Yesterday was the start of the National Bike challenge for 2016. It runs from May 1 through September 30 and the goal is to ride as much as you can, either recreationally or to commute, during that time period. You earn points which can earn you prizes from national and local sponsors of the event. I got my first ride for this year's challenge in yesterday morning. It wasn't very long but I enjoyed it and to be honest, it didn't wipe me out as I had feared it would with my lack of riding.
I chose to ride a bit challenging of a route as it was uphill all the way to the turn around. I spent most of the ride out in one of my lowest gears and just grinding away, but I made it and I enjoyed the downhill on the way back, if I was a bit timid. I did max out at 24.4 mph but with a stop sign at the bottom of the hill, I wanted to make sure the brakes were going to work well so I used them a few times on the way down. :)
My plan is to get in a ride every day that I can and to do that some days I will be riding before work and some days after. Today will be an after day as I will be helping my grandson get his tube fixed so he can accompany me on my ride this evening.
Showing posts with label biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biking. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2016
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Rolling right along
Got up at 4:00 am again this morning to get in another ride before work. It was ride number 11 for the National Bike challenge. I've not gotten in as many rides as I had hoped so far this year, but I have increased the average distance of the rides. So far this year my average is right at 5 miles per ride. Not bad and not good.
Well, this morning's ride was challenging as the winds were out of the southwest at 17 gusting to 28 mph. The direction meant that as I was going up the slight uphill I was not only fighting gravity but the wind too. I'm guessing based on my perceived effort that it cost me about 1 mph on the uphill. Of course you would hope that would mean an increase on the downhill, but it was more of a cross wind and blocked by houses and a wall. Here's the map from strava:
This morning's ride was also challenging due to an idiot in his little white car. On my first lap, at the end of the block, on the short street (Mercer see the little bump in the lower left on the map above), I noticed a car in the driveway of a house with a woman leaning in through the open passenger door. The car was running with the lights on. No big deal.
After I made the 2 turns and headed up Quarterhorse towards Pebble, I heard an engine racing and the whit car came flying by doing about 60 in the 35 mph zone. He passed me with a good bit of room so it was no big deal. he got to the stop sign and merely slow as he took the corner. When I finally made the corner and looked he was already approaching Durango (about 3/4 of a mile away) with his right signal on. He must have been flying down Pebble which has a 45 mph speed limit. I thought little more about it as I made my way around the rest of my loop.
As I got to the end of the block again, I saw the woman standing in the street looking away from me in the direction the car had traveled. As I didn't want to startle her, I moved towards the center of the street. As I was passing her, I heard an engine and saw headlights turning onto Westchester and come flying around the corner. I moved to the left side of the street, next to the parked cars and the car passed about a foot to my right. He probably wasn't even paying attention to what was in front of him. I'm glad I was defensive and had moved to the right or he would have run me down.
I shouted that people shouldn't drive if they were idiots, or something to that effect and kept going on my way. I had thought about stopping and letting the driver know just what an idiot he was, but figured he was likely drunk, it seeming like they were coming home from a late night since it was 4:20 in the morning. My common sense and discretion prevailed and I just kept riding, thinking to myself lots of nasty things I would like to say to the driver.
It figures that there were only 2 cars that passed me this morning on my ride and one of the two was a total idiot. Anyway, when I next passed the house the car was gone and there was no one outside. My guess was that they were dropping the woman off and needed to run to the store to get her something. Th irony is that I ride in the early morning to try and avoid the idiots on the road but it seems they still find a way to find me. :)
Other than that it was a good ride and I enjoyed myself.
So, get on your bike and ride!!!!!!!!
Well, this morning's ride was challenging as the winds were out of the southwest at 17 gusting to 28 mph. The direction meant that as I was going up the slight uphill I was not only fighting gravity but the wind too. I'm guessing based on my perceived effort that it cost me about 1 mph on the uphill. Of course you would hope that would mean an increase on the downhill, but it was more of a cross wind and blocked by houses and a wall. Here's the map from strava:
This morning's ride was also challenging due to an idiot in his little white car. On my first lap, at the end of the block, on the short street (Mercer see the little bump in the lower left on the map above), I noticed a car in the driveway of a house with a woman leaning in through the open passenger door. The car was running with the lights on. No big deal.
After I made the 2 turns and headed up Quarterhorse towards Pebble, I heard an engine racing and the whit car came flying by doing about 60 in the 35 mph zone. He passed me with a good bit of room so it was no big deal. he got to the stop sign and merely slow as he took the corner. When I finally made the corner and looked he was already approaching Durango (about 3/4 of a mile away) with his right signal on. He must have been flying down Pebble which has a 45 mph speed limit. I thought little more about it as I made my way around the rest of my loop.
As I got to the end of the block again, I saw the woman standing in the street looking away from me in the direction the car had traveled. As I didn't want to startle her, I moved towards the center of the street. As I was passing her, I heard an engine and saw headlights turning onto Westchester and come flying around the corner. I moved to the left side of the street, next to the parked cars and the car passed about a foot to my right. He probably wasn't even paying attention to what was in front of him. I'm glad I was defensive and had moved to the right or he would have run me down.
I shouted that people shouldn't drive if they were idiots, or something to that effect and kept going on my way. I had thought about stopping and letting the driver know just what an idiot he was, but figured he was likely drunk, it seeming like they were coming home from a late night since it was 4:20 in the morning. My common sense and discretion prevailed and I just kept riding, thinking to myself lots of nasty things I would like to say to the driver.
It figures that there were only 2 cars that passed me this morning on my ride and one of the two was a total idiot. Anyway, when I next passed the house the car was gone and there was no one outside. My guess was that they were dropping the woman off and needed to run to the store to get her something. Th irony is that I ride in the early morning to try and avoid the idiots on the road but it seems they still find a way to find me. :)
Other than that it was a good ride and I enjoyed myself.
So, get on your bike and ride!!!!!!!!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
User Error
Got up at 4:00 am again this morning to go for my ride. I had checked out my rear tire again last night and it needs replacing. There is a pronounced wiggle to it. It appears to be "throwing a belt" in one spot where it is off center about 1/8". Not a huge amount but very noticeable and I believe indicative off an impending total failure if I put too much stress on it, like cornering at speed.
I didn't want to not ride this morning as I wait for a new tire to arrive, so I decided to do some easy laps around the block. I grabbed my Garmin, headed out and got ready to ride. Once the Garmin had acquired the satellite signal, I hit the start button and heard a peculiar beep. It was a combination of the high and the low beep the Garmin makes when it starts and stops recording the ride.
I headed out and started making some gentle laps around the block. About 6 laps in, I decided to check my time as I was curious what my pace was taking it easy. I was dismayed to see 00:00:00 on it. It seems the peculiar beep was because I had double tapped the button when I started it, thereby immediately turning it off. I hit the button to start it and verified it was, in fact, running.
I completed another 6 laps and called it a morning. Looking at my Strava, it shows that I started the ride at 4:10 but only had moving time of 14:28 and a distance of 2.84 miles. The elapsed time, however, was 29:35. It was obviously user error.
Oh well. I know I went the distance and my health will benefit from it, even if there is no record of the true distance. :)
As for the tire, while the tread is not overly worn, you have to figure I have stressed the tire much more than a normal rider would due to my weight. Looking at the rides I've done since I put those tires on the bike in 2013, I've got over 1200 miles on the tires and I figure that's worth about twice that for an average rider. The other thing I noticed on close inspection of the tire, is that the ride half is noticeable worn more than the left half. The reason for this is that the vast majority of the turns I make on the bike, especially at speed, are right turns so it makes sense.
I hope you can get on your bike and ride!
I didn't want to not ride this morning as I wait for a new tire to arrive, so I decided to do some easy laps around the block. I grabbed my Garmin, headed out and got ready to ride. Once the Garmin had acquired the satellite signal, I hit the start button and heard a peculiar beep. It was a combination of the high and the low beep the Garmin makes when it starts and stops recording the ride.
