Hoopity Hoop-la

I finally broke down and bought “racing” wheels. I snagged them on eBay for a damn good price–gotta love auctions that end at odd hours. The wheels showed up on Tuesday, just in time for a serious crunch time at work: late night dinner in Kansas City followed by a 5:30 departure for a flight to Columbus, Ohio. All in, I think I had 12 total hours of sleep between Wed night and Saturday morning; not nearly enough rest for the typical Saturday morning group ride.

I woke up early on Saturday and swapped the new hoops on to the bike. I installed the front wheel and gave it a spin to make certain it was on straight and the brakes were set correctly. The wheel never stopped spinning. After waiting (and watching in amazement) for what seemed like minutes, I finally set the bike down so I could install the back wheel. I finished getting ready and hit the road, headed for Longview and the start of the Bicycle Shack Group Ride. It took exactly 1 pedal stroke to feel the difference.

The 303’s are feathery light (1182 grams) and spin up incredibly fast. The difference is noticeable just rolling down the road…even if the only pointer is the smile on my face. Spin up and climbing aside, the ride quality is probably the most noticeable difference. According to Pez Cycling News, Zipp stated the wheels (clincher version) are tuned for riders in the 175-pound range. If that’s true, I’m spot on. And, as Pez points out, that weight should allow the wheels to be plenty stiff while still absorbing road chatter. The wheels seemed to smooth out even the roughest Missouri pave sections. Road seams still hit hard, but the shock doesn’t seem to transfer through the bike.

The only downside I noticed, which isn’t really a negative but more of a characteristic that will take time to get accustomed to, is the lack of rolling weight on the front wheel. As a result, my bike felt extra touchy and seemed to dart more. I’ll take it! I love a bike that handles quickly and this difference is perfect for my riding preference.

Hopefully I’ll recover from the hard week of work and will feel up to really testing out the wheels. The ride on Saturday was a letdown—both calves cramped soon after the pace picked up, no thanks, I’m sure, to too many hours confined on an airplane, and that was that. I was off the back never to see the front group again. I finished the ride at a comfortable 22.5-MPH pace, and then rode 15-20 more miles so I could get used to the wheels. It’s gonna be hard to take off the 303’s and to not ride them on every ride!

Pedal PA

As it often happens, my job had me traveling most of this week. I left home early on Sunday and didn’t return until early, like 1 AM, on Thursday. In that time, I drove to Allentown, PA, south to Philadelphia and home again. I had meetings with 4 different customers and managed to squeeze in 2 bike rides.

The first ride was in Allentown. I found a route that looked promising on MapMyRide.com, but given the number of turns and roads traveled, I was hesitant to try it. There’s nothing like getting lost on a bike! Instead, I stopped by a local bike shop to ask for a challenging ride, preferably up one of the nearby mountains. That experience sealed the deal; I was riding Blue Mountain Road. The local bike dude (in the loosest of terms) proceeded to tell me that the ride was too difficult for me. Huh? This guy never asked any questions about my fitness level, he just assumed based on what I have no idea, that I wasn’t fit enough for that ride or the Hills of Emmaus route. Consider it a challenge.

I headed back to the hotel, wrote up a cryptic crib sheet, changed, and was out the door. After what seemed like turns on 50 different roads (missed a few turns here and added a few there…), I was finally on Blue Mountain Road and headed toward the skies. The road turned up and was challenging, but it never “kicked my ass” as was promised by bike shop dude. I reached the top, turned around, and headed back to the hotel. Along the way I spotted a group of 4 riders and decided to follow them…I needed more miles and was still looking for my ass to be kicked. After chasing for a mile or two, the road turned up again (the roads in the area are very similar to those in KC–contant short, steep grades). I caught the group just as the road leveled off and came to a stop sign. I rolled up, introduced myself and chatted for a few minutes. Unfortunately, their ride was over and everyone was headed home. So I turned around and headed to the hotel.

On the way back I noticed a sign for the Valley Preferred Cycling Center and decided to check it out. WOW! The cycling center is one of the best velodrome centers I’ve seen. Lighted for night riding, bleachers on both sides…unfortunately, it was closed so I didn’t get to see the track. But, I did see a huge message out front: “Father Breaks Record to Honor Daughters Fight Against Lupus.” Amateur cyclist Chris Paradysz bested the 24-hour track record at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, going on to establish a new record of 416.09 miles biked in 24 hours. What a feat!

