Cycling 2018

[MikeT 744]

I've been cycling a fair bit since the last thread, but frankly the 2018 total to date is dismal at just under 700 km.  I have the eighth annual Granfondo Axel Merckx coming up in just under 4 weeks!  Ack!  I should be able to get another 500+ done by then....

 

In 2011, the first year I did the Granfondo, I rode 4540 km. (boo yeah!)

In 2012, 3693 km. (not half bad)

In 2013, it dropped to 1944 km. (can't remember the excuse!)

In 2014 it was better, at 3000 km! (we went to Europe that summer)

2015 was my best year in recent memory: 4600 km!! (yes!)

2016 was not half bad, and got 4111 km in. (good!)

2017 was quite poor, at 2071 km.  (went to Japan in September so lost the late riding season).

 

Despite the poor showing to date, I hope to get well over 3000 km this year.  I have work to do!

 

Gratuitous photo of the best cyclist of all time signing my jersey in 2011:

 

Edited June 12, 2018 by MikeT

[Leadwing 565]

There is a Gent (Bruce Kerr) from Belmont (Ontario) who will be starting a cross-Canada trip on his bicycle in a few days.  He will be starting from Vancouver and ending up in St. John's, Newfoundland sometime in early August.  I wish him luck.

[MikeT 744]

Today for the first time this year I was able to hold a 30 km/h average both to and from work, 54 km.  Yearly total is up to nearly 1100 km.

[RobCDI 18]

Nice work. Over the last 2 summers i have managed just over 3000km, half of that was commuting(directly replaced driving).

 

I love riding to the gym and I recently switched gym; 1 month after i switched a thrift store opened up next door. I like thrift stores but this one attracts a lot of homeless. Today i rode to the gym and after i came out my bike was leaned over the bike post with the handle bars spun around, i checked my cable lock and it looks like someone tried to pry it open with a screwdriver :/ my lock held up quite well. It was the middle of the day with lots of people around and my bike was undamaged. I wont cycle to the gym anymore which is a shame, i might switch back to my old one because its in a safer area but its not as good and more expensive so ill see. I might get another cable lock and a D lock to make it impractically hard to steal

[MikeT 744]

Damn!  I would never leave my bike outside....

 

I have forgotten to post this so far, but last Xmas my wife bought me a new Shimano 8000 group for the Cramerotti Granfondo bike.  The main reason for this was that I wanted a better climbing gear for the 15% slope that hits on the Granfondo Axel Merckx at about the 119 km mark.  The rear cluster is an 11 speed: 34-11.

 

 

I have been riding the Cervélo for the most part around here the past few weeks as the hills here are not all that brutal.

[lebikerboy 96]

If you installed a Wolf Components Road Link, you could run an 11-36 rear...

 

Biggest upgrade I've made this year is to install a Selle Italia Superflow SLR

saddle. I just can't believe how much better I feel after a 60km ride...

Edited July 1, 2018 by lebikerboy

[MikeT 744]

34 is fine for my granfondo bike, and 28 is good for most other use.  I can spin good cadence at 7 km/h now!  I have been using Sella Italia saddles for years and they're good for 170+ km.  For me at least.

 

Granfondo is a week tomorrow!  Woo-hoo!

[MikeT 744]

The only downside to this cluster is that there are two cog jumps between the tallest gears, as opposed to one in a 28-11.  Still, for the super steep hills, it's wonderful.

[lebikerboy 96]

I'm starting to see road bikes with a single ring front

and 11-40 rear! Can you imagine the jumps?

11-13-15-17-19-21-24-27-31-35-40

Edited July 1, 2018 by lebikerboy

[MikeT 744]

Ewww

[MikeT 744]

110 km in the saddle today on the Cramerotti - north end of Nanaimo, up Nanaimo Lakes Road with its 14% gradients (where the 34/34 climbing gear proved its worth), then to Nanaimo Lakes, then down Nanaimo River Road and back home.  1050 metres of vertical and I feel fit and ready for the Granfondo Axel Merckx.

[MikeT 744]

The Granfondo went well.  We finished it 1 hour and 4 minutes earlier than last year, so around 6.5 hours in the saddle to do 161 km.  Next year will be a tough one because we're probably going to Europe in the spring of 2019 for 5-6 weeks and that's prime training time.

