one of them can be dress. The most significant variable is the bars so I'm convincing myself that speed is just a matter of settling in and learning how to use them.

Your mouse click here

Few people are more suspicious, and more suspicious of internet chain letters, than I am. Thus it is with some sheepishness that I present this link. Essentially, it asks that readers add their names to a petition to Google to add a "Bike There" feature to Google Maps, similar to that application's "Drive There" and "Take Public Transit" features. A modest request given the company's resources and the features already available. Maybe I let my guard down too easily but I was signer No. 30210.

Summer options

Several days of brutal climbs highlight the 14th Annual Bicycle Tour of Colorado. The brochure arrived today. The "Durango/Telluride Loop" comprises 403 miles from June 22 to June 28. Colorado cycling guru Michael Seeberg rates five of the segments (including two optional ones) as difficult. The highlight, which the brochure describes as an option and Seeberg calls a bonus, is the East Portal Road in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Draw your own conclusions about the challenge that seven miles of 16 percent grade would provide.

As tempting as the BTC sounds, I think I'll stick with northeastern Colorado in August or September. Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park has been resurfaced and I'm itchy to try it again. Call me a coward, but I'm rationalizing that 23 miles of climbing topping out at nearly 12,200 feet makes up for any grade deficiencies.

Why can't I do this at home?

Today I rode to Estes Park. All in all, it was about 25 miles up, 25 miles down and 45 miles rolling or flattish. And I rode it a lot harder, especially up, than last year. So here's my question, especially for any of you folks who know anything about conditioning: why is it that my last two rides of similar distance in North Carolina nearly left me for dead but I returned from this one fresh as a daisy? No doubt it is cooler and less humid here. I'm guessing that the weather helps keep me hydrated. Stopping for lunch (two slices of pizza and iced tea) probably didn't hurt either. But I don't get it. Let me hear your ideas.

By the way, I took U.S. 34 both ways. The high speed was just a hair under 39 mph. I did hit 45 mph yesterday coming down from Horsetooth. There was a lot of traffic and wind in the canyon today. The wind helped me on the way up and slowed me on the way down. I also learned that it's really not so bad to hug a granite wall in a two-foot wide patch of gravel when a semi is passing me on a curve.

Popsicle flavor of the day at Carter Valley Campground: tropical blend. There's one left in that box and I'm hoping it lasts long enough for me to get it.

The Lyons traverse

For all the mileage I get out of telling my North Carolina friends about how every ride out here is uphill balanced on the edge of an abyss, I'll confess immediately that was not the case today. In fact, today's ride from Fort Collins to Lyons was more or less flat. Really. Flatter than most of the rides I take around Wake and Chatham counties.

Not only that, the ride was a success. I wanted to see if I could make the trip without getting on U.S. 287, one of the main arteries connecting cities up and down the Front Range. County roads -- paved all the way -- got me south from Fort Collins to Colorado 66 (about 33 miles) through ranch and farm country. Lyons is about five miles farther west. I was particularly concerned that paved roads would turn to dirt once I left Larimer County and entered Boulder County.

Lyons is a strategic key because it's at the bottom of one of the mountain roads (abysses included), U.S. 36, that leads to Estes Park. Estes Park is about 20 miles northwest of Lyons. My big ride for this trip will be from Fort Collins west to Estes Park up U.S. 34 (another mountain road) and returning via Lyons instead of just turning around. I am still mulling the route because 1) U.S. 34 is a beautiful road both for its scenery and pavement, 2) I know every turn in it and 3) it offers the best opportunity for the entire cycletacular to break 50 mph (on the descent). Weather forecasts have me thinking Thursday or Friday will be the day, so I have several days to decide.

Horsetooth and points south and east are the likely destinations for tomorrow's chapter of the cycletacular. It should be similar to Sunday but include real climbing. Since it won't be a survival or reconnaissance ride, I may see if I can add some speed.

Cycledork's annual Colorado cycletacular!

Yes, readers, it's that time again. Believe me, waiting a year was harder on me than it was on you. The bike and I arrived in Denver this morning and will be here in Fort Collins until Sept. 2. It's about 25 degrees cooler here than in the Triangle with about zip humidity. There are significant differences in the view as well.

After acclimating today and tomorrow we hit the road Sunday. That'll be the kickoff of seven cycling-, mileage-filled days. Though some routes are already planned (and in some cases mapped), questions remaining for the week include whether I can get it 500 miles. Daily posts, though, will reveal answers. Meanwhile I need to get a disposable camera (having forgotten the scientist's) so that I can accumulate visual evidence.

