Ellensburg Cycling

A winter ride in the hills

2011-12-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

Winter time in our valley can be such a demoralizing place to be for cyclists. It's cold, often wet and icy and the days are much shorter. This makes it much harder to actually get a ride in outdoors. So, when nice days come around I try to take every opportunity to get outside. Such was the case on December 23. The temperatures were hovering around 30 degrees but there was no wind or snow in the forecast and the sun was blazing in the sky. The county road department had laid de-icer on the main roads so I wasn't very keen on taking a road bike out. The better option ended up being the 1993 Scott Comp Racing mountain bike. The ride ended up being short in distance (roughly 11 miles) but exhilirating from the a beauty, nature perspective.

The roads were frozen and the gravel not so prominent as vehicle had pushed them into the dirt when the ground was wet. The Department of Natural Resources has been up there clearing brush, etc. from the road edges so there are some small branches to avoid in the name of spoke safety. It was disheartening to see this work as the trees had branches just broken off the trunk and it opened up some corners that had made the ride so much more fun because you couldn't see very far in front of you. For a cyclists that can be great but I guess for cars, trucks and equipments it's more dangerous.

The ride was fabulous - I heated up too much on the way out (up) and had to take off a layer of clothss. But, on the way back out (down hills) it got much colder so that layer had to go back on. There was a stretch of snowy roadway - about 1/2 mile long and about 2 inches deep of hardpack snow) - but that wasn't hard to navigate. So, keep an eye on the weather and don't forget the mountain bike as an option in the winter.

Gotta have goals

2011-12-30T11:35:00.001-08:00

I've written several times in the past about the value of goals and planning your cycling year. I was talking to another local rider in October and asked how the year went. He replied that it wasn't as good as the year before because he really didn't have any goals (i.e. rides) that he had planned for and done. In 2010 he had done some racing in the summer in Seattle and worked hard for some rides he did in California.

I was in somewhat of the same position in that my training the prior two years had focused on a hill climb ride in June and then a goal to ride the Manastash Metric Century in October as fast as I could. Those two goals kept my training focused and on track (even without power meters, heart rate monitors, etc.). At my age I don't really have a need for those things and have even started riding without a bike computer. It's worked for me even though I know "official training" methods could make a difference. In 2011 I focused on the 24 hr Round and Round mountain bike race in Spokane and nothing else. I found that not having that additional goal in October really affected my training in that I wasn't riding as hard as the year before.

We're now at the end of 2011 and it's the perfect time to set your goals - both short and long term - for 2012. Pick a ride or two to do and train specifically for it. Focus your training on whatever that ride is and then picture yourself being successful when your not riding and just in a relaxed state. Those two things will make you a better rider.

What about titanium?

2011-11-05T07:35:00.001-07:00

Titanium. That word elicits desire among many cyclists. Titanium is that ultimate lightweight metal that doesn't bend or rust like steel, break like carbon fiber or produce a harsh ride like aluminum. It is also makes for some of the more expensive bikes you could buy.

I have one titanium road bike that is a "wall hanger". It is a 1974 or 1975 Teledyne Titan which was one of the first mass produced road bikes. The Classic Rendezvous site has some excellent information on the Teledyne. It's very, very light. However, the Teledyne, because it was produced with what some would say the incorrect grade of titanium was often prone to fractures at the bottom bracket or seat post binder. Mine was at the seat post and it has been professionally repaired by Ti Bicycles in Portland, OR.

Now, there's another one hanging out in my shop for some overhaul work - a 1989 Spectrum of my dad's. The frame was provided by Merlin but all the finish and paint work was done by Spectrum (who is still in business and produces beautiful custom bikes).

The Spectrum weighs between 18 and 19 lbs and is very stiff. This particular model has probably close to 20,000 miles on it with no sign of slowing down. It should be noted these photos are before any clean up has been done.

I will say, however, you should always check your components. While swapping out some pedals this past week I discovered both lightweight, CNC machined crank arms had significant cracks in them from possible over torquing of the crank arm bolts. This could have been catastrophic for my dad had one snapped in half while he was riding. Make sure you are regularly inspecting your bikes for damage and cracks that could prove to be disastrous.

Frustration

2011-11-05T07:11:00.001-07:00

I, as I'm sure many other riders do, have a tough time as the weather cools to stay motivated for training. This fall has been just like the past few - the Manastash Metric finishes and the number of rides a week decreases. I can feel the fitness starting to slip away like and ice cube slowly melting in the kitchen sink.

This year I was determined to not let my fitness level drop as quickly as years past. I've worked hard for the conditioning since 2007 but there's always that little drop off during the winter, regardless of how much time is spent on the indoor trainer, that makes those first few rides in the spring some of the toughest to endure. The legs tire quickly with the added resistance of the road and wind and the lungs are trying to adjust to working harder with cooler air.

Determination and goals only go so far sometimes. This past week brought rib injury which has brought all movement (and exercise) to a halt. This is one of the most painful and demoralizing injuries I've had. My philosophy in life is there's got to be a reason for everything. I'm not sure what the reason is now but maybe it's a chance to let some of the other nagging injuries that invade a 46 year old body to heal.

There will undoubtedly be some hard work once I can get back on the bike and in the gym. At least the motivation is there as I anxiously wait.

Flexible training

2011-10-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've written about this time each of the past couple of years about cross training as winter approaches with skiing and other sports to break up the monotony of training when the weather prevents us from being out on the road. My winter weight training program has started and the colder temperatures bring on that feeling that the indoor trainer time is quickly approaching.

Actually, it's already here. I travel periodically to Boise and Spokane for work for two or three days. I have a minivan for a company car and always take a bike with me - just in case. It's come in very handy this year.

Last night I had to work late and it was already dark so outdoor riding wasn't an option. Fortunately, not only did I bring a bike but I also brought a trainer. Be flexible when you travel - take running clothes, use the hotel workout room (something I don't do), join a gym like Anytime Fitness or YMCA that has locations around the country that you can use. Just get a workout in. It's too easy when the days are short and it's cold to talk yourself out of the exercise.

North Idaho ride

2011-10-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

As seen in some of my prior posts this year I have focused on riding in different areas when I can. One of the primary reasons is for maintaining fitness but it's also important to mix up the scenery where you ride to breathe some life into the monotony of always riding the same route or in the same area.

I last rode a 100 mile ride in 1997 when I was training for the cross state ultra endurance Cannonball bike ride. That ride traverses I-90 from Seattle to Spokane in one day and has a length of approximately 275 miles. The ride was shortlived thanks to a crash five minutes in but I at least had the comfort of knowing I was in the best shape of my life. Since then family and work obligations have pretty much eliminated the time needed to do a 100 mile ride.

This year I was determined to get a century in and to do it somewhere other than Kittitas County. My selected location was the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in North Idaho. This trail is on an old railroad bed and is paved for the full 72 mile length of the trail. The trail runs from Plummer to Mullan. My plan was to ride from Plummer out 50 miles and turn back. I chose the route for several reasons: beautiful scenery, low traffic in October and little to no climbing. I didn't want to stress the metatarsal issue in my right foot by climbing a lot of hills and then having to cut the ride short.

Thursday, October 20 was the selected date and my 70 year old father was going to deliver me to the start point and also ride a portion of the trail. This is one of his favorite places to ride. We parked on the north end of Plummer and started out in the chilly 45 degree air. It was overcast and a stiff wind had picked up from the southeast. This would be great on the way out but would make for a tough ride back into the wind.

From Plummer there is approximately a six mile descent (2-3% grade) to Lake Coeur d'Alene where you ride next to the lake up to Harrison before cutting east across the panhandle of Idaho. My dad was enouraging me to leave him and ride on since I was going a longer distance and ride 4-5 miles per hour faster than him. I had made up my mind to ride with him to Harrison before taking off. That's just past mile 15.

At mile 14 my dad looked down to put his water bottle back in its cage, drifted off the trail and crashed in the gravel. I could tell he was hurt pretty badly and told him we were not going to get him back on his bike - which is what he wanted to try and do. We were able to get an ambulance to him and the short story is he had several fractures to the pelvis and saccrum.

My dad feels horrible about the accident and "ruining" my 100 mile ride. I feel blessed that I was there and able to help him. There are times when riding just isn't a priority and this was one of those times. I had to remind him that he's not the only person to do this. Just a year ago I had drifted into some gravel and crashed - well, more like fell over onto the road. Yes, it's embarassing. Yes, the bikes survive. Yes, the ego will forget about it - 10 yrs down the road. As the French might say, ces la vie.

Riding down the hill to Lake Coeur d'Alene

A view north on the lake

Looking southeast on the lake

Another successful Manastash Metric

2011-10-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

The drier ride is how it's advertised. No rain in the past 15 years of the ride, except for the year that there was no ride due to a lack of sponsorship. Even in the 1980's when the Manastash Metric Century was first started it was advertised as one where western Washington cyclists could escape the October rains for a nice day of fall riding. I think I was hit by 15 raindrops on this years ride in the Cle Elum area so the "drier ride" reputation should not be considered sullied.

In contrast to the 2010 ride there was no fog or mist at the start. Temperatures were in the high 40 degree F range to maybe low 50's. Overcast skies with thick gray clouds were in the sky with the most threatening ones west toward Cle Elum but most riders were probably not too worried.

I had been looking forward to the 2011 Manastash Metric since I missed the hill climb race I normally do in June and had only done th 24 hour mountain bike race in Spokane in May. The summer was short with a boy playing baseball through the middle of July. I just didn't feel ready for the ride until the week before when I was able to get in a 73 mile ride to the top of Blewett Pass. Finally, the conditioning seemed to be coming around.

As I wrote back in August the Internet has shrunk this world we're in. If you've read this blog much you know I'm interested in classic and vintage bikes - primarily road bikes of the 1970's and 1980's. There's a rich history in the old steel bikes of those days from their design, simplicity in components and durability. They are fascinating and fun to work on and ride.

I participate in the Classic and Vintage (C&V) forum on Bikeforums.net on a daily basis. Most of the users are cordial and helpful in offering advice, locating hard to find parts, identifying bike makes and models, etc. It's a fairly close knit and friendly community. The funny thing is how an like posting on an Internet forum can start moving toward the realm of friendship. In June, I was able to meet up with two other members of the forum that I had corresponded with for a couple of years and we did a 35-40 mile ride. We have stayed in touch always hoping to do more rides. Fortunately, for me one of those guys was able to make it to Ellensburg this past weekend for his first ride in the Manastash Metric. I had ridden it alone the past couple of years and was looking forward to having someone with common interests to socialize with while we rode. We first met in person this past February at the Cascade Bicycle Club swap meet in Seattle and then for the ride in June.

Thanks to having a scheduled "appointment" with the CWU football game that afternoon and taking four boys to the game we decided to load up my "bus" with the bikes and try for an earlier start. That didn't necessarily work as we still hit the road sometime after 8:00am. I have to say the one advantage to the ride having an early start time is cylists could get the choice parking spots at West Ellensburg park before the soccer parents arrived for the full slate of Saturday games.

Not knowing what the weather would be like throughout the ride and after much debating I decided to go with a polypropylene base layer under the jersey and leg warmers for the knees. Jeff figured he'd warm up quickly and went with a jersey and knicker style cycling shorts. It was a little brisk at the start but not nearly as bad as the year before. 10 miles in we stopped at the Thorp Mill rest stop so Jeff could adjust his shoes and I decided to shed the base layer. This is when I realized the extra water bottle was a stupid idea since it took up one pocket and the base layer shirt filled up another one. The fig newtons we had to eat were quickly crumbling under the pressure of all the junk in my pockets.

About three miles into the ride we were welcomed by the abrupt arrival of the Ellensburg 15-20 mph wind from the northwest. Frankly, riding in it is great for training on shorter rides but sucks when you have 30 miles or so to ride in it. We fought it up the hills and down being especially shocked when we could only muster 18 mph on some of the smaller downhills into the winds. And, that was while pedaling. We finally arrived in Cle Elum, a little over two hours after we had started the ride, glad to be out of the wind briefly and able to catch a quick snack. A quick photo opportunity with about ten other riders and a brief conversation with a reporter and we were on our way.

Suddenly we found ourselves travelling 23-25 mph on the flat streets through town with very little effort. That is the one major benefit of the normal Kittitas County wind - the ride back from Cle Elum is fast and fun. Highway 10 is gorgeous this time of year even with the few drivers that, for some reason, are can't figure out how to drive around cyclists. That one side mirror that missed us by a foot or two was just too close for comfort. A quick hamburger at the finish at it was off to the game.

I have to say it was another great job by the RSVP group and thankfully CWU won the football game so it was a awesome day!

Nothing is complete without a picture of the bus that transported our bikes

The parking lot was quickly filling with cyclists by 7:45am

Our two vintage bikes - my 1984 Gitane Sprint (yellow bar tape) and Jeff's 1971 (or so) Swiss Mondia Special. The Mondia has been restored beginning with a repaint at Elliot Bay Cycles in Seattle and then outfitted with full Campagnolo drivetrain that is period correct. Jeff has added some detailing of the lugs and components that makes the bike a stunning example of history.

We spotted this bike before we even started. An early 1980's Team Fuji with the original owner who actually raced it back in the day. He had kept it mostly original and had no intentions of getting rid of it. The black anodized Ukai wheels were a nice touch.

Arriving in Cle Elum we were met by this excellent 1974 Raleigh International, owned by another Ellensburg resident since 1984. He's the second owner. Again full Campagnolo drivetrain with Suntour Superbe non-aero levers and rare Super Champion 700c clincher wheels.

Cruising along Highway 10 looking more relaxed with that tailwind behind us

Jeff working his way up the hill before Elk Heights in a stiff headwind

Another gratuitous Highway 10 shot

Jeff enjoying the ride back with some gorgeous views along the Yakima River

Yakima River canyon along Highway 10

So, one more great year is coming to a close. If you missed the ride this year, plan on coming next year. It's guaranteed to be a good one.

Go to the ride's Facebook page for more info, photos and a link to the video. The ride's web site will also be posting photos of the ride.

Fall is here - some ponderings

2011-09-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here we are in mid-September and fall is on our doorstep. Leaves haven't changed color yet but the morning temperatures have dipped into the 40's and low 50's at night bringing on that crisp fall morning feel that I love. This is the time of year when we can have 30-40 degree swings in temperatures a day - so morning rides without wind can be downright cold but the afternoon rides and be hot and in a stiff wind. Gee, how's that any different than riding in the spring. The refreshing new smells of fall, that's what. That wet morning smell on the hay and grass fields from the dew. The frantic activity of bugs (keeps your mouths shut while riding) in the fall air. Catching those floating spider webs with your bike and trying to get them off while not wrecking.

Mid-September also means the last preparations for the Manastash Metric century ride the first Saturday of October. I look forward to this ride every year as it's the last big, formal ride that I do. For some reason this year tendonitis and arthritis in the knees has been a bigger issue than in the past. I don't know if it's the inconsistency in training - i.e. 4-5 days one week and then 2-3 the next - or more physiological. I already ride because of prior knee surgeries (3) and missing 80% of my meniscus in the right knee. There's also the developing arthritis and chondromalacia - all reminders that I'm not 18 anymore.

This year I'll be taking a couple of weeks off toward the end of October to give the body a break and also to mix in some weight training and other exercise. I'm starting to set goals for next year which then means I have to set the off season goals - which you should consider as well. What's the proper mix of weight training and cardio in the off season to aid. I'll definitely be more serious about leaning up and trying to get to that elusive 155lb body weight. Hill climbing will be easier at that weight and, while I've wanted to lose that weight the past couple of years, I really didn't go into it with the right attitude. That'll change this year.

So, it's time to look back and evaluate this year and plan for next. To look forward to some cross training and to relax a little. Before you know it the snow will be flying and we'll be cooped up inside wishing we could be out on the open road again.

Another "adventure" ride

2011-09-10T21:00:00.001-07:00

As the Manastash Metric Century/Half Century approaches (don't forget to send in your registration) I've had to create time to ride and try to get my fitness back up to a decent level. Like all the other riders in the valley I've had to deal with a very finicky Mother Nature this year. It's limited the miles ridden and changed the training. But, beyond that there have been kid's sports, a job change, family functions and a foot problem that has been getting worse over the past couple of years and had gotten to a point this summer where I could not push hard and my average pace has dropped almost two miles an hour. For a rider who loves going uphill I've had to limit my climbing because if the burning and numbness in my foot. After investigating different inserts for shoes I bought a pair and was looking forward to trying them out.

I have a couple of employees in Boise, ID that report to me and drive there every 5-6 weeks for work. The drive can be pretty boring, especially through Oregon with their slower speed limits. But, I'm also scanning places to ride and take a bike with me on every trip as I drive. This trip the temps were in the mid to high 90 degree range in Boise and work overloaded me (worked until 9:00pm each day) so I didn't get a chance to ride. But, I was really itching to hit the road.

So, on the way north I stopped in a little town called Durkee in Oregon. This town is just south of Baker City but the road that runs next to the interstate has a hill that I really wanted to ride. It was 95 degrees and the wind was blowing 5-10 mph in my face as I headed out. Before I could even ride 100 ft I had to stop at the train crossing for a freight train to pass - in the middle of nowhere! Once it cleared the crossing I took off on my 1984 Gitane Sprint. I have just changed the gearing to a 52-38 and 12-24 set up front and rear. This makes for some decent climbing yet a big enough gear for the downhills.

I had the new inserts in the shoes and was trying not to push too hard too soon. The hill I really wanted to climb was 2-3 miles up the road and I went up it easily with no foot problems. As I got close to the top and rode across the freeway I realized the train was crawling up the hill on the tracks. "Maybe I have a chance to pass it", I thought. Being competitive I now had a goal. I figured I'd ride as far as I could or 10 miles whichever came first and then turnaround and continue the drive home. I passed the train at 6.5 miles and realized how much this ride was similar to Ellensburg - much of it was a "false flat" - gradual incline - with a headwind. The last two miles were probably a 5% incline and by the time I got to the top I was getting real tired. The bike seemed real heavy and I couldn't figure out what the problem was. Until I was ready to turn around, that is, and I realized the front tire was almost flat. That explained the resistance. I run sew up tires and as I inspected the tire I realized there was no penetration through the outer tire to the tube. It had to be a leaky valve stem.

