Foxy's Fall Century 2011 and the world's ugliest jersey

Even though the 2011 Foxy's Fall Century was sold out, we'd heard that if we arrived early enough we'd be able to get in. When we arrived at 6:20 there was a heck of a line waiting to get in, but they were still handing out pens and forms so we scribbled our info in the dark. By the time the doors opened our spot in line looked golden; there were three times as many folks behind us. The line went very quickly once it started moving, and after a bit of panic about "Cash Only" (We had enough. Barely.) We managed to hit the road at 7:15.

Starting early kept us out of most of the boy-racer-without-skills and I've-never-ridden-a-bike-before madness, though I'm always surprised how many of my fellow cyclists think "Share the Road" signs are an invitation to take their spot out of the middle of the lane.

The weather was just about perfect too. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. This ride is different from what we're use to. I think there was less than 100 feet of climbing in the first 25 miles. Still, rolling through the farmlands at dawn near Davis is a wonderful way to start the day.

We had an uneventful but fun ride to lunch. Then, as I ate my peanut butter sandwich,  we heard a very loud, airy explosion and saw a big puff of dust... coming from where I'd put my bike down. Yep, my front tire had exploded! It had blown off the rim. A bystander suggested it was because I parked in the sun. Yeah, I'm sure that was it. Because I never ride in the sun or anything. The tire was OK, we tossed in a new tube, and then I saw it...

I realize there is a wide variety of taste, one man's ceiling is another man's floor, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that. But this, this is without doubt, the most ugly. ugly, triple-ugly cycling jersey I have ever seen. It didn't appear to be ironically ugly, or humorously ugly, it was just amazingly ugly. I present it to you here and challenge you to find one worse. If you can, post a link in the comment section

From the fifty-mile lunch stop the ride actually climbs a bit. Tricia and I are always surprised that so many people who blow past us on the flats sections crawl, suffer, blow up and even stop on the hills. But like all hills they eventually end, and we got a nice downhill back toward Davis.

There's a bike swap at the finish, and usually a booth selling DeFeet socks, so we bought a few pairs and went home happy.

Magazine cover. Kind of.

I've been working too much to ride enough or even post about not riding enough. But I do have this:

When I gave my InDesign class an assignment to create a magazine cover they complained it was too hard. So I knocked this out in half an hour to show them how easy it could be.

Here's hoping I can ride more again soon, and not become so fat I don't fit my cycling clothes any more. At least I'm getting my daily bike commute in. With the wind and the new sticker-proof extra-fat super-slow tires it is at least a workout.

Goathead puncture vine

It's that time of year: Goathead! AKA bindii, bullhead, burra gokharu, caltrop, cat's head, devil's eyelashes, devil's thorn and devil's weed. They are everywhere, and they feed on bike tire rubber and my pain. They are 19 feet tall, quick as cats and as mean as the meanest thing you can think of. Even meaner.
I pulled this one out of my tire Wednesday. But there are more lurking out there.

A bicycle song. About me.

I met the amazing Ashely at a Journalism conference for community college students. A truck load of students were twittering their fingers off, but her tweets were so insightful and funny I tracked her down just to see who she was. I added her to my twitter followings.

A short while later she tweeted she'd had her iPhone stolen. She was using a fund raising social media site to raise money to replace it. One service she offered in her fundraising efforts was to write a song. I sent money and asked her to write about me and bicycles. Then I forgot all about it.

Today my song arrived with a note:
Hey,
I wrote two songs for you. One was inside of my now broken computer, but I borrowed a friend's and wrote an entirely different one. It's very short, and for that I apologize. But there is a kazoo in this one, if that helps. If I ever fix my computer, I'll send the other too.
Hope you enjoy, and sorry about the wait.

It was worth the wait. After all, it has kazoos!

Pigs Bears, Wildcat, El Toyonal and some dirt

On July 4 Dan and I planned to squeak in 30 miles at 6 am. Somehow we ended up doing 62, and along the way tried El Toyonal (painfully steep) and a trail off Wildcat Canyon (lacking pavement.) That's right, no pavement. With road bikes.

A good time was had.

Steven Cozza's Giro Bello Ride 2011

Just about everything went right and even the things that went wrong went well.

