Tidewater Randonneur

Cycling at the Beach

2011-06-14T20:14:00.004-04:00

Riding in Virginia Beach is down right dangerous. It's due to a combination of ignorant citizens and poor city planning. The city council pretends to hear about crimes against, and the accidents involving bicyclists however, little is done.

As I write this, the Tidewater Bicycle Association is speaking to the city council about safety along Shore Drive. Since living here, I often hear of stories of cyclists (and pedestrians) killed along Shore Drive. A riding buddy broke his neck when t-boned by a lady who didn't see him. He had the right of way. She was never charged.

The Tidewater Bicycle Association has a reward for information about an accident in early May:

Dunham was seriously injured in the incident, which police are investigating as felony hit-and-run. The circumstances are not clear, police said, but a witness described a possible suspect vehicle as a blue truck.

This morning I was stunned when I read this article about thumb tacks on the road at every intersection in the Pungo area of Virginia Beach on Saturday morning. Pungo is (was) one of the safest areas to ride in the area.

I've been a little skittish about riding around Virginia Beach for a few years after being run off the road by a large truck with a 2 foot lift. I've been thinking, why in the world does Bobke talk about carrying a bazooka in the Road ID commercial? Question answered.

See you on the road.

Wintergreen

2010-07-11T13:33:00.003-04:00

A short rest on the way up.

On Saturday we headed over to the Blue Ridge Parkway. To get up there we rode along the rolling hills on Rock Fish Valley Highway through Nellysford, VA. The goal was to get away from the flatland and ride some hills. We headed up the Reeds Gap and its 15% grades. SHEESH, mission complete.

The grades were difficult on the way up and pretty much frightening on the way back down.

I took a couple novice flatland rider with me on the trip and we had a great time.

As we approached the climb, I noticed we were a rider short and pulled over at a gas station to wait and refuel the water bottles before the real climbing. 15 minutes later, he came up saying he had a flat. Ryan kept stopping to inflate the tire because he wasn't sure how to replace the tube. No problem, we'll give you a class right here. We got the new tube but it wouldn't hold air. So, he also received a class on patching a tube. A little over an hour later, we headed up the hill.

Ryan was riding well but the steep grades proved to be a little much. He stopped to rest and couldn't get on the bicycle. He almost fell over a couple times and I was concerned for his safety and told him to walk up to a flat area ahead at the Wintergreen Ski Resort. After a short rest we headed they headed up the hill. I took a short detour and chased them up. Then it happened.

We watched as Ryan's momentum slowed with each pedal stroke until he was hardly moving. He unclipped the wrong foot and fell. Laying on the side of the road with his feet and bicycle straight in the air. In between laughing and trying to stop without falling myself, I managed to get a photo of the spectacle.

After the descent, Ryan mentioned he was having shifting problems. I noticed he bent his hanger and derailleur in the fall. It looked like he could make it the 14 miles back to the car. When we pulled out of the parking lot, he fell again. I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought he was the biggest klutz, a member of the Bad News Bears. But that thought left when I realized what really happened.

As he shifted to an easier gear, the angle of the derailleur sent the chain over the cassette and pulled the derailleur into the spokes, stopping him dead in his tracks. His ride was done for the day.

We road back to the car, retrieved Ryan and his dead horse and headed back to the flat land after some BBQ.

Although his first ride in the hills was a chaotic failure, he had a blast and is ready to head back in the near future.

Tappahannock 200k permanent - Hot, Hot, Hot

2010-06-28T16:19:00.003-04:00

The Tappahannock is one of my favorite rides in VA, partly because of the 2-hour drive from my house and partly because it has just enough climbing to keep it interesting. The majority of the route is on narrow 2 lane roads with little traffic.

The first 75 miles flew by with cooler temperatures (read only 90F), a slight breeze and some cloud cover. What a great way to spend the morning!

Unfortunately after leaving the Tappahannock control, the cloud cover lifted (or burned off), and the oven was on. Kim and Keith caught up to me on the road to Sparta. I hung on for ~4 miles but then started getting chills and thought it best to slow down and ride at a sensible pace marking the beginning of a very long afternoon baking errr..riding. A few miles later I found some shade to relax in, drank some water and ate a little.

Eventually I found myself in Sparta. Sounds exciting right? Sparta is a village marked by a post office/gas station. I think the majority of the population was chillaxing outside. They informed me that Kim and Keith had just left. A toothless (for real) fellow had a bag of ice that Keith left and was about to take it to his cooler. He was kind enough to ask if I wanted it. I left little doubt as to my need at the moment.

I had been thinking about ice socks for the previous ten miles and this gave me the opportunity to give it a try. I filled a tube sock with ice and placed it around my nape under the jersey. Not sure how much this helped the next 20 miles but it was worth it to have something feel cool. Dr. Lim formerly of Garmin now with Lance says it works so why not give it a try.

I was sitting on a bench having a beverage and some nuts outside the 111 mile control when Ron and Tom arrived and talked me into riding the final leg with them. Sure, why not. I felt great until the last 4-5 miles. I drank too much water and felt nauseous but needed to eat to avoid the monster. In the words of Jon Pasch, “Bro, this is not good.” I pushed onward making it to the final control.

Summary:

What a great way to spend a summer day. Riding a bicycle through the beautiful country side.

I enjoyed the permanent version of this route. The finish is different than the brevet version.

This will be a great October-November route.

Stay tuned, the adventure is not over…not even close!

Tom, Ron and I went to the Waffle House before venturing back home and had some grease to top off our empty fuel tanks. Once on the road I was good until I approached Williamsburg, VA. My automobile became Apollo 11. In indicator told me to check my breaks, next the ABS light went on. A few more miles and the dash lights went out. A few more miles and the headlights, dash, and air were all off. I pulled over and coasted up the exit ramp near Toano, VA. I called for a tow to a service station that would open on Sunday AM and got a hotel down the road.

I was standing out front of the service station when they opened on Sunday AM. They got to work on the vehicle. The battery was dead (ya think?). They told me nothing was wrong with the alternator. Hummm, truthfully I think they didn’t want to replace the bad alternator. Somehow I drove home. The car just spent the day at the dealer getting a new super expensive alternator.

Conspiracy theory:

Car paid off on June 1.
The title arrived in the mail last week.
There must be a self-destruct sequence programmed into a chip somewhere in the vehicle. “They” will get their money one way or another.

Lollygaging - Morrisville 300k

2010-04-29T22:14:00.001-04:00

My take on Saturday’s 2010 Morrisville to Seagrove, NC 300k is a tardy. UMMM, the dog ate my write-up. Oh yea, I don’t have one of those.

We met in the usual place said hi, registered and RBA Al gave a brief to the riders. I started the day feeling strong and hung with the lead pack until Jack Bennett Road a nice little climb that starts with long false flat. I rode most of the way to the next 2 controls solo completing the first 100k feeling great.

I departed Siler City for the short trip to Seagrove with a group of 5 or 6 riders. My legs were still feeling great for about 10—15 miles. After a little pull on Coleridge Road, I lost some horsepower and slowed. Then I slowed some more and maybe even some more. The next 15 miles were a little miserable but mentally I am in the game and knew a rest waited up yonder!

The Seagrove Control came just in time. I refueled my fuel, and topped off the water. The volunteers at the control were a very kind and most importantly they had sun screen. Although as I dawned the lotion, I figured I probably would be jinxing the entire ride with rain.

