With the long thanksgiving weekend, I decided to get in some good riding. Since I am planning to do the Excruciation Exam at the first of January, I figured it would be a good time to get some mountain biking and road biking in.
Luckily I was able to get out of work early on Wednesday. I took the bike with me to work and stopped by Cypresswood for a ride on the trail. Trail was in good shape. I got in 11 miles.
Thursday, I went and road 30 miles with my friend in the woodlands. Came home and had the T-day meal and prepared for mountain biking on Friday.
Friday my neighbor and I headed to Rocky Hill Ranch to do the long loop. Finished the 20 miles in about 2 hours.
Saturday was a cool morning. We started at Fairfield to get in a few extra miles from Zube. By the time we finished the ride we had about 70 miles.
After all this riding, I did not have the legs for another ride on Sunday. So four good days of riding to kick the holidays off into good shape.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 09, 2009
Rocky Hill Round-up
Sunday November 8th I completed my second Mountain Bike race in the fall TMBRA series. The race was held at Rocky Hill Ranch just outside Smithville, TX. Since this was both the last race of the fall series, and the last time Rocky Hill Ranch will be in the fall, the race director decided to make the race a little special. They decided to make everyone ride the full 20 mile loop. This meant that everyone was scheduled to start at 8:00 with the different catagories starting at 5 minute intervals.
I ended up riding with one of my co-workers to the race. Matt was kind enough to pick me up on the way. Since RHR is about 2 hours from the house, he picked me up at 5 AM. I had a good case of pre-race gitters. I ended up getting about 4 hours of sleep, and set the alarm, but forgot to turn it on. No matter, I woke up before I had set the alarm, and got ready anyway. I was waiting and ready when Matt got to the house.
We arrived around 6:45 and were one of the first few racers to arrive. We got ready, checked in, and started our warm-up. We started out by riding up the course to see how they had routed by fat chucks, the long rocky steep hill near the start. After seeing they were bypassing the bad climb and using Mel's Way, we headed back to the start.
Matt races in the Cat 2 40-49 race. So he headed out about 20 minutes before I did. The start area was full of riders waiting for the start. Eventually it was time four our start. I decided that I was not going to go out overly strong because I knew it was a long race and longer than most of the races in the fall series.
The start came and I was right in the middle of the pack and we all stayed together until just past Mel's Way. Which was tough because RHR is nothing but solid climbing for the first 1.5-2 miles. After that it gets into some nice flowing singletrack. At this point I got in with a small group of about 4 riders. We stayed together for a while. There was a group of faster riders that came up to us. Most of the group decided to try to keep up with them. I chose to keep a consistent pace since we still had about three/fourths of the race left. Turns out that my strategy worked well. Half of the group slowed down and I caught them around mile 7. One of the guys stayed on my wheel. It was his second race and he was having fun. I followed me through the feed zone and up through the western fence line. Somewhere around mile 15 we got caught and passed by a woman that had a guy trying to keep up with her. Eventually she dropped him and I lost my previous friend and caught up with the other guy.
I remember starting to cramp a little around mile 17, so I sucked down a gel and some water and was able to hold it off. It is a bit tough to eat a gel while on a mountain bike and avoid trees, but I did it. With about 1 mile to go I looked back and I was all by myself. So I pushed forward and was able to finish about 30-45 seconds ahead of the next rider. When I finished, my total time was 2 hours 21 minutes. Which I was pleased with.
Once I crossed the line, I headed over to the truck and cleaned up, found some free beer, and got ready for the ride back. Matt and I decided to stick around for awards. After the results were posted, I saw that I was 27th out of 36. Not bad. About that time the sky started to rain a bit. luckily it held off until after the race. Since it started to rain and neither Matt or I was getting any awards, we decided to head back home. On the way we stopped for some food in Giddings then shared race stories.
Over all, what a great race. I think that RHR is one of my favorite trails in the Houston area. especially the full 20 mile course.
I ended up riding with one of my co-workers to the race. Matt was kind enough to pick me up on the way. Since RHR is about 2 hours from the house, he picked me up at 5 AM. I had a good case of pre-race gitters. I ended up getting about 4 hours of sleep, and set the alarm, but forgot to turn it on. No matter, I woke up before I had set the alarm, and got ready anyway. I was waiting and ready when Matt got to the house.
We arrived around 6:45 and were one of the first few racers to arrive. We got ready, checked in, and started our warm-up. We started out by riding up the course to see how they had routed by fat chucks, the long rocky steep hill near the start. After seeing they were bypassing the bad climb and using Mel's Way, we headed back to the start.
Matt races in the Cat 2 40-49 race. So he headed out about 20 minutes before I did. The start area was full of riders waiting for the start. Eventually it was time four our start. I decided that I was not going to go out overly strong because I knew it was a long race and longer than most of the races in the fall series.
The start came and I was right in the middle of the pack and we all stayed together until just past Mel's Way. Which was tough because RHR is nothing but solid climbing for the first 1.5-2 miles. After that it gets into some nice flowing singletrack. At this point I got in with a small group of about 4 riders. We stayed together for a while. There was a group of faster riders that came up to us. Most of the group decided to try to keep up with them. I chose to keep a consistent pace since we still had about three/fourths of the race left. Turns out that my strategy worked well. Half of the group slowed down and I caught them around mile 7. One of the guys stayed on my wheel. It was his second race and he was having fun. I followed me through the feed zone and up through the western fence line. Somewhere around mile 15 we got caught and passed by a woman that had a guy trying to keep up with her. Eventually she dropped him and I lost my previous friend and caught up with the other guy.
I remember starting to cramp a little around mile 17, so I sucked down a gel and some water and was able to hold it off. It is a bit tough to eat a gel while on a mountain bike and avoid trees, but I did it. With about 1 mile to go I looked back and I was all by myself. So I pushed forward and was able to finish about 30-45 seconds ahead of the next rider. When I finished, my total time was 2 hours 21 minutes. Which I was pleased with.
Once I crossed the line, I headed over to the truck and cleaned up, found some free beer, and got ready for the ride back. Matt and I decided to stick around for awards. After the results were posted, I saw that I was 27th out of 36. Not bad. About that time the sky started to rain a bit. luckily it held off until after the race. Since it started to rain and neither Matt or I was getting any awards, we decided to head back home. On the way we stopped for some food in Giddings then shared race stories.
Over all, what a great race. I think that RHR is one of my favorite trails in the Houston area. especially the full 20 mile course.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Tour de Donut
Time to kick November off with the first ride. Vanessa and I did the Tour de Donut. It consisted of a 55 mile route or a 30 mile timed event where you get a 5 minute time credit for each donut you eat. I opted for the 55 mile route. I started off early in the group and worked as a ride marshal. I got into a couple really good groups. The first 30 miles I had over a 21 mph average. I got in with another group for the next 10 miles and continued with a 20+ average. Around mile 40 I reached my limit and could not keep with the group any more. Time to slow down and do my ride. This was also the point when the wind was more of a headwind. The last 17 miles was significantly slower then I had been riding, but I was still able to finish with a 19.6 mph average. Not bad for almost no mile in the month of October.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Limited Training.
Well after the mountain bike race, I went on a fairly limited training run. I had two good weekends of riding, including a nice fast pace for the lions bike for site ride. I did the 57 mile route with an average speed of 19.3 mph. The rest of the month was short easy rides. It was good to get those rides in because work had me traveling most of the month of October. I spent the first three weekend in October with only 1 day of riding. All in all I only had two rides in October. Not much of a training month.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Dave Boyd Huntsville Classic 2009
This weekend was the Dave Boyd Huntsville Classic, hosted by Bike Lane. This was the first mountain bike race I ever attended. This year I actually got to race also. We have been planning on this weekend for a while. The plan was to camp out all weekend. We even booked a shelter early on so that we would be sure to have a campsite for the weekend. Friday came and Vanessa headed up and reserved a shelter. We were able to get shelter #1, which is the closest one to the start/finish line. We got to Huntsville about 9:00 Friday night and pitched the tent. It was dark and starting to sprinkle, so pitching the tent was a bit of fun. After we got the tent up we found out that we were missing one pole for the rain fly. So we made do and used the fly with out one pole.
Saturday morning was the big set up day. We woke up around 7:00 as it started getting light. Once we got ready, the crew was getting thing set up for the race. Vanessa and I jumped in and began helping out. It was raining, but not bad. The rain was confined to a light drizzle, which was just enough to keep the ground wet. We finished around 1:00, and got a chance to ride the course and see for ourselves how good the course was. We had been getting comments all morning about the train being in great shape. I made the lap easy and did not push it. After the ride, I got cleaned up and ready to help out for the evening. We hung out and told stories and just had fun for the evening. It was Ken's birthday so we partied well into the night. Around midnight, I had to call it a day, since I had to get up early to help with the race.
Sunday morning came early. Vanessa had to get up at 5:00 am so she could get ready for the day. Registration opened at 6:30 am. I slept in a little later, but then got up and started to clean out the tent. The more I could do in the morning, the less I would have to do after the race. I got the rain fly off and hung it up in the shelter. I thought it would help the tent to dry out. Luckily Sunday morning it was dry, but it did not stay that way. Around noon we got a pretty good rain, just before my race.
