Training Log Archive: veinbusterIn the 31 days ending May 31, 2014:
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Saturday May 31, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 13:00 [1]
7 AM
Road cycle tempo (Smokie) 1:51:00 [3] 41.4 km (2:41 / km) +226m 2:37 / km
ahr:138 max:156 shoes: Specialized SWorks road
Just an easy morning ride enjoying the sun before it gets hot and humid. Winds about 25km weren't a bother today. I did note in a couple of spots with a gusting cross wind that the new tires do not drift. The observation I made when first trying them a couple of weeks ago clearly turned out to be rider expecting a drift and not the tires actually moving. Great set of rubber.
Traffic was a bit heavier than usual, but I did steal an extra half hour of sleep this morin band spent a couple of km fine tuning the rear derailleur before getting the ride started. I never feel I can get the adjustment 100% on a bench.
Traffic was a bit heavier than usual, but I did steal an extra half hour of sleep this morin band spent a couple of km fine tuning the rear derailleur before getting the ride started. I never feel I can get the adjustment 100% on a bench.
Friday May 30, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 11:00 [1]
3 PM
Road cycle tempo (Smokie) 1:37:00 [3] 36.6 km (2:39 / km) +166m 2:35 / km
ahr:139 max:161 shoes: Specialized SWorks road
The commuters seemed to be out early today. Only two tried to do me harm, both texting while turning. The one making a left turn in front of me I was prepared for because she was in from of me. I was not expecting the guy made a sharp right across my front coming from behind - that one took a big grab of brake to slow down enough to get missed by about 40cm.
But it was warm and sunny.
But it was warm and sunny.
Thursday May 29, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
5 PM
Cardio warm up/down 1:00:00 [2]
ahr:123 max:143
Easy spin to remind the legs what their job is. Third day of afternoon rain while the commuters are out.
Wednesday May 28, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 13:00 [1]
12 PM
stairs 27:00 [2]
4 PM
weight training 41:00 [2]
Day 2 free weights and push ups.
Tuesday May 27, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 13:00 [1]
1 PM
stairs 32:00 [2]
4 PM
weight training 35:00 [2]
Day 1 free weights
Sunday May 25, 2014 #
7 AM
Road cycle hills (Greenspeed) 3:22:00 [4] 59.9 km (3:22 / km) +1235m 3:03 / km
ahr:141 max:167 shoes: DMT road
I skipped my normal morning flexibility routine to get out ahead of traffic with the trike. Part of me was afraid I would take a nap in the middle of that stuff because I'm about four hours short of sleep this weekend.
Today was to the hills. About 12km on travelled roads to get to the real tests. There were 4 or 5 climbs at 4-6% to warm up the legs. I stayed on the big chain ring throughout. The Greenspeed's top gear is less than gear inches, so the big chain ring about matches up with the small one on a standard compact crank.
I used Kennedy between Vivian and Aurora as the test ground. The first hill looked very intimidating from ground level. As you go up the prior hill you see this wall of doom that has no bottom. Because up can only see the upper part of the hill, it looks almost straight up. Once you crest the hill in front of it, it looks like an exponential growth graph. It just gets steeper and steeper and the top third is about 12%. My second time up this hill I was going to shift into the granny gear, but I hadn't tested that shift for ages and it wouldn't throw. Not a big deal, but I should address that before taking the bike west. This wasn't the steepest or longest climb, but it was the toughest because of the nature of the gradient.
Most of the elevation I did was peak to peak runs. The loop had an average grade of about 3.5% include runs along flatter bits at the top until there was a clear opportunity to u turn on the road. One side has a grade of 15-18% for much of it and the other side was 8-12%, but it was civilized and the steeper bit was in the middle. The side with the lower gradient was tougher because it was longer and was the higher peak. I took a longer flat run about every 20-25 minutes to relax the heart and take in some nourishment. I was able to cover 10% of Everest in well under 2 hours, including the flat extensions and one full stop to eat a bunch, guzzle water and take off some clothes. I was also surprised at the average pace. I expected the climbs to drag it way down, but all the intervals were quite respectable at 2-3 minutes faster than I had anticipated.
