Ya know, I actually kind of like the indoor trainer thing

Most cyclists don't.  The indoor trainer is synonymous with extreme boredom.  Admittedly, this is a well-earned title.  The very first time I used my trainer, the DVD player was on the fritz and did not want to work.  I was so geeked to try it out, I just hopped on and started pedaling while staring at a blank TV screen.  Within 30 seconds I was drooling on the handlebars in a deep and restful sleep.

Adding something to watch makes a big difference.  I have found that a football game is great.  It is live and you don't know the outcome ahead of time.  Also, you don't have to pay close attention to it in order to watch it.  Usually, I have to combine some form of intervals in order to keep from getting bored.  Simply pedaling a decent effort for a prolonged period of time will get boring no matter what you do or watch.

The intervals can be anything from short sprints with long rests to 20 minute max efforts with 5 minutes rest between.  You can also mix in other forms of exercise (stretching, core work, full body exercises, etc.) just to break things up.  Recently, I have been doing 10 minute hard efforts with 2-4 minutes of off the bike exercise in between.  I have found I can maintain a good effort for the time on the bike and have a relatively high average speed.

Ok, Gimli it is!

Recently, I decided to to name my singlespeed bike "Sam".  Sam just seemed like a good name.  This brought up the obvious question of, "What should I name my geared bike?"

At first, I couldn't think of anything.  I was very uninspired.  Then I thought about myself, my style of riding, what I like to do on the bike and finally about what my bike looks like.  At that point, it hit me...Gimli!!!  If you are not a Tolkien geek, you won't even recognize that name.  You can find the basics on the character Gimli here.  If you are dying to know more about Tolkien dwarves in general and you have huge amounts of unused time on your hands, you can go here.  If you actually click on that link maybe you should consider getting a job or exercising or something else reasonably productive.  Exploring the amazing world of Middle Earth is not normally considered "productive".  Fun, but not productive.

Ok, so when I think of Gimli and cycling at the same time, I am reminded of one specific trait of your typical dwarf.  Dwarves were known for being able to cover large amounts of ground in relatively little time under a heavy load.  Basically, they had great endurance in extreme situations.  This does not quite describe me yet, but I would like it to.  I want to be able to do rides where I just go and go and go.  I want to do the kind of rides that really amaze the average person ("You rode how far?  Are you sure it wasn't a motorcycle?").  Any rides like that will be on my geared bike, hence the name "Gimli".

Also, when I think about how my bike actually looks, it is really nothing fancy.  It is a rather ordinary gray with some black accents.  In the LOTR movies, Gimli is certainly not "fancy".  It is a little difficult for me to picture exactly what his outfit looked like.  In reality, Gimli the bike is nothing really special either.  It has more to do with determination, stubbornness and a willingness to suffer to get what you want.

Lastly, I am a Tolkien geek and I have always had a fondness for Gimli.  I seem to be able to identify with him so my main ride gets the "Gimli" moniker.  Enough said.

Sam the Singlespeed

I have decided to name my singlespeed "Sam".  Why "Sam"?  I don't know.  It just seems right.

I rode Sam exclusively for about a month because of issues with my geared bikes rear wheel.  By the way, why no name for my geared bike?  It hasn't earned one yet.  I have considered something like Shadowfax or Mercury or Greased Lightning.  Unfortunately, they all sound pretty lame and I'm no faster on the geared bike than I am on Sam.  Maybe I should call the geared bike Gimli.  You would need to be a Tolkien geek to get the reference.

Back to the topic.  While riding the single speed, I did discover several things.  When tackling hills, it often seems easier on Sam than I expected it to be.  That doesn't really make sense does it?  Hills should be harder on Sam.  I have a theory as to why hills seems easier on Sam.

On a geared bike, you have to hit the right gear at the right moment.  If not, you can lose a lot of momentum. Too big of a gear or too small of a gear and you will lose momentum.  A good example was yesterday during my Metric Century.  There is one very steep hill toward the end of the ride.  It is made more difficult because there is a smaller hill right before that takes away a good bit of your momentum.  At the bottom of the steep hill, I down shifted into too high a gear.  I then had to down shift farther and grind up the rest of the hill in the granny gear.

On Sam, this is not an issue.  "Which gear should I be in?  Oh wait, it doesn't matter; I only have one."  As I am going up a hill, I seem to automatically adjust my cadence to match the gearing I have.  In general, my cadence seems to flow with the terrain, going up or down without much conscious thought.

The tires on Sam are 32s versus 23/25s on my geared bike.  I have been running Sam's tires at about 60 psi as compared to 90-110 psi on my geared bike.  It feels like the lumps and bumps in the road are better absorbed by Sam.  Some of the perceived comfort could also be due to the forward rake on Sam's fork.  The forward rake allows the fork to act a little more like a spring.  Either way, the bumps feel less bumpy and that is not a bad thing.

When I compare speed on similar terrain, I really don't seem to be significantly slower on Sam compared to my geared bike.  Sure, if you add a lot of hills, there will be a difference, but most of the rolling hills I ride on don't seem to slow me down much.  Once again, I would not have expected this.  I anticipated having to slowly grind up hills and not being able to get good speed on downhills.

I did the Tour de Donut on Sam and actually finished faster than I did last year when I was on the geared bike.  The route was mostly light rolling hills and flats.  Toward the beginning of the race, I found myself easily passing people on hills.  What?  As I was watching the other competitors, I think most of them were not hitting their gearing quite right and would lose a lot of their momentum.

I have really come to love riding Sam, despite the fact it is an old, heavy beater-of-a-bike with rattling fenders and a little too much reach to be truly comfortable.  As I write this, I have a much greater urge to hop on Sam than the geared bike.  Go figure.

My Rear Wheel and the Windy Day

Today was the Colorburst, an annual charity ride put on by the Rapidwheelmen, a local cycling group.  The purpose of the ride is to raise funds for MADD and to have a good ride near the peak of the autumn colors.  I participated 2 years ago and rode my first Century (100 miles).  That ride was very hard but also very rewarding.  It was my first real taste of what I might be able to accomplish on a bike.  Since that time, I have ridden 2 other century rides, but I have not forgotten the sense of accomplishment I had with the Colorburst.

I was determined to do it again this year so I signed myself up.  Michelle, Hannah and David are out of town this weekend, visiting Grandma and Grandpa Vander Heide (Smooches, Hon!), so I had all the time I needed to prepare and to enjoy the ride without having to be concerned with time.  My level of fitness is adequate to finish the ride so it was just a matter of going out and doing it.

The Colorburst takes place mostly in the Lowell/Ada/Cannonsburg/East Rockford area.  It has some truly beautiful riding.  Most of the terrain is rolling hills and the colors were wonderful.  If you are participating, you can choose to do a 17, 34, 62 or 100 mile ride.  They also have 32 and 62 gravel road routes available.  The road rides consist of a series of loop with a central rest stop at Townsend Park, in Cannonsburg.  In order to do the 100, I would stop at Townsend Park 3 times.  You can check out a course map here.

This year had a couple different "wrenches in the gears".  First, I have been having a problem with my rear wheel.  Back in mid-September, I had noticed a broken spoke.  I took it into the bike shop to be fixed and it took them a week and a half to fix it.  Whatever.  This did give me an opportunity to ride my single speed, but that is a whole different post.  I got the wheel back this past Monday and did not get a chance to ride on it until this past Thursday.  I was barely 8 miles out when another spoke came loose.  Imagine my frustration.  One day to go before a big ride and my rear wheel is out of commission.  Yesterday, I took it back to the bike shop and they fixed it for free.  Thank you very much.

I was around 25 miles in today when I started to hear the telltale ting-ting-ting-ting of another loose spoke smacking the seat stay every time the wheel went around.  Honestly, I wasn't all that surprised.  I suspected the wheel was going bad.

So this is the situation.  I am a quarter of the way through a ride I have been looking forward to for about 2 years.  I have a rear wheel that is no longer 100% structurally sound.  It is entirely possible I could have finished the full 100 miles without incident.  It is also possible I could have been all the way up near Sand Lake and have my wheel taco.  If I was lucky, I wouldn't be hurt.  If I wasn't, I could be seriously injured and my bike could also be totaled.  The best case scenario is that I freeze my hind end off waiting for the SAG vehicle to come pick me up.

I decided to finish the loop I was on because I was already half way through and the wheel didn't have too much of a lateral wobble.  I managed to tuck the loose spoke into several other spokes so I didn't have to listen to it the rest of the way back.

When I got back to the Townsend Park rest stop, I was pleased to see a mechanic from Alger Cyclery.  We talked for a minute and he told me I could probably finish the 62 mile ride but the 100 would really be pushing it.  His guess was that the rear wheel hub (the central part of the wheel) was probably worn out.  There was no way to fix it today.  In order to get it structurally sound again, I would need a complete rebuild.  By the time you do that, you might as well buy a whole new wheel (better start saving my pennies now).

From there, I took it easy and avoided as many bumps as I could and managed to at least get a Metric Century (100 km/62 miles).  I do have to admit, there was a small part of me that was relieved I wasn't going to be doing he 100 mile route, which leads to the other "wrench in the gears".

WIND!!!  Steady, strong, unrelenting 25 MPH wind coming from the northwest the whole day.  Gusts were easily above 35 MPH.  There were several instances where I was going into the wind and a gust just about knocked me over.  At one point on 5 Mile, east of Cannonsburg, I could barely keep myself moving at 10 MPH.  This was on a smooth, flat section of road where I would normally be cruising at 18-20 MPH.  When I was going perpendicular to the wind, I often had to lean my bike slightly into the wind to avoid being blown into the center of the lane.