I tore out of the control on a mission to make up some time. Flying up and down the rolling terrain and zipping around the corners until I mistakenly made a wrong turn onto Trinity Church Road and explored 4 miles of the wrong road. Finally I looked at the odometer and thought, I should be at the corner in Erect. GRRRRR. I’m sure I said a few words that I learned in the Marines and can’t repeat. The bonus miles kinda sapped my motivation and I proceeded to lollygag all the way back to Siler City.

Do you know what that makes me? A lollygagger. (Bull Durham)

To my surprise Ron and Sridhar were sitting in front of the gas station eating some delicious snacks when I arrived. While I was taking care of the logistics at the control, my jinx prediction became a reality with the first of several showers.

Ron, Sridhar and Matt the ROMA RBA rode on and off together until a stop at the Andrews Store. Notable here was the amount of rednecks coming from a nearby concert that kept buzzing our posse. Insert more colorful phraseology here.One stretch of road was lined with fireflies. However, with the lack of visibility and the slippery pavement, the pace became decidedly slow. Ron and I lollygagged to Al’s house sometime before midnight.

Morrisville-Siler City 200k 2010

2010-04-14T11:24:00.002-04:00

Saturday marked the traditional the beginning of the NC brevet ‘season.’ This is not entirely the case with the additional offerings being offered on the calendar. Most of the riders had several brevets or permanents under their belt before toeing the line on Saturday. I still like to think of Al’s 200k as the beginning.

As a side note, Coho bicycles were rolling 5 deep on Saturday. I had the opportunity to check out Jerry’s ride with wood fenders and Wes’s with some serious gold flake. Nice machines gentlemen.

While we prepared bicycles in the parking lot and registered for the brevet, the ride actually starts days prior. It reminds me of a show like the Blue Angles. Their show starts before they arrive at an event. Once the logistics are set up, and the planes arrive. Everything they do when they are at a venue is choreographed. On show day, the real show begins. They march out to their F18s in a ceremony. Each member is introduced as they climb in to the cockpit. The ritual continues one by one. On a cue, number 1 plane taxis followed by the rest. Soon they are in the air performing a masterpiece of precision. The crew and pilots spend hundreds of hours preparing for 10 minutes of flying. A brevet is similar in that weeks of preparation go into a single event.

My preparation for the event in the crucial days prior was horrible and it showed within the first 10 miles as my gas tank emptied. A 24 hour post at work Thursday evening left me drained physically. I had poor nutrition on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I could have done a little better on the food part. The biggest mistake the morning of the ride was not fully topping off the liver glycogen. It only takes a few hundred calories to do the trick. I think I had only1 Gu. OOPS.

After dropping from the pack, I decided to just ride and make the best of it but I still wasn’t eating and drinking enough. Sometime before the first control in Snow Camp, I started feeling a little achy all over. I came up with a plan that would change the day for the better. 1. Drink more water. 2. Eat more chow. 3. Get some electrolytes in the system. Shortly after leaving the control, I felt like great and rode strong. Of course that is easy with a nice tailwind.

My second mistake occurred at the Siler City control. Once again, I had an exact plan of what I needed to do and started executing upon arrival. I planned to top off water, grab a sandwich for the road, get card signed and depart. I was held up by the lottery players in the gas station. The NC lottery must have some good pay outs because this happened at every several controls on the Fleche as well. Things went as planned, I thought. I headed back to Snow Camp. When I arrived, I realized I left my card in Siler City. OOPS.

I continued with my plan, topped off water etc. Another rider mentioned he saw it sitting on the ice machine in Siler City. I debated returning to get it for a second but thought I should wait to see if Sridhar grabbed it on the way out. He arrived like Saint Nick with the card. SHWEWW.

Another successful ride with some good lessons learned. Thanks to Sridhar for grabbing my card and to Al for a great route, the sandwich and cold ESB at the finish.

Congrats to Mike D and his accomplishment of 100 straight months of at least 100 miles.

Fleche NC 2010

2010-04-06T10:42:00.002-04:00

Fleche 2010 began well before the official ride start. According to RUSA, the fleche is a 24-hour event held on or around Easter weekend. This is an ACP-sanctioned event. No rest stop may be longer than 2 hours…A minimum of 360 km must be covered during the event.

First, we had to recruit team members for the adventure. This proved to be fairly difficult but there seems to be no shortage of the mad itchin’ for adventure. We quickly filled our tentative roster only to have 2 randonneurs back out due to prior engagements. They were promptly replaced and one of these had to back out due to prolonged illness. With that, the team ‘Riders on the Bubble,’ was set with team members Gary, Sara, Maria and me.

Next, Gary liaised with RBA Tony over the route and we received updates on the progress as the route evolved. I must point out Gary with Tony as tutor worked hard on the route and it was evident; the route was great.

Logistics was the next obstacle. We decided to drop vehicles at the finish and car pool back to Gary and Sara’s as the start was less than a mile from their home. This would require a full day driving in the car. My car ride tallied 7 hours. It was worth the trip as I had wonderful hosts and received a full and peaceful night’s rest.

After a quick ride to the starting control, we were almost nearly set for the impending adventure. Wait, no…we weren’t. Gary and Maria had to turn around and get a control card. Good to get Murphy out of the way prior to the event right?

Our route took us out of Apex, NC on the American Tobacco Trail before reaching the first control in New Hill. As we wound our way through the country side, we noticed several cyclists out for a Friday morning ride. It was along this stretch that we noticed the sign for a farmer selling ‘tomatoes.’

The winding route took us to Angier then we bopped to Benson. The temperatures kept rising. We reached the Smithfield control and I was cooked but no time to whine we had more miles to cover before sundown.

Arriving in Mt. Olive, home of the pickle fest, around 1800, I completed the chores were found some shade outside the convenience store to cool off and eat. It was cooler at 85F+ outside than inside the store. Note: chores usually include 1) get control card signed; 2) replenish supplies as required. Today it included cooling down. I ditched my civvies in a dumpster that I thought wouldn’t make too much of a difference when the ride began. This helped rid the bicycle of 2-3 lbs and made the rest of the rout mentally easier. I wolfed down a ham sandwich, a Coke and checked in via Twitter. I received a message from Branson who was doing the virtual eFleche from his desk. He stated the temperatures in Smithfield topped out at 90F.

We reached Kinston in the dark and made our way to Ayden for the next Control. Topping off and carrying some extra water we headed out towards Cape Carteret in the dark. We passed through Cove City, Trenton, and Maysville. The most difficult part of this part of the ride was staying awake and not crashing during the micro-dozing. Finally as the sun was rising, we approached Cape Carteret. I smelled sausage coming from the small restaurants.
We reached the 22 hour control with just enough time to sit and have a cup of coffee and a little food. I mistakenly chose to eat an egg and cheese bagel and when we departed the control I left portions of it out the parking lot and all the way over the intercoastal bridge leading to Emerald Isle.

We were truly on Riders on the Bubble as we headed up the island towards Atlantic Beach. Our pace guaranteed a finish baring any mechanicals. All members of Riders on the Bubble completed the ride. We were greeted by several riders that had completed in the previous hours which added to the motivation of finishing. I think I can speak for all of us by saying we would do it again next year. Thank you to RBA Tony Goodnight for setting up the ride and choosing a great location for the finish.

[I will post pictures later today.]

Ride Around Massanutten Mountain 200k

2010-03-21T22:29:00.002-04:00

Yawn...Stretch...I finally mustered some strength and came out of hibernation along with beautiful spring weather just in time for the Ride Around Massanutten Mountain 200k Brevet. I figured all I needed to worry about was climbing the back side of Edith Gap and it would be about 90 miles of easy cruising. That was almost nearly the case.