I was able to get about 80 lbs of pressure in the tire and headed back down the hill to the car. I coasted most of the way and topped 30 mph with very little effort. Half way back I stopped and put some more air in the tire.

Arriving back at the car I realized the road had been so hot that the glue between the tires and rims was actually softening up - not a good proposition if I had had some sharp corners to negotiate. I guzzled water and chalked up another ride in a different part of the country. The best part was my feet - while having a little numbness on the ride after 10+ miles of incline and hills I was encouraged because the burning and cramping had not appeared. Maybe I'm on the road to some healing and back to my former self on the bike.

The little church in Durkee

The train that became the target to pass

The first hill - about 1.5 miles long and not as hard as it looked

Talk about some dry country and large bales of straw

The resemblance to the Kittitas Valley was uncanny

Internet friends

2011-08-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I'm a fan of what are now referred to as classic and vintage (C&V) bicycles. For road bikes that pretty much means anything from the mid-1980's and older with downtube shifters and a 126mm or narrower rear dropouts on the bike. Basically these are the bikes that were popular when I was in high school and college.

I guess that means I must be classic and vintage now with graying hair and the ability to find a radio station whose sole format is playing the music I grew up with.

There is a growing community of C&V bike enthusiasts on the Internet from Classic Rendezvous, to individual blogs and finally to my favorite, Bikeforums.net. Bikeforums has numerous subforum topics on it's site but the one I frequent 85-90% of the time is dedicated to C&V bikes.

I have found over the past three years that this community of "virtual" friends are ready and willing to help each other out from support, to trading parts, to providing obscure bits and pieces for a project free to someone, etc. It's an amazing friendly community and it's that community that makes collecting these bikes so much fun and addicting. I have sold frames, traded parts, received three free bikes/frames, bought parts, sold parts, and in general had an outlet for this hobby of mine.

The other benefit of the Internet, though, is being able to finally meet these bike afficionados in person. My wife thinks it's kind of funny to call someone my friend - even though we've never met. Doesn't matter - we have a common interest. She has friends who have adopted children like us that she has never met and I don't find that strange.

Fortunately, for me I had a great opportunity to get together with two of these Internet buddies this past weekend and go for a ride in Snohomish county. By the way, explore other parts of the state - there are some fantastic places to ride. To date I've ridden in five different places in the state this year and also in Boise, Id. It helps keep our training fresh and new.

Back to the point of my rambling. Three of us got together to ride our vintage bikes - all from the 1980's and representing three countries - Italy, France and USA. The bikes respectively were a Colnago, Peugeot and Trek. The comradery you have while riding these older bikes is unexplainable. It's a pure joy to be out there on a 30 yo bicycle having a great conversation on a bright, sunny, windless day and know that we're not into the status of carbon fiber, the latest pro team kit for cycling wear, etc. We just want to ride our bikes.

So, don't discount the value of friendships developed online for a riding partners and ideas. Heck, you could just become a C&V junkie like the rest of us and enjoy stuff from the glory days of cycling.

Manastash Metric on Facebook

2011-07-21T08:06:00.001-07:00

The RSVP organization has created a Facebook page for their ride. Check it out and "like" it.

Manastash Metric Century

Chip sealing 2011

2011-07-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Chip sealing has started and I've been slow in reporting it thanks to travel with my job. Chip sealing roads in Kittitas County is a normal summer activity after the fourth of July and also the bane of many cyclists in the area.

The county Public Works department has published the list which includes part of Fairview Rd, Badger Pocket Rd, and several in the upper county as well.

The link to county website is here: Click on the 2011 link to see the roads and schedule.

Adventures in a 24 hr race

2011-05-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

One thing I've realized as I get older is adventure is not a bad thing. For years I have just gone through the motions - raising a family, riding a road bike, having the steady job. Things started moving toward more fun, and focusing a little time on myself, with the addition of classic and vintage bike collecting in the summer of 2008. Add to that teaching myself how to do a lot of the bike maintenance I had always told myself was too much of a pain to do and things were looking up.

Then came 2010 and my invitation, well more like strong arm twisting, to join a team for my former boss in a 24 hour mountain bike race. Ok, it was a friendly invitation, and I decided what the heck. The only problem was I had little to no, zip, nada mountain bike experience. All I had was a 1987 Trek Antelope tank and a 1992 Motiv Stonegrinder from Costco for bikes. Both were heavy and not really something I wanted to race on. Fortunately, my dad let me borrow his Klein Pulse Comp bike and I started "training". This amounted to two and a half weeks of riding fire roads in the Naneum State Forest. That doesn't exactly prepare you for a race of this nature (at least not me) which includes gravel roads, single track riding with a variety of obstacles - including what appears to the novice as boulders strategically placed in the middle of the path. Whose bright idea was that?

The 2010 race went well enough that I was convinced I had to do it again. I'm too competitive and always have to improve on my results - or at least try to. So, in June of last year I sold the only road bike I had purchased new and replaced it with my own Klein mountain bike - a 1996 Pulse II. Significantly, lighter than my dad's I was excited to do more off road cycling.

Fast forward to 2011 and my second attempt at the race. I had about a month of riding in the Naneum to prepare and was really looking forward to the weekend. My 15 year old, Galen, and I packed the car and headed to Spokane on Friday morning. Even though it was a leisurely drive, I was impatiently anticipating the race and the chance to compare how my Klein would stack up to my dad's.

We arrived at the camp site to some light rain and set up the tent around 2:30 pm and then got ready to preview the course as there were some changes due to flooding of a lower portion. This would be Galen's first significant ride on a mountain bike. Twenty minutes into the ride the skies opened up and we were drenched - right before 5 Minute Hill. That hill is enough of a grind in normal conditions. Throw in some hard rain and it sucked, especially waiting for Galen to finish walking up the last part of the hill that peaks at 15% gradient. Eventually the rain stopped and we made it through the course having dried out but completely muddy.

Galen's bike after the rain

Parts of the course left on Galen's shirt

The remainder of the team began arriving on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. There were two new members, Katie and Justin. Last minute additions who had also ridden the course the year before they were excited to being able to get a shot again this year. All told we ended up with six riders from the initial plan of seven. We were riding in the Corporate division - up to 10 riders per team. This year saw 855 registered riders - up 100 or so from the prior year. I would think at some point they will need to limit the number due to a the lack of camping space.

The team discussed our running order and I volunteered for the third spot again this year. Matt would be starting and Justin would run second. The start of the race is a Lemans style - all starting riders run a 600 yard course and then jump on their bikes. The run is designed to eliminate issues like mass pile ups at the start and space out the riders a little.

We were running the gamut for the first three laps - Matt on a cyclocross bike, Justin on a 29er and me on the Klein with 26" wheels. Surprisingly we all finished within 6 minutes of each other.

One of the best parts of the race is the run in to the finish. A nice long straight piece of road with campers on both sides cheering you on. It definitely helps the brain block pain and make you push a little harder. You can't let those people see you suffering.

I felt fantastic at the start of my first lap. I had the normal nervous stomach while waiting for Justin to arrive but it was primarily because I was really ready to get on the bike and start hammering away. Justin arrived with a time of 1:07 and passed the scoring transponder to me which I struggled to get attached snugly to my small wrist. I finally got it and jumped on the bike with adrenaline coursing through my body. Riders can get a little spread out initially thanks to the first hill 100 yards from the start line. At the top is a jeep trail that transitions quickly into single track. The course felt fast with the rain from the prior afternoon packing the dirt down. I found myself gaining on, and passing, riders on single track. That never happened last year and I was getting excited and more confident.

I followed another rider through the first tough rock garden - one I seriously struggled with the year before - and sprinted through the forests looking forward to the long hill climb that was coming up. There were 8-10 riders on the hill when I got to the bottom and I shifted down to keep the pedal cadence up and started plowing my way up to the top. I caught all but two of the riders and slowed a little at the top to recover briefly from the effort and then prepared to take off on the upcoming gravel road where you can really open up the speeds before the next section of single track.

Once past the first checkpoint, one with a beautiful view of the city and sunrise, I couldn't help but start thinking of Devil's Up and Devil's Down. The uphill portion of this got me every lap the prior year as I had to dismount and walk/run the bike up to the top of the first portion. This portion of the course had me so frustrated the year before I was determined not to let it happen again.

As I approached the roughest part of the hill I could see the primary path was to the right. I geared down lower than the year before and started making my way up. The gradient is easily 15% here so it's a slow crawl. Suddenly I found myself at the top and wanted to let out a loud yell in jubilation. I had finally conquered that piece of the course. But, I couldn't rest on my laurels for long because IT was fast approaching. IT was Devil's Down - a rough, steep downhill that I had navigated last year - albeit nervously each time. This downhill was in my brain - like food scalded to the bottom of a cooking pot - it was difficult to get out of my head. It intimidated and threatened me. Calling my name tauntingly and daring me to attempt a clean pass.

I slowly rolled over the top and took a deep, lingering breath. Here goes nothing. You start to the left and then cross to the right and finish on the left again as you come around the corner at the bottom. I wasn't on the brakes as hard as the year before. I'm not a confident downhill rider so I wasn't letting myself completely go as the top riders do down the hill. I made it through as a photographer took my picture, breathed a sigh of relief and started my sprint across the 'strawberry fields' section of the course. From here the upper loop is close to complete and there's a little over 5 miles to go.

I was feeling strong, fast and fresh as I started the next section of single track along the Spokane River. Last year my legs were burning at this point. I think the primary difference is I've learned to work with the bike on the trails rather than fight it. This keeps the body more relaxed and results in less sudden braking and, then, hard accelerations to get back up to speed. I passed several more riders on the next two uphill portions and also on the paved section of Centennial trail we were diverted to.

The last significant rock garden is on a slight downhill that banks to the left with trees on each side. I was three quarters the way through when the front wheel stopped abruptly. Physics dictates that momentum still exists when there is an abrupt stop like this. That momentum is the back end of the bike (and the rider) continuing up and over the handlebars. I stopped the fall with my hands and quickly picked up the bike all the while hearing a "what the ##*@&$$(&@$$& was that" in my head. The adrenaline was flowing again. I took off hard, determined not to let this happen again. I passed several more riders on the last hill and prepared for the run in to the finish. My time approaching the last hill was 57 minutes and I knew I needed to get moving. I had one gear left on the sprint to the finish and the legs were burning but my bike computer read just over 1 hr 3 minutes when I dismounted for finish. Elation reigned - I had beat last years first lap by over three minutes.

Now it was time to relax a little and prepare for the next lap - night time, in the dark, using a headlight and praying for the best. Last year I suffered a flat tire in the night which had ruined a decent run - I was on pace for 1 hr 20 minutes or so.

I decided to take the Klein for the night ride until I found that the seat post was too big for the tail light clamp. I moved to the second option, a friend's 1993 Scott Comp Racing bike. The frame is a little shorter but it's a quick nimble bike. I didn't have a light yet and had to borrow one. The light projected forward well enough but as I started my lap I found that I "outran" the beam fairly easily, especially on downhills. A little more forward projection might have prevented this but the light was clamped on the bar and there wasn't much I could do.

I was taking it conservative but also felt pretty good on the ride. I pulled over a few times to let faster riders go around me and then prepared for Devil's Up and Down again. I made it up the hill for the second straight time. Relief. I got to the top of Devil's Down and prepared myself as a rider behind me stopped to let me go first. I made it over the first big obstacles and then, without warning, about three quarters the way down I found myself airborne over the handlebars again. I still don't know what happened. I could feel the bike coming over me - still clipped to my feet. I caught myself with my hands but, again, physics took over and my body continued down until I heard the light crack of my helmet hitting a rock. I got up quickly and heard "are you alright?" from above. I yelled, "yes, just a second", threw the bike over my shoulder and ran down to a wide spot in the trail and then turned and yelled to the other rider that it was ok for him to go. Once he was past I had a little time to check the bike and then get on and start riding. I was pretty shook up and realized my neck and back were hurting badly - but I had to finish.

I crossed the strawberry fields section and made it down the next hill and crossed the lower section. Descending the last hill here I suddenly found the bike shooting out from beneath me to the left. I realized I had stuck just a little too far to the left in this "gully" descent and the front tire had been caught in the thick loose gravel and lost all traction. Needless to say I was fuming. Adrenaline was again running hard through my veins. The chain was jammed and it took a minute or so to fix it. Fortunately, the rest of the lap was uneventful but I had had enough. One hour and twenty six minutes. Another year where I had screwed up a decent lap time at night. Katie asked how my ride was when I handed of the transponder. My response - "crappy!" and I marched back to camp. So, here I should apologize to her for being so short. I was just too mad at myself.

To cut a long story short, the third lap was uneventful and approximately an hour and ten minutes in length. I didn't attempt Devil's Down, instead electing to use the longer off shoot to the right. My only vindication was catching a guy, who had been riding in front of me for several miles on the lower single track, on the last hill and then sprinting away from him at the finish.

Our team finished 22 out of 32 - much better than the year before. Great new friendships were formed. I ended up with a significant neck/back strain - made better with Vicodin. Katie injured her hand and hip after introducing herself to a tree on her night run. But, overall we had a blast and I'm sure are all ready to go at it again on Memorial Day weekend 2012.

My broken helmet

The team - Vikings

Update to the updated road report

2011-05-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

The weekend of May 14-16 saw a fierce rainstorm come through the Kittitas Valley that caused abnormal, as in not regular, flooding in the area. The Naneum State Forest area received somewhere between 2 and 3 inches of rain in a 24 hour period.

With the snowpack still pretty deep at the higher elevations I was concerned about road damage up in the Naneum forest. So, today I took a 21 mile ride up past Pearson Creek and really only saw one place with damage - right before the bridge 8 miles out at the junction to go to Pearson Cr, Swift Cr or Boulder Cr roads.

So, head on up there and enjoy the riding.

Naneum State Forest road report

2011-05-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

With the weather drying out - with the exception of tonight and the mesmerizing sound of rain drops on a metal roof - I've been able to get the mountain bike out and head up into the Naneum State Forest. For those that aren't aware, the Department of Natural Resources, took over this area including purchasing some large tracts of private land in the last 18 months or so.

I primarily ride up the main gravel road from the end of the pavement on Naneum Rd. The first three miles the roadway has quite a volume of gravel and larger rocks. Now, that DNR trucks are up in the area there are areas where the road is covered in the rocks and you just have to pick a decent line.

The main road is dry and hard packed. Several areas have new potholes and minor damage to the road, but overall it's a really nice ride. The area is ripe for building some single track and, at some point, hopefully someone will spearhead that with the state. I know there are a couple of mountain bikers that work for DNR.

Naneum Rd at Pearson Creek - still pretty wet and muddy

Naneum Rd at Pearson Creek

Springtime meadow before cows and sheep invade

Pearson Creek

So, where to ride when you're up there. I would recommend picking up a DNR road map and even a Metsker's map for Kittitas County. But, a lot of it is trial and error. Here's a few options - all rides start from the parking area and the end of the pavement.

Head south on Naneum Road about 1/3 mile and cross the gate to the north (left) then take the power line road over two ridges and then left up the hill through Cave Canyon. The road climbs fairly steeply and comes out on top of the ridge with a magnificent sweeping view of the valley. From there you can continue to head up along the east ridge of the Naneum valley or take a steep and fast downhill run that ends up with some short single track in the pasture at the bottom. Warning - there are a couple of sections of loose rocks on the downhill that are tough to get through.

The easiest ride is out to the bridge at the "Y" and back. Total distance is about 8 miles. There's a lot of moderate climbing (nothing really steep )on the way out but it's a fast trip back.

About 1/4 mile from the bridge at the "Y" you can take a left and circle up and around to High Creek Rd. The loop will bring you out onto the main gravel road after a fun 2-3 mile downhill trek. The uphill climbing from either direction is tough in sections but not too long.

An option to the above loop is what I call the lower High Creek loop. About 2 miles up the the High Creek Road you'll see a yellow gate to the left. Go under, or around, it and follow that road for about a mile and a half and you'll come back out on the main road again. I saw elk every time I made this loop last year by the two little ponds you pass.

From the "Y" you can go left up Boulder Creek. This is a very good climb of about three miles and it will test you but the road is in very good condition. Once on top there are several options including riding around the Coleman Canyon or on to the north and working your way up the ridge toward the Mission Ridge ski area. You can also work back south along the ridge to Cave Canyon or, like me, stumble across a couple of really old logging roads and bomb down the hill until you hook up with Schnebly Canyon Rd.

From the "Y" go left and then take an almost immediate right and head up Swift Creek. There's one loop you can make to drop you back in on the Pearson Cr. Rd or you can continue up the ridge and hook in with the road to take you up the ridge. This is another good climbing road.

Finally, from the "Y" go left and continue up until you get to Naneum Pond - approximately 4.5 miles. You'll always want to keep Naneum Creek to your left. At the "Y" for Pearson Cr. Rd and Naneum Rd (about 1.5 miles up) stay to the left on Naneum and cross the Pearson Cr. bridge. It's about another 2.5 miles to Naneum Pond.

It should be noted the forest has an immense abundance of options for riding. There are many closed roads to motor vehicles. Go under the yellow gates and ride to your hearts content.

DNR is doing a lot of maintenance on some roads and I've even heard a rumor that they will be putting a bridge on the upper High Creek Rd so you can make the loop from Naneum Rd to Wilson Creek Rd without having to walk across High Creek. This will make a great ride.

May 12 at the bike shop

2011-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Come to the Recycle Bicycle shop at 5:30 pm on May 12 and listen to a presentation from a Specialized rep regarding bike fit and it's importance for you body (knee, back, shoulder, etc. comfort) and power/speed. He has spent time in Europe with some of the top professional cyclists and will have some good observations on what correct bike fit has done for those riders.

Road conditions

2011-04-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

As the weather finally looks to be making a turn for the better it's probably prudent to mention some local road conditions.