Steve Cozza's Giro Bello is a grand idea for a wonderful cause. Starting in Sebastopol and winding up toward Cloverdale, it's well beautiful and well-organized ride. Even the tee shirt looks good.
You can read about Steve's selfless efforts here.

I'd checked the weather before we drove up Friday night with LanceOldStrong to meet with Steve the afternoon before the ride. It promised to be cool in the morning and not hot in the the afternoon. I didn't even bring any warm clothes. That night the forecast changed to the 40's for the morning.

But, good thing number 1: I managed to buy a tee shirt to wear under my jersey at the second hand store across from the motel for only $1.00.


Good thing number 2: It wasn't really as cold as the 45 degrees the weather station said it was going to be.


Good thing number 3: My Garmin 305 mount broke on the first major climb. That's bad, but when it bounced it didn't break. I may have a second mount I can use, and even if I don't have it, a replacement is cheap.

Good thing number 4: The Geysers climb was really really hard, but I lived through it, and by the time we reached the top I was getting used to moving at 3mph. The temperature was perfect. I'd have hated that climb at 100 degrees.

Good thing number 5: The descent was over some of the most riddled holes I've ever ridden. I didn't crash. Dan broke a spoke, (bummer)  but the wheel stayed round enough (good thing 5a) that he managed to finish the ride. At the lunch stop he asked the mechanic from Healdsburg Spoke Folk if he had a spoke. Ironically, he did not.

Good thing number 6: The unique post-ride meal. We were issued meal tickets we could use at any number of different food vendors. I had some tandoori chicken with rice that was right tasty.

We'd started at 6:30. Steve Cozza started at 7. We had a pool about when he'd pass us, and later a pool about when he'd pass us on the climb. I won pool one, and tied Tricia on pool two. Really, I think he was able to pass us partly because he's a pro cycling god, and partly because he had a motorcycle to carry his water and spare wheels. We carry our own pumps, spare tubes and patch kits.  And our bikes weigh more — partly because big sprockets weigh more than small sprockets. Plus, I'm fatter. So really, who's doing more work? And, therefore it only makes sense to ask: Who's more tough and studdly? Yep. That's right.

Anyway, despite making a wrong turn right out of the parking lot (Hey, shouldn't there be road markers? Where are the road markers? Oh…) and adding a mile to our 106 mile day, we all had a good time at a wonderful ride on a grand course.

Perfect weather for an afternoon ride

I managed to sneak a fun 30 mile ride in with LanceOldStrong on Thursday evening. We climbed about 2500 feet, including Old Briones Road off Alhambra. We slid through Lafayette and the secret hills above Walnut Creek.

Two bridges, three murder sites, squirrels and flowers ride

When famed tour guide LanceOldStrong proposed a ride across the Benicia and Vallejo bridges that also included:

• The Frontage Road behind the Airport in Concord
• The Sewage Treatment Plant
• Concord's 100-year-old paupers' field cemetery for the unclaimed and indigent.
• Three other graveyards along the route
• County Jail 
• Bail Bond Row
• Murder #1: The site of the murder of Dr. John Marsh in 1856
• Murder #2 a Zodiac killer murder site
• Murder #3 another Zodiac killer murder site
• Other points of historical oddness.

How could we not go?


Our first major site (if you don't count the sewage treatment plant we saw in the distance) was the Pacheco Cemetery. They've recently started locking the gate, and we couldn't fit through the crack in the sad wall. We were reasonably content to peer in over the fence. We also stopped briefly in Martinez by a California Historical Marker (and big rig parking spot) of the murder of California pioneer John Marsh.

From there we rode past the county jail and courthouse on our way to cross the Benicia bridge. We ducked into Benicia and rolled down to the Benicia State Recreation Area where Mr. LanceOldStrong shared his snack with some ground squirrels that live in the sewer there. It was like a scene from Willard.

Leaving the shoreline we rode over about 4 feet of genuine cobblestones, just so I could say "Yes, the Roubaix handles the cobbles very well, thank you." We also dropped in on the Benicia Camel Barns, home of the US Camel Corps in 1863-64.
We saw the Cytomax factory on our way to Lake Herman Road, site of perhaps the first of the Zodiac serial killer slayings in 1968. It's just a wide spot in the road, but someone had ominously graffitied a nearby sign with the Zodiac's signature symbol.