We left Matt's house and rolled into Strasburg, weaved around the north side of the mountains and in no time, the slow climb up Scout Camp road to the crest of Edith Gap. The write up on the ROMA website says, "the only major climb of the day." That is only part of the truth. Sure it is the only major climb but it wasn't the most difficult climb. That would come soon enough. We would wind through the valley along the Shenandoah River towards the south side of Massanutten Mountain. The rolling hills in the valley become very steep in a few areas and provided the most difficulty of the ride.

The control at 100k was welcome. I downed a Coke and refilled the water and I was off. Soon the route turned north along the west side. I suddenly felt like a million bucks and peddled with purpose. It was time to have fun with smaller hills and trailing winds. I would be done in no time.

Until...about mile 105. On a descent all the sudden my wheels made a squealing sound like a dolphin. I stopped to assess the situation and didn't see anything wrong. Same thing on the next long descent. The squeal only seems to occur after 25 miles per hour. Eventually the wheel began producing resistance. I rode gingerly to the finish.

Possibly the bearings are shot in the rear wheel?

I'm ready for some more fun!

Gappity Gap Pics

2009-09-28T19:27:00.001-04:00

Pics from the Gappity Gap 100k.

The Gappity Gap 100k starts in Sperryville, VA, climbs 5 miles Thorton Gap, Skyline Drive and descends into Luray. After rolling for a few miles, the route climbs Edith Gap and finally Edinburg Gap before turning around and doing the route in reverse.

This route provides a challenge. Both the 100k and 200k versions are available as a permanent, give it a try.

Surry Century Sep 2009

2009-09-23T20:24:00.000-04:00

Livestrong Philly

2009-08-24T21:00:00.004-04:00

Starting ride at miles from the start to beat the traffic.

I blame Lance mostly. Apparently the organizers of the Livestrong Challenge in Philly received the memo and created a truly challenging route. More than 6,000 participants lined up in staging areas anticipating the start of the days events.

My event began on the way to the ride’s start. Traffic along the route to the event was backed up for miles. I jumped out of the car at the first parking lot we could pull over at, grabbed the bike and rode 4 miles to the start. The traffic delayed the official start time by 30 minutes allowing most of the participants to arrive and get staged.

The first 30 miles of the ride were a crash-fest. Saturday night’s showers left the asphalt wet under some shady patches of road. The wet roads combined with tricky descents and hoards of riders equaled disaster for some. Before the first rest stop, I saw several riders on the side of the road picking up the pieces form wrecks. At one sloping downhill, a rider was lying in the ditch with a dozen riders ‘assisting.’ The ambulance crews were busy throughout the day.

Rounding another corner, I felt a wheel hit my rear wheel followed by the sound of metal on pavement. The rider behind me was paying attention to the course marshals directing traffic instead of the obstacle in her way (me). She wasn't injured physically.

The course was hilly one blogger called the area (p)hilly. Several climbs were measured at 16-19%. Cresting a steep ascent was often met with another before recover. I got a kick out of this and realized the true meaning of Livestrong Challenge. Thanks for the laugh Lance.

Cheer Squad.

Drum and fife at rest stop.

Philly is the City of Brotherly Love. Evidence was everywhere. All of the volunteers along the route were kind and helpful throughout the event. Along all of the steep climbs there were spectators cheering us on. They all seemed to be ringing a cowbell. “I got a fever…” Other friendly people were sitting on their porches offering cool refreshments and children had their lemonade stands ready for weary riders.

There were so many riders that were inspiring. Survivors and friends and family members riding in honor of a cancer patients or those lost. Many of the participants were not avid cyclists. They just had a desire to get on the road and do something challenging. They wore reminders on their jerseys or written on their legs. On the steepest climbs, these banners of courage gave me a lettle extra boost to reach the top.

An inspiring day.

Finished! Good thing...it's getting hot.

Alert

2009-07-08T21:17:00.003-04:00

Kevin, in good spirits, recovering from an accident 3 months ago.

Riding a bicycle in the Tidewater area requires vigilance by both riders and motorists. There have been numerous mishaps this year alone in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. To put it into perspective, there have been 5 accidents on my commute route alone 2 of the fatalities. Three months ago, one of my riding buddies, sustaining a broken C2 vertebrae and arm. The month prior, another buddy, a local racer was hit by a turning car and sustained ankle injuries.

An article about Ghost Rides is found here at 24SevenCities.

The Foto by Wes blog provides advocacy information and general awareness about bicycling in Norfolk.

The Tidewater Bicycle Association's monthly newsletter provides VDOT bicycle laws. This month's letter from the President provides rider's responsibilities and tips for safe bicycling.

The area is not bicycle friendly and despite efforts by the TBA, it will not be any time soon. Recommendations my the TBA have been ignored. The city's answer has been several 'bicycle paths' that lead...to...ummm...I haven't figured it out yet. The don't lead anywhere! And they certainly don't lead anywhere where cyclists commute.

TBA's April Newsletter explains the areas issues in depth. The TBA President writes,

Our proposals to reduce certain side-paths from 10-12 ft down to ordinary sidewalk width (5ft) in places where little use was expected and then to reallocate the resultant space to on-road biking have been brushed off. Ditto for suggesting reductions in the generous landscaping being put in during most road expansions. It seems the city is quite willing to trade our lives for a few extra blades of grass.

Riding in the Tidewater requires you to be alert all of the time, take nothing for granted and obey the laws.

Parkway Ride

2009-06-14T20:59:00.003-04:00

We headed inland to the Shenandoah Parkway for a training ride. The goal, ride up and down hills. Mission accomplished. The only downside of the day was spending more time in the car getting to and from the parkway than actually riding. We'll have a different plan next time.

About the hills. On one long climb I was slogging along turning a small gear, my heart rate was somewhere above 90%VO2. Whew what a climb. Then I noticed something strange during the hard effort, I actually had a big smile on my face.

Frederick 400k

2009-06-02T21:09:00.002-04:00

I write this with a hangover feeling and a little post traumatic stress. The fog of war leaves me putting all the pieces together. Let me start by saying I had a DNF. I did NOT throw in the towel. The towel was thrown at me as we reached the Gettysburg control shortly after it closed. While tremendously disappointing, it is not the end of the world and I'm left with a hunger for more.

We left Frederick as a large pack of riders at 0400. I had no false hopes or aspirations to attempt to hang with the pack. I will ride my ride. I was soon left in the darkness with only my headlight paving the way to the first control.

As finished writing the required information at the first control (information control) I was caught by several riders. We left as a small group heading up Snickers Gap and rode on and off fairly together through West Virginia. We arrived at the control at C&O Bicycles in Hancock MD for some refreshments and a short rest before we headed to Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is where Trouble found me. At a water stop on the outskirts of Chambersburg, PA I had got sick. I took care of business, got some water and we got back on the road. I will NOT quit. I will finish. I figured I would see how I felt when we got to the next town 7 miles up the road. When we arrived, I felt ok and we kept moving. We wound our way through the farms reaching the control at the 18th Century Inn in pretty good shape. Heck, we still had 1.5 hrs in the bank.

At the control, we had some great food. A long table in the middle of the dining room was covered with any kind of chow you could possibly want. Treats, healthy wraps (very good), white chili, fruit, veggies and drinks. We probably hung out too long but we took care of business. When we got ready to leave, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach but it wasn't that bad. Heck it's only 32 miles to Gettysburg...I can do that!