Riding in a strong wind is demoralizing.  You are working so intensely hard and your speed is just pitiful.  It can take the most enjoyable ride and just tear it to shreds.  The only upside to a strong headwind is when you turn around and it becomes a tailwind.  Once you turn around and the wind is at your back, you begin to have visions of yourself as a pro cyclist.  "Why yes, I do believe I will enter the Tour de France next year.  Should be fun."  Thankfully, most of the end of the ride was with a tailwind.

The other upside was I got to come home in time to see Michigan State smack (literally) Michigan for the fourth year in a row.  GO GREEN!  GO WHITE!

The Colorburst will be on my agenda again.  I just have to do it.  The next time, I will have a strong, durable rear wheel and hopefully the wind will be a little calmer.

9/27/11 Bike Ride

10.65 miles
39:10
16.3 MPH
1874 miles YTD

I haven't gotten the rear wheel fixed on my Jamis Satellite, so I rode the good ol' single speed.  As I often do when I don't have much time, I rode "The Loop".  Just two laps around and my legs were feeling tired.  One gear...whatcha gonna do?

Le Tour de Donut Ride Report

Today was the third annual Le Tour de Donut at Klackle Orchards in Greenville.  It is a spoof on the Tour de France.  It is one of the only non-serious races I know of, at least in the West Michigan area.  The concept is simple.  The course is about 33 miles long.  There is a mass start for all racers.  About 10 miles and 20 miles in, there is a "Donut Stop".  For each donut you eat, you get 3 minutes deducted from your total time.  The more donuts you eat, the lower your net time.  The basic question becomes, "How many donuts can I eat and still ride fast without tossing my donuts?"  Uphuck = DNF, so you have to keep those donuts down.

The day was just about perfect for a ride.  It was mostly sunny and neither too warm or too cold.  I was wearing a short sleeve jersey and two undershirts with my bib shorts and I was just fine.  I zipped the jersey down some after about 20 minutes to let a little more cool air in.

The course was the same course they have used the last two years, except the course was reversed.  The Donut Stops were in the same places but, once again, the reverse of the last two years.  A lot of people seemed to be struggling with the hills but I would not label this as a particularly hilly course.  Most of the hills were of a rolling nature.  Being quite used to these, I was not phased.  Granted, I seek out hilly routes for my normal rides even to the point of doing hill repeats just to make sure I get the most suffering per ride.  To be honest, there was one hill that got me.  It was Baldwin Road, which leads to Baldwin Lake.  This is a lake that is within the city limits of Greenville.  It is so well hidden, I worked in Greenville for 3 years before I even knew it existed.

I vaguely remembered the hill from last year.  What I remembered was it being short but fairly steep.  The lake is at the bottom so I think I had to really hit the brakes to avoid making a big splash.  With the course reversed, I had to try to motor up this short but steep hill.  Normally this would not have been a problem.  Even if I had to get into the granny gear, I would be able to make it up.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a granny gear today.  I was on my single speed.  That's right, just one gear and one gear only.  I got about 2/3 of the way up and I just could not turn the cranks one more time around.  I hopped off the bike and trotted my way up to the top.  Just to stroke my ego a little, I caught up with the people who were directly ahead of me on the hill within about a mile.

I ate 3 donuts at the first stop and then ate 2 at the second stop.  I probably could have eaten one more but I really don't like the idea of vomiting on the side of the road.  Live and learn.  After the second stop, I was basically riding alone.  This was unusual because I had constantly been around other racers throughout the ride.  There had to be at least 25 people at the second Donut Stop and somehow none of them left at the same time I did.  I certainly was not expecting to be alone.  This left me to pace myself which, since I had 5 donuts in my gut, was probably a good thing.  The only disappointing thing about riding alone is I there was only one person to catch up with.  I really wanted to catch up with other riders and pass them, partially because I was on my single speed and partially because I was wearing my Fat Cyclist jersey.

Let's face it, if you get passed by a guy on a single speed in a Fat Cyclist jersey, that's just sad.  On the other hand, if you pass the guy on the single speed in a Fat Cyclist jersey, what have you really accomplished?

The event seemed pretty well run.  The course was well marked.  Picking up your race packet didn't take too long and there were plenty of volunteers at the two Donut Stops.  There were also several major intersections were there were police officers directing traffic (Thanks, by the way!).

One major difference from last year was the t-shirt.  Every event like this has to have a t-shirt.  Last year, we got a nice shirt made of wicking material.  This year it was a basic cotton t-shirt with the same logo and without a date on it.  I would be willing to bet that next year they will have the exact same shirt.  Oh well.  I'm not in it for the shirt.

My Favorite Things About Le Tour de Donut:

1. Wearing the Fat Cyclist jersey at a competition involving donut eating
2. Passing people on hills while on a single speed (that felt really good)
3. Eating 5 donuts in 2 hours while riding hard on my bike and not puking
4. Getting to ride roads I would otherwise likely never ride
5. Racing without a bunch of racers around
6. Being rewarded for eating donuts
7. Taking a 33 mile bike ride and not wanting to eat lunch afterward because I was still full on donuts
8. Being able to participate in a sporting event with a definite sense of humor

Lovin' the Single Speed

I only began seriously cycling about 3 years ago.  To say that I have jumped in head first is an understatement.  It has only been 3.5 years since I bought my first new bike and I have since bought 2 more.  The first bike, a Giant FCR 3 was OK, but a mistake in hindsight.  Here is a set of reviews, in case you are curious.

Why was it a mistake?  It was a mistake because I knew so little about what I really wanted.  Unfortunately, going to a local bike shop (LBS) doesn't often help.  Why?  How are they supposed to know what you want when you don't even know?  They will take a guess for you and will be happy to make some money off of you but they don't really know what you want and need.  Each shop only sells a few brands of bikes.  As I've learned, there are so many bike manufacturers, from big to small, and some of the ones you have never heard of make some really interesting and innovative bikes.

In retrospect, I needed a road bike and I bought a hybrid with flat bars.  It is an aluminum frame when steel is way more comfortable.

The next year, I bought a used Raleigh 12 speed for about $170.  I had to fix it up some, but it still came in much cheaper than the new Giant I had purchased the previous year.  I learned a lot from that bike (I also rode it for like 2800 miles).  There were things I liked about it and things I didn't like.  Steel = good.  Friction shifters = good.  Low quality, old brakes = bad.  One set of bottle cage bosses = bad.  I learned a little bit about bike fit and what I needed to shoot for in the future.

A little more than a year later, I found a deal on a Jamis Satellite.  Here is a link to the latest model.  There has been some customizing since I purchased it and it is set up fairly well for me.  That left me with my Raleigh.  I didn't need it but it was a perfectly good frame.  Somehow I got the idea of a single speed.  Single speeds and fixies (That's fixed gear bikes for you non-bike folks) have been all the rage recently so I decided to give one a try.  I think it cost me all of $45 at Freewheeler to get it switched over.  Sheldon Brown has an online gear calculator that gave me an idea of what combo I needed.  My front chainring was 40 tooth so I ended up with a 16 tooth rear cog.

On the first ride, it felt like I got the gear ratio right.  It could pedal at a nice 90 cadence on the flats and the hills didn't seem to bad.  I also outfitted it with fenders and decided it would be my bad weather bike, my beater that I could ride any day of the year and not worry about it.  For the most part, I didn't ride it very often and only on flat routes.  Every now and then I would tackle a hill but nothing too serious.

Recently, I have started using the single speed for "normal" rides, riding the same roads and routes I do with my Jamis.  It has been a revelation.  Hills are not unconquerable.  Changing your cadence frequently can be a good thing.  It is just plain different, and that too, is a good thing.  Here are some of the things I have noticed about my single speed:

• The nice clean chain line is really nice to look at.  This seems like it should be unimportant, but when I look down at the chain as it rotates around, it just looks so nice and straight.  There is this anal-retentive side of me that is just plain happy about that.
• I lose myself more in the ride when I don't have to think about changing gears.  My mind is free to wander and enjoy the time to myself and the great outdoors.
• On a similar note, you don't have to shift gears for every little change in the terrain.  Yes, your cadence and speed will probably change, but so what?  It's not a big deal.
• The single speed gives your body some variability it is not likely to get on a geared bike.  On my most recent ride, my cadence probably ranged from 40-110 rpm.  That range was probably traversed over the course of a single mile between 9 and 10 mile along Baumhoff.  On a geared bike, my cadence would have been much tighter (more like 70-100).  I know from personal and professional experience that variability is good.  It keeps the body strong and helps to avoid overuse injuries.
• When on a long steep hill, it actually feels good to know that you can't "wimp out" and go down into the granny gear.  Suck it up and grind it out!  HOO-AH!
• If I actually meet a hill I can't pedal up, it really shouldn't be a big deal.  Am I in a hurry?  No.  If I was in a hurry, I wouldn't be on my bike.  I have a car for "being in a hurry".
• It is nice to know that there is a lot less to go wrong with the single speed.  You're not going to throw a chain.  The shifters aren't going to go on the fritz.  There are no derailleurs to get out of whack.
• There is something wonderfully free about hopping on a bike and just pedaling away.  Kind of like being a kid again.  Neat.

An open letter to the employees in the hall who were bad mouthing police officers

Dear employees standing in a public hallway in a health care facility,

In the future, if your plans are to complain about police officers, call them useless, and wonder why we even need them, you might want to check that those who are within ear shot are not related to four police officers.  If you fail in your due diligence, you will make yourself sound like an ignorant, ungracious jerk.

Also, your statement that "Now that I have a handgun, all I need cops for is to write me tickets" seems a little short sighted.  First, you probably deserved all the tickets you have been given because your were probably speeding or violating some traffic law.  Second, do you actually think that now that you have the handgun, you would actually have the guts to use it, if the situation arises?  Third, can you imagine no circumstance where having a loaded handgun in the house could go horrible awry?  Fourth, do you plan to stop drunk drivers before they can smash into your family members?  Fifth, are you going to take down the meth lab in the trailer next door before they have your kids hooked or the trailer just plain goes "KABOOM!"?  Sixth, do you have any idea how quickly our society would turn third world violent without any police officers around?  Seventh and last, would you have run into the World Trade Centers in order save as many people as you could knowing full well your life could easily end that day?

