Month: March 2012

Andrea

Rant #547

I need to complain about something else really quick…

(it’s a rest-ish week since I’m heading out this afternoon for tomorrow’s Ouachita Challenge race, so I have nothing better to talk about)

Cable housing. Namely, cable housing on mountain and cyclocross bikes.

For those of you that are not mechanically informed on how your bike’s shifting works here’s a quick rundown: when you push on the shift lever (road or mountain), the shifter either pulls or releases an exact amount of the shift cable (that’s the “click” you hear when you shift- it’s the ratcheting mechanism inside the shifter). It’s that exact amount that causes the derailleur to move an exact distance up or down and, in turn, move the chain an exact distance between cogs on the cassette (or rings on the chainring).

In order for all of this to occur smoothly, the housing- that stuff that holds the cable to the frame- needs to be smooth and free of debris. Therein lies the problem. Most bikes arrive at the shop with cable stops that necessitate exposed sections of cable. Like this:

On a road bike, those exposed sections are pretty safe, save the occasional inundation from sweat, rain, and/or sports drink. However, if you ride where there’s mud and dirt, it’s very easy for those openings to become fouled with mud, which kills shifting performance. Some manufacturers (not singling anyone out, but this is a common one I see in the shop), even do really dumb stuff like this:

That’s a short piece of housing that runs right through the potentially muddiest part of the bike.

 

In order to combat these ridiculous forays into cable routing, you (or your mechanic) have a couple of options.
#1: sealed cable housing kits. Gore makes a nice kit. It’s relatively light, but somewhat expensive when compared to standard cables & housings. Also, the coating on the cables that come with the kit does not play well with SRAM rear derailleurs or any front derailleurs where the cable rubs on a pivoting point on its way to the pinch bolt. The friction from the rubbing on those spots makes the coating peel up and, in some cases, unravel back into the cable housing itself, which causes the same friction issues you’re trying to avoid in the first place.
#2: Continuous run housing. My personal favorite. Niner did us all a great favor with the new Air9RDO cable routing by providing the option to run a solid piece of housing from the shifter, though the frame, to both the front and rear derailleurs. Other manufacturers have not been so thoughtful. Even though they’re making a bike that will likely get really dirty, they put standard cable stop on the frame rather than the needed “zip tie points” that can be used to attach a continuous run (I’m talking the little flat spots like you use for attaching a hydraulic brake hose). As a result, I’ve taken artistic license with many mountain frames and used various combinations of zip ties and electrical tape to route solid cable housing from one end to the other. It doesn’t always look as pretty as using the cable stops (yes, I realize that there are converters for cable stops to make them “hold” a solid piece of housing. I’m not satisfied with the holding power/security provided by any of the designs). It’s also heavier than running non-continuous housing, and will cost you a little more in parts. Totally worth it, though, IMHO.

I’m amazed at the number of riders and mechanics (and framebuilders, apparently) that are ignorant to the greatness that is continuous cable housing. I recently had a customer tell me, “I took it to ******* bike shop (not gonna name names) and asked for continuous housing, and they had no idea what I was talking about.” Really?! It improves shifting performance enough that Fullface Kenny and I have decided to make it the standard in our shop for anyone that takes their bike out in conditions other than “solid, drought-ridden hardpack.” It’s one of the many reasons why I’m convinced that the Cordova Outdoors bike shop is currently the best in town. No bias at all.

 

 

Andrea

“not a hardcore racer”

“not trying to be Lance Armstrong”

“not trying to be fast”

etc.

If you work in a bike shop, you know exactly who and what I’m talking about.

 

In case you’re just joining us- I work in a bike shop. I repair bikes (yes, mister “can I speak to one of the mechanics?” I am a mechanic. I don’t just come back here and rub grease on my hands to moisturize my cuticles). I also sell a lot of bikes. I like finding the right bike for the right person (no matter what the discipline, age, or ability level), because it’s very rewarding to see them have a great time with their bike.

