Cycling / Running - Logs, Stories, & Pictures (any fellow cyclists or runners here?)

[Tex]

I had an absolute blast this weekend riding in the Texas hill country. Still processing all of the video footage, but I'll update my post with more videos as I finish them.

Here is the data from the entire ride and a picture of me at the start of the ride.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/192449079

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2TLOsZ4W-E"]Fulton Ranch Road Climb Fail - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBDlHeNkm-s"]Climbing Way (Climb & Descent) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swqR7SO-VpQ"]Wimberley Town Center - YouTube[/ame]

 

[FADEC]

I had an absolute blast this weekend riding in the Texas hill country...

Looks like a lot of fun! Except the climb fail. Nearly reminds me of my asthma drama last winter which I reported here.

Nice picture by the way. Did you actually lose some weight since you started to drive a lot? And did you change your diet?

I already lost 2 kgs since I switched from ergometertraining to real world biking. And with my new bike and up to 50 kilometers 3 to 6 times a week (depends on how much time I have) I think I should eat more as usual...

 

[Tex]

Thanks. Yeah, the climb fail was frustrating, but lack of proper gearing played a major role in that. My bike is just an entry level and geared for the flats really. It was still a good day with 4,333 feet of climbing.

I started out running, then cycling around 195 lbs and now I'm down to 165, so yeah I lost quite a bit. That will happen riding as much as I do and I tell everything that who is looking to lose weight.

 

[FADEC]

Training continuous well meanwhile. I think I can increase the distance soon. 50 Km almost feels like nothing with that bike. No aching muscles, no hurting bottom, just nothing.

And the new antiallergic tablets which I got from my doctor three days ago seem to have good effects in combination with biking. You actually "collect" a lot of pollen while driving. But I don't notice it anymore. No itching in the eyes or roof of the mouth. Just the usual but very short asthma attack shortly after driving, when the pulse rate slows down. But it disappears after only a few minutes. No inhalation required so far. Great. Didn't expect that those small tablets can have such significant effects.

I installed a new bicycle saddle yesterday by the way. It's softer than the original one, which should be perfect for longer routes. I'm not sure if this is just typical German efficiency, but lots of bicycle mechanics actually recommend to align saddles as horizontally as possible. So it's just what I did, although I don't know if it really has noticeable advantages...

As for the frame pump: there is no other possible location for it since I installed a second bottle cage now.

 

[Tex]

Glad to hear your cycling is progressing positively for you. The saddle looks good for more upright position on the bike and as long as its comfortable for you, that's all that matters! You do want it as level as possible, but here again you just want what ever is comfortable.

Concerning the bike pump, why not use CO2 instead? It only requires a tiny inflator adapter which the CO2 cartridge screws into and allows you to attach it to the valve stem. No pumping required. Quick and easy. I usually ride with 2 spare tubes and 2 CO2 cartridges.

 

[FADEC]

CO2 sounds like a nice idea. Never heard that it is used for biking. But might be rather useful on the road. Thanks for the advice.

As for the saddle adjustment: I think I'll have to try. But for now it works without issues. Let's see what happens at 50 + X Km...

 

[Tex]

Couple more pics from this past weekends ride.

 

[FADEC]

Nice pics once again. And nice bike.

I don't think I am photogenic although people say I am. I might post pics in the future...

Last night I had a nice 50 Km ride once again (actually 55 Km) along the local river...

The night tour included fog, bats, and lots of fireflies this time. The only persons I met were anglers. But what happened after the tour wasn't nice. And I think it was due to riding just next to huge cornfields and meadows for more than an hour. I woke up twice within two hours in the morning because of asthma. I had to use my aerosol 5 times all in all. And it did not really help the way it usually does. And the new antiallergic tablets did not work either. I guess I was exposed to tons of pollen / allergens during the tour. It was the worst asthma attack I had so far. Completely different to my previous 50 Km tour and quite disappointing. Not far away from visiting the emergency room to get a shot. The last inhalation finally worked more or less.

I might choose a different tour during summertime and maybe start a desensitisation next winter. I fear this thing gets worse otherwise.

 

[jimblah]

I love cycling...