The limit?

Did an English century today (beware — crappy map). I was able to execute my strategy as if I had planned it: find a group of riders doing the 100 miles, grab on to a wheel and let them pull me along. At about 20 miles the ride split: 50- and 75-mile riders left, 100-mile (it actually clocked in at +/-95) riders right. A group of five quickly caught a group of eight. The octet rode together for 10-15 miles. Just about the perfect size. Seven people could draft and the guy pulling on the front only had to go three to six minutes. Higher speed and energy conservation at the same time — a hard deal to beat. The group started to break up at the first rest stop. One guy rode on; two others stayed behind. Between the first and third rest stops (we skipped the second) a guy dropped off but we caught the guy who rode on. He kept going at the third rest stop, never to be seen again. Still, on flat or rolling terrain, the group of four stuck together thanks in large part to the generosity of the two strongest riders. At the fourth stop, rider No. 4 said he would probably drop off. I was bushed but managed to stay in contact with with the front two for about five more miles. Once we hit downtown Fuquay-Varina, though, there was no use maintaining the charade. the front two pulled away for the last time though they remained in sight for several more miles. The hardest part for the group was on downhill-uphill sections, which tend to pull groups apart and make them hard to put back together.

I crawled back to the parking lot of the Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park. I point out with some pride that I was not last and it wasn't even close. Based on my experience of Aug. 4, today and several other 80-plus-mile rides, 90 miles may be around my limit. Several of those rides have been solo efforts. I suspect that the group rides have just started too fast over the first 50 miles or so for me to have anything left at the end. Some of you may know that I have fantasies of riding across the United States. If my assessment is accurate, it will have a significant effect on how long the ride would take.

One more thing: this was the Jimmy V Ride for Research. It is the Cadillac of charity rides I've been on with four well stocked rest stops and sag support the entire way. Think what you want about Jim Valvano as a basketball coach and human being, but the foundation has raised buttloads of money for cancer research from, well, schmos like me. And as I said, they put on a hell of a ride.

The end of the world

May be west of Clayton on N.C. 42. Loyal reader htrouser did warn me of this likelihood even though he was not specific about where. The Tour de Wake went fine for the first 60 miles or so into Wendell, where my navigation started to falter. Even with a cue sheet I still had to know the secret names of the streets that turned into the roads I needed to be on. I also didn't help myself by not studying carefully enough to confirm the route around Clayton. Instead I took the long way through town, twice, before learning the identity of the secret street. By this time I had probably added 15 unneeded miles. When I finally got out of Clayton it seemed for one of the few times when I've been on a bike that the road was getting longer instead of shorter. So when I got to the intersection of I-40 and N.C. 42 after 87.8 miles with the prospect of 40 more to go in 95-degree heat, I decided sense was in order and I called the college student. She was prompt so I didn't tax the patience of the gas-station employee who was kind enough to let me wait inside.

There are several lessons to learn from this, the first time I have ever bailed on a ride. O the ignominy. First, know the route. Second, eat adequately before leaving. No matter how well the fluids are laid in — I had about a gallon with me and I replenished every 15 to 20 miles — the body still needs some calories to work with. Third, when it's that hot, leaving earlier is better. The original idea had been to leave around 8 a.m.; instead I hit the road about 10:22 a.m. Mistake. Fourth, consider the distance-temperature tradeoff. Even five degrees would have made the attempt easier.

Cycledork remains convinced that it is possible to complete the circumnavigation of Wake County. I believe the gap in N.C. 42 between I-40 and N.C. 50 can be filled and that I will succeed. Of course, if I fall off the edge, I will never be heard from again.

Northeast reconnaissance

I've threatened for months that I plan to circumnavigate Wake County. For years the southern and western routes have been clear. Today I rode most of the northern portion. Though I have no map to offer at the moment, I can say that I followed the northeast border of Umstead State Park along the remarkably crappy Ebenezer Church Road for a crucial portion of the route. Even in its remarkable crappiness — mostly because it desperately needs resurfacing — I could manage the other traffic. Shoulders on the other roads were at least good with decent sight lines too. I made it to Six Forks Road, which was my plan unless I decided to go farther. A few miles to the south, Six Forks is an Amazon of traffic flow. Where I need to catch it to go north before going east toward Wake Forest, it is a tranquil country stream. The rest of the route from Wake Forest seems obvious: south on N.C. 96 to N.C. 42 into the dark heart of Johnston County, west on 42 out toward Moncure and routes northward into the extremes of Chatham and Wake counties before heading east toward home. With today's link under my belt, the circumnavigation could be next weekend. Or maybe later. Stay tuned.

