So Over the Hump race series is in its mid season break. Today's race was on my new-to-me Orbea Alma 29er. In truth, I've had this bike for about two weeks, but I didn't make any mention of it. I wasn't sure if the 29er thing is for me, but I am pretty convinced. I am fat (and riding), so I do feel the pain on some of the climbs in granny gear, but it's not as different as I thought. Solution: Get stronger.
Onto the race report...
Unlike last week, I started in the first two rows. Man, the pace is ridiculously fast up front. It was disheartening to see so many B1s and B2s pass me up, but I felt pretty strong up the climbs. The downhill to right turn still makes me pause. Fear of falling again, not looking through the turn, or just plain obstinacy. I finished 14th of 25 with a time of 50:39. Goal for the second half of the series is to finally break the top 50% and stay there. Maybe break top 30% once to get a friggin pint glass.
Final thoughts: I really need to control my warm up. I tend to have just two modes - stationary, and pushing hard. My trusty Garmin 305 logged a heart rate of 170+ during my warm up lap, so I made an effort to keep it under 140 this week. I felt better today, but my time wouldn't show it.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Over the Hump #5
So mere days after going OTB at Chumash, I had a bit of a spill at Orange County's only mid-week mountain bike race, Over the Hump. I ended up 14th of 23, which isn't terrible, but I expected so much more this week.
The first collision was in the very beginning. After the initial paved climb, there's a singletrack where a lot of bottlenecks happen. One individual came bombing through and got through "on your le--" before he smacked into my bars. Since I am significantly bigger, I barely moved off course and the rider went down. I stopped to ask how he was doing, but then a flurry of riders rushed past me.
The second collision was entirely my fault. There is a short, but steep, downhill that transitions to a right turn. On the last lap, the course marshal was screaming "it's just dirt." My mind focused immediately on the dirt at the apex of the turn and I low sided. Not too bad, but I did take off some skin.
So the first order of business was dinner at Shik Do Rak, and then I patched myself up with second skin.
All in all, I like the new course. I can't seem to manage some of the downhills, but it's just a matter of a skill.
The first collision was in the very beginning. After the initial paved climb, there's a singletrack where a lot of bottlenecks happen. One individual came bombing through and got through "on your le--" before he smacked into my bars. Since I am significantly bigger, I barely moved off course and the rider went down. I stopped to ask how he was doing, but then a flurry of riders rushed past me.
The second collision was entirely my fault. There is a short, but steep, downhill that transitions to a right turn. On the last lap, the course marshal was screaming "it's just dirt." My mind focused immediately on the dirt at the apex of the turn and I low sided. Not too bad, but I did take off some skin.
So the first order of business was dinner at Shik Do Rak, and then I patched myself up with second skin.
All in all, I like the new course. I can't seem to manage some of the downhills, but it's just a matter of a skill.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Chumash Kicks My Ass
So for this father's day weekend, I went home to the San Fernando Valley to grab dinner with my family. I always use opportunities like this to go riding with my brother. So the day begins with the car ride to the trail head. Conversation goes something like this:
Brother: You'll like Chumash. I've been riding it for the last few weeks, even during the week day.
Me: Oh yeah? It's not too intense, is it?
Brother: It's 3 miles.
Me: and?
Brother: 1,000 feet of climbing.
Me: Doesn't seem like I can do it.
Brother: It's very flowy, and very doable.
Me: ... (expecting some pain)
So the trail has been split up into three one-mile segments.
Mile 1 (Climb)
The first mile is not so technical, and requires a decent amount of climbing. I dismounted once, but it was a lapse in concentration on a short, but steep, uphill. The last part of the mile consisted of a single/double track climb my brother calls "breathless agony."
Mile 2 (Climb)
The second mile had more of an uphill/flat flow to it. I was told to keep in granny and use the flats to recover. Good advice. The trail did get a bit more technical, and there was one uphill that I sessioned 5+ times with no success.
Mile 3 (Climb)
Holy crap. Lots of rocks, very technical climbing. I walked probably 75% of this.
