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.
Showing posts with label MS150. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MS150. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
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.
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 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.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
2008 BP MS150
Well Vanessa and I completed another MS150. This makes number 4 in all. This was the first year that we rode with FMC Technologies. The team support was great. They provided full uniforms, a nice BBQ dinner in the tent, and massages in La Grange.
This year Vanessa and I once again started in different locations. She at Rhodes Stadium, and I at Technip with the rest of the FMC team. Saturday started out a little cool but comfortable. I started out riding in a small group of three of us. We rode straight through to rest stop 3. Between rest stop 3 and lunch we got separated. I stopped for lunch then headed out again. After lunch the wind started to get bad. We had to slug our way through a nice head wind most of the way to La Grange. Luckily we had a tail wind for the last 5 miles on Saturday.
I ended up getting into La Grange about 3 minutes behind Vanessa despite riding 16 miles further. After getting my massage and a shower, I started walking around to chat with people I knew.
Sunday morning was cold. When we woke up it was about 46 F. The bad point was it warmed up quickly. By the time I got to the first rest stop I had to take off my jacket. Once again I decided to go through the park. It is a nice route with some rolling hills that make for a fun ride. This year the blessing was that in the park, the wind was not nearly as bad.
After stopping at Whataburger for lunch, I headed out for the last 30 miles of the ride. At one point I got to riding at a comfortable pace and realized I had picked up about 40 riders following me. It seemed like I was passing and as I passed people would join up. At one point I jumped on behind another friend who passed. We rode together for about 5-7 miles. I dropped off when I thought we were close to the next rest stop. Once I got there I saw Vanessa. As I refilled my bottles, Vanessa took off again. I caught her at the last rest stop. There we saw several others from our team and made plans to ride across the line together.
As we approached Austin, I saw a few more FMC riders. We all waited and rode across in a group of about 10 FMC team members.
It was another successful MS150. We are still looking for people to donate to the National MS Society. If you would like to donate, please use the this link. http://ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=192109 .
This year Vanessa and I once again started in different locations. She at Rhodes Stadium, and I at Technip with the rest of the FMC team. Saturday started out a little cool but comfortable. I started out riding in a small group of three of us. We rode straight through to rest stop 3. Between rest stop 3 and lunch we got separated. I stopped for lunch then headed out again. After lunch the wind started to get bad. We had to slug our way through a nice head wind most of the way to La Grange. Luckily we had a tail wind for the last 5 miles on Saturday.
I ended up getting into La Grange about 3 minutes behind Vanessa despite riding 16 miles further. After getting my massage and a shower, I started walking around to chat with people I knew.
Sunday morning was cold. When we woke up it was about 46 F. The bad point was it warmed up quickly. By the time I got to the first rest stop I had to take off my jacket. Once again I decided to go through the park. It is a nice route with some rolling hills that make for a fun ride. This year the blessing was that in the park, the wind was not nearly as bad.
After stopping at Whataburger for lunch, I headed out for the last 30 miles of the ride. At one point I got to riding at a comfortable pace and realized I had picked up about 40 riders following me. It seemed like I was passing and as I passed people would join up. At one point I jumped on behind another friend who passed. We rode together for about 5-7 miles. I dropped off when I thought we were close to the next rest stop. Once I got there I saw Vanessa. As I refilled my bottles, Vanessa took off again. I caught her at the last rest stop. There we saw several others from our team and made plans to ride across the line together.
As we approached Austin, I saw a few more FMC riders. We all waited and rode across in a group of about 10 FMC team members.
It was another successful MS150. We are still looking for people to donate to the National MS Society. If you would like to donate, please use the this link. http://ms150.org/edon.cfm?id
Monday, October 01, 2007
Lions Bike for Sight Century
Yesterday Vanessa and I participated in the Cy-Fair Lions Club Biking for Sight Century in Montgomery, TX. This ride was also a recommend ride for the 2008 BP MS150, so I worked as a ride marshal. This is a good ride on a challenging course. I rode the 102 mile route, and I can say that this is the hardest century I have done. I reached a point that the hills wore me out and so did the wind. I did not have any energy left to ride to fast, but I did not just bonk. I fell back to my training that I did over the summer, long slow rides. After the first 20-25 miles, I could not keep my pace much over 16 mph due to wind and hills, but I could keep plugging along.