I headed out and started making some gentle laps around the block. About 6 laps in, I decided to check my time as I was curious what my pace was taking it easy. I was dismayed to see 00:00:00 on it. It seems the peculiar beep was because I had double tapped the button when I started it, thereby immediately turning it off. I hit the button to start it and verified it was, in fact, running.
I completed another 6 laps and called it a morning. Looking at my Strava, it shows that I started the ride at 4:10 but only had moving time of 14:28 and a distance of 2.84 miles. The elapsed time, however, was 29:35. It was obviously user error.
Oh well. I know I went the distance and my health will benefit from it, even if there is no record of the true distance. :)
As for the tire, while the tread is not overly worn, you have to figure I have stressed the tire much more than a normal rider would due to my weight. Looking at the rides I've done since I put those tires on the bike in 2013, I've got over 1200 miles on the tires and I figure that's worth about twice that for an average rider. The other thing I noticed on close inspection of the tire, is that the ride half is noticeable worn more than the left half. The reason for this is that the vast majority of the turns I make on the bike, especially at speed, are right turns so it makes sense.
I hope you can get on your bike and ride!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Challenge Accepted
Dave Wright challenged me in the comments yesterday to join a challenge on Ride with GPS. The challenge is designed to help you keep your Resolutions. The challenge is to ride so many miles per day starting Febreuary 6 through March 2nd. There are different levels to the challenge, depending on your cycling ability. The lowest level is to ride five miles per day. I have accepted the challenge.
To put this in perspective, I haven't been on my bike since I ended my 180 personal challenge on 11/11 last year. On top of that my last ride of 5 miles or greater was on 10/3 when I rode 5.7 miles. So, I have my work cut out for me, but it is a good thing!
Anyone else want to join the challenge?
Get on your bikes and ride!
To put this in perspective, I haven't been on my bike since I ended my 180 personal challenge on 11/11 last year. On top of that my last ride of 5 miles or greater was on 10/3 when I rode 5.7 miles. So, I have my work cut out for me, but it is a good thing!
Anyone else want to join the challenge?
Get on your bikes and ride!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
National Bike Challenge stats
Yesterday was the end of the National Bike Challenge. The challenge ran from May 1st through September 30 and it was designed to promote cycling across the country.
I was a little late to the party and joined on May 12. The challenge is the catalyst which spawned my personal challenge to ride 180 days in a row. To date I have ridden 139 days consecutively.
What is really great about the challenge is how cyclists support and encourage others along the way. I actually joined the challenge with 47 other riders from my work. We had a pair of awesome organizers (thanks Keely and Eric) and everyone was motivated to ride. What I like is that you could see how well you were doing not only on a national scale, but a state local and organizational scale as well.
Let's break down the statistics.
Above is my overall statistics. I rode 336.5 miles in 140 rides over the course of the challenge. That earned me 3,136 points which placed me #4,757 out of 47,087 riders nationally.
Locally I was number 23 out of 202 riders.
At my workplace I was #9 of 48 riders. Not too bad at all!
What I liked about the challenge is that they gave 20 points for getting on the bike and riding at least a mile on a day. They then awarded a point for each mile ridden. This rewards perseverance which I how I placed so high.
I am certainly glad I participated in the challenge and look forward to it again next year.
Get on your bikes and ride!
I was a little late to the party and joined on May 12. The challenge is the catalyst which spawned my personal challenge to ride 180 days in a row. To date I have ridden 139 days consecutively.
What is really great about the challenge is how cyclists support and encourage others along the way. I actually joined the challenge with 47 other riders from my work. We had a pair of awesome organizers (thanks Keely and Eric) and everyone was motivated to ride. What I like is that you could see how well you were doing not only on a national scale, but a state local and organizational scale as well.
Let's break down the statistics.
Above is my overall statistics. I rode 336.5 miles in 140 rides over the course of the challenge. That earned me 3,136 points which placed me #4,757 out of 47,087 riders nationally.
Locally I was number 23 out of 202 riders.
At my workplace I was #9 of 48 riders. Not too bad at all!
What I liked about the challenge is that they gave 20 points for getting on the bike and riding at least a mile on a day. They then awarded a point for each mile ridden. This rewards perseverance which I how I placed so high.
I am certainly glad I participated in the challenge and look forward to it again next year.
Get on your bikes and ride!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Sometimes I amaze myself
OK, I have been riding my bike every day for the past 118 days. Sure the majority of the rides have been short, in the 1 to 2 mile range. I figured I haven't been doing much to help my cycling fitness by doing such short rides. To test myself, yesterday I decided to go all out on my one mile training loop just to see what I could do. My previous best was completing it in 3:46. Last week I had done it in 4:02 and that seemed like the best I could muster.
Well, I was flying last night. Looking at my results after the fact I hit 25.6 mph according to my Garmin before I had to make one turn. Overall, according to Strava, I completed the 1 mile loop in 3:37. That's a full 9 seconds faster than my previous best. My average speed was an astonishing 17.2 mph. Here's the Strava report:
It seems that even the little bit I've been doing every day has been helping to build a little bit of cycling muscle in my legs. Of course I was cooked after that short distance with my lungs burning as I tried to suck in oxygen, but it was a good effort. I was very happy!
Now to work on quickly increasing my distances so I will be ready for the extended climb for the ride on the 27th. Sure the climbs are only about 6 miles long, but they are a constant climb over that distance.
Get on your bikes and ride!
Well, I was flying last night. Looking at my results after the fact I hit 25.6 mph according to my Garmin before I had to make one turn. Overall, according to Strava, I completed the 1 mile loop in 3:37. That's a full 9 seconds faster than my previous best. My average speed was an astonishing 17.2 mph. Here's the Strava report:
It seems that even the little bit I've been doing every day has been helping to build a little bit of cycling muscle in my legs. Of course I was cooked after that short distance with my lungs burning as I tried to suck in oxygen, but it was a good effort. I was very happy!
Now to work on quickly increasing my distances so I will be ready for the extended climb for the ride on the 27th. Sure the climbs are only about 6 miles long, but they are a constant climb over that distance.
Get on your bikes and ride!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Crisis Averted
OK, I took my bike in last week for a tune up and some service thinking I might need to replace the bottom bracket. I had talked to the mechanic at my LBS and he was going to take it apart and give me a call if that was the case. I dropped the bike off on Friday and they said it would be ready on Saturday by 3:00. I was stoked they could do it so quickly. I didn't get a call on Friday, but Saturday about noon my phone rang and I was dreading the call figuring it was the bad news. I was pleasantly surprised when I answered and was told that my bike was ready!
So my wife and I went to pick up the bike and I talked to the mechanic. The bottom bracket is worn and will need to be replaced in the future but it is still good to go for now. They took the measurements so they would know exactly what to order when the time came. I was more than happy with the service.
When I got home I took it for a ride and it was wonderful. No noises from the bottom bracket. No wobble in the pedals. It ran nice and smooth.
Fast forward 10 days. I took my bike out the night before last in a light drizzle and right away there was a strange noise coming from the rear wheel. It sounded like a spoke making noise and it happened with each revolution of the rear wheel. I stopped and checked for a broken spoke, but didn't find one. Figuring I should be gentle on it, I slowly finished my ride and took my bike into the garage to see what I could find.
I went around the entire back wheel checking each spoke. They were all good it seemed. I decided to wait a day and see what might happen, thinking it might be the rain which was contributing to the noise. Sure, I knew it was unlikely but I didn't see anything wrong.