No you wouldn't have.  Why?  Because you are a coward.

Sincerely,

Mike Terrell

P.S. Thank you Grandpa Winters, Uncle Bob, Uncle Dale and Keith for serving the public honorably and faithfully.

9/17/11 Bike Ride

41.6 miles
2:59:35
13.9 MPH
1831 miles YTD

Today's ride was just a little different.  Michelle and I did a 15 mile ride as part of Cycle to Serve, a fundraiser for Volunteers In Service.  It's not often I'm in a mood for a nice, leisurely 15 mile ride so I got up at 6:30 and rode for 26 miles beforehand.  With thosev26 miles behind me, I could take it easy on the 15 mile ride without feeling wimpy.

The major issue today...cold.  It really wasn't all that cold.  It started at 50 degrees but I never seem to ride that well in the cold.  I can never keep up quite the same pace as when it is warmer out.  Even 10 degrees warmer would have made a world of difference.

It was a lot of fun though.  I got in a quite a good workout, Michelle and I spent some good time together and we stopped for Donuts afterward.  Pretty cool, I'd say.

Why I adore my wife

No, I'm not in trouble for anything and this is not an attempt to get back in my wife's good graces.  I'm letting everyone know this right now because that is the first thing I would think if I was reading this blog.

Note: Shortly after starting this post, Michelle found out I have a blog.  So, yes, I did start this post before she even knew I was blogging.


Michelle and I have been married for almost 8 years.  Our first date was April 5th, 2001.  From the very first date, I knew she was special.  It was apparent that she was down to earth, humble, and kind.  I could not wait for another opportunity to see her.  This time period was an unusual one for me.  I was to graduate from PT school in less than a month.  I had already accepted a job up in Ludingtion.  I was leaving the Grand Rapids area in mid-May.  On the flip side, Michelle still had one year left of school at GVSU.  She was looking to work at Mary Free Bed after graduation.  Crap!  Nothing like having your brand new relationship be a long-distance romance only a month and a half after it started.

Over the next several years, we both spent a lot of time on the phone and plenty of time driving on the weekends to see each other.  I would have kept on doing this, but I have to admit that it was getting old.  After we got engaged on June 22nd, 2002, I changed jobs and moved back down to GR.  It was much easier for me to move than it was for her.  An outpatient orthopaedic PT can go pretty much anywhere and get a job.

We were married on October 11th, 2003.  It was a beautiful and fun-filled day.  The weather was sunny and around 70 degrees.  We couldn't have asked for better.  But that was only the beginning.  The best was yet to come.

Over the last 10 years, there are some things I have learned about my wife.  Some you could describe as positive and others as negative, but I love them all because when they are all added together, they make Michelle and I wouldn't change anything about her.

• Michelle is exceptionally kind.  She seems to know the right thing to say to cheer people up or to comfort them.  It is her desire for everyone around her to be happy.  When everyone else is happy, she is happy.
• Michelle thinks of others first.  This is most prominent with her family and friends.  She will work her buns off to make sure that others are comfortable or have what they needed.  When it is time to decide what to do, she will almost always defer to what everyone else wants.
• Michelle is exceptionally intelligent.  Did you know she was the first Lulensky-Smith Neurological Fellow at Mary Free Bed?  Did you know she did a presentation of her research at a national PT conference?  Did you know that she almost always is able to find a solution to a problem when I haven't?  Michelle is too humble to admit it, but she is way smart (Hannah must get her brains from her mom!).
• Michelle is beautiful.  I won't go into the details, because Michelle would never forgive me, but she is the most gorgeous women I have ever seen.  Always has been.  Always will be.  All others fade and look pale in comparison.  She even looks lovely without mascara (she doesn't think so).
• Michelle is determined.  When she wants something done, it gets done.  Once her mind is made up, that is it.  It will happen.  I have to admit, this does occasionally cause some friction but it is what it is.
• Michelle is a wonderful mother.  She is always thinking about her kids and worrying about them.  I probably don't spend a fifth of the time thinking about our kids as she does.  Michelle seems like a natural at it.  When we are dealing with a behavioral problem, she comes up with a plan.  I, on the other hand, usually shrug my shoulders and give an "I donna know".  She has had plenty of good mother-figures in her life to learn from.
• Michelle is stubborn.  Everybody needs a little stubbornness.  I guess this one is pretty well related to my comments about her determined nature above.
• Michelle loves to sleep.  If she could be world champion at anything, it would be sleeping.  If she could get 10 hours per night, she would love it.  Oh, and the more blankets, the better.
• Michelle's life is solidly-rooted in Christ.  As with all Christians, this gives her a certain sense of calmness and comfort.  God has got things covered.  There is no reason to worry.  Without Michelle and her strong faith, I really don't know where I would be right now.  It likely wouldn't be in as good a place as I am.

I'm sure I could think of a lot more to say about my beautiful bride but I will leave it at that right now.  If you read this and are jealous of me, well, you should be.  She really is fabulous in every regard.

9/13/11 Bike Ride

13.5 miles
51:10
15.83 MPH
1790 miles YTD

Today's ride was just a little different.  I had the morning off so I could have a physical at my doctor's.  Since their office is only 1.5 miles away, I decided to ride there and then ride some more after I was done.  The appointment took a little longer than expected so I only had time to go around "The Loop" twice, which was ok because my legs felt pretty dead.  I'm not sure why.  I was motivated to go but my legs were not.  Who knows.

9/10/11 Bike Ride

30.92 miles
1:47:09
17.31 MPH
1800 miles YTD

Today's ride was unique.  It was the first time I used my single speed for a "normal" ride.  On previous single speed rides, I had done mostly flat routes and not terribly long ones.  Today, I told myself I was going to "just ride" as if I was on a geared bike.

Earlier in the day, I took the single speed to Freewheeler Bike Shop to get my seat post fixed.  I guess "fixed" isn't quite the word but it will have to do.  The basic problem I was having was that I couldn't keep my saddle at the right height.  I would slowly sink down no matter how much I tightened down the QR.  The guy at Freewheeler said it looked like someone (possibly me) had tightened it down so hard at one point that it had bent the seat tube and made it look like I needed a 26.2 seat post when I actually need a 26.4.  My seat post was 26.2.  He took a screwdriver and basically bent it back into shape and then put a cheap 26.4 seat post in.  It fits snug but it doesn't sink.  When I asked him how much I owed him, he shrugged and said "Five bucks".  Pretty cool.  All of this took less than 10 minutes.

So now I have a fully functioning bike with a new rear tire, a new seat post, fenders, and a Jif peanut butter jar zip-tied to the saddle as a "redneck saddle bag".  I even got a mulit-tool, a tube, and a CO2 inflator, just in case.

I started up Baumhoff, to 10 mile, over to 8th Ave, down to 6 mile, over to Stage, back up to 8 mile, back to Baumhoff and then home.  A few notes on the ride:

• Baumhoff between 8 and 10 mile is quite hilly but it really didn't seem that bad.
• I was going down 8th Ave when I passed 8 mile (It's actually Roosevelt in Ottawa county).  I thought to myself, "you should turn down 8 mile and do the Baumhoff hill".  I kept going because I really hate turning around.  Then came the internal debate - "you should get home"..."don't be a wuss, do the hill"..."but it'll take extra time"..."it's only 4 miles"..."I don't know"..."You'll regret it if you don't"..."You're right, I will.  Let's do it".
• When I was going down 6 mile, I turned north up Stage Ave so I could get back to 8 mile.
• When you get to Baumhoff on 8 mile, you pretty much have to stop to make sure there is no oncoming traffic.  The intersection of 8 mile and Baumhoff is right at the very bottom of the hill.  Nothing like starting a long, steep hill from nearly a dead stop while on a single speed..  That one was definitely a grind.  I was just barely keeping the cranks turning by the top of the hill.
• By the time I got to 10 mile, I had pretty much gotten used to the whole "you can't change gears" thing.
• It was just about a perfect day to ride.  It was nice and sunny with essentially no wind.  It was warm but not hot.

I really loved my ride today.  It felt good and it felt like I accomplished something.  I had never ridden so far on my singlespeed.  I definitely could do more.  Maybe a single speed century.  Who knows?

9/5/11 and 9/8/11 Bike Ride

24.6 / 10.65 miles
1:30:15 / 38:00
16.35 MPH / 16.8 MPH
1770 miles YTD

Huh, I forgot to post on my ride on Sunday.  Things have been busy recently so you will have to forgive me.

Sunday's Ride: This one was a fairly leisurely ride up 6 mile to 16th ave, around to 24th ave and then down Leonard.  It ended at the Grand Rapids fish ladder, where I met my wife and her family.  Afterwards we went to San Chez for tapas.  Not a bad night.

Thursday's Ride: I was feeling a little masochistic, so I decided to do "The Loop" with the single speed.  That's right, climbing hills with a single speed (40x16 I believe).  Kinda dumb but pretty enjoyable.  One nice thing about riding the single speed is that you actually have more mental time to think about other things.  You don't ever have to think about shifting because there is no shifting to do.  When the hill gets steeper, you pedal harder.  Simple as that.  This does tend to give the quads a good burn.  You also get the benefit of some low cadence grinding and high cadence spinning with one usually right after the other.  The muscles and proprioceptors get some nice variety.  Variety is good.