We started the day and I rode with Jim Crocco, who I used to work with at HP and know him through NWCC. He had never done a century ride before, lots of 40-80 mile ride but never a century.
The route had us going through Richards, Anderson, Iola, Bedias, Shiro, Back to Richards, then on to Montgomery. The road from Bedias to Shiro was long, windy with lots of climbs into the wind. About mile 85, I was ready to be finished, but held on. I like the route, but I am not sure I will do the century out there again for a while.
We started the day and I rode with Jim Crocco, who I used to work with at HP and know him through NWCC. He had never done a century ride before, lots of 40-80 mile ride but never a century.
The route had us going through Richards, Anderson, Iola, Bedias, Shiro, Back to Richards, then on to Montgomery. The road from Bedias to Shiro was long, windy with lots of climbs into the wind. About mile 85, I was ready to be finished, but held on. I like the route, but I am not sure I will do the century out there again for a while.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
BP MS150
This weekend was the 23rd annual BP MS150. Vanessa and I rode for our 3rd year. This year we rode with Team BTX. Since most of the team lives in The Woodlands, they made arrangements to start from the YMCA at Branch Crossing.
Saturday morning we woke up at 3:30am. Vanessa had to get ready to leave by 4:30, because she did not want to ride 100 miles. She started from Rhodes Stadium, which made the logistics easier. This way we knew how we were getting back to The Woodlands.
I got to the YMCA at about 5:30am. Angelo was already there. I still had to put my bike together, air up the tires, and put on my numbers. I did that while visiting with everyone. We were ready about 6:30. Being the only ride marshal, I gave the safety talk to about 60 riders. Right after that we started the ride at 6:33.
As we left the YMCA, we headed the long way around Branch Crossing to Woodlands Parkway. From there we headed up FM2978 to FM1488 and headed west. Our first rest stop was setup at Magnolia High School. I slowed down for the riders in front of me, but kept going. In Magnolia I caught up to some of the first riders to leave and stayed with them until the second stop. Our second stop was outside Magnolia at an electric company. I stopped briefly, and then got back on the road again. We stayed along 1488 and even caught up to some of the Northwest Cycling Club riders on the normal Saturday route. Our third stop was at the Exxon station in Hempstead. I rested there for about 15 minutes and talked to some of the NWCC riders who were there resting.
In Hempstead I got a little turned around, and turned to soon. We were on 1488 which heads downtown. As I approached downtown I saw a sign for 159 get into the left lane. I turned at the next road and realized that I turned on 1887, one block to soon. So I found the next through road and turned right so I could get onto 159. Once I saw the sign 16 miles to Bellville, I knew I was on the right road.
Riding on 159 from Hempstead was very quite and lonely. I only saw a few other riders on the 16 miles to Bellville. I caught up to some of the group at the last rest stop before lunch. I stopped for a moment to eat a gel, and then off I went again. The road between Hempstead and Bellville was a little rough, so I slowed down a little in that stretch. There was one group from team Devon that caught up to me. I jumped on their tail as the last rider passed. We went a few hundred yards and a rider got a flat. They stopped and since there were plenty of them, I kept going.
Just as I stopped outside of the lunch break in Bellville, Vanessa called and said they were waiting on Gary at the bakery. So I headed there for lunch. JC and Vanessa were sitting on the couch enjoying watching everyone go by. I got an orange juice and a kolache. After eating I chatted with JC and Vanessa for a bit. Then I decided that I had better keep going. I figured I would have to stop several times to help people. Just outside Bellville, I stopped to help a guy who said he had never changed a tire before. I got him back on the road and headed off.
My next stop was in Nelsonville. This is rest stop 4, where Bike Lane is always setup. I stopped by to say hi to Ken and get some lube for my chain. They were busy with no end in sight. I headed out and got to Industry and filled up my water bottles and ate another gel. Between Industry and Fayetteville, I started to notice my thighs getting a little tight. While climbing the hill about 2 miles from Fayetteville I got a bad cramp in both legs. I got to the top of the hill and got off the bike. I watch MJ from my team ride past, and could not do any thing about it. My crap finally passed and I headed on into the next rest stop. I drank more liquids and rested. I saw Pam and Todd from HP. As I was leaving Fayetteville, I got passed by Chad. He and I rode together until the next rest stop. I got more water in my camel back and Gatorade in my bottles. The last few miles into La Grange were not bad. We did have a bit of a head wind, but I was able to keep a good pace. There was one corner I came across and there was a rider down, I noticed the police on the corner were already helping him, so I started slowing riders down.