Mile 4 (Mile 3 descent)
I had a few dismounting moments on the downhill. They typically came on rock switchbacks with the cliff side in my view. I get scared of the cliff and the unknown, and I'm terrible at switchbacks (uphill or downhill).
Mile 5 (Mile 2 descent)
This was a lot of fun, until I rounded a switchback too tight, hit a big rock, endo'd for a split second, stared down the side of a cliff on my front wheel, and then supermanned to the mountain for safety. I banged up my palms and my legs a bit, but no skin bleeding and hopefully no bones cracked.
Mile 6 (Mile 1 descent)
With my confidence shaken, I didn't attack the downhills. Probably a good idea since I was totally unfamiliar with the trail. This is when my brother lost control of his bike and ended up wiping out into the bushes. He had some skin scrapes on his forearms and smacked his shoulder up pretty good. We ended up finishing the ride in good order, but not without some battle injuries.
Brother: You'll like Chumash. I've been riding it for the last few weeks, even during the week day.
Me: Oh yeah? It's not too intense, is it?
Brother: It's 3 miles.
Me: and?
Brother: 1,000 feet of climbing.
Me: Doesn't seem like I can do it.
Brother: It's very flowy, and very doable.
Me: ... (expecting some pain)
So the trail has been split up into three one-mile segments.
Mile 1 (Climb)
The first mile is not so technical, and requires a decent amount of climbing. I dismounted once, but it was a lapse in concentration on a short, but steep, uphill. The last part of the mile consisted of a single/double track climb my brother calls "breathless agony."
Mile 2 (Climb)
The second mile had more of an uphill/flat flow to it. I was told to keep in granny and use the flats to recover. Good advice. The trail did get a bit more technical, and there was one uphill that I sessioned 5+ times with no success.
Mile 3 (Climb)
Holy crap. Lots of rocks, very technical climbing. I walked probably 75% of this.
Mile 4 (Mile 3 descent)
I had a few dismounting moments on the downhill. They typically came on rock switchbacks with the cliff side in my view. I get scared of the cliff and the unknown, and I'm terrible at switchbacks (uphill or downhill).
Mile 5 (Mile 2 descent)
This was a lot of fun, until I rounded a switchback too tight, hit a big rock, endo'd for a split second, stared down the side of a cliff on my front wheel, and then supermanned to the mountain for safety. I banged up my palms and my legs a bit, but no skin bleeding and hopefully no bones cracked.
Mile 6 (Mile 1 descent)
With my confidence shaken, I didn't attack the downhills. Probably a good idea since I was totally unfamiliar with the trail. This is when my brother lost control of his bike and ended up wiping out into the bushes. He had some skin scrapes on his forearms and smacked his shoulder up pretty good. We ended up finishing the ride in good order, but not without some battle injuries.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Weight Weenie Clyde?
So I am a self-admitted weight weenie. I am also well within the clyde range at 5'10", 255+lbs. So how do the two mix? I've prowled countless forum threads where cyclist bash "fatasses" for buying and rockin' carbon, or concerning themselves about bike weight. The final argument tends to be a statement about how weight savings would be negated by the rider losing some lbs, or that the durability is always worth the extra grams. While both arguments are indeed true individually, neither really address the issue of why someone is a weight weenie.
I hate being the last in a group ride. I've been on many rides where I'm stuck in the back with an irked and frustrated sweeper. Isn't the only functional reason to be a weight weenie is to be faster? So since most clydes tend to be on the slower side, why wouldn't we want to lighten up our bike? I'm not discounting the weight limits of certain parts, but lightweight materials like carbon, scandium, and titanium can drastically improve speed, and maybe keep us clydes involved in the sport. Perhaps we won't be clydes for much longer.
So all in all, a weight weenie is good for the sport, whether clyde or not. It keeps our interest in the sport alive and well, stimulates the economy, and creates demand for lighter, stronger parts.
This blog will eventually evaluate weight-weenie-for-a-clyde products. Probably won't be the lightest products, but certain items can be clyde worthy, and "clyderized" for big boy use.
