Enjoy the Ride - Essential Bicycling Skills

Cycleops and Bike radar

This post is an update regarding my indoor cycle training.  I use my fluid trainer everyday, especially  on indoor/treadmill running days.  I want to comment about these dual training days.

On these dual training days, I ride the Cycleops Fluid Trainer for 35 to 50 minutes.  I set up my Mac Book and log in to YouTube.com and use the Bike Radar videos which lead several Cycleops Trainer training sessions or I utilize one of the other trainer videos available to give me direction for a good work out.

The Bike Radar clips run around 30 to 35 minutes in length and fluctuate the cadence between 105 and 60 while some of the other programs increase the cadence as high as 110.  Those high cadence programs generally last upwards of an hour in length.

I love the Cycleops trainer.  The more I use it to off set running or as an additional workout, the more I can't wait for the weather to clear and warm up so I can take it t o the streets.  Until then I will ride my Cycleops Trainer and hit the treadmill for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes three days a week and run a couple of times outside and a couple solo Cycleops Trainer rides.

Has the Cycleops Trainer helped my endurance?  Absolutely.  Two time I was able to run the first two miles of my runs below 18 minutes.  That  is pretty fast for me.  I will slow down after that mark and just coast for a few more miles to enjoy the run and return home for a shower and a meal.  It feels great to eat after you have earned it.  I wish every meal could come after a bike ride or a run.  Could you imagine NYC if  Mayor Bloomberg had been a runner or a cyclist?  He would have made a law.  No run, no McDonald's.  That would have been more draconian than limiting the size of soft drinks. 

Please don't vote for a commie-lib and run or bike for your daily bread.  I will ride tomorrow and see you on the road.

Gear List

As spring nears and the temps, at times this winter, begin to rise above freezing the thrill of completing my first overnight bike camping trip fills my veins.  Each month my Surly LHT gets outfitted a little bit more.  On a daily basis I ponder about the remaining items I may require for a successful trip.

I need to think about purchasing the correct shoes.  I will require spd clipless mountain bike shoes so I can get on and off the bike and be comfortable.  I need small toiletry items to stay neat and tidy.  I am a clean freak; I wonder often if being a little dirty may scare me off from accomplishing my goal.

I know I need a few more items to be sure I am all set for the Erie Canal this April.  My trip will take me from home to Rome.  I will spend one night camping if the weather is right and return the following morning.

So, I have started investigating checklists to be sure I have what I need, and if not, start planning on acquiring those items for the best possible price.  I BOLDED the items I still need.  So peruse the list below and visit their website.  You may catch the touring bug too.

See you on the road.

This list below is from the web site www.bikeovernights.org.  This is a website I like visiting to learn more about Cyclo Camping or bike touring.  I love the phrase cyclo camping.  I think its cool.

The Basics for Camping:

• Sleeping bag
• Camp pad
• Small tent, bivy sack, or camp hammock
• Food (or a nearby dining establishment)
• Personal items: toiletries, etc

Deluxe Gear List:
Perhaps you’re not a minimalist. Just remember: everything you bring adds weight to your bike. If you have much hill climbing or a lot of mileage planned, you may want to reconsider how much you take along.
Deluxe Camping Gear List:

• Route map(s)
• Sleeping bag
• Camp pad or air mattress
• Small tent, bivy sack, or camp hammock
• Camp pillow or stuff sack
• Cooking equipment (small stove, cookware, utensils) including food
• Camp chair
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Pocketknife
• Waterproof matches

Deluxe Personal Gear List:

• Toiletries
• Two sets of bike clothes
• Two sets of off-the-bike clothes
• Raingear
• Cold weather gear
• Shoes/sandals
• Bathing suit
• Towel

Other possibilities:

• Books
• Camera
• Playing cards
• Sports equipment
• Fishing gear
• Radio/iPod/MP3 player
• And more!