Observations:
The Greenspeed is going to want lots of room on the fast descents. At 50km/hr it's nimbleness shows as a tendency to adjust its line very easily, like tucking in your shoulder to get a full rear view in the mirror.
Legs started feeling the effort at about 800m of ascent. They held up fine, but a bit more muscle would be a good idea for really long climbs.
New food review:
Eload gel, that characteristic after taste is a bit too dense in gel form for me.
Thunderbird bars: just like a super fit daughter would make you. Today's cashew fig carrot was spiced slightly oddly, but yesterday's Hawaiian crunch was brilliant. They are basically nuts and fruit smushed together and dried a bit. A tiny bite feels like real food and is a nice healthy shot of energy. I have one left of the three flavours I got to test when we were in Austin last month.
Today was to the hills. About 12km on travelled roads to get to the real tests. There were 4 or 5 climbs at 4-6% to warm up the legs. I stayed on the big chain ring throughout. The Greenspeed's top gear is less than gear inches, so the big chain ring about matches up with the small one on a standard compact crank.
I used Kennedy between Vivian and Aurora as the test ground. The first hill looked very intimidating from ground level. As you go up the prior hill you see this wall of doom that has no bottom. Because up can only see the upper part of the hill, it looks almost straight up. Once you crest the hill in front of it, it looks like an exponential growth graph. It just gets steeper and steeper and the top third is about 12%. My second time up this hill I was going to shift into the granny gear, but I hadn't tested that shift for ages and it wouldn't throw. Not a big deal, but I should address that before taking the bike west. This wasn't the steepest or longest climb, but it was the toughest because of the nature of the gradient.
Most of the elevation I did was peak to peak runs. The loop had an average grade of about 3.5% include runs along flatter bits at the top until there was a clear opportunity to u turn on the road. One side has a grade of 15-18% for much of it and the other side was 8-12%, but it was civilized and the steeper bit was in the middle. The side with the lower gradient was tougher because it was longer and was the higher peak. I took a longer flat run about every 20-25 minutes to relax the heart and take in some nourishment. I was able to cover 10% of Everest in well under 2 hours, including the flat extensions and one full stop to eat a bunch, guzzle water and take off some clothes. I was also surprised at the average pace. I expected the climbs to drag it way down, but all the intervals were quite respectable at 2-3 minutes faster than I had anticipated.
Observations:
The Greenspeed is going to want lots of room on the fast descents. At 50km/hr it's nimbleness shows as a tendency to adjust its line very easily, like tucking in your shoulder to get a full rear view in the mirror.
Legs started feeling the effort at about 800m of ascent. They held up fine, but a bit more muscle would be a good idea for really long climbs.
New food review:
Eload gel, that characteristic after taste is a bit too dense in gel form for me.
Thunderbird bars: just like a super fit daughter would make you. Today's cashew fig carrot was spiced slightly oddly, but yesterday's Hawaiian crunch was brilliant. They are basically nuts and fruit smushed together and dried a bit. A tiny bite feels like real food and is a nice healthy shot of energy. I have one left of the three flavours I got to test when we were in Austin last month.
Saturday May 24, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 14:00 [1]
7 AM
Mountain bike (Stumpjumper) 1:33:00 [3] 24.4 km (3:49 / km) +120m 3:43 / km
ahr:136 max:162 shoes: Specialized Comp mountain
Originally I had planned to take the Greenspeed up the road to some longer hills but decided a Saturday morning wasn't the best time to compete with traffic on a very short bike.
Lucky it was a perfect morning to check the state of the river path. The heavy water this spring put a few more big trees in the river. At one point there were three hung up on each other, so the river is a bit of a mess. The trail itself was surprisingly clear. I don't remember it ever being so well groomed. I did notice one spot where the trail was already very close to the bank and is now partially washed away. It will be interesting to see if a new path a bit further from the edge develops.