Seems like its been a while

I haven't posted for a while mostly because of general busyness.  Michelle and I have been helping my sister move, doing tons of canning, working, entertaining the in-laws and trying to chop our fingers off (I'm stupid and Michelle is clumsy).  I really hope to take a ride tomorrow.  The single-speed has got a new tire and it seems to be working well.  I feel like trying to pound it up a few hills ("Quads be damned!  Ride on!").  We'll see how things go.

Wow!

I have actually had 34 page views all time.  I thought by this time I would have 10 views max.  I have a lot to say but who really wants to read it?  Seriously.

9/1/11 Bike Ride

28.6 miles
1:58:12
14.52 MPH
1710 miles YTD

Bachelor night!  That's right, Michelle and the kiddos are gone for the night giving me the opportunity to take a bike ride after work.  For some silly reason I felt like really torturing myself so I did multiple hill repeats.  The first hill was this little loop that most people don't know about.  It is the combination of Springbrook and Greenridge just off of West River Dr., near North Park Street.  You can climb it from either direction, but there are major differences with each.  If you go up Greenridge, most of the elevation gain is at the beginning.  On Springbrook, it is spread out into 2 main sections, giving you a breather in between.  I did this loop 8x total.  The other hill was Pine Island Dr.  Basically, I started at the bottom where Pine Island meets West River Dr. and rode up to the top just a little ways past 6 mile.  This climb is not quite as steep but is longer.  The pitch of the road does not really change substantially.  This was done 6 times.  Per Livestrong.com, that comes out to 1800 feet of climbing.  Not too bad.

There are plenty of hilly points around this area but we don't have "mountains" with sustained climbs for long periods.  The best one can do is the hill repeats with minimal rest in between.  As I want to become a better climber, hill repeats it is.  I figure that if I can do 2 hours of hill repeats then a "normal" 4 hour ride is pretty do-able.  One reason I have avoided doing these things in the past was the desire to get in plenty of miles.  Now, my focus is on getting ready for the big, century rides.  Doing things like intervals and hill repeats will make the century rides easier.  I hope.

8/27/11 Bike Ride

39.1 miles
2:24:30
16.24 MPH
1681 miles YTD

Nothing like waking up at 5:40am on a Saturday.  Honestly, it is pretty hard to pull myself out of bed like that on a Saturday but it is really the only way I can get a good, long ride in.  There won't be time otherwise.  There are a few positives to the early morning rides: little to no traffic, cooler temperatures, and I feel "satisfied" the rest of the day.

I could explain the route in detail but I honestly don't feel like it.  Basically, I headed up Pine Island Dr. to 12 Mile and then headed east.  I got to 12 Mile and Courtland, NE of Rockford, and I turned around.  On the way back, I wound my way to Division and took that down to 6 Mile and then headed home from there.  Overall, it was a good, fun and challenging ride.  It is definitely good to have it done and not have to think about it.

8/25/11 Bike Ride

10.6 miles
0:36:25
17.46 MPH
1682 miles YTD

Today's ride involved some negotiation.  Specifically, I called my wife while I was driving home from work and asked if I had time to take a bike ride.  From the tone of Michelle's voice, I could tell she would rather I didn't.  In her own words, "I'm crabby".  We eventually agreed to let me do 2 laps around "The Loop" (Bristol to Walker to 3 Mile and back to Bristol).  Essentially, I pushed it almost as hard as I could and was able to average almost 17.5 MPH.  Pretty stinkin' good for me.

Review for Specialized BG RBX Bib Short

Lately it has seemed like everywhere I turn, I am hearing how great bib shorts are.  I posted a question on Bike Forums and the response was nearly unanimous - BIB SHORTS ARE GREAT!  The two sales people I talked to wouldn't ride without them.  Well if that is the case, I've got to try them out.

After some shopping around I picked up a pair of Specialized BG RBX bib shorts at Village Bike Shop.  A pair of Sugoi RS bibs were also a possibility.  I already use a pair of the Sugoi RS shorts and have been pretty happy with them.  I chose the Specialized bibs because the material seemed a little thinner and better for warm weather wear even though I was told that the chamois is also a little thinner than the Sugoi.  It also helped the Specialized shorts were about $15 cheaper.  Admittedly, a lower price always helps.

As a point of reference, I bought a size XL.  I am 5' 10", 210 lbs and have a 36" waist.  My trunk is  long and my legs are relatively short (you can call me Stumpy).

I won't really give my final impression on them until I do at least a century with them, but here are my preliminary impressions (I probably have put 150-200 miles total on them):

1. The chamois does seem to be in the "proper" place.  As soon as I put them on, I noticed the chamois was positioned differently than with my shorts.  Once I was riding, it felt like the chamois matched my ischial tuberosities well.
2. My second thought upon initially donning the bibs was, "Gee, I hope these straps don't chafe my nipples".  To this point, that has not been an issue.  A longer ride will tell me for certain.
3. I had some concerns that I would feel hotter with the extra material versus shorts.  I'm not sure where I stand on this yet.  There have been times where I thought I was cooler with them and times where I have thought the opposite.
4. There doesn't seem to be a lot of compression in the legs with these.  The description on the Specialized site doesn't specifically make any statements about compression.
5. During the first couple rides, I noticed some mildly uncomfortable rubbing of "The Dude".  This never amounted to any serious issue and I haven't noticed it on the last several rides.

My next several rides will be with some of my older pairs of shorts so I can do a better comparison of shorts versus bibs.  At this point, I don't really know if bibs are worth the extra money.  My mind is not yet made up on the matter.  It is possible I would feel differently with a alternate brand of bibs but do I really want to fork over $100-175 just to test them out?  I have spent money or dumber things.

It is now January of 2012.  I have put many miles on the Specialized BG RBX bib shorts.  My overall impression has been good, but not great.  On my longest ride with them, I had to add extra Chamois Butter to avoid a saddle sore.  I have never had to do this the the Sugoi RS shorts.  For my tastes, the chamois seems to be a little too thin.  However, chamois thickness seems to be a very personal thing so that should not deter anyone.

On the topic of bibs vs. shorts, I have yet to see the real advantage to bibs.  My one pair is not that much more comfortable than the other shorts I have.  In fact, I find the straps and body of the bibs to be a little constricting.

This does not mean I have given up on them.  I feel like I need to try another pair.  Maybe the Sugoi RS bibs.  I might try a pair from Twin Six, mostly because I like the way they look. and they are cheaper.  It could certainly be that the Specialized bibs just aren't right for me.

Further Editing

I have now been using the RBX bib shorts for about a year.  During that time, I did get a basic pair of bibs from Twin Six.  As of my last update, I indicated that I wasn't sure whether I got much benefit from bibs.

Looking back, I have worn a pair of regular shorts, including my good Sugoi RS shorts, less than 10 times.  Why?  In reality, the bibs are more comfortable.  They keep the pad in a better position and they don't bind around the waist the way shorts do.  I'm just more comfortable in them.  Plain and simple.

As I look ahead to future purchases, I'm not even considering buying a pair of cycling shorts.  I'll go bibs every time.  This wasn't even really a conscious decision.  It wasn't a part of some grand plan.  Once I was used to them, they were all I wanted to wear.

For what it's worth, the RBX bibs are probably slightly more comfortable than the Twin Six bibs, but just barely.  I have ridden a century using both (with copious amounts of Chamois Butter) without any really chaffage or saddle sores.

8/19/11 Bike Ride

35.4 miles
2:04:15
17.09 MPH
1619 miles YTD

Oh the difference a day can make.  Typically I wouldn't ride on a Friday after work.  It is the end of the week and I'm tired.  The fam and I usually hang out, get some food, and watch a movie.  Not this Friday.  Michelle and the kids are still in Midland with Beth and Tim.  They will be coming back tonight at bedtime.  An evening without the family can only mean one thing...BIKE RIDE!!!

I really didn't know where I wanted to ride today so I just took off and decided as I went.  The route eventually became a ride up 24th ave to 13 mile and then back.  I did this once last year on a hot and humid day and I just about bonked.  The hills I remembered where tortuous and continuous.  Well, they actually are pretty standard for the area and don't actually last that long.  It is amazing what affect the weather can have.  Today, I felt pretty strong and able to climb well.  No big deal.

One cool moment on the ride took place between 16th and 24th on Arthur.  I was riding west and I saw flashing lights up ahead.  Then a police cruiser headed past me going east.  Then another one passed headed east.  Both had there lights off.  There was still flashing lights up ahead.  What's going on?  A moment later I see that the cruiser with it's lights flashing is leading a group of 25-35 cyclists.  What is this and why don't I know about it?  It turns out they were the Bissell Pro Cycling Team.  Per their website, they have the Grand Rapids Cycling Classic tomorrow.  They must have been doing a light ride to get ready for tomorrow.  Bissell headquarters is literally about 1.5 miles from my house so I have to assume that is where they were heading for.  Pretty cool.  I thought about whipping around and tagging along with them but I have to assume that there "easy" pace is probably near my red line.  Oh well.  Maybe next time.

Disappointing...sort of

At this moment, my wife and kids are on the other side of the state with my sister-in-law.  So, yes, I am home alone.  Normally this would mean one thing...BIKE RIDE!  I can get out of work and take as long a ride as I want, without taking any time away from my family.  Win-win, right?

Unfortunately, that is not the way things worked out today.  There was a work meeting immediately after work and then a church meeting a while after that.  No time for a bike ride.  Sad face.  I probably could of done a short ride by the time I got home, but by then I was just too tired and lazy feeling.

Yes, this is disappointing.  But at least I got the two meetings out of the way without taking time away from my kids.  That is a little bit of solace.  A little.  Just a little.  Sigh.

12 Things your physical therapist wishes you knew

Note: This started out as a list of 10 things, but you can see it has expanded.

There have been many lists like this lately.  I have seen them for pastors, airline pilots, waiters/waitresses, and hair stylists.  Why not throw in PTs.  As a point of reference, most of my career has been in outpatient orthopaedics.  That is where I'm coming from.  With that said, let's begin.