The finish in La Grange was a welcomed site after 104 miles. I found the team tent and got in line for my massage, got my shower and started looking for my friends on other teams.
I slept pretty well Saturday night considering I was eager to get up in the morning. I woke up once at 2 am to use the restroom, side effect of hydrating all day. Then I woke up at 3:59, before my alarm. I got up started packing up my stuff. Vanessa was just about ready to head over for pancakes. I got dressed and headed over to get in line also. When I got to line, there were only about 15 people in front of me. Vanessa, Gary, JC, and Sheldon were already through the breakfast line.
When we got back to the tent, I finished putting my shoes and stuff in my luggage and getting the bikes ready. About 6:00 I headed to the start to get in line. Vanessa, Gary, and JC headed over about 5:30. We left this year out of the north gate of the fair grounds, which meant that we were heading towards the park. We got started about 7:00am and were in the first group out of the north exit.
It was a little cool and this is when I noticed that my heels were a little tender from the 100 miles the day before. When I got to the first rest stop it was time beat the port-o-let line. Just as I got into the bathroom, I heard a train pass through the area, and was glad I was on this side of the tracks.
After leaving the rest stop I got passed by Mike Robinson from FMC. His birthday was this weekend so he was riding with bunny ears and a tail. We chatted for a little bit and then I headed on to break up a pack that was forming behind us. As I went down a small hill and rounded the corner I saw a rider had dropped his bottle of Gatorade. Since I was already traveling in the upper 20 mph, I took my changes and hoped I would miss the bottle. No such luck I hit it square with my front wheel, and sprayed my leg with Gatorade. The good thing was I hit the bottle in such a way that it did not knock me down, but did through the bottle off the far side of the road.
As I go to the top of the Smithville hill, I say MJ again. We headed down the hill. Shortly after we got down the hill we caught up to Richard. We all turned into the park and stopped at the second rest stop. In the park I saw Roland, Phil, David, Sam, and other BTX riders. I got a few pictures of team members while in the park. I stopped to help one rider with a flat tire just after we climbed a hill. I headed on down the road and saw another rider loose their water bottle as they crossed one of the cattle grates. I missed hitting the bottle, but looked back just in time to see it get hit by Sheldon.
I tried to keep up with Sheldon, but my legs just did not have it. My heart rate stayed low, but I just could not keep up. I guess I pushed it a little too hard on Saturday. The park has some nice steep hills, including the 14% grade right as we finished the park.
I saw Mike again after the exit to the park. So I stopped to help him change a flat tire. While we were stopped I got a call from Vanessa saying that they were at What-a-burger. Mike and I headed off to lunch. He went to the official lunch and I headed over to What-a-burger. Gary and Vanessa were done. JC was finishing up. I told them to go on, and I would catch up to them. I caught JC and Vanessa just before the next rest stop, and Gary right after he put his bike down. I saw they had free massages, so I got my legs worked on. Much better. I told Gary, Vanessa, and JC not to wait on me. I was about 3 minutes behind them, but I easily caught them before rest stop 5. Vanessa got here right calf worked on there and we all waited for her. Once we left Gary and I took off and I pulled for about 5 miles. We were doing 20-22mph and at one point after we pulled through the head wind, we turned and passed a group. After I said on your left, I heard him say “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.” I thought that was funny.
Gary and I waited at the last rest stop for Vanessa and JC. As we left out, we started dealing with the first big hills into Austin. At this time the wind started picking up and on one large down hill I even had to pedal to get down it. The cross winds were a little scary a couple times. Going down the hill at 30+ mph and feeling your bike move a couple feet to the side is a little scary.
I waited for everyone in the start of the UT campus. Gary JC, Vanessa, and I all rode in the finish together in a line across the road. I hope they got a picture of the group of us.