I also found a new trail a bit closer to home on the east side of the river. Much of it is through man made forest so the trees are pretty densely packed. I did earn an acknowledgement of respect from a guy who watched me power through and up a ravine that had pretty mucky ruts. We went different ways so he didn't have a chance to find out I'm really just a poser on a mountain bike. Heck, I even walked across the railway track - those suckers are high when they aren't at a road crossing.
Across the tracks there was the beginnings of a terrain park and some serious muck ruts torn up by ATVs. They were the most challenging feature of the day and made me wish I was on a fat bike for a few minutes.
Lucky it was a perfect morning to check the state of the river path. The heavy water this spring put a few more big trees in the river. At one point there were three hung up on each other, so the river is a bit of a mess. The trail itself was surprisingly clear. I don't remember it ever being so well groomed. I did notice one spot where the trail was already very close to the bank and is now partially washed away. It will be interesting to see if a new path a bit further from the edge develops.
I also found a new trail a bit closer to home on the east side of the river. Much of it is through man made forest so the trees are pretty densely packed. I did earn an acknowledgement of respect from a guy who watched me power through and up a ravine that had pretty mucky ruts. We went different ways so he didn't have a chance to find out I'm really just a poser on a mountain bike. Heck, I even walked across the railway track - those suckers are high when they aren't at a road crossing.
Across the tracks there was the beginnings of a terrain park and some serious muck ruts torn up by ATVs. They were the most challenging feature of the day and made me wish I was on a fat bike for a few minutes.
Friday May 23, 2014 #
5 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
9 AM
stairs 27:00 [3]
7 PM
Other warm up/down 45:00 [2]
Hike through the marsh lands with Mrs. One of the rewards of getting home early.
Thursday May 22, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
4 PM
Cardio tempo 1:00:00 [3]
ahr:136 max:150 shoes: Gekko
Rode the trainer rather than heading out to a thunderstorm.
It's funny how long an hour on the trainer feels after so many good rides outside.
Sound track: Stanly Clarke
Reading: DIY brain stimulation. It seems like a really bad choice for a hobbyist -,electrical stimulation.
It's funny how long an hour on the trainer feels after so many good rides outside.
Sound track: Stanly Clarke
Reading: DIY brain stimulation. It seems like a really bad choice for a hobbyist -,electrical stimulation.
8 PM
Note
I promised some photos of The Totem Trail. Here are a few of my favourites.
The full story and all of the totems are here: The Totem Trail
The full story and all of the totems are here: The Totem Trail
Wednesday May 21, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 10:00 [1]
12 PM
stairs 26:00 [2]
5 PM
weight training 42:00 [2]
free weights and pushups.
Shoulders felt pretty strong today so I did the 100 pushup thing on the third set - I like to make sure I can do it every once in a while. Sometimes it takes a bit of working up to.
Shoulders felt pretty strong today so I did the 100 pushup thing on the third set - I like to make sure I can do it every once in a while. Sometimes it takes a bit of working up to.
Tuesday May 20, 2014 #
5 AM
flexibility 13:00 [1]
4 PM
Mountain bike tempo (Big Unit) 1:19:00 [3] 25.4 km (3:07 / km) +82m 3:04 / km
ahr:134 max:160 shoes: Gekko
Leaving work five minutes early got me well ahead of the majority of the commuters making for a pleasant ride.
I even met another person on a mountain style one speed, which is very unusual in central Pennsylvania.
Bonus that I finished before the rain came.
I even met another person on a mountain style one speed, which is very unusual in central Pennsylvania.
Bonus that I finished before the rain came.
Monday May 19, 2014 #
5 AM
flexibility 10:00 [1]
The penalty for taking a week off is having to go in early to clean up the chaos.
4 PM
weight training 40:00 [2]
Day 1 free weights.