We headed down the road. We made a wrong turn but only a mile out of the way. On this detour, we saw hundreds of Amish kids playing volleyball at church. They had at least 6 nets set up on the lawn with 10-15 players on a side. They were dressed in their white shirts and black trousers. Horse and carriages were covered and aligned near a shelter belt on the far side of the game field. On the return trip, we noticed the adults in the church having fellowship and the girls were sitting outside the sanctuary in their dresses. Near them were hundreds of bicycles. Everyone waved when we rode by both times. We returned the courtesy.

This detour is also where my troubles really began. I began dozing off on the bike. I figured some caffine would solve the problem and it did for a short time. We reached the climb up Kellers Gap Hollow and through Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The first hills were not a problem and I was excited to get them done and finish the ride.

Pine Grove Road turned out to be the demise of the entire ride. I continued to fall asleep on the bike; more caffine, more Gu. Ride a little farther, doze again. Stop to walk the bike. Fall asleep walking. Ride. Finally I realized that we were in trouble. The control would be closing in 45 minutes and we were still on some dark mountain with no end in sight. The shot of adrenalin was enough to get me going but it was too late.

We arrived in Gettysburg nearly 4.5 hours after leaving the 18th Century Inn control. 4.5 hours to go 30 miles. We arrived after the control closed, the ride ended right there -- DNF.

Sure it was a failure on one hand but it was a fun day on the bicycle riding with great people. I've tried to figure out what to do differently to complete the ride.

I could ride faster! DUH.
Shorter stops at the controls. DUH.
Both of these are great plans but the real mystery is why I got sick, why did it take forever to get through those 30 miles and how in the world can I stay awake on my bicycle. The last one is the most puzzling. A power nap may have done more good than riding at this point.

This ride provided some hard learned lessons and I will keep them (as soon as I figure it out).

Stan -- thanks for hanging with me on Saturday.

A permanent and a malfunction

2009-05-26T20:25:00.003-04:00

I received a message last week asking if I was interested in riding his Nottoway 213k Permanent. He mentioned that Kim a strong randonneuse from the beach would be riding and she was bringing some other riders for their first RUSA ride. I couldn’t refuse full day on the bike in the area. Besides it would make for a great training ride.

We gathered at the start of the road and we would start out rolling 5 deep. Disaster struck just 15 miles into the ride. One rider blew out her rear derailleur. An attempt to make it a fixie was made but it did not work and her ride was over. A good Samaritan with a pick up truck offered to shuttle her back to town and her vehicle. The country folk sure are nice in that part of Virginia.

In typical fashion, the wind would start out as a head wind and turn as we did. Most often, the wind in southeastern Virginia switches direction in a complete 360-degree rotation. The route features some small rolling hills and the wind. One of our posse, Pascal, from Belgium said it reminded him of home, with smaller hills.

Enjoy the photos.

Any thoughts on causes of the derailleur malfunction?

Toad at the beach

2009-05-26T19:54:00.005-04:00

Last week, we were treated to a free concert at the ocean front by Toad and the Wet Sprocket. I rode down to listen for a while and visit with some friends.

It's what all the locals do.

300k take 2

2009-05-04T17:34:00.009-04:00

That's a big hill and we keep getting closer!

It took me 2 tries but I completed a 300k this year; it was a long road and a short story. Last week I “headed down south to the land of the pines” and participated in Alan Johnson’s 300k starting in Morrisville, NC. I rode hard and had fun but in the end my feeble mind got the best of me and I got a DNF. My buddy Jon P. said, “Bro – just finish.” Aye Master Chief! So I cowboyed up and hopped back on the horse for another 300k.

This time it was the DC Randonneur’s Warrenton 300k. Friday evening I registered and completed the bike inspection. While operable headlights and taillights are important, I think they really wanted to get a look at Chuck’s craftsmanship. After the early Saturday morning safety brief we were off into the abyss.

Stanton & George

The ride was truly enjoyable. I rode with some hardy randonneurs like aciene George Winkert. George passed along wisdom whether or not he realized it. Of course I’ve probably heard it a thousand times ‘ride your ride.’ I believe this is the key to successful randonneuring yet it is easy to loose focus. I also rode with Stanton for a while, who is freaking hilarious. Stanton is not in a hurry but finishes his rides. Gentlemen, it was a pleasure.

Old Fence

The merchants at the controls were all courteous and thought we were a few fries short of a happy meal. A few of them had some mean Virginia country jambon sandwiches. I highly recommend.

Information control at Civil War Museum

The crew from DCR that set up the ride, did registration, worked the secret control and stayed until we all safely returned were top notch. The pizza was good too!

Tour de Cure

2009-04-20T19:14:00.003-04:00

Why is it that spring seems non existent? It is cold, well chilly, then boom, the temperature spikes! We've been dreaming of warmer temperatures in the Tidewater for weeks but getting rain, wind and cool weather. Saturday, the cool weather left us and we were left with the most beautiful day of the year up to this point. (Nearly the same weather pattern as last year!)

I tepidly joined a group of cycling enthusiasts from work for the Tour de Cure charity ride for diabetes. I have gone back and forth on the decision to ride for months. One of our teammates and riding buddy, Kevin, was struck by a car last week on a training ride. He suffered a broken radius, a sprained ankle, multiple abrasions, a dislocated shoulder and a broken C2 vertebra. His recovery is coming along nicely and he is able to walk. I did not want let him down as he was riding vicariously through us. The evening prior to the ride, we met at Kevin's house for some pasta, pizza and camaraderie.

After a 'rendition' of our National Anthem, the ride began. We took our time crossing the line as we didn't want to crash. Our plan was to make it an easy fun ride or so we thought. I decided to get away from some of the teams packed together and lead our group at a brisk pace for the next 10 - 20 miles. The brisk pace was the trend of the day.

Our group would begin to splinter by the time we reached the 65 mile rest area. In the Tidewater area, a south wind in the morning always turns west then northwest as the day progresses. We'd been riding into the wind for most of the day and it wouldn't change. We became two groups all the way to the finish.

Saturday was a great day for a bicycle ride. I gave Kevin a full ride report on the way home and another rider provided status updates at the rest stops. He felt as though he was riding along.

2009 Morrisville 200k Brevet

2009-04-05T18:54:00.004-04:00

The official ACP Brevet 'season' is in full swing. NC RBA Alan Johnson began his series with Satruday morning's 200k. The weather man called for a beautiful day and he wasn't wrong. Around 35 riders headed for a ramble in rural NC.

Overall, I had a great day on the Coho. Although some trouble started within the first 30 miles. Unexplicably, I fell of the pace. A short while later I developed some abdominal pain. For 15 miles, I trudged along in agony. I was caught and passed by several riders. I contemplated turning around and calling it a day. Dean caught up with me and offered some company; there is no way I was going to quit now. I decided I would suck it up until the control which would definately SUCK - big time. Luckily at mile 40, Dean pointed out a port-a-john near a soccer field. This was the day saver or perhaps the season saver?

After our natural break, we were on the road with several riders along our side. Chuck of Coho bicycles caught us and provided entertainment until the control. We paused at the control for a recharge and departed with a posse 5 deep. Chuck, Dean, Keith, Rob D. and I left the Siler City control in good spirits with trailing winds.

Rob and Chuck told some great tales, some of them tall, all the way back to Morrisville. The posse showed true randonneuring spirit slowing when a rider was struggling. We raced to county lines and even one city line. I won a couple sprints although I still reget to inform the group that it was never my intention to earn le malliot vert. At one point I couldn't read my cue sheet, I'd forgotten where we were. I asked Dean where we were. He said, I'm not sure but the county line is right there. I did give it a couple hard pedal strokes and I did win. Fun.