Let me preface my next small rant with this statement: I understand that budgets exist. I don’t mind helping you work with one. I understand that what you may know you need/want and what you can afford doesn’t always jive.

Those initial quotes usually aren’t from the guy/gal that is very budget constrained. They come from the person who comes in with the misconception that the only reason I’m suggesting the $1600 mountain bike rather than the $900 bike is because I want to sell a more expensive bike… never because of the fact that the cost of the fork alone on the $1600 mountain bike would cover the difference in price between the two.
For some reason, this person is convinced that his/her wish to ride recreationally means that he/she isn’t worth spending a little more to get a better equipped bike. I try to gently educate people on why, if they can afford it, they should buy “as much bike as possible.” Trust me… no recreational, non-racing rider who is on a $4000 bike ever bombs down the trail (or road) frowning and wishing they’d spent less money. I just want to put a hand on their shoulder, look them in the eye, and say, “you’re worth it”

…but I’d probably scare people off doing that.

Just because you don’t want to race or go fast doesn’t mean that you should rule out spending some extra money (as long as it’s affordable, of course). My point is, all bikes are fun, and an expensive bike (whatever “expensive” may mean to you) definitely isn’t mandatory for a good time. However, the frame/parts that cost more, cost more for a reason. They’re lighter. They’ll last longer. They work just as well with age as when they were new. You will be happier with your bike in general for a longer period of time. Remember what I said first… I love seeing people happy with their bikes.

 

-This PSA is brought to you from every single person who sells bikes in all bike shops, ever.-

Andrea

…and the weekend

As I mentioned previously, yesterday, I polished off a nice training block with some 10 minute intervals. The intervals were excellent, BTW. Given what I’ve done in the past 7 days, having season-best power numbers is very reassuring.

Today, I woke up early and went out for an easy recovery ride. Spring has officially started around here…

 

After that, I went to a killer yoga class. I learned the “Bird of Paradise” posture. I suggest you browse this site to find an example.  Following a few hours at work, I came home to relax and watch Sugardaddy Ryan and Poolboy Matt as they finished up some yardwork…

Actually, Ryan was trying out some new line fittings for his wort chiller. He’s started quite the homebrew operation in the kitchen/hall closet.

The remainder of the week is mostly resting up for next weekend’s Ouachita Challenge. Looking at the start list, this isht’s gonna hurt.

 

 

Andrea

Doing Time

Yes, it’s been a hot minute. It’s because I’m doing a moderately high volume stretch of training right now. The last week has been something like this:

Saturday- 3hrs with a (new) weekend worlds group (big thanks to the guys from 901Racing for accepting me in my exile)
Sunday- 5hrs base training
Monday- Recover
Tuesday- 5hrs base training/yoga
Wednesday- Recover
Thursday- 20 min intervals/yoga
Friday (today)- yoga and a recovery ride
Tomorrow- more intervals

So, rather than post here, I’ve been getting out and enjoying the extra warm March we’re having.

Five hours is a long time to ride a road bike. Luckily, unlike riding a mountain bike, which requires constant attention, riding on the road is an excellent time to let your mind wander. Tuesday, I found myself pondering the similarities between humans and domestic dogs. Let’s face it- like dogs, humans used to be wild animals. Our ancestors were physically capable of killing large, wild animals and defending themselves against large, wild animals. Now, like dogs, it seems some people are more physically adapted to fighting with the lever on their recliner

 

…while, on the other end of the spectrum, other people are breaking world records on a regular basis

 

It was good for about 2 hours worth of mind wandering. On a similar note, whoever says that Memphis sucks for road riding, hasn’t found the right roads…

 

 

 

Andrea

Blogger Shenanigans

You may remember my post-SouthernX trip to the Southeastern Bike Expo a few weeks ago.

In my early-Sunday morning attempt to pack my bags without disturbing Dicky’s hangover by using the hotel room lights, I accidentally packed his Bike29 shirt in with my stuff. I let him know that I’d send it back to him, washed and unharmed, but that I’d likely corrupt it otherwise prior to sending it back.