From there we headed out Lake Herman Road toward beautiful Vallejo, stopped off at the Catholic Cemetery, and eventually passed the "Second Baptist Church." Is that the biggest claim to fame they can come up with, "Second?" After dealing with odd intersections, lights that don't sense bicycles, and interesting neighborhoods we found our way to the Vallejo Bridge, and made our way to Crockett for lunch, where we visited with a couple our real-live touring cyclists headed for Napa.

Following lunch we headed toward Port Costa. We'd been promised history, and Mr. LanceOldStrong came through with a lesson about the Eckley Pier, shipping, trains, wheat growing in Contra Costa. (See interesting link in comments for details)

Riding the The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is always fun, and though I'm sure they are illegal, the road paintings always make me smile. The trail, undriveable by cars, makes for a colorful flower-filled ride.





Our last cemetery of the day was Saint Catherine of Siena on the edge of Martinez. I think if I'm ever in a cemetery I'll request goats rather than flowers.

Executive summary: Metric century, touring pace. Lots of looking at stuff, good lunch, much laughing.

Canyon Classic Century 2011 and Ride For Matt fundraiser

There might have been a better way to celebrate our 12th anniversary weekend than riding 111 miles Saturday and 72 miles Sunday. Wait...  Nope, I can't think of one.

All the cool kids must hang out here.

We started our weekend with the Canyon Classic,  a century ride that starts in Patterson, heads up to Mines Rd, drops into Livermore and heads home through the farmlands of the Central Valley. It's a very pretty ride with wonderful volunteers. Though they apparently aren't aware that "century" means 100 and not 111. After 100, 11 is a really big number. Most of the 5,672 feet of climbing comes in the first 33 miles. After that there's a downhill, this year featuring a huge headwind and some exciting gusts. It was all worthwhile for the endless downhill with a massive tailwind on Tesla Road.

We lunched at Bent Creek Winery. I'm usually rushing Tricia through the rest stops. This time she teased me because I insisted on tasting their wine and buying a couple of bottles. She didn't, however,  seem to mind helping drink them later.

I didn't really transport the wine back on my bike.

Ride for Matt
We learned through our friend Joel about his friend Matt who'd been hit by a car in early 2011. Matt's friends planned a benefit ride for him. They did an amazing job, from their Ride4Matt.org website to the route markings. We don't know Matt, but because we're only one degree of separation away, as we are with so many Northern California cyclists, we wanted to support the efforts to help him.

We went with our friend Joyce, starting our drive to Roseville entirely too early and way too worn out from the Canyon Classic. We got an early start on the 70 mile route. Though some folks were less than thrilled with the bike path start, I enjoyed riding under bridges next to creeks. It didn't last long, and with our early start we didn't have to contend with much other traffic.

The rest of the route was just right. We'd ridden pieces of this before, and enjoyed them all. We've ridden so many rural Northern California roads that they all seem familiar, like home.

Though I was tired, and not riding fast, near the end I found myself annoyed that I was passed by a few... heavier.. riders. Then I realized I was seeing people who were on the 30 mile loop, and felt a bit better, kicked it in a bit and put a stop to that nonsense. Yep, life is a Cat 6 race.

When we arrived at the park finish it was like being in a small town. There was a band playing old standards and a crowd of riders eating their barbeque lunches. It just felt nice. We had to leave before Matt spoke, but we understand the ride was a huge success, getting more participants than expected and raising a goodly sum for Matt. We wish him well.

Joyce complained there weren't any new photos of her, so here she is with Tricia.

More on Ultegra 6700 and 6600 shifter problems

Following my last entry and a post on Bikeforums.net mechanics forum I've learned some interesting information: My shifter problem is not unique.

"200miler" on bike forums, who's provided a lot of support for double centuries, shared some interesting info with me.

Curtis, I've been running across this problem/issue for the last 3 years, or so, while providing roving support on various doubles. I get a minimum of one instance per ride. My DMD instance happened on Mines between the water stop and the Junction after I'd left you folks at the Mines RS.