My race was the third group to start on the Cat 3 races. Around 12:40 we started to stage for the race. They called up the 19-29 group, then the Collegiate Cs. I rolled up to the line for the 30-39 group and waited for our start. When the whistle blew, I got a good jump on the crowd. I headed into the single track in one of the top 10 spots. I held a pretty good pace for a while, but lost some ground on the climb to the power line. The next section of single track was nice, but lost some more ground to a few riders just before getting to the nature center. This is where Egan caught me. I was able to hang with the next group for quite a while. Most of of us stayed together until we got to the first typically sandy section. This was where I was caught by Vandy. Once we got into the trail, he passed and it was the last I saw of him. We made it to the jeep trail to the damn, which was one of the few spots where the trail was slippery wet. There was a small group that passed me in this section. I knew that the next section would be interesting since we were getting close to the fence line climbs. One of the first really rooty up hill climbs on the course. I crossed the bridge and saw about 6 guys stopped and starting to walk. I was riding away, calling out and most moved for me, one guy just said it was not his fault, but did not move. I had to stop, get around him and take off again. That was the last time I had to stop on the course. I pulled away while we were climbing, but they would catch me on the down hill. The next climb, the same guy took a bad line, so I went far left and passed him again. After the next down hill he passed me and I did not see him again. I was feeling pretty good, but had a difficult time finding a gear I felt comfortable in. I was caught by another rider about 2 miles out. From that point on, most of the climbs were done, and those that were left were short and not bad. I put the bike in the big ring and just tried to follow the line cut by the previous racers. Just before we got to the bridges, the guy behind me said that I was setting a good pace. After we cross the last bridge, he passed me, and we both passed another rider. I decided it was time to latch on to his wheel and ride it in. There were a couple times where he started to pull away, but I always managed to catch him. Once we made the last left turn I stuck to his wheel. This is the section of the single track which is narrow and fast, but at the end, there is a short but good climb before you start the long down hill to the finish. When the guy in front of me when wide to make the turn, I went narrow. Stood up and sprinted up the hill. Left him in the dust. and caught another rider on the hill. Two down, now I set my sights on the rider a few hundred yards in front. I set up the gears, spun up and started the diesel engine running. There was a rider who latched onto my wheel, but I was able to drop him about the time I caught the rider in front. It felt good to see the rider in front of me look back and then stand up to try to get away. I caught him just before we hit the pavement and motored on to the finish line. I looked down and saw my average hit 11.0 mph right after crossing the finish line. My GPS recorded my speed at 26 mph as I crossed the line. I felt good, I expected a top 20 finish.
When the official results came out I did indeed turn my fastest lap of the course, 53:05. I bettered my previous time by about 3 minutes. The final results came out and finished 17 out of 31 riders. While there were a few slick muddy spots, over all the course was the best It has ever been since I have ridden at Huntsville.
Saturday morning was the big set up day. We woke up around 7:00 as it started getting light. Once we got ready, the crew was getting thing set up for the race. Vanessa and I jumped in and began helping out. It was raining, but not bad. The rain was confined to a light drizzle, which was just enough to keep the ground wet. We finished around 1:00, and got a chance to ride the course and see for ourselves how good the course was. We had been getting comments all morning about the train being in great shape. I made the lap easy and did not push it. After the ride, I got cleaned up and ready to help out for the evening. We hung out and told stories and just had fun for the evening. It was Ken's birthday so we partied well into the night. Around midnight, I had to call it a day, since I had to get up early to help with the race.
Sunday morning came early. Vanessa had to get up at 5:00 am so she could get ready for the day. Registration opened at 6:30 am. I slept in a little later, but then got up and started to clean out the tent. The more I could do in the morning, the less I would have to do after the race. I got the rain fly off and hung it up in the shelter. I thought it would help the tent to dry out. Luckily Sunday morning it was dry, but it did not stay that way. Around noon we got a pretty good rain, just before my race.
My race was the third group to start on the Cat 3 races. Around 12:40 we started to stage for the race. They called up the 19-29 group, then the Collegiate Cs. I rolled up to the line for the 30-39 group and waited for our start. When the whistle blew, I got a good jump on the crowd. I headed into the single track in one of the top 10 spots. I held a pretty good pace for a while, but lost some ground on the climb to the power line. The next section of single track was nice, but lost some more ground to a few riders just before getting to the nature center. This is where Egan caught me. I was able to hang with the next group for quite a while. Most of of us stayed together until we got to the first typically sandy section. This was where I was caught by Vandy. Once we got into the trail, he passed and it was the last I saw of him. We made it to the jeep trail to the damn, which was one of the few spots where the trail was slippery wet. There was a small group that passed me in this section. I knew that the next section would be interesting since we were getting close to the fence line climbs. One of the first really rooty up hill climbs on the course. I crossed the bridge and saw about 6 guys stopped and starting to walk. I was riding away, calling out and most moved for me, one guy just said it was not his fault, but did not move. I had to stop, get around him and take off again. That was the last time I had to stop on the course. I pulled away while we were climbing, but they would catch me on the down hill. The next climb, the same guy took a bad line, so I went far left and passed him again. After the next down hill he passed me and I did not see him again. I was feeling pretty good, but had a difficult time finding a gear I felt comfortable in. I was caught by another rider about 2 miles out. From that point on, most of the climbs were done, and those that were left were short and not bad. I put the bike in the big ring and just tried to follow the line cut by the previous racers. Just before we got to the bridges, the guy behind me said that I was setting a good pace. After we cross the last bridge, he passed me, and we both passed another rider. I decided it was time to latch on to his wheel and ride it in. There were a couple times where he started to pull away, but I always managed to catch him. Once we made the last left turn I stuck to his wheel. This is the section of the single track which is narrow and fast, but at the end, there is a short but good climb before you start the long down hill to the finish. When the guy in front of me when wide to make the turn, I went narrow. Stood up and sprinted up the hill. Left him in the dust. and caught another rider on the hill. Two down, now I set my sights on the rider a few hundred yards in front. I set up the gears, spun up and started the diesel engine running. There was a rider who latched onto my wheel, but I was able to drop him about the time I caught the rider in front. It felt good to see the rider in front of me look back and then stand up to try to get away. I caught him just before we hit the pavement and motored on to the finish line. I looked down and saw my average hit 11.0 mph right after crossing the finish line. My GPS recorded my speed at 26 mph as I crossed the line. I felt good, I expected a top 20 finish.
When the official results came out I did indeed turn my fastest lap of the course, 53:05. I bettered my previous time by about 3 minutes. The final results came out and finished 17 out of 31 riders. While there were a few slick muddy spots, over all the course was the best It has ever been since I have ridden at Huntsville.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Labor Day Weekend
Well after training for Hotter'n Hell, I did not want to get out of form. I had a weekend by myself, so I decided to make a biking weekend out of it. It started off with a mountain bike ride on Friday evening. After work I stopped by Cypresswood and hit the trails for a few hours. I got in about 10 miles.
Saturday I rode 75 miles on the road. Fifty miles were with a friend. We met at the back of The Woodlands and rode up to Montgomery and came back through Magnolia. After we got back, I decided that I wanted to get a few more miles. I did a 20 mile loop through The Woodlands and got lunch on the way.
Sunday was on the Mountain bike to pre-ride for the race on Sept 13th. After one lap at Huntsville State Park, I started a second lap and helped trim growth covering the trail. Between the two laps, I finished with 17 miles on the bike.
Monday, Northwest cycling club decided to ride a century. I decided it could be fun, but I needed to be at the airport by 4:00. My neighbor and I decided to start early and ride to the start. We left the house at 6:30am to be at the start on time. The route had us going through Magnolia then down to Zube Park, and back to the start again through Magnolia. I ended up getting home just after 3:00pm, and finished with 106 miles.
Across the 4 days, I ended up with 209 miles. Not a bad way to start off September.
Saturday I rode 75 miles on the road. Fifty miles were with a friend. We met at the back of The Woodlands and rode up to Montgomery and came back through Magnolia. After we got back, I decided that I wanted to get a few more miles. I did a 20 mile loop through The Woodlands and got lunch on the way.
Sunday was on the Mountain bike to pre-ride for the race on Sept 13th. After one lap at Huntsville State Park, I started a second lap and helped trim growth covering the trail. Between the two laps, I finished with 17 miles on the bike.
Monday, Northwest cycling club decided to ride a century. I decided it could be fun, but I needed to be at the airport by 4:00. My neighbor and I decided to start early and ride to the start. We left the house at 6:30am to be at the start on time. The route had us going through Magnolia then down to Zube Park, and back to the start again through Magnolia. I ended up getting home just after 3:00pm, and finished with 106 miles.
Across the 4 days, I ended up with 209 miles. Not a bad way to start off September.
Monday, August 31, 2009
HH100 Weekend
Well, another Hotter'n Hell 100 down in the books. This one was another record setter, although not for heat. The record was for attendance with 14,205 riders.
We started our weekend on Thursday and left work a little early and headed to Wichita Falls. We got to the hotel about 11:00pm, checked in and unloaded the truck. I wanted to get to town early to pre-ride the mountain bike course.
Friday morning I woke up at 7:30, got ready and attempted to pre-ride the course. I found part of the course, but it was difficult. I rode along and picked up a trail what I thought was the race course, it was marked with paint and ribbons used to mark the course. I suspect that that section was used in the trail run, and not the mountain bike course, because when we got to the actual race, we went on other trails, that I did not ride. After a 17 mile pre-ride, I cleaned up and got ready for the rest of the day. We went to the local winery, and then headed to the consumer show. At 4:00 I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the race.
The race started at 6:00. My group, CAT3 30-39, left about 6:09. The race was individually timed, mass start race. Finish order was determined by elapsed time of the timing chips. I got a good start with the group and was able to keep up until we got into the single track. The course was the tightest I have ever ridden. It was a very nice course though. I had one wipe out, and watched one guy fall over backwards on the trail. My finish time was 1:00:59, which put me in 12 place out of 39 riders. My best placing ever. After the race I headed to the hotel, and got the pasta bar, cleaned up and got ready for the road ride.