Last night I jumped on the bike for my ride and it was again making the noise with every turn of the rear wheel. I slowly finished the first lap. As I got close to home I tried to note where the noise was coming from on the wheel. I slowed to a crawl and started walking my bike and there was no noise. I sat on the saddle and slowly pedaled and no noise. It wasn't until I was doing about 3 or 4 miles and hour that the noise started again. Fortunately I was able to stop the bike with the tire in the position where the noise occurred.
I grabbed the rear wheel to holed the position and carried the bike into the garage. Noting where on the wheel the loose spoke was likely to be, I flipped my bike over and started checking the spokes one more time. There was one spoke in the target area which was just a bit looser than the others. I could tell by the feel as well as by the sound when I strummed it. I grabbed my spoke tool and tightened the spoke one full turn.
I then strummed it again and the sound was close to those around it. I spun the wheel looking for any deviation in it's true and there was none. I flipped the bike over and headed out for another lap and was very relieved when it was once again whisper quiet.
Not sure what had happened to the spoke that it would suddenly be loose and making noise, but I am very glad it was an easy fix.
Time to ramp up the miles and the climbing because in just over 2 weeks I have the 25 mile Pedal to the Medal ride for Special Olympics.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!
So my wife and I went to pick up the bike and I talked to the mechanic. The bottom bracket is worn and will need to be replaced in the future but it is still good to go for now. They took the measurements so they would know exactly what to order when the time came. I was more than happy with the service.
When I got home I took it for a ride and it was wonderful. No noises from the bottom bracket. No wobble in the pedals. It ran nice and smooth.
Fast forward 10 days. I took my bike out the night before last in a light drizzle and right away there was a strange noise coming from the rear wheel. It sounded like a spoke making noise and it happened with each revolution of the rear wheel. I stopped and checked for a broken spoke, but didn't find one. Figuring I should be gentle on it, I slowly finished my ride and took my bike into the garage to see what I could find.
I went around the entire back wheel checking each spoke. They were all good it seemed. I decided to wait a day and see what might happen, thinking it might be the rain which was contributing to the noise. Sure, I knew it was unlikely but I didn't see anything wrong.
Last night I jumped on the bike for my ride and it was again making the noise with every turn of the rear wheel. I slowly finished the first lap. As I got close to home I tried to note where the noise was coming from on the wheel. I slowed to a crawl and started walking my bike and there was no noise. I sat on the saddle and slowly pedaled and no noise. It wasn't until I was doing about 3 or 4 miles and hour that the noise started again. Fortunately I was able to stop the bike with the tire in the position where the noise occurred.
I grabbed the rear wheel to holed the position and carried the bike into the garage. Noting where on the wheel the loose spoke was likely to be, I flipped my bike over and started checking the spokes one more time. There was one spoke in the target area which was just a bit looser than the others. I could tell by the feel as well as by the sound when I strummed it. I grabbed my spoke tool and tightened the spoke one full turn.
I then strummed it again and the sound was close to those around it. I spun the wheel looking for any deviation in it's true and there was none. I flipped the bike over and headed out for another lap and was very relieved when it was once again whisper quiet.
Not sure what had happened to the spoke that it would suddenly be loose and making noise, but I am very glad it was an easy fix.
Time to ramp up the miles and the climbing because in just over 2 weeks I have the 25 mile Pedal to the Medal ride for Special Olympics.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!
Friday, September 5, 2014
Postponed until 2015
Well I am disappointed. Went to the Viva Bike Veags site this morning and this is what I saw:
We have been looking forward to participating in this as a family. Now its time to look around for some other, short, family friendly events.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have been looking forward to participating in this as a family. Now its time to look around for some other, short, family friendly events.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Fall already
August has come and gone. Its now back to school time and the start of the fall riding season. At least that is the perception. Unfortunately it seems mother nature hasn't gotten that memo and the last few days have been the warmest we've seen since the middle of July. Our daytime highs have been in the 104 to 108 range and the humidity has been a bit above normal as well. Certainly not the fall weather I have been looking forward to.
The warmer temps have limited the amount of time I have been spending on my bike. I'm still riding every single day, but each day's ride has been shorter than they should be. I'm only doing 1 to 3 miles. Sure, for a lot of the rides, I ride hard for the short distances, but I know I need to really concentrate on going for longer rides. I have impressed myself just a little bit with how fast I've gone on one of my new training loops. I call it loops within loops on Map My Ride.
Basically I head out from the house, going around the outside of the neighboring subdivision, then I dive into it, loop around a block and head back out to make it back home. One "lap" is about 2.28 miles. I like the fact that I'm riding in the subdivision as there is less traffic that I have to worry about. the roads are also in very nice shape.
Add to that I recently got my bike serviced. i had thought I needed a new bottom bracket as there was binding and strange noises coming from it when I really applied pressure to the pedals, but a thorough cleaning and greasing and its good to go for a lot more miles before it needs to be replaced. Now I can pedal and not worry that something will fail or that I'm doing damage to the bike.
My first good ride of the Loops Within Loops route had me complete the distance of 2.28 miles in 9:56 which netted me an average speed of 13.8 mph. I rode it a few more times, not really pushing because of my bike issues. Now that the bike is better, I pushed it over the weekend and netted a time of 9:10 and an average speed of 14.9 mph. Quite an improvement, especially with the short distances I have been doing for the last few months.
I am hoping the weather does finally cool off and I can start getting in longer rides. My first real test of the fall is coming up on September 27 when I am doing the Pedal to the Medal for the Special Olympics. We were supposed to be doing the fun ride next Saturday but there is no way to register and the organizers haven't responded to my latest email. The site says to check back mid-August for the registration form and since it is already the first week of September, I don't see it happening. I'm really bummed too as the grand kids were looking forward tot he organized ride.
So, let's get out there and start putting some miles on as the weather improves.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
The warmer temps have limited the amount of time I have been spending on my bike. I'm still riding every single day, but each day's ride has been shorter than they should be. I'm only doing 1 to 3 miles. Sure, for a lot of the rides, I ride hard for the short distances, but I know I need to really concentrate on going for longer rides. I have impressed myself just a little bit with how fast I've gone on one of my new training loops. I call it loops within loops on Map My Ride.
Basically I head out from the house, going around the outside of the neighboring subdivision, then I dive into it, loop around a block and head back out to make it back home. One "lap" is about 2.28 miles. I like the fact that I'm riding in the subdivision as there is less traffic that I have to worry about. the roads are also in very nice shape.
Add to that I recently got my bike serviced. i had thought I needed a new bottom bracket as there was binding and strange noises coming from it when I really applied pressure to the pedals, but a thorough cleaning and greasing and its good to go for a lot more miles before it needs to be replaced. Now I can pedal and not worry that something will fail or that I'm doing damage to the bike.
My first good ride of the Loops Within Loops route had me complete the distance of 2.28 miles in 9:56 which netted me an average speed of 13.8 mph. I rode it a few more times, not really pushing because of my bike issues. Now that the bike is better, I pushed it over the weekend and netted a time of 9:10 and an average speed of 14.9 mph. Quite an improvement, especially with the short distances I have been doing for the last few months.
I am hoping the weather does finally cool off and I can start getting in longer rides. My first real test of the fall is coming up on September 27 when I am doing the Pedal to the Medal for the Special Olympics. We were supposed to be doing the fun ride next Saturday but there is no way to register and the organizers haven't responded to my latest email. The site says to check back mid-August for the registration form and since it is already the first week of September, I don't see it happening. I'm really bummed too as the grand kids were looking forward tot he organized ride.
So, let's get out there and start putting some miles on as the weather improves.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Will it happen
This is the question I keep asking myself. 'Will it actually happen?' What, you may wonder, am I talking about? The Fun Ride at the Viva Bike Vegas Ride coming up in less than 3 weeks on September 13. I keep checking the site, looking for the registration information and for the last 4 weeks or so it has said check back mid August. Well, we are now into late August and the form still is not there.