#1: cat bed

 

#2: I can’t post it here. It involved a large, purple rubber object that a former teammate of mine found on the side of the road. Use your imagination.

 

#3: Poolboy Matt loin cloth

 

#4: Turbo shirt

 

#5a: also not postable here. It involved me wearing the shirt in a manner that Dicky thought may stretch it out in a way that doesn’t conform to his body.

 

#5b: the finale… wet T-shirt contest. Miller High Life was involved (photo courtesy of Ryan)

 

With the shirt now thoroughly corrupted, it’s currently in the washing machine. I’ll ship it back this week… unless, of course, someone comments with any more shirt-corrupting ideas.

 

Andrea

For Sale: Scott Voltage YZ 0.1 Edit: SOLD!

The dirt-jump experiment is over. I went to the park on it a few times, had fun half the time, and spent the other half of the time saying, “I’ve got ‘x’ race approaching, so I don’t want to do anything to hurt myself.” I can see this becoming a pattern, so I’m going to offload it before it’s not cool anymore.

Here’s a link to the bike on Scott’s website: Voltage YZ 0.1

I went with this particular bike because I was able to employee purchase it. However, based on my little bit of experience and reviews on several sites, it’s a really sweet ride if you’re looking for something on which you can haul ass & go big.

I’ve upgraded a couple of things- I swapped the ugly, cheapie open ball stock headset for a pretty Hope one, and I changed the white 28t chainwheel to a red 25t one from Flybikes (replaced the chain to a SRAM PC1 Nickel at that time, too). I also upgraded the top tube paint with a scratch. It’s the only blemish on the bike.

I’ve ridden it very little, so it’s in very new condition.

Yours for $600 (plus shipping if you aren’t local-ish)

[pictures will be up once the sun is up]

Andrea

Post-race Rundown

I haven’t been doing much of anything since racing on Saturday.

(photo courtesy of Fullface Kenny)

Sunday, I laid around the house in the throes of post-race misery.
Revisiting the revelation from my previous post… racing is hard for everyone, no matter how fast or slow you are. It makes everyone sore and tired. However, the physical and mental fatigue generated when you have the ability to push yourself at or above lactate threshold for hours on end is another level of hurt. At least, for me it has been. It’s highly possible that someone faster than me is reading this right now and wondering why I don’t stop with the whining.

My post-race experience has been the obvious full-body soreness coupled with a loss of appetite, inability to sleep (a combination of pain, sweating, and mental unrest), and a general feeling of mild depression and malaise. That was, for the most part, how I spent Sunday and Monday. Post-race Mondays are always great when I get to explain to everyone at work how I didn’t win.

I don’t think they particularly care, and, honestly, I don’t particularly mind having an awesome personal performance like this one and getting 3rd behind the likes of Pua and Sara. It’s the times where I feel like I should have done better than suck to explain. Thankfully, this wasn’t one of those times.

After a couple of days of being tired and lazy (my recovery rides consisted of riding my bike the 1mile to work and back as well as rolling around the skatepark a little while Poolboy Matt shredded on his BMX bike), yesterday was time to unf*ck myself and get back to work. Matt and I went out for a 3 hour wind fight (which I believe I won). I don’t normally take breaks during rides, but we had to stop and check out this guy, who was crossing the road somewhere north of Arlington…

I normally save turtles from the road. Not this type, though. If you’re not well-versed in “animals of the deep South,” just know that the snapping turtle is one of the meanest creatures on this wonderful earth. This was a pretty big one- huge claws, shell at least a foot long, and a fat, at least  4-inch-long tail that looked like something out of a dinosaur exhibit at the museum. I’d rank it right up there with the Honey Badger and rabid dog as “top 5 animals not to f*ck with.”

The ride, followed up by a good yoga class, were enough to finish peeling back the layers of funk that I’d been dealing with. Sometimes you rest more. Other times, it’s better to just jump right back in. This was one of those times.