Saturday May 17, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 14:00 [1]
7 AM
Road cycle warm up/down (Greenspeed ) 1:49:00 [2] 34.3 km (3:11 / km) +175m 3:06 / km
ahr:123 max:156 shoes: DMT road
Today's mission was to photo all of the totems on what I am calling The Totem Trail. It has other names, but I like mine better. It is the paved path along the river behind my house.
I waited for about an hour for the sun to warm the air to a balmy 1C before going out. The frost wasn't all melted yet, but the sun was clearly winning the battle. The Fugo jacket was plenty warm with a base layer and a jersey, but it is clearly a cycling jacket, not a recumbent jacket. Without the forward arms and bend in the torso reaching for bars it is a bit snug across the chest and the zipper is a bit snug on the Adam's apple with the head not bent forward at the neck. Still, warm is good.
I road to the extreme north to start taking photos and coming back, the battery declared itself exhausted. I did the whole trail before going back for the spare. Having waited before going out and then repeated the trail, it was a bit slow because there were a number of people out with the dogs, coffee and head sets. I think I now know what all the totems represent. A few are a bit obscure. I'll try to add some photos once I get them off the camera.
It has been quite a while since the Greenspeed has been out. It is a wonderful way to get around and I think it is ready to tackle Banff-Jasper. The big gloworm added to the good lights I bought in the fall should give me the right lighting. I did notice that the calves do a lot more of the work on this bike, so I'll need to find some local climbs to take it on to get the right stroke management for the mountains.
I waited for about an hour for the sun to warm the air to a balmy 1C before going out. The frost wasn't all melted yet, but the sun was clearly winning the battle. The Fugo jacket was plenty warm with a base layer and a jersey, but it is clearly a cycling jacket, not a recumbent jacket. Without the forward arms and bend in the torso reaching for bars it is a bit snug across the chest and the zipper is a bit snug on the Adam's apple with the head not bent forward at the neck. Still, warm is good.
I road to the extreme north to start taking photos and coming back, the battery declared itself exhausted. I did the whole trail before going back for the spare. Having waited before going out and then repeated the trail, it was a bit slow because there were a number of people out with the dogs, coffee and head sets. I think I now know what all the totems represent. A few are a bit obscure. I'll try to add some photos once I get them off the camera.
It has been quite a while since the Greenspeed has been out. It is a wonderful way to get around and I think it is ready to tackle Banff-Jasper. The big gloworm added to the good lights I bought in the fall should give me the right lighting. I did notice that the calves do a lot more of the work on this bike, so I'll need to find some local climbs to take it on to get the right stroke management for the mountains.
Friday May 16, 2014 #
7 AM
flexibility 11:00 [1]
weight training 31:00 [2]
Day 2 soloflex
9 AM
Other warm up/down 45:00 [2]
River walk with Mrs.
The river is very full and quite fast.
Lots of standing water, most of it with families of ducks in it.
Definitely spring for all of the wildlife, even if most of them aren't so wild.
The river is very full and quite fast.
Lots of standing water, most of it with families of ducks in it.
Definitely spring for all of the wildlife, even if most of them aren't so wild.
Thursday May 15, 2014 #
7 AM
flexibility 10:00 [1]
8 AM
weight training 41:00 [2]
Day 1 soloflex
10 AM
Road cycle hills (Cross bike cross mode) 1:27:00 [4] 29.8 km (2:55 / km) +314m 2:46 / km
ahr:143 max:171 shoes: Specialized Comp mountain
The bike had gotten soaked on the roof of the car yesterday, is I thought I might as well dare the rain to get it again today. I headed west for a couple of reasons. First, I was due to check those elevations and second, since the rain was in the west I thought it would be better to be able to race it home than to have to return into worse weather.
I took my rain jacket, which I put in my pocket after the first big climb. The rain never came. I think I'll stick with the eastern routes. The traffic is much lighter and the total elevation is a bit better. There are longer hills to the west which might be good some days, but there is easily five times as much traffic.