We finished the ride with smiles on our faces and were greeted by Alan with some tomatoe sandwiches and cold beverages. Several riders hung out for an hour or more cheering for the incoming riders.

Nottoway Ramble Permanent – 209K

2009-03-01T08:37:00.001-05:00

A small group of randonneurs rode Ron Malinauskas’s Nottoway Ramble 209k Permanent showcasing southeastern Virginia’s landscape. The loop ride begins and ends in the small village of Windsor, VA.

A late start was not a concern as four riders rolled out of Windsor winding towards the first control in Yale. The history in the area is interesting and Ron provided entertainment as the duty historian with tales of from the past. The following is an excerpt from the Yale Daily News:

In 1882, a University alum who was laying tracks for the Atlantic and Danville railroad in Virginia named the local train depot after his alma mater, and the name came to be used for the surrounding area. Today, Yale is an unincorporated area in rural Virginia that does not qualify as a town. It’s a place whose enduring existence stems only from having its own post office...

The Yale Post Office served as our control. We signed a post card and dropped it into the mail, had a few snacks before shoving off to our next destination. Of so I thought. Dean, Ian and I rode for 10 miles before we realized Ron wasn’t with us. I kept thinking he should catch us any moment as we soft-pedaled most of the distance.

We sat at a stop sign for a few minutes waiting for Ron. When he didn’t arrive; worry set in. Did something happen? About this time Ian mentioned that he stayed behind at the Yale post office getting Jim Romer set up for the ride. Jim rode the Tappahannock 200k brevet on Saturday and arrived in Winsdsor just after we took off. Within the next few miles, Jim and Ron caught us.

Along the route we witnessed hundreds of vultures. The American Black Vulture is a social animal and hunts in packs. Though they most often eat dead or lame animals, lately they have been known to attack family pets and small children in Virginia. YIKES.

Rambling through the countryside, lunch in Waverly. The next area is some of the best riding in southeastern Virginia. In the center of this area is the village of Claremont on the James River. The area includes several rolling hills along the river and beautiful scenery on the bluffs. This terrain continues until Surry.

In Surry, Dean and I decided to wait for the other riders at a store. We topped off water, dawned reflective materials and waited. The sun was gone and the temperatures dropped quickly. I remembered that I had some foot warmers in my bag and decided that this would be a good opportunity to test them.

We headed out of Surry with lights and rode the last 30 miles as a group. Ron and I literally blazed the way with Edelux LED lights. Wow, impressive. I’m certain that oncoming traffic thought we were cars. I’m almost certain that the dogs on this stretch were either too cold to chase or to freaked out by the lights.

This is a great route in an otherwise flat area of the country.

Winter Riding

2009-01-27T20:10:00.003-05:00

Sure, I'm riding but not outside as much as I would like or should. It is the pre-rando season and time to build base. The miles now will pay off in a few months. Of course I haven't followed this recipe to the letter. I have been doing rides on the trainer with plenty of intervals and trying to get at least 1 long ride 3 - 5 hours outside every weekend. Better than nothing right?

In a few weeks, Feb 7th, a few randonneurs in the area tentatively plan to ride Ron M.'s Nottoway Ramble permanent in the Surry County area of southern VA. Yes, the same area where Michael Vick's home for dog fighting. The area is nice with a few rolling hills perfect for a winter ride.

If you are interested in joining us for a day in the saddle, please let me know.

Chris Horner Visits Virginia Beach

2008-12-20T14:38:00.004-05:00

CHRIS HORNER

Upon the conclusion of Team Astana's Tenerife training camp, PRO cyclist Chris Horner stopped in the new Bike Beat in Virginia Beach for a talk.

Chris is a down to Earth dude. While not as popular as some racers, has won nearly every race in the United States during his career. Chris is currently riding for the Astana Pro Cycling team as a very strong domestique. He said he enjoys the role and is paid generously to help riders like Contador, Leipheimer and now LA. These are some of the best if not the best riders in the world.

Chris talked about his career from racing in the Juniors to his present gig. He said the arrival of LA in camp was amazing. He said the team was organized last year but LA brings another level of professionalism and motivation.

When asked about the relationship between Contador and the rest of the team, he said it will be interesting. Horner mentioned that Contador lost much respect from the team after the comments he made about Leipheimer after the Vuelta. Levi placed 2nd as a domestique riding in support of Contador (rare).

Horner said it was very obvious who would lead the team in 2009 and there was no doubt in his mind that LA would win the Giro and the Tour if he races.

New Permanent on the Virginia eastern shore

2008-11-24T22:45:00.002-05:00

I received a message from Dean earlier telling me about a new permanent on Virginia's eastern shore. This is fantastic news for Randonneurs in the Tidewater area!

The ride description on the RUSA website states, "Quiet, flat, rural, quaint towns of the Eastern Shore of Virginia." RUSA also lists the total elevation at 500 ft. Having ridden the roads of the eastern shore I will vouch for the term flat. The wind of the Tidewater area often makes up for the lack of hills. Eastern Shore Permanent owner Keith Sutton writes, "It is ALWAYS windy on the Eastern Shore."

I can't wait to take on this route in the coming months. You can read Keith's description here.

2008 Tappahannock 200k

2008-11-03T21:16:00.002-05:00

Three Randonneurs gathered at Ashland Coffee and Tea to register for the 2008 edition of the Tappahannock 200K. After registration and a quick latte, Paul D., Dean F. and I were on the road to Tappahannock, VA.

It started out chilly but weatherman promised temperatures near the 70s with variable winds (read: headwinds all day…kinda). It turned out to be a truly beautiful day for riding a bicycle.

For the first 15 miles or so, we took turns at the front, until the first confusion of the day. Up a hill and Paul took off on a right turn. Dean and I slowed a little to check out the cue sheet. The road sign turned out to be on the wrong side of the road. Paul was correct and he was a few miles in front of us by now. We would only see him for a few seconds near the first control.

We rode without incident until shortly after the first control. The cue sheet and the road signs did not match up. We zigged instead of zagging and continued on route 616 for 5 about 5 miles and decided that we were wrong. Turning around with NO motivation, we made our way back to the intersection of confusion and continued on course for several miles.

Another short setback due to confusing directions left us an hour behind schedule. Not a crisis but we wouldn’t make it back before dark. We made it to the Tappahannock control at Java Joes and wasted no time. We got our cards signed and headed to a convenience store down the road to top off supplies.

The next control is about 25 miles from Tappahannock in a village called Sparta. The road to Sparta would take us through swarms of ladybugs, gnats and spiders. Someone forgot to tell these small critters it’s November. Riding with an open pie hole would guarantee a meal pleasing to Bear Grylls.

At one point I looked down at my shorts counting 7 ladybugs tagging along for the ride. Strings of silk were randomly floating in mid-air, the small spiders looking for a quick meal.

After the Sparta control, we would ride through my favorite part of this ride, a tour through farm roads past Collins Pond. We pushed through this area at a brisk pace but I had to stop at the pond for some photos. This section of the route takes away all of the frustration of the bonus miles earlier in the day.

The cue sheet stated 127 miles. After140 miles, we were greeted by ROMA RBA Matt Settle and Dean’s wife. All three riders were in and brevets earned.

