Training Log Archive: Bash

For my last real ride before Storm the Trent, I went to Albion Hills to try familiar single track and see how the Pivot responded in different situations. Conditions were fantastic and it went well. Some things were easier on the 29er and nothing seemed harder, other than the need to be more attentive on corners and lean into them. I worry about clipping my wider handlebars on trees but so far, so good. It's becoming fun! I'm still uncertain about how the bike will behave when things are wet and muddy but I'll know a lot more about that after Saturday.

On one stretch of single track, I saw a very fit-looking man dressed in athletic clothing walking on the trail ahead. I wondered what had happened to his bike. It was Biker Rob cleaning up the trails! I took a long break to chat. Great to catch up. :)

When I got home, I did some final pre-race tests: I attached a map board and switched to my AR biking shoes. I rode around our yard and declared the Pivot officially ready to try its first race. I'd better get some photos first while it's still pretty.

We all need sources of motivation for our training. Today I was inspired to return to the Hockley Valley because the forest was so beautiful on Sunday.



Just kidding. I went back because I'd paid for a box of chocolate shortbread cookies and forgotten it on the counter of the Hockley General Store.

It was a good excuse to plan a short hill training session from the 5th Line parking lot south of Hockley Road. I recorded three tracks of different hill runs to/from the car so I can use this info later if I'm trying to climb a certain number of meters in a session. This first track is from the parking lot up the Hemlock Ridge Side Trail to the main Bruce Trail and east into the old ski club. I turned around at 2 km since the biggest climb was done - also because an approaching dog was sounding angry.

The forest really was spectacular in its spring finery!

Second hill - 5th line parking lot to Sally's Pinnacle via Hockley Heights Side Trail, then west on main Bruce Trail to 5th Line, then south on 5th Line to the "Share Road" sign at the top of the hill. Then back down.

Up and down Sally's Pinnacle from the 5th line parking lot. Short but steep.

I took my bike out for a short ride to make sure everything is fresh in my mind when I take it for its mini tune-up tomorrow. Also, I wanted to return to the first section of single track I did yesterday that felt so difficult then. I was hoping it would feel easier now that I'd worked on my 29er skills.

The tight turns and uphill banked curves were fine. I rode them without any problem - and that's not always true on my 26er. But once again I was defeated by the short, steep climb with off-angle roots and a bend at the top between trees. I didn't like to leave it that way so I went back down and tried again. And again. Etc. I think it was the 9th time that I finally got up the stupid thing and I don't think it will be any easier the next time.

So that's disappointing; I would usually get up that hill the first time on my 26er. There were two things happening: (1) I needed more speed and momentum to get up, and (2) the tires didn't seem to be gripping as well as I'm used to. I'll see if lower pressure helps.

Other than that, it was all good except for the noisy brake.

In case you missed it on Trav's log: a great article about senior running rock stars Ed Whitlock and Earl Fee, and what we can learn from them about running and aging. Earl Fee is a regular at our C3 banquet.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fit...

The local trails are almost entirely dry after all the rain so I finally got out for a real ride on my new bike! The first time I entered some twisty Palgrave single track, the trail spat me back out immediately. I missed the first tight turn, swerved the other way to miss a tree and retreated to the double track. Hmm...

I've been reading about some of the differences in riding 29ers vs. 26ers. Some riders don't notice much change but many of us do. Here are some of the things I'd heard:

- "The 29er is faster when it's rolling." Agreed. It deals well with any problem that can be solved by momentum.

- "Turning the bike involves more leaning and less steering." True, that's what got me in trouble on that first tight turn. It didn't take long to make the adjustment though, and there is still plenty of steering to do.

- "You don't need to spend as much time choosing good lines; you can just ride straight over stuff." I don't plan to give up riding good lines but I had fun today riding over stuff just to see how it went. (Pretty well.)

- "The 29er isn't as good at climbing." Conversely, I'd heard from a female friend that it made climbing much easier for her. By the end of the first hour, I felt the big wheels didn't make me a better climber on rolling Palgrave trails but they didn't make me worse either. I'll be interested to try some bigger hills. I made it up most of the climbs but there were a couple of rooty ones I will need to practise. I think good lines still matter when riding uphill over obstacles with big wheels - maybe less of a problem for stronger riders.

The 1X12 gear range seems fine. I reached for one more gear on the road but when it wasn't there, I just increased my cadence. One advantage of a front derailleur, I now realize, is the ability to drop a lot of gears quickly. I need to anticipate things better on a 1X.