I even emailed the event coordinators and their response was the same - it will be there soon and they will even email me a copy of it when it is available. They said there was an issue with the start/finish line and as soon as the new arrangements were confirmed the form would be posted.
I really hope this does happen as we will have the full crew taking part. Every one of us - all 7, will be riding in the event. Because of this I think we will ride the 5 mile instead of the 10 mile route. This is something I really want to do - have all of us ride together! I hope they do get it all straightened out and we can do this ride.
A note posted on the site over the weekend indicates that the finish line for all the rides has been moved to the RTC building in downtown Las Vegas. The maps have not been updated to reflect this change as yet.
In order for us to all ride I have to get to work on putting some bikes together. Right now I have the first one about 90% done. The wheels are trued, the handlebars are adjusted and the brakes are working. The last piece to work on is the shifting. Right now it shifts through about half of the gears. Time, patience and adjustments are needed. As for the other bikes, unfortunately one is lacking usable sifters as the grip shifters are broken, completely. Another may have a bent derailieur. Its time to dig in and work on them.
Get on your bikes and ride.
I even emailed the event coordinators and their response was the same - it will be there soon and they will even email me a copy of it when it is available. They said there was an issue with the start/finish line and as soon as the new arrangements were confirmed the form would be posted.
I really hope this does happen as we will have the full crew taking part. Every one of us - all 7, will be riding in the event. Because of this I think we will ride the 5 mile instead of the 10 mile route. This is something I really want to do - have all of us ride together! I hope they do get it all straightened out and we can do this ride.
A note posted on the site over the weekend indicates that the finish line for all the rides has been moved to the RTC building in downtown Las Vegas. The maps have not been updated to reflect this change as yet.
In order for us to all ride I have to get to work on putting some bikes together. Right now I have the first one about 90% done. The wheels are trued, the handlebars are adjusted and the brakes are working. The last piece to work on is the shifting. Right now it shifts through about half of the gears. Time, patience and adjustments are needed. As for the other bikes, unfortunately one is lacking usable sifters as the grip shifters are broken, completely. Another may have a bent derailieur. Its time to dig in and work on them.
Get on your bikes and ride.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
90 days in a row
Its hard to believe that I've actually ridden my bike at least a mile every one of the last 90 days. Besides eating and sleeping, when was the last time you did anything for 90 days in a row? I know its been a long time for me.
While I haven't been riding very far on any given day, I have been enjoying the ride. Of course this is only the halfway point in my personal challenge. Here are some interesting stats as pulled from DailyMile:
# of rides: 90
Total Distance: 201.95 Miles
Total Time: 16 hours 24 Minutes
Total Calories burned: 24452
From these numbers I calculate the following:
Average pace: 12.31 mph
Average ride length: 2.25 miles
Average ride duration: 10:55
I find it interesting that my average is under 11 minutes per day. That doesn't seem to be very much time out of my day. Then again this is only measuring the actual moving time on the bike. I figure a good 11 to 13 minutes additional time per day with changing clothes, pumping tires, waiting for the Garmin to find the satellites, etc. Still not a large amount of time.
All of these statistics will be increasing as I increase the distances ridden per day over the next couple of months to prepare for and participate in the upcoming events like the Viva Bike Vegas Fun Ride and the Pedal to the Medal.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!
While I haven't been riding very far on any given day, I have been enjoying the ride. Of course this is only the halfway point in my personal challenge. Here are some interesting stats as pulled from DailyMile:
# of rides: 90
Total Distance: 201.95 Miles
Total Time: 16 hours 24 Minutes
Total Calories burned: 24452
From these numbers I calculate the following:
Average pace: 12.31 mph
Average ride length: 2.25 miles
Average ride duration: 10:55
I find it interesting that my average is under 11 minutes per day. That doesn't seem to be very much time out of my day. Then again this is only measuring the actual moving time on the bike. I figure a good 11 to 13 minutes additional time per day with changing clothes, pumping tires, waiting for the Garmin to find the satellites, etc. Still not a large amount of time.
All of these statistics will be increasing as I increase the distances ridden per day over the next couple of months to prepare for and participate in the upcoming events like the Viva Bike Vegas Fun Ride and the Pedal to the Medal.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!
Monday, August 11, 2014
I've said it before
and I hope I don't say it again, but my track record so far says otherwise. What, you may wonder, am I talking about? I am starting over. I am getting back into the swing of things and tracking my calories in order to make progress in the right direction on this weight loss journey towards a healthier me. I have to come clean here, I have lost weight since the first of the year but it has not been fat. It has been fluid.
I've been hoping for a miracle, I guess. Hoping that some magic combination of medications from my doctor will shed a significant amount of what I need to lose. Obviously that is not the case. I had dropped almost 50 lbs. by increasing my diuretic to the point that my kidneys had started complaining. We've backed off on that and I gained back almost 20 lbs. in 2 short weeks. Since then we've changed medications again and I seem to be fairly stable in the weight department and my blood pressure is OK.
One thing that has been out of control lately is my caloric intake. I've come to realize that I am a bit of a stress eater and the stress levels have been elevated over the last few moths. That has not helped. Not tracking any calories hasn't helped either. I know what I need to do and starting today I am doing it. I've logged into My Fitness Pal for the first time in almost a month and I adjusted my daily net calories down to 1800 per day. My goal is to stay within this number every day with my net calories. This number is significantly lower than what the guided number per day would be, but I know that their number is a bit on the high side for me.
Along with the tracking of all my calories eaten, I am also planning on increasing the calories burned on my daily bike rides. Currently I'm averaging between 2 and 2.5 miles per day on my bike and I will be increasing that rather shortly to 5+ miles per day and then a steady increase from there. I know I can do it, I just have to get out there and put the time in.
To help increase my mileage I am going to get at least 3 of the bikes I recently purchased in riding shape and I will have some riding partners to keep me motivated and riding. Since they won't be getting up with me in the early mornings, I may go to multiple rides per day in order to help them get ready for the ride as well as increase my fitness.
So, you will see more posts from me with more information on my fitness level as well as increased mileage and a few posts on the work to get the bikes in riding order.
and remember we all need to:
Get on your bikes an ride!!!!!!!!!!
I've been hoping for a miracle, I guess. Hoping that some magic combination of medications from my doctor will shed a significant amount of what I need to lose. Obviously that is not the case. I had dropped almost 50 lbs. by increasing my diuretic to the point that my kidneys had started complaining. We've backed off on that and I gained back almost 20 lbs. in 2 short weeks. Since then we've changed medications again and I seem to be fairly stable in the weight department and my blood pressure is OK.
One thing that has been out of control lately is my caloric intake. I've come to realize that I am a bit of a stress eater and the stress levels have been elevated over the last few moths. That has not helped. Not tracking any calories hasn't helped either. I know what I need to do and starting today I am doing it. I've logged into My Fitness Pal for the first time in almost a month and I adjusted my daily net calories down to 1800 per day. My goal is to stay within this number every day with my net calories. This number is significantly lower than what the guided number per day would be, but I know that their number is a bit on the high side for me.
Along with the tracking of all my calories eaten, I am also planning on increasing the calories burned on my daily bike rides. Currently I'm averaging between 2 and 2.5 miles per day on my bike and I will be increasing that rather shortly to 5+ miles per day and then a steady increase from there. I know I can do it, I just have to get out there and put the time in.
To help increase my mileage I am going to get at least 3 of the bikes I recently purchased in riding shape and I will have some riding partners to keep me motivated and riding. Since they won't be getting up with me in the early mornings, I may go to multiple rides per day in order to help them get ready for the ride as well as increase my fitness.
So, you will see more posts from me with more information on my fitness level as well as increased mileage and a few posts on the work to get the bikes in riding order.
and remember we all need to:
Get on your bikes an ride!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
What does it take to put on a charity ride?