About 1 year and a half back, I had a phone conversation with Shimano Tech support in SoCal. There was a more than a bit of hemming and hawing, but I finally got, IMO, a tacit agreement that there was a design issue [his words!]. The angle that the cable leaves the indexing rachet retainer and goes thru the brifter housing and into the cable housing causes "undue stresses" and wears the outer strands of the cable until, BINGO, you've got what you experienced with your 6600's. Getting the nubbin out after the cable is broken is as you relate, a real PITA. In some cases the nubbin gets jammed inside and can't be shaken loose; a new brifter is the only solution. Catching the cable in its frayed condition can be a field repair if done with due caution [on Quack events of course!]. With a broken cable it's a crap shoot; depends on where the nubbin is.

The relevant brifters include the 6600 and 6700 Ultegra, and 7800 and 7900 series Dura Ace. I haven't run across any of the 5700 brifters "in trouble" but I think that's only because they are not in wide distribution yet. Note that this applies to 10-speed only; I've never run across, nor heard of, any 9-speed issue. There is no particular cable recommended to replace a damaged one. If a 3rd party cable is used it won't necessarily prolong its eventual replacement. Of course, there *COULD* have been a flying production change on the Shimano production line.....

The only real way to prevent this from being an event-ender is to visually inspect the RD cable on a regular interval, or when ever you sense a change in shifting smoothness.
YMMV
-dg

I've made a permanent page with repair instructions.

Here's a web site that might help

I should point out that I was able to fish out the broken end on 6600 shifter without going to such extremes, but it did take a long while.

Ultegra 6700 shifting badly. Could it be...?

Why won't my bike shift well?
New chain? Check
New cassette? Check.
Adjusted with love and care? Check.
What of what could cause the normally-delightful Ultegra 6700 to shift like ... like something that doesn't shift well?

I'm getting ready for some long rides and thought I should do the new cable thing. I got Gore Ride-on brake and shift cables. Son of a gun, when the right shifter cable came out is was frayed as all get out.

New cables = wonderful shifting. And oh, what a pain if it had broken in the middle of nowhere.

I'd had a similar issue with my 6600 Ultegra brake/shifters. The end actually came off and took forever to dig out. I wonder if this is a design problem, that perhaps they route the cable through too may turns. I don't think this should have happened after only 4500 miles.

UPDATE: See this post

Maker faire and crazy bikes

Whiskydrome death-defying wall of death fun.

Tricia convinced me that it would be a good idea to to, the day after the Davis Double, take BART from Bay Point to Millbrae then ride bikes to the San Mateo Fairgrounds to see the Maker Faire. I guess she was right, but my body didn't entirely agree that day. At least we got $5 off admission for riding there and parking in their very nice bike parking area.

Two Penny is one of several huge and amazing pedal-powered machines we saw. ToddBarricklow.com

We went to see all the wild bicycle stuff, of which there was plenty. We also wanted to enjoy the sustainable gardening/farming exhibits, amazing sculpture, steam punk corner, and general wacky atmosphere. I've heard the event described as Burning Man for Geeks, and that may be close. It's very kid friendly and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I found it so crowded I had trouble making clean photos, so only a couple are mine. I did try to make a movie on Tricia's Flip camera, and proved in the process that I'm a still photographer at heart. Here's a Youtube link to the   video.


Woodbikes.com featured these amazingly crafted wooden bikes. I don't know that I'd care to ride one, but I'd love to have it in my living room.

Jens Voigt, Tour of California, stage 4 2011

Jens Voigt rode this stage with a badly broken wrist. I shot this as he neared the finish line at the top of Sierra Rd. You can almost hear "Shut up, wrist."

Jens on having to drop out of the ATOC.

Jens Voigt on how to pronounce "Jens Voigt."

Official Old Guy and Non-Athlete Tips for Surviving the Davis Double Century (with 2011 ride report)

LanceOldStrong, not the old guy, on left. Curtis Corlew, the old guy, on right, at the completion of the 2011 Davis Double.

Let's start the Davis Double report with some stuff that might actually be useful.

As a veteran of four Davis Double Century rides (and 4 other doubles) let me offer my Official Old Guy and Non-Athlete Tips for Surviving the Davis Double™.
Disclaimer: These work for me. There are many way to attack this ride, but these are mine.

• Start early. I think it's better to start in the dark than finish in the dark. There's no one stopping you from leaving at 4am (like I do) or even earlier. Leaving this early gets me back just before it gets dark.