 

Sample scenery, about 100 km into the ride:

 

 

Today I went out in the hottest day of the year and did 78 km.  The temperature - according to the bike computer - ranged between 35 C and 40 C, usually at 38 for most of the 3 hour ride.

 

The photo below shows the peak temperature of 40 C.

[lebikerboy 96]

Congrats Mike!

[Leadwing 565]

Update on Bruce Kent!  He has abandoned the trek.  He was starting from Vancouver and hoping to end up in St. John's, Newfoundland.  His nerves couldn't take the cars and truck whizzing past so close to where he was riding.  Physically, he was still OK, but he felt being this late in life (he is 69 yrs old), it just wasn't worth  it.

[smartzuuk 167]

Nice work and NICE bike!!! Looks way too clean, haha!!

[MikeT 744]

1 hour ago, Leadwing said:

Update on Bruce Kent!  He has abandoned the trek.  He was starting from Vancouver and hoping to end up in St. John's, Newfoundland.  His nerves couldn't take the cars and truck whizzing past so close to where he was riding.  Physically, he was still OK, but he felt being this late in life (he is 69 yrs old), it just wasn't worth  it.

How far did he make it before coming to this realization?  There are a couple of ways to do it and the Trans-Canada Highway is by far the worst.

[Leadwing 565]

I'm not sure Mike.  He is at home resting as we speak, but I will ask in the morning

 

[MikeT 744]

No news, Ron?

 

Meanwhile I rode to work on Wednesday and Friday, getting up to 1700 km for the year.  Should do another 70-80 sometime this weekend.

Edited August 4, 2018 by MikeT

[Leadwing 565]

From what I hear, he barely made it out of B.C.   I guess the back roads of south-western Ontario are a bit tamer than the main east / west highway in B.C.

 

He had family there, so he spent some quality time with them before heading home.

 

[MikeT 744]

On the ride east, I would always take the Crowsnest.  Once into Alberta, the secondary roads that parallel the Crowsnest and TCH.

[Chopper 264]

I'm a rather keen cyclist.  Some  leisure riding, but mainly utility use, ie, journeys with an actual purpose such as work, visiting chums, shopping etc.  I did a little over 4500 miles last year, but was curtailed in July 2017 when I had major reconstructive surgery on a shoulder I'd injured badly some years before.  That kept me from riding for a while - and prompted the move to an automatic Smart - but I'm easing back into it now.

 

Ditto the running.  I'm just getting back into it, but aches and pains start to set in around 2 miles

 

I use Garmin to record my rides and runs, and some walks.  If any other Garmin users want to hook up then PM me your Garmin user name details and I'll send you a friend request.

 

My bikes;

 

Felt F75 general purpose sporty road tool.

2010 Pinnacle Dolomite 105, daily ride.

1983 Claud Butler Sierra 531 tourer, fair weather tool.

1977 Elswick Hopper, rebuild as a Tracker.

Giant Trance X full squidge MTB.

Carrara Kraken front squidge MTB.

1996 Alpinstars CroMo MTB (old faithful, love it)

1996 Saracen Rufftrax CroMo MTB. 

 

I'm 265lbs and well above average height.  This is beyond the limits quoted by most manufacturers for road frames, so I steer clear of carbon.   Carbon is very strong, but should it fail it'll fail explosively, which can be dangerous at 40 MPH.  Ali alloys tend to fail progressively, so in that regard i'd likely have some warning.  In addition to that, why would a 265lb man be interested in saving another 1 - 1.5lbs over my already lightweight Felt? It would be a pointless expense for someone my weight, so while I like it a lot I steer clear of carbon road frames.

 

I do like the feel of a nice steel frame, and my 1983 Claud Butler is the nicest feeling ride of my fleet.

 

Edited August 8, 2018 by Chopper

[MikeT 744]

Wow, 4500 miles!  The most I have done in a year so far is 4600 km.

[Chopper 264]

Had an achy knee for a few weeks following a slip.  I'm running on it ok, although I'm keeping the mileage down, but cycling has been uncomfortable. 

Knee has felt OK the last few days, so goi g to test it out with a short 15 miler on my lightest road bike, see how I get on. 

[MikeT 744]

After the smoke festival last week, I managed to ride to and from work today!  Felt good, especially the ride home!  2043 km on the year.  Not good, but at least over 2000...

[lebikerboy 96]

I managed to tear a hamstring a week ago riding my Santa Cruz Tazmon dualie...

I think I'm getting too old for mountain biking!

Should take a month or so to heal.