Mike's Bike Blog

I'm not really sure where to start, I had hoped to have a grand report on my first race  in a 3/4 race where I finished with the pack. Heck I'd even settle for finishing but that wasn't in the cards today. There were 64 of us rolling out on one of the windiest days I've seen in Texas. Let me set the scene a little in case you're not familiar with the Manda area. It's about 20 miles East of Austin, it's fairly flat farm land. No trees to provide any protection from the wind.

Before the start I was getting some sage advice from Enrique, Chuck and even Scott stopped to offer some tips for the wind. They all had raced earlier in the day. The main conclusion was the wind was blowing from the worst possible direction for the course. For the first 300 meters there was a crosswind till the right hand turn heading up to the church where it was a blistering headwind. About 3 1/2 miles in during a crosswind section I'm not sure what happened but somebody went flying into the field. There was a scramble and the race was on. We went feverish for the next 2 miles and then guys started to get popped off the back. More and more were losing contact and then it happened, the wheels in front of me were starting to let the gap get bigger and when I was able to get around it was a done deal. The field dangled in front of me, taunting me but I could not muster enough to bridge the gap in the wind.  On the long stretch on Wells Rd I came upon a UT rider all alone, I slowed down and offered my wheel. There was a small group of 4 or 5 between us and the field. I did my best to pull and as I was burning up he would pull we started trading pulls and then I had nothing else in the legs. After the next right turn it was into the wind again head on.

As I rolled through Manda the school house lot was filling up with 3/4's dropping out. I marshaled on, as I turned into the wind there were guys turning around and heading back to their cars. I figured I had 1 more lap in me if I had to solo it the entire time. I made my way all the way through the headwind section again passing a rider or two most were from the shattered Cat 5 field. As I was making the right turn I saw a group of 5 or 6 coming up behind me. I slowed up and caught on. They didn't seem to organized, in fact at first I didn't see any rotation and only a couple riders were pulling through. We finally got organized into a 5 man echelon after we seemed to have lost a guy or two. I did get yelled at for pulling through too hard once. 

On the crosswind on Wells Road I got to witness firsthand on how to gutter someone to get them out of the group. Not sure if this was intentional or not, but after I got done with my pull I fell back but the other 4 fanned out across the road. When I fell back I didn't realize it till I got all the way back and was right at the yellow line. There was no draft and it only took a matter of seconds to completely blow up and lose contact. Like I said I'm not sure if it was intentional or not but it was executed perfectly if it was.

Once again I was on my own. As I passed the School House I stopped when I saw Chuck standing around eating BBQ I suspected. He goaded me to do at least 1 more, even he did 3 laps. I trudged onward for another lap. I made the fateful turn into the headwind. The wind seemed to be stronger this time. I was going down hill and only mustering 11 mph and I was at 150% of my threshold power. The wind hit me with a sucker punch, it whipped up and smacked me across the face. My sunglasses flew off my face. For a brief second I contemplated leaving them, you can't turn around in a race. Since I was practically at a standstill I turned to retrieve them. I could see my car and with the tailwind I figured I had had enough for the day.

You got to know when to fold and this was one of those times. I had already racked up enough of a training stress score (TSS) for the day. One thing I didn't want to do was completely blow my self and leave my body in a state where I'd have to take consecutive days off to recoup plus be vulnerable to any sickness that my kids might bring home.

2009 Ronde Von Manda Report

The Manor course was 3 laps for a total of 36 miles, it was the same course as the Cronometro Time Trial so I knew it well. In fact I had a plan going in. The plan was to try and get free and clear with a small group on the hill on the first lap. I had it all worked out in my head, ran it over a few times the night before and on the way to the race.

My plan started to unravel during warm ups. I was out on the road warming up when my tires felt a little low on the PSI. Of course this is the first race I forgot my floor pump but Jack & Adams had a tent set up for such an occasion. After I got some air I walked over to the portapotties crossing the open field and to my dismay my shoes and tires were covered in "mud". Well I'm hoping it was mud anyway with the number of horses that were there at the Cronometro start I'm not too sure. The mud was so bad my tires stopped rolling. I went back over to my car and with a rag wiped down the tires and had to take a screw driver to the cleats to get the "mud" out of them.

Staging for the race was starting but there was still 15 minutes so I took a quick spin to make sure my tires would spin and I could get clipped in. Upon returning to the start line the field was amassed so I had to settle in at the back.

We rolled neutral for the first .24 miles and as we passed the neutral zone the attacks started and the pace quickened as we jumped from 20 mph up to 27.4 mph. Talking with a few folks afterwards this really thinned people out. About 62 started and I believe 40 of them finished. So back to my plan, I couldn't get good positioning to get upfront where I'd need to be to launch an initiative. Plus the wind wasn't bad but was coming from a direction I wasn't expecting, we had a crosswind on the long 4 mile stretches and a head wind on the hill section and a tailwind on the 2 mile stretch to the finish. With the headwind on the hill and my position I was content to sit back on the first lap to see how everyone handles the course and the elements. A rider would attack here and there, getting up the road no more than 10 seconds. With the tail wind we easily reeled in the break but then someone else gave it a go and once again got a 10 second gap.