Early in April the county went through the lower valley and cleaned up the gravel and sand from the intersections and shoulders on Look Rd - the only one around here with a nice shoulder to ride on. It was none to soon as one of my tubular tires met its demise in the form of a sharp rock. The edges of the chip sealed road still have a fair amount of debris on the far right side of the pavement. The shoulders of I-90 and I-82 are still littered with a lot of debris from winter. I know, many of you think I'm nuts for riding on the freeway. It really doesn't bother me at all. there's a nice smooth shoulder and rumble strips - which is a lot nicer than having a jacked up 4X4 coming up behind you at 50+ mph on a road with no shoulders.

As for other road conditions, I am reminded daily how poor a job the county did with it's chip seal program last year. Two of the roads I travel frequently are Sanders Rd and No. 6 Rd. Both are horrendous in their condition - very rough and large sections of the chip seal that's non-existent. Supposedly chip sealing is designed to extend the life of a roadway but if it's done this poorly it'll be interesting to see how that pans out. I'd recommend staying off those two roads if you possibly can.

One can only hope that whomever does the work for the county this summer will actually make it a quality job.

CWU Bike Race - April 9

2011-04-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Central Washington Bicycle club is hosting their annual race this coming weekend - April 9 and 10 - at a variety of locations in the lower valley. They have a need of 10 - 12 more volunteers for Saturday's road race in the Badger Pocket area. Corner marshals are needed to stop traffic and direct riders. Commitment would be from 8:00 am - early/mid-afternoon. The ending time is dependent on the speed of the races. You can find information on the race here. If you can volunteer contact Scott Patton at PattonSC @ cwu.edu

A few trails/paths if you don't mind driving

2011-03-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

I started a new job (same company) this past Monday and spent the week in Spokane for a variety of things related to that work. One of the things we don't have much of in Kittitas County are paved multipurpose paths. We have to ride on the logging roads, paved county roads and sometimes (if you're crazy like me) the shoulder of the interstate. There are some nice single track trails in the upper county but on some you share with motorcyclists as well.

I often read and see pictures of different trails in Seattle - the Burke-Gilman being the most popular since it goes through the university district. But, there are also several others over on that side of the mountains that are good for cycling as long as you have the patience to endure those on foot or skates also.

The Spokane area has some really nice trails as well. I road on the Centennial trail from the Spokane valley to Post Falls. That trail however, goes from downtown Spokane to Coeur d'Alene, ID. It's a smooth trail that travels along the Spokane River much of the way. A few areas have some good bumps developing from roots under the path but overall the traffic this time of year on the path is optimal (aka quite light). In 21 miles I passed 5 other cyclists and just as many people walking. It was quite a nice ride. Unfortunately, some of the scenery enticed the desire to take some photos and I had left my camera in the car. Summertime on this trail can be a little busy but not like the western Washington ones.

If distance is what you're looking for check out the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes trail. A description from the internet states:

"The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes bike path follows the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way from Mullan, a mountain mining town near the Montana border, to Plummer, a town on the prairie near the Washington border. More than 71 miles of paved path takes you from high mountain splendor, through the historic Silver Valley, into the chain lakes region, along the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, over the Chatcolet Bridge to Heyburn State Park, and finally climbs to the Palouse prairie: an adventure for the entire family! "

Again, weekends during the summer can be a little busy on the trail, especially along Lake Coeur d'Alene on the Plummer, ID side. I've found weekdays are the best time to ride.

Finally, there are a couple other options in north Idaho. One requires a mountain bike or cross bike with decent off road tires. This ride is the Trail of the Hiawatha. The trail is 15 miles long but you have the opportunity to ride through a perfectly straight 1.7 mile long railroad St. Paul Pass tunnel. Once that is done you travel through eight more tunnels and over seven steel trestles. As expected, a light on your bike is required. The gradient is only 2%. Day use fee is $9.

Never say never

2011-03-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

As I've become a die hard member of the classic and vintage bicycle scene I have discovered one alarming thing about myself - I have a hard time saying no. Especially when something I find is good quality or a great reputation. I won't go as far to say it's disease, but there is definitely something addicting about the hunt for a quality vintage bike or component that makes it so fun.

For years my wife has been the bargain hunter. Now, I can try to do the same thing. I posted earlier about the 40+ year old Gitane that I built for essentially $35 and a lot of elbow grease. That's my most economical build to date. The next one (for a friend) may even top that.

I have discovered that what some others may call junk bikes may actually have some potential with parts. I recently won an auction for some bike parts at the CWU surplus sale. One of the bikes in the group was worth the price - however, it's too short so the frame will be sold. The parts will be kept for potential projects down the road. One of the frames in the bunch had a rare Sakae SR crankset with elliptical Ovaltech chainrings. I'll now have some rare Sakae and Stronglight (French) elliptical rings for my collection.

The Cascade Bicycle Club swap meet in Seatle this year was another success with the purchase of several different parts, some tires, a sweet Cinelli stem/handlebar combination, etc. for barely over $100. The fun is trying to track down the good deals. Two of the items cost 30% of the total cost.

I told myself in January - "No new bikes in 2011". Well, that lasted 2 months. This past week I walked into Goodwill here in town to meet my wife and sitting in the lobby for the wonderful price of $19.99 was a blue Motobecane (French - have I mentioned I like French bikes) mixte bicycle. "Ooohhhhh" went my brain and I found myself moving toward the bike as if some space age tractor beam had me by the neck and I couldn't break free.

I was expecting bottom end components and overall a bicycle in bad condition. It is so hard to stay calm when I started seeing Suntour components for the drivetrain and Normandy hubs on the wheels. The paint was in excellent condition with very few scratches.

My wife gave me permission to buy the bike and I happily, almost skipping, loaded it into the back of my car. After getting home I took note of all the components and started doing some research. The bike is a 1976 Super Mirage with all the stock components on it. The wheels are a little heavy (even though they're aluminum) and the handlebar and seat post are steel which adds weight. The chain may even be original. So it becomes one more project in the works when the current one is done. A complete overhaul will be needed - new cables, repack the bearings, new bar tape and (hopefully) brake hoods. The bike will make the perfect addition to the stable for neices and nephews when they visit to have something to ride with our kids.

Without further ado here are the pictures:

I forgot to mention I also picked up a free 1981 Motobecane mixte frame that same morning that someone had advertised on Craigslist. The frame material is actually a little better than the blue bike. It's got some paint chips and minor rust that will clean up fine.

Shimano Tourney crankset with Normandy Atom 440 pedals

Suntour Comp V front derailleur

Suntour ratcheting downtube shifters

Suntour V-GT Luxe rear derailleur

Weinmann 610 center pull brakes

SR French sized alloy stem

So much for not buying another bike this year.

What to do when the wind blows

2011-01-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

In the lower Kittitas County we are blessed (cursed) with wonderful (horrendous) winds. These winds make our cycling joyous (infuriating) and often increase (diminish) our enthusiasm for riding. The winds are not discriminating. They will blow from the northwest in the morning and switch from the southeast in the afternoon. Sometimes they'll switch mid-ride eliminating that tailwind you were earnestly hoping for.

I don't have a real problem (hang up) with riding in the rain, cold, heat, sunshine, etc. but the wind can really cause some motivation problems. I have worked very hard over the past few years to get over my phobia about riding in the wind and last year was aided by the discovery of mountain biking in the hills. On days when the winds in the valley are over 20 miles per hour head to the hills - you don't feel that heavy wind up there which allows some "stress free" training.

However, the roads in the hills are not ridable this time of year because of snow and mud. So, what's a guy to do with low wind motivation. I had ridden last Saturday in moderate wind and Sunday it was blowing again. Thus the low motivation - I just didn't want to fight it again but felt I needed something to do. But, what?

The advantage of being into classic and vintage bicycles is the sheer volume of projects one can have. There are bearings to grease and repack, new cables and housing to run, switch out a stem, put on a new chain, switch tires/tubes and more.

My latest project was Gitane (French) road bike. Our wonderful local bike shop owner, Fred, had emailed me last spring and said he had old road bike stuff behind his shop that was just going to the dump. I drove by and saw this frame and instantly grabbed it.

The frame was a little too big but I already have two Gitane bikes (1984 models) and I like them a lot. It would be fun to work on another one. I knew this was one from at least the early 1970's based on the decals on the frame. The paint had a lot of "character" - quite a few scratches and bare spots and someone had tried to touch it up with a color that didn't match. But the character is a good thing as it means the bike was used by someone and just not left sitting in a shed somewhere. At least that is what I told myself and wanted to believe. I posted the frame on the forums for GitaneUSA.com and it was determined the bike was actually from the late 1960's: most likely 1966 to 1968.

For the uninitiated it may help to understand that old bikes can be a challenge. Add to the mix that this is a French one and you really have some issues to work through along with patience and flexibility. French bikes were known for different measurements and threading than the rest of the modern cycling world. For example, the handlebar stem (part that holds the handlebar and inserts into the frame of the bike) for most bikes had a standard measurement of 22.2 mm. French bikes were 22.0. Standard handlebar clamp sizes were 25.4 and 26.0 mm. French bars typically measure at 25.0 mm. However, the biggest issue is the French threading of the bottom bracket (where the crank arms attach so you can pedal the bike) and the headset (how the front fork is attached to the bike). French threading has a different pitch then normal English or Italian threading. Most of the cycling world had moved to English threading by the early 1980's so finding replacement parts for early French bikes can be a challenge. Thankfully there is Craigslist, Ebay and many internet forums as outlets for parts searching.

The picture below is how I found the frame. Very dirty and only a few components on it including the original brakes, cranset, rear derailleur and handlebar stem. The seatpost turned out to be the wrong size (too big) and fortunately wasn't stuck like many in old vintage bikes. The first thing in order was a heavy duty bath for the frame. It cleaned up nicely and I was able to get a little more idea of what I had.

I disassembled the remaining parts and went to work on the pedals and crankset with 0000 grade steel wool and WD40. There was a lot of rust but a couple of hours later they came out looking almost brand new.

Next was the headset. I took out the handlebar stem and then began taking apart the headset. Several of the ones I've worked on in the past had caged bearings. Fortunately, for me I had put the frame on the ground and a tray with an old t-shirt on it under the fork. As I removed the fork little bearings started falling out. After a moment of intense panic I noticed they all landed on the t-shirt and stayed there. I actually had had a "smart moment" for once. The headset went back together with all bearings accounted for and at home in a new layer of grease.

Next up was the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket is comprised of cups (thread into the frame), bearings and a spindle or axle. The left side cup is referred to as the adjustable one and is comprised of the cup and a lockring. The right side is called the fixed cup even though it can be removed. On this bike, however, the fixed cup is truly fixed as in "it's in there really well". The spindle on this bike is a cottered one. This was found on many lower end bikes and also the really old ones. The crank arms slide onto the end of the spindle and then a cotter with a threaded end is pushed through the opening in the spindle. A nut is then screwed onto the end of the cotter to secure it in place.

Cottered cranks are relatively easy to work on if you have a press to remove the cotters. I, of course, didn't have one so I resorted to a hammer and block of wood under the bottom of the bike for support. Both cotters came out with only one having a slightly mushroomed end on the threaded part (it was not reusable) of one. The bottom bracket had caged bearings which I cleaned up and then regreased the entire unit and put it back together. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it set up just right - either it spun smoothly or I had some resistance with the bearings. I pulled it apart again and inspected the spindle and noticed the races (part the bearings come in contact with) had some pitting. This pitting was keeping the bearings from spinning smoothly. After a few months I was able to secure a replacement spindle from a member on Bikeforums.net. After switching to that spindle and loose ball bearings the unit seemed to go back together alright.

Now it was just a matter of waiting to accumulate the last few parts. I needed a new seatpost, brake hoods and cables. I had wheels, shifters and a front derailleur from a bike flip project in the summer. I had brake calipers from a screaming deal for parts from Craigslist in the early summer and I had located another rear derailleur like the original one for $4 at a bike shop in Seattle.

I try really hard not to impact the family finances with my projects so I took a few guns to a shop to be sold and waited for the cash to get the last few parts. By the end of 2010 those guns had sold and I had my money and the final parts were purchased.

Now we are to the answer of my question at the beginning - what to do when the wind blows and the motivation is lacking for fighting it. Build a bike, of course.

I had already mounted the wheels, brakes, handlebar stem and handlebars, shifters and derailleurs. I started running cables and housing. I had shifter cables and quickly discovered that the ends of the cable were too large for the French Simplex shifters. Thanks again to the French I had to switch to different levers - Suntour Power Ratcheting ones. Now I'm looking at the bike and realizing I don't really want to go with the old Simplex rear derailleur now that I've changed the shifters so I swap it out for a Suntour V-GT Luxe long cage derailleur. I still have the Simplex front derailleur on the bike and wonder what I have for options. Off to the parts bin one more time. I have several low end Suntour front derailleurs but didn't really like the look of them. I have a high end Suntour Cyclone front derailleur and decided not to use it. So, the Simplex unit stayed put.

Next were the brakes. Many bikes from the 1960's and 1970's came with center pull brakes. The have straddle wire on the caliper and then the brake cable runs to a "hanger". When the lever is pulled it the tension pulls the straddle wire up closing the arms on the calipers and bringing the brake pads in contact with the rim. The rims I put on the bike were 27" just like the original that would have come on the bike. The replacement center pull brakes I had decided to use didn't have enough reach on the front and the brake pads partially impacted with the tire. That's not a good thing. Off to the parts bin again where I found a set of Weinmann 730 side pulls (the cable attaches to the side of the brake lever) and installed them. Thankfully I had enough reach. Just one more diversion from the plan I started the day out with. At least I hadn't pulled out too much hair at this point.

From here everything went together as expected and I was more than happy with the end result. It took three hours to work through all these issues which is a definite improvement over two years ago when I put my first bike together - that was close to eight hours.

In the end I was out of the wind and happy - a good day.

The flexibility of bikes

2011-01-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

As spring (at least the past couple of days felt like spring) gets closer I can't help but think about the wonderful flexibility of bikes. Today's market seems to be so segmented with bikes for every type of riding: road racing, cruising, touring, downhill, cross country, hybrid, bmx and on and on. When you read Bicycling, Road Bike Action or other magazines your head can spin just looking at all the variations and specific markets for bikes. The neat thing, though, is what you can do with bikes.

For example, my friend Chris just recently took an old Sekai road bike frame and converted it to a commuter with rear rack, cyclocross style tires and a straight mountain bike handlebar with modern stem. It's the best of both types of bikes - speed and lighter weight from the road bike side of things and a little more upright, comfortable position from the mountain bike world.

I have done the reverse of what Chris did by converting a mountain bike into a commuter/errand/touring bike. I like the idea of using a mountain bike because of their inherent flexibility for off road and pavement riding plus the stability of the ride. Some models have longer top tubes which makes getting a comfortable fit a little tougher but not impossible. Converting these bikes is a fairly popular thing to do. Bikeforums.net has a entire thread dedicated to mountain bike conversions in their touring forum. It makes for some fun reading.

But, why would I do this? A little background might help. Bicycle touring is something I've always wanted to try but never really took seriously. You could say exploring by bike is in my blood. As teenagers my brother Kurt and I would take off in the summer on our old Schwinn Continental 10 speeds and traverse the back dirt roads between the wheat fields exploring abandoned farm houses, outbuildings and whatever else looked appealing.

I'm now in my mid-40's and ready to explore again, or at least try something different. The past couple of summers I've started using my old Nishiki as a errand bike on select trips. Biking has always provided a sense of freedom for me but the feeling I got using the bike to go to town for an errand or ride to a friend's house and drop something off was different. The bike became more of a tool - something that added value to my life beyond fitness.

I began wishing I could utilize a bike more for trips of any nature and searched for ways to figure out how to do that. Then one day while riding out highway 97 I passed a bike tourist. He wasn't moving fast and was fully loaded with gear. But, man, he looked "free". I was stupid and just flew past him when I should have slowed down and talked about his experiences and where he was going. I never saw that rider again and I've also never forgotten him. I began researching touring a little more and acquired a few books on the topic. I started reading blogs on the website Crazyguyonabike and liked what I saw. I read Kyle Unruh's (Ellensburg High School graduate) blog about his cross country tour home from college in New York and realized this is something I really wanted to try.

The "nail in the coffin" came last summer as I started spending a lot of time on a mountain bike in the Naneum State Forest and started thinking how cool it would be to go camping by bike. Maybe I could take my kids and then they would become more excited about riding by incorporating some other activity. I know, it's self-serving, but I want them to see the joy I have for cycling . Even if they don't ride as grow older and leave our home they will at least thing their dad is not a complete nut about cycling.

The problem I have is a large family with kids involved in sports and a busy job and this prohibits me from just up and leaving for 2-3 months on a bicycle tour. I had to come up with other options.

Enter the 1987 Trek 800 Antelope. It was a decent bike to ride, albeit pretty heavy. But, I had also bought another mountain bike and this one became more expendable and my eye kept going back to it. The original components were on it but the rear derailleur had issues. The original handlebar was fairly comfortable but I was worried about long distances and only having one hand position. The cool thing about the bike, and it was pointed out to me much later, was it had double eyelets for fenders and racks and also a mid-fork braze on for a lowrider front rack. This is often more desirable as it keeps the weight over the front wheel lower and the bike more stable, especially on descents.

So, in October I started working on converting this old, heavy mountain bike into something more flexible and usable for my needs. It took a couple of weeks to accumulate all the parts I needed. I then started by disassembling the bike and repacking bearings in the headset and bottom bracket and then building it back up. I kept the original brakes and front derailleur and changed to a Shimano Deore rear derailleur. The handlebars were replaced by road drop bars. The shifters are friction Suntour bar end and work flawlessly. Index shifting is great but there's something about the feel of shifting precisely to the next gear and being able to fine tune the chain position. It's sort of like the difference between a manual and automatic transmission in a car. I've always been drawn to the manual transmission because I feel more in touch with the car versus just putting the vehicle in drive and forgetting about it. The only new items were the bar tape, cables and cable housing.

The final pieces I needed was a sturdier rear rack (located at a garage sale for $2) and then a set of panniers (bags for carrying gear), a handlebar bag and a front rack. I located two front racks, a set of four panniers and a handlebar bag on Craigslist for $100. And, there I had it - a multipurpose touring/camping bike for around $200.

Before - the ugly, yellow beast

After - the tranformation.