The next morning started off at 4:10 am. We got up, got ready, and were in the breakfast line right at 5:00am. By 5:30 we were in line at the start about 20 feet back from the line. The NWCC group joined us and we were all set for the start. Just after 7:00 the National Anthem was sung with the fly over at 7:05 at the end of the song. With the big boom of the starting cannon, we were off. The crowds we pretty bad for about 25-30 miles. I ended up stopping 3 times, mile 30, 60, and 77. For all my stops my computer logged a stop time of 30 minutes. My ride time was 5:15 for 101.76 miles. I got in a little before 1:00, and took my usual dip in the fire hydrant sprinkler at the finish.
I am looking forward to doing the race and ride again next year.
We started our weekend on Thursday and left work a little early and headed to Wichita Falls. We got to the hotel about 11:00pm, checked in and unloaded the truck. I wanted to get to town early to pre-ride the mountain bike course.
Friday morning I woke up at 7:30, got ready and attempted to pre-ride the course. I found part of the course, but it was difficult. I rode along and picked up a trail what I thought was the race course, it was marked with paint and ribbons used to mark the course. I suspect that that section was used in the trail run, and not the mountain bike course, because when we got to the actual race, we went on other trails, that I did not ride. After a 17 mile pre-ride, I cleaned up and got ready for the rest of the day. We went to the local winery, and then headed to the consumer show. At 4:00 I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the race.
The race started at 6:00. My group, CAT3 30-39, left about 6:09. The race was individually timed, mass start race. Finish order was determined by elapsed time of the timing chips. I got a good start with the group and was able to keep up until we got into the single track. The course was the tightest I have ever ridden. It was a very nice course though. I had one wipe out, and watched one guy fall over backwards on the trail. My finish time was 1:00:59, which put me in 12 place out of 39 riders. My best placing ever. After the race I headed to the hotel, and got the pasta bar, cleaned up and got ready for the road ride.
The next morning started off at 4:10 am. We got up, got ready, and were in the breakfast line right at 5:00am. By 5:30 we were in line at the start about 20 feet back from the line. The NWCC group joined us and we were all set for the start. Just after 7:00 the National Anthem was sung with the fly over at 7:05 at the end of the song. With the big boom of the starting cannon, we were off. The crowds we pretty bad for about 25-30 miles. I ended up stopping 3 times, mile 30, 60, and 77. For all my stops my computer logged a stop time of 30 minutes. My ride time was 5:15 for 101.76 miles. I got in a little before 1:00, and took my usual dip in the fire hydrant sprinkler at the finish.
I am looking forward to doing the race and ride again next year.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Vacation Week Mountain Bike Ride
Well last weekend, I did not ride since we were heading to South Dakota for a week of vacation. We headed out on Friday morning with the mountain bikes in tow. The goal was to visit Mt Rushmore and see the sites in the area. The first few days were nice, highs in the low 80's and lows in the mid 50's. Tuesday and Wednesday were cold and rainy. Thursday was the day to ride. The rain stopped and the sun came out, and the temperature was forecast to be in the upper 70's. Vanessa and I woke up early, and got ready.
I was a little concerned about riding, the temperature was in the low 40's first thing in the morning. Since the only cold weather gear I brought was my light weight jacket, I expected to be really cold. We headed out and it turned out to not feel to bad. I guess Houston makes cold feel colder. As Vanessa and I headed into Custer, we passed the bank, and it showed a temperature of 39 degrees.
After a brief stop at the Mickelson trail head in town to pay our daily usage fee, we both headed east toward Custer State Park. As we left Custer, the trail was paved to the State Park. This is the only section of the Mickelson trail that is not a old rail road track. This section also had a few climbs that were short but much steeper than any of the old rail road sections. I climbed one which was 14% grade. When Vanessa got to the top, she decided to turn around. We were about a mile to a mile and a half out of town. I headed on to the entrance to the park.
At the park entrance I asked the ranger if the Centennial Trail was passable. Since it had rained all day on Wednesday, I did not want to ride the trail if it was wet. He asked another ranger station, but they had no reports for the day. So I decided to head off and attempt to ride up to the trail head and see for myself. My plan was to head up to HWY 87 on one of the gravel county roads, then pick up the Centennial trail head at the Iron Creek Trail Head. The gravel road was a bit on the wet side and I threw mud all over the bike. As I got into the park, the road was much dryer and did not stick to my tires as bad.
I found the trail, which crossed a grass covered field. No big deal, I will just head across it. Well, turns out that the grass hid the fact that the ground was wet and that there was water standing between the clumps of grass. Then as I got to the far side of the field there was a small stream to cross. I was able to walk across the field by staying on the clumps of grass. When I got to the stream I was able to move quickly and get across, but not before feeling a small amount of water dampen my socks. Now I was officially on the trail. Aside from the low area at the start, the Centennial trail was very dry and good to ride.
The trail was well marked and even had some nice climbs, decents, and over all a good ride. I stopped a few places to take some pictures. After climbing the first section I came into another grassy spot. As I entered the spot, I thought, I hope I don't see a buffalo while on the trail. Luckily, I did not. The trail had another climb and when I got to the top there was a big rock formation there. I did not see the exact direction of the trail so I stopped to scout it out. It was also a good time to catch my breath. I found the trail and walked the bike across the rocky double back to find the next section of trail. I took a few pictures.
Another stop to view the sites. Being that am from near sea level, this was quite a ride. How high was I? Bike computer shows 5444 ft. No wonder I can't catch my breath.
As I headed on down the trail I came to a break in the trail. To the left Legion Lake. To the right, keep following the trail. My plan was to head to Legion Lake then catch the road back to Custer. So off I go to Legion Lake. Little did I know that the path ahead was not rideable. The trail went up a 22% grade. So I got off and walked my bike. Take a look at the up hill section.
After getting to the top of this climb, it was quite fun heading down the other side. As I was heading towards the campsites, I saw the first person on the trails. We talked for a few minutes, then I headed along the road back toward Custer. I did stop at the sign for the divide in the park. My official altitude at that point is 5383 ft.
As I followed the road down the other side of the divide, I decided to see how fast I could go. I hit 40mph on the bike. That was quite a rush. At the entrance to the park I got back on the trail heading back to Custer. I did stop on the way back and find my 3rd Geocache. All in all, this was one of my favorite rides on the mountain bike. I want to head back to Custer State Park some time and ride some more.
I was a little concerned about riding, the temperature was in the low 40's first thing in the morning. Since the only cold weather gear I brought was my light weight jacket, I expected to be really cold. We headed out and it turned out to not feel to bad. I guess Houston makes cold feel colder. As Vanessa and I headed into Custer, we passed the bank, and it showed a temperature of 39 degrees.
After a brief stop at the Mickelson trail head in town to pay our daily usage fee, we both headed east toward Custer State Park. As we left Custer, the trail was paved to the State Park. This is the only section of the Mickelson trail that is not a old rail road track. This section also had a few climbs that were short but much steeper than any of the old rail road sections. I climbed one which was 14% grade. When Vanessa got to the top, she decided to turn around. We were about a mile to a mile and a half out of town. I headed on to the entrance to the park.
At the park entrance I asked the ranger if the Centennial Trail was passable. Since it had rained all day on Wednesday, I did not want to ride the trail if it was wet. He asked another ranger station, but they had no reports for the day. So I decided to head off and attempt to ride up to the trail head and see for myself. My plan was to head up to HWY 87 on one of the gravel county roads, then pick up the Centennial trail head at the Iron Creek Trail Head. The gravel road was a bit on the wet side and I threw mud all over the bike. As I got into the park, the road was much dryer and did not stick to my tires as bad.
I found the trail, which crossed a grass covered field. No big deal, I will just head across it. Well, turns out that the grass hid the fact that the ground was wet and that there was water standing between the clumps of grass. Then as I got to the far side of the field there was a small stream to cross. I was able to walk across the field by staying on the clumps of grass. When I got to the stream I was able to move quickly and get across, but not before feeling a small amount of water dampen my socks. Now I was officially on the trail. Aside from the low area at the start, the Centennial trail was very dry and good to ride.
The trail was well marked and even had some nice climbs, decents, and over all a good ride. I stopped a few places to take some pictures. After climbing the first section I came into another grassy spot. As I entered the spot, I thought, I hope I don't see a buffalo while on the trail. Luckily, I did not. The trail had another climb and when I got to the top there was a big rock formation there. I did not see the exact direction of the trail so I stopped to scout it out. It was also a good time to catch my breath. I found the trail and walked the bike across the rocky double back to find the next section of trail. I took a few pictures.
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The path ahead.
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Just climbed this hill.
Look at the downhill section ahead.
Look at the downhill section ahead.
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Yeah!!!!!
Another stop to view the sites. Being that am from near sea level, this was quite a ride. How high was I? Bike computer shows 5444 ft. No wonder I can't catch my breath.
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As I headed on down the trail I came to a break in the trail. To the left Legion Lake. To the right, keep following the trail. My plan was to head to Legion Lake then catch the road back to Custer. So off I go to Legion Lake. Little did I know that the path ahead was not rideable. The trail went up a 22% grade. So I got off and walked my bike. Take a look at the up hill section.