On the second lap I was still mid to back of the field, sitting in trying to get out of the wind as best I could and avoid any cracks in the road. A rider to my right failed to hold his line and we knocked handle bars, luckily neither of us went down. This was all I needed to motivate me to move up in the pack and while everyone was hugging the yellow line to seek shelter from the cross wind I blistered it up the right to move up. As we made the turn into the wind I found myself up at the front. A Wooly Mammoth rider didn't like the gap and was trying to organize everyone to chase it down and took off. I wanted a free ride to the hill so I jumped on his wheel. He took me and everyone else almost to the base of the hill. About 600km to the hill I was up front and pulling everyone. I wasn't pulling hard I knew we'd catch the breakaway rider on the hill so I shut it down as I was expecting a throw down on the hill.

Glad I read it right because on the hill Kevin Kimbell and the rest of the Brain & Spine crew set a stiff pace up the hill and I caught onto the train. I believe we had a small gap but we couldn't do anything with it and was caught in the crosswind. The Shama Cycles crew came up on the left side to let their presence be known and I figured the teams were getting ready to duke it out. There was a K.O. when a Brain & Spine rider and a Shama Cycle rider crossed wheels sending them into the ditch. The Shama guy seemed to get the worse end of the deal as he got airborne. Hopefully both are ok. In a show of unity the Shama team stopped for their fallen comrade and I don't believe they finished the race.

I had another close call on this stretch when a rider to my left leaned into me to protect myself I shoved him off me with my elbow and shoulder. He shot me a dirty look, hey if you're going to invade my space I'm going to protect myself by all means neccessary. For this reason I ride in the drops most of the time during races, from what I've noticed I'm one of the only people doing this, most everybody is up on the hoods until someone is attacking and then the go to the drops.

The separation we got after the crash didn't last long and as we made the turn for the final lap we were all together. I made sure I was up front to make sure I could get in with any group that tried to get away. I figured the last lap is when people would try to make a move. As soon as we made the turn the attacks started to come, short little bursts one after another as someone would try to go but nothing was getting away. Kevin Kimbell was the most prolific attacker but he was heavily marked. As we hit the hill I braced myself for more of the good stuff, but I was surprised nobody attacked and I wasn't in a position to give it a shot.

When we were about 5 or 6 miles from the finish I told Enrique Varela (NWCC) this is when we should go but we were fairly boxed in. The field was saving their energy for the sprint at the finish and it was just far enough out that I don't think anybody would have been expecting an attack or at least expecting it to stick.  In the next mile sure enough the pace picked up as everybody was jostling for position for the final sprint. The road to my left started to open up so took the opportunity to try and regain some positioning. I wasn't the only one as I was moving up another rider had the same idea, but he didn't check his blind spot and ran right into me. He knocked me across the double yellow line briefly, he did apologize. As I regained my composure there was one problem, in the heat of battle I think I tensed up and it sent a cramp through my left quad. For the next few seconds I had to pedal it out. I thought for sure I was done but it lasted only 20 seconds or so and I was able to keep going but my position was lost.

As we made the final turn Enrique came around me and yelled some encouragement to get on. I got my second wind and sprinted to his wheel. For the final 1.73 miles I averaged 33.4 mph topping out at 42.5 mph. I was spinning my 12 for all it was worth but it had nothing left to give. For the final 300 meters I spun out averaging 35.3 mph. Enrique gave me a great lead out and as I came around him I gave him a thank you pat and a final word of encouragement for him.

When it was all said and done I finished 21st and I made it 2-1 in the Coke bet with Chuck. It was a great time. My pre race plan didn't come to fruition but my pack sense of the game is coming along and I'm finding that I can read the races. Up next is the Ronde Von Manda and I'm jumping into the 3/4 race which is twice as long as the 4/5!

With the change in daylight savings welcomes back the Driveway Race Series. I've raced at the Driveway 2 times before and had less than spectacular performances. This year I wanted to give it more of a shot and hopefully string a few more appearances than 1 per year.

For this first Driveway of 2010 I signed up for the 4/5 race, I didn't think I was ready to jump into the 3/4 race. I wanted to get at least 1 good showing in the 4/5 race and mainly get a handle of crit racing before throwing my spokes into that realm.