I recently read a ride report from Dave Buckney over at Cycling from fat to fit regarding a ride he had done with his family titles 'BHF Goodwood 2014.' Essentially it is an event where people can sign up and then do laps around the track at Goodwood near Portsmouth in England. It sounds like it was an absolutely wonderful day of riding with friends and family and enjoying traffic free pedalling.
This got me thinking about the Corporate Challenge Bike Races I've done (read here and here) over at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex and how it could be interesting to arrange a similar event here in a cooler part of the year. That got me wondering what, exactly it takes to organize such an event. I think it could be fun, there is certainly no shortage of worthy charitable causes that could benefit from such an event. I can even imagine getting some sponsors on board.
So, my question is a general one to anyone who might have experience putting on a charity cycling event, or any charity event - what does it take to put on this type of an event?
Conversely, if there were an event like this in the Las Vegas area, who would attend?
Please, by all means let me know your thoughts on this whole crazy idea!
And don't forget to Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
This got me thinking about the Corporate Challenge Bike Races I've done (read here and here) over at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex and how it could be interesting to arrange a similar event here in a cooler part of the year. That got me wondering what, exactly it takes to organize such an event. I think it could be fun, there is certainly no shortage of worthy charitable causes that could benefit from such an event. I can even imagine getting some sponsors on board.
So, my question is a general one to anyone who might have experience putting on a charity cycling event, or any charity event - what does it take to put on this type of an event?
Conversely, if there were an event like this in the Las Vegas area, who would attend?
Please, by all means let me know your thoughts on this whole crazy idea!
And don't forget to Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
One third done
Yesterday was Day 60 of my personal biking challenge and I rode my 60th day in a row. I know for some that isn't a lot, but to me that is proving to myself that I can commit to and follow through on something. Granted my numbers are small compared to some, but I have learned over the last few years not to measure myself against other's accomplishments, but against my own goals.
With that said, let's look at a few of the numbers involved with these 60 days of cycling:
Total Miles: 138.2 miles
Total Time: 11.26 hours
Total Calories burned: 16,807 Calories
Average Ride Distance: 2.3 Miles
As I said, not huge numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but its the consistency and repetition that is key for me. I hope to start increasing the average ride length through the next 1/3 of the challenge but it will be difficult at first as we are definitely in the hottest part of the year, here int he desert southwest.
I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the summertime here in the northern hemisphere and don't forget to...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With that said, let's look at a few of the numbers involved with these 60 days of cycling:
Total Miles: 138.2 miles
Total Time: 11.26 hours
Total Calories burned: 16,807 Calories
Average Ride Distance: 2.3 Miles
As I said, not huge numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but its the consistency and repetition that is key for me. I hope to start increasing the average ride length through the next 1/3 of the challenge but it will be difficult at first as we are definitely in the hottest part of the year, here int he desert southwest.
I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the summertime here in the northern hemisphere and don't forget to...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Of Time Zones and Application Interfaces
From the title you might think this post has something to do with my day job where I am frequently testing applications in various scenarios to make sure they perform as intended. That is not the case, though. This has to do with how my data is being displayed for a ride I did Monday evening.
You see, there were some family matters to attend to and since I was running short on sleep I didn't get up and get my ride in before work on Monday. In fact I didn't get in in right after work, either. I eventually got my ride in at 10:34 pm on Monday. Now I didn't go far, being so late. Nor was I out long - the ride was only about 9 minutes. I did get my ride in for the day, though.
I uploaded the data to Daily Mile, Plus 3 and Strava with no issues. I also uploaded it to Map My Ride which interfaces with the National Bike Challenge to track my progress. Everything looked good until I went back into the site on Tuesday and it showed that while the ride was on 6/23, it posted to 6/24. Looking at the National Bike Challenge as well, it showed I had missed the ride on 6/23.
I went back into Map My Ride and attempted to make a change to show the ride on the 23rd. Unfortunately when I made the change it moved the ride to the 22nd. I changed it a second time and now it displays correctly in Map My Ride, but from what I understand is that once the data from a ride is uploaded and synced to the National Bike Challenge site, it cannot be changed "for the integrity of the contest."
So I am now left with an empty day where I did in fact ride. I wrote to the support people at the National Bike Challenge but I know they are going to tell me the fault lies with Map My Ride. I also wrote the support people at Map My Ride, but don't have high hopes of a resolution.
Is this a big deal in the overall scheme of things - no, not at all, its just that one day stands out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the other days in a row that I've ridden, which at this point stands at 40 days in a row with just under 100 miles in my personal challenge.
Get On Your Bikes and RIDE!!!!!!!
You see, there were some family matters to attend to and since I was running short on sleep I didn't get up and get my ride in before work on Monday. In fact I didn't get in in right after work, either. I eventually got my ride in at 10:34 pm on Monday. Now I didn't go far, being so late. Nor was I out long - the ride was only about 9 minutes. I did get my ride in for the day, though.
I uploaded the data to Daily Mile, Plus 3 and Strava with no issues. I also uploaded it to Map My Ride which interfaces with the National Bike Challenge to track my progress. Everything looked good until I went back into the site on Tuesday and it showed that while the ride was on 6/23, it posted to 6/24. Looking at the National Bike Challenge as well, it showed I had missed the ride on 6/23.
I went back into Map My Ride and attempted to make a change to show the ride on the 23rd. Unfortunately when I made the change it moved the ride to the 22nd. I changed it a second time and now it displays correctly in Map My Ride, but from what I understand is that once the data from a ride is uploaded and synced to the National Bike Challenge site, it cannot be changed "for the integrity of the contest."
So I am now left with an empty day where I did in fact ride. I wrote to the support people at the National Bike Challenge but I know they are going to tell me the fault lies with Map My Ride. I also wrote the support people at Map My Ride, but don't have high hopes of a resolution.
Is this a big deal in the overall scheme of things - no, not at all, its just that one day stands out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the other days in a row that I've ridden, which at this point stands at 40 days in a row with just under 100 miles in my personal challenge.
Get On Your Bikes and RIDE!!!!!!!
Friday, June 20, 2014
36 days in a row
OK, I have to be honest here, when I put together my personal challenge of riding 180 days in a row, I knew there would be easy days and there would be hard days. I knew some days just getting on the bike would be a struggle because of... you name it: heat, wind, rain (we can hope can't we???), schedule, etc. What I have found through the first 36 days is that even with these obstacles (except for the rain) it hasn't been hard at all. I actually look forward to riding and get a little anxious in the evenings if I haven't ridden yet.
Sure some people might argue that my 1 mile rides are cheating just a bit, but I say I made up the challenge and that a 1 mile ride is just fine. I didn't start the challenge for the purpose of riding any specific distance, I started the challenge to try and make riding more a part of my life.
I am actually looking forward to the days coming soon when I will ride multiple times in a day with my grandchildren. Sure those rides will be relatively short, but the fact that I am riding is what's important. That it's with my grandkids will be quite the added bonus.
Having this challenge coincide with the National Bike Challenge just makes it that much better. Because of the number of rides I have been doing, I am in the top 10 riders in my company and number 29 locally as of this morning. that is awesome! I never dreamed that I could do that well in a challenge against some serious riders. Sure most of them have much higher mileage totals than I do, but my daily riding is garnering me lots of points.
I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy themselves. Remember to be safe out there but...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!
Sure some people might argue that my 1 mile rides are cheating just a bit, but I say I made up the challenge and that a 1 mile ride is just fine. I didn't start the challenge for the purpose of riding any specific distance, I started the challenge to try and make riding more a part of my life.
I am actually looking forward to the days coming soon when I will ride multiple times in a day with my grandchildren. Sure those rides will be relatively short, but the fact that I am riding is what's important. That it's with my grandkids will be quite the added bonus.