Years ago, I always went west because the roads were smoother and traffic was light everywhere. I was 25-30% slower today than I road the same hills in the early 90s. 5-10% of that might be more red lights. I used to be out of town with just one.
And coming around the last corner home I realized it has been 20 years (Thurs before Victoria Day) since cycling was removed from my activities menu. I feel cycling one of the old routes was a fitting way to acknowledge that time.
I took my rain jacket, which I put in my pocket after the first big climb. The rain never came. I think I'll stick with the eastern routes. The traffic is much lighter and the total elevation is a bit better. There are longer hills to the west which might be good some days, but there is easily five times as much traffic.
Years ago, I always went west because the roads were smoother and traffic was light everywhere. I was 25-30% slower today than I road the same hills in the early 90s. 5-10% of that might be more red lights. I used to be out of town with just one.
And coming around the last corner home I realized it has been 20 years (Thurs before Victoria Day) since cycling was removed from my activities menu. I feel cycling one of the old routes was a fitting way to acknowledge that time.
Wednesday May 14, 2014 #
7 AM
flexibility 14:00 [1]
8 AM
Note
I wasn't planning a rest day, but the fog is far to dense to ride on the twisty mountain roads even with my brightest blinkies.
And the fog doesn't seem inclined to burn off.
And the fog doesn't seem inclined to burn off.
Tuesday May 13, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 11:00 [1]
7 AM
Road cycle hills (Cross bike cross mode) 1:15:00 [4] 24.7 km (3:02 / km) +357m 2:50 / km
ahr:138 max:164 shoes: Specialized Comp mountain
It is interesting how big a difference a bit of local knowledge makes. I crested the big hill that put my heart rate over 170 on Saturday at less than 160 today. I used the same route for the early part of the ride. I added the last convenient country road to the route and found it had frequent 7-9% grades in its rolling hills.
The legs and heart felt good even though I was quite tired - the tree pollen caught up to me after taking a late walk amongst the woods with Mrs. last night.
The legs and heart felt good even though I was quite tired - the tree pollen caught up to me after taking a late walk amongst the woods with Mrs. last night.
Monday May 12, 2014 #
7 AM
flexibility 17:00 [1]
1 PM
Road cycle hills (Cross bike cross mode) 45:27 [3] 13.3 km (3:25 / km) +213m 3:10 / km
ahr:122 max:154 shoes: Specialized Comp mountain
Tried a lesser hills ride with Mrs. The country road I had planned to take her on for a flatter run through the valley turned out to be a farmer's road so we looped back. She was a monster on 4% grades but struggled when they tipped upward from there.
We bailed after she hit her max the third time and her injured knee (from the last time she was out on her bike) started to feel a bit jelly.
We bailed after she hit her max the third time and her injured knee (from the last time she was out on her bike) started to feel a bit jelly.
Sunday May 11, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 11:00 [1]
7 AM
Road cycle hills (Cross bike cross mode) 2:29:00 [4] 49.6 km (3:00 / km) +918m 2:45 / km
ahr:147 max:168 shoes: Specialized Comp mountain
I thought I might just go out for 2 hrs and did give myself permission to bail then, but I really wanted to do a Everesting sanity check, so I picked a shortish route that would let me see how well I could manage known climbs over time. Average gradient for the loop was just under 2% with most hills at 4-6% and one maxing out at 11%.
The plan was to keep the heart below 160 on the easy hills and under 170 on the steep one. Stretch the lower back on the steep down hills and eat/drink on the gradual down hills. The plan was good and I feel this was a sustainable effort.
I did observe a serious flaw at about 500m of climbing. I had chosen convenient compression for my right leg rather than cycling compression. As a result I started getting some pinching behind the knee and had to try to adjust it every 5km or so for the rest of the ride. On a normal 2hr ride the work compression would have been fine, but not for this much leg work. Yes, I do know better. I haven't checked yet for the bruise that will probably be there for two or three weeks.