Set up with panniers/racks (yes, the front rack is level now)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

Another year is coming to a close in the Kittitas valley. Winter has been with us since the middle of November making outdoor rides tough unless you have a set of studded tires on your bike.

As you bring the year to a close think about what you accomplished on your bike (bikes) this year. What were the best and worst parts? What could you have done better? What can you do to change your training in 2011?

The hardest thing this time of year is to control your diet so you don't gain too much off season weight. I struggle with that, especially during the holidays. Get your cross training work outs in or jump on the indoor trainer. Join a gym or go to the spinning classes at the bike shop on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5:00.

Most of all I hope you have a joyous Christmas season and a happy New Year and I'll see you somewhere on the road or trails in 2011.

Thanks and some ramblings

2010-11-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

We just had the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. and I've been disheartened by the inability to ride the past week and a half or so because of wind chill factor or snow and ice covered roads. Cycling becomes such an integral part of the psyche in staying fit and having a positive mental attitude that missing a couple of weeks you start getting down. Sure there are indoor training sessions, skiing, running, swimming, etc. but it just doesn't replace the joy of traveling the roads under your own power.

Even with this 'oh, whoa is me', feeling there are still things to be thankful for:

1) A great local bike shop that provides excellent customer service and timely repairs
2) A cycling community that respects each other and enjoys the diversity our county has to offer
3) Those willing to teach others new skills when it comes to a bike
4) Living in this fine country where a hobby such as collecting old bicycles is relatively easy
5) The Internet for providing immeasurable resources for that old bicycle hobby
6) Courteous drivers (for the most part) in our county that help make cycling such an enjoyable activity
7) The hopes of dropping more weight to make hill climbing easier.
8) An awesome family that allows me to ride as much as I can

During this early season of winter I've also had time to ponder some things about professional cycling:

If Nascar has the "silly season" where teams undergo big off season personnel changes (drivers and team members) than what the heck is it called in the cycling world. The sheer number of team changes (riders and sponsors) is incredible.
The politics of the sport is ridiculous. Alberto Contador tests positive for a banned substance and blames it on beef - yeah, right. Instead of the UCI coming down on him or being the primary sanctioning body it goes back to Spain's governing body for cycling. Now, that's an impartial group.
The US Postal/Lance Armstrong doping investigation is picking up steam. Did Lance dope - probably. Do I care - no, he never tested positive. That's one thing Contador can never say.
I thoroughly enjoy reading about guys like Levi Leipheimer jumping on a mountain bike and dominating a race. That just shows how incredible their athletic ability is.

A visitor's viewpoint

2010-11-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

We have the luxury of riding in our beautiful county and taking it for granted. Sometimes we don't see how special and diverse our county scenery is. I, for one, spend a lot of time "hammering" out training rides and not focusing on anything other than my heart rate, the length and number of intervals and what music is playing on the MP3 player.

I rode up in the Naneum State Forest with a couple friends this past summer and one of them called me a couple of days later inquiring about some wild flowers he had seen and what their name might be. I had to sheepishly admit I didn't even notice them.

Luckily, the O'Neill's from Winston, OR did pay attention. Richard writes a hiking column for the local newspaper and had forwarded some of their photos from the Manastash Metric ride to the RSVP organization. I asked Richard if he would be willing to provide an account of their visit by bicycle to our fair county. He agreed and below is his story:

Because my wife has relatives in Spokane, we have spent many an monotonous day driving up Highway 395 and I-90. On occasion, just to break up the routine, we've taken scenic Highway 97 through Yakima. Just north of Yakima, the highway crests Umantum Ridge and provides a breathtaking view of beautiful Kittitas Valley. Intrigued, we've always wanted to stop and explore the area instead of continuing on to Spokane and the dreaded in-laws that Dollie refers to as "my family". When we learned there was a bicycle ride in the area, we immediately signed up for the Manastash Metric Century Ride.

The Manastash was touted as the "drier ride" but we wryly noted that there was no false claim of it being the "warmer ride". The ride started out in a frosty 44 degrees while a thick layer of fog blanketed the valley. Naturally, extra layers of clothing were donned and blinking taillights were hung on the rear of the bikes. Windshield wipers were needed as the fog condensed on my glasses and some harrumphing began about so-called drier rides. I've been accused many times of being in a fog but this time the assertion was quite literal. The good news was that the fog was short lived as it began to burn off within an hour and the harrumphing dissipated in direct proportion to the increasing sunlight. Once we could see, we found ourselves in farmlands on the southern edge of the valley. The route followed the Thorp Road, the sleepy town of Thorp was encountered at the 10 mile mark. Not much happens in Thorp in the early morning...or day...or evening, for that matter.

The first rest stop was at the historic Thorp Mill which actually had a skating rink back in the day; the thought of all that ice suddenly reminding me of my ex-wife. The next rest stop was a mere 7 miles away and I couldn't think of a good reason why these two stops were spaced so close to each other. The why of it became abundantly clear as a we had the "best" of two cycling challenges: wind and hills. Ugh, it took a seemingly long time to negotiate those paltry 7 miles up and over Thorp Prairie. There was lots of grumbling and muttering from wives and other cycling comrades. After the attaining the flat summit of Thorp Prairie with its alien landscape of metal windmills, it was a short descent past canals to the second rest stop and we were grateful for its nearness to the Thorp Mill rest stop.

It was interesting to observe the changing geography and vegetation during the ride. We started in farmlands which morphed into the windblown sagebrush desert steppes typical of central Washington. With our route crossing I-90 and hugging the northwest rim of the Kittitas Valley, pine trees and mountains began to appear above and around the farms. It was much like the Cascades. We had a nice view of Stuart Mountain and its namesake range in the magnificent North Cascades and the road was blessedly level all the way into the small town of Cle Elum.

After a light lunch in a Cle Elum church, the road followed the Yakima River and we sort of enjoyed the views of the river horseshoeing down below. I say sort of, because we were at the same time engaged in pedaling up Hayward Hill, a long slog which transitioned us from the forests back to the windblown desert. It was at this point my training regimen began to kick in. Wait a minute, I don't have a training regimen! I customarily just get on the bike, cycle 45 miles, and whine and snivel for the remaining 20 miles. I really should train a bit more! Just as we were beginning to tire, the exhilarating descent off Hayward Hill brought us to another strategically placed rest stop.

At the rest stop, some of our cycling compatriots mentioned Hungry Junction hill. Something about the low voices, hushed tones, and genuine haunt in their eyes made it seem like Hungry Junction hill was to be respected and feared. But mostly feared.

So unbelievably cruel to encounter Hungry Junction hill just 7 miles from the end of the ride. The hill was short, but very steep. We geared down and charged up, determined to keep our feet on the ground. Dollie was the first to crack, hopping off the bike about three-quarters of the way up. I was doing fine until the very end when...CRAMP! I hopped off the bike quickly lest the right leg mimic the left leg and double my troubles. It was brief stiff-legged walk up the rest of the hill. Hungry Junction owes me; we have unfinished business, Hungry Junction hill and I.

The remaining portion of the ride to Rotary Park was probably the best riding of the day, the road was smooth and canted slightly downhill; and with the wind at our backs, the bikes just glided effortlessly along on the surface. There is such a supreme sense of accomplishment at the finish and applause from a welcoming committee only hammered that point home. Plus, we got a shirt and some great barbequed burgers. In the end, we enjoyed our trip to Ellensburg and we'll be back. You hear that, Hungry Junction hill?

The O'Neill's photos can be viewed at:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/578713567reyWol?vhost=travel

Falling again - vintage bikes

2010-10-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

I've documented over the past couple of years about my foray into what are called C&V bikes or classic and vintage. My bikes are typically more classic than vintage. Although, I do have two French ones that are from the late 1960's. It's funny, though, because even though they are more than 40 years old I don't see them as "old".

I have had several people ask me how I find these bikes. It can be a mix of Craigslist, garage sales and Bike Forums contacts (obtained two bikes via this latter route). So, I figured it was time to document the lucky process of obtaining my latest ride. I am always looking at bikes, but not usually with the intent to buy. I like to see what is on the market and what the market prices are. Frankly, I've got enough bikes ... well, sort of.

In August, 2010 I noticed a road bike with a Selle San Marco Concor saddle sitting outside a pawn shop in Yakima, WA. I've always wanted to try that saddle out on one of my bikes and the original versions on Ebay easily sell for over $50 if in good shape. I pulled into the parking lot to take a further look.

It turns out the bike was a Trek, and an old one at that. The metallic gray paint was something used prior to 1984. The thing was a true "Frankenbike" with a mix of Shimano, Suntour, Rigida and Campagnolo parts - Japan, France and Italy represented. Both tires were flat and in poor condition. The nice Sakae Road Champion handlebars had been cut and flipped to make pseudo bullhorn bars by someone who thought they were kind of hipster. The chain was obviously too short for the 14-32 mega range 6 speed freewheel. But, no matter - it was still an interesting bike.

I walked back to my car with the serial number from the bottom bracket and pulled up the Vintage Trek website. The serial number decoded to a 1981 Trek 510 22"/56 cm frame. A little tall for my height but still a decent, light bike. The tubing was Ishiwata 022 which is comparable to Columbus SL or Tange #2: decent and lightweight.

The price listed on the bike was $89.99. I walked away. Heck, I didn't need a new bike.

Six weeks later the bike was still sitting outside the pawn shop so I stopped again. Now the price was down to $70. Shoot, this was getting a little more interesting. The bike had sat out in a few rainstorms and the nasty look to the saddle had cleaned up quite a bit. I talked to a clerk inside about trading a .22 revolver for the bike but they didn't want the revolver. The clerk said she'd let the bike go for $60 plus tax. I walked away.

In the meantime, I sold a re-issued version of the Selle Italia saddle to a guy in the Seattle area via Craigslist. I had only had the saddle for 6 months but never got comfortable on it versus the original ones that I have on two bikes so it was expendable.

After selling the saddle I decided to go by the pawn shop again. If the bike was still there I had the $60 in hand to buy it since I was obviously meant to have it. I pulled into the lot and scanned all the bikes. Sure enough, it was still there but there was a white piece of paper hanging on the bikes. I sauntered over to take a look - 50% off all bikes. Ok, I really was meant to have this bike.

I promptly walked inside and found a clerk who came out, unlocked the bike from the others and then we went back inside so I could pay. Total with tax was a little over $37. I couldn't be more happy because that was less than what I sold the reissued Turbo saddle for. I essentially sold a bike seat and bought a complete bike!!!

Now time for some photos:

This is how I first saw the bike at the pawn shop - not very pretty

After getting it home and cleaning it up a little

(with donor wheels)

The bike was picked up on a Friday and by Sunday afternoon I had installed a set of drop handlebars, aero brake levers (used from the bike shop for $20) and new brake cable. Courtesy of another rider here in the valley I put a set of Mavic GP4 tubular wheels with brand new Servizio Course sew up tires from YellowJersey.org on it. Further clean up, degreasing and setting up the fit and it was ready for some minor riding on the road to ensure the tires were centered on the rim.

Here's the bike - cleaned up and just needing clipless pedals and bar tape

Notice the very long chainstays and wheelbase = comfy ride

Cleaned and polished brake calipers

The Concor saddle - it's actually quite comfortable

The classic early 80's Trek headbadge

After a couple of days I couldn't wait any longer and I installed some clipless Shimano SPD pedals on the bike and road it with my mountain bike shoes. On Saturday the black Look Delta pedals I had purchased from another BikeForums member showed up and they immediately went on the bike.

I have had it out twice now and really like the smooth ride. The bike was sold as a sport tourer. It's got a long wheelbase so it goes over bumps more smoothly but doesn't necessarily handle corners as quickly as my three other race oriented frames. I'll train on it next year but also plan on doing some light touring with the bike for overnight camping trips. Trek provided a lot of flexibility with this frame.

Does it always work out this successfully - absolutely not. But, the thrill of the hunt for a good, reasonably priced (preferrably cheap) bike is what makes it all so much fun. I guess I now understand the thrill my wife has in shopping clearance racks for good deals.

Taking a little time

2010-10-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's fall again. Time to stop and think about how our cycling year went. Did you accomplish what you wanted as far as total miles, group rides, racing, long distance rides, tours, etc.? Did your fitness improve over the year? Are you burned out and looking for a break?

I used to hear people say cycling was a cumulative sport and thought they were crazy. But, after three and half solid years back on the bike consistently I have to say I believe it. Over the course of three summers my average speed has gone up by 4 mph. The biggest gains are from the first year to second as I had a lot of catching up to do in the aerobic fitness arena. I was strong from weightlifting but the lung capacity left something to be desired.

After last year I was convinced I had peaked in my speed and power. But this year, with focused and intense training, I saw the average speed continue to increase - only about 1 mph. It can be done but it takes alot of dedication and focus. My wife would probably say I'm too focused on cycling but you almost have to be.

A couple of weeks ago I took a week off the bike (well I snuck one mid-week 15 mile ride in). Mentally it was extremely hard because the weather was fantastic but I knew it was best. My weightlifting days taught me a lot about overtraining and the plateaus that can happen if you train too much without rest. As I've gotten older I have realized my body just doesn't recover like it used to. So, after three hard days of riding I'll take one day off. Before big rides I'll take two complete days off.

What I haven't done is focus on some massage therapy for the legs. That's one of the things on the schedule for next season to see if that actually helps the legs and the mind recover a little better.

Now is the time to set your goals for 2011. Mix in short term with long term goals. For example, my overall goal this year was to get 3000 miles in on the bike. I'll hit that goal as I'm at 2900 right now. For me that's quite an accomplishment as I'm limited to about an hour and fifteen minutes a day to ride.

My 2010 goals looked something like this:

1) Begin road rides in February/March depending on weather to build base miles
2) By April start hill climbing work once a week
3) By May hill climb work should be up to 2 or 3 times a week to prep for the I Made the Grade hill climb in June.
4) June through September would see more interval training, some time trialing type work and a few longer distance rides to prepare for the Manastash Metric
5) October and November - three hard rides a week, one slower ride and weight training 2-3 days a week.

Enjoy the "off season" but also start planning for 2011 and write down what you want to accomplish.

A great Manastash Metric

2010-10-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday October 2nd saw another wonderfully successfully edition of the Manastash Metric/Half-Metric Century ride here in Kittitas County. The RSVP folks that sponsor this event have done a great job in creating an event that provides great comradery, food and fun with a course that can be challenging and beautiful at the same time.

The day started about 10 degrees warmer than 2009 but with a fairly thick blanket of fog. This delayed many riders from leaving as early as 7:30 am. By 8:30 when I started the ride there were many more riders showing up and checking in.

The fog lasted until the Ellensburg golf course on the S. Thorp highway and from then on it was beautiful fall weather. A small headwind welcomed riders to Elk Heights and then the trees helped make the wind less annoying. Most riders probably expected a tailwind from Cle Elum to Ellensburg and it seems that failed to materialize.

The barbecue after the ride was a great addition and the food definitely was welcome. By 11:30 the temperatures were in the high-60 degree range and heading upward.

Of course, what would a ride be without my focusing on some C&V (classic and vintage) rides. I was riding a 1978 Peugeot PX-10 and my dad was on his mid-80's Vitus 979 aluminum frame bike. Below are a few photos of those other C&V bikes I saw before heading home.

This 1982 Bianchi was being ridden by it's original owner. It appears to have seen a lot of miles but, like a well maintained car, these bikes will treat it's owner well with some routine work.

I never did find the owner of this bike - I suspect it's a late 80's to early 90's model

Finally, this bike was beautiful. 1986 Univega Nuovo Sport mixte. But, what was even better was how excited the owner was to have climbed every hill without walking. On a beautiful day this accomplishment means even more and it was all made possible by the RSVP organization.

By the way, I think this bike got more comments than any other one on the ride

Time to transition

2010-09-24T18:18:00.001-07:00

Here we are at the tail end of September and fall is definitely in the air. Brisk morning temperatures followed by some warmer afternoons. Makes for a beautiful time of year here in the Kittitas Valley.

With the change in season comes the change in training plans. Indoor training will start up sometime in October at the bike shop, days will be shorter meaning rides will need to occur mid-day or on weekends. Cross training opportunities abound as does cyclocross for those interested in the fasted growing area of cycling.

Rifle season for hunters will start up in a couple of weeks so riding in the hills on a mountain bike will be limited.

Start planning now for your off season to ensure your 2011 cycling brings many rewards.

Manastash early registration ending

2010-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Early registration for the Manastash Metric Century ride is ending tomorrow, Friday, September 17. After that the entry fee will increase $10. Shirts are separate this year.

Print off your registration form at http://www.drier-ride.org/registration.htm and then drop it off at the RSVP office at 707 N. Pearl to beat the deadline.

Cycling withdrawals

2010-09-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Since the digital tv signal switch for over the air (free) television I have enjoyed watching Universal Sports as part of KNDO's broadcast. The station broadcast a great variety of non-traditional or main sports like swimming, track and field, gymnastics and, most importantly, cycling.

The cycling events included the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a Espana, world road championships, triathlon championships, cyclocross world championships and world indoor track cycling championships.

Sadly, KNDO decided to quit broadcasting Universal Sports in favor of the regional SWX - sports, weather and light news - out of Spokane. This is an unfortunate decision in my mind as the KNDO stations will not get as many viewers when losing a "major" station like Universal Sports.

Now I have complete withdrawals since I saw three days of the Tour of Spain and then the broadcast disappeared. In fact, maybe it's some minor depression in knowing the only way I can enjoy all that cycling is via the internet and after having tv for free the past 8 yrs I have a hard time thinking about paying $15 for the Tours of Spain and Italy live on the internet and $30 for the Tour de France.

Group ride start time change

2010-09-07T22:01:00.001-07:00

Please note the group rides on Tuesday and Thursday evening will have a new start time of 5:00 pm starting on Tuesday, September 14th. This is to allow us a little more time to ride safely before it starts to get dark.

A new Facebook group

2010-09-07T21:52:00.001-07:00

For those of you on Facebook, a group called Ellensburg Cycling has been created that you can join. The hope is it can be another way to connect the cycling community in Kittitas County.