Having this challenge coincide with the National Bike Challenge just makes it that much better. Because of the number of rides I have been doing, I am in the top 10 riders in my company and number 29 locally as of this morning. that is awesome! I never dreamed that I could do that well in a challenge against some serious riders. Sure most of them have much higher mileage totals than I do, but my daily riding is garnering me lots of points.
I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy themselves. Remember to be safe out there but...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The Challenge is going well
So, a couple of weeks ago I set a challenge for myself (here) to ride my bike every day for 180 days. I'm here to say that the challenge is going well and it is working. It is getting me on my bike, even for short short rides, on days when I would have passed because of this or that. I know those this or that's are just excuses, but they would have kept me off the bike.
What's nice about the challenge as well is that it encompasses another challenge: The National Bike Challenge. I am excited to be part of our work place team, which is part of the local team under the Las Vegas Bicycle Coalition. Personally I hadn't heard of them until I signed up for the challenge. Through my efforts I have so far earned the Silver Badge.
The National Bike Challenge runs until September 30. I hope to keep earning many more points and possible improve my ranking as my mileage goes up throughout the summer. Currently I am ranked 16th in my company, 41st locally and 9118th nationally. Not to shabby!
I hope everyone can find an activity they love and stick with long term. Cycling is my activity.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!
What's nice about the challenge as well is that it encompasses another challenge: The National Bike Challenge. I am excited to be part of our work place team, which is part of the local team under the Las Vegas Bicycle Coalition. Personally I hadn't heard of them until I signed up for the challenge. Through my efforts I have so far earned the Silver Badge.
The National Bike Challenge runs until September 30. I hope to keep earning many more points and possible improve my ranking as my mileage goes up throughout the summer. Currently I am ranked 16th in my company, 41st locally and 9118th nationally. Not to shabby!
I hope everyone can find an activity they love and stick with long term. Cycling is my activity.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!
Friday, May 16, 2014
Bike Challenge Day 1 Ride 1
Today is the first day of my challenge and it was my first ride. I consider the challenge a success already in that it got me out and riding this morning. Without this challenge I likely wouldn't have ridden today. With the challenge I did get out and ride. It was only a short ride, but it was a ride.
I was happy to get out there. As I was riding, though, with every turn I was hearing a creaking from the lower part of the bike. It seemed to be coming from the cranks. Looking down I noticed the chain was moving left and right relative to the front derailleur. Something was loose.
I headed back home and took a look to see what the issue was. I feared it was a bottom bracket issue, but was relieved to see the issue was with the crank itself. It seems the right crank arm was loose. I found a socket and tightened the nut. I flipped the bike back over and headed back out on my ride.
Thankfully no more creaking was coming from the crank.
I had no destination nor route in mind. I rambled around the block and the neighborhood. I simply was riding for the enjoyment of riding.
It was hot and getting hotter so I headed back home after just a short ride.
I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy a day.
Get on your bikes and ride!
I was happy to get out there. As I was riding, though, with every turn I was hearing a creaking from the lower part of the bike. It seemed to be coming from the cranks. Looking down I noticed the chain was moving left and right relative to the front derailleur. Something was loose.
I headed back home and took a look to see what the issue was. I feared it was a bottom bracket issue, but was relieved to see the issue was with the crank itself. It seems the right crank arm was loose. I found a socket and tightened the nut. I flipped the bike back over and headed back out on my ride.
Thankfully no more creaking was coming from the crank.
I had no destination nor route in mind. I rambled around the block and the neighborhood. I simply was riding for the enjoyment of riding.
It was hot and getting hotter so I headed back home after just a short ride.
I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy a day.
Get on your bikes and ride!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
A Personal Biking Challenge
I find I do much better at staying focused and motivated to do what I need to if I have some type of a challenge in which I am participating. Last year I challenged myself to ride every day in the month of August. I was successful and met that challenge. Having done so I rode a total of 220 miles, my highest mileage month last year. I know it was good for me to be riding that much and I need to do more of it.
I also think back to when I was a young teen/preteen and I rode everyday. Not only was it my primary mode of transport, but it was fun! We would ride for the fun of it with no particular destination in mind. Sure there are way more priorities and time is not as free as it was then, but I still think I need that freedom and getting out to just ride. I need it for my physical as well as my mental well being.
To that end I have come up with a personal challenge for the next 6 months - ride my bike at least once a day, every day. I do realize this is a huge commitment and it will be a challenge to accomplish it, but that is my goal.
Now there may be some debate as to what it means to ride my bike every day. As far as I'm concerned throwing my leg over the top tube and pedaling any distance is riding my bike. To record the occurrences I will be relying on my Garmin and uploading the data to the various tracking sites like Map My Ride, Strava and Daily Mile.
I have even created a personal challenge on Map My Ride to track my progress towards this goal. I'm hoping to be able to add some sort of widget to the right on my blog to help track this as well. We'll see about that.
The Challenge starts tomorrow and runs until November 14. I hope to be able to report on that date that I was successful and rode every day between now and then.
What challenge will you give yourself?
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!
I also think back to when I was a young teen/preteen and I rode everyday. Not only was it my primary mode of transport, but it was fun! We would ride for the fun of it with no particular destination in mind. Sure there are way more priorities and time is not as free as it was then, but I still think I need that freedom and getting out to just ride. I need it for my physical as well as my mental well being.
To that end I have come up with a personal challenge for the next 6 months - ride my bike at least once a day, every day. I do realize this is a huge commitment and it will be a challenge to accomplish it, but that is my goal.
Now there may be some debate as to what it means to ride my bike every day. As far as I'm concerned throwing my leg over the top tube and pedaling any distance is riding my bike. To record the occurrences I will be relying on my Garmin and uploading the data to the various tracking sites like Map My Ride, Strava and Daily Mile.
I have even created a personal challenge on Map My Ride to track my progress towards this goal. I'm hoping to be able to add some sort of widget to the right on my blog to help track this as well. We'll see about that.
The Challenge starts tomorrow and runs until November 14. I hope to be able to report on that date that I was successful and rode every day between now and then.
What challenge will you give yourself?
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!
Monday, May 5, 2014
2014 Tour De Cure Las Vegas
The 2014 Las Vegas Tour De Cure was a success. Thank you to those who donated to this worthy cause. The goal for the event was to raise $175,000 and I am happy to report that the event blew that number away, raising over $200,000! Way to go!
OK, I have to come clean though. I did not ride all 20 miles in the Tour De Cure. Sure it was a tough day with Temperatures hitting the high so far this year - 97 degrees and winds blowing 25 mph with gusts into the 40's. Sure I hadn't ridden as many miles before the event as I should have, but these were minor factors in my not riding all 20 miles. The main reason was my back started cramping about 10 miles in. It was between my shoulders and up into my neck. I suspect the culprit was the camelback I was wearing with the extra water in it in response to the heat plus having had to deal with riding on rumble strips for the first several miles of the ride.
Regardless of the reason, I made a promise to those who donated for my ride that I would ride the entire distance or I would match their donations. Since I didn't make the whole 20 miles, I am making an additional donation of $121 to the ADA.
Now for the ride. I woke up early and got everything ready to go. I had the carrier on the car, bike tires inflated and bike loaded on the carrier, water bottles full, gear in the car, all before 7:30 am. The 20 mile ride wasn't scheduled to start until 9:30 am which meant I didn't need to leave the house until 8:15 or so to get there, get checked in and ready for the start. So once I had everything ready I sat down and waited to go. I have to admit I was anxious as I knew the temps were going to be hot and the wind was starting to blow.
Finally at 8:00 I couldn't wait any longer. I kissed my wife good bye and headed out the door. As I started towards the M casino I thought it might be a good idea to get some fuel in me before the ride so I stopped to pick up a Sausage McMuffin with egg and a large orange juice which I ate and drank on the way to the start. Even with the stop and the slow service I was still at the M by 8:40. I decided to make a trip inside to use the restroom instead of using the port a potties by the starting line. For some reason I got a few strange looks as I walked through the casino to the restroom.