• The first 20 miles is flat and you'll be excited. People will fly past you at warp nine or faster. Let them go. Ride with a group that won't kill you. Remember, it's a long day; take the long view. Don't burn out in your first 30 miles.

• At rest stop number one you can leave your lights and pick them up on the way back (mile 180) as it's the same stop. I've done this and it worked. I've also just left them on the bike.
Another possibility is to just roll past rest stop one. It's only been 20 miles, and if you followed my advice you aren't tired at all. The time you save by not stopping is huge. You'll end up ahead of much faster riders. If you do stop, don't mess around. Get in and get out. Don't chat.

• Rest stop management is one key to finishing the same day you start. I didn't dismount my bike until mile 100 in 2010. It worked fine. I just grabbed water without even getting off the bike, and then just rolled on.

• Cardiac hill, the first climb, is no big deal, relax and enjoy it.

• The next rest stop is a chance to make sure you have water and add some sunscreen. Don't skimp on the sunscreen. Really.

• Cobb Mountain, up next, is a royal pain. It comes when the sun is full, and it's too long and too steep. I can't power through it. I drop into my lowest gear and just try to keep going. The rest stop at the top… it isn't the top. Enjoy it quickly, but move on, there is more climbing.

• You've earned your descent. It's frighteningly fast, and there are shadows that could be hiding bike-eating potholes. Relax. You'll be passed by people going over 50. Slow down and live to ride another day.

• Pretty soon you'll get to lunch. Make it quick.

• I keep saying don't screw around at the stops, and I mean it. Stopping for food and eating really slows you down. I carry a bottle of mixed Hammer HEED and Sustained Energy, and a big baggie of more. I also haul a couple of Powerbars and a bunch of gel. I try to eat on the bike as much as I can.
Sure, if you are fast and strong you can bomb from rest stop to rest stop and visit, eat and have fun. But if you are slow like me you need to do everything you can to keep moving.

• The route after lunch is a pain. It's not a climb, so you don't get to feel good about conquering a mountain. It's just slightly uphill into a headwind. Seek a slow moving pace line, or settle in for a no-turn bit of painful boredom. After the right turn there's a climb that looks to be long, but isn't. The descent is a delight as the road is wide and smooth. Enjoy it because the next climb, though not steep, seems to take forever. Eventually you'll get to Resurrection Rest Stop and be happy.

• A short climb more and it's generally downhill (there is one small climb in the middle) long and fast. Enjoy. The right turn onto Cache Creek is a slight downhill, but the headwind can kill you some years. Roll on to the next rest stop and then past the casino. The road narrows, pickups scream at you and it is no fun until you get off the highway. It's all flat from here on, and the wind will determine how your day goes.

• The rest stop where you may have left your lights is the next to last. The last one is seven miles from the end. It's a Fire station that serves Chili. I just want to be done at this point and would just as soon do without. Some riders insist you haven't done Davis if you skip the Chili. I do anyway.

• At the end, don't forget to check in and pick up your shirt. Smart riders have a cooler with cold beer waiting in their cars.

Stuff I take other than the usual:

• Light that I charge the night before
• Garmin Edge 305 with a battery extender (battery is good for about eight hours, the ride takes me 14-16)
• Gallon bottle of water to fill my water bottles with nice tasting water that morning.
• Small LED headlamp (like for camping or spelunking) to read the route sheet
• "Bento Box" top tube bag for camera and ibuprofen
• Interchangeable lens sunglasses
• Ice chest with beer (IPA), and ice, to leave in car for after ride

2011 Davis Double Ride report.
I did my usual start at 4am with riding buddies Dan and Ron. Dan did the Devil Mountain Double just a couple of weeks ago and was doing this just to visit with me and have fun. Ron is seeking his 1000 Mile Club Triple Crown jersey.

With all the rain this year I haven't trained much, but I do bike commute every day and have a couple of centuries under my belt. Still, I wasn't as strong as I might have been. I had trouble holding Dan's wheel and he kept backing it off just so I could stay with him.

That said, even though we were taking it easy, we rolled pretty well, with favorable winds, through the morning. We did make a wrong turn, but thanks to luck and Ron's smart phone we were able to get back on course without even adding any miles.