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As I followed the road down the other side of the divide, I decided to see how fast I could go. I hit 40mph on the bike. That was quite a rush. At the entrance to the park I got back on the trail heading back to Custer. I did stop on the way back and find my 3rd Geocache. All in all, this was one of my favorite rides on the mountain bike. I want to head back to Custer State Park some time and ride some more.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend
Well, we decided to take this holiday weekend and get in some good riding. Vanessa and I rode on both Saturday and Sunday. We met one of our friends in Montgomery on Saturday. Then joined The Woodlands Cycling Club on Sunday.
Saturdays ride was a short 45 mile ride in the hills. We left out a few minutes behind another group. We ended up not seeing anyone for a while. I split the ride between riding with our friend and riding with Vanessa. A few times I took an opportunity to leave Vanessa and catch our friend. We took the short route because we had plans for the afternoon and had to be somewhere by 1:30.
Sunday we rode with The Woodlands/Bike Lane group. Since the group had a no drop beginners ride, I was able to ride with the faster riders. I was not able to keep up with the fastest riders, but was able to keep in the middle of the group. As we headed out on 242, I had my first puncture in my tubeless tires. The sealant worked well. The guy behind me did not much appreciate getting sprayed in the face. I finished the ride wet because we got rained on. All in all it was a good ride because I finished with a 19.5 average for 38 miles.
Saturdays ride was a short 45 mile ride in the hills. We left out a few minutes behind another group. We ended up not seeing anyone for a while. I split the ride between riding with our friend and riding with Vanessa. A few times I took an opportunity to leave Vanessa and catch our friend. We took the short route because we had plans for the afternoon and had to be somewhere by 1:30.
Sunday we rode with The Woodlands/Bike Lane group. Since the group had a no drop beginners ride, I was able to ride with the faster riders. I was not able to keep up with the fastest riders, but was able to keep in the middle of the group. As we headed out on 242, I had my first puncture in my tubeless tires. The sealant worked well. The guy behind me did not much appreciate getting sprayed in the face. I finished the ride wet because we got rained on. All in all it was a good ride because I finished with a 19.5 average for 38 miles.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Bike Education
Well after taking last week off to do some cross training (yard work),
this week I helped teach a bike safety class. We had six attendees at
the class, four of which were from NWCC. The class consisted of
classroom discussion on Saturday, then all the on bike work on Sunday.
We decided to ride to the class Sunday morning. We finished with a
little over 20 miles of riding. Not bad, and I got to share my
knowledge of cycling with others.
this week I helped teach a bike safety class. We had six attendees at
the class, four of which were from NWCC. The class consisted of
classroom discussion on Saturday, then all the on bike work on Sunday.
We decided to ride to the class Sunday morning. We finished with a
little over 20 miles of riding. Not bad, and I got to share my
knowledge of cycling with others.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
No bike ride this weekend
I did ride to work on Friday, but we decided to get some much needed work done around the house, AKA yard work! We pulled weeds and laid down new mulch. So after 55 bags of mulch, I am sore and ready to get back to riding the bike. Next weekend involves teaching a Traffic Skills 101 class. Maybe I can get in another ride to work this coming week.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
2009 GHORBA Big Ring Challenge
Today was the Big Ring Challenge at Double lake. Vanessa and I decided to make a weekend of it. Yesterday we went up and pre-rode the course. Vanessa also sat in on the beginners clinic held on Saturday. While she was in the clinic, I headed out for a easy warm up lap. I got back and they were still talking. Once they were finished, Vanessa and I headed out for a easy ride. She ended up falling while getting out of the way for another rider, and bruised her arm. Needless to say she sucked it up and suited up and rode today. I am proud of her considering that she was finished with about 3 miles to go to a bail out point in the trail. The trail was a little damp in a few places but not bad over all.
Today the weather was a little crazy. When we pulled up, it had just finished raining pretty hard, but the race went on. The course was a wet, muddy mess and it was slowing everyone down. In fact they decided to make the Cat 3 races only do 1 lap instead of 2. After we finished, I was glad. My one lap this year was within 10 seconds longer than last years lap average. So considering the places in the course that slowed me down, I am pretty pleased with my results. I finished 23 out of 34. Luckily by the time I raced, the track was not as muddy as the previous races. I came in pretty clean over all compared to the Cat 1 races. Next mountain bike race is at Hotter'n Hell. Friday night is the mtb bike time trial.
Today the weather was a little crazy. When we pulled up, it had just finished raining pretty hard, but the race went on. The course was a wet, muddy mess and it was slowing everyone down. In fact they decided to make the Cat 3 races only do 1 lap instead of 2. After we finished, I was glad. My one lap this year was within 10 seconds longer than last years lap average. So considering the places in the course that slowed me down, I am pretty pleased with my results. I finished 23 out of 34. Luckily by the time I raced, the track was not as muddy as the previous races. I came in pretty clean over all compared to the Cat 1 races. Next mountain bike race is at Hotter'n Hell. Friday night is the mtb bike time trial.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Mountain Bike race
Double Lake is next weekend. This will be my first mountain bike race since I raced at Double Lake last year. This week I hit the Cypress wood trail on Wednesday night. The trail was a little damp in a few places, but in pretty good shape otherwise.
Saturday, NWCC had their club camp out at Huntsville State Park. Vanessa and I headed up for the day. I only took the Mountain bike, and got in a good easy ride with Vanessa, then headed out for a lap on the race course solo. I finished the lap in about 1 hour. I hung around the camp site for a while, then a group of us went out for a lap. I finished the day with 27 miles in on the bike. Pretty good training for next weekends race. Huntsville is in bad need of rain. The entire course was littered with loose sand. Several palces were almost impossible to ride. All in all I was glad to only ride 2 laps.
Saturday, NWCC had their club camp out at Huntsville State Park. Vanessa and I headed up for the day. I only took the Mountain bike, and got in a good easy ride with Vanessa, then headed out for a lap on the race course solo. I finished the lap in about 1 hour. I hung around the camp site for a while, then a group of us went out for a lap. I finished the day with 27 miles in on the bike. Pretty good training for next weekends race. Huntsville is in bad need of rain. The entire course was littered with loose sand. Several palces were almost impossible to ride. All in all I was glad to only ride 2 laps.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
MS150
Well, the second day turned out pretty good considering that the first day was canceled. We rode from La Grange to Austin. I got in at 5:09 pm. Partly due to stopping to help 10 different people along the way. I finished with a little over 5 hours ride time and just over 3 hours stopped time. The tubeless tires worked great. I did not have any issues with flats or my tires. In fact they were working so well, I did not even feel bad about giving out my last tube.
I am debating if I will do this ride again next year or not. Time will tell. I guess I will have until October to decide.
I am debating if I will do this ride again next year or not. Time will tell. I guess I will have until October to decide.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
BP MS150 Finish
Scott Beard : FINISH
Cycling Greetings to You!
I'm peddaling to Austin for people living with MS and just crossed a significant milestone FINISH on the BP MS 150 route.
This is the most rewarding journey I've ever made. I'm pedaling along some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas. The wildflowers are spectacular.
Together we're making a difference in the lives of people with MS.
Join me. Join the movement. Move others.
I finished. Thank you for your support.
THANK YOU!
Sponsor Me
This email brought to you by RiderConnect and HP, Official Technology Partner for the BP MS 150.
Official Technology Partner 
RiderConnect is a Service of RaceDayAlert.
BP MS150 Lunch
Scott Beard : BASTROP
Cycling Greetings to You!
I'm peddaling to Austin for people living with MS and just crossed a significant milestone BASTROP on the BP MS 150 route.
This is the most rewarding journey I've ever made. I'm pedaling along some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas. The wildflowers are spectacular.
Together we're making a difference in the lives of people with MS.
Join me. Join the movement. Move others.
THANK YOU!
Sponsor Me
This email brought to you by RiderConnect and HP, Official Technology Partner for the BP MS 150.
Official Technology Partner
RiderConnect is a Service of RaceDayAlert.
MS150 Update
Well, Day 1 was a rain out. La Grange got over 11 inches of rain on Friday. Saturday rained until 5:00 in Houston. Day to is a go, so we are getting ready to leave. Our team is meeting at Technip, Loading bikes and small luggage onto trucks, then taking motor coaches to La Grange. Once we are all in Austin, then we will come back to Technip. Much shorter MS150 but we are still going.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
2009 MS150 is this weekend
The ride is just 2 days away. Bikes are ready. Time to pack. They will be using a tool called rider connect as a timing chip to log when riders cross the line at lunch and the finish line both days. I have it set up to automatically post to my blog. Check back over the weekend and see what kind of progress I am making during the ride.
My only hope is that the rain forcast does not hold true. Current forecast is T-storms for Saturday. With any luck it will blow through on Friday and be done. Sunday is looking good so far.
My only hope is that the rain forcast does not hold true. Current forecast is T-storms for Saturday. With any luck it will blow through on Friday and be done. Sunday is looking good so far.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Katy Ram Challenge
All I can say is the wind was out today, but at least it was a steady wind. No major gusting. Wind speed was between 10-15 mph from the northeast. We did the Katy Ram Challenge. The ride started at 8:00. We got there at 7:00 to get ready for the ride marshal meeting. We let most of the crowd go before heading out. I was going to ride with Sheldon, but they fell behind me at the start. I figured that I would jump on when they came by. That never happened. I did have a couple occasions where I was able to ride with other groups but most of the ride was solo. I stopped twice in the 73 miles. I finished with an overall average of 18.5. Not to bad considering the head wind and cross wind that was on the route.