So goes the 3rd MS150 in my books. I had a lot of fun and can’t wait for next year. The only thing left is to continue our fundraising for this year. If you feel like supporting, please consider clicking the support my ride to Austin link to the right.
Saturday morning we woke up at 3:30am. Vanessa had to get ready to leave by 4:30, because she did not want to ride 100 miles. She started from Rhodes Stadium, which made the logistics easier. This way we knew how we were getting back to The Woodlands.
I got to the YMCA at about 5:30am. Angelo was already there. I still had to put my bike together, air up the tires, and put on my numbers. I did that while visiting with everyone. We were ready about 6:30. Being the only ride marshal, I gave the safety talk to about 60 riders. Right after that we started the ride at 6:33.
As we left the YMCA, we headed the long way around Branch Crossing to Woodlands Parkway. From there we headed up FM2978 to FM1488 and headed west. Our first rest stop was setup at Magnolia High School. I slowed down for the riders in front of me, but kept going. In Magnolia I caught up to some of the first riders to leave and stayed with them until the second stop. Our second stop was outside Magnolia at an electric company. I stopped briefly, and then got back on the road again. We stayed along 1488 and even caught up to some of the Northwest Cycling Club riders on the normal Saturday route. Our third stop was at the Exxon station in Hempstead. I rested there for about 15 minutes and talked to some of the NWCC riders who were there resting.
In Hempstead I got a little turned around, and turned to soon. We were on 1488 which heads downtown. As I approached downtown I saw a sign for 159 get into the left lane. I turned at the next road and realized that I turned on 1887, one block to soon. So I found the next through road and turned right so I could get onto 159. Once I saw the sign 16 miles to Bellville, I knew I was on the right road.
Riding on 159 from Hempstead was very quite and lonely. I only saw a few other riders on the 16 miles to Bellville. I caught up to some of the group at the last rest stop before lunch. I stopped for a moment to eat a gel, and then off I went again. The road between Hempstead and Bellville was a little rough, so I slowed down a little in that stretch. There was one group from team Devon that caught up to me. I jumped on their tail as the last rider passed. We went a few hundred yards and a rider got a flat. They stopped and since there were plenty of them, I kept going.
Just as I stopped outside of the lunch break in Bellville, Vanessa called and said they were waiting on Gary at the bakery. So I headed there for lunch. JC and Vanessa were sitting on the couch enjoying watching everyone go by. I got an orange juice and a kolache. After eating I chatted with JC and Vanessa for a bit. Then I decided that I had better keep going. I figured I would have to stop several times to help people. Just outside Bellville, I stopped to help a guy who said he had never changed a tire before. I got him back on the road and headed off.
My next stop was in Nelsonville. This is rest stop 4, where Bike Lane is always setup. I stopped by to say hi to Ken and get some lube for my chain. They were busy with no end in sight. I headed out and got to Industry and filled up my water bottles and ate another gel. Between Industry and Fayetteville, I started to notice my thighs getting a little tight. While climbing the hill about 2 miles from Fayetteville I got a bad cramp in both legs. I got to the top of the hill and got off the bike. I watch MJ from my team ride past, and could not do any thing about it. My crap finally passed and I headed on into the next rest stop. I drank more liquids and rested. I saw Pam and Todd from HP. As I was leaving Fayetteville, I got passed by Chad. He and I rode together until the next rest stop. I got more water in my camel back and Gatorade in my bottles. The last few miles into La Grange were not bad. We did have a bit of a head wind, but I was able to keep a good pace. There was one corner I came across and there was a rider down, I noticed the police on the corner were already helping him, so I started slowing riders down.
The finish in La Grange was a welcomed site after 104 miles. I found the team tent and got in line for my massage, got my shower and started looking for my friends on other teams.
I slept pretty well Saturday night considering I was eager to get up in the morning. I woke up once at 2 am to use the restroom, side effect of hydrating all day. Then I woke up at 3:59, before my alarm. I got up started packing up my stuff. Vanessa was just about ready to head over for pancakes. I got dressed and headed over to get in line also. When I got to line, there were only about 15 people in front of me. Vanessa, Gary, JC, and Sheldon were already through the breakfast line.