1. Attitude is everything.  If you come to see your physical therapist and you have already decided that this isn't going to help or that you are going to need surgery, then you won't get better.  You can think of it as a self-fulfilling prophecy.  On the flip side, if you are determined to avoid surgery or you strongly believe your physical therapist is going to help you, it is truly amazing the good things that can happen.
2. We don't use off-the-shelf exercise programs (I hope).  We tailor our treatment for the individual and we always have a reason for why we are doing what we are doing.  So, please don't ask for "shoulder exercises" or "back exercises".  It's not that simple.  We don't know what to do until we know you.
3. Please don't wear tight jeans to your therapy sessions.  I mean seriously, what are you supposed to do in those things?
4. Be honest with us.  We are very understanding people and we hear it all.  Not much will surprise us.  The more information we have, the better we will be able to treat you.  Even if that info is a smidge embarrassing.
5. On that same note, if you haven't been doing your home exercise program, we will know it.  We always know.  You can't really hide it from us.  Also, referring back to #1 on this list, if you haven't been doing your home exercises you probably won't be improving.  That is your fault.  We can show you the door.  You must walk through it.
6. Yes, therapy might hurt some.  Sorry about that.  It has to happen.  Just remember, pain never killed anyone.
7. On the other hand, therapy doesn't have to be painful all the time.  The effectiveness of a physical therapist is not measured in the pain he or she can create.  Some pain will often have to be tolerated but it should always be that, tolerable.
8. Please show up on time for your appointment.  We often don't have as much time as we would like with each patient.  If you reduce that amount of time by 5-10 minutes you are only hurting yourself.
9. Also, please show up for your appointment!  This one seems pretty obvious, a no-brainer, but people often seem to think attendance is optional.  No, it is not.  We can't help you if we don't see you.
10. Progress might not be immediate.  You might not leave from your first visit feeling any better.  This is normal.  Your problem didn't start today so it won't go away today.  Be patient.
11. There are no magical cures.  We cannot "fix" you.  We can help show you the path you need to walk but we cannot "fix" anything.  People who offer "fixes" are lying to you.
12. We really, really, really want to help you.  We take pride in what we do and the skills we have.  We want to use those to make your life better.  If we work together, we can do really wonderful things.  Who doesn't want that?

The list could probably be longer if I really spent a lot of time thinking about it but we will just leave it as it is.

8/14/11 Bike Ride

29.1 miles
2:01:28
14.37 MPH
1583 mile YTD

Sitting here in the evening, my thighs have that wonderfully "full" feeling that tells me I worked hard today.  I did more hill repeats on the John Ball Park hill.  There were 9 total, split into 6 then 3.  In between, I rode along the Millennium Park and Johnson Park trails until I got to the Johnson Park Scenic Drive.  I ripped and and down this, doing my best to get through it as quickly as I could.  The weather was great.  It was cloudy and in the low to mid 70's.  Very comfortable.

Even though this was only a two hour ride, I used Perpetum in my water bottles (only one scoop).  I did this last week as well, up in McBain.  Per the Hammer Nutrition website, Perpetum is meant for 2+ hour rides.  I'm beginning to think it helps me on shorter, intense rides.  I shall have to continue experimenting with it.

What is Physical Therapy?

The "PT" in Mike the Bike PT stands for physical therapy.  I am a physical therapist and have been one for 10 years.  Realistically, I have been a PT since sometime in the early 90's when I decided that was what I wanted be be "when I grow up".  Once I have made a decision like that, that it is it.  It is going to happen.  I'm stubborn.

What is physical therapy?  Our professional organization, the APTA, has a well thought out description that I'm sure was developed by a committee of seriously intelligent people.  The sad thing is, the average person never really knows how to decipher statements like this.  Actually, as I looked on their website, I realized the APTA doesn't have a definition of what physical therapy is.  If they do, it certainly isn't easy to find (strange, huh?).  So I found this definition on wikipedia.  If you were to read it, you might think, "What does all of that mean?"  I know what it means, but I would rather not explain on this blog.  My fingers can only tolerate so much typing.

I'll give you my definition.  Here goes:

PTs help people move better.

There you go.  Quick, simple, and I hope understandable.  I suppose I could espouse on that a little bit, just to avoid confusion.  How about examples?  Let's make a list.

• Arthritic knee - have you ever heard someone complain of their arthritic knees ("I've got my friend Arthur").  We can help with that.  A PT can develop and exercise program that will help reduce pressure on the knee, can identify other biomechanical factors that are contributing to the problem (weak hips, tight ankles, leg length issues, etc.), and help identify ways to make difficult tasks easier.
• Spinal cord injury - imagine you have no voluntary movement of your legs.  How do you get from your wheelchair to the toilet?  You want to get to the toilet, don't you?  Not as easy as it sounds.  What about using the wheelchair?  Do you know how to go up and down a curb safely in a wheelchair?  We can help with that.
• Stroke - have you ever heard of someone who had a stroke and couldn't make their arm or leg do what they want it to do?  We can help with that.  The patient needs a PT to help them relearn to how to move; how to make their limbs do what they used to do.
• The little-ol-lady with bad balance - have you ever seen and older person walking along and thought, "It's amazing she is still vertical".  Well, we can help with that.  Poor balance leads to thousands of falls a year.  Many of these falls lead to injuries, such as a broken hip.  That broken hip makes it more difficult to get around and move (it is also likely that you are scared to move because you don't want to fall again).  Lack of regular movement can lead to pneumonia and blood clots.  Those things will kill you.  If they don't kill you, they will contribute to this downward spiral of health problems that does, ultimately kill you.  Or, you could see a PT, learn some basic balance exercises, practice them every day and drastically reduce your risk of falling.  Seems like an easy decision.
• Low back pain - The scourge of modern society.  Everybody knows somebody whose back hurts.  It is probably you.  Well, we can help with that.  Just as a note, there is no "cure" for back pain.  No one person or profession can say that they have all the answers.  It just doesn't work that way.  With that said, a PT can help you relieve some of the back pain, determine what factors led up to the problem and how to change these factors in order for a brighter future.

I could list many, many more examples but, once again, my fingers would get tired of typing.  Also, I don't want to develop a repetitive use injury (you should see a PT about stuff like that, by the way).

As a summary, PTs help people move better.  If you have a problem where movement is difficult, in whatever way that is, remember, We Can Help With That!

8/9/11 Bike Ride

17.5 miles
1:28:30
13.38 MPH
1554 miles YTD

This one was hills.  I did 8 repeats on a hill at the southern end of John Ball Park.  It is a dead end drive to the "Hill Top Pavillon".  There is a little play area and picnic area up there.  This hill is relatively short but steep.  On the last several repeats my speed dropped down to 5.2-5.6 MPH.  I can just about run that fast up that hill.  I kept on saying to myself "KOM, KOM, KOM" (King of the Mountain).  There is a jersey at Twin Six that I really would like to get and it was sort of my inspiration for the KOM thing.

Why do this particular hill?  Several months ago, another cyclist I know told me that he did this hill 20 times in a row once.  I should say that he has also done the 24 Hour Challenge like 17 or 18 times.  Naturally, my goal is to do 20 as well.  Mikey likey challenges.  I will definitely have to work up to this.  This might become an early Saturday ride so I can have time to do it.

8/5/11 Bike Ride

36.2 miles
2:07:07 ride time
17.09 MPH
1537 miles YTD

This was a ride with 2 stories to it, really.  The first is about the ride itself and the second is about the events around the ride.

First, the ride.  We were up in McBain, Michigan.  This is a small farming town in central northern Michigan.  I had never heard of it prior to meeting my wife, but just about everyone else in the world seems to know where it is.  Geographically, it has a really good combination of hills and flats.  Anyone who has driven into town along Stoney Corners Road between M-115 and M-66 will know what I mean by hills.  I took off from Gord's Lodge and noticed there really wasn't much, if any wind.  I decided to do the hills first so I did an out and back on Stoney Corner's Road (this is about 18 miles total).  I never felt like I was moving slow, but I didn't feel that fast.  When I got back to McBain, I decided to continue east instead of doing a repeat of Stoney Corners Road (this decision was based on time more than anything else).

Since I was now on the flat, I decided to push it and see if I could maintain a 18 mph plus pace.  Trying to maintain a higher than average pace is an odd thing.  It is hard.  It burns.  You want to quit and slow down.  And it feels really good.  You feel like you are really doing something that will make you faster and stronger, much like doing hill repeats will make you stronger, despite the pain and suffering.  I finished and saw that I had average a little more than 17 mph despite doing all the hills on Stoney Corners Road.  This, of course, is a nice feeling.  A wonderful sense of accomplishment.  I had that post-ride glow you can only get from a really good ride.

The other good thing about the ride was I wore my new Specialized RBX bib shorts for the first time.  They seemed pretty comfortable.  I'm not yet sure if they are that much better than regular shorts but we'll see.  I plan on doing an official review later on, probably after I ride a century with them.

Then there is what happened around the ride.  This story is less pleasant and basically makes me sound like a jerk.  Since I actually was a jerk, I shall have to share.  We were in McBain for a family reunion/80th birthday/60th wedding anniversary for my father-in-law's parents, Grandma and Grandpa Vander Heide.  As you can imagine, big family gatherings with people coming from all corners of the country can't go off without a few problems.  They can also involve a lot of hard work from many different people (including my wife and myself).  Without going into unnecessary detail, I didn't get to ride when I wanted to or when I expected to.  Both of my kids were sick and my wife had a lot to do in preparation for the events of the day.  Was I kind and helpful, willing to do anything and everything necessary?  No.  Did I sacrifice my ride for the benefit of others?  No.  I was a big surly, grumpy mess who just wanted to ride his bike.  I took off for more than 2 hours while my wife dealt with everything.  Basically, I was a big asshole.