Once I had taken care of business I went back to the car and got my gear together and bike off the car. I installed my frame bag, put my Fat Cyclist water bottle in the holder (I love this from last year 100 MON - thanks Fatty!!!), strapped on the camelback and rode over to check in.
Check in took all of 2 minutes and I got my ride number - 325. One of the volunteers helped to pin the number on my camelback. I took my coupon over to the tent to get my event t-shirt which I then took back to the car. It was 9:10 by this point. I had some time to kill so I found our team tent (I was part of the BikingLasVegas.com team) and had a seat. Seems like the other members of the team were doing longer distances as there was no one else there.
Finally they were calling for all of the riders to line up for the 20 mile ride. One last trip to the rest room and I got into the queue at the start. We had a wonderful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner for a student adn the Las Vegas School of the Performing Arts, we said "Stop Diabetes!", we sang happy birthday to Chris who is a red rider and celebrating his 12th birthday by riding in the event. For those unfamiliar with the Red Riders, they are riders who have diabetes, themselves.
It was then time to go. 9:30 on the dot. With the band playing we headed out of the start area and into the wind. It took a while for the group to get themselves sorted out. For the first mile or so I think we were moving at less than 6 or 7 mph. When we made the turn, heading north on Las Vegas Blvd, the riders started stringing out and the speeds started coming up. There were 2 factors helping out speeds at this point - a tail wind and a slight downhill. I mostly enjoyed the first 5 miles of the ride, pedaling very little and reaching almost 30 mph at one point! Due to the gravity assist I was able to actually sail by a number of riders. This left me away from the back of the pack, which I wasn't used to.
Once we reached Pebble and mad the turn to the East, the wind became more of a crosswind and the road leveled out with a few minor ups and down along the way. My speed slowed down and I started getting passed back, especially since it seemed I ended up stopping at each and every light. Seems my timing was just off enough to catch every light just as it was turning red. The other riders then accelerated away from me when we finally got the green light.
It was along here I saw two young women on the sidewalk. I asked if they needed anything as I approached and they said yes. I stopped to find they were having issues with a flat tire. Their CO2 inflator was giving them issues. I was grateful for my frame bag as I had various items that might come in handy. One was my own CO2 inflator. What appeared to be the problem was their inflator was for schraeder valves not the presta valve on the tire. I quickly pulled mine out, put in a cartridge and inflated the tire for them. Unfortunately this was a sort lived solution as the tire immediately started losing air. Apparently there was a sizable puncture in the tube. She had skinny 26" tires and no other tubes. My spares were entirely the wrong size.
While they thanked me for stopping, I was unable to get them back on the road. Fortunately at that point on of the safety riders rolled up on their motorcycle and called back to the command center to get them assistance. They thanked me and I was back n my way. It was about 2 1/2 miles to the rest stop from this point. I was now in the position I was used to - basically riding by myself near the back. I passed 2 more riders, both taking care of flats. I asked if they needed any help, but they said they didn't. I kept going.
I was a mile from the rest stop when my back started getting tight. I had been feeling some extra strain in my arms and neck from the position of the camelback, but didn't think much of it. Just as I hit the overpass across the 215, my back got really tight and started to hurt. I stopped and try to stretch it out. It seemed to help and after a minute or so I started again.
I had no momentum so decided to drop to my small ring on the little climb up to the rest area I could see ahead. I shifted and immediately dropped my chain. I stopped and bent down to fix it and my back started cramping again. I got the chain on and managed to get into the rest stop. The great volunteers helped me make it with their cheering and enthusiasm. The volunteers were from Target. Thank you!
They took my bike, offered me cold drinks, fruit, etc. I grabbed a chair and had a seat, trying to ease my back and neck. While it did loosen up some, I knew I was done. I texted my wife that I was at the rest area, but wasn't going to go any further. She wrote back Good Job - you did what you could. She is always so supportive of my efforts - thank you dear!!!
As I sat there in the rest area, there were other riders who had arrived before me and they were acknowledging that it was hot and they were done as well. We talked to the volunteers who made a call to the command center requesting a SAG vehicle to pick us up.
One of the riders I had passed who had a flat came in and had to change his tube a second time. He also needed to adjust his rear brakes as they ended up being too tight after he changed his tire. Fortunately I was able to oblige with my multi-tool from the frame pack. He got his brakes adjusted and was ready to go in a few short minutes.
As we waited, a few more stragglers came in that were behind us. One of them was a 6 year old girl who was a Red Rider. I'm sad to say I cannot remember her name. most of the riders fueled up and took off. There were 5 of us in the rest stop who were looking for a SAG ride back to the start. 3 of the other riders were Red Riders, one being the 6 year old girl and another her older brother. Eventually the SAG vehicle arrived and the 5 of us loaded up our bikes and 3 riders got in the bed, while myself and the 6 year old got into the cab. I had tried getting in the bed, but was overruled. We then headed back towards the starting line.
As we rode the young lady and I got to talking. It was a 30 minute ride or so and we talked about many things. I found out she had been diagnosed about a year earlier with diabetes, that she was turning seven in a month and that she had been camping the previous week in California. She said she needed some biking shorts and biking gloves. I suggested that those might be a good suggestion for her birthday. She agreed.
We talked about many other things as well on the way back. In the back were her older broth and her step-dad. Her older brother at 12 was also a Red Rider. She said her step-dad rides all the time and he stopped because she did. I have to say I was very impressed with that young lady. I wish I could remember her name.
On the ride back in the SAG vehicle we passed several other riders who were stopped at the side of the road. We stopped and talked to some of them. All were waiting on a SAG ride. Unfortunately we had no more room in the vehicle. Finally we determined that we needed to get back and not keep stopping unless the riders looked hurt or in need of emergency aid. We passed several more riders, but none seemed to need emergency assistance.
The driver said that they were down a couple of vehicles this year because there were a couple of other events going on this weekend, the biggest of which was the Susan G Komen walk for the cure. There were also fewer radios. We called the base on his cell to let them know there were other riders in need of assistance, but the connection kept cutting out. We eventually got the message through.
Finally we were back near the finish line. We unloaded the bikes and all 5 of use rode over the line to the finish area while the driver headed back out to get more riders.
There was cheering and clapping as I rode in, but I felt like a bit of a fraud. Sure I was successful in raising awareness and money for the cause, but I hadn't accomplished my goals.
I met my wife and daughter in the finish area and they congratulated me on doing what I did. Thank you! I love you!
Part of what made the ride more significant for me this year is that my wife was just diagnosed with diabetes on Friday. Right now she is at the lowest reading to be diagnosed with this disease and we know that through diet and weight loss we can beat it, but this added one more reason to why I ride. I also ride for my mother, my Aunts, and friends who have this disease.
So I didn't make the distance, but I did have a great experience and will be back again next year and hopefully my wife and daughter and maybe my grand kids, will be joining us.
Eat better.
Move more.
Get on your bikes and RIDE!
OK, I have to come clean though. I did not ride all 20 miles in the Tour De Cure. Sure it was a tough day with Temperatures hitting the high so far this year - 97 degrees and winds blowing 25 mph with gusts into the 40's. Sure I hadn't ridden as many miles before the event as I should have, but these were minor factors in my not riding all 20 miles. The main reason was my back started cramping about 10 miles in. It was between my shoulders and up into my neck. I suspect the culprit was the camelback I was wearing with the extra water in it in response to the heat plus having had to deal with riding on rumble strips for the first several miles of the ride.
Regardless of the reason, I made a promise to those who donated for my ride that I would ride the entire distance or I would match their donations. Since I didn't make the whole 20 miles, I am making an additional donation of $121 to the ADA.