At the first climb up to the dam I heard my bike making the weirdest noise. I stopped to check and discovered a broken spoke. Damn it! I loosened the brakes and went on. Later Dan noticed a roll of duct tape in the road, and we stopped to tie up my spoke. It worked well, though I did have to stop several more times for adjustments.

The climb up Cobb mountain is every bit as awful as I remember it. It takes too long, and when you think you are at the top, you aren't.

I knew I hadn't been on the bike enough when my butt began to get worn out around mile 130. I've not had that happen before. It just got sore, like I'd been on a bike seat all day.

After the rest stop at Resurrection when the road gets flat again we we rolling along and a paceline came by, not a lot faster than us. We jumped on, but they were so squirrely that LanceOldStrong started to be offended — he's a delicate sort. They'd speed up, slow down, wobble, speed up, slow down, You know the drill. \ So Dan dropped the hammer. He just exploded away. It was impressive. I watched him bridge to the next group, then explode past them. It was fun to see the guys in front of me looking around all confused.

Later, Dan pretty much dragged me, and a few others, along at 18-20 when he got "horse and barn" syndrome.

Tricia met me, Julie and Dan's kids met him. Ron rolled in a few minutes later. He rolls faster, but enjoys the rest stops longer. Check out his excellent ride report and photos.
Tricia drove me home as I was in no shape to operate a car.
I was beat, but managed 9 miles the next day, bike commuted on Monday, and played 3 sets of tennis as well. It's Tuesday and I'm pretty recovered. Life is good. I may even ride another double some day.

Stats for those who care:
202.28 miles
16:10:48 total time
14:29:17 rolling time

Amgen Tour of California Stage 4 2011

Cycling gods. That's what they are. Watching Chris Horner destroy the field and win by 1:15 up the scarey-steep Sierra Road in San Jose was like witnessing Zeus destroy the Titans, while smiling. It was hard enough standing up straight on the roadside. I can't imagine racing up it — especially after climbing Mt. Hamilton.

Lance OldStrong and I parked at Welsh Creek Road near Sunol and rode to the finish, taking the easy way up. We still had almost 3000 feet of climbing in 16 miles just to get there. I cleverly took my weighty commuter bike, thinking I'd have to lock it up and leave it somewhere. Instead it was with me the whole time. I could have taken the Roubaix. Oh well. In just a couple of hours and two flat tires we were there.

We picked a perfect spot. Such a perfect spot that that we quickly had a flock of tour photographers standing in front of us. I was starting to worry about missing the race, but the promised to duck low when the riders got there, and they did.

It's amazing how quickly it's all over. Just zoom, wow, the end, ride back. Totally worth while!

Link to a slideshow of few photos by me.
YouTube video of Versus coverage where we were.

Lodi Sunrise Century 2011

What can I say about a ride that has not only has route markings, but road kill markings as well? Those, and a brief "traffic jam" that was a small cattle drive are just two of the things that made the Lodi Sunrise Century a  ride fun.

We usually ride where there are a few hills. Our neighborhood loop has 2000 feet of climbing in 30 miles. Doing a century with only 3750 feet of climbing was just what I needed.

I rode with Tricia and Joyce until the first rest stop. I tried to wait for them, but I hate stopping, especially when I'm just getting warmed up. Tricia had Joyce, but I had no patience. I was in full "next week is the Davis Double" mode and took off. I thought I might see them later, but I didn't.

The ride through the California foothills featured very little automobile traffic (with the short exception of the narrow Liberty Road, and the big trucks that scared the bejeebers out of me.) It included a brief tour of walnut orchards, endless fields and a bunch of delightful rollers.

The easy climb up to Pardee Reservoir was beautiful. It was so green, and seeing the amazing amount of water poring through the spillway was awe inducing.

The friendly tail wind became a pain in the face headwind on the return leg. I was lucky to hook up with a couple of strong (and big) riders who vacuumed me along at 15-18 mph for a long way. I eventually lost contact at 100 miles. I'd missed a turn earlier and added 5 to the 103 mile route. My last 8 miles was considerably slower, but I did manage 15.1 average for the first 100. I might have even been able to bring it up a hair if I'd not been caught behind the cattle for a bit.

A good ride, and a quick stop at the Michale-David Winery on the way home made for a delightful day.

RideWithGPS map, complete with missed turn.