Twenty miles in less than an hour

In fact, 20 miles in a few ticks less than 59 minutes. To make the most of this shamelss bragfest, I'll add that I averaged 20 mph for more than 28 miles. Then I coasted home the remaining 27 miles. I'll leave it to you to check the provided link showing the route to judge if the chest beating is justified.

My red badge

I was surprised to end up with a red arm band at the Ride of Silence tonight. When I arrived at the sign-in table, the woman asked if I'd ever been hurt on a bike. I'm pretty sure I responded with a mumbled "gurf?"

She asked again, "have you ever been hit by a car?"

"Yeah, but I was 12. It was more than 30 years ago."

"You get a red arm band," she said as she tied it around my left biceps.

I noticed that nearly every one else had a black one.

I pulled my bike to the back of the line. The people next to me told me riders with red bands were supposed to go to the front. I said I was happy where I was.

My justification, which I summarized for them even more briefly, was that it was an accident caused by me exercising the judgment of a harried, distracted 12-year-old. I was late for school and I almost avoided being perpendicular to the car. He clipped the back wheel. The driver stopped and I popped up and apologized. I hope he still doesn't have nightmares. My bike was slightly bent but I still rode to school. When I got home I'm pretty sure I stashed the 10-speed in the basement. Since I rode some days and walked others I don't think loyalty to walking was noticed from that time forward. And when you're 12 and late for school and you know that you dashed out in front of the car, that you got hit is the sort of thing you might neglect mentioning to your mom, especially when you can pedal away.

The ride tonight was good. I never ride that slowly — in places 7 mph — but it felt nice to be in a low, low gear spinning behind the other 86 riders. The five miles took about 35 or 40 minutes. Befitting its name, the ride through Research Triangle Park and east Durham was very quiet.

The ride home was in some ways better. I pulled Patrick, who was riding a folding bike, south along Davis Drive from RTP to Morrisville. What impressed me was that on a folding bike he could stay close enough that there was pulling to be done. One of the things I got from Patrick was perspective about red bands. He asked about my red band and then told me about his. He got whacked by a car probably about 20 years ago and landed on his head but everyone was able to walk away. He didn't realize until later he had a separated shoulder. But that's not why he was on the ride. He told me he rode because of a guy named Al Johnson, who made the ride with us tonight. Al damn near died after a bike wreck in Virginia some time ago that included weeks in ICU and, not suprisingly, months off the bike. Even though I never, ever want anyone to clip my back wheel again — or to cause it — I think it's understandable that I'm glad not to be Al. And I don't ever want to be. Let's just hope I can size up a situation better at 44 than at 12.

Not just more mapping software

Yeah, veloroutes looks like googlemaps adapted for cycling. That is what it is — and so much easier to use. It is truly point-and-click software. For instance, check out this map for how I get started every day. It probably took me five minutes, if that long. There's probably a lot it can do with it that I haven't figured out, as well as a lot it can't do that I don't realize yet. For now I'm convinced it's the real deal.

A dash of humiliation goes a long way

I turned in a 55 miles ride in just a hair over three hours today. Worth bragging about, as I just have. I took the Old U.S. 1 route (Googlemaps appears to be down; once I can get to it you'll see the route). As I crossed over N.C. 55 in Apex I saw two cyclists ahead of me. Good. Maybe someone to ride with or maybe just riders to chase. The first guy made a quick left but the second continued straight. I noticed after a minute or so that the gap wasn't closing and I was doing 23 mph. Never letting up, as the front man did from time to time, my speed varied between 22 and 26 mph (how cool is that?). I figured I make up room as the road became more rolling and I did. As I got closer I noticed a handlebar setup I wasn't used to seeing — was this guy a time trialer? Just east of New Hill I noticed the widest tires I'd ever seen on a road bike. But they weren't so wide on a mountain bike, as this was. With front and rear suspension. West of New Hill, after about six miles, I caught him. He was gracious enough to let me lead for a while but it was obvious I was an impediment. He politely excused himself and left me in the dust.

C'dork's Friday ride guide: nine miles for any time

I may go on this ride tomorrow. Or I may not. It's tremendous virtues include that it is short and goes through scenic, rolling country, including some of the N.C. State vet school farms, a state park and a forest managed by the N.C. State forestry school. Not so virtuous, perhaps, is the subdivision of big-ass honkin' houses that's gone in between the forest and the state park. But the silver lining in that, from my selfish perspective, is about a mile and a half of beautifully paved road between the park and Edwards Mill Road that makes this ride possible on a road bike. Particularly as the days get longer this route will make a terrific after-work sprint, at least by my leaden, old-man standards. My goal for this ride is 30 minutes or less, with an emphasis on less.