The Showdown @ Black Creek 200k

2008-10-20T18:21:00.005-04:00

The days trip to Black Creek, NC began in north Raleigh where many of the usual suspect gathered. When I arrived on the scene, Mike D. and Dean were already unloaded and were doing a final check of gear. A short while later, Jerry arrived with the coffee and Branson brought the chocolate au pain (I think). This was a perfect start to a great day in the saddle.

The only concern was the weatherman's accuracy. The rain pelted the area most of the night. The day would prove to be cold and breezy; a few scattered sprinkles. Nothing for Randonneurs to fret.

The other riders arrived, Byron had a pastry and we were off. The ride started and ended with 10 miles of rollers. I felt last weeks run on every single incline. I dropped off the back early and rode most of the day with Dean. We wouldn't see the other riders until we were outside of Black Creek.

Stories of the desolation in Black Creek were way off. On Saturday, there was a festival on Main. People were everywhere with their hot rods and tractors. Some wore costumes (very tall cowboy). A country & western band performed in the town's gazebo. Dean and I didn't waste any time. We got our cards signed and were off.

We found le peleton finishing a biscuit or two at Bojangles and rode to the next control together -- mostly. A quick regroup and a snack and we were off. This theme continued for the next 40 miles. Riding - regroup. The group was splintered by strong pulling in the wind! I fell off on a long uphill and rode solo for a while. I looked at my clock when I hit the century mark and was motivated. I was making great time and riding strong. Until I wasn't.

New theme: "I feel strong...until I'm not." This makes me chuckle because when the energy runs out, it takes a while to figure out exactly what happened and a while longer to do something about it. It is a feeling of helplessness.

The next regroup was at the Sheetz 10 miles from the finish. The lead group was sitting in the outside cafe seating sipping lattes. Perfect, I gulped down a cup of coffee while we awaited the other riders.

Like I mentioned in the begining, the last 10 miles of this ride roll right up to the finish. I found myself riding alone for the last few miles of the day. I would also finished with the...ahemmm, distinguished honor of Lantern Rouge.

Stats:
125 miles
Moving time: 8:26
Stopped time: 1:18
Total: 9:45

Road 2 Recovery Ride -- Day 2 and Day 3

2008-10-14T19:01:00.004-04:00

I met Kevin on the road outside my house on Saturday morning for the 15-mile ride to Little Creek. We left early enough with the promise of free breakfast before the day’s event. A blustery headwind greeted us as we headed north along the Atlantic Ocean. Even with the wind, it was close to my quickest time for the route.

Jeff from the USO did not let us down. When we walked into the gym, there was a nice spread of chow waiting. With an hour to kill, we mingled and waited for all of the riders to file in. Riders of all ability levels began arriving for registration. Half dozen Marines from Yorktown were given full kits and borrowed bicycles from R2R. None of the Marines had ridden any real distance in their lives [they did 60]. On Monday, learned that my buddy Jimmy actually built them at Contes. Thanks Jimmy!

After some introductions and the standard safety brief [something regarding speed and spacing] we headed towards the VB Oceanfront and down to the Contes at Redmill. This leg of the ride was enjoyable as the winds were in our favor. It actually felt like sailing, I’m not sure I did too much peddling. I knew that we would eventually have to earn our lunch.

We took a break at Contes and were off for a tour of the Pungo farmland in Virginia Beach. Winding around the creeks and farms we eventually reached Creeds and began heading north to the Pungo Ferry Bridge. This is where the ride started getting difficult for many riders.

A pattern of riding and slowing to pick up stragglers began shortly after the bridge. We would ride then the motor escorts would slow us to a crawl for a ½ mile or so keeping the group together. This routine would continue for the next 30 miles.

We finally reached NAS Oceana and the chili cook off. NO, we didn’t have any chili but they only give out Dixie cups any way. We were offered our choice of chow from one of the vendors. I devoured a chicken wrap and some nachos. WOW, there is no shortage of chow on this tour.

The number of riders began thinning at Oceana. The Marines and several other riders were dun. I bailed out as the ride passed near my house. Overall, the ride took us 80 miles.

SUNDAY

Sunday began very similar. I rode by Kevin’s house and we once again rode hard to breakfast. We mingled and awaited our safety brief. The day’s route would take us 40 miles through downtown Norfolk, on to the Naval Station for lunch and return to Little Creek.

I decided to ride the COHO today and that brought some good conversation. I talked to USA Today reprter Sal Rubial about cycling in Virginia and France. He has ridden several tour routes and has covered the tour several times. We discussed Paris-Breast-Paris and both of us have the desire to ride it in the future. I’m sure I’ll see Sal on one or two brevets in the next few years. There’s less than 3 years until the next PBP.

Sunday also brought out another newbie cyclist, John. He dawned a kit, was fitted for a bicycle and we were off. John finished the ride. He mentioned at lunch that he had never hit the wall as bad as he did on Sunday AM. He also mentioned that he was helped with some pushing from other riders over more than 1 bridge. Good job John!

Actor Mike Vogel lead the way for the first leg of the ride and screamed his best rendition of Axel Rose for the first few miles. Look out Axel!

Once back on Little Creek, JW, decided to showcase a little speed. With around 1 mile to the finish, Sal and another rider had about a ½ mile lead on the pack. Our pace began picking up and JW clicked his shifter twice. Here we go. I shifted a couple times and was surprised I was able to hang. We rounded the final corner and JW put down the hammer. The acceleration was quick. I felt like I was watching from a stand still. FUN!

The R2R is a class act. It gets the wounded warriors out of the hospital and on the street. It gives them a purpose and a goal. The project also introduces cycling to active duty military that might not have the means to try the sport of cycling. I talked to a few of the Marines that were on the ride and they were planning to purchase bicycles in the very near future.

A huge thanks to John Wordin (JW) from R2R and Jeff Hill from the USO for putting together a class ‘experiment.’
----SEMPER FI.

Road 2 Recovery Ride -- Day 1

2008-10-10T19:17:00.003-04:00

This weekend I am participating in a ride for wounded warriors. It is the Road 2 Recovery sponsored by the USO. The ride started at the gym on Little Creek Navy Base. After some introductions and a safety brief, we were off and headed towards Norfolk.

This ride is supported to the hilt for maximum fun. The best part is the police escort. 8 motorcycle officers rode block for us at every single intersection. They also enabled us to use the entire lane on the busy VB streets.

We road through eastern Norfolk then back towards the VB oceanfront. We turned around and cut through Ft Story. When we passed by the USMC Amphibious Recon School, all of the Marines were standing online outside the compound clapping and cheering. Very cool mandatory fun, thanks guys!

We left the base and headed back to Little Creek. About a half mile from the Lesner Bridge, one of my riding buddies asked me if I wanted to sprint to the bridge. I told him we probably shouldn't because the motor escorts probably wouldn't like us to pass them. Then I told him YES I do want to sprint. The pace was like being a caged up tiger, ready to pounce. A few moments later I looked at our cruising speed and said, I would like to hold this speed over the bridge. We agreed and blew over the speed bump!

We had to slow down for the rest of the pack. There were several novice riders and a few recovering warriors on todays ride. Everyone did a superb job from the riders to the support staff.

Pulling into the gym parking lot, I felt hungry. good thing too, there was a full taco bar awaiting. We finished the ride with some good grub and good conversation with our hosts!

Tomorrow and Sunday promise to great rides. Stay tuned for more stories and pictures.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The 2009 RUSA Calendar has been published. There are 4 different regions near the tidewater offering a full brevet series.

Wounded Warrior Unity Tour -- Day2

2008-10-04T21:33:00.008-04:00

Day 2 started with a very early reveille which is not usually a huge deal; especially when you hit the rack at 8:30-9:00pm. Our departure from Ft AP Hill was scheduled for 0630 and breakfast began at 0500. This is where logistics began to get a little shaky.