Running Minneapolis

I love running in the cold while the snows gently falls.  However, its a rare winter's night that the snow falls gently to the ground. Usually the flakes are small and crash to the ground by the force of a bone chilling breeze.  Those are the nights, if its snowing, you kind of think twice about gearing up and stepping outside.  Who in the world looks forward to being struck in the face by lake effect snow pellets?

Hmm... Raise your hand.  Ok. I do.

Well last week was definetly cold.  I ran at home and in Minneapolis but there was a stark contrast. In Syracuse that weekend it snowed every day. Each morning saw a fresh six inches of the white stuff.  That means its a snow blower morning and a treacherous day of driving while working followed by a slippery and snowy run.

I survived the weekend runs. I ran once outside. Beautiful run. Cold? Yes. Snowy? Absolutely. Yet, it felt great. When I run after work, I feel like i have earned my evening meal and a badge of honor because few people, runners, actually get out to enjoy the warmth and comfort of a cold, snowy run. It may be slick. The snow striking your face hurts sometimes, but you get beyond it. The miles bring your body tempeture up. After a couple short miles the snow isn't even a thought.  Its the rythm of your breathe; the sound beneath your feet; and the memories of today and thoughts of tomorrow that bring you to the finishline.

Oh, but running in Minneapolis.  Thats another different tale. 

Minneapolis is a beautiful city. You do not get a feel about how cold it can be since all the buildings are connected by the Skyway, a series of indoor, over the street tunnels between the buildings.  So it feels comfortable. Looking out the windows at the sun can be deceptive as to how cold it really is.  The high on a couple days was 4.  Tuesday was the warmest day; the high was 33.  IDC ended at 4:30pm. We returned to the hotel by 5pm. I was changed and ready to roll by 6pm. I waited for a friend til 6:15pm.

I have run in Minneapolis before so we ran to the river and headed up and down for 6 miles.

It was cold. It was about 20 when we hit the road.  The breeze we wicked coming off the river, hitting us directly in the face on the way out. The path was icy in spots and snow covered in others. I only fell once over some snow covered chopped up asphalt that hadn't been cleaned after the city made some improvements.  It was a good fall.  I stumbled for 20 feet attempting to stay on my feet as a running back may stumple to stay up long enough to cross the goal line.  I didn't stay up. I fell after hitting a second pile of rubble.  Never a fun experience although funny after the fact.

Once we reached our turn around, Minneapolis was lit up.  The skyline is gorgeous.  The buildings were different colors and the three bridges, crossing the river into St. Paul, had their own splendor.

The run back to the hotel was swift and uneventful.  I didn't fall.  I stayed on my feet.  Our pave was around 9:35 minutes/mile. 

I look forward to running in Philly at our next meeting when the weather ought to be better.  Maybe, just maybe, i could wear shorts.

See you on the road.

One Good Question: Inside or Outside?

Its been a few weeks since my last post.  So, it is time to dive back in and tell you all what I have been doing on the fitness front while the cold has taken over the northeast.

Runners, during the winter, we have many options to stay fit.  We can run inside on a treadmill; we can run outside in the cold and snow; or we can ride a spin bike or use a bicycle trainer.  Well those a generally my options.  This past winter, as you may see by the evolution of this blog, I have started to ride more than run because of general aches and pain caused by running, and my desire to stay indoors for training because I no longer enjoy the cold, so I thought.  This is where the question above comes in, and the answer may surprise you.

Running inside is boring.  I can only stand running while staring at a TV or a wall for about 30 minutes, only enough time to get about 3 or 4 miles in depending on how I feel.  Not to mention that sometimes running indoors can be torture during the winter because the heat in the house is turned up and gets warm fast.  If you run inside on the treadmill, purchase a fan.  It makes for a significantly cooler and more comfortable run.  To tolerate the treadmill run, I added a 40 minute to an hour training bike ride so I achieve 70 plus minutes or so, depending on how I feel, to get more out of my daily exercise and increase my calorie burn.  I do like that method of training indoors best.