 

Andrea

Spa City 6hr Race Report

As I mentioned earlier in the week, the weather forecast for Hot Springs had looked dismal. First, rain in the forecast, then torrential rain ahead of the race and a 50% chance of rain during. It eventually evolved into a perfect, sunny day with temperatures in the low 60s. Nonetheless, I’d readied the singlespeed by tearing apart my fancy new Air9 RDO in order to race a suspension fork (still waiting on one for the singlespeed, so it was set up rigid) and my new set of ENVE carbon wheels.

Unlike previous years (where the women’s roster was smaller), the growing popularity of the USA Cycling Pro UET series had drawn several out-of state hitters, including the likes of Pua Mata (not to disrespect the other women by not naming them, but, since… spoiler alert… Pua won, I’ll leave the additional e-stalking of the entry list up to you).

Tinker Juarez was there, too. I geeked out after the race and had him autograph my Huckin Kitty t-shirt.

The change for the better in the weather forecast didn’t “necessitate” the reliability of the singlespeed. However, from my past season of NUE racing, I’ve found an unexpected comfort zone in taking on Pro class women without the use of extra gears.

So, Saturday morning, I placed my bike in the rack and lined up for the most ridiculous LeMans start in modern endurance racing- ~300 yards of running on gravel and asphalt. At the least, it’s incredibly inconvenient. At the worst, the length of the run invites injuries such as sprained ankles and “tripping & falling on your face on the asphalt,” which is exactly what happened to a racer immediately to my left as the pack veered towards the bike racks. Luckily, I made it to my bike unscathed.

Also lucky for me, I made it onto the wheel of local endurance matriarch Laureen Coffelt at the start of the first lap. I followed her until nearly halfway through when she slid out on a root and I was able to sneak around. She’d been tough competition in the past, so I knew I’d have to keep kicking ass to stay ahead. In the 2nd and 3rd laps, I’d find myself battling back & forth with Jessica Cerra. I passed her partway through the 3rd lap and kept the pedal to the floor.

I had an epiphany somewhere around lap 4 or 5. I’d been riding at a breakneck pace for far upwards of 4 hours when the famous Greg Lemond quote “It never gets easier, you just go faster,” entered into my head. All I could think about was how much that quote was cheating aspiring beginners into a false sense that they would never experience greater pain, just greater speed. Greg was right- it doesn’t get easier. To the contrary, it gets harder. You go faster for longer periods of time. It hurts like hell in a perfect sort of way.

I thought of that for what seemed like a long time. The previous two years, I’d had bad days at that race. I’d exhausted myself and death-marched around the course in my granny gear. I’d felt tired and sore after it was over. Now was different. I was in my 5th lap and hammering up hills past people like I was still on lap 2. My brain was constantly overriding the burn in my legs that was telling me to take it easy. I started my 6th lap, and my body felt like it was ready to fall apart. As I rounded the pits, Todd “Antique Gun Show” Henne yelled that there was another woman just around the corner.

I put my head down and caught her on a muddy hill just before the trail dove into the woods. My legs threatened to cramp, and I thought of a much better quote, courtesy of Kevin, one of my favorite yoga instructors…

“One more time, for enlightenment!”

Indeed.

I managed to stay ahead for the entire lap, finishing my 6 in 6hrs, 10 minutes- 3rd place behind Pua Mata and Sara Gibeau (a rider from Colorado). The other two women who had been so competitive during the race were not far behind. I laid on the ground in the pit area for the next 30 minutes… exhausted and enlightened.

It’s nice to break a streak of bad luck at a particular race (though, honestly, the only other race where I’ve had much bad luck is ORAMM. I’ll get that one eventually). It’s also nice to break that streak with a performance that surprises myself. I’m left wondering where the combination of leftover cyclocross fitness and increasing endurance will land me this year.

 

 

Andrea

Meow…

I’d like to preface my next post with this warning:
I only post bike-related drama here not because I care about it, but because A) I find it amusing that people care about this stuff so much, and B) in a lame attempt to get more blog traffic.