The best part of the ride was in the last 10 miles. I got passed by a double pace line. I figured I would jump on the back. Well they started varying the speed and were going to slow to keep it together. I jumped out and passed them. It took them 2 miles to catch me. Which was pretty good since they had about 15 people working. I got in the back again, then on the outskirts of Katy, two guys jumped, I went with them. Those two guys gave up, but I kept going. The main group never caught me, but a small two person chase did after another 2 mile run.
Still loving the Tubeless tires.
The best part of the ride was in the last 10 miles. I got passed by a double pace line. I figured I would jump on the back. Well they started varying the speed and were going to slow to keep it together. I jumped out and passed them. It took them 2 miles to catch me. Which was pretty good since they had about 15 people working. I got in the back again, then on the outskirts of Katy, two guys jumped, I went with them. Those two guys gave up, but I kept going. The main group never caught me, but a small two person chase did after another 2 mile run.
Still loving the Tubeless tires.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Mountain Bike and Good Friday
Well this week, I did a mountain bike ride at Collins park on Wednesday night. I met up with a group from NWCC. We rode a little over 10 miles. It was a good ride. There were several people on the trail. I doubt that I will ride off road next week, since the MS150 is now a week away.
Today was a holiday for work, so a few of us decided to make a training day of it. We met up in Montgomery, TX. I had planned to ride 65 miles, but changed that when on of the riders, and my wife were only up for riding 45. It all worked out nicely. We had a small headwind going to Richards. Which made for a tail wind back to Montgomery. I ended up riding ahead, and waited at the turns. Kind of a ride your own pace, no drop ride. Tomorrow will be my real test of preparedness for the MS150.
Today was a holiday for work, so a few of us decided to make a training day of it. We met up in Montgomery, TX. I had planned to ride 65 miles, but changed that when on of the riders, and my wife were only up for riding 45. It all worked out nicely. We had a small headwind going to Richards. Which made for a tail wind back to Montgomery. I ended up riding ahead, and waited at the turns. Kind of a ride your own pace, no drop ride. Tomorrow will be my real test of preparedness for the MS150.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Space Race
The Space Race is one of our favorite rides to do each year. This year we decided to try to get Vanessa's first century ride. We woke up at 5:00 to get down to Gulf Greyhound park. The ride started at 8:00. We got there about 7:00 and had to pick up our packets. Once we got there, I started getting the bikes ready, while Vanessa got our packets.
About 7:45, we headed over to the start line. They were starting the ride based on rider speed. They had 20+, 18-20, and below 18. When we lined up, another group of FMC riders came by. Since they were also planning to ride 100 miles, Vanessa and I decided to stick with them. The ride started with the launch of a model rocket, and off we went.
The ride headed south, then turned into the wind. Luckily the wind was not very strong at 8:00. After about 10 miles, we then turned south. We were moving along quite nicely. The pace/group we were in, was rolling along around 19-20 mph. We turned south and kept the pace up. We skipped rest stop 1 and headed on to rest stop 2. At one point, we were riding along with a group which was spread out, and not real easy to pass. I was off to the right of the rider in front of me because she was not real steady. Suddenly, I hear "oh crap, glass". I have just enough time to look left to see that there is no where for me to go. I then say, I guess it is time to see if the tubeless tires are worth it. The glass was small pieces from a broken windshield. It went over half way across the shoulder of the road. Luckily no one flatted, so we kept rolling along. At the rest stop several people were checking tires. I found two signs of glass cutting into the back tire, but no signs of glass still in the tire. I also did not see any signs of sealant, so it appears that the tires rolled nicely over the glass.
After the rest stop we were a group of 4 heading out to complete the 100 mile route. By this point we were all 80 or 100 mile riders on the course. We continued to head south. Through rest stop 3 and 4. Shortly after rest stop 4 we turned Northwest. Which happened to be directly into the wind. So after plugging along at 17-19 mph we slowed down to 11 mph. From mile 50-83 we had a nice head wind or cross wind to deal with. When we got to rest stop 7, we were informed that we would be turning to ride the most direct route back to the finish line. We ended up with 95 miles, got in at 4:30 pm. Which made for one long day.
About 7:45, we headed over to the start line. They were starting the ride based on rider speed. They had 20+, 18-20, and below 18. When we lined up, another group of FMC riders came by. Since they were also planning to ride 100 miles, Vanessa and I decided to stick with them. The ride started with the launch of a model rocket, and off we went.
The ride headed south, then turned into the wind. Luckily the wind was not very strong at 8:00. After about 10 miles, we then turned south. We were moving along quite nicely. The pace/group we were in, was rolling along around 19-20 mph. We turned south and kept the pace up. We skipped rest stop 1 and headed on to rest stop 2. At one point, we were riding along with a group which was spread out, and not real easy to pass. I was off to the right of the rider in front of me because she was not real steady. Suddenly, I hear "oh crap, glass". I have just enough time to look left to see that there is no where for me to go. I then say, I guess it is time to see if the tubeless tires are worth it. The glass was small pieces from a broken windshield. It went over half way across the shoulder of the road. Luckily no one flatted, so we kept rolling along. At the rest stop several people were checking tires. I found two signs of glass cutting into the back tire, but no signs of glass still in the tire. I also did not see any signs of sealant, so it appears that the tires rolled nicely over the glass.
After the rest stop we were a group of 4 heading out to complete the 100 mile route. By this point we were all 80 or 100 mile riders on the course. We continued to head south. Through rest stop 3 and 4. Shortly after rest stop 4 we turned Northwest. Which happened to be directly into the wind. So after plugging along at 17-19 mph we slowed down to 11 mph. From mile 50-83 we had a nice head wind or cross wind to deal with. When we got to rest stop 7, we were informed that we would be turning to ride the most direct route back to the finish line. We ended up with 95 miles, got in at 4:30 pm. Which made for one long day.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Team Ride and Weekday Mountain Biking
Well. another week of riding. What a week. I kicked off the week with a short mountain bike ride after work on Wednesday night. I talked a co-worker into showing up at the Cypresswood trails. We ended up with 6 miles of by the time we finished.
Saturday, Vanessa and I did the team ride at Carl Barton Park. I started out helping another FMC rider change a low tire before we left out. So I was among the last to leave, and needed to catch Vanessa and Harlan. Since I had planned to ride with them. The rest stops were organized just about right. I skipped the first one and headed on to Splendora. Which worked out about right. I caught up to a couple guys who decided to jump on my wheel. We worked together and made good time. I caught Vanessa before reaching Splendora high school. The small group grew a bit more with Vanessa joining in. Shortly after Splendora HS, I caught Harlan. Mission accomplished. The next rest stop was in town. After stopping shortly, I had comptuer problems and had to restart my computer. It recorded everything but as two seperate rides. Once again I let Harlan and Vanessa head out in front of me. Caught them by the next rest stop. For the last leg we were riding down 242 and Got passed by a couple more FMC riders. I jumpped on their wheel, as did Harlan. I rode with them all the way to the finish. We lost Harlan somewhere along the way, but he limpped in.
After the ride, Vanessa and I got some food then to the shop to teach our last Group Riding Skills Class before the MS150. The class was held at Bike Lane and we had 12 people. I got some pretty good feedback on the class.
Saturday, Vanessa and I did the team ride at Carl Barton Park. I started out helping another FMC rider change a low tire before we left out. So I was among the last to leave, and needed to catch Vanessa and Harlan. Since I had planned to ride with them. The rest stops were organized just about right. I skipped the first one and headed on to Splendora. Which worked out about right. I caught up to a couple guys who decided to jump on my wheel. We worked together and made good time. I caught Vanessa before reaching Splendora high school. The small group grew a bit more with Vanessa joining in. Shortly after Splendora HS, I caught Harlan. Mission accomplished. The next rest stop was in town. After stopping shortly, I had comptuer problems and had to restart my computer. It recorded everything but as two seperate rides. Once again I let Harlan and Vanessa head out in front of me. Caught them by the next rest stop. For the last leg we were riding down 242 and Got passed by a couple more FMC riders. I jumpped on their wheel, as did Harlan. I rode with them all the way to the finish. We lost Harlan somewhere along the way, but he limpped in.
After the ride, Vanessa and I got some food then to the shop to teach our last Group Riding Skills Class before the MS150. The class was held at Bike Lane and we had 12 people. I got some pretty good feedback on the class.
Monday, March 30, 2009
BlueBonnet Express
This weekend was the BlueBonnet Express bike ride. This is the spring ride hosted by Northwest Cycling Club. Vanessa was the registration coordinator this year, so that meant that I also had to help. Funny how that works. Our plan was to go for a short ride on Saturday then work packet pickup, but based on how packet pickup went on Friday, we changed our minds. So no Saturday ride.
Sunday came, I was driving the Uhaul truck with all the packets and equipment for the ride. We got up at 4:00 am to get to the start by 5:45. We had to set up for registration which was to open by 6:00. registration went pretty smoothly. We got everything done and put away by 9:00. Ride started at 8:00. Shortly after 9:00, Vanessa and I headed out for our ride. One of the ride marshals who was planning to ride the short route, asked if Vanessa wanted to ride with him. Once she said yes, I was able to ride the 62 mile route.
Off I go trying to make up for the late start since I knew that I would not have anyone to draft off of. All the way to the first rest stop, I had nobody in sight. As I was approaching the first rest stop, I saw two riders leaving. I did a quick pit to fill water bottles and eat a few pretzles, then out again. I caught those two riders within 2 miles. I ended up passing 15 people before stopping to help three different groups on the side of the road. I resumed with the same pace I had before. I got to rest stop 2, talked to some of the volunteers, and resumed. When I got into Waller, there was a train across the road, no problem, I headed up old 290 until I could get around the train. Once I crossed the tracks, I did not check to see where I was, so I turned right. Picked up 5 extra miles by the time I got back to my correct turn. It all worked out. I was making good time so it was ok. By rest stop 3 was was catching many more people, and was alway catching and passing someone. The last rest stop was still pretty full when I got there. All in all it was a very good ride. I finished 67 miles with an 18.5 mph average. Not bad for a 100% solo effort. I had no one to draft off of, and no one latched onto my wheel.