At last, a near match of plan and action. Sort of.

The journey described in the most recent ride guide nearly matched the one I went on yesterday. I rode the 100-kilometer leg of the Frostbite Tour through Johnston, Wilson and Nash counties. Though frostbite was never a risk, I was a cold mofo while I waited to get started and I never got warm warm even under bright sun. Just cool warm. Temperature, combined with a dearth of riders going for 100 miles and confidence that I had absolutely no idea where I was going, caused me to pack it in a metric century. Those things and the rest stop located at the 100k start-finish, where my car also happened to be. Now I know what I'll do for half a banana.

C'dork's Friday ride guide: 100 reasons

Sorry to have slacked over the last couple of weeks. But I'm actually hitting the road this weekend and am going to put my money where my mouth is tomorrow when I turn in my application for the Frostbite Tour. Johnston and the other counties involved are largely uncharted territory so it will be good to see a new part of the world, even though I'll be seeing parts of it two or three times over 100 miles. The information is pretty slick, as maps and cue sheets are included. As of a few hours before post time there were still spots left.

C'dork's Friday ride guide: Northeast Passage

Cycledork, finally, will head from Cary to Wake Forest. A motorcycling buddy told me the trick is to take Edwards Mill Road to Ebenezer Church Road. Ebenezer Church Road and connecting roads wend their ways to N.C. 98, which goes straight into Wake Forest. It's about a 60-mile round trip — perfect. I had intended to provide readers with a map, but upon its completion my browser had a stroke and the Googlemap died as well. The map will live again but not in time to be part of this Friday ride guide. Finding the Northeast Passage is leading to greater ambitions — dare I speak it? — including a circumnavigation of Wake County. Obviously, more map surfing (and saving) is in order, but if details become more concrete, they'll be here.

C'dork's Friday ride guide: going around in circles

Despite last week's injunction to get myself lost, likely time constraints will probably lead to the same old thing. It's lame to whine about it, especially when generally it's a pretty ride with light traffic. That doesn't change the fact that I need to find a route to get me to the unexplored northern and eastern portions of Wake County.

C'dork's Friday ride guide: get lost

The fact is I need to find some new routes. I'm fond of the favorites I've been posting every Friday. They are mildly scenic and fit my mileage-and-time needs. But when the highlight of my ride is will a particular — and friendly — dog be sleeping in a particular yard it's time for something new. Most of my rides are also to the west through northeast Chatham County. Nothing wrong with that. Light traffic through the woods with a good shoulder is more than you get in a lot of places. But I need to figure out how to blaze trails around Raleigh to get to northern (and rural) Wake County. If I can concoct a way to the south to Ten-Ten Road without offering myself as a sacrifice on Kildaire Farm or Holly Springs roads that could also be fertile fields for new riding. Otherwise it'll just be the same old thing. I guess it's really time to woodshed with my North Carolina Atlas & Gazeteer and GoogleMaps.

One down, 11 to go

As I believe is mentioned previously, cycledork accepted the "2007 Metric Century a month Challenge" posted in the Cycling Plus forums. Predictably the plan is to use many weekend rides over the next year to meet this challenge. So expect to see maps for 100k rides, such as those posted the last couple of weeks, in the Friday Ride Guide. That said, it may become habitual that the trip described in the Friday Ride Guide is not the one that occurs in the two days following. Readers may recall that on Friday, CD mapped out an ambitious, 78+ mile route that would go through parts of five counties. What actually happened is that on Saturday cycledork took the trip described the week before.
Regardless of the route, I got in 65.6 miles in about 3.5 hours of riding time. It was a gorgeous day here even if a tad breezy. Dozens of cyclists were out. Lots of them seemed to have flats but when questioned said their situations were under control. I also got to meet Pete and Mark at the Wilsonville General Store, the popular cyclists' oasis, gas station and bait shop at the intersection of U.S. 64 and Farrington Road. Anyway it may be another month or two, until the days are noticeably longer, before any long ride I outline is the one I actually go on that weekend. My sympathies to cycling brethren and sistren in the UK who get even less than we do here.
Note: while preparing the second map, I was unable to compel GoogleMaps to find the actual location of Pea Ridge Road so the route description shorts me about 3.8 miles. However, in the first map it found the correct road. If anyone can offer any insight into this situation I would appreciate it.