The next morning I left the Lehigh Valley and drove south into Philadelphia for a quick visit with a customer. Then, it was wagon west for home. Every turn in the Allegheny Mountains brought more and more spectacular views, not to mention the want to park and get out and ride. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. As I-76 turned up for a long grind over Bald Knob before dropping into Breezewood, PA I noticed a secondary road followed the turnpike. I decided this was the ride. I exited at Breezewood, turn back toward the mountain and saw it: markers for the BikePA Route-S. I drove over the hill to make certain I wanted to do this, and as soon as I found a parking spot, I suited up and hit it.

As they often say, pictures are worth a thousand words. I won’t stop with the pictures, but I’ll let them introduce this ride:

I parked in Hustontown, which was approximately 5 miles from the start of the climb–needed time to warm up the legs. The ride over was a lot like roads in KC–short, steep hills. Once I started climbing, though, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. After a few miles at 3-5%, the road took a sharp turn up. According to the warning sign, it was 8% for almost three miles, followed immediately by 2.5 miles at 10%. Should I mention that I didn’t have mountain gears? I made my way up and then down and on to Breezewood, and then turned around and headed back to the car. The ride was insane and perhaps one of the best mountain rides I’ve completed. It was short, at 25 miles, but otherwise perfect. The road surface was better than the best roads around KC, the climb was demanding, and there was almost no traffic. What more can you ask for?

While changing, I decided to try a different route back to Breezewood, just to see what the area offered. What I found was even better than the roads of Route-S. Just to the south was a 7 or 8 mile drag at 8%. It wasn’t as wicked steep as the other road, but the climb was a lot longer. I had a fleeting thought of getting out and going for it. But, I had to be in Columbus for a meeting early the next morning. Maybe next time.

Shack-ability

Shack-ability? I’m not sure what that means, other than I’ve been focused on Shack all week. During team camp, I offered to help support the web site, and after letting too many days pass, I finally decided to get started. I’m in the process of adding events to the calendar and re-familiarizing myself with the admin panel. WYSIWIG editors are great…provided you are familiar with the interface. I prefer the old school method: text editor and file directory. But, editors have their place and the BSR web site is a perfect example. If only I could figure out how to filter forum posts by date…

Since this entry is shack-ability, I should probably mention training. I haven’t posted much about riding or training, but that doesn’t mean it ain’t happening! I’m doing a better job of sticking to my plan this year. I laid out a pretty concise plan that includes plenty of recovery, weights, and yoga in addition to normal bike training. This year I’m also using power during training rides. That brings a whole new level of suffer to some workouts! I don’t have any races on the calendar…yet. I plan to get started with a few mountain bike events later this month and will add in select road events during the summer.

I joined the Bicycle Shack group ride on Wednesday night despite that inner voice that kept screaming “No!” Wednesday is typically a recovery ride and I knew that if I showed up that I couldn’t resist the urge to ride with the front group. But, I convinced myself that I could join the group and ride at recovery pace. It was simply a matter of topping the hill on High Grove/Scherer and then sitting up. Yeah right. I kept my effort on the hill in check and sat up slightly to let the group roll by on the downhill. Then, as the last guy rolled by, that too-familiar twitch set in and I jumped to grab his wheel. Despite the screaming to sit from the logical, training focused side of me I continued to match the effort. By the time the group turned onto Hook, I was leading the pack and pushing the effort on the hills. The logical side finally won the fight as we turned on to old Raytown Road and I sat up. But, it was too late and I knew it.

Yesterday, I climbed onto the saddle and never had it. Thursday brings the hardest effort of the week with multiple isolated-leg intervals and hill repeats with surges. I made it through warm ups and spin ups and knew as soon as I started ILT that I was tired. I labored through the workout and then focused on recovering. Yoga never felt so good! Fortunately, next week is a “recovery” week, which means slightly less effort, both intensity and duration. The long and short of it: no more mid-week group rides until I finish the current training cycle.

Now, how do I order forum entries by date?

Family Trip – Wrap up

Our trip to Atlanta wrapped up with a visit to the zoo, a short drive to Chattanooga, where we explored Ruby Falls, and then a long drive to nowhere Illinois, where we stayed the night. We woke up bright and early the next day–actually the earliest time the day started all week–and drove to St. Louis for a short layover before finishing the drive home. The blog fell behind because time seemed to slip by more and more each day. On our last night in Atlanta, both boys were still awake at 11:30. Granted, that’s only 10:30 on home time, but it’s still way past their bedtime and too late to start writing a blog. So, I thought I would write a few words to tie up the trip.

Day 6 – Zoo Atlanta

We actually got the day started at a decent time. But, that probably wasn’t the best thing on this day. We planned to visit the zoo and then Stone Mountain. We made it to the zoo around 10:00, and froze walking from the car to the gate. The temps the day before were in the 70’s and the weatherman predicted the same for this day. Only, he blew the morning temps. A fog that settled in overnight didn’t burn off a quickly as was predicted, and as a result, the temps hovered in the 50’s until after lunch. First stop: gift shop to purchase sweat shirts for the boys. Bundled up and toasty warm we were ready to see the animals.