Tubeless tire update
I love these things. I swear that they roll faster with less effort than my previous tires. They are still holding air well. every time I put air in them, they are around 80 PSI. I wonder if that is how much air is lost when the valve stem gets depressed putting the pump on the tire? So far they have been worth the money. I think it is a technology that will make mainstream. I felt really good after 67 miles. Next weekend, 100 miles on these tires at Space Race.
Sunday came, I was driving the Uhaul truck with all the packets and equipment for the ride. We got up at 4:00 am to get to the start by 5:45. We had to set up for registration which was to open by 6:00. registration went pretty smoothly. We got everything done and put away by 9:00. Ride started at 8:00. Shortly after 9:00, Vanessa and I headed out for our ride. One of the ride marshals who was planning to ride the short route, asked if Vanessa wanted to ride with him. Once she said yes, I was able to ride the 62 mile route.
Off I go trying to make up for the late start since I knew that I would not have anyone to draft off of. All the way to the first rest stop, I had nobody in sight. As I was approaching the first rest stop, I saw two riders leaving. I did a quick pit to fill water bottles and eat a few pretzles, then out again. I caught those two riders within 2 miles. I ended up passing 15 people before stopping to help three different groups on the side of the road. I resumed with the same pace I had before. I got to rest stop 2, talked to some of the volunteers, and resumed. When I got into Waller, there was a train across the road, no problem, I headed up old 290 until I could get around the train. Once I crossed the tracks, I did not check to see where I was, so I turned right. Picked up 5 extra miles by the time I got back to my correct turn. It all worked out. I was making good time so it was ok. By rest stop 3 was was catching many more people, and was alway catching and passing someone. The last rest stop was still pretty full when I got there. All in all it was a very good ride. I finished 67 miles with an 18.5 mph average. Not bad for a 100% solo effort. I had no one to draft off of, and no one latched onto my wheel.
Tubeless tire update
I love these things. I swear that they roll faster with less effort than my previous tires. They are still holding air well. every time I put air in them, they are around 80 PSI. I wonder if that is how much air is lost when the valve stem gets depressed putting the pump on the tire? So far they have been worth the money. I think it is a technology that will make mainstream. I felt really good after 67 miles. Next weekend, 100 miles on these tires at Space Race.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tubeless Tires Ride report
Well, the first two rides are in and the initial report looks good. Vanessa and I needed to kick in the training since the MS150 is less than 4 weeks away. This gave me two good days of riding to get some experience with the tubeless tires.
Saturday we got a late start. Vanessa and I headed out to Zube park and did the 30 mile route. Since I had stay up late putting my tires on, and I had to be at Sun and Ski by 1:00 to get ready for a group riding skills class, we arrived at Zube about 8:45, and left by 9:00. I decided to try running the tires at 95 psi for their first run. The tires rolled well, but the first thing I noticed is the tires have a deeper sound to them as you roll down the road, almost like the low hum that a large truck tire can get when compared to the sound of a car tire. I also noticed the tires had better grip, or at least I felt more confortable in the corners. I have nothing to provide solid proof of a better ride, I can say I liked the way they felt. The 30 mile route includes some nice mix or road surfaces from chip and seal to smooth pavement. The tires do a good job of smoothing out most moderately smooth roads, especially chip and seal roads. Near the finish I decided to sprint out and see how the tires do at speed. Again, no solid proof, but they felt fast.
Sunday was the Tour de Houston. I was intending to ride a fast 70 miles to see how thing go. Instead, we got up early so we could get a parking space. We arrived about 5:30 am to start getting ready. Where we parked was a couple blocks from the start point, so I waited until about 6:20 to head over toward the start. Vanessa and I were both working as ride marshals. After the meeting I went to the bathroom, then to the start to find Vanessa and JC. They lined up right behind the start. We were so close that we were in the second wave to riders to get let out. I was faster than most riders at the start, while I was able to ride with a few people, most were riding slower than I was. I ended up finishing the first 10 miles mostly solo with a 19.9 average. As I rolled through the first rest stop, I caught up with a couple guys who were planning to do the 40. I did not know that, so I jumped on their wheel and went all of two blocks before seeing the 70 turn off. again I was mostly solo. I was riding along and a large group who I reconized as moslty racers came by me at about 28 mph. They had picked up a few people just trying to hang on. I figured what the hey, and jumpped in. I hung with them for a few miles. At one light they pulled away a little and I let them go. I stayed in with the others who broke off from the larger group and kept pace until the second rest stop. I stopped to eat a banana and get some water. I headed out and started out solo for about a mile. As I got passed by a 3 person group, I jumped on the end. We were doing near 21 mph following a guy on a tri bike. I just hung on the end until we got around to the next rest stop. Most of the group pulled in. After a little more food and water, I headed out again. I was starting to struggle a bit on this leg because the wind was now in our faces. I got caught by two guys. As they passed, I again jumped in. We took a few turns pulling around 20-21 mph. We ended up dropping the third guy. Which worked out ok because we started seeing more traffic as we rejoined the rest of the routes. I was thinking about the time, that this will not be a 70 mile day. Turns out I finished with a 20.01 mph fro 46.5 miles.
The tubeless tires felt so good, that I ended up ordering a set for Vanessa's bike. They should be in later this week.
Saturday we got a late start. Vanessa and I headed out to Zube park and did the 30 mile route. Since I had stay up late putting my tires on, and I had to be at Sun and Ski by 1:00 to get ready for a group riding skills class, we arrived at Zube about 8:45, and left by 9:00. I decided to try running the tires at 95 psi for their first run. The tires rolled well, but the first thing I noticed is the tires have a deeper sound to them as you roll down the road, almost like the low hum that a large truck tire can get when compared to the sound of a car tire. I also noticed the tires had better grip, or at least I felt more confortable in the corners. I have nothing to provide solid proof of a better ride, I can say I liked the way they felt. The 30 mile route includes some nice mix or road surfaces from chip and seal to smooth pavement. The tires do a good job of smoothing out most moderately smooth roads, especially chip and seal roads. Near the finish I decided to sprint out and see how the tires do at speed. Again, no solid proof, but they felt fast.
Sunday was the Tour de Houston. I was intending to ride a fast 70 miles to see how thing go. Instead, we got up early so we could get a parking space. We arrived about 5:30 am to start getting ready. Where we parked was a couple blocks from the start point, so I waited until about 6:20 to head over toward the start. Vanessa and I were both working as ride marshals. After the meeting I went to the bathroom, then to the start to find Vanessa and JC. They lined up right behind the start. We were so close that we were in the second wave to riders to get let out. I was faster than most riders at the start, while I was able to ride with a few people, most were riding slower than I was. I ended up finishing the first 10 miles mostly solo with a 19.9 average. As I rolled through the first rest stop, I caught up with a couple guys who were planning to do the 40. I did not know that, so I jumped on their wheel and went all of two blocks before seeing the 70 turn off. again I was mostly solo. I was riding along and a large group who I reconized as moslty racers came by me at about 28 mph. They had picked up a few people just trying to hang on. I figured what the hey, and jumpped in. I hung with them for a few miles. At one light they pulled away a little and I let them go. I stayed in with the others who broke off from the larger group and kept pace until the second rest stop. I stopped to eat a banana and get some water. I headed out and started out solo for about a mile. As I got passed by a 3 person group, I jumped on the end. We were doing near 21 mph following a guy on a tri bike. I just hung on the end until we got around to the next rest stop. Most of the group pulled in. After a little more food and water, I headed out again. I was starting to struggle a bit on this leg because the wind was now in our faces. I got caught by two guys. As they passed, I again jumped in. We took a few turns pulling around 20-21 mph. We ended up dropping the third guy. Which worked out ok because we started seeing more traffic as we rejoined the rest of the routes. I was thinking about the time, that this will not be a 70 mile day. Turns out I finished with a 20.01 mph fro 46.5 miles.
The tubeless tires felt so good, that I ended up ordering a set for Vanessa's bike. They should be in later this week.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Mid Week Riding & New Tires
Well the rain went away and we had beautiful weather this week. What better time to get back on the bike and continue the training for the MS150. We are now 1 month away from the MS150.
Since the rain cleared up on Sunday, the hope was that the trails would be dry enough to ride on Wednesday at Cypresswood. NWCC was having their weekly mountain bike ride after work. So I took my bike with me and rode with the group. I got in a good 11 miles and got in just at dusk. The last few miles I pushed it to get in before dark. Since part of the group took the road back to the car, I did not push it to hard.
On Thursday I talked to Mike and Juan and we decided to take a quick 28 mile loop that Juan rides from the neighborhood. Overall the route is on some decent, but busy roads. Luckily people were nice and passed with space. The most interesting part was the initial sprint up 249 between our neihborhood and Boudreaux Rd during rush hour. We left the house about 6:15. I was glad I took my lights since it was just turning dark when we got home. I finished a 32 mile ride with a 18.4 average. 20 mile of the route I registered a 19.9 average. Overall not bad. After the ride we went to get something to eat.