There are many things that you can do including:

1) Commenting on your favorite ride/route
2) Look for someone to ride with
3) Show a photo of your bike
4) Let others know where hazards (dogs, cows, obnoxious drivers) are hiding out

As you can see the sky is the limit right now. Several of us have been talking about a cycling club for Kittitas county. This page on Facebook can be a good indicator if that's even feasible.

Search for Ellensburg Cycling and join the group.

Cycling buries a great

2010-09-03T06:21:00.001-07:00

Au revoir

Today in France the cycling world will bury Laurent Fignon. Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984. He also won the Giro d'Italia during his successful run as a professional cyclist. He is most known for losing the 1989 Tour de France to American Greg Lemond by 8 seconds in the final time trial into Paris. He was 50 years old and lost a battle with cancer.

I was a teenager when Fignon broke onto the scene. We had to depend on delayed and heavily edited CBS Sports broadcasts to get footage of the Tour de France. I was just starting to really enjoy cycling and was having a blast riding. My perception (especially 1989) of Fignon was of the brash, quiet and non-sociable person that the cycling media portrayed him as. I bought, and read, his autobiography early this summer and realized Fignon was not the man that the media portrayed. He had a genuine love for riding and could be quite relaxed and fun to be around. As I read the book I realized Fignon started riding for the same reason I do - the sheer fun of it. It wasn't serious for him at the beginning. But, it soon became that way because he had such phenomenal talent.

Like most stars this image was created by the media because he got tired of his words always being twisted around and decided he was better off not talking to the press. One wouldn't know that without hearing it from him.

My view of Fignon has definitely changed. I admire this man for what he was able to do in the cycling world, especially when he really started riding as a teenager. He was so good that he could show up to some of the early races, with little practice, and riding a less than professional race bike and ride away with a win.

Injuries took their toll on Fignon and his career and, in my mind, probably prevented him from winning one or two more Tour de France races. He won his early races on a Gitane racing bike. I don't have a "Team Pro" model but, rather, will ride one of my other Gitane's with a token race placard zip tied on the frame in his honor today.

Au revoir, Laurent. Thanks for the memories.

Up for the challenge

2010-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

There are times I really hate having that little competitive voice in my head. For example, tonight was going to be an easy ride with the group after both mountain and road bike rides yesterday.

Do you think that happened? Heck, no. Seth takes off early in the group ride and, of course, I have to catch him. That hurt a little bit. After a couple of miles we get caught by a new rider, Robert. He keeps the tempo high (21 to 22 mph) out Lyons road. That stupid little voice in my head says "stay with him". That's easier said than done. Robert is a heck of an athlete - triathlete to be exact. Turns out he finished 4th two days before in an Olympic distance triathlon in Canada. During the entire ride it felt as if he was just toying with me. He could ride away at will and then held up and would chat for awhile.

My legs were heavy and burning the last 4-5 miles but I couldn't let any weakness show, even though I'm sure it did.

The benefit, though, is that intense workout will do so much for me in the form of conditioning and aerobic capacity. It was essentially a 25 mile time trial and I was completely gassed at the end.

So, to Francois and Robert, the two triathletes on our group rides this year - kudos. You guys are amazing athletes and serve as great motivation for the rest of us.

What two 6 year olds can teach us

2010-08-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

My two six year old girls are amazing human beings. They can bring back memories from my life in a heartbeat. They have also provided a glimpse into the real reason for riding a bike - freedom.

They recently learned how to ride their bikes and are going everywhere on them. I must hear "dad, I'm going to ride my bike" six times a day. Our recent camping trip saw Annika making repeated laps around the campground for three days (and sleeping very well at night as a result). The beautiful, carefree smile on her face every time she came by produced smiles from me. The girls have discovered what it's like to go farther and faster with the power coming from your own body.

I remember learning to ride a bicycle around 1973 on Excel St. in Spokane, WA. I don't recall the bike at all. I only remember being pushed around on the grass in the backyard to learn to balance and then being turned loose on the street in front of our house (and, yes, that was without a helmet. I don't think you could even find one then). The only thing I really recall vividly about learning to ride a bike was coming past my dad's 1960 Ford pickup and having a tire blow out on my bike. The loud noise surprised me to the point I almost crashed and probably had to check my pants.

Once I learned to ride my friends and I would spend afternoons riding around the neighborhood, laughing and enjoying ourselves. The best times were reserved for the little bike paths and jumps in the trees at Indian Trail Elementary School. That area seemed so large then and looks so small now.

My thoughts then move to my teenage years and exploring gravel roads, abandoned farm houses and seeing our friends while riding yellow Schwinn Continental 10 speed bikes. We went further, raced each other a little and enjoyed not being tied down at home all summer. We didn't need a mountain bike or a cyclocross bike for going off the paved roads. Those old Schwinn's were tanks and there wasn't much you could do to damage them.

The 80's were the college years and even more serious riding with other cyclists at Central Washington University. Again we were riding farther, faster and longer and enjoying the freedom of doing so. I was able to ride the Seattle to Portland ride in one day (192 miles) when I was 19 and participate in several 100K rides.

After college the riding came and went depending on where I lived. I rode a fair amount while living in eastern and central washington and did not ride at all while living on the west side of the state. Those are days I regret. I should have stayed consistent over the years.

I guess the point of all this is I have spent the last three plus years diving headlong into cycling again and being competitive with myself and others. How much bodyfat can I lose? Can I get down to 155 pounds and climb those hills faster? Can I do the same route faster the next time I ride it? Can I break the top 5 in a race? How quickly can I push myself to learn mountain biking skills so I can better my time in the race next year? It's all been competitive and intense. I track my mileage, speed, time, average speed and how I felt during each ride.

Watching my girls last week, though, caused me to pause and think. I don't need to ride that hard every time out. I can take a day to just enjoy the sights, smell the smells and listen to the sounds of nature. I finally took a casual ride last week on my 1982 Nishiki and stopped to take a couple of pictures along the way. It felt great!

So, thank you Annika and Victoria for providing me a little dose of reality into the real reason for riding a bike - Freedom.

Manastash Metric update

2010-08-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update. I heard from RSVP - the organizers for the Manastash Metric Century - and they wanted to let everyone know there will be a free barbecue after the ride for all participants. Early registration ($10 discount) goes to September 17th.

What to read

2010-07-29T06:59:00.001-07:00

I've had a couple of people ask me what I'm reading these days. Well, surprise, it's almost all cycling related. Below is a list:

Road Bike Action magazine - monthly subscription
Bicycling magazine - monthly subscription
Mountain Bike Action magazine - when I remember to buy it

The Story of the Tour de France - Part 1 & II - a synopsis of every race through 2007
Greg Lemond's Complete Book of Bicycling
Lance Armstrong - It's Not About the Bike
Laurent Fignon - We Were Young & Carefree - former Tour de France winner
Lemond - The Incredible Comeback of an American Her- by Samuel Abt
Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling - great 80's maintenance book
Mountain Biking Skills - a compilation from Bicycling magazine

Still to read:

Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling - updated version
Mountain Bike Maintenance
In Pursuit of the Yellow Jersey - by Samuel Abt (story of the controversial '98 Tour)
Champion: Bicycle Racing in the age of Indurain - by Samuel Abt

As you can tell I like reading about Samuel Abt. His stories are concise and have an interesting twist to them. There's one other I have read dealing with the end of Lemond's career and the rise of Lance Armstrong's before his cancer was diagnosed, but I can't find it right now. It must be on loan - I just can't remember with who.

Don't forget the Manastash Metric

2010-07-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

We're well into July which means the first Saturday of October is just around the corner. That, of course, means you need to register the Manastash Metric Century ride here in Ellensburg. Last year there were over 170 riders (I hope that's correct) that enjoyed a beautiful fall Kittitas Valley ride.

The sag stops were well placed and staffed and I would like to think everyone had a great time.

You can visit the ride's website here and get the registration information.

Chip seal 2010 - here's the roads

2010-07-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the county website and the list of roads involved in the chip seal program this year.

Cross training

2010-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

For years I have read of the benefits of efficient cross training. I even talked to other people about it. However, I never did pursue a personal variety in my own training. When living in eastern Washington I have primarily focused on road cycling with some weight training in the winter off season. When I lived in western Washington the focus was on bodybuilding.

Mountain biking this year turned things around. In fact, an article in a recent Bicycling Magazine was touting the benefits of cross training to avoid the summer boredom that often accompanies our sport. For road cyclists they suggested hitting the trails on a mountain bike and vice versa for the mountain bikers.

I shouldn't be shocked in the benefits I have seen in my summer cross training since the experts have been pushing it for years. But, shocked I am. It took years to overcome the mental drain and dread of riding in our persistent wind. Not anymore. If the wind is blowing hard I grab the mountain bike and head up into the hills where you are sheltered from it. The workouts can be as hard as you want them and, for me, they're typically harder than my road bike. It's an entire body workout and I feel fresh at the end of the workout versus relieved when you're done riding against the wind.

I have noticed my overall fitness increasing and my "personality" (this is how we refer to body fat in our house) decreasing. I have leaned up more the past 7-8 weeks than I have the prior 18 months. Much of that attributed to my new energy for riding - both on and off road.

To add another piece into the puzzle I decided to do a 5K run this past weekend for the first time since 1984.. Not only was I cycling but I was adding in a 2.5 to 3 mile run every couple of days, including a beastly hill climb run. While this created some new "pain" for my body it also shook up the metabolism and strengthened my new found zest for fitness.

It's too bad I was so stubborn to realize the benefits of mixing things up during the "season". I'm having a lot of fun and can only see pushing myself further as the intersection with 50 years of age approaches quickly.

Go out and find new activities to keep you busy and re-discover your love for life, fitness and cycling.

Road update

2010-06-23T21:28:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately I have little to report as far as the chip seal program in Kittitas County this summer. I emailed the Public Works department and have received no response. The list of roads to be sealed will be posted here as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Now I have to get serious

2010-06-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Or, maybe just plan on having more fun. Ever since participating in the 24 hour mountain bike race in Spokane I have been on the hunt for a decent mountain bike. I even sold the first road bike I purchased brand new, the 1997 Bianchi Trofeo.

Well, tonight the dream came true. Not only with the mountain bike purchase but also the fact that it's a Klein. For those who don't know much about Klein bicycles they were originally manufactured in Chehalis, WA. They pioneered the oversized aluminum frame tubing. They were purchased by Trek in the mid to late 1990's. Trek shut the line down a few years ago. Pre-Trek Kleins have quite a following.

I've always wanted a Klein and thought it would be a road bike. Oh well, this thing is awesome - and that's just from riding it around in a parking lot.

This valley is beautiful

2010-06-09T10:56:00.001-07:00

Went for a ride yesterday (on my 1987 Trek "tank") in the Naneum State Forest and was reminded how beautiful this valley is and how lucky we are to have such a vast network of roads - both paved and gravel - to ride on.

Summer road projects

2010-06-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

We're almost to summer (if the rain would go away) and that means road projects by Kittitas County, including their chip seal program. I checked the county's public works site this morning and there is nothing posted about a chip seal program yet. I am contacting the department to find out when information will be available.

There is some bridge work being done around the county. Check out the specifics on the Public Works Department website.

Great Group Ride

2010-05-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Group rides are continuing in the Ellensburg area on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. We leave from the Recycle Bicycle Shop on Main Street. Please feel free to join us. Today's ride was approximately 22 miles with a 17.9 mph average. We have riders of all ability and you will almost always find someone who will ride with you.

Here's some photos from today's ride:

Glad we don't have to climb those hills

2010-05-23T21:15:00.001-07:00

Watching today's stage of the Giro d'Italia today I was struck by the extreme fitness of these professional riders. Sure there are a lot of doping issues. While I don't like the doping I do completely get why it's done. In what other sport do athletes push themselves past the brink of exhaustion day after day for three weeks.

I like climbing hills but the steepest ones I've done around here hit 11% gradient or so. Mapmyride.com shows Hungry Junction Road as peaking at 19%. I don't think that's accurate. What is accurate is that hill is very steep, yet also very short.

In today's Giro stage the riders had to conquer to Category 1 climbs, with gradients often in the 8-10% range and averages in the 6-7% range, and one Category 2 climb. After that it was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) that gained 4,000 feet of elevation. In comparison, the I Made the Grade ride in Clarkston WA climbs just about 2,000 feet in the same distance. The peak gradient on this climb today was 22% with a 6 kilometer stretch that average something like 15% - and the winner, Ivan Basso, did the vast majority of it sitting in the saddle! There is not a ride in the Tour de France that compares to the brutal nature of this one - they may be longer, but not as consistently steep.

The pros did change their cranksets to a compact double (probably 50-36 or 50-34) gearing up front and a cassette in the rear where the large ring was maybe 27, 28 or 29 teeth.

Hats off to Ivan Basso - I was very impressed today.

Farrar gets another win

2010-05-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today's stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia brought Wenatchee's Tyler Farrar his second win in the race this year. Farrar made a masterful move coming into and out of the last turn with 250 meters to go and blasted his way to an easy win. Let's hope there's a few more wins in the next couple of weeks. Farrar currently is wearing the red jersey of the points leader for the race.

Mountain biking in the area

2010-05-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I am participating in the Round and Round 24hr mountain bike race on Memorial Day weekend and have borrowed my dad's Klein Pulse Comp mountain bike to get some work in offroad.

Going back to my youth I've never been interested in dirt riding. Initially it was the BMX scene - I never got it. Then in college the mountain bike thing was just starting to appear. Again, I had more fun on a road bike and just didn't have the interest in offroad riding.

After riding the past week and a half I'm afraid to admit I may be changing my outlook toward mountain biking. I live northeast of town and have ridden Schnebly Canyon (really rough, don't recommend it), Coleman Cr. Rd (fairly rough, but manageable - the waterfall through the rock cliff is pretty cool) and Naneum Canyon. This is by far the nicest road of the three and takes you back quite far into the Naneum State Forest.

I've yet to do any trail riding or anything really technical - I'm a rookie at this.

So, I'm going to have to start talking to more folks about mountain biking in the area to provide more information. I've heard the Taneum area has nice rides and there's always the Umptanum to Wenas (Selah) ride that you can find on Mapmyride.com. If you see me around town and like mountain biking, help me out and give me some ideas to post here.

A fun ride to do

2010-05-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a fun ride to do in June check out the 30th edition of the I Made The Grade in Clarkston WA. While it sounds imposing the event is well organized and the views at the end are spectacular. And, heck, $20 including a t-shirt is not a bad deal at all.

Giro d'Italia - bring it on

2010-05-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

The 2010 version of the Giro d'Italia started on Saturday. If you get your television broadcast "over the air" with an antenna then tune to Universal Sports, channel 23-2 to catch daily broadcasts.

Congratulations to Wenatchee's Tyler Farrar in winning Stage 2 today in Holland in a sprint. Tyler is looking really strong this year and his Garmin-Transitions team had a great lead out for him to set up the sprint.

Vintage projects galore

2010-05-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to obtain a mid-1960's Gitane road bike frame this week and have started the clean up. There are very few bikes around this old and while it's not a top of the line bike it should work nicely as a town bike or on the indoor trainer during winter.

It's tempting to try and put it back together as originally spec'd but I'll need work on that later. The original Simplex Prestige rear derailleur cleaned up fairly well and has a date code of 1968 on it. The paint is pretty rough and I'll work on some touch up if I can find a close match to the paint color. Hopefully, I can get it to pass the "10 foot test".

Here are some photos:

After a little frame clean up.

The left side crank arm and pedal before cleaning the rust

The left side crank arm after cleaning (before polishing)

Right side crank arm/rings before cleaning

Right side crank arm/rings after cleaning (before polishing)

The pedals will be challenge. They'll need to be taken apart and the bearings repacked and then the rust cleaned off as well. There are various methods to take off the rust. Today I was just using 0000 grade steel wool with a little WD40 on it.

Stay tuned for further updates.

When will the hurricane stop?

2010-05-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

We're used to a lot of wind in the Kittitas Valley - 10-15 mph is pretty normal. But, I'm not sure I can remember so many days of 25 mph or higher. It's been consistently at that pace for 8 days now with no end in sight.

Our group ride last Tuesday was a tough haul out into the wind - where you're travelling 9-11 mph into the wind and 30-35 mph with it behind you. In some ways conquering the wind is as rewarding as climbing a long hill. The only problem is mentally the wind just wipes you out. You try to stay positive and it just eats at you pedal stroke after pedal stroke.

Unfortunately, we have to train in it. Shorten up your ride and treat the wind as a "friend". Just like climbing hills it can make you a much stronger rider. And, think about it, at least you are not riding in the rain of western Washington.

And they still don't learn

2010-05-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Reports again today of three more riders snared in doping scandals. Such a shame. It's so hard to sometimes remain positive in this sport where so much of the news can be negative. But, I'll keep watching.

The real disheartening news was one of the riders of the BMC suspended earlier in March for doping with EPO. He readily admits it in this article.

Then to read an article in the latest issue of Bicycling magazine that more top level amateur racers are also doping and they're not on a professional contract and making money while riding. What's the point in this situation? I love competing but my long term health takes priority. In fact, I ride to improve my health not destroy it.

I remember back in my "bodybuilding" days receiving a order form for steroids in the mail from Canada. Was it tempting? Sure thing. Did I fall for the trap? Heck, no. I turned that form over to the DEA.

The point is there can be a benefit to doping - but it's usually only short term.

Riding for abused children

2010-04-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a nice article in the Daily Record today about EPD detective Drew Houck and his training for the Courage Classic this year.

Can the pros just figure it out?

2010-04-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Reading the weekly cycling news on Velonews.com and Road Bike Action (rbaction.net) there are three reports in the past couple of days of professional riders testing positive for banned substances - cocaine, EPO and Clenbuterol. Wouldn't it be nice if the professional peloton could figure out how disgusting this is for many of the fans. And these reports are just from the early spring races. Teams involved include Lance Armstrong's Radio Shack and world champion, Cadel Evans, BMC team. This doesn't bode well for Armstrong who is so anti-doping in his public statements.

Drugs have been a part of cycling - especially the grand tours - for many, many years. But, early on they were usually stimulants to keep cyclists functioning on a bike during these excruciatingly long, day after day, races. I can completely understand why they feel the need to do the doping - either keep up with everyone else or just not race. I'm sure most of these racers would be lost if they had to have a career that didn't depend on cycling.