The Atlanta zoo is nice. It’s compact, easy to navigate, and all of the animal areas offer great viewing. The highlights were the gorillas, the pandas, and the playground. Leave it to Zach and Caleb to prefer a run-of-the-mill playground to the excitement of a zoo. We wrapped up our visit with a ride on the train. That pretty much blew! It seems such a nice zoo would have a decent train. Instead, they have a train that tootles along slower than walking pace, and pretty much loops the playground and the petting zoo. Pretty weak.

As we walked to the car, we decided that everyone was too tired for Stone Mountain. The decision seemed to be the correct one because both boys were asleep within one mile. With them sleeping in back, Traci and I took the time as an opportunity to drive through some of the neighborhoods near the office, which is in the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody area. We were impressed with the houses but blown away by the prices. The day wrapped up with an easy dinner at Carrabba’s followed by a short trip to Target. Wee-haw!

Day 7 – Zach’s Birthday and depart for home

How do you make a seven-year-old feel special on his birthday? Room service for breakfast! We ordered Zach’s favorite breakfast foods–scrambled eggs, bacon, and orange juice–and had it delivered on a tray. He was excited to wake up and find covered plates. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. We gobbled up breakfast, packed the car, and headed for home. Before we left town, we made a quick stop by the office so Traci could meet everyone.

We decided the night before to treat Zach to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, even though neither of us knew what it was. The, oh, 10,000 billboard advertisements surely indicate something special. We drove through the city and then turned for the trip up Lookout Mountain. I expected Ruby Falls to be on top of the mountain and to be a pretty ordinary waterfall. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Our trip stopped less than halfway up the mountain. When I got of the car and looked around, it just didn’t make sense…there were no cliffs that would create a waterfall worthy of the praise and majesty described on all the billboards. The spectacle smacked me upside the head as soon as we stepped into the gift shop. Ruby Falls is in a cave!

We purchased tickets and then boarded the elevator for the 260-foot decent into the mountain. We stepped out into a well-lit but small pathway that was groomed for tourists. Our guide gathered everyone to briefly explained the experience that was before us. We would walk for a half mile into the mountain, ending up over 1,000 feet below the mountain top. At the end of the walk, we would experience Ruby Falls, a 145-foot waterfall buried deep within the mountain. And we were off.

While the pathway was cut for tourist, not all areas were intended for a tall man carrying a squirming toddler. I had to duck to make it through several of the passages. Otherwise, it was a very easy walk, one that was dotted with geological formations. The helictite (twisted stalactite that grow with disregard for gravity. The dragon’s foot was a great example) and flowstone curtains (thin, translucent calcite that hung from the ceiling) seemed to be from another world. The guide stopped everyone within earshot of the waterfall so he could explain what was about to happen. He then led us into a darked room. In a moment the lights were brought up, illuminating the waterfall. After everyone snapped a few pictures, we were led behind the waterfall. The rush of water and wind outflow were awesome. We spent a few more minutes taking photos and absorbing the sight before the guide led us back to the elevator. Ruby Falls is definitely as impressive as the billboards describe it.

We loaded up in the car and drove to nowhere, Illinois where we spent the night in an ancient Comfort Inn. But hey, it had beds, a shower, and free breakfast! And, it was just under 2 hours from St. Louis. We departed the next morning before 10:00, which put us at my sister’s before lunch. Perfect.

Day 8 – HOME!

We spent several hours in St. Louis–actually Valley Park, but where’s that!? Just like our first stop, the boys played with their cousins, Traci visited with my sister, and I went for a bike ride. I decided to ride the same route, but added several miles by missing a turn. I wandered deep into the Ozark’s and paid for it. The hills there are nothing like those around Kansas City. KC ain’t flat, but we also don’t have 6-8 mile grinds, either! I spent just over 3 hours on the bike before loading up once again for the final 3-hour drive home. We arrived in our driveway just after 9:00 PM.

Final Thoughts

Atlanta is a great city. It’s big but still has that southern charm. Everyone was pleasant and friendly. The traffic is as bad as everyone says, though. The boys were great travelers. The DVD player helped hold their attention. In fact, I don’t remember hearing a single “Are we there yet?” WOW. On our last night there, Traci commented on her amazement that Caleb didn’t miss home. It was maybe two hours later when he cried out, “my wanna go my house”. That request evolved into a full blown fit that lasted until after 11:30. He cried himself to sleep and never complained again.