Really? That would be cool .

I've wanted to meet Speedy Gonzales and his owner ever since he showed up on Ω-F...

 

There's plenty of friends of Bill W. on my rides, too...

 

Thanks! I'm a clyde so I get dropped on the hills all the time. Doesn't stop me from doing them, though!

According to Strava and Cyclemeter, there are short sections that are between 20-37%. It's not a big climb elevation-wise (243 feet), but it's steep as all hell (12% average).

 

Cool beans...friends of Bill W. and Dr. Bob.

 

Since we're talking about hills...pictured below is my masters team callsign WAD. Why is my masters team callsign WAD? Because I always blow my WAD on hills during road races...and get dropped...because I suck at hills! The entire masters team has these stickers with their respective names...and of course they had to include WAD on mine.

The pic below is the left chain stay of my 2010 Schwinn Sprint fixed gear...my retired steel TT bike...which got me the gold in 2013 at the State TT Championships (Ohio).

LATE ENTRY: Actually, my team callsign has been more recently revised to SCHWAD by our team Captain...due to the fact that I ride a SCHwinn Paramount during road races (and have a small collection of Schwinns)...as well as the fact that I continue to blow my WAD on hills in road races. SCH + WAD = SCHWAD. I'm usually the only one at road races on a Schwinn...so I get some crap for that...but they're good bikes (imho). My road race bike (a 2011 Schwinn Paramount Series 9) is a full carbon frame/fork and came outfitted with Dura-Ace 7900 from the factory...I added some ZIPP 404 tubulars...the whole rig only weighs 16.5 lbs (includes bottle cages, Garmin and STAGES power meter)...that's not too bad for a size L frame.

 

Yesterday was absoluteley NOT a beautiful day to ride a bike here in Sweden. Cold, rainy and windy. This summer has sucked this far.
When I got home from work I opted for a section of Tour de Flandres on the tacx trainer instead of taking any of the bikes and myself out in the rain. 50 minutes on the trainer feels like quality training on a day like this.

For those retro bike interested - this cap and bike goes together fine. The Pettersson brothers rode for Ferretti and the bike is a 1971 Monark-branded Ferretti team bike made by Masi (Italy).

 

Wednesday. 12 degrees Celsius at 7 in the afternoon. It is raining (melancholic soundtrack of you own choice). It is supposed to be summer.

It is not.

50 minutes of Tour de Flandres and 10 minutes of winding down. Thighs are hurting.

Sun is shining in the video.

Damned be the Belgians...

 

@styggpyggeno1...sorry to hear about the weather, sir.

That's a pretty cool indoor trainer set up you have there! Are you on rollers? All I have for an indoor trainer set up is a fluid trainer (I'd crash on rollers, so I don't do those)...and 1980's metal/glam/hair bands on CD...while looking out the garage window...watching our small black dog deposit 'steamers' in the yard. I need to get a visual set up like you have!

Also, I'm fortunate to only have had 'thigh hurt' for 33 minutes last Saturday at the State TT...much less time than what you experienced during your indoor trainer session. I'm still experiencing today the 'thigh hurt' from last Saturday...averaging a 185 heart rate for 33 minutes is not good for the mind, body or soul...I think I need to throttle back and eat some doughnuts or something.

 

It is a TACX VR trainer - and an old bike of mine hooked up to a computer. Compared to the rollers and trainers that I used back when - the only difference is that brain cells used to start to die after 20 minutes and with this contraption it does not start until after 40 minutes...

Your 33 minutes of hurt at 185 HR - I do no think my little trainer session can compare. You are a serious athlete - I am starting from zero after many years of doing no exercise at all. At 51 I do not think I would survive 185 for many minutes if I got there... To be a little on the safe side I went for all kinds of medical test before I started bicycling again. I did not want to be yet a former athlete but suddenly dead middleaged guy who had just started training again. All test came out fine but I am taking it slow anyway. Building it slow and steady.

Today I found and bought an old late 60-ies - early 70-ies Bianchi Specialissima/team issue. Top of the line at that time. Almost all the parts have been changed thru the years but as it was almost for free it is still wonderful find - and in my size. This is all about the frame - disregard the rest. I have all the right, period correct parts for it on the shelf - restoration will be easy. Many bike companys today are bragging about their integrated headsets - Bianchi had it already in the 50-ies. Better working/lasting and more beautiful.

