Inconsequential ramble - 3 new things today
07-07-09, 09:41 PM
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Inconsequential ramble - 3 new things today
3 new things for me, during my trip to the 3 bears at the end of a day off:
1. First ride on new 50/34 11-26 setup. Liked it a lot. The SRAM cassette and chain shifted well - not discernably different to my 12-27 shimano setup. I could push a little more on the downhills in 50x11, and 34x23 was nice - only used it on the upper section of papa bear, but I liked the little bit more resistance compared to my prior 34x24 gear, and also it's noticeably less of a jump to the 34x21 as you crest. Didn't miss my little 16 toothed friend just yet.
2. First time drafting. 1 mile into my ride I get a "Hey!" coming over my left shoulder, and it was Calvin, one of the guys at the Pedaler who I know fairly well, who's also a Cat 3. Turns out he was heading up SPDR to the Ped as I was going on my 3 bears loop and he offered to draft (my awesome powers of telepathy are not widely known). It was a blast - I didn't realize how fast I was riding until I checked my Garmin a couple of times - normally a 21-2mph pace was now a 27+mph pace into a headwind. We (he) couldn't keep that pace the whole strech, but I easily got a 2-3mph boost over normal pace up SPDR into stronger than normal headwind. As a nice reality check, he jumped half way up and I went waaaayyy into anaerobic territory just trying to latch back on. Yes, fun, and yes - a long way to go before I'm racing calibre.
3. First "real" road fall/crash. Yeah, I've had a couple of clipless/dufus moments before - but this was a genuine "Scheidt! that car's making an unsignalled/oblivious right hand turn across our path). Calvin stopped, but I overlapped his wheel and kissed the tarmac. Fortunately the bike went down on the non-drive side, I have no torn clothing and just a few bruises to show. I'm hoping that this is akin to the periodic flat we all need to get to appease the road gods. I'm hoping for a few thousand more trouble free miles as a karmic consequence.
That's it - nothing more to report than a great little afternoon ride around the bears, and a new, Cat3-assisted, PR.
1. First ride on new 50/34 11-26 setup. Liked it a lot. The SRAM cassette and chain shifted well - not discernably different to my 12-27 shimano setup. I could push a little more on the downhills in 50x11, and 34x23 was nice - only used it on the upper section of papa bear, but I liked the little bit more resistance compared to my prior 34x24 gear, and also it's noticeably less of a jump to the 34x21 as you crest. Didn't miss my little 16 toothed friend just yet.
2. First time drafting. 1 mile into my ride I get a "Hey!" coming over my left shoulder, and it was Calvin, one of the guys at the Pedaler who I know fairly well, who's also a Cat 3. Turns out he was heading up SPDR to the Ped as I was going on my 3 bears loop and he offered to draft (my awesome powers of telepathy are not widely known). It was a blast - I didn't realize how fast I was riding until I checked my Garmin a couple of times - normally a 21-2mph pace was now a 27+mph pace into a headwind. We (he) couldn't keep that pace the whole strech, but I easily got a 2-3mph boost over normal pace up SPDR into stronger than normal headwind. As a nice reality check, he jumped half way up and I went waaaayyy into anaerobic territory just trying to latch back on. Yes, fun, and yes - a long way to go before I'm racing calibre.
3. First "real" road fall/crash. Yeah, I've had a couple of clipless/dufus moments before - but this was a genuine "Scheidt! that car's making an unsignalled/oblivious right hand turn across our path). Calvin stopped, but I overlapped his wheel and kissed the tarmac. Fortunately the bike went down on the non-drive side, I have no torn clothing and just a few bruises to show. I'm hoping that this is akin to the periodic flat we all need to get to appease the road gods. I'm hoping for a few thousand more trouble free miles as a karmic consequence.
That's it - nothing more to report than a great little afternoon ride around the bears, and a new, Cat3-assisted, PR.
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07-07-09, 09:45 PM
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Oh, I still remember getting absorbed into the AV B-ride on 84 and experiencing my first real paceline, Rotating and protected on 2 sides. Could coast at like 25mph.
Now that I'm watching the TdF, in the peloton shots, watch the guys in the middle. They aren't even pedaling.
Now that I'm watching the TdF, in the peloton shots, watch the guys in the middle. They aren't even pedaling.
07-07-09, 10:38 PM
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Thanks guys - in case it wasn't clear, this wasn't a full on 25mph type thing, we'd just set off from a set of lights in Orinda. A novelty that I don't feel the need to repeat though.
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BF, in a nutshell
07-07-09, 11:08 PM
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If I were to ever crash (darn it, just jinxed self), that's the kind I want: serious enough to sport some wounds/scars to impress the wife/gf, but not serious enough to go to hospital and be laid off from bike.
Congrats on the PR, draft or not.
Congrats on the PR, draft or not.