At 0500 there wasn't any chow. I finished packing my gear and headed back to the chow hall at 0530 and they had some fruit, pastries, PB & J and Sunny D. Look carefully at what I typed, you will notice one key, NO COFFEE. Houston we have a problem. Well at least all of the food was edible; I once awoke in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to a breakfast of sardines, watermelon covered with flies and rice.

After breakfast, we began loading our personal bags into the truck. One of my riding buddies, CS decided to top off the air in his tires. SHSHSHSHSHSH came from his tire when he removed the pump from the valve stem. The valve stem broke. CS, a Sailor, can curse with the best of them! No worries, he grabbed a spare tube, switched it out and BOOOOM. Oops the bead wasn't quite seated and popped the tube. This battle would continue for the next 20 minutes and 3 more tubes. CS managed to get the tire issue worked out a minute or two before we began the ride.

The day's first leg would take us 30 miles from AP Hill to a veterans memorial in downtown Fredricksburg. We took some photos, met the Mayor topped off the H20 and we were off for a 'fun' leg to Quantico Marine Corps Base. The hills on VA Route 1 are pleantiful. Leaving Quantico, we contiunued up Route 1 to Ft Belvoir and then into DC.Riding past the Pentagon and across the Potomac towards the Lincoln Memorial is amazing. Riding into DC was the highlight of the 210 mile ride. After an hour of stop and go in the district traffic, we finally reached Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The ride raised more than $4000 for the Wounded Warriors.

I do have a couple of complaints and it isn't about food, lodging or coffee.
Safety. Too many riders participating that thought they were in the pro tour this lead to several crashes. There were also several support vehicles supporting riders. Some offical some just family members in a convoy. The vehicles were cumbersome and often got in the way of riders.

There were several riders that didn't have the fitness or stamina to ride an event of this distance. Several of them had never even finished a century, not to mention back to back centuries. Some of these riders motor paced at least 60 miles per day.

I also observed that some riders were super strong. They would come from nowhere and zip past me at 25 mph, even on the up hills. Somewhere between Quantico and Ft Belvoir, I noticed they would get in their POV at the bottom of the hill and get SAGed to the top. WHAT THE...? I say to all of you, don't tell yourself that you completed this ride. Don't go home and tell your friends and families you finished when you spent much of the day in a car!

Last, we spent too much time off the bikes. We stopped for 30 minutes after every 25-30 miles.

This ride is a good cause and with some logistical tweeking it could be even better. I had loads of fun and I enjoyed riding my COHO. I'm glad I rode for this cause but I think I will stick with brevets.

Note: All photos in this post courtesy WWUT.

Wounded Warrior Unity Tour -- Day 1

2008-09-29T20:18:00.005-04:00

Saturday morning I set out with 78 other service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard. The Marine Corps was represented by myself one other; we were the minority. The Wounded Warrior Unity Tour would raise more than $4,000 for the Fisher House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and would take us from Ft Eustis, VA to Walter Reed.

We started in a large group until we crossed over the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge and the Chesapeake Bay. As riders crossed the grates, several people destroyed tires. It sounded like popcorn. During the safety brief, they said this would be a problem. It was better to walk across the grates.

The pace after the first rest stop got really fast in no time at all. It would be every man for himself. I'm not sure why they were in such a hurry, there wasn't a prize. The quick pace coupled with inexperienced (not to mention plain stupid) riders led to several accidents.

Some where after the 50 mile mark my thighs began cramping of course it took me 20 miles to realize exactly what was happening. So I suffered along for quite a while. Once figured out, I promptly had electrolytes and a cliff bar. It took minutes to begin to feel better. Soon, I found myself riding strong.

We stopped briefly in Tappahannock before we began the climb to FT AP Hill. Go figure, AP Hill actually sits on a rather large hill. From HWY 17, we climbed nearly 6 miles to the base. At the top, we stopped for a pick. The day's riding wasn't quite done. After stopping for 30 minutes to wait for stragglers to get up the hill and for some photos, we had to ride another 5 miles to billeting.

I wish I could say we stayed in the Hilton with all the amenities. What we got were cinder block open squad bay barracks. The bunks covered and aligned along the bulkhead and an aisle down the center. As soon as we unloaded the vehicles and got a little cozy, the skys opened up. It rained most of the night. The barracks were a blessing, they were dry, they had AC and they were free! PERFECT BILLETING.

More photos can be found here.

Day 1 -
Distance - 108 miles
Avg speed - 18.2
Ride time - ~6hrs

NEW RUSA Permanent in the Tidewater Area

2008-09-24T19:02:00.007-04:00

Attention all randonneurs in South Eastern Virginia. Ron Malinauskas has gotten approval from RUSA for the 215K Nottoway Ramble permanent starting and ending in Windsor, VA.

Ron's description on the RUSA website states, "A relatively flat and pleasant ride through rural southeastern Virginia." That my friends is how you sum up 3000ft of climbing.

I eagerly await the ride report from Ron.

This is the only RUSA event currently in the Tidewater Area. I'm excited becasue I don't have to drive 3+ hours to ride. I plan to tackle this ramble in November and/or December.

Pics from Surry Century

2008-09-23T20:06:00.000-04:00

Surry Century

2008-09-14T14:42:00.004-04:00

Saturday we headed to Surry County to ride the Surry Century. The intention was to use this as a tune up ride for the 220 mile Wounded Warrior Unity Ride in 2 weeks. The Surry Century winds around Surry county, Prince George County and Isle of Wright County along the James River.

Riding along the James River provides great terrain for riding with some nice rollers. This is a welcome change from flat Virginia Beach area.

Randonneurs interested in riding in the area may not have to wait much longer. Rumor has it that a permanent in the Surry area is pending approval.

More photos can be seen here.

Ride to the Pond

2008-09-01T09:56:00.003-04:00

Ron M. invited me for a TBA sponsored ride. The ride was scheduled for the bents but Ron was the only one scheduled to ride the 75 miles. I thought it would be a good way to see something new and get in some much needed miles.

We left the Sufflok, VA airport and headed towards NC. Shortly after we crossed the border, we stopped for some refreshments and some cool air. The temperatures were climbing quickly and the air was dense adding 10 degrees to the heat index.

Next stop was Merchants Mill Pond State Park. This is a beautiful park although it is covered in algae at the moment. We relaxed in the shade and looked for some critters but had to settle for reading about alligators and ticks.

In Sunbury, NC, we stopped for some lunch with the locals. We downed BBQ and hush puppies and enjoyed the cold air. The local hunters dressed in Mossy Oak gave us some strange looks when we walked in. It was the standard scene. The record scratching...silence. All eyes upon us.

As we found a seat, I heard one gentlemen say, "Them boys been doin' some ridin'."

After lunch, we continued on the route back towards Suffolk. Crossing the same road like a zipper became annoying so we change our route to a more direct course cutting 5 miles off the total distance. This turned out to be a very good idea as both Ron and I had bone dry water bottles with 8 about miles remaining.

In all we logged 70 miles on a beautiful day.

RUSA 10th Anniversary 200k

2008-08-18T18:19:00.002-04:00

Saturday 30 riders departed Morrisville, NC on a 200k route to Siler City and back. This is a familiar route and most of the riders were familiar. It is always good to see everyone at these events. Of course, it is good to see new faces.