Pittsburg Twilight Criterium 2011

Tricia and I went to the Pittsburg Twilight Criterium. A real bike race with real bike riders, so close to home. So many healthy looking people, so many way-cool bikes. Wow.

The temperature was 60, but the wind was howling. I can't imagine racing in wind like that. I would hardly enjoy just riding in it. I was so cold I could barely stand it. We kept trying to find wind breaks to huddle behind. It's really too bad about the weather, because the event itself was wonderful. It's supposed to be yearly, and I really hope it is.

We weren't able to get there until just before the womens race, but we had a chance to walk around and see the booths and such and scout the course. It wasn't crowded at all, so we were able to  find interesting corners with great views to watch from. The women's field had a bunch of big-name riders from all over the world, and holy smokes could they fly. The seventy-five minute of full-tilt race was 15 minutes longer than most womens crits I was told, but the fast riders finished at about the same lap time as they started. It was breathtaking to sit right on a curb and have them fly by at warp nine.

Kudo's for the sponsor, Project Sport for having an equal  $5000 purse for both the men's and women's main events.

As much as I loved seeing the bike race and everything that went along with it, there's one weird thing that seems like a holdover from some previous era. I know it's tradition, but I find it a bit embarrassing. It just doesn't seem to have anything to do with racing, and feels like pandering.

Why are there "Podium Girls?"  I don't doubt these young women are fine people and all, but the major make-up, heavily-style hair and frighteningly-tall stiletto heels look out of place at an athletic event. And even more so at an event where there are women competitors killing themselves to squeeze every ounce of power and skill as they make superhuman efforts. One group is there because of what they can do, the other for how they look. I don't want to criticize the "girls" themselves, who seem to be good sports — they even posed for a photo with me, and countless other geezers — and who seem genuinely friendly, and are there of their own accord. I know it's supposed to be all in good fun, but still, I do wish bicycling, as a sport, could move past this uncomfortable anachronism.

Bike to Work Day 2011

My graphic design students at Los Medanos College designed posters to promote Bike to Work Day. Yep, I assigned them to. Their posters will be printed and put up around campus. Would it be fair to grade them base on how many people actually ride that day? How about bonus points if they ride?

No image? Click this link.

Devil Mountain Double Volunteering

Riding the Devil Mountain Double, a 200 mile bike ride with 20,000 feet of climbing just wasn't in the cards for me. But the Quack Cyclists did a great job supporting the Knoxville Double I rode last year, and my friend LanceOldStrong was riding the DMD, so I signed up as a volunteer. I was placed at a food/water/rest stop at Mines Road, ninety-something-miles and three major climbs into the ride.



It was an enjoyable experience. The Quacks are well organized, and are all about helping the riders. When a cyclist rolled in someone was there to hold their bike, while someone else asked what they needed. Volunteers hustled to fill their water bottles, and add whatever magic Hammer powder they needed. There was a huge assortment of cyclist-friendly food, from fresh fruit to potatoes, from peanut butter sandwiches to Hammer Gel by the gallon. Volunteers brought camp chairs for cyclists who needed a break. Even the riders were considerate. I can't imagine how they are able to focus on anything but the ride, yet many — maybe most— thanked us for being there for them.

It was also fun to have familiar faces from Bike Forums roll through, and have the opportunity to help them in some small way. Ramon came flying through early. Marco came in reasonably early reporting three flats and a broken front derailleur. He'd been shifting with his foot and planned to carry on that way. LanceOldStrong rolled in looking happy as could be and ready to tackle the next section.

At one point a little girl came up to me and, in an accusatory voice demanded to know "Why are you wearing that shirt?" referring to my Davis Double Shirt. I told her "Because I did that ride." That must have been the right answer, because she smiled and said "So did I." I remember seeing her on a tandem and being amazed, and here she was, tandeming the DMD. Watch out world.

By the time we packed up I was pretty beat after about five hours of trying to be "on." Then I realized that the riders started before I got up, and would finish after I was in bed. I felt silly, but no less tired.

The most frightening thing I saw all day was the first rider through. He was about 20 minutes in front of the next rider and must have been pushing a 20 mph average even after thousands of feet of climbing.


Crowd-favorite LanceOldStrong exits rest stop three, looking strong with over 100 miles to go.