The numbers for sustainability: heart rate for the first half hour was 146, so minimal escalation. Average speed drifted down by about 2% after the first 500m of climbing. That I attribute to more traffic reducing corner speed and needing to coast a bit more while adjusting compression - so minimal degradation.
Projected ride time to Everest at 500 and 900 m was 24hrs. With remotely reasonably pauses in that kind of effort it would make it a weekend event for me versus squeezing it into a Saturday with the younger fitter crew. Not that it is something I should be considering anyway.
The plan was to keep the heart below 160 on the easy hills and under 170 on the steep one. Stretch the lower back on the steep down hills and eat/drink on the gradual down hills. The plan was good and I feel this was a sustainable effort.
I did observe a serious flaw at about 500m of climbing. I had chosen convenient compression for my right leg rather than cycling compression. As a result I started getting some pinching behind the knee and had to try to adjust it every 5km or so for the rest of the ride. On a normal 2hr ride the work compression would have been fine, but not for this much leg work. Yes, I do know better. I haven't checked yet for the bruise that will probably be there for two or three weeks.
The numbers for sustainability: heart rate for the first half hour was 146, so minimal escalation. Average speed drifted down by about 2% after the first 500m of climbing. That I attribute to more traffic reducing corner speed and needing to coast a bit more while adjusting compression - so minimal degradation.
Projected ride time to Everest at 500 and 900 m was 24hrs. With remotely reasonably pauses in that kind of effort it would make it a weekend event for me versus squeezing it into a Saturday with the younger fitter crew. Not that it is something I should be considering anyway.
Saturday May 10, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 8:00 [1]
Cheated myself a bit today - too big of a hurry to get out for a quick ride before Mrs. Gets up.
7 AM
Road cycle hills (Cross bike cross mode) 1:13:00 [4] 22.8 km (3:12 / km) +366m 2:58 / km
ahr:138 max:175 shoes: Specialized Comp mountain
A short ride to scout the area for a place Mrs. Might be comfortable riding.
There isn't much flat. Most hills are 3-6% with little stretches of 8-11%. To get out of the complex you have to climb for about a km on a mostly 8% grade with a decent amount of 11%. Not Mrs. friendly even without the heavy traffic. I rarely see that much traffic at 7am on the weekend.
I did find a quiet road in the valley that was mostly under 3% but after 4km there was a stop sign with a notice that the road ended in 0.2 miles. There is one more road in that area to scout but I needed to get back for my anniversary.
There isn't much flat. Most hills are 3-6% with little stretches of 8-11%. To get out of the complex you have to climb for about a km on a mostly 8% grade with a decent amount of 11%. Not Mrs. friendly even without the heavy traffic. I rarely see that much traffic at 7am on the weekend.
I did find a quiet road in the valley that was mostly under 3% but after 4km there was a stop sign with a notice that the road ended in 0.2 miles. There is one more road in that area to scout but I needed to get back for my anniversary.
Friday May 9, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
Thursday May 8, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 11:00 [1]
4 PM
Road cycle tempo 1:12:00 [4] 28.3 km (2:33 / km) +106m 2:30 / km
ahr:144 max:164 shoes: Specialized SWorks road
Smokie with a more representative test of the new tires. The grip really is amazing. This is most noticeable in how much corner speed I was comfortable carrying. I was consistently faster and taking tighter lines in a number of corners I am familiar with on this route. While the tires were made for racing, I feel they instill confidence in traffic.
At one point I thought the tires might be prone to some lateral motion in turbulent air, like a truck going by at highway speed. Later in the ride I realized I might have been compensating for some movement I am used to and what I was feeling could easily have been having to adjust for having expected a slip that didn't happen. I'll watch for that next time before I pass judgement.
There was plenty of traffic and in one part of the second town I went through I passed four blocks worth of cars waiting for a red light.