When we got back to the tent, I finished putting my shoes and stuff in my luggage and getting the bikes ready. About 6:00 I headed to the start to get in line. Vanessa, Gary, and JC headed over about 5:30. We left this year out of the north gate of the fair grounds, which meant that we were heading towards the park. We got started about 7:00am and were in the first group out of the north exit.
It was a little cool and this is when I noticed that my heels were a little tender from the 100 miles the day before. When I got to the first rest stop it was time beat the port-o-let line. Just as I got into the bathroom, I heard a train pass through the area, and was glad I was on this side of the tracks.
After leaving the rest stop I got passed by Mike Robinson from FMC. His birthday was this weekend so he was riding with bunny ears and a tail. We chatted for a little bit and then I headed on to break up a pack that was forming behind us. As I went down a small hill and rounded the corner I saw a rider had dropped his bottle of Gatorade. Since I was already traveling in the upper 20 mph, I took my changes and hoped I would miss the bottle. No such luck I hit it square with my front wheel, and sprayed my leg with Gatorade. The good thing was I hit the bottle in such a way that it did not knock me down, but did through the bottle off the far side of the road.
As I go to the top of the Smithville hill, I say MJ again. We headed down the hill. Shortly after we got down the hill we caught up to Richard. We all turned into the park and stopped at the second rest stop. In the park I saw Roland, Phil, David, Sam, and other BTX riders. I got a few pictures of team members while in the park. I stopped to help one rider with a flat tire just after we climbed a hill. I headed on down the road and saw another rider loose their water bottle as they crossed one of the cattle grates. I missed hitting the bottle, but looked back just in time to see it get hit by Sheldon.
I tried to keep up with Sheldon, but my legs just did not have it. My heart rate stayed low, but I just could not keep up. I guess I pushed it a little too hard on Saturday. The park has some nice steep hills, including the 14% grade right as we finished the park.
I saw Mike again after the exit to the park. So I stopped to help him change a flat tire. While we were stopped I got a call from Vanessa saying that they were at What-a-burger. Mike and I headed off to lunch. He went to the official lunch and I headed over to What-a-burger. Gary and Vanessa were done. JC was finishing up. I told them to go on, and I would catch up to them. I caught JC and Vanessa just before the next rest stop, and Gary right after he put his bike down. I saw they had free massages, so I got my legs worked on. Much better. I told Gary, Vanessa, and JC not to wait on me. I was about 3 minutes behind them, but I easily caught them before rest stop 5. Vanessa got here right calf worked on there and we all waited for her. Once we left Gary and I took off and I pulled for about 5 miles. We were doing 20-22mph and at one point after we pulled through the head wind, we turned and passed a group. After I said on your left, I heard him say “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.” I thought that was funny.
Gary and I waited at the last rest stop for Vanessa and JC. As we left out, we started dealing with the first big hills into Austin. At this time the wind started picking up and on one large down hill I even had to pedal to get down it. The cross winds were a little scary a couple times. Going down the hill at 30+ mph and feeling your bike move a couple feet to the side is a little scary.
I waited for everyone in the start of the UT campus. Gary JC, Vanessa, and I all rode in the finish together in a line across the road. I hope they got a picture of the group of us.
So goes the 3rd MS150 in my books. I had a lot of fun and can’t wait for next year. The only thing left is to continue our fundraising for this year. If you feel like supporting, please consider clicking the support my ride to Austin link to the right.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Katy Ram Challenge
Today Vanessa and I rode the last organized ride before the MS150. Luckily the wind was not nearly as bad as it was yesterday. Vanessa said that since the MS150 was only a week away, she had to ride the 70 mile route today. So that is what we did.
I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting so we got there early. I got to the meeting then headed back and finished getting ready. There were were easily over 1000 riders on this ride. We started out and I rode with Vanessa. She stayed on my wheel and we kept about a 15 mph pace. Once we got up to 359 we had the wind at our backs. Just before we got to 359, I stopped to help a lady change a flat tire. Vanessa kept going, so I rode hard to catch her. I had enough legs to hold 21-22 mph for the 7 miles to the next rest stop.
We got done around 1:30 pm. It was a much slower pace than I would have ridden by myself, but it was kind of relaxing. When I looks at my results, my HR average was 137. Considering that my zone 1 starts at 137, I spent a lot of time below Zone 1. :-) When I was catching Vanessa my HR would jump to to upper 160s-lower 170s.
