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?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
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:
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:
- Wearing the Fat Cyclist jersey at a competition involving donut eating
- Passing people on hills while on a single speed (that felt really good)
- Eating 5 donuts in 2 hours while riding hard on my bike and not puking
- Getting to ride roads I would otherwise likely never ride
- Racing without a bunch of racers around
- Being rewarded for eating donuts
- Taking a 33 mile bike ride and not wanting to eat lunch afterward because I was still full on donuts
- Being able to participate in a sporting event with a definite sense of humor
Thursday, September 22, 2011
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:
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.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
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:
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?
Friday, September 9, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
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.
Friday, September 2, 2011
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.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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.
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.
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