At one point I thought the tires might be prone to some lateral motion in turbulent air, like a truck going by at highway speed. Later in the ride I realized I might have been compensating for some movement I am used to and what I was feeling could easily have been having to adjust for having expected a slip that didn't happen. I'll watch for that next time before I pass judgement.
There was plenty of traffic and in one part of the second town I went through I passed four blocks worth of cars waiting for a red light.
Wednesday May 7, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 10:00 [1]
1 PM
stairs 32:00 [2]
4 PM
weight training 33:00 [2]
Day 3 resistance bands and push ups.
Tuesday May 6, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 14:00 [1]
1 PM
stairs 21:00 [2]
cut short for a crisis
7 PM
Road cycle tempo 50:51 [4] 21.7 km (2:21 / km) +92m 2:18 / km
ahr:146 max:164
Smokie testing new tires.
I was living a bit dangerously putting 24mm tires on my Zipps 404 rims which specifically state you can only use 18-23mm rubber. But Specialized apparently tested a bunch of configurations in a wind tunnel and the 24mm had the best numbers.
I changed the front first and gave it a 10km road test. This reminded me that I know full well that the best rubber should be on the back.
It seemed to ride well and was definitely grippy so I popped the rear on and went out again as the sun was setting.
I wasn't nearly fast enough to say anything about aero dynamics, but the tires are super sticky. More so than anything I've used, with the exception of the scorcher slicks I use on the Greenspeed. I would bet on these tires giving a good rider an advantage on a tight crit type course based on corner grip. It will be interesting to see how they wear. I expect a somewhat shorter life than the tires I replaced, and maybe a lot shorter.
So far I like them. I'll ease into some longer rides before accepting definitively that the extra mm won't be a problem.
the warning
the temptation
old versus new
I was living a bit dangerously putting 24mm tires on my Zipps 404 rims which specifically state you can only use 18-23mm rubber. But Specialized apparently tested a bunch of configurations in a wind tunnel and the 24mm had the best numbers.
I changed the front first and gave it a 10km road test. This reminded me that I know full well that the best rubber should be on the back.
It seemed to ride well and was definitely grippy so I popped the rear on and went out again as the sun was setting.
I wasn't nearly fast enough to say anything about aero dynamics, but the tires are super sticky. More so than anything I've used, with the exception of the scorcher slicks I use on the Greenspeed. I would bet on these tires giving a good rider an advantage on a tight crit type course based on corner grip. It will be interesting to see how they wear. I expect a somewhat shorter life than the tires I replaced, and maybe a lot shorter.
So far I like them. I'll ease into some longer rides before accepting definitively that the extra mm won't be a problem.
the warning
the temptation
old versus new
Monday May 5, 2014 #
5 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
1 PM
stairs 29:00 [3]
4 PM
weight training 48:00 [2]
Day 2 free weights and pushups.
I had planned to ride the unit through commuter traffic after work, but changed the plan to prove I could. However, the bike is calling to me whispering: It isn't raining yet. It's still light outside. You're over half an hour behind how much would would have exercised if you'd gone for a ride.
I had planned to ride the unit through commuter traffic after work, but changed the plan to prove I could. However, the bike is calling to me whispering: It isn't raining yet. It's still light outside. You're over half an hour behind how much would would have exercised if you'd gone for a ride.
Sunday May 4, 2014 #
7 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
8 AM
weight training 41:00 [2]
Day 1 soloflex
10 AM
Other warm up/down 30:00 [2]
Walk with Mrs to check out spring growth.
It looks like a bumper crop of maple seedlings ready to duke it out for survival.
It looks like a bumper crop of maple seedlings ready to duke it out for survival.
Friday May 2, 2014 #
5 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
11 AM
stairs 23:00 [3]
The driving compression I was wearing today is clearly not suitable for climbing stairs. That makes this exercise not viable for a travel day.
Thursday May 1, 2014 #
6 AM
flexibility 12:00 [1]
4 PM
weight training 41:00 [2]
Day 2 free weights and push ups