Now for the ride. I woke up early and got everything ready to go. I had the carrier on the car, bike tires inflated and bike loaded on the carrier, water bottles full, gear in the car, all before 7:30 am. The 20 mile ride wasn't scheduled to start until 9:30 am which meant I didn't need to leave the house until 8:15 or so to get there, get checked in and ready for the start. So once I had everything ready I sat down and waited to go. I have to admit I was anxious as I knew the temps were going to be hot and the wind was starting to blow.
Finally at 8:00 I couldn't wait any longer. I kissed my wife good bye and headed out the door. As I started towards the M casino I thought it might be a good idea to get some fuel in me before the ride so I stopped to pick up a Sausage McMuffin with egg and a large orange juice which I ate and drank on the way to the start. Even with the stop and the slow service I was still at the M by 8:40. I decided to make a trip inside to use the restroom instead of using the port a potties by the starting line. For some reason I got a few strange looks as I walked through the casino to the restroom.
Once I had taken care of business I went back to the car and got my gear together and bike off the car. I installed my frame bag, put my Fat Cyclist water bottle in the holder (I love this from last year 100 MON - thanks Fatty!!!), strapped on the camelback and rode over to check in.
Check in took all of 2 minutes and I got my ride number - 325. One of the volunteers helped to pin the number on my camelback. I took my coupon over to the tent to get my event t-shirt which I then took back to the car. It was 9:10 by this point. I had some time to kill so I found our team tent (I was part of the BikingLasVegas.com team) and had a seat. Seems like the other members of the team were doing longer distances as there was no one else there.
Finally they were calling for all of the riders to line up for the 20 mile ride. One last trip to the rest room and I got into the queue at the start. We had a wonderful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner for a student adn the Las Vegas School of the Performing Arts, we said "Stop Diabetes!", we sang happy birthday to Chris who is a red rider and celebrating his 12th birthday by riding in the event. For those unfamiliar with the Red Riders, they are riders who have diabetes, themselves.
It was then time to go. 9:30 on the dot. With the band playing we headed out of the start area and into the wind. It took a while for the group to get themselves sorted out. For the first mile or so I think we were moving at less than 6 or 7 mph. When we made the turn, heading north on Las Vegas Blvd, the riders started stringing out and the speeds started coming up. There were 2 factors helping out speeds at this point - a tail wind and a slight downhill. I mostly enjoyed the first 5 miles of the ride, pedaling very little and reaching almost 30 mph at one point! Due to the gravity assist I was able to actually sail by a number of riders. This left me away from the back of the pack, which I wasn't used to.
Once we reached Pebble and mad the turn to the East, the wind became more of a crosswind and the road leveled out with a few minor ups and down along the way. My speed slowed down and I started getting passed back, especially since it seemed I ended up stopping at each and every light. Seems my timing was just off enough to catch every light just as it was turning red. The other riders then accelerated away from me when we finally got the green light.
It was along here I saw two young women on the sidewalk. I asked if they needed anything as I approached and they said yes. I stopped to find they were having issues with a flat tire. Their CO2 inflator was giving them issues. I was grateful for my frame bag as I had various items that might come in handy. One was my own CO2 inflator. What appeared to be the problem was their inflator was for schraeder valves not the presta valve on the tire. I quickly pulled mine out, put in a cartridge and inflated the tire for them. Unfortunately this was a sort lived solution as the tire immediately started losing air. Apparently there was a sizable puncture in the tube. She had skinny 26" tires and no other tubes. My spares were entirely the wrong size.
While they thanked me for stopping, I was unable to get them back on the road. Fortunately at that point on of the safety riders rolled up on their motorcycle and called back to the command center to get them assistance. They thanked me and I was back n my way. It was about 2 1/2 miles to the rest stop from this point. I was now in the position I was used to - basically riding by myself near the back. I passed 2 more riders, both taking care of flats. I asked if they needed any help, but they said they didn't. I kept going.
I was a mile from the rest stop when my back started getting tight. I had been feeling some extra strain in my arms and neck from the position of the camelback, but didn't think much of it. Just as I hit the overpass across the 215, my back got really tight and started to hurt. I stopped and try to stretch it out. It seemed to help and after a minute or so I started again.
I had no momentum so decided to drop to my small ring on the little climb up to the rest area I could see ahead. I shifted and immediately dropped my chain. I stopped and bent down to fix it and my back started cramping again. I got the chain on and managed to get into the rest stop. The great volunteers helped me make it with their cheering and enthusiasm. The volunteers were from Target. Thank you!
They took my bike, offered me cold drinks, fruit, etc. I grabbed a chair and had a seat, trying to ease my back and neck. While it did loosen up some, I knew I was done. I texted my wife that I was at the rest area, but wasn't going to go any further. She wrote back Good Job - you did what you could. She is always so supportive of my efforts - thank you dear!!!
As I sat there in the rest area, there were other riders who had arrived before me and they were acknowledging that it was hot and they were done as well. We talked to the volunteers who made a call to the command center requesting a SAG vehicle to pick us up.
One of the riders I had passed who had a flat came in and had to change his tube a second time. He also needed to adjust his rear brakes as they ended up being too tight after he changed his tire. Fortunately I was able to oblige with my multi-tool from the frame pack. He got his brakes adjusted and was ready to go in a few short minutes.
As we waited, a few more stragglers came in that were behind us. One of them was a 6 year old girl who was a Red Rider. I'm sad to say I cannot remember her name. most of the riders fueled up and took off. There were 5 of us in the rest stop who were looking for a SAG ride back to the start. 3 of the other riders were Red Riders, one being the 6 year old girl and another her older brother. Eventually the SAG vehicle arrived and the 5 of us loaded up our bikes and 3 riders got in the bed, while myself and the 6 year old got into the cab. I had tried getting in the bed, but was overruled. We then headed back towards the starting line.
As we rode the young lady and I got to talking. It was a 30 minute ride or so and we talked about many things. I found out she had been diagnosed about a year earlier with diabetes, that she was turning seven in a month and that she had been camping the previous week in California. She said she needed some biking shorts and biking gloves. I suggested that those might be a good suggestion for her birthday. She agreed.
We talked about many other things as well on the way back. In the back were her older broth and her step-dad. Her older brother at 12 was also a Red Rider. She said her step-dad rides all the time and he stopped because she did. I have to say I was very impressed with that young lady. I wish I could remember her name.
On the ride back in the SAG vehicle we passed several other riders who were stopped at the side of the road. We stopped and talked to some of them. All were waiting on a SAG ride. Unfortunately we had no more room in the vehicle. Finally we determined that we needed to get back and not keep stopping unless the riders looked hurt or in need of emergency aid. We passed several more riders, but none seemed to need emergency assistance.
The driver said that they were down a couple of vehicles this year because there were a couple of other events going on this weekend, the biggest of which was the Susan G Komen walk for the cure. There were also fewer radios. We called the base on his cell to let them know there were other riders in need of assistance, but the connection kept cutting out. We eventually got the message through.
Finally we were back near the finish line. We unloaded the bikes and all 5 of use rode over the line to the finish area while the driver headed back out to get more riders.
There was cheering and clapping as I rode in, but I felt like a bit of a fraud. Sure I was successful in raising awareness and money for the cause, but I hadn't accomplished my goals.
I met my wife and daughter in the finish area and they congratulated me on doing what I did. Thank you! I love you!
Part of what made the ride more significant for me this year is that my wife was just diagnosed with diabetes on Friday. Right now she is at the lowest reading to be diagnosed with this disease and we know that through diet and weight loss we can beat it, but this added one more reason to why I ride. I also ride for my mother, my Aunts, and friends who have this disease.
So I didn't make the distance, but I did have a great experience and will be back again next year and hopefully my wife and daughter and maybe my grand kids, will be joining us.
Eat better.
Move more.
Get on your bikes and RIDE!
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