Rather than playing this stupid game of the UCI doing doping tests and the peloton doing all they can to avoid detection - why don't they just say the cyclists can use whatever they want and if they die because of it (Tom Simpson and others) then so be it. It may sound harsh but the ridiculous nature of this game does nothing for the sport of cycling.

Spring professional cycling season is here

2010-04-20T06:51:00.001-07:00

For those interested in watching the strategy and suspense of professional cycling now is the time to tune in to your television.

Many of the one day spring classics in Europe are happening along with week long stage races that lead up to the grand tours - Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelts a'Espana.

Versus on cable and satellite systems will show the Tour de France again and already broadcast the "Hell of the North" (Paris - Roubaix) race. A brutal 270 km race that includes 29 sections of broken up cobblestone pavement and is quite prestigious to win.

So far it's been a successful spring for the northwest region with Wenatchee's Tyler Farrar winning multiple races and Bend, OR native Chris Horner becoming the first American winner of the Tour of the Basque country - winning on the final time trial by a total of seven seconds.

Universal Sports on the free, over the air, antenna systems (digital channel 23-2) regularly has downhill and cross country mountain bike races and has broadcast the world cyclocross championships and world indoor track champioonships. They will broadcast the Giro d'Italia (starting May 8), Vuelta a'Espana and the world road championships this year.

You can often find many of these races available via online broadcasts from different countries. I've watched broadcasts over the web from Australia, France, Germany, England and, of course, the U.S. with Versus online for the Tour de France.

The roads are cleaning up

2010-04-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

The county has been out cleaning intersections of the sand, rock and grit left over from the winter season. As I've ridden around the northeast part of the lower valley most intersections are now clear which means less chance for a sharper rock doing damage to your tire or the bike slipping sideways if you're leaning a little too far while turning. A few intersections where the gravel shoulder may be driven on frequently may still have gravel on the pavement - most notably Brick Mill and Fairview.

On another note, be sure to check your tire tread frequently before riding. I noticed last week a couple of small cuts in a tire that has approximately 1,700 miles on it. Without doing that check a surprise flat would be much more of an issue. As it is, I can now change the tire and ride with more ease of mind.

What a day to be a cyclist

2010-04-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

It is days like today that make it a joy to be a cyclist in the Kittitas Valley. Temperatures by 1:00 pm were close to 65 degrees with a light to moderate wind from the south. Perfect for a nice day of riding. For some reason the traffic was light and I saw at least seven other cyclists during my mini-group ride - three of us.

The beautiful scenery in the lower Valley combined with the views of snow topped mountains make me wish more people would try enjoying the scenery via pedal power. The deciduous trees are starting to leaf out and daffodils are in full bloom in many yards.

So, get out and enjoy these days before the temperatures are in the 80's and 90's and we're more concerned about staying cool than enjoying what this valley has to offer.

Group rides have started

2010-04-14T06:45:00.001-07:00

The 2010 edition of Kittitas valley group rides has begun. Seven of us ventured out to tackle stiff winds and enjoy a ride together. We had a varying range of careers represented from cabinet maker to earthquake researcher. It was quite a bit of fun, especially with the tailwind for the last half of the ride.

Come and join us every Tuesday at 5:30 pm as we start from the bike shop in Ellensburg.

Not sure I understand

2010-04-08T14:10:00.001-07:00

I've read a lot of articles on cycling trends, including buyers guides, the past couple of years and I started wondering whether I'm an oddball for not following the current trends and if I'm really that out of touch. I don't feel like I'm out on the fringe, but maybe I am.

I understand that modern bikes have quite a few advantages - namely stiffness, weight and aerodynamics. What I can't get over are the prices for modern bikes and components. Maybe it's all relative but a top line Peugeot PSV10 in 1984 sold for between $400 - $500 and weighed in at just over 20 pounds. This is a Super Vitus steel framed racing machine. With inflation that price would be higher now but not $4,000 to $5,000 as it seems many carbon bikes are priced at. Shoot when Bicycling and Road Bike Action magazines profile "affordable" bikes they all seem to be somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000.

I bring up carbon bikes because that seems to be where the marketing focus is let alone and it's enhanced by what the professional riders use. Steel, aluminum and titanium are still out there as viable bicycle frame materials but get little of the focus compared to carbon fiber in the cycling press. Weighing the risk and reward of large dollars spent with a cracked, broken and unrepairable frame just makes the carbon fiber too risky in my mind. Let alone the cost - I have a hard time buying a bike that costs as much as a decent used car.

Now, would I pass up a really nice carbon fiber bike - of course, not. It just wouldn't be my first option.

As mentioned there are numerous materials for bikes these days - aluminum, aluminum/carbon fiber, carbon fiber, titanium and the old stand by - steel. All have their positives and negatives. For example, straight aluminum has a reputation of being a harsh ride and is often made better with carbon forks and chain/seat stays. Steel can be a little heavier but is a smooth ride and durable and frames can usually have small bends repaired. Titanium is a nice, compliant ride but expensive to repair and new prices rival that of carbon fiber bikes. Finally, carbon fiber bikes absorb rough roads excellently and can be incredibly stiff which is great for putting more power to the roadway, but they also break instead of bend.

The average price of a decent road bike seems to be in the $2,500 to $5,000 range these days. I personally don't know a lot of people that can just drop that kind of money on a bike unless it's on credit. Maybe the phenomenon is similar to the days when I was buying revolvers. The rider has a case of the "gotta have its". You just gotta have it, no matter the price.

This winter I stood next to a rider who had a carbon fiber bike with carbon crankset, handlebars, pedals and shoes and proceeded to add carbon fiber clip on aero bars. With all that my 22 lb steel bike and me probably still weighed 20 pounds less than him. His bike may be stiffer and a little more responsive but he would still have that extra 20 lbs to overcome. My 26 year old Gitane racing bike weighs 19 lbs - not much heavier than the new carbon fiber bikes and it competes well with the newer bikes.

Call me old fashioned but I'm riding bikes that are up to 30 years old with no problems and I'm perfectly happy with them. I'll admit, though, they're not flashy or necessarily appealing to most riders but I enjoy the heck out of them. And, that's my main point - buy the bike that suits you and your style of riding. Don't bend to pressure - make sure the bike suits you. Nobody should judge you because of the bike you have. I was once told to always buy a little more bike than you need so you can avoid having to make unnecessary upgrades too soon.

Moving on to fashion - I see riders newly involved in the sport spending $75 or more for shorts and jersey's, etc. without even thinking about it. Again, my frugal side rears it's ugly head here. Now that I'm in my 40's I don't really care what others think of me or how I look when I'm on a bike. I used to, but it doesn't matter anymore. If I want to train in a t-shirt, I'll do it. I've never spent more than $40 on a new jersey or $30 on a pair of shorts. Do the more expensive shorts make that much of a difference - I'm sure they do. But, due to time constraints I rarely spend more than 2 hours in the saddle at a time so the cheaper shorts are just fine. But, you also have to take care of those close no matter the cost.

Just this last year I bought three used shorts in great condition and a used, full zipper old team jersey from Seattle for a total of $23. Two of the shorts were higher quality, thicker chamois models that easily had a few more years of life in them. I bought a used $70 fluorescent green windbreaker for $5. It doesn't really matter to me that it has grease stains on it - I wear it to be seen by vehicle drivers. My cycling clothes are functional, not flashy.

Deals are out there, you just have to be patient. And, don't forget to support your local bike shop. Prices may sometimes be a little higher but you don't have to deal with shipping and you may be able to try the clothing on first for proper fit.

I've passed many a rider who looked cool in their team kits or other expensive clothing but it didn't make them any faster. Would I ride my bike with a Radio Shack team kit, CWU team kit, etc. - yep, but not for the amount of money they sell for these days. Then again a lot could be said for the amount of money Nascar, NFL, NBA, etc. fans spend for team jerseys to look like their favorites.

The best thing about cycling is we can all do what we want, spend what we want, wear what we want. It's just sad to see the judging of others done on websites like Bike Forums or the pressure making people feel like they have to fit in or are not worthy because they don't have the latest and greatest gear or equipment. We ride bikes because we love them and we want to stay fit. The rest doesn't really matter.

Yep, another vintage bike

2010-04-07T22:12:00.001-07:00

Maybe things have gotten out of hand (in my wife's eyes) but it doesn't feel that way to me. I am thoroughly enjoying this classic/vintage bike scene. It's cheaper than having a classic or vintage car and I find it fun to see how different bikes ride and feel while on the road.

As posted at the end of February I recently purchased a 1977 or 1978 Peugeot PX10 frameset - frame, fork and headset. I also purchased some of the other parts I needed for this bike at the Cascade Bicycle Club swap meet to go with others that I already had. It took a little while for the build to happen but I have to say I'm really happy with it.

Two years ago I knew very little regarding the maintenance of my bikes - essentially how to adjust the seat, change handlebar tape and change tubes when I had a flat. It is astounding to think this mechanically challenged bike rider has gotten to the point where I can build a bike up by myself including overhauling and repacking bearings in the headset, bottom bracket and wheels, is amazing.

Simplex SX630 derailleur/Sachs Aris 12-24 7 spd freewheel

Sugino Super Mighty crankset - 52-44

Phillippe stem/CTA engraved lion handlebars

A Turbo saddle to go fast

Basic paceline rules

2010-03-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

There are some proper techniques and things to be aware of when you're riding in a paceline - multiple riders in a line working together to reduce drag from wind and to ride faster. One of the most important rules to follow is to maintain the same speed when it's your turn to "pull" at the front. It's instinctive to try and push a little harder but if you increase speed too quickly you can fracture the group making it harder for others behind you to catch back up.

The following tips are from Bicycling magazine:

KEEP THE PACE The number one mistake riders make is picking up speed when they get to the front, says Ignosh. "Some guys just want to show off; others are well-intentioned—they just aren't in tune with their effort and feel like they're supposed to take a pull, so they pull." As you're riding through the line, pay attention to the group's average speed and effort. When you get to the front, do your best to maintain those levels. The goal is to keep the pack together, not blow it apart or shell riders off the back.

MICROADJUST It's nearly impossible for everyone to put forth equal amounts of effort, especially on undulating terrain. You need to make adjustments along the way to prevent what Ignosh calls the Slinky effect, where the line alternately bunches together and becomes strung out, with big gaps. "It's better to make two small undercorrections than one big overcorrection," he says. "Think of it like driving: You don't slam on the brakes, then hit the gas; you moderate your speed." To do that in a paceline, try one of these techniques: Soft pedal: If you feel like you're getting sucked into the rider in front of you, take a light pedal stroke or two to adjust your speed accordingly. Air brake: An easy (and safe) way to trim speed is to sit up and catch some wind. It'll slow you down a notch without disrupting the rhythm of the line. Feather brake: Gently squeeze the brakes while continuing to pedal. You can scrub speed while shifting up or down as needed to alter your pace.

DON'T STARE Focusing on the wheel directly in front of you is a natural instinct when riding in a line, but it gives you zero time to react should something go awry. "Keep your head up and check about 10 meters down the road," says Ignosh. "Look through holes in the leading rider—over his shoulder, under his arm or through his legs—and ride proactively instead of reactively. This will help keep the line moving smoothly."

EASE OFF THE GAS Rather than accelerating when you pull, try to ride in the line at a steady pace and decelerate as you pull off and drift to the back. "This provides the right work-to-recovery ratio without all the punchy surges that tend to blow the weaker riders off the back," says Ignosh.

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE Pacelines are designed to share the workload, so limit your pulls to a few minutes to stay fresh and give other riders a chance.

CONSERVE ENERGY If you feel tired, sit out a few turns until you're ready to take another pull. Simply open a spot for riders to rejoin the line in front of you, or come to the front and immediately pull off and drift to the back. You'll do the pack a favor by staying with them rather than working yourself into the red and falling off the back, which makes the group slow down to let you catch up.

Group Rides 2010

2010-03-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's almost group ride time in Ellensburg for 2010. Two different groups will combine this year to hopefully create long term viability for group rides in the Kittitas Valley.

We will work toward three different rides this year including a regular evening ride, a weekday afternoon ride and a longer weekend ride. The latter we'll combine with a social function - The Tav, Palace Cafe, etc. after the ride. If there's time after the evening ride we can include the social function as well.

The regular weeknight ride will start on Tuesday, April 13th at 5:30 pm and will consist of a more regular route. Early rides will focus on group safety and pace line techniques. We'll try to start out into the wind so the finish will be with a tailwind.

Please join us on April 13th at the Recycle Bicycle Shop in Ellensburg for some comradery and fun riding.

Early season road conditions

2010-03-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

The nice spring like weather the first part of March has allowed for some nice riding on the local roads - almost 200 miles worth. I thought it might be a good time for a early season road report:

Hwy 97 - the shoulders are nice and clear - good riding there
Look Rd - the shoulders coming off Alford are a little dirty thanks to PUD putting in some new telephone poles. There is also a fair amount of debris between Brick Mill and Sanders heading south from the county trimming the trees and brush in the ditches
Parke Creek out by Kittitas was super clean this past Sunday and a real nice ride
Other than that most of the roads in the area are typical chip seal with a lot of accumulated loose rock and sand close to the edge of the road - stay off those areas.

Swap meet fun

2010-03-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was the Cascade Bicycle Club swap meet in Seattle. Last year was my first time attending one of these "glorified garage sales". I had so much fun in 2009 there was no way I was missing this years event. Besides, I had a few things I was looking for.

Three of us came from Ellensburg and we arrived about 8:20 am - forty minutes before the doors opened. We were about the same distance back this year as last. Once the doors open it's everyone for themselves and is an absolute mad house. Bumping and pushing your way through to look at parts. clothing, bikes, etc. This intensity lasted for a good ninety minutes and then it started to settle down. The weather was fantastic with partial sun and no rain while we were there. Overall, it was a fantastic time.

So, you might ask, what did I come home with. Here are the parts I had on hand for a new build.

I apologize for the photo overlap. I didn't get these downloaded onto my computer first so they are linked to a website photosharing site. Click on the photo to see the entire image.

Mavic GL330 tubular rims
Sachs Aris 12-24 7 spd freewheel
Campagnolo Super Record 53-39 crankset
Nitto Technomic stem
SRAM PC830 chain
Campagnolo Super Record shift levers
Campagnolo Super Record brake levers
Simplex SX630 rear derailleur (from one of my other bikes)

CTA handlebars with lion engraving found on Peugeot bikes

Results of the "treasure hunt"

1977 or 78 Peugeot PX-10 frameset
Modolo brakes
Forte CR150 ti pedals
Campagnolo front derailleur (unknown model)
Continental Sprinter tubular tires
Used full zipper jersey for those hot days or hill climbing
Brake shoes

Some of the crowd

Yep - a wipeout - the stupidity of it all

2010-02-17T19:43:00.001-08:00

Here we are in mid-February with weather that has had us feeling like we live in Seattle. Finally, yesterday we had a break, temperatures close to 50 degrees F and SUNSHINE! The only negative was the wind blowing at Kittitas County's normal 15-20 mph.

And, I guess I'm entitled to one stupid move for 2010. I just had to go for a ride so I grabbed my favorite '84 Gitane Sprint and headed out. Three miles into my route I turned west which then means I have a crossing headwind from the right (northwest). When the wind is blowing this hard it's easier to lean into it a little to keep from being blown across the road.

All was going well until I skipped a gear and looked down at the same time I hit a wind break. Well, leaning to the right with a wind break (and your eyes not on the road) causes you to drift right. I looked up just as I was nearing the edge of the road. I had time to hit the brakes and slow a little, utter a choice word and realize "this is going to hurt". Fortunately the ditch was pretty soft, although there were some large rocks in it and the bottom was full of water.

The tires sunk in the ground and the bike slowed quickly. I was able to get one foot out of the pedal and then the bike fell over with body taking the brunt of the impact on the edge of the road. I had to use my right hand to detach the other foot from the pedal, climbed out of the ditch, did a quick survey of the bike and wiped off some mud. My arm and knee hurt badly but there was no way I was not going to complete the ride. So even with 20 miles to go I hopped on and finished.

What a way to start the year. The worst part was a friend had just passed me in his truck and witnessed the whole thing in his rear view mirror. At least I was able to finish the ride.

My left arm has most of the scrapes and bruises. The bike looks ok with the left crank arm getting a little scraped and there's a small chip on the left seat stay.

So, what did I learn. As one person said on Bike Forums as a cyclist we will 1) crash at some point and 2) will not be able to avoid #1. It's been 13 years since my last crash and I can definitely go that long again.

Don't take your eyes off the road. Easier said than done. I like looking at the beautiful scenery of the valley, but my mistake was doing too much at one time. It's a lot easier to glance away but look frequently at the road.

It was a stupid thing to do and I'll remember it for a very long time.

Swap meet season is set to begin

2010-02-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

The beginning of a new year also brings the beginning of a new bicycle swap meet season. I hadn't attended a swap meet until last February and I have to say I am completely hooked now. There are treasures to be found, deals to be made and comraderie with other cyclists to be fostered. From new and used parts, to new and used clothing, close out deals, complete bikes and more - you can typically find something you can use.

The first big event of the year is on February 27th in Seattle. Information can be found on the Cascade Bicycle Club web site. Click on the link to their site in the link section to the right.

Happy swapping.

Thank you Kittitas County road crews

2010-02-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

I just have to take a minute to thank the county road crews for clearing trees and shrubs from the ditches on Wilson Creek and Look roads. We'll loose some wind protection in a few places but it will be great to have many of the branches that were growing onto the roadway out of our way. Too many times in the past couple of summers I had to dodge those branches by ducking (if a car was coming) or swerving into the lane to avoid getting hit in the face.

Soon, much of the gravel will be cleaned off the shoulders and we'll be into full time riding as the weather gets warmer, sunnier and drier.

Chip seal - a necessary evil?

2010-01-23T08:02:00.001-08:00

From the age of 10 or 11 I have been exposed to chip seal repairs on rural paved roads. The first experience was in front of our home in Whitman County on state highway 23. As kids we took advantage of the slow and stopped traffic to sell Walla Walla sweet onions in a roadside stand.