What really gets me is I knew it all along.  It wasn't like I got back from my ride and realized, "Oh my goodness, look at all that has happened!  What was I thinking?!?!".  No, I knew the whole time what was going on and I just kept on riding.  Why?  I am no better than anyone else.  I can be mean and selfish and nasty and rude and arrogant and condescending.  I know this will all change in the end (and I will not be the one actually effecting the change) but I wish it would come sooner.  My basic goals in life are to be a good husband and father and on this day I failed.

The ride that wasn't

I was supposed to ride from Grand Rapids to McBain today.  That would be about 104 miles.  Was I looking forward to this?  Yep.  Am I going to ride?  Nope.

You might wonder why this is.  Why would someone give up such an opportunity?  It is a beautiful day.  The scenery would have been quite enjoyable.  There would have been such a nice sense of accomplishment.

I did not do the ride for the sake of my wife and her sanity.  I won't go into the boring details but 8 hours of "me" time would have put a lot of stress on my wife (I will say it involves getting ready for a long weekend away and a child who awakens at 5:40am screaming his head off).  In the long term, having a happy wife will be better for me than riding an unsupported century.  I think.  Probably.  I'm mostly certain of that.  It's too late now anyway. Oh well.

Camlebak Podium Chill 25 oz Review

I've been using this water bottle for about a month now.  During that month, it has been hot and humid here in Michigan.  My motivation for purchasing one came from Hammer Perpetum.  For those who don't know, Perpetum is a carb/protein drink meant to be used on long rides or runs.  Perpetum seems to work pretty well but it does have one downfall.  It goes sour after several hours, especially if it is hot.  I have yet to taste sour Perpetum, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to.  The Podium Chill seemed like a good solution.  I didn't actually buy one until I found the 25 oz size.  I typically take in a lot of fluids during a ride so a 20-21 oz bottle didn't seem worth it.  When I saw the 25 oz bottle, I snatched it up.

Here is a link to the Camelbak Podium Chill website, as well as a picture.  Something tells me that if you are reading this, you probably already know what they look like but you get a picture anyway.



I have not taken any actual temperature measurements with this bottle but it certainly keeps fluids cooler.  This is especially noticeable if you refrigerate the bottle overnight and then add some ice right before your ride.  I only have one Podium Chill bottle so I use regular bottles for the first hour or two and then use the Podium Chill.  After one hour, the water will still be cool, but not cold.  After two hours, the water seems to be lukewarm (not really warm but not really cool).  That is good enough for using Perpetum or keeping your water from being hot.

I'm already a fan of the Camelbak bottle with it's Jet Valve top.  I don't have issues with leaks and it is easy to squirt water into the mouth.  They tolerate the dishwasher well and don't give off any funky smells or have weird, chemically tastes to them.  Several of my normal Camelbak bottles are several years old and still function perfectly without any "uncleanliness".  I have heard that Specialized has come out with a new bottle that is supposed to be better.  Maybe I'll try it and see.  Who knows, it might be even better.

How I ride

One of my recent posts was on why I ride so I thought I should comment on how I ride.  Actually, the "Why I Ride" post started out as the "How I Ride" post.  After a paragraph or two I realized I was describing the "why" more than the "how".  I gave a little switcheroo to the name and there you go.

First off, I ride hard.  That doesn't mean I necessarily ride fast but I'm almost always thinking "You can go a little faster".  I probably average 16-17 mph on a typical ride.  I don't do "leisurely" very well.  My wife doesn't like riding with me because I am always pushing the pace when she would like to be more casual.  I'm in it for the exercise, to burn energy and expend a few (or a lot) of calories.

Yes, I should ride at a leisurely pace more often.  It would be good for me, especially if I have done a long ride the day before.  For some reason, that is not the way I function.  The same thing happens when I take a walk or a hike.  I feel like I am always slowing down and waiting for whomever I am with.

Michelle describes me as "goal-oriented".  This is pretty accurate.  "We are at point A.  We want to get to point B.  Le's get to it!"  Why don't I relax and enjoy the scenery more?  I'm an idiot sometimes.  Actually, I'm an idiot a good portion of the time.  I think it comes with the "Y" chromosome.

Michelle's family likes to do things together even if that means not getting much done at all.  Drives me crazy.  I just want to get something done instead of dawdling around talking about what we are supposed to be doing.  With time, I have grown to accept this and I've gotten used to it.  For the most part.  It still drives me a little crazy.

Back to the subject at hand.  Even if I am taking part in a non-competitive group ride, there is always that little gremlin saying, "Don't let them catch you" or "You can catch up with them".  This is just the way I am.  Why fight it, right?

The area I live in has a lot of rolling hills.  Much of my rides are either going up or down.  I like it this way.  It is pretty challenging.  I do try to find flat rides where I can work on my speed more, but I usually have to ride hills to get to the flat areas anyway.

So, as a summary: get on bike, ride hard, repeat.  That is how I ride.

7/31/11 Bike Ride

20.5 miles
1:13:39
16.7 MPH
1500 mile YTD

So here I am on a Sunday afternoon.  We have recently gotten back from camping.  Everyone is tired.  My son, David, goes down for a nap and Michelle follows right behind.  My daughter, Hannah, is told she needs to go in her room to rest.  She almost never falls asleep in situations like this.  But she did!  Must be time for a bike ride.

I rode "The Loop" today.  It is a 5 mile loop very near my house.  Basically, it is Bristol from 3 mile to Walker, then Walker back up to 3 mile and a short stretch along 3 mile back to Bristol.  There are 3 hills along the way.

1. Bristol - this hill is not terribly steep but does last a while.  It flattens out in the middle.  There is a 4-way stop near the top.  That's right, you sometimes have to come to a complete stop in the middle of a hill.  Typically, I ride this one sitting in the saddle.
2. Walker - this hill is probably not as steep as the hill on Bristol, but it is continuous and it feels longer.  This one I usually charge up out of the saddle.  Right at the top, you have to cross a narrow bridge and I am always concerned I'm going to get hit by a car.
3. 3 Mile - this hill is not as steep or as long as the other two.  Sometimes I stay in the saddle, but a lot of times there is a wind at my back, so I get up and out of the saddle and pound up the hill.

"The Loop" is a nice ride because I am never more than 10 minutes from home, I get to do several hills and there is this really fun part along Walker.  The fun part has a slight downhill that you wouldn't even notice while you are driving but when you combine it with smooth pavement, you can really get up some speed and be easily going 20-25 mph.  Each lap is almost exactly 5 miles.  If I want to cut a lap short, I can always jog down Richmond or Waldorf and get back home faster.  It works well for me.

Camping at Holland State Park

At this moment, most if my family is sleeping or trying to sleep.  We just got back from several days of camping at Holland State Park.  We were there with our friends, Matt & Sarah, and a group of their church friends.  It was hot and humid.  We spent about 5-6 hours of Saturday out on the beach at Lake Michigan.  Michelle and the kids actually went out on Thursday morning.  I wasn't able to go until Friday evening, after work.  I suppose that is why I'm not sleeping and they are.  Camping is a great way to make your kids exhausted, hungry and cranky.  What parent doesn't love a child who is exhausted, hungry and cranky?

Going camping always sends several thoughts rattling through my brain.  In no particular order:

• What defines camping?  We were in a tent this weekend while most people were in trailers.  Trailers have electric, running water and often AC.  Is this really camping.  If it is not camping, what is it?  Is it trailering?  No, that is a term you use when you are hauling something in a trailer (I always think of "trailiering" snowmobiles, because of my Dad).  Camping Lite?  Woosey camping?  The experience formerly known as camping?  I'm not sure.  We have other friends who would say you are not really camping unless you have no water source, no electric and you have to hike to your campsite.  I would call that backpacking, but hey, who am I to say?
• Why do we go camping anyway?  It is really a lot of work, especially in a tent.  You have no kitchen, no refrigerator, no bathroom, no tub or shower and you are only just barely protected from the elements (and that is if you have a good tent).  A tent has absolutely no soundproofing.  You cannot keep outside noises out or the wailing-child noises in.  Preparing for camping seems to take days.  Packing the van is always difficult.  You have to set up the tent, set up all your other stuff, get ice for the coolers, constantly move the coolers to keep them out of the sun, keep the tent closed to keep bugs out, pack everything back up while trying to keep track of your kids, bring it all home, unpack, wash everything and then put it all away.  Camping is more work than work.
• So then, why do we camp?  That is obvious...campfires!  Ahhh, everyone loves campfires.  We love campfire food, we love to talk around campfires, we love to just stare at campfires.  There must be something instinctual about it, because everyone loves it.  If you have kids, they love to run around, ride their bikes, go to the playground, look for frogs, go swimming, and eat s'mores.  Heaven for a child.  Have you ever met a 5 year old who didn't love camping?  They don't exist.  We camp because our children love it and, let's face it, we do a lot of inconvenient and difficult things for the sake of our kids.

I'm sure we will keep on camping, or whatever you want to call it.  Some of it will be in a trailer.  Some of it will be in a tent.  Sometimes we will be in a "modern" campground and sometimes we will "rough it" in a rustic campground.  I would love to go backpacking with the kids someday.  Sooner rather than later.  You have to admit, it is always an adventure.

7/28/11 Bike Ride

32.8 miles
1:57:45
16.71 MPH
1480 mile YTD

Typically I don't get to ride this far or this long on a weekday but the wife and kiddos are at a state park camping and I get a "Bachelor Night".  I got out of work early, hopped on the bike and took off.  Today's route was matching the last leg of the 100 Grand, which I did in June.  It follows Peach Ridge up to 14 mile and then turns west.  My goal was to see how far I could ride in 60 minutes and then turn around and see if I could make it back in an hour or less.  Strangely enough, I achieved my goal.  Normally I don't, on rides like this.  As I was heading north, it felt like the wind was at my back some so I was convinced the trip back was going to be slower.  I turned around at exactly 60 minutes and headed back.  In reality, the wind was mostly from the west.  This, of course, helped me on the eastbound portions of the trip and didn't seem to have any great effect on the south bound part of the route.  Overall, a very satisfying ride not least because I can kick back and relax afterwards.  I might even have a beer.  Scandalous!