The last thing before riding this weekend, I installed my new tires. I was doing some research online about my tubeless wheels. After having problems with my valve stems on my mountain bike last weekend, I went to www.notubes.com. I saw that they had a road tubeless kit to turn any 700c wheel into a tubeless setup. after doing some more research, I decided that this may be something to try. Since I was due for new tires before the MS150 anyway, it seemed like a good time to try it out. They arrived Friday, so who was I to wait. I came home from dinner and proceed to convert my current wheels to tubeless. Overall I was quite impressed, the whole process was not to bad. After taking off my old tires, tubes and rim tape, I noticed some dirt in the rims. After a quick cleaning, I proceeded to install the rim tape provided with the kit. Next I instaled the old tires and tubes and inflated them to set the rim tape. Once that was done I proceeded to remove the tires and tubes. Install the new valve stem, and mount the tires, soap the bead and pump it up. At this point I noticed that my rims were not welded but seated rims. even with the new rim tape, I could hear the small hiss of excaping air. Even with the his, I could hear the bead was holding. That was good. So I removed the valve core and installed the Stan's sealant, and proceed to inflate the tires again. This time I put the small leak at the bottom and rocked the tire side to side. In no time the his got less and less. I slowely rolled the tire around rocking it as I went. All hissing stopped and the tires held air. I followed the same process with the other wheel and all is good. I am looking forward to riding them tomorrow to see how it goes. The big test will be on Sunday when I do a long ride on them. With any luck I will get a smooth ride and a really good tire life. I will keep you posted on my thoughts.
Since the rain cleared up on Sunday, the hope was that the trails would be dry enough to ride on Wednesday at Cypresswood. NWCC was having their weekly mountain bike ride after work. So I took my bike with me and rode with the group. I got in a good 11 miles and got in just at dusk. The last few miles I pushed it to get in before dark. Since part of the group took the road back to the car, I did not push it to hard.
On Thursday I talked to Mike and Juan and we decided to take a quick 28 mile loop that Juan rides from the neighborhood. Overall the route is on some decent, but busy roads. Luckily people were nice and passed with space. The most interesting part was the initial sprint up 249 between our neihborhood and Boudreaux Rd during rush hour. We left the house about 6:15. I was glad I took my lights since it was just turning dark when we got home. I finished a 32 mile ride with a 18.4 average. 20 mile of the route I registered a 19.9 average. Overall not bad. After the ride we went to get something to eat.
The last thing before riding this weekend, I installed my new tires. I was doing some research online about my tubeless wheels. After having problems with my valve stems on my mountain bike last weekend, I went to www.notubes.com. I saw that they had a road tubeless kit to turn any 700c wheel into a tubeless setup. after doing some more research, I decided that this may be something to try. Since I was due for new tires before the MS150 anyway, it seemed like a good time to try it out. They arrived Friday, so who was I to wait. I came home from dinner and proceed to convert my current wheels to tubeless. Overall I was quite impressed, the whole process was not to bad. After taking off my old tires, tubes and rim tape, I noticed some dirt in the rims. After a quick cleaning, I proceeded to install the rim tape provided with the kit. Next I instaled the old tires and tubes and inflated them to set the rim tape. Once that was done I proceeded to remove the tires and tubes. Install the new valve stem, and mount the tires, soap the bead and pump it up. At this point I noticed that my rims were not welded but seated rims. even with the new rim tape, I could hear the small hiss of excaping air. Even with the his, I could hear the bead was holding. That was good. So I removed the valve core and installed the Stan's sealant, and proceed to inflate the tires again. This time I put the small leak at the bottom and rocked the tire side to side. In no time the his got less and less. I slowely rolled the tire around rocking it as I went. All hissing stopped and the tires held air. I followed the same process with the other wheel and all is good. I am looking forward to riding them tomorrow to see how it goes. The big test will be on Sunday when I do a long ride on them. With any luck I will get a smooth ride and a really good tire life. I will keep you posted on my thoughts.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wet Week for Riding.
This has been a rough week for riding. I did get in a few miles on the mountain bike on Tuesday. Since the forecast looked like rain for the rest of the week. I figured I would get in some mountain bike miles while I could. I rode around the drainage ditches in the area. It was around dusk so I had my front and rear lights on for visibility. I finished with about a 10 mile ride right at an hour. After the ride I noticed that my rear tire was low on air, so I decided it was time to put in some new sealant. I think I finally figured out why. My valve stem was not properly seated so I was losing air slowly. Hopefully that is done.
Saturday was a busy day. We had a wedding to attend, plus it was raining almost all day. So I decided it was time to fix the mountain bike wheels, and ride the bike on the trainer. So I loaded up the 23 mile route for Montgomery, TX on the computrainer and decided to ride 10 miles of the route. This gave me a good solid 30 minute high intensity workout. Sunday I decided to forgo any training and spend time with the in-laws since this will be the last weekend they will be with us.
MS150 update:
Fundraising is going slow, but progressing. My personal goal is $1000. Last year I personally raised almost $850. If you would please consider a donation, even as small as $5 or $10 will help. I support this cause because I am thankful that I can enjoy my time on the bike. A diesese like MS could take that away from me, like it does so many others. I ride to Austin to suppor those who can't. Please consider a donation via the "support my ride to Austin" link to the right, or via the link below
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sabeard
Thank you for reading my blog, and your support on the MS150.
Saturday was a busy day. We had a wedding to attend, plus it was raining almost all day. So I decided it was time to fix the mountain bike wheels, and ride the bike on the trainer. So I loaded up the 23 mile route for Montgomery, TX on the computrainer and decided to ride 10 miles of the route. This gave me a good solid 30 minute high intensity workout. Sunday I decided to forgo any training and spend time with the in-laws since this will be the last weekend they will be with us.
MS150 update:
Fundraising is going slow, but progressing. My personal goal is $1000. Last year I personally raised almost $850. If you would please consider a donation, even as small as $5 or $10 will help. I support this cause because I am thankful that I can enjoy my time on the bike. A diesese like MS could take that away from me, like it does so many others. I ride to Austin to suppor those who can't. Please consider a donation via the "support my ride to Austin" link to the right, or via the link below
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sabeard
Thank you for reading my blog, and your support on the MS150.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Tough day on the bike
Well, this week is a lighter week on the bike. I rode to work on Thursday. Pretty uneventful 34 mile route trip. The commute trips really help out with the miles but they can get tough carrying all my stuff back and forth. I left home at 6:03 am, and got to work about 7:30. I left work at 6:00, got home a little past 7:30.
I was planning to ride on Friday, but ended up sleeping longer than planned. So I worked it out to ride with the FMC team today. They were hosting the ride at Montgomery. I worked the start so our team captains could drive sag. This meant that I was one of the last few to leave. I was planning to ride at least the 47 mile route. So after a short warm-up in the first 3 miles, I took of and kept a comfortable pace. I ended up holding a good average, around 17 mph, for the first 10 miles. The second 10 I was smoking it up. I completed the second 10 miles with a 21 mph average. I caught quite a few of the riders in front of me. Which makes sense when you are among the last to start. At Richards I decided that it would be best to do the 47 mile route instead of the 69 mile route. After leaving Richards I realized why I was moving so well. I had a nice tail wind, which was now a head wind. I caught a rider in front of me and the two of us decided to stick together. We stayed together for about 10 miles. Then I could not keep the pace and slowed it down a little. I ended up finishing with 47 hilly miles with a 17 mph average. Not bad considering the head wind we had.
I was planning to ride on Friday, but ended up sleeping longer than planned. So I worked it out to ride with the FMC team today. They were hosting the ride at Montgomery. I worked the start so our team captains could drive sag. This meant that I was one of the last few to leave. I was planning to ride at least the 47 mile route. So after a short warm-up in the first 3 miles, I took of and kept a comfortable pace. I ended up holding a good average, around 17 mph, for the first 10 miles. The second 10 I was smoking it up. I completed the second 10 miles with a 21 mph average. I caught quite a few of the riders in front of me. Which makes sense when you are among the last to start. At Richards I decided that it would be best to do the 47 mile route instead of the 69 mile route. After leaving Richards I realized why I was moving so well. I had a nice tail wind, which was now a head wind. I caught a rider in front of me and the two of us decided to stick together. We stayed together for about 10 miles. Then I could not keep the pace and slowed it down a little. I ended up finishing with 47 hilly miles with a 17 mph average. Not bad considering the head wind we had.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Friday commute, and MTB on Saturday
Friday I rode to work. It is not a tough ride, nor to long, but two 17 mile rides in a day add up over time. I can tell when I have to carry my laptop with me on the bike. The added weight does slow me down. But hey, it is good training. I figured that I needed to ride the bike since I was only going to get one day of riding on the weekend.
On Saturday the wind was bad, constant at 15 mph with gusts to 25-30 mph. Time to hit the mountain bike trails. I met my neighbor and we hit the trails along Cypress Creek close to the house. Gary had not been on those yet, so it was fun. We covered most of the trails, the area at the YMCA has not been cleared out since Ike. Also we found out that they closed off the gap in the fence that let us get out when we followed the trail through there. So after a little back tracking, we ended up with a 22 mile ride. The wind was tough on the way back home.
On Saturday the wind was bad, constant at 15 mph with gusts to 25-30 mph. Time to hit the mountain bike trails. I met my neighbor and we hit the trails along Cypress Creek close to the house. Gary had not been on those yet, so it was fun. We covered most of the trails, the area at the YMCA has not been cleared out since Ike. Also we found out that they closed off the gap in the fence that let us get out when we followed the trail through there. So after a little back tracking, we ended up with a 22 mile ride. The wind was tough on the way back home.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Two good rides
After taking a week off, Vanessa and I got in two good rides this weekend. On Saturday we joined the FMC team and rode in Katy. On Sunday we froze out in Round Top and Fayetteville at the Tri-County Hill Hopper organized ride. All in all I logged 100 miles for the weekend.