As a cyclist, though, chip seal on the pavement is a serious inconvenience, safety concern and can be a maintenance headache for our bikes when tires wear out much faster than they normally would.

One of the county engineers told me last year that studies have shown chip seal (gravel laid over oil/tar and rolled into the existing pavement) extends the live of the road by 70 years or so. They put primary roads in Kittitas County on a seven year cycle of chip sealing. It seems to me that some of the argument is just an excuse for not doing more regular road maintenance. Cracks develop in pavement - that's a part of life - but I don't see the county doing a lot of sealing of those cracks and doing more basic road maintenance (I drive thousands of miles a month so get a chance to observe a lot).

From a safety perspective the state laws state a cyclist needs to ride as far to the right of the roadway as is SAFE. The problem with chip seal is it eliminates your shoulder as a safe place to ride because it is never worn down by traffic and it accumulates all kinds of debris (sand and rocks) versus having that debris blown off a smoother surface by passing cars. Because of the elimination of the shoulder as a prime place to ride the cyclist is now forced out into the lane of travel to safely ride.

I cringe to think of the day we loose Look Rd to chip seal. It is, by far, the best road close to Ellensburg to ride safe and fast on. It is developing some cracks but none have been sealed by the county. It's a refreshing break to come off chip seal and ride on the silky smooth feel of Look Rd increasing speed and comfort even if it is only for five miles or so. But the day it is chip sealed will be the day I get more nervous and frustrated riding on it.

The biggest problem I have is much of the chip seal is not done efficiently. Gaps form in the gravel cover, rocks loosen up all the time and more importantly there doesn't seem to be much follow up to see how the seal worked. On my road, Thomas Rd, the chip seal is so rough and sparse in some areas it seems like an absolute waste of money to have even laid it down.

I recently decided to ride on the Vantage Highway, which was chip sealed this past summer. Normally I wait at least two years before riding a newly sealed road to give the autos a chance to wear down the rocks. The Vantage Highway is very heavily travelled and I thought maybe the pavement would have been smoothed out quicker than other roads. Safety was never much of a concern for me in the because I had up to 12 inches of shoulder to ride on as cars and trucks passed. Now you literally have to ride 12 inches inside the fog line to get any semblance of a smoother ride.

I only road for 2.5 miles on the highway and I was floored at the poor job the county did last summer. The chip seal undulates and skips and is one of the roughest pavements I've ridden on in the past year. If I worked at the county I would be embarrassed at the quality of work that was done. You don't notice it in a car, but on a bike you feel like you're being shaken all over the place.

Chip seal is obviously here to stay and we have to deal with it as cyclists. It would just be nice if government personnel thought of safety for all who use these roadways and became more proactive. For me, I'll continue to stay off the Vantage Highway and use parallel routes that are smoother and offer a more comfortable ride.

Winter keeps draggin' on

2009-12-30T19:50:00.001-08:00

January is almost here and this winter already feels like it's been three months long. It doesn't help that we had single digit low temperatures for almost two weeks in early December and then followed that up with 4-5 days of heavy fog. Add a little chemical de-icer on the road and there are not a lot of opportunities to get out on a bike on the road this time of year. I've got the cold weather gear but the indoor trainer in a heated room seems so much more appealing.

A few general thoughts:

1) Keep pushing hard in your off season workouts and try to include a spinning class at the Recycle Bicycle Shop occasionally. They're on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00. It's an incredible workout in good company.

2) Start setting your realistic goals for the upcoming year. Start with the big goals - x number of miles for the year, a certain number of rides, a double century, etc. and then work yourself back to shorter term goals. For example, I have a goal of getting into the top 5 in the I Made the Grade ride in June. That's the "big" goal. From there, I back it into a training plan with shorter goals. So, let's say in March I start by getting in one big hill climb a week, April it's up to 1-2 climbs a week with 1-2 days of intervals and by the end of May I'll be at 2-3 climbs a week. The key is the goals have to be realistic.

3) Cross train during the winter. Riding only on an indoor trainer can get boring. Go skiing, snow shoeing, swimming or join the local gym. Different workouts 2-4 days a week can keep the motivation high.

4) If they call the off season changing of drivers in Nascar the "silly season", what the heck is the offseason in cycling referred to. Checking Velonews.com or Road Bike Action (rbaction.com) and some of the other cycling sites shows an incredible number of riders changing teams each off season. It's enough to make your head spin. By the way, Team Radio Shack is looking really strong - at least on paper.

Spin classes start Tuesday, November 17

2009-11-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

Spin classes will start at the Recycle Bicycle Shop in Ellensburg Tuesday, November 17 at 5:00 pm. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the winter. Bring a dry change of clothes for after the workout. This is a great way to socialize and train with other local cyclists.

The mental side of a long layoff

2009-11-05T06:26:00.001-08:00

On October 19 I had extensive sinus cavity surgery that according to the doctor was going to require 7-10 days of recovery with no heavy lifting or exertion while everything healed. During one appointment I inquired how long before I could at least get on an indoor trainer. The reply was "at least two weeks" - he didn't want the blood pressure built up.

I had an appointment 10 days after the surgery to remove to splints on each side of my septum. Of course, the first answer about riding was no sufficient for me so I asked the next doctor the same question - when can I get back on the bike? His reply was much more acceptable - "now, if you feel you can, just don't take your heart rate up to 200 and work back into it gradually." Of course, that was the answer I wanted to hear and I was on the trainer fo 30 minutes that night. It felt fantastic to just spin the pedals and sweat a little.

As athletes (I consider myself one even though I'm not at elite status) we become fixated on our training to the point it's an obsession. For me, riding provides a positive mental outlook on life, allows me the chance to temporarily escape the stress of work and the chance to enjoy all nature has to offer. Not getting to ride for almost 2 weeks (too much winter preparatory work done the weekend before the surgery) it was safe to say I was going crazy. I hate being cooped up inside and not being able to do anything. Heck, I drove into town two days after surgery to pick my son up from football practice - and I shouldn't have. But, I was going nuts.

How cycling or fitness training in general affects our mental outlook is amazing. My training rides can hurt something fierce while I'm in the middle of it but the shrinking waistline, visible abs and positive feelings that come from that ride cause me to completely forget that pain immediately after the ride and do it all over again the next day.

This week I've been able to squeeze 21-25 mile rides in during the early afternoon before it gets dark and am probably pushing harder than the doctor wants but my brain says "you've lost too much in two weeks, come on - push, push, push". Sometimes the body responds and other times it doesn't. I feel like I lost a lot of fitness over those two weeks off the bike and as much as my brain says I can do something, physically it just doesn't happen. Of course, that could also be partly related to being in my mid-40's. I'm sure the loss isn't nearly as bad as my mind says it is.

During that long layoff I had to keep myself busy with other things to keep from going absolutely crazy with not riding. Reading, light work on the chicken coop and bicycle maintenance all helped me pass the time. I slipped a few mile long, slow walks in a few times but those even made me tired. But, it was hard, I so desperately wanted to ride and it sucks when you have to give that up. Sometimes the work to stay positive during your layoff is the hardest. Work at it and try to stay occupied to take your mind off the lack of training. It's the only thing to keep you sane.

I'll soon forget about that recovery period - heck, I need to. The days are getting shorter and colder and snow will soon be here so the opportunities for outdoor training are diminishing. Besides, I've had to deal with cows on the road (twice) and a car almost running a stop sign and hitting me this week - so things are getting back to normal.

A new vintage bike in the mix

2009-10-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Well, another vintage bike has arrived on the scene. Courtesy of my dad it will not be ridden a lot as it is fairly rare these days.

In 1973, the Teledyne Titan was introduced as the first mass produced titanium road bikes. They were only produced through 1976. My dad purchased his from Brittain's Cycle Sport in Spokane WA some time in the 1980's.

The bikes were raced but were also notorious for feeling like spaghetti (the frames flexed a lot) and fracturing/tearing at the seat post clamp and bottom bracket.

My dad's suffered a fracture at the seat post clamp a few years ago and he was able to have it repaired this year. The bike had a few upgrades done, including new tubular tire. It is a very, nice lightweight bike. It is also one I have been instructed not to ride it except on flat terrain and non-windy day. We live in Ellensburg so I think it will be safe on the wall.

Off season training

2009-10-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here we are in mid-October and we already had our first cold snap (with 90 minutes worth of snow at our place) and turbulent weather patterns. Everything from sun, sleet, wind, hail and rain with 30 to 45 degree F temperature swings.

I love fall and the changing leave colors and crisp mornings. My body also loves fall because it starts transitioning from the feeling of having to ride every day to pushing and pulling me into other activities as part of cross training and variety. Fall means cutting, chopping and stacking 3-4 cords of firewood and preparing the property for winter. It means walking a little more and enjoying the scenery - in general just slowing down a little. It means helping out with my son's AAU basketball practices. It means jogging every once in awhile. Above all else, it means getting some more rest. Cycling is still important but I typically drop from 5-6 days a week of riding to 3-4 a week. I don't stress as much if I miss a day of training.

One of the major studies that came out in 2009 discussed the loss of bone density in cyclists. Full time cyclists suffered from a considerable loss in bone mass when compared to other athletes who incorporate other types of training. As I approach my mid-forties the article definitely caught my attention. I spent over 20 yrs lifting a lot of weights and doing bodybuilding training and cycling was interspersed as additional training depending where we lived. Those roles have now been reversed. I am again % dedicated to my cycling and use weight training as a supplement in the off season.

I am now set for at least three months of gym membership - weights, treadmill and stairclimber. Add in 4-5 days of indoor training with the bike and the off season training should work well. I'll periodically get out on the road as I did through December in 2008 - but it won't be something I look hard for.

I'm looking forward to some variety and I'm sure my bikes are also as they'll get some well deserved maintenance treatment in the next few months.

So, enjoy your winter training - spice it up a little and remember the spring will come very quickly and we'll be back out on the road again.

Successful Manastash Metric

2009-10-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the revival of the Manastash Metric Century/Half century bicycle ride. When I registered at the end of August I was #21 on their list and within a couple of weeks the number of riders was in the mid-40's. I was surprised to find out that at least 157 riders showed up on Saturday morning to enjoy this beautiful fall ride.

While cold at the start the day was gorgeous with no rain (as advertised) and a moderate wind. The four rest stops were well organized and it appeared that most riders really enjoyed themselves.

As for me, I didn't stop at the rest stops since I wanted to make sure I was back in time to drive home, grab the kids and head to the CWU football game. Even without stopping I had a fond time remembering what this ride was like when I first rode it in the mid-1980's.

Let's keep up the momentum and double the number of riders next year.

The bucket list update

2009-09-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

A comment was posted on my last entry asking to revisit my bucket list from last November. So, I'll do that with a few other observations as well.

I've worked hard this year to get back into shape and, at almost 44 years of age, it takes so much more effort. I have fought a chronic sinus condition that has caused significant upper respiratory issues. My breathing felt somewhat normal approximately 3 months this year - and it's now September. Hopefully, this problem will be rectified with surgery on the sinus cavity scheduled for the third week of October.

So, some statistics for the first nine months.

Total riding mileage: 2,424

It's broken out this way:

1,025 miles has been done on my 1984 Gitane Sprint
185 on the 1984 Gitane Tour de France
around 1,100 on my1997 Bianchi Trofeo
The remainder have been on my 1987 Trek mountain bike and 1982 Nishiki Marina 12 (that's turned out to be a surprisingly nice riding bike).

I have increased the average mph speed from a year ago to between 20-21 mph on routes up to 30 miles. This is compared to 18.5 to 19 mph averages in 2008.

What's made the difference? I'd have to say it's focused training on hills, intervals and wind. You can't help but get stronger with the wind around here.

As for the bucket list I have accomplished a couple:

I Made the Grade - Lewiston, ID - 18 mile ride with a 7 mile, 2,000 ft climb at the end. I rode this in 1984 and have always wanted to do it again. Finished 6th out of 173 at 59 minutes and 58 seconds. This was an absolute blast of a ride. As a comparison, in 1984 I was 18 yrs old, rode a heavy old Peugeot with normal gym shorts and no training and I finished in 1 hr 10 minutes.
Manastash Metric Century - beautiful ride in Ellensburg WA the first Saturday in October: Scheduled to ride this in 10 days. My goal is to finish between 3 hours and 3 hours 15 minutes. This is a good fall ride with fantastic scenery.
Seattle to Portland - in one day (I last rode this in 1985 and would like to do it again) I am going to strive to do this in the next couple of years
RAMROD - Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day - my dad's favorite one day ride
Winchester Century - starts around Lewiston, ID

Finally, I had mentioned in November that I wanted to do some time trials. I didn't get a chance to do that in Yakima but did participate in a couple in Ellensburg late in the spring. The course is approximately 4 miles long with a moderate incline for about a mile in the middle of it. I used my 1984 Gitane Sprint with 36 spoke wheels and clip on aero bars to record a 10:25. I was really pleased with this effort - even though I coughed up a lung for two days afterward because of the effort. The next week the time wasn't as good but I still had a blast riding the time trial. If you haven't had a chance to do this type of race I encourage you to do so. It can really strengthen you both physically and mentally.

I have had a lot of fun this year riding and still kick myself for not staying consistent with it over the years. That won't happen again. Heck, I've lost 12-13 pounds this year and have a goal to lose about 10 more for "optimal hill climbing weight".

I have friends riding now who have lost anywhere from 20 to 50 pounds by riding consistently. Stick with it - there's nothing better than the good health and positive attitude cycling provides.

A successful year of group rides

2009-09-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was our last formal group ride for the year. Fall sports, school schedules and life in general has made it pretty hectic to keep going on a regular basis.

Our goal when starting the group rides this year was to create some comradery among cyclists in the Kittitas Valley and provide options for riding partners when you have just had enough of riding alone.

Fall brings shorter days, crisp air for your rides and new goals to work toward for 2010. Spinning classes will start before you know it and winter brings opportunities for cross training.

Thank you to all who joined our rides whether just once or numerous times. I hope you enjoyed the time together and will join us again next year.

Touching on cycling laws again

2009-09-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

I posted quite awhile ago about specific laws that apply to cyclists. I found a good brochure from the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission that spells out key issues nicely. Some of the key items in the brochure are listed below:

1) What traffice laws apply to cyclists? RCW 46.61.755 - cyclists have all rights and responsibilities of a vehicle driver). RCW 46.61.750 - cyclists can be ticket for violations of traffic laws

2) Can cyclists ride side-by-side? Yes, no more than two abreast. (RCW 46.61.770)

3) What lane position would a cyclist use?

When traveling slower than traffic, cyclists should ride as far right as is SAFE. There are exceptions:

when preparing to turn
when passing another vehicle
when on a multi-lane one way road

Cyclists may occupy the middle of the lane when

traveling at the speed of traffic
when the lane is too narrow to permit a car to share the lane
when road conditions (poor surface, drain grates, parked cars, etc) prevent riding to the far right

At intersections cyclists should utilize the rightmost lane or portion of lane designated for their destination. HOwever, if no turn lane is available, cyclists should occupy the left side of the lane to turn left, just right of the center of the lane of travel straight and the right side to turn right.

Some of the most important things to remember

a motorcycle is often hard for a driver to see and we're even harder. Wear bright clothing and even warning lights
Obey all traffic laws
Always scan for possible hazards to avoid
Approaching an intersection always have your hands ready on the brakes for that car suddenly pulling out or turning left in front of you (had that happen three times already this summer)

You can get more information on the brochure I found at the Washington Traffic Safety Commission website.

Manastash Metric needs riders

2009-08-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

The first Saturday in October is the Manastash Metric Century/Half Metric Century ride in the Kittitas Valley. This is a fun, challenging and scenic ride that almost always has beautiful fall weather.

As of today there are only 21 riders registered. More are needed. Please check out information for the ride at their website. Register before September 1 before the entry fees go up.

Farrar riding well

2009-08-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have to give a shout out to Wenatchee's Tyler Farrar who is continuing an excellent year of racing on the pro circuit with multiple wins in the Eneco Tour this past week and an overall position of 2nd after todays stage - 15 seconds off the leader.

I've been following Farrar since the Giro d'Italia and it's been fun to watch his improvement in each race and stage. To have a successful racer who grew up just over an hour from Ellensburg is encouraging for up and coming riders in the Pacific Northwest.

The dog days of summer

2009-08-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

I like baseball and have always found it interesting that August was referred to as the dog days of summer. I guess August is the month where the length of the 162 game season and the summer heat start to really wear on a player.

I was thinking this week on one of my rides that I've hit the dog days of summer for cycling. The temperatures have been higher than normal and the winds just don't want to let up this year. I'd love to ride in the early morning but my wife runs then and I've got to get to work so I am relegated to afternoons - usually the hottest part of the afternoon with the strongest winds.

Needless to say the motivation has suffered a little the past couple of weeks. To mix things up a little I have added some longer, faster paced walks and even a couple of runs in. I have had three knee surgeries so the running is held to a minimum. Still it is a nice change of pace to do something a little different. I'd swim if I didn't sink like a rock so, for now, I stick to land based activities.

So if you're struggling with consistency on the bike or a lack of motivation to get out and fight the elements go out and change things. Add some variety - go for a run, a swim or hike the ridge. Heck, load your bike up into your vehicle and head to a different place to ride. I keep mine in the car when I'm at work and have been able to ride this summer in five different locations. Just the little change of scenery does wonders to make the ride seem less of a struggle. Finally, find a friend to ride with. It's amazing how fast your ride goes (not literally for some of us) when you just have someone to talk to.

Tour de France withdrawals

2009-07-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

What to do now that the Tour de France is over? For three weeks I was up early on the Internet watching the live broadcast on Versus of the day's stage. I even had it plugged into my car stereo on the way to work everyday so I could listen to the commentary on the race.

Today was the first day (outside of the two rest days during the race) where there was nothing on. Talk about an empty void in my day. The excitement of watching the strategy play out, seeing the pain on the riders faces and being blown away at how incredibly fit these athletes are made the day seem just "ho-hum". Only work was calling.

I did an early 5:30 am ride to avoid the afternoon heat but it still wasn't the same. I guess the only positive is the years are going by so fast the Tour will be back before we know it. At least there's always the Vuelta in Spain.