 

@styggpyggeno1...I copy all. Beautiful Bianchi you picked up...looking forward to seeing the resto! Also, it looks like we're the same age (I turned 51 last April)...so are you building up to compete in masters road races? It's pretty cool here in the U.S. regarding amateur masters...they have either 5 year or 10 year divisions starting at age 35. It sounds like with your previous race experience, you would be quite crafty on the road. Many of the masters that we race against in road races/crits here have been racing since the 1980's...THEY ARE SO CRAFTY! We are lucky to have a team Captain (who is also our professional cycling coach) who is a CAT 1 and who has pretty much road raced non-stop since 1986...he's age 51 as well. He's a patient Captain/Coach...he has to deal with my lack of tactical knowledge (I'm in my 4th racing season and I'M NOT CRAFTY)...I WANT TO BE CRAFTY! Anyway, I wish you well regarding your training and hope the weather improves for you...lots of indoor training can get fairly de-motivating after awhile (as you probably know).

 

Knocked out my first metric century yesterday. Bonked pretty badly due to a lack in preparation as far as food stores, won't make that same mistake again. Fitness level-wise, I feel fine today, actually is bothering me not to go for a ride and instead recover.

 

Most excellent work @Wetworks...a very significant milestone indeed. Got any pics? Pics while visiting Bonkville? I've been to Bonkville too many times...Bonkville is a crappy town! Anyway..."train hard, recover harder"...that's what I continue to hear in the cycling circles around here.

 

Thanks @Mad Dog !!! No pics unfortunately. Stopped by Dick's Sporting Goods today to stock up on some gels and Honey Stingers. I'm also going to purchase some Carb-Pro to go with my Skratch Labs drink mix. Hopefully that will keep me from visiting that craptastitc town again.

I have a true century coming up next month, so I think with a bit more training I should be fine. It's more of a fun ride, anyway (NYC Century). My big problem lately has been the posterior portion of my knee, specifically medially (but not my MCL). Saddle height and cleat position are fine and it really only manifests itself pedaling into the wind (even sprints don't cause it to flare up), so I'm at a loss. Sucks because it forces me to spin in the 100s instead of really hammering the pedals in the 80s.

 

@Wetworks :Are you getting a period of rest/recovery at least one day a week? Changing the types of workouts, which means including 'strength'/'power' days (usually group rides for me), recovery rides, and then longer distance moderate intensity rides?

I used to have more issues like yours (sounds like tendinitis) until I began doing the above, especially the rest, and the strength parts (I was doing too many long rides)...

 

First time riding all week was yesterday, so I gave it a decent stretch to heal up (good luck keeping me off the bike longer than that over the summer). I'm inclined to agree that it's some sort of tendinitis, @dougiedude. I do strength training 3-5 days a week (legs once) and my rides are usually between 16-26 miles. I make sure to do a mix of sprints along with saddle riding and a few hills (pretty flat out here in Staten Island). None of it bothers my knee until I'm driving into that headwind. Bizzare.

 

Agreed.

I suppose you're already well warmed-up before that headwind?

Maybe try a different position in the saddle when you're grinding into that headwind...

Or, try downwind !

 

Lol, oh how I love the tailwinds!

Yea, I'm definitely warmed up by that point. It actually happens well after I'm warmed up, which is also odd. I've tried riding in the drops and that MAY be making the problem worse. More experimentation is needed, I guess.

I just went to Steve Hogg's site and decided to muck around with my cleat position a bit. Despite a very involved Retul/SG fitting, I noticed my seat was way too far back (I've since been adjusting it slowly) and that it is also far too nosed-up (just leveled it off). I'll head out tomorrow and see how it feels. I know I've got another fitting in my near future as I've dropped 10 pounds since the summer started, but I want to see if I can dial it in on my own for now.

 

@Wetworks...you said "craptastic".

Awesome!

Rock on!

 

Jeez, not having a good beginning to August riding. Set out today to knock out a couple of local Cat 4 climbs. I did an extended pre-ride check that included checking the truing of the wheels, the derailleurs, and even gave the chain a bath. All set, ready to go!!!

I get halfway down my block and go to put some power to the rear and the left crank (I thought) makes the sound of a brake rubbing. So, after a quick check it's back to the house to re-check the wheels. They're fine, so I set out again, same problem. Head down to the LBS and he says that when he rides the bike he sees the wheel drift to the side when he puts down power. So, it was a brake rub, but not for the reasons I thought.

Now, I wait...

 

Did the ride london/surrey 100m today.Due to a variety of reasons including broken bones in my feet, wife's 40th birthday weekend and two short notice trips to different continents, the only way my prep could have been worse would have been if I actually did none. I'm a fat bloke and very far from a natural athlete - did it last year but the course was shortened by 14 miles and two monster hills due to a cyclone, so I had unfinished business. I will quietly admit as I rounded Trafalgar square and hammered up the mall to the finish line at Buckingham palace I had a small cry...

This is me hugging my son at the finish (gruffly to hide my emotional state).