I feel like I'm sitting a lot higher up (and thus have farther to fall) so I got out a measuring tape and learned that my seat is only 1" higher compared to my 26er: 40" vs. 39". That made me feel less nervous but my pedal is about 1.5" farther from the ground, which is why I feel high. When I need to put my foot down in an emergency, it isn't as quick.

I fell once today and it would have been just as bad on a 26er since I tipped over toward the steep downhill side of a trail into a bunch of pointy sticks. Fortunately, instead of skewering me, they caught me in a big nest. My bike landed on top of me and my first thought as I lay there was, "Aack! I'm not supposed to turn the bike upside down because of its hydraulic brakes!" My second thought was, "How am I going to get untangled?"

So... progress. The rear brake is making an awful noise (not caused by the fall) so I tried not to use it too much until I can get it looked at. I think I'll be brave enough to try riding it at Storm the Trent this weekend although the trails are going to be mucky and I don't have good instincts for the tires yet.

Lots of learning today and that's always good!
(Bike computer distance)

Caron's class. Many Achilles-stretching moves - perfect.

Canadian Olympic race walker Evan Dunfee just missed qualifying for Boston when he walked the Vancouver Marathon in 3:10 this morning!
http://runningmagazine.ca/evan-dunfee-2017-bmo-van...

Hockley Loop variation starting at 5th Line parking lot going clockwise. AdventureDog and I took the Isabel East, Glen Cross and Cam Snell side trails through Hockley Provincial Park instead of the main Bruce Trail in order to get more climb and distance. (To be honest, I'm not sure AdventureDog really cared as long as I found him nice creeks to drink from.) I skipped the southernmost side trail, Tom East, because it has less climb than the main Bruce.

We had a few stops to meet other dogs in addition to the creek breaks. I caught up on some podcasts and worried about how a southern Ontario resident can possibly get ready for Ultra Tour de Monte Rosa with its 40 km stages with 3,000 m elevation gain.

When I got back to the car, the elevation gain for the day was 991 m, which was obviously unacceptable so we did a quick climb to Sally's Pinnacle and thought of Funderstorm before running back down to the car. :)

The backs of my heels were hurting a bit; I think I'll need shoes with more drop for these long runs.

On a chilly, misty morning, we met up with Coach LD and Goose, who had already started paddling on the canal in the Holland Marsh. It was the kind of day when it felt tempting to curl up by the fireplace but it was great to get outside; we were toasty warm in all the gear we've collected for AR over the years.

'Bent wanted to check out a bay to the north of the canal west of Hwy 400. It kept going and going and ended up becoming our mission for the day as we made our way north toward the headwaters of the Holland River (I guess). There were a few fallen trees to maneuver around but we never had to get out of our canoes. The water levels were so high that at one point we realized we were actually paddling on a farmer's field, not the river. (The electric fence standing in the water was a strong clue, as were the large trees!) I doubt this paddle is possible very often and it was fun to explore the back yards of Holland Marsh farmers.

It was also fun to change into dry clothes and adjourn to the Grackle cafe in Schomberg. I warmed up with a latte and buttertart - a proper one with pecans, not raisins.

The trails are so soft from all the rain that I didn't want to wreck them but I couldn't let a brand new mountain bike (Pivot Mach 429SL Carbon) sit unridden! I did a bit of riding on our grass, our neighbour's double track and a short stretch of seldom-used trail at the north end of Palgrave West.

I was thinking it didn't feel like a very forgiving full suspension bike, then I remembered the shop had pumped up the tubeless tires to 40 psi to seal them and I was supposed to lower them to 25 psi before riding. Oops, I have a lot to learn. I went home and fixed that.

I remembered that 29er fans told me the big wheels just roll over everything, even going uphill. So I boldly aimed straight uphill at a wooden railway tie - and went down instantly because it was so slimy in the rain. Pro tip: it's a longer distance to the ground when you fall off a 29er.

The bike (still nameless) seems pretty good at getting up hills. I never wished for an easier granny gear on the 1X12 but I maxed out at the other end in one section of trail so it will be interesting to see how often I feel underpowered on the flats. I'm guessing it won't be too often that I can't solve the problem with higher cadence.

The cockpit needs to be stretched out since I'm too upright, which is surprising since it's a medium bike. No big deal. It was definitely fast and I think I'll learn to love it but it's really different from my Specialized 26er, and I don't have the right skills yet. Hmm, do I dare ride it for Storm The Trent on Saturday?

This bike is no Princess! Looking forward to my first real ride. :)