One other thought that occurred to me while I was riding...I don't feel anywhere near as beat up after a long bike ride as I used to feel after a short run.  Two hours on the bike is less "stress" on the body than a 30 minute run.  Now, I know that cyclist can have issues with bone mineral density later in life (runners rarely do) but overall I like cycling way more than I ever liked running.

Why do I ride?

Why do most people ride a bike?  Exercise?  Fun?  To get somewhere?  For most people it is exercise or fun or both.  There is a growing trend of bike commuters (which I find to be most excellent) but our world/lives are not really built for commuting.  I would love to bike commute but it is just impractical.  That topic will be a whole different post sometime later.

Why do I ride?  Good question.  The first thought that pops into my head is, "Because I love it".  Why do I love it?  Once again, good question.  I'll list them out one by one.

• Freedom - There is this tremendous sense of freedom when riding a bike.  You can go anywhere you want if you are willing to pedal long enough.  Running always seemed limited to me.  I ran one 1/2 marathon and was so beat up it would be hard to imagine going farther.  When cycling, it feels like I could just keep on going if I just had the time.  Which leads to...
• Exploration - There is something cool about winding down a country road you have never been on before, despite living in a particular area for a long time.  You see things that you never noticed previously.  Small intricacies of the landscape that flash by when you're in a car.  You appreciate that sturdy, old barn because you have time to inspect it as you roll past.  Sometimes I'll go down a road simply because I have never been down it ("I wonder where this goes?").
• Exercise (a.k.a. stress relief) - I'm weird.  I don't feel truly fulfilled as a person unless I physically push myself on a regular basis.  I actually enjoy suffering, to a degree.  It seems like I have extra energy I need to release and pounding up a series of hills does that for me.  There is also the fact that I have an extremely healthy appetite and I need something to burn off extra calories (I would be 300+ lbs in a heartbeat if I didn't exercise and gave in to every gustatory urge I have).
• Alone time - I'm also weird in that I need some alone time.  Call me anti-social but I just don't need to be around other people all the time.  In fact, I prefer to be alone on a regular basis.  Cycling fills this need pretty well.  Not that I wouldn't mind a riding buddy every now and then.
• Gear geek - Every male has some "gear geek" in him.  We all express this in different ways (cars, hunting, electronics, sound systems, etc).  I have a brother-in-law who loves fish and aquariums.  He seems to enjoy the "gear" side of the aquariums as much as the fish.  Cycling provides an amazing amount of gear and gadgets you can get.  It all starts with the bike itself.  Different bikes are made for different uses.  Each component on the bike can be broken down to reveal its strengths and weaknesses.  I'll admit, I am the type of dork who wants everything on his bike to work perfectly and to do exactly what I want it to do.  Here is a good example: gearing - with different combinations of the front chainrings and the cogs on the rear cassette, you can have a bike that works great for racing, casual riding, long-distance riding, or touring.  You wouldn't want the touring gearing on your race bike and vice versa.  You can even break it down to how many teeth are on each cog of the cassette (this effects the smoothness of the shifting on the cassette).  I could go into tremendous detail but I should stay on topic.

When you add all of this up, cycling is the perfect hobby for me.  It fulfills all of my many "needs".  I can't imagine giving it up.  You could probably call it an addiction.  There are way worse addictions.

As a side note, one thing I do miss about running is the cost.  Running is way cheaper than cycling.  If you decked yourself out in all the best running gear you could find, you still wouldn't have spent as much as an average road bike costs.  No clolthing, no helmet, no water bottles, no shoes, no nutritional products, just the bike.  Sigh.

Grandpas

Both of my Grandpas have passed away.  My Grandpa Winters died about 3.5 years ago and my Grandpa Terrell died about 9 years ago.  I have thought more about them recently for two main reasons.  First, I have been doing a lot of work in hospitals and nursing homes recently.  Many of the men I have treated remind me, in one way or another, of my grandpas.  Second, I can see the slow deterioration of both of my grandmas and I have to wonder when they are going to pass on as well.  I know that last thought isn't a pleasant one but death is inevitable.

Grandpa Terrell

My Grandpa Terrell passed away when he was 85 years old.  He worked most of his life as an auto mechanic, after serving in the Sea Bees during WW II.  Even once he retired as an auto mechanic, he continued to work.  He got a job doing maintenance at a local Christian college.  He spent about 20 years working 3 days a week doing small engine repair and maintenance and whatever else they had for him to do.  Working was part of who he was.  He had to work.  He didn't know what else to do.  If he ever had to take time off work, he would get immensely bored.  How many people do you know that worked 20 years after retirement?

Grandpa was always a jokester.  He took pride in being born on April 1st (April Fool's Day).  There was no particular favorite joke but he always had a smile on his face (except when we splashed water out of the pool - DON"T SPLASH WATER OUT OF THE POOL!!!).  I think he and my Grandma Terrell were kind of pack rats because they never seemed to throw anything out.  Their house was not messy.  In fact my Grandma always kept the main floor nice and tidy.  The basement, however, was full of stuff (or junk, depending on how you looked at it).  The explanation I was always given was that Grandma and Grandpa had grown up during The Depression and you did not throw anything away.  You could always find some other use for any item.  They were Green before anybody knew what Green was.

There is one item of my Grandpa Terrell's that I truly cherish.  It is an old, beat up, black lunch box.  It is the same lunch box my Grandpa used from the time he got out of the Navy until he died.  One lunch box in all that time.  Why?  It was perfectly good.  Yes, it was beat up and the paint had chipped or peeled away on a lot of it but it still worked perfectly fine.  In many ways, that sums up my Grandpa Terrell.  Beat up and chipped paint, but he still worked perfectly well.

Grandpa Winters

Grandpa Winters retired from the Grand Rapids Police Department.  He was a beat cop and then a detective later on.  He also served during WW II.  In fact, he met my biological grandma while serving in Great Britain. Both my Mom and my Uncle Bob were born overseas.  I'm pretty sure Aunt Barb was born in the States.

Grandpa had heart disease.  I think a major heart attack and a multiple bypass procedure got him to retire early.  I don't remember the exact order of events.  Did the heart attack precede his retirement?  I should ask Grandma.

Prior to retirement, Grandpa and Grandma had a cabin near a lake between Newaygo and White Cloud.  After retirement, they also had a mobile home in southern Texas.  And I mean southern Texas, like on the Mexico border.  At some point, they sold the cabin and moved full-time down to Texas.

We didn't see them often after that.  They would come up maybe once per year for 3 weeks to a month and hang out with their family.  I never went down to Texas.  From what I hear of the weather, I didn't miss much.  As Grandpa's health started to deteriorate, there was more and more pressure for them to move back up to Michigan.  I think the "final straw" might have been when they missed my wedding because Grandpa wasn't healthy enough to travel.

After moving back up here, Grandpa would often comment about how much he had missed and how much he enjoyed being around his family again.

Lessons Learned

My grandpas taught me quite a lot, most of it unintentionally.

From Grandpa Terrell:

• There is value in good, old hard work
• Everything has value, if you are willing to look for it
• Have a sense of humor
• Love your wife.  Love your family.  Love your God.
• Don't splash water out of the pool (everybody knows that)

From Grandpa Winters

• Spend time with those you love.  Nobody knows how much time they have, so take advantage of what you have.
• Spend time doing what you love.
• Tell your wife how much you love them and how lucky you are to have them (because you are!).

Looking back, I wish I had spent more time with my Grandpas.  I wish I had asked more questions, listened to more stories, gotten more explanations.  Yes, I regret not doing these things but I'm also pretty convinced I will have another chance someday.  Maybe by then, we will all be so happy that none of it will matter anymore.

7/23/11 Bike Ride

30.2 miles
1:55:00
15.7 MPH pace
1447 miles YTD

Amazing!  I actually got to ride two consecutive days.  Quite unheard of.  It was certainly an eventful ride but I must start from the beginning.

Michelle and I had planned on on going to our friends, Matt & Sarah, in Hudsonville for the evening.  The plan was for us to leave once my son, David, had woken up from his nap.  I decided to leave early and ride to Hudsonville and possibly take some detours along the way.  I left at a time that I thought would likely get all of this there about the same time.  I was way off.

I rode down to the same set of trails I had been on the day before.  This time, I wanted to check out a scenic drive I was reminded of the night before at my sister's wedding.  Her wedding and reception had been at a building at the end of the scenic drive.  This scenic drive was typical in that it goes both steeply uphill and downhill and twists and turns considerably.  Quite fun on a bike, actually.  I rode this twice and then looked at the time and thought I needed to "waste" a little more time.  So I took off on a relatively short loop and then did the scenic drive one more time.  Just as I got to the same building we had been at the night before, I hear my phone ring.  I assumed it was my wife but it was actually my sister.  She and her new husband, Jeff, needed to drive a friend of theirs to Chicago to catch a plane back to Denver (he had somehow missed his flight out of Grand Rapids).  My sister wanted to know if her 3 kids could hang out with us for the night.  After talking with Michelle, we said sure, but they would have to drop the kids off in Hudsonville.