For the ride on Saturday. We got up and was at the ride by 7:15. Which was good because as I was loading the bikes I noticed my tire was flat. Since I had not ridden that bike in over two weeks, that should come as no surprise. So I grabbed a spare tire and tubes and headed off to the ride. I got Vanessa's bike ready, then proceeded to change my tire. I looked at my tire and did not see anything but decided to swap tires any way. All was good. I caught up to Vanessa at the first rest stop. We proceeded to follow the route. Being a Purdue Alumni, I harassed another rider in an IU jersey. The wind started to pickup during the ride since a cold front was going to come through. Luckily we did not get rained on, but it did rain on part of the route back to the start. We got into the wet roads, and I hear a big boom. My tire I had changed blew out. I pulled over and told Vanessa to go on. I tried to boot the tire, but it was no use. The sidewall was unpatchable. So I finished the ride with a little over 44 miles.
Sunday was cold. We woke up at 4 am to make it to the ride on time. Since Vanessa and I were both ride marshals, we had to be at the ride marshal meeting at 7 am. It was 37 degrees when we left the house and 33 when we got to the start. The high was only about 65, so we pretty much kept bundled up until the last 12 miles or so. Since this route is through some good hills on the MS150 route, it is a good test to see how the legs hold up. I must admit, that I felt pretty good in the hills. In fact, I decided to turn around after going down lone oak hill, and climb it. As I climbed it, I fliped my bike computer over to show the grade. It said that the climb was 10%. I believe it is pretty close to that. There are not many hill where you can be in your smallest gear, and stand up with out needing to up shift. This one you can. I highly recommend the Tri-County Hill Hopper before next year's MS150. I finished this year with 53 hilly miles.
For the ride on Saturday. We got up and was at the ride by 7:15. Which was good because as I was loading the bikes I noticed my tire was flat. Since I had not ridden that bike in over two weeks, that should come as no surprise. So I grabbed a spare tire and tubes and headed off to the ride. I got Vanessa's bike ready, then proceeded to change my tire. I looked at my tire and did not see anything but decided to swap tires any way. All was good. I caught up to Vanessa at the first rest stop. We proceeded to follow the route. Being a Purdue Alumni, I harassed another rider in an IU jersey. The wind started to pickup during the ride since a cold front was going to come through. Luckily we did not get rained on, but it did rain on part of the route back to the start. We got into the wet roads, and I hear a big boom. My tire I had changed blew out. I pulled over and told Vanessa to go on. I tried to boot the tire, but it was no use. The sidewall was unpatchable. So I finished the ride with a little over 44 miles.
Sunday was cold. We woke up at 4 am to make it to the ride on time. Since Vanessa and I were both ride marshals, we had to be at the ride marshal meeting at 7 am. It was 37 degrees when we left the house and 33 when we got to the start. The high was only about 65, so we pretty much kept bundled up until the last 12 miles or so. Since this route is through some good hills on the MS150 route, it is a good test to see how the legs hold up. I must admit, that I felt pretty good in the hills. In fact, I decided to turn around after going down lone oak hill, and climb it. As I climbed it, I fliped my bike computer over to show the grade. It said that the climb was 10%. I believe it is pretty close to that. There are not many hill where you can be in your smallest gear, and stand up with out needing to up shift. This one you can. I highly recommend the Tri-County Hill Hopper before next year's MS150. I finished this year with 53 hilly miles.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mountain Bike Rides
Well. It has been a while, but last Wednesday I took a 10 mile ride along the drainage ditches. It felt good to get on the mountain bike. The last time I rode it was in early December.
On Thursday, I rode the bike to work. It felt good to make that trip again. Hopefully I can make that trek more this year.
On Sunday Vanessa and I went to Double Lake State recreational area. They have a nice 8.1 mile loop. It is a fast course. Several tight turns, but mostly just nice single track. Since it rained over night in Houston, it was still wet to ride on the road. Double lake is a good trail to ride on if it has rained less than and inch or so. It drains nicely. We got to double lake around 11:00. I rode a slow lap with Vanessa. I tried to give her some pointers, but that seemed to be a bad idea. After the first lap, I rode one lap as fast as I could. I was able to complete the lap in 44 minutes and 56 seconds. This was almost 4 minutes faster than my per lap average at the race last May. I am looking forward to the race this year. I need to get on the mtn bike a few more times to do well.
On Thursday, I rode the bike to work. It felt good to make that trip again. Hopefully I can make that trek more this year.
On Sunday Vanessa and I went to Double Lake State recreational area. They have a nice 8.1 mile loop. It is a fast course. Several tight turns, but mostly just nice single track. Since it rained over night in Houston, it was still wet to ride on the road. Double lake is a good trail to ride on if it has rained less than and inch or so. It drains nicely. We got to double lake around 11:00. I rode a slow lap with Vanessa. I tried to give her some pointers, but that seemed to be a bad idea. After the first lap, I rode one lap as fast as I could. I was able to complete the lap in 44 minutes and 56 seconds. This was almost 4 minutes faster than my per lap average at the race last May. I am looking forward to the race this year. I need to get on the mtn bike a few more times to do well.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Bike Thoughts and Goals for 2009.
Well it is February, and I am just now getting down to writing down my thoughts and bike goals for 2009.
2008 Summary:
I finished up 2008 as a so so year for my bike riding. My quick summary involved teaching 12 students in the LAB Road 1 class in The Woodlands. I finished my 4th Hotter'n Hell 100. I intended to do some mountain bike races. Needless to say Hurricane Ike had different plans. After Ike, registration for the 2009 MS150 opened up. So Vanessa and I are preparing for our 5th ride from Houston, TX to Austin, TX. Vanessa became certified to teach the LAB bike safety classes also. We rounded out 2008 by teaching Group Riding Skills classes, and occasionally getting in a weekend ride or two.
2009 So far:
For the MS150 we are once again riding with FMC Cyclers. The team is a little over 170 riders this year, which is a large increase from the 109 riders we had last year. I was asked to be the Safety Coordinator for our team. Since our team requires every rider to take a bike safety class every two years, it is my job to track who needs a class, and organize classes to get the team educated. Turns out that is like hurding cats. ;-) We decided to get the jump on the safety classes. We started teaching classes in October within two weeks of registration. In 2008 we taught 5 classes, 1 in Oct, 2 in Nov, and 2 in Dec. We kicked off January in full swing and held a class every weekend from Jan 10th to Jan 31st. We had such great demand, that we even added two classes in Feb. To date, our group of 6 instructors have taught group riding skills to over 300 of the 13000 riders in the 2009 BP MS150.
2009 Goals:
Lastly my plug for the 2009 BP MS150:
As stated above, This is Vanessa and my 5th MS150. We participate in this ride for two reasons, it is a great physical challenge to cover the ride from Houston to Austin each year. I notice I get stronger each year. The second reason, is because I do get stronger each year, I raise money for those who can not. Because of my efforts to fund raise, every day we get closer to understanding the debilitating disease, and finding a cure. Please support our efforts by considering a $25 donation. You can donate via my personal fundraising link.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sabeard
Thanks for your support.
2008 Summary:
I finished up 2008 as a so so year for my bike riding. My quick summary involved teaching 12 students in the LAB Road 1 class in The Woodlands. I finished my 4th Hotter'n Hell 100. I intended to do some mountain bike races. Needless to say Hurricane Ike had different plans. After Ike, registration for the 2009 MS150 opened up. So Vanessa and I are preparing for our 5th ride from Houston, TX to Austin, TX. Vanessa became certified to teach the LAB bike safety classes also. We rounded out 2008 by teaching Group Riding Skills classes, and occasionally getting in a weekend ride or two.
2009 So far:
For the MS150 we are once again riding with FMC Cyclers. The team is a little over 170 riders this year, which is a large increase from the 109 riders we had last year. I was asked to be the Safety Coordinator for our team. Since our team requires every rider to take a bike safety class every two years, it is my job to track who needs a class, and organize classes to get the team educated. Turns out that is like hurding cats. ;-) We decided to get the jump on the safety classes. We started teaching classes in October within two weeks of registration. In 2008 we taught 5 classes, 1 in Oct, 2 in Nov, and 2 in Dec. We kicked off January in full swing and held a class every weekend from Jan 10th to Jan 31st. We had such great demand, that we even added two classes in Feb. To date, our group of 6 instructors have taught group riding skills to over 300 of the 13000 riders in the 2009 BP MS150.
2009 Goals:
- For starters I hope to update my Blog more frequently.
- Ride to work more (Average 2 days per week)
- Complete my 5th MS150
- Average 100 miles per week (I started this off in the hole)
- Compete in 5 mountain bike races
- Complete my 5th HH100 with a 20mph average speed
- Finish the Bike Around the Bay again
- Continue educating cyclist how to interact with traffic
Lastly my plug for the 2009 BP MS150:
As stated above, This is Vanessa and my 5th MS150. We participate in this ride for two reasons, it is a great physical challenge to cover the ride from Houston to Austin each year. I notice I get stronger each year. The second reason, is because I do get stronger each year, I raise money for those who can not. Because of my efforts to fund raise, every day we get closer to understanding the debilitating disease, and finding a cure. Please support our efforts by considering a $25 donation. You can donate via my personal fundraising link.
http://main.nationalmssociety.
Thanks for your support.
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