veloblog: bicycling in Greensboro, NC and the surrounding area

My legs and lungs have decided to return

Thursday's Roaming Ride gave me a bit of a clue that my allergy problems are subsiding. During the ride I wasn't gasping for air, watching the rest of the bunch roll of down the road. Unlike the previous Thursday, when that's exactly what happened, I rolled along pretty comfortably, didn't come apart on the hills, and actually enjoyed being on a bike.

All but a couple of the group were on various Storck demo bikes. I was on an Absolutist 0.9, a frame that's apparently built more for crits than comfort. Nonetheless, it handled the local chip and seal well, with just a bit of chattering across rough surfaces. The SRAM Red gruppo (complete, other than Zero G brakes) was oh so nice.

Saturday I went to Dave's Ride, continued to feel better, didn't blow up on the hills, and decided that I'm getting back to normal. I confirmed that today, during 35 rainy miles where I was able to keep the pace and feel stronger as the ride went on. There's hope for me yet.

A compendium of thoughts from the past few weeks

Friend Deadwood pointed out that this blog sucks because I'm not posting enough. I'm not riding enough, either, but that's neither here nor there.

Yesterday I did manage to ride the annual Tour de Lions with some folks from the JDRF team. The ride is a favorite of mine, not only because of the lack of traffic and great roads, but for the brownies at the finish. The folks in Grays Chapel put on a great ride.

Things are a bit rockier at the Giro, with plenty of crashes, including a header off a 200 foot cliff. Today the riders said enough is enough and stopped after entering Milan. Following a conversation with the race chief and an apology to the crowd, the group rode piano until the final few Ks, where they let it rip. Nothing like an extra rest day.

The Greensboro Velo Club and JDRF are teaming up for Hammering Happy Hill, a charity ride on June 27. Info and online registration here.

After wearing my Sidi road shoes for three years or so I've suddenly developed foot pain. Weird -- it's not related to the pedals I'm using (it started with my Speedplays and continued when I switched to Look Keos). After about 30 miles the small toes on my right foot start falling asleep. Cleat position doesn't affect it, nor does a change of insoles. Maybe it's a sign to change shoes. I've had good experiences with Specialized shoes, and checked out a pair of Bontragers the other day that looked pretty sweet. Then there are Shimanos and the new Mavics. Lots to choose from....

Want to try out a Storck bike? This week's Roaming Ride starts at Revolution Cycles on Spring Garden St. The Storck demo team will be on hand, and riders can try a Storck for an extended time. Details: Thursday 6 PM; 25-30 miles at a moderate pace.

Finally, if a mechanic tells you to use a Park glueless patch to repair a cut in a Hutchinson tubeless road tire, don't believe it. I patched my tire in just such a fashion, squirted a can of Fast Air into the tire, and watched in wonder as latex foam shot out of the ostensibly sealed cuts. Crap.... So, a new tire is on the way, and I plan to order the Hutchinson Rep Air kit, which is designed to seal cuts. Fast Air, though spendy, is pretty cool and easy to use, so I'll start carrying a can instead of one of the two tubes that sit in my seat bag.

Shannon Hills Ride - 36 miles

Saturday, the sun was shining brighter than earlier than we expected. And the wind was howling. Which made our 36 mile loop to Level Cross, Red Cross and back slightly more challenging than expected.

Miles

A quick glance at Ascent reminds me that I managed to ride about 80 miles last weekend. Not so bad.

A JDRF Rides to Cure update, not-training, and coaching

We have a small, but hopefully growing JDRF team headed for Killington, VT in August. It's going to be a first class ride, and I'm hoping to see more people join us. Our training rides are starting up; we'll have one in Winston-Salem this weekend, and Rides to Cure team members are welcome to join the Roaming Ride Thursday. Email me if you want details.

My training has been sub-par, to say the least. Last weekend was a bust, due to horrible weather and other (non-cycling) commitments. I'm hoping the weather gods treat me better this weekend. With Cycle NC and the Burnsville Metric on the horizon, I need some miles.

I've taken an interest in a more systematic approach to training, which has coincided nicely with my becoming a coach for our JDRF chapter's ride team. I recently took the test for my USA Level 3 coaching certification (and apparently passed, though I haven't received notification beyond seeing my name on the Web site). Through my coaching ambitions are limited to the JDRF team, I'm looking forward to having access to training information, some of which I hope to put into practice. I'll share anything noteworthy here.

You know, it felt warmer in the parking lot.

That Other Saturday Ride was back today. Nine of us rolled out of the Greensboro Arboretum parking lot at 1 PM.

The thermometer said 52, but it felt colder. And on top of that we had a stiff wind to contend with.

The route was make-it-up-as-we-go, and we went north, winding our way up to Lake Brandt Rd, Air Harbor, Church, Spencer Dixon, and then 150. We hung a left on Fairgrove Church about the time traffic got on our nerves, bid adieu to Deadwood, and headed toward Benaja. Just before hitting the hill on Benaja, one of our group vanished. Odd, he was right with us and then...he wasn't. We figured that he flatted, turned back to find him, didn't find him, and headed toward downtown via Brooks Lake, Doggett and Yanceyville.

When I rolled into the driveway I had 42 miles. Of grinding into the wind. Yes, my legs hurt.

Planning for the season ahead

The riding of late has been more maintenance than anything else. I'm thinking that I'm happy to just not lose all my fitness. But now we're in spitting distance of Spring, so I'm planning ahead and thinking of rides that I can do to start building fitness. Aside from the training rides with JDRF, I'm planning on three days of long, flat miles at Cycle NC, a weekend of climbing in Burnsville, and then we'll see what else. Perhaps some weekends of more sustained climbing are in the cards.

This week's cycling

Rode some. Froze a lot.

That about sums it up.

When is Spring going to get here?

Home stretch

I haven't done much in the way of riding this week, although I was planning to log a few miles last night. Instead of riding in the gloom and drizzle, I spun away on my rollers until boredom set in. Tomorrow I get back on the road when Deadwood, Stuart Larry David and I ride the Tour de Pig.

Since my 'shark is somewhere between here and there -- there being Death Valley -- I've had some time to get reacquainted with my Pinarello. I enjoy the nuovo retro look of the bike -- skinny frame tubes and semi deep-vee wheels -- as well as the superb handling. It's still one of the best handling bikes I've owned. I'm looking forward to the 60-some miles I'll ride on it tomorrow.

Sunday, I'll try to squeeze in Carl's ride, and if I'm lucky I'll take an easy spin on Tuesday. Thursday I catch a plane and I'm off to Death Valley. There's still time, if you want to show your support for JDRF.

Your cycling tip of the day

Mango slices. That's right -- mango slices.

That big bag of unsweetened mango slices called to me from the shelf of my local Costco, causing me to think, "yeah, that would be a nice change of pace from Hammer Gel." So I brought a bag home and have been jealously guarding it from the VeloBoy's voracious appetite. Did I mention that he suddenly developed a taste for mango?

I threw a few slices in a baggy before Sunday's ride, and enjoyed an on the road snack. My report: Mango slices are convenient to eat, tasty, and pack an energy boost. They're a fine alternative to the various Gels, and a lot less messy to deal with when you're trying to eat and stay in contact with a group.