I hate being the last in a group ride. I've been on many rides where I'm stuck in the back with an irked and frustrated sweeper. Isn't the only functional reason to be a weight weenie is to be faster? So since most clydes tend to be on the slower side, why wouldn't we want to lighten up our bike? I'm not discounting the weight limits of certain parts, but lightweight materials like carbon, scandium, and titanium can drastically improve speed, and maybe keep us clydes involved in the sport. Perhaps we won't be clydes for much longer.
So all in all, a weight weenie is good for the sport, whether clyde or not. It keeps our interest in the sport alive and well, stimulates the economy, and creates demand for lighter, stronger parts.
This blog will eventually evaluate weight-weenie-for-a-clyde products. Probably won't be the lightest products, but certain items can be clyde worthy, and "clyderized" for big boy use.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Hope Pro II Freehub Failure
I've been loving my Hope Pro II wheelset. Laced to Mavic EN521s with double butted spokes, my wheelset has seen probably a thousand miles. On my second time servicing my freehub, I noticed a crack running alongside the splines.
The crack had gone through the spring cavity as well and shown on the inner face of the freehub.
Though disappointed, I somewhat expected such from an aluminum freehub that gouges from cassettes with individual cogs.
I emailed Hope on Thursday, received a response on Friday, and received a new steel freehub on Monday. Big thanks to Hope for keeping me rolling. The freehub was just on time for the Over the Hump race #4.
The only gripe is about the weight. The steel freehub comes in around 168 grams, about 90 grams heavier than its aluminum counterpart (79g). That puts my wheelset at around 2150g without skewers. Hardly race worthy, but the Hope Pro II/Mavic EN521 is my trail/AM, everyday workhorse wheelset.
The crack had gone through the spring cavity as well and shown on the inner face of the freehub.
Though disappointed, I somewhat expected such from an aluminum freehub that gouges from cassettes with individual cogs.
I emailed Hope on Thursday, received a response on Friday, and received a new steel freehub on Monday. Big thanks to Hope for keeping me rolling. The freehub was just on time for the Over the Hump race #4.
The only gripe is about the weight. The steel freehub comes in around 168 grams, about 90 grams heavier than its aluminum counterpart (79g). That puts my wheelset at around 2150g without skewers. Hardly race worthy, but the Hope Pro II/Mavic EN521 is my trail/AM, everyday workhorse wheelset.
Over the Hump #4
Over the Hump #4 is in the books. Finished 15th of 22 with a time of 55:16. Not an impressive day, but I'm glad I'm still getting faster. Shaved about 30 seconds off my time, which I am very happy with. The conditions were drier and tougher to breath with my asthma. I looked like I was dying after the race (or so my girlfriend said =P).
I'm really enjoying the Over the Hump series, and I've gotten comfortable enough to ride the hardtail throughout the races.
Last, a big congratulations to @Mark for his 5th place finish! I am very jealous of the beer mug.
I'm really enjoying the Over the Hump series, and I've gotten comfortable enough to ride the hardtail throughout the races.
Last, a big congratulations to @Mark for his 5th place finish! I am very jealous of the beer mug.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
More Introductions
Introductions: To cycling
At the creation of this blog (and this entry), I have been riding for about a year and a half. Though I biked throughout my childhood, I never really got into mountain or road biking. I just went through a series of mountain/hybrid bikes that were used to get me from point A to point B. I never did any tricks, jumped any curbs, or rode without hands (I still can't!). Growing up in suburban Los Angeles, just about all my bikes had been stolen. When my college bike got stolen from my dorm building, I gave up on the idea of ever riding. Then 7 years later, I got back into it in a real and serious way (more on that in a later post).
Introductions: My rides
2008 Cannondale F7 Disc - Bought around Aug 2008 after a 7 year haitus from biking. Sold in 2009 to my friend Mark, who now rocks it at the local races.
2008 Santa Cruz Superlight - Bought the bike used, but soon found it to be too flexy, too big, and entirely inappropriate for my 260lbs body. There was also an annoying click that worried me too much, so I sold it in 2009.