At the control, Chuck Lathe was sporting his RUSA 10th Anniversary Medal eagerly signing brevet cards. We talked about wheels and bicycle designs until it was time to get back on the road. Chuck rode his red Randonneuse from his house to the control.

I had the opportunity to ride with some riders experiencing the sport for the first time. Bill and another gentleman (forgot name) passed us. They mentioned they had done some bonus miles already. They must have passed Dean and I at least 6 times. It took a while to register how this was possible. Three words: More Bonus Miles. From the Andrews Store they joined us for the ride into the finish.

At the finish, an entire group of riders and supporters were waiting with some burgers, hot dogs and cold beverages. This was a fantastic way to end a wonderful day in the saddle.

What? No Lessons learned?
Of course, I thought you would never ask.

The biggest lesson that I confirmed was lack of fitness. I need to ride more rides of 3+ hours on a regular basis. (Not only when there is a brevet.)

On a very positive note I completed the ride without the aid of any NSAIDs. This is a first!

Olympic Cycling

2008-08-07T20:45:00.004-04:00

On the eve of the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics in Beijing I'm excited. There are hundreds of elite athletes that will compete for their countries and try to bring golden glory home. Heck, it is exciting enough just thinking about the possibilities for the medal count for swimming phenom Michael Phelps who could bring home 8 medals alone. We have a pretty strong swimming team.

On the track, we have a strong team all around in many distances. This year we even have some strong distance runners. The race I can't wait to watch is Jeremy Wariner in the 400M. Wariner has run the fastest 400m of the year. His agent and mentor is the 400m World Record holder Michael Johnson.

Of course I will be watching the cycling events as well. We have a great team road cycling team with big George Hincapie (Team Columbia), Levi Leipheimer (Astana), Jason McCartney (CSC), Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Chipotle), and coming of a surprising TDF finish Christian VandeVelde (Garmin-Chipotle). With this team, we could bring home some hardware.

Zabriskie and Leipheimer will also compete in the TT.

Competing the track is the future of US cycling, Taylor Phinney. Phinney rides for the Chipotle development squad. He was the 2007 JR World Champion in the Pursuit and is the son of US cycling legends Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter. He is the phenom!

So while you are recovering from a ride or a RUSA 10th Anniversary Ride, you will have something to watch.

Daily Commute -- photos

2008-08-02T17:15:00.009-04:00

Shots of my daily commute.

First Landing State Park on Shore Drive

Up the Lesner Bridge

View of Chix Beach

Chesapeake Bay - Lynnhaven Roads

Lynnhaven Bay

More dopers

2008-07-17T16:08:00.002-04:00

What the heck. Another doper incarcerated by French authorities. I had a feeling Ricco’s wins in this years tour were too good to be true. Especially winning with those margins. How can someone be that much better than the other professional athletes? There is only one answer, he cheated. It is of note that Ricco's idol is the late Marco Pantani. Pantani was also ousted for EPO in his career.

I will put a lot of money of this: more riders will be caught doping in this year’s tour.
Any takers?

It's not surprising that there have already been 3 riders caught ‘red handed.’ It is surprising that it is only 3. So why would someone that signed a contract stating they will not use these substances do it anyway?

The answers are too simple. With are millions of dollars at stake, greed plays a large part. These guys are human and in their mind, the riches of victory far out weigh the risk of getting caught. Especially since the chances of actually getting caught are pretty low. The International Herald Tribune reports, “A test to detect EPO in urine samples didn't work very well in experiments conducted last year, according to the study released online Thursday by the Journal of Applied Physiology [1].”

Instead of a 2 year ban from the sport, there should be a lifetime ban and or prison time for using substances that are illegal. At least something that will make the athlete and teams think twice before they make a poor decision.

Of course it might not matter anyway. At the rate they are going, there won’t be any corporations willing to sponsor athletes associated with poor ethics. Greed could mean the end of professional cycling all together.

Here is the good news. It will have no affect on the friendly cycling sport of Randonneuring. In our sport it is man vs self and man vs nature. It doesn’t matter if someone finishes a ride fast or slow as long as they have fun participating. To this I say, Bon Route and I will see you at the next brevet.

[1] http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/26/sports/NA-SPT-EPO-Study.php

In the news: Coho Bicycles

2008-07-13T08:37:00.005-04:00

Bike builder Charles Lathe of Coho Bicycles made it into the news. You can watch the clip here (for a while). I have a Coho and I enjoy riding it most every day. It is a beautiful bike and it is like riding a Cadillac!

Bicycling Muscles

2008-07-02T20:29:00.000-04:00

A new toy

2008-07-01T10:14:00.004-04:00

Afew weeks back I was looking for a bike that I could use for the sole purpose of commuting. I wanted something similar to my Coho yet something that I could set up in a bullet proof manner and not worry about the wear and tear of the city streets.

I won this frame on EBay and it arrived yesterday. Now I have the fun of building it up. I am open to any suggestions. The frame is a 1984 Univega Specialissima. The tube lengths and geometry are very close to my Coho.

Fire

2008-06-23T17:32:00.003-04:00

A fire in the Great Dismal Swamp has left Virginia Beach in a haze for the past week. The smell is like waking every morning to a camp fire. There is relief when the wind changes direction away from the south.

The firefighters are combating the fire using powerful soak-hoses and after more than a week it is 50% contained. Check out this article.

The fire makes outdoor activities in the area a poor idea I've been avoiding mornings with the south wind. When the wind switches to the north, it is game on.

Inspect Your Ride

2008-06-13T21:07:00.004-04:00

Earlier in the week, I noticed this little puncture in the kevlar sidewall of my new tire. This is terrible as the tires only have a few hundred miles on them. Shortly after I noticed the damage, I read this post on the NCRANDON list from Tony G.:

It was a good thing that I did not try to ride, since yesterday my left pedal axle broke just like the right one did on the Feb 200k (10 miles from the house) and I noticed that my frame was broken about 1/3 of the way through on the downtube at the bottom water bottle hole. The look 256 pedal had 16,000 miles on it over the last 20 months and the Lemond steel frame had 18,000 miles on it over the last 25 months. Gotta get more and better miles in ;-)

Keep a close eye on your equipment when you clean it up so that failures you can see do not cause a crash or dnf, but some you just can't tell are going to happen.

This is a good reminder in the mid-point of the year to take a closer look at your equipment to ensure serviceability.

I believe you should only worry about the things you can actually control. For a cyclist, especially a randonneur, one of the most compulsory things in your control is equipment maintenance. It only takes a few minutes to inspect your equipment before a ride and may mean the difference between finishing in a taxi with a DNF or completing the ride.

On the MS150 ride, I witnessed the following mechanicals (on the first day):

1 broken seatpost
1 handle bar loose and freely rotating in the stem
1 broken pedal
1 computer not reprogrammed after battery replacement
2 lost water bottle cages
3 pinch flats

The majority of these problems could have been prevented with a quick once over.

RUSA Board Member Mike Dayton writes on his Research Trailer Park blog,

I’ve had very few flats on brevets (knock on wood). One reason is that I always inspect my tires before any brevet. It only takes a minute for a quick check. Do the tires look worn? Are there any big, suspicious cuts that might conceal a piece of glass or metal? If so, I fix, or switch the tire.

You can read more of Mike's post at RTP.

Welcome to the Tidewater Randonneur

2008-06-10T18:06:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Tidewater Randonneur.

It is time to split my old blog into two separate forums one specifically about strength training and kettlebells and the other about bicycles and randonneuring. The Tidewater Randonneur is the result.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss and promote bicycles and riding bicycles especially randonneuring.