It reminds me of sailing, but instead of using the wind 'I'm' the force that drives the machine. In my earl twenties I used to ride from Eagle Rock to Pasadena City College (~10 mi) 5 days a week. My route took me down into the arroyo where the Rose Bowl is and up the other side. I would also ride from Pasadena to Long Beach on ocassion. I'm buying another bike soon. I sold my truck and just use public transit. If I need a car there's a car rental two blocks from my apartment.

I subscribed to Texfilms. The cycling videos are great! I'm curious as to what gear you're using for video capture, sound, etc.

 

[FADEC]

I'm buying another bike soon. I sold my truck and just use public transit. If I need a car there's a car rental two blocks from my apartment.

So using public transit, the bike, and car rental / car sharing does not seem to be only a German phenomena these days. The number of cars (per head I think) is declining in Germany for a few years. It's not a status symbol anymore for younger people (also in my case) and it's actually quite expensive and not really necessary in big cities.

I subscribed to Texfilms. The cycling videos are great!

And not only the cycling videos

 

[Tex]

I'm curious as to what gear you're using for video capture, sound, etc.

Video camera is a Drift HD 170 mounted under the stem.

I use a Garmin Edge 500 GPS to track data on my rides. Once home, I use a program called Dashware to import the data from GPS and overlay gauges on the video.

 

[Scav]

Tex, how are you staying remotely cool riding around Texas like that? I know it's indecently hot up here, but you must be roasting down there!

 

[FADEC]

Today I came across this one...

But it is questionable if he still manages it after driving 100 Km while a flat tire occurs during an exhausting climb.

 

[Tex]

Tex, how are you staying remotely cool riding around Texas like that? I know it's indecently hot up here, but you must be roasting down there!

Usually riding early in the morning before the worst of the heat. Still really hot! I went out last Wednesday by myself around 11am and knocked out 60 miles. Didn't finish until almost 3pm. Average temp the GPS recorded was 106 F, but it's in direct sunlight, so actual temp was closer to 100. Still, a ing hot and tough day!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/193793586

 

[Tex]

Today I came across this one...

Super Fast Bike Man - YouTube

But it is questionable if he still manages it after driving 100 Km while a flat tire occurs during an exhausting climb.

That was seriously cool, thanks! I shared this on my bike club's Facebook page.

You can see the advantages of CO2 now?

 

[FADEC]

You can see the advantages of CO2 now?

Yes :thumbup:

 

[Tex]

Today is a holiday for us, so I decided to ride 100 miles with a cycling friend. We pushed pretty hard all day hoping to finish in 5 hours and managed to average 20 mph. That was a tough ride over that distance to average that speed with only 2 of us. I snagged a KOM on a Strava segment as well for the climb over a bridge.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/195780621

 

[Tex]

First major upgrade: New wheels!

http://www.zipp.com/wheels/101-clincher/

They cost a ton and are actually worth more than my bike, but they're great wheels and I can use them on my future bike I'm saving up for.

 

[FADEC]

Wow. Those wheels already look epic Even if they're more expensive than your bike, it might be a significant difference to the previous wheels. It's the most important parts beside a good frame I think.

Meanwhile I sadly have to report that I had to stop my cycling activities for one week now. The pollination just is too extreme here this year. Even if I only drive for 15 minutes, my bronchia narrow quite soon and I have to use my aerosol at least two times. Doesn't make fun anymore. I'm going to visit my doctor this Thursday and get another good inhaler (an American product which usually suppresses the symptoms for about 24 hours once taken). This is, seriously, the worst summer of my life in terms of pollination and asthma. But it already became nasty in March/April when the hazelnut was in the air. Meteorologists say it's due to the cold winter we had in Germany.

The pollination calendar says: no more activities outside the home until mid/end of August at the earliest. So that's it with cycling. At least for the summer :thumbsdown:

Good that I never tried to get a pilots licence for commercial purposes. I would be unemployed by no later than now for sure.

 

[Tex]

Ouch, real sorry to hear about that news. I feel very fortunate to not have any problems with allergies, but I could certainly understand how it would take the fun out of it. Is there no mask you could wear to avoid inhaling the pollen? Just a thought. I hope the new inhaler proves to be a better success for you! On a brighter side, it's time to bust out Orbiter!!

In all seriousness, it's not fun, but you can cycle indoors to maintain fitness during these times if you like or during winter too. Just need an indoor bike trainer that you can attach your bike to. I use it on bad weather days and for hyper specific training sessions.