The spin bike was a great option for me until I broke the spindle holding the cranks in the spinners bottom bracket.  Now I wait for repairs before I can start spinning again.  I love spinning.  Its simple.  It affords me more training options than the bicycle trainer which I feel, a times, does not offer amble resistance to stand for extended periods of time.  The spin bike allows me to stand anytime and with greater resistance options it duplicates a hill climb better than a trainer.

Oh, now for the outside training... no bicycling in the snow and sub 40 degrees (much below 40 this past month) so that means running.

When I started running in 2008, I loved hitting the road in the winter. I remember running at Onondaga Lake Park (OLP) at 5am with a friend.  The wind blew off the lake cold.  The snow pelted your face.  You froze for the first 5 minutes then you would sweat for the next 30 to 40 minutes and freeze again the last ten minutes before you blasted the heat in your car for the ride home. Yet, it was a badge of honor to tell your friends and co-workers and fellow runners that you had braved the elements and beat mother nature and ran the good run under the circumstances.  Damn that felt good.

It felt even better to run outside while the snow fell, especially that first big snow.  Running the miles listening to the fresh powder crunch beneath your feet was glorious-- is glorious.  Unlike the summer, there is no need for music because the silence of a snowy night is bliss.  Sure your footing may be unstable, but the focus to pace yourself safely, the added stress to balance and push through the pain in your quads is an added benefit you can only have while running on a sandy beach in the summer.  Not all of us have that opportunity in the summer never mind the winter.

I have shied away from the winter outdoors run because I let the cold beat me mentally, mother nature pushed me back indoors and mocks me when I drive passed a runner on my way to the store.  I have had enough of that old hag; no more!  I shall run outside because I love it.  I have hit the road again in the cold.  I have suited up.  I have ran in the slush, the packed snow, and the fluffy powder.  I have ran in the sub freezing temps as low as 17 degrees again, and I like it.  I have pushed old momma nature off my stoop and twice a week I run outside while holding my head up high as the cars drive by and wonder what the heck is that dude doing tonight.  I have taken a spill, but I jump right back up.

 I do not run as I did in years past.  I run slower now.  I do not plan to run anymore marathons, but I do plan to stay in shape.  To accomplish that goal, I aim to run 6 miles minimum even in the cold, heartless winter.  I had forgotten how warm you get while running.  The tendency is to wear too many layers.  But being overheated outside, just as inside, is not good.  Its uncomfortable and messes with your head.  Dress intelligently.  I wear a base layer long sleeve wicking shirt under my half zip jacket and an outer shell up top, and I wear a base layer wicking tight under my running tights with over the calf socks and my usual running shoes.  I wear a pair of gloves, usually made of a wicking fleece and a wool cap.  On really cold nights I will wear a balaclava.

So, to answer the original question, Inside or Outside?  I choose Outside.

Enjoy this horrible winter by making it the best running winter ever.  I will see you on the road.

To Helmet or Not to Helmet, that is the Question

An interesting question was asked during the Bicycle Touring Pro webinar that I listened to this evening.  Darren Aalf is the moderator of the bicycletouringpro.com, and a listener inquired as to why he, Darren, would not wear a bicycle helmet at times since it may set a poor example for children to emulate. 

I would like to discuss this question of bike helmets.  Is it really necessary?

Thinking back to when I was a child, there were no helmet laws for children. As a matter of fact, we didn't even think about wearing a helmet. We just rode our bikes. Our parents placed little to no restrictions on where we could ride never mind thinking about us wearing a silly helmet.  Hell, back then we didn't even put seat-belts on while riding in our parents car. Our parents wanted outside, playing, having fun, and being kids.
 

We rode our two wheelers to friends' homes, to the store like the 5 and 10, or the bike shop Sally's Cyclery, or other places of childhood interest such as  the pizza shop, and the ball fields.  We even rode randomly from town to town without any thought of getting hurt or struck by a car.  We lived the life of kids and used that devil may care attitude to our advantage and explored our community, the hamlet of West Islip and nearby villages. 