You’ve been warned.

In the midst of my scramble to prep for the upcoming first mountain bike race of the season (both physically and equipment-wise), I’ve been reminded again of the wide variety of attitudes that sometimes accompany people who race bikes.

Since the Trinity group ride has somewhat fallen apart from the weekend worlds grandeur that it was previously, I’ve been fortunate enough to be allowed in to a couple of the Saturday rides with my previous team, Marx-Bensdorf. I didn’t leave the team on bad terms or anything, I just quit road racing, and they’re a road-exclusive team. The rides are never any sort of team strategy session… quite to the contrary. The couple of times I’ve joined in to the M-B group instead of the group of tri-guys who ride at the same time is because of the confrontational and ass-kicking nature of the roadie ride vs. the “work hard & together” nature of the tri-guys’ ride… it’s mostly the cat 2 & 3 men doing their best to one up each other while everyone else tries not to get dropped. It’s been a great opportunity to break up the interval training monotony and get some intense training with a good group of friends.

Rewind to last weekend…

Several of the women who were there asked if I were going to join back.
“No, I’m still focusing on mountain bike racing.”

They also asked if I planned on road racing at all this year.
“Probably one or two of the local ones… a practice crit and maybe something else if the schedule works out. Boss’s orders & all.”

Apparently, this didn’t sit well with someone, because this morning, I got an email from the team manager saying that since I was “competition,” that the women didn’t want me back on the group ride.

Really?!  Maybe I should kick Amanda Carey out of my pre-race ride plans for Cohutta and Syllamo. I wouldn’t want her to figure out that she’s still a crap-ton stronger than me and will likely kick my ass again this year.

I digress…

I guess it’s back to interval training on Saturdays until the Trinity ride (hopefully) wakes up again.

 

Andrea

The choice is (probably) made…

So, if you follow Brickhouse Racing on Facebook, you already know that the Air9 RDO magically showed up on Monday. I built it and rode this morning. First impressions? (in random order)

-It rides just like an Air9 CYA, but about 1.5 pounds lighter. The stiffness of the Enve wheels and carbon frame make it handle like a road bike. I feel like I could inflate the tires a little more and rock a criterium on it.
-I wish that Niner had included i-spec XTR shifters with the build. I’m ordering the (not Matchmaker cheap OR easy) conversion kit next week so I can clean the cockpit up a little.
-The Raceface Crank, BB, and PF30 adapter weighs exactly the same as a Truvativ XX BB30 crank and PF30 BB.
-Even on the medium frame, I still need a setback seatpost. I’m going to take the fancy red RDO post that came with the bike and put it on my road bike.
-The alloy Niner stem is really, really, nice. The 90/6deg that came with my bike weighs 107g. I just can’t use it since I’m rockin’ the medium frame (taller headtube), and I need a serious negative rise to get my handlebars anywhere close to where I want them. I went for the Zipp Service Course in -17deg, and I’m still wanting a little more drop.
-It weighs in at 20.12 pounds.
-I haven’t had a chance to take nice photos yet. Here’s a photo I took with my phone:

 

 

So, the choice is made, right? I’m gonna race the awesome new hotness, right?

Not so fast…

 

Singlespeed weather.

I’m 95% certain I’m going to end up pirating the suspension fork off of the A9RDO hawtness and slap it on my trusty singlespeed (it’s patiently waiting on a suspension fork of its very own since I sold the shared 20mm thru-axle fork that I was previously using). I hate riding gears when it’s sloppy. Don’t get me wrong… I’m always looking to torture test some new stuff. Just not in my first race of the season, and not when the conditions/terrain lend itself so well to singlespeeding.

Even though I’m not taking most of everyone’s advice, Of course, I always appreciate your input.

In non-Spa City 6hr news, I did a post- SouthernX podcast interview with XXC Mag that should be out in the next day or two. I’ll post a link once it’s up.