Group ride change for Saturday, July 25th

2009-07-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

There have been some requests to move the group ride to an early start time and Saturday's. So, on July 25th we'll start at 9:30 am and see how the turn out is and evaluate whether we'll permanently change the time for the rest of the summer.

County chip sealing has started

2009-07-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Kittitas County has started their summer chip sealing projects. Below is a list of the county roads being sealed. I have not added roads inside town since there are easy ways to get around them. Ride safe and be aware of traffic as fog lines have yet to be repainted. Personally, I stay off these roads if at all possible for at least a year to let the cars wear the gravel down a little.

Lower county:
Vantage Highway
Reecer Creek Rd
Lower Green Canyon Rd
Clarke Rd

Upper county - starts July 13th
West Park
Kachess River Rd
Evergreen Way
Kachess Dam
Silver Trail Rd
Smith Drive
Cabin Creek
Airport Rd

The Tour has begun

2009-07-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

One of the depressing things about choosing not to have satellite t.v. (cable isn't an option) is I can't watch the Tour de France. I used to watch the delayed broadcasts for years when I had cable t.v. and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought I would really miss most of the sports on t.v. when I gave up the cable. However, the cycling events is all I have really missed.

The Tour is going strong with three stages completed. I have been able to watch internet broadcasts, which isn't the same, but at least gives me a little bit of satisfaction occasionally.

The suspense is already increasing to a media frenzy. How will Astana handle having Armstrong, Contador and Leipheimer on the same team? Will any of these three really respect the man who becomes the leader on the team? Will Mark Cavendish continue his sprinting dominance? Can local ride, Tyler Farrar of Wenatchee, rise to meet the expectations of the Pacific Northwest and America? And, it goes on.

Already there's been suspense with crashes, extreme heat and a move by Lance Armstrong during today's Stage 3 that surprised other general classification riders and allowed him to move from 10th to 3rd in the overall standings. With a team time trial set tomorrow Armstrong has a great shot of wearing the yellow jersey at the conclusion of that stage. Ah, I love the suspense and speculation. Who says Nascar's off season is silly - cycling can beat it any day for chaos.

Finally, I just to comment on something I heard the broadcasters on Versus say during Stage 2. And, of course, it revolves around doping. They stated there were very few professional cyclists that were doping now because of the testing rules that are in place. Excuse me for being skeptical but I just have a hard time accepting that. Too many riders are still being suspended for doping violations on an annual basis.

Finally, I'll go out on a limb with my predictions for the Tour de France winner:

1. Sastre
2. Contador
3. Armstrong
4. Menchov
5. Leipheimer

A great weekend

2009-06-22T21:37:00.001-07:00

A couple of posts back I mentioned how I was trying to cope with getting older. Well, for a brief period this past Saturday, I forgot about the age and experienced the action of riding/racing in a large group of riders.

Saturday was the 29th annual I Made The Grade in Clarkston, WA. The ride is a short 17.5 mile course with a 6.5 - 7 mile climb out of the valley at the end. The final climb covers approximatley 1837 feet of elevation change. Ellensburg was represented by three riders - myself, Chris Bruya and John Brown. For John this was his 5th time at the ride, my second (and first in 25 yrs) and Chris' first time.

For most people the ride is a fun and social event. For probably 20-30 of us it's a serious racing event with a lot of jockeying for position before the hill. I chose to ride my 1984 Gitane Tour de France, Chris was on his beautiful red and white Sekai and John had a blue and white Specialized Roubaix.

The lead group jumped out pretty quick and suddenly settled into a slow pace at around 19-20 miles per hour. It seemed nobody really wanted to get out and lead the group to the hill. So, after a couple of miles about 5 of us got serious and picked the pace up to 23.5 to 24 mph. It was a blast to be in this group and riding just inches off the wheel of the rider in front of me.
I think we all had a nice sense of accomplishment after the ride and enjoyed the best part - riding back down to the start finish.

Next year is the 30th anniversary of the ride and we need some more Ellensburg representation.

The truck loaded with our family "team" bikes

At the top of the hill

Chris Bruya before the start

Cancer and doping

2009-06-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Velonews.com had an article last week about 3 time Tour de France champion Laurent Fignon and his fight with intestinal cancer. You can read it here. I have several thoughts on this article and some of the comments contained in it. I was never a huge fan of Fignon but I did really enjoy the battles he had while racing, especially with Greg Lemond.

First, if Fignon's book is really going to get into the doping he's done and how rampant it has been, and probably still is, then I'd be real interested in reading it. Let's hope it is translated to English.

Second, fans are living in a make believe world to think cheating is not rampant in the elite levels of sports. Cycling has had plenty of scandals, and deaths, related to doping. Athletes and teams have proven repeatedly they'll do whatever to get an edge - sometimes it's legal, but pushing the rules and other times it not legal at all.

Tyler Hamilton just received an 8 year suspension for his latest battle with a positive test. Alex Stieda wrote about the temptation of doping in Bicycling magazine. And, now Fignon brings it up. Positive tests for doping/steroids/whatever you want to call it have come up in baseball, cycling, track and field, football, etc. There have even been reports of steroid use in professional golf. I don't know if that's true, but it wouldn't surprise me. At the elite level of sports, with so much on the line (aka money) cheating will always be present.

Third, from an average athlete's perspective all the risk of doping and performance enhancing drugs just doesn't seem to be worth it. I remember being approached about using steroids when I was doing bodybuilding training. Tempting? Of course, it was. Did I do it? Heck, no. I viewed it as cheating and wasn't willing to use them. I was around a couple of guys in college who did use steroids and I didn't like what I saw. However, for elite athletes who may see it as that little bit of an extra edge, I can understand why you'd take it.

Fourth, does doping cause cancer? Who knows. I'm sure it doesn't help but it is way too soon to jump to that conclusion. There are too many things these days that might or might not cause cancer.

Fifth, my thoughts and prayers go out to Laurent Fignon for a speedy recovery. We need voices like his still out there in the cycling world to hopefully help clean up the sport.

Struggling with getting older

2009-06-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

As my fitness continues to improve so does my frustration. It's probably a frustration that we all have at some point as we age. It takes longer to get in good shape, requires harder work to maintain it and is easier to overtrain.

I crossed 1,000 miles in training for the year today. That's not much for folks who commute by bike everyday, but I don't have that luxury. So, my fitness comes in 20 to 25 mile increments with occasional days in the 40 to 50 mile range. I have also found I can't have two hard days in a row. That realization really hit home today during my ride. I rode 46 total miles yesterday with much of it into the teeth of a 20 mph wind and a slight uphill grade. The temperatures were close to 90 degrees Farenheit and despite drinking two bottles of Gatorade and one of water I was pretty wiped out when I got home. Today the legs felt a little sore but overall not too bad when I started my ride. Then I got to the hills and the bottom dropped out. I just had no power and it all was revolving around the fatigue in my legs. It was depressing to think I couldn't do what I wanted today. But, at the same time, it was another learning experience. Instead of light, slower rides for "off days" I actually take an off day and stay off the bike completely. I am fresher the next day and have an easier time maintaining speed.

On the positive side, my average speed continues to increase. Last year I struggled to maintain 18.5 to 19 mph averages. With a large family I don't have the disposable cash for heart rate monitors or power meters so I do the best I can. I've added some interval training for the first time and climb at least one decent hill a week. With this work my averages, over the same routes, and with similar conditions, are now consistently between 19.5 and 20.5 mph. My body is getting stronger. The other benefit is I continue to drop weight. My goal is to get back to between 150 and 155 lbs - a good hill climbing weight for me. I started the year in January around 175 and am down to 164 at the last check.

Continue working hard and you'll see the progress. As difficult as it is, learn to embrace the wind (ok - anything 20 mph or less) and train with it. It definitely makes you stronger. And, above all have fun.

The Giro is over

2009-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

The last stage - an individual time trial - at the Giro d'Italia was completed yesterday with Russian Dennis Menchov holding on to the overall win, despite falling with 700 meters to go in the race. The roads were rough, wet and very slick and, in the blink of an eye, Menchov's front wheel shot out from underneath him and he hit the ground sliding between 30 and 40 feet before stopping. His team mechanic had a back up bike off the team car extremely fast and Menchov was back up and riding within about 10 seconds. Quite an intense finish to a tough, tough race. Many of the mountain stages had gradients of 11 to 13% in places and one stage had a 16% grade the riders had to climb.

Some overall observations about Americans in the race - Lance Armstrong was visibly getting stronger as the race progressed. By the last few mountain stages he was riding longer and longer up the climbs before being dropped by the leaders. It will be interesting to see if this race took too much out of him only 5 or 6 weeks before the Tour de France starts. Levi Leipheimer continues to struggle in the grand tours. Wenatchee's Tyler Farrar had a good showing in the sprints and it will be fun to watch his progress in the Tour de France.

On another note, Americans have some good looking prospects coming into their own for future professional careers. The most notable is Taylor Phinney who, this past weekend, won the junior version of the infamous Paris-Roubaix race that covers some of the nastiest roads you'll see in bicycle racing.

It should be a fun summer of bicycle racing on the pro circuits. Finally, for some fun racing action check out the Friday night race series at the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond, WA.

Finding a local ride

2009-05-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

If you have been struggling to find a new route to ride for your training check out Map My Ride .

Each of our group rides has been mapped and there are several other riders in the area that have created routes also. You can search by zip code and bike ride to locate a good selection of options.

Giro d'Italia

2009-05-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who get your television via over the air antenna, and who have the digital converter box, you can watch each stage of the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) on Universal Sports - channel 23-2.

It's been an interesting race so far with 11 stages to go. Narrow streets, steep, windy mountain descents and sustained breakaways make for some interesting t.v. Even if you haven't watched a race before, and think it would be boring, it's amazing how much strategy is involved. Which team is going to push the pace for their big star, who is going to be told to sprint ahead for a breakaway, when do you actually break and the strategy of setting up for the final sprint to the finish line.

Thursday will be one of the most interesting with a 61km (37.9 mile) individual time trial over some pretty rough, hilly terrain. This is each rider against the clock and it has the potential to break the overall standings wide open.

A list of Washington bike rides

2009-05-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a good list of bike rides in Washington by month:

http://www.bikingbis.com/blog/_WebPages/washingtonridecalendar.html

The feel of vintage steel

2009-05-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've spent this past week riding my 1984 Gitane Sprint, Vitus 788 lugged steel frame bike. It has been such a pleasure, especially since I've gotten the fit dialed in a little better, that it's hard to describe.

I spent a lot of time from the summer of 1985 through 1996 riding my 1984 Peugeot PSV10 over all kind of terrain and learning to love the feel of a French racing bike. The Gitane brings back many, many memories of those early days of my cycling life. As I described on the GitaneUSA.com forums, the ride feels visceral compared to the 1997 Bianchi that I have had as a primary bike for the past 12 years. The handling is crisp, almost twitchy, yet precise. The bike inspires such a confidence that you cannot help to become a better rider.

In some circles my bike is considered vintage. In others, it's considered old fashioned with it's 6 spd freewheel and downtube friction shifters. It's amazing how fast I switched back into friction shifting from indexed. I rode the bike for about 90 miles this week and when I started I was glancing at the freewheel when shifting to ensure I was hitting the right gear. Now, it's all by feel - the shifting is quick and precise. The freewheel hums as the bike just glides along the country roads.

I've added my Scott clip on aero bars from the early 90's - some might say it's a "cheesy" look, but it's the first time I've been comfortable using them so I'll keep them on for now.

Group rides = fun

2009-05-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

The goal of our group rides was to provide a way for cyclists in the area to meet and enjoy each other's company while riding. For the most part the rides have been on fairly flat courses with moderate wind - a luxury for Ellensburg. I missed one weekend's ride due to my wife's participation in the Bloomsday run in Spokane and, I have to say, I really missed it.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to add a little hill climbing to our ride. Although, this ended up being a little more than a little climb, it required some good effort for about 2 miles. At the steepest part I was up off the saddle in the 42-21 and 42-24 gears. Those in the group with a triple chainring set up didn't need to stand but definitely had to drop into the small ring.

The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after climbing a good hill is like none other. Besides, coming down was an absolute blast for me - not so much for the others. Let's face it, I'm somewhat aggressive on hills - both up and down.

The approach - you could see it for a couple of miles

Going under I-82 - the steepest portion

The Kittitas Valley - what a view

The day was not completely without incident as two of us experienced flats with the rear wheel on the way back up Canyon Rd. Two tubes later (one with an insanely long valve stem) and we were rolling again.

Next week we'll be back to a flatter course (for those not doing the Crime Stoppers ride in the canyon) and hopefully the weather will continue to be perfect.

Taking that time off

2009-04-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today was the second group ride here in Ellensburg and we were lucky to deal with moderate winds (after four horrendous days of 25 mph + steady wind) and a nice 19 mile route.

I'm not sure about the others in the ride but I felt pretty strong. I rode the 9.5 miles to the start (slightly downhill and with some wind) at a 23.5 mph avg pace. The group ride averaged 15-17 mph and then I had the 9.5 mile uphill trek home which took 36 minutes.

On the way home I pondered why I felt strong today and I could only come up with one thing - rest. I've been very busy with coaching my son's baseball team and watching my daughter play softball. Because of our six days a week schedule at the ball fields the riding is a little more sparse and has to be of good quality. This past week consisted of:

Sunday - group ride - total 34 miles
Monday - 8 miles - shake down ride for my daughter's Trek that was just overhauled
Tuesday - 21 miles - in 20+ mph winds on one of my 1984 Gitane bikes.
Wednesday - day off
Thursday - day off
Friday - day off
Saturday - 35 minutes on the indoor trainer

So, that's a total of only 63 miles for the week. However, when I was by myself I pushed hard and kept the heart rate up in the 170-180 range. My normal riding schedule usually has a day off after three days of riding to give my old knees a break. Now, with the two extra days off I'm feeling more refreshed and extra power in the legs when I climb back in the saddle for a ride. I'm not losing nearly as much aerobic capacity as my brain thinks I am.

So, train hard, but take those rest days. Even if your rest day has some riding in it - take it slow and easy and give yourself a chance to recuperate.

Group ride #1

2009-04-19T17:10:00.001-07:00

I want to thank the riders that showed up today for our first group ride. We had a total of 7 cyclists (including one tandem) meet to tackle the first ride of the year - a nice 23 mile relatively flat course on an absolutely gorgeous spring day.

We will continue every Sunday through the summer with the exception of holiday weekends - Memorial Day, Labor Day and July 4th weekend. Other than that all are welcome to come and ride with us and enjoy the comradery and conversation that comes with cycling together.

I apologize for the fuzzy photo but it gives an idea of the beautiful day we had.

Conquering the hill

2009-04-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Four weeks I posted about my struggles up one of the steeper hills in our area. Mapmyride.com shows steady gradient of 7-9% with the steepest part at 11%.

The fact that I failed to make it up that hill and almost passed out trying had really bothered me. In contemplating what may have gone wrong I started pointing the blame at over aggressive riding at the bottom of the hill.

Yesterday I had 90 minutes of free time while my daughter was at softball practice. I was determined to tackle that hill again. So, this time I rode an easy 18-19 mph pace to the hill, tackled the early bottom portion without pushing real hard and then settled in for the big part of the climb. It wasn't too long before I hit the lowest (39-26) gear. After a hundred yards I realized the hill was just too steep to sit the whole way. I shifted to the 39-23 and stood up for all but the last 400 yards or so. Lowest speed was 6.5 mph and the high toward the top was 10.5 mph.

The best part of the ride was the downhill - 50.1 mph was the maximum. And, it was still as exhilirating as it was 23 years ago.

Group Rides start soon

2009-04-07T22:02:00.001-07:00

Spring is finally trying to make an appearance here in the Kittitas Valley. The four days of 65+ degree weather since Saturday have been a blessing to those who tolerated the wind and cold of March while trying to ride outside.

Sunday, April 19th will be the first day for group rides. The start time is 1:30 pm and leaves from the Ellensburg High School parking lot. Early season rides will be 15-20 miles and will lengthen as the season goes on. Riders are encouraged to ride more after the formal group ride if the desire is for a higher mileage total on the day.

Spring break and time off the bike

2009-03-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

This past week was spring break in Ellensburg and for a cyclist with a family it can be frustrating. We had a mini-vacation to N. Idaho and there was no room, or time for the bike to go. After the prior Saturday's ride a little recuperation was probably not a bad thing.

We got home on Wednesday evening and I spent Thursday afternoon starting the build on my 1982 Nishiki. I still need some shifters and possibly a shorter bottom bracket spindle and then I'll have it ready to test.

Friday was spent in Seattle and by the evening I was going nuts having not been on a bike for 6 days. I hooked my winter training bike up to the trainer in my bedroom and proceeded to watch Gonzaga get trounced by North Carolina in the NCAA tournament. At least I was riding - and sweating - again.

Today, we had things scheduled in the morning and the early afternoon with a dinner get together in the early evening. I decided I absolutely had to get on the road and headed out a little after 4:30 pm a personal time trial to our dinner location. I decided I would push fairly hard but not all out because of the cool air and some upper respiratory problems I've been dealing with.

The temperature was in the low 40's with a 5 -10 mph wind when I started. 5.5 miles into the ride and the wind kicked up a notch and heavier rain drops started to fall. Good thing the ride was a short one. I fought the headwind for 2 miles and struggled to maintain a 19-20 mph pace. Turning southeast at the 7.6 mile mark brought a crossing tailwind and I was able to pick up the pace maintaining 25-27 mph for about three miles before slowing to go through a traffic area. As I was within 3/4 mile of the finish I noticed some friends behind me and decided I wasn't going to let them pass me. The wind was directly behind and I was quickly up to 29 mph before finishing - with them behind me. Overall the ride was 12.14 miles with a time of 33 minutes 57 seconds and an average speed of 21.5 mph. I felt real good about that pace having not ridden on the road in a week.

I do need to figure out my breathing. I am encountering side cramps on almost every ride which is indicative of the diaphragm having spasms. Today it didn't hit until the last moderate hill so I was able to push through the pain to finish.

Another few weeks and we'll start group rides. My outside riding will be limited for the beginning part of April thanks to baseball practice (I'm the coach) almost every day. I'll have to stay consistent on the trainer.