When we were young teens, I can even recall a trip I made with a friends across the bridges to Fire Island.  We hung out at the beach and drank a few beers while listening to AC/DC chilling in the dunes. Never, not once, did we ever think of wearing a bicycle helmet. It was silly.Could you imagine a couple of teenagers jamming to music on their boom box riding with "protective gear"?  Not me, never.  I wanted to look cool.  And believe me, I was coll. LOL.

I did get into several accidents with my bicycle.  I ran into parked cars, flipped over the handlebars while riding in dark alley ways, and I was struck by a mail jeep too.  Not once did wearing a helmet ever enter into my mind nor my parents.  I survived all collisions including that incident with the mail jeep.  Yes, a mail jeep sent me into the air landing me abut thirty feet away from where we had banged into each other.  I was bleeding bad, the left side of my face was practically gone, and I tore a huge hole on the top of my forehead.  It was horrible.  I was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital and stayed for three days.  Over the next several years I had surgery to open my scares on my face to remove pebbles from beneath my skin that rose to the surface.  I truly had "rocks in my head."  I was twelve years old.  I started riding again and still no one, not even my mom, ever thought about putting a helmet n my head.

So where do I fall on the helmet scale?  on a scale of 1 to 10? With 1 being not to wear a helmet and ten being to always wear a helmet, I would fall in the middle.  A solid 5.

Young children learning to ride while their dad holds the back of the bike, I say it depends on the dad, but I would say, no helmet.  Its a safe environment, and the helmet bothers kids and distracts from focusing on balance and having fun.

Young, pre-adolescent children ought to wear a helmet because they start to get less cautious and begin demonstrating their independence by doing stupid things like riding off ramps and riding with little regard for the rules of the road.  While teens and adults should make the call for themselves.  For example, if you are riding to a buddies house or to the library after school, no big deal, but if you are riding for sport, whether road racing or mountain biking, a helmet, is essential.

Helmets these days are considered cool because kids want to look like the pros and parents are over protective. But the cool is what sells.  So wear a helmet.  It may be too hot, yet its cool.  Make your momma happy too.

See you on the road.

Cycleops Fluid Trainer

I was pedaling on my spin bike a couple of days ago, and it started making a noise from the crank area.  I soon was pedaling with one foot, crank still attached to my left shoe.  So, a broken hub/bolt ended my workout.

As bikers and runners, we see opportunity at each disappointment.  this disappointment was an opportunity to purchase an indoor trainer; something i have been contemplating for a while now.  Its funny how events kind of fall into each other.  Just that morning I had bumped into a cyclist friend of mine who trains for cycling events and triathlons.  He was the first person who told me about trainers and when we spoke again the other day I had asked him about the trainers he recommends and/or uses.  He said the Kinetic or the Cycleops fluid trainers.  He has a Cycleops.

I finished my day and jumped on youtube to see what I could find about these two trainers.  Both are simple to use and provide exhaustive workouts with a real road feel, and both trainers accommodate beginners and experienced riders.  I looked at the manufacturers websites and reviews on Amazon.  There were no glaring differences.  So I went to the bike store first thing the next morning.

It was a cold morning, and I had many things to do, but I drove over in the snow and freezing cold to Syracuse Bicycle just before opening.  Within ten minutes I had purchased the whole kit and caboodle of the Cycleops Fluid Trainer with floor mat, sweat guard, remote holder, and two front tire mounts.  Yes!  I was ready to start working out.

My first workout was just a up and down interval ride.  I did not keep track of calories/HR, only cadence. It was a tough one hour.  Lots of sweat.  I followed that up today with another hour more intense intervals while wearing a HR monitor and I burned 711 calories according to the monitor.  Not too bad.

As I continue my indoor training, I will let you know my thoughts about the Cycleops performance.

I will see you on the road.