2007 Felt F1x - Bought the bike used in Jan 2009, about a size or two too small (49cm, cx sized). This cyclocross was my "road" bike, since I had an irrational fear of destroying actual road bike frames. I ended up selling this one to my friend Mark as well.
2009 Yeti 575 Carbon - So with several iterations of new/used bikes, I had enough experience to figure out what I wanted. I bought the frame and fork from Adrenaline Bikes in Nov 2009 and put it together in the coming months. I built it up with a 2010 Fox Talas 150mm 15QR fork and a Hope Pro II wheelset laced to Mavic EN521 rims. SLX/XT components, ergon grips/bar ends, thomson/hope/easton controls.
2009 GT Zaskar Pro Carbon - This was an impulse buy at a great price from a local racer. Can't say much about the bike except that it's much faster than I am. I use this on less technical trails, and for XC racing.
2010 Specialized Roubaix Expert - To complement my mountain biking, I decide a proper road bike was in order. With a healthy Velosport discount, I ponied up for the Roubaix with Ultegra 6700 groupo. I really had a hard time with the carbon-breaking-under-my-weight aspect of it, but Specialized's no weight limit and warranty replacement program reeled me in.
Rides for my Girlfriend
2008 GTw Avalanche 2.0 - Bought in Feb 2009, sold in May 2010. I initially bought the bike to upgrade my girlfriend's 40lbs Walmart bike. While it was a big step up, it still weighed in at around 28lbs for a hardtail. After a year and change of riding, and various upgrades, I decided to splurge and properly equip my girlfriend...
2008 Turner Flux - Bought used from mtbr with a Fox F100 RL fork and chris king headset, this bike gives 4" of tunable, usable travel to my very svelt 95lbs girlfriend. Full XT drivetrain and brakes, DT Swiss 240 wheelset, Easton EC90 carbon bars, ergon GP1 grips, and the Thomson treatment. 24.75lbs of awesome.
At the creation of this blog (and this entry), I have been riding for about a year and a half. Though I biked throughout my childhood, I never really got into mountain or road biking. I just went through a series of mountain/hybrid bikes that were used to get me from point A to point B. I never did any tricks, jumped any curbs, or rode without hands (I still can't!). Growing up in suburban Los Angeles, just about all my bikes had been stolen. When my college bike got stolen from my dorm building, I gave up on the idea of ever riding. Then 7 years later, I got back into it in a real and serious way (more on that in a later post).
Introductions: My rides
2009 Yeti 575 Carbon - So with several iterations of new/used bikes, I had enough experience to figure out what I wanted. I bought the frame and fork from Adrenaline Bikes in Nov 2009 and put it together in the coming months. I built it up with a 2010 Fox Talas 150mm 15QR fork and a Hope Pro II wheelset laced to Mavic EN521 rims. SLX/XT components, ergon grips/bar ends, thomson/hope/easton controls.
2009 GT Zaskar Pro Carbon - This was an impulse buy at a great price from a local racer. Can't say much about the bike except that it's much faster than I am. I use this on less technical trails, and for XC racing.
2010 Specialized Roubaix Expert - To complement my mountain biking, I decide a proper road bike was in order. With a healthy Velosport discount, I ponied up for the Roubaix with Ultegra 6700 groupo. I really had a hard time with the carbon-breaking-under-my-weight aspect of it, but Specialized's no weight limit and warranty replacement program reeled me in.
Rides for my Girlfriend
2008 Turner Flux - Bought used from mtbr with a Fox F100 RL fork and chris king headset, this bike gives 4" of tunable, usable travel to my very svelt 95lbs girlfriend. Full XT drivetrain and brakes, DT Swiss 240 wheelset, Easton EC90 carbon bars, ergon GP1 grips, and the Thomson treatment. 24.75lbs of awesome.
First!
I'm a 27 year old IT consultant with a passion for food and riding. Unfortunately, my affinity for food has caused me to weigh as much as 285lbs (2006). While I flirted with 250lbs a few times, I still have a long ways to go to be healthy (currently 256lbs). This blog will serve as my public outlet for all things biking, weight loss, and nutrition.
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