At this point I felt like I needed to get to Matt & Sarah's in a hurry.  Michelle and the kids were there earlier than I had expected and I wanted to be the one to meet up with my sister so Michelle could relax.  But it was hot out and my legs were feeling tired.  I took off and was pushing it pretty hard, despite having to ride into a headwind.  I have never ridden to Matt & Sarah's, so earlier in the day I had looked at a map and "memorized" a route.  Turns out that my memory is not as exceptional as I thought.  I'm not saying I got lost, but I was definitely "off-course".  Meanwhile, I had to stop periodically to make or answer phone calls.  Each time I stopped, I got hotter and hotter.  Eventually, I got to Matt & Sarah's and Michelle had already gone to the designated rendezvous point (McDonald's).  In short time, she was back with the kids.  Oh well.

The rest of the evening was fun, relaxing and fairly uneventful.  We had burgers, cupcakes, and later s'mores by the campfire.  Whew!

Betsey & Jeff

My sister got married yesterday.  She married her high school sweetheart.  No kidding.  What you wouldn't expect is my sister is 3 years older than I am.  No, she didn't just earn her GED or something like that.  She graduated when she was 18, like most people.

She re-met Jeff after an approximate 20 year hiatus.  Both were divorcees and just happened to run across each other on that little world-of-it's-own we call Facebook.  If I have my info correct, Jeff was looking up friends and acquaintances in preparation for a 20 year class reunion.  My sister's divorce had just been finalized so she decided to go with him to the reunion.  That was about 3 years ago.  It is definitely an unusual situation but how often in life do things happen as we expect them to?  I am thoroughly convinced that God has a tremendous sense of humor.

My prayer has been that they will have a long, happy and fruitful marriage.  Betsey's divorce was an exquisitely painful process that she never should have had to go through.  As painful as it was for me to watch, it must have been 100x more painful for her.  Then, of course, there are her 3 kids (Ashley, Jacob, and Emily).  I was probably more concerned about them than I was about there mom.

I believe that Betsey & Jeff's marriage is God's way of making good out of a bad situation.  Nobody knows how the years are going to unfold.  When it comes down to it, I'm not sure what's going to happen in 5 minutes.  Don't worry, you are not in control anyway.  Remember, "The Dude abides".

7/22/11 bike ride

22.8 miles
1:23:10
16.4 MPH
1417 miles YTD

I woke up at 6 am and was off and pedaling by 6:30.  I rode down to a series of interconnected bike paths on the SW side of town and did 10 sprints.  I used the interval timer on my watch and did 15 second warning --> 30 second sprint --> 4 minutes easy spinning and repeated for a total of 10.

My quads are definitely fatigued.  A good ride overall.  On my way back, I saw a young man in a Founders Brewery team kit doing repeats on the steep hill that leads to the picnic/park area behind John Ball Park (just off Butterworth at the south end of the park).  I've done this before and it is killer.  The hill is steep and deceptively long.  I think I've done up to 8 repeats before and been fried afterwards.  I should have asked him how many he was doing.  I never think of that stuff soon enough.

Mike the Bike PT

Why did I chose that title for my blog?  It was a bit off the cuff.  I decided I wanted to write a blog, for some strange reason and the blog needed a name.  "Mike's Bikes " always had a nice ring to it so I added the "PT" at the end because my job is a pretty big part of my life.

It is about identity, I guess.  I love bikes.  I love being a PT.  My name is Mike (a fabulously ordinary name, by the way).  Add it all together and you get "Mike the Bike PT".

There are a few clarifications I would like to make.
1) Yes, I'm a physical therapist.  My specialty is orthopaedics.  I can effectively treat back pain, knee pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and a lot of other neuromusculoskeletal pains.  That does not mean I am an expert on bike fitting and set-up (although boy would I love to be!).  Because of my passion for cycling, I understand these matters better than the average PT so I am more capable of treating a cyclist than others but I wouldn't be able to look at someone and say "Oh yeah, a 55 cm Trek Madone with a 100 mm stem, 175 mm cranks, 3 degrees of varus tilt at the feet and 1.5 cm of saddle set back is exactly what you need!  With that set up you'll need a radar detector so you don't rack up to many tickets!".

Would I like to have that ability?  Certainly but, there are a lot of other more important things in life.  I played tea with my daughter tonight.  That gives me nearly as much enjoyment as a good, hard bike ride.  It is a different type of enjoyment, but enjoyment none the less.

2) On a different note, my job and cycling are certainly not the most important things to me.  Important, yes but definitely not the most important.  Here is a little run down:

• Having a happy wife vs. bike ride - happy wife wins
• Having a happy child/children vs. bike ride - kiddos win
• Family or friends need help vs. bike ride - family and friends win
• Church responsibilities vs. bike ride - God wins (doesn't he always?)

Those in the "win" category win because of a combination of love and duty.  Sure, I would like to take a bike ride everyday but I'm not single with no attachments.  My wife and kids need me and are best off when I play a BIG role in their lives.  There will always be time for cycling later.  Hopefully.  I do love to ride.

Gimli the Road Bike - 2009 Jamis Satellite - 57 cm

This post is basicially an overview of Gimli the Road Bike, my 2009 Jamis Satellite.  I'm completely re-writing it because I have changed Gimli the Road Bike so substantially that my old post doesn't really seem relevant anymore.

Modifications (as of June 2013)

• Saddle - replaced original saddle with a classic Brooks B-17 (black) - now that it is broken in, I rarely have tush discomfort
• Fork - replaced the carbon fork with a steel Rivendell Carbonomas fork.  Why?  Steel doesn't suddenly and catastrophically fracture.  Safety first.  The steel fork also allowed me to raise the handlebars about 2 cm higher and I am much more comfortable.  The carbon fork could only have 4 cm of spacers underneath because anymore spacers and the manufacturer can't say your stem and handlebars won't suddenly snap off (even below the maximum, your stem and handle bars could suddenly snap off - sounds pleasant, doesn't it?).
• Stem - The bike came with a 120mm Ritchey stem.  This was too long.  Recently, I have switched to a shiny, chrome 70mm stem with a 17 degree rise from Velo Orange.  Mmmm, shiny.
• Cranks - Velo orange 48/34 compact double (170 mm) - less knee pain with the slightly shorter cranks (the originals were 175 mm).  The original crank was a triple and while I don't have a problem with a triple, I didn't like the shifting.  It was cumbersome and altogether too time consuming.  Especially when you are in traffic.  Edit - in May of 2012, I somehow managed to break the small chainring and all the bolts came loose.  Velo Orange shipped me new rings for free, so everything is cool now.
• Cassette - SRAM 12-28 nine speed - that gives me a nice 34/28 combo for climbing the long or steep hills.  I wouldn't want to ride cross country with that, but it works well for the vast majority of my riding.
• Derailleurs - the front is an Ultegra and the rear is a Dura-ace.  I got these cheap from a friend and couldn't turn down the quality.
• Shifters - The shifters have gone from Sora level "brifters" to Dura Ace bar ends (set on friction mode) and now to Silver Shifters from Rivendell Bicycle Works.  They are simple and easy to use, once you get used to them.
• Brake levers - I could have used the old Sora brake levers, but I decided I wanted something more comfy, so I went with a set of SRAM S500 levers.  They are pretty comfy and seem to fit my hand well.  I don't notice them much and that is a good thing.
• Wheels - The original wheels were never used.  They were immediately replaced with a pair of Mavic Askiums.  I had issues with durability, particularly of the rear wheel, so I switched to a set of Cole Rollens.  I've now been riding them for about a year and have had one broken spoke.  My current thinking is the next set will be either 32 or 36 spoke for improved durability.
• Tires - both tires are now 23 mm.  I would love to have at least 28s, but with the new fenders I put on, the biggest I can go is 23s.  I might be able to squeeze in 25s but the clearances would probably be too tight.
• Computer - Currently, I'm using a Garmin 500 and I really do love it.  It gives me all this great data, maps of where I have been, and nicely compiles all the numbers in one space.
• Pedals - Grip Kings from Rivendell (actually made by MKS).  They have a nice big platform and I can wear essentially any size of shoes.
• Handlebars - These have been upgraded to set of Velo Orange Grand Cru Randonneur handlebars.  They have nice, parallel drops which do seem more comfortable to me.
• Bar Tape - this is currently my favorite part of my bike.  When I got new handlebars, it gave me the opportunity to try something I had been daydreaming about for a long time...Shellac!  I purchased cork bar tape from Rivendell and used an amber shellac to coat the tape after it was applied.  It is fabulous?  It looks like leather and feels fabulous.
• Headset Spacers - yes, I got new headset spacers.  Why?  Aesthetics
• Inner Tubes - who knows what type of tubes they have?
• Fenders - I just added some SKS-Germany Chormoplastic fenders.  They are considered their silver color but it really is more of a shiny grey.  The great thing is that the fender color is almost a perfect match to Gimli the Road Bike's paint scheme.
• Mud Flaps - What?  Mud flaps?  Yep, I made some DIY mud flaps out of a rubber stair tread cover and some rubber coated twisty-ties.  They're fabulous.  What I really like is I can take them off or put them on fairly easily.
• Seat Post - The original seat post has been replaced with a shiny, aluminum seat post from Velo Orange.  It has extra setback built in to make getting the Brooks saddle far enough back.

To this point, the only parts of Gimli the Road Bike I have not replaced are the headset and the brakes.  That's it.  Pretty ridiculous, huh?

Will I eventually replace those parts?  Probably not.  I'm currently saving up for a new bike because I don't feel like the frame fits me as well as it should.  It seems just a little too long for me.  The handle bars are as far up as they can go and the stem is as short as they come.  With all this, it still feels like I'm too far forward with my hands on the brake hoods.

When I do finally replace Gimli the Road Bike, it will be a little bittersweet.  We've done a lot together and will do quite a lot more before he is replaced.  I'll have put thousands of miles on him.  Some of those miles will have been the best miles I've done.  Some will be the worst.  I might even find some way of keeping him around.  Maybe Gimli the Road Bike will convert over to Gimli the Solid Commuter.