Good ride. Next ride MS150. See you in Austin.
I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting so we got there early. I got to the meeting then headed back and finished getting ready. There were were easily over 1000 riders on this ride. We started out and I rode with Vanessa. She stayed on my wheel and we kept about a 15 mph pace. Once we got up to 359 we had the wind at our backs. Just before we got to 359, I stopped to help a lady change a flat tire. Vanessa kept going, so I rode hard to catch her. I had enough legs to hold 21-22 mph for the 7 miles to the next rest stop.
We got done around 1:30 pm. It was a much slower pace than I would have ridden by myself, but it was kind of relaxing. When I looks at my results, my HR average was 137. Considering that my zone 1 starts at 137, I spent a lot of time below Zone 1. :-) When I was catching Vanessa my HR would jump to to upper 160s-lower 170s.
Good ride. Next ride MS150. See you in Austin.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Brookwood Spirit Rally
Talk about a windy day. It rained on Friday then stopped overnight. It was cloudy all day with high winds (20+ mph). Vanessa and I decided to do this ride because it supports a great community for adults with functional disabilities. Check it out at BrookwoodCommunity.org
The ride started at 8:00, but we got there at about 6:30 because I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting and we wanted to be sure to park in a dry area since it had been raining on Friday. The morning started out cool in the low 50s, but the wind made it feel much colder. It was not to bad once we got to riding.
The route headed south out of Brookshire, TX. With the wind at our backs the route did not seem to bad. I stopped at rest stop 1 to wait on Vanessa and Jill. Once they got there Vanessa decided to call it a short ride and rode with Jill. I decided that since they were going 23 miles I would do the 38 mile route. Once we got to Fulshear , TX, I headed south and wound around to 359. At 359 we started the hard fight back to the north. This was where we found out how bad the wind was.
I got in a grove that was comfortable and stayed there. That ended up keeping my speed around 12 mph. Which was enough since I was passing everyone in front of me. I was only caught by one guy on atri bike, so I followed him to the second rest stop. There I ran into Rick (beertruck on bikejournal ). Rick and I rode together from rest stop 2 back to the finish. I was able to keep up with Rick along 1093 while dealing with the cross wind, but once we turned into the wind on 1489, Rick had a noticeable advantage on his recumbent.
The nice thing about this ride is they have food afterwards, and they give you a gift certificate to use in their shop. They also had a couple masseuses giving free massages.
The ride started at 8:00, but we got there at about 6:30 because I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting and we wanted to be sure to park in a dry area since it had been raining on Friday. The morning started out cool in the low 50s, but the wind made it feel much colder. It was not to bad once we got to riding.
The route headed south out of Brookshire, TX. With the wind at our backs the route did not seem to bad. I stopped at rest stop 1 to wait on Vanessa and Jill. Once they got there Vanessa decided to call it a short ride and rode with Jill. I decided that since they were going 23 miles I would do the 38 mile route. Once we got to Fulshear , TX, I headed south and wound around to 359. At 359 we started the hard fight back to the north. This was where we found out how bad the wind was.
I got in a grove that was comfortable and stayed there. That ended up keeping my speed around 12 mph. Which was enough since I was passing everyone in front of me. I was only caught by one guy on atri bike, so I followed him to the second rest stop. There I ran into Rick (beertruck on bikejournal ). Rick and I rode together from rest stop 2 back to the finish. I was able to keep up with Rick along 1093 while dealing with the cross wind, but once we turned into the wind on 1489, Rick had a noticeable advantage on his recumbent.
The nice thing about this ride is they have food afterwards, and they give you a gift certificate to use in their shop. They also had a couple masseuses giving free massages.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Back on the Trainer
I got back on the trainer last night. I did a 25 minutes at 200 watts. I have not been riding through the week as much lately, and am trying to get back into that habit. It will really help loose the extra 12-13 lbs I picked up the last few months.
I also found a place on line that had a new wheel identical to the one Vanessa messed up. I ordered one so that I have a complete spare set of rims for our bikes.
I also found a place on line that had a new wheel identical to the one Vanessa messed up. I ordered one so that I have a complete spare set of rims for our bikes.
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