The race started like my previous 2, right from the start I lost my positioning and was finding myself at the emptiness and the silence with the silence of not having anybody behind me breathing down my neck. This time I was having difficulty getting clipped in, serves me right as I switched out my cleats that morning. Once I got clipped in I easily caught back on and moved into the middle of the pack. I used a tip I picked up from David Wenger in the Skills Clinic, I won't divulge it here, you'll have to sign up for the monthly clinic to get this gem. This was my first time doing the Grand Prix course so the first lap I made notes of what lines to follow through the turns and what to expect. Early on lap 2 or 3 I believe there was of course a crash. Not sure exactly what happened but a couple guys got tied up and went down a few bikes in front of me. I was able to safely maneuver around them and not lose contact with the main group. After that I caught onto Charles Bippert's (A.K.A Chuck) (Team Brain & Spine) wheel and followed him around most of the race. He and I have an ongoing bet, loser buys the other a coke. I figured my best bet was to follow his wheel till the end and hopefully out sprint him for the Coke.

This went on for a few laps, I'd lose his wheel and then catch back on or at least keep him within my sights, it's good practice for me because he seemed to have a knack for moving up through the field. Then I saw Andy Webb (Hotel San Jose) moving up in the pack. I jumped onto his wheel to see where he was going in such a hurry, it wasn't for the cookie prime as it was the previous lap. As we came through the finish the officials rang the bell and yelled something out, but it was as we passed them so I couldn't quite make it out. I thought I heard 3 to go, which didn't jive with the directions Andrew Willis gave us at the start. It never really materialized into a break, we were mainly up front just pulling everyone around. With the wind and the speeds we were going I didn't think we could get away anyway. It did give my family a good show as when I passed them I was in second place. On the backside of the course we got fully engulfed by everyone. I still had a good position, but that changed quickly. As we were approaching the hill I asked Andy if this was the last lap and when he confirmed it was and just like that my good positioning was done. On the approach to the hill I got boxed in and had to go way wide to try and make up ground. Of course on the next turn that leaves me to get pinched off which happened and I was left to watch the winning sprint. At this point there wasn't much reason to try to sprint for a few positions and risk something stupid, until Charles goes whipping by me. I tried to counter attack but he beat me by a bike length. In the end I averaged 26.1 mph. I felt good the entire time, I think it's time to give the 3/4 a go.

The night wasn't over for the Weiland's either. Jack had brought his road bike and he signed up for the Kid Fun Race. There were quite a few competitors in his field. From the gun he ran into the same problem as I did of getting clipped in. Plus he had to get around the littler ones rolling with training wheels. It took him 1/2 the lap before he really got going.



He can't wait for the next one. He hasn't been on his road bike much this winter, this was the first time in around 3 months so he was a little iffy on the shifting. It sounds like it was just what was needed to kick start his motivation again to get on the road bike. He's already talking about doing the next one. I suspect at some point this year he'll make the jump to the actual Junior race.



Here's some great pictures Dave McLaughlin and Michael Harris took:
Andy and me coming up the hill with me sitting in 3rd

Here's where the race for me was lost, when the Brain & Spin rider pulled everyone up to me I got swallowed up, should have attacked at this moment.

Action photo of Jack

The time trial is known as the race of truth, it's man and machine against the clock. Saturday was the first ever Cronometro Time Trial in Manor, TX (pronounced Main-or). I'd pre-rode the course the week prior so I knew what to expect. Of course the conditions were quite different, last week it was overcast with a strong headwind right from the start.

The conditions for the actual race on Saturday couldn't have been better, sunny skies and a little wind from the opposite direction. Going into it my goal was to hold 24 mph for the 12 miles getting me a 30 minute finish time. With the wind from the opposite direction it threw my pacing strategy out the wind. Instead of starting out conservatively I decided to jump right into it and make speed while I had the wind at my back. The tailwind allowed me to ward off David Wenger (Super Squadra) for 4 minutes. Enrique (NWCC), my 30 second lead out man, and me figured he'd catch me around 3 minutes. So when  I heard the sound of his bell letting me know he was passing rang out at around 4 minutes into it I had a small victory. I did turn it up a notch to chase after him but I didn't want to burn out and turned it back to my planned pace at the hill.

I didn't attack the hill, but rode it aggressive but not all out. I averaged 15.7 mph up the .6 miles, this strategy allowed me to get back up to speed quickly as I crested it. About 1 mph faster than the prior week when I pre-rode the course.

Everything was going to plan until I made the turn on the back stretch and hit the wind. I was struggling with the wind and caught myself losing concentration and was letting my speed drop. I had to dig deep and take it to the rollers. At least I wasn't the only one struggling with the head wind as I passed quite a few people on the back 4 mile stretch. It was close to the final turn when I could finally see Enrique.

The final 2 miles were kind of a blur as I was picking up my pace for the finish. I averaged 26.7 mph on the final stretch. In the end I placed 12th in the 30-39 age bracket and 40th overall, out of 150+ racers. I averaged 24.2 mph, beating my goal speed by .2 mph. The average speed from 7th to 11th was 24.9 to 24.4 mph. I passed more people than passed me. David won the whole darn thing averaging 27.9 mph, congratulations on the win!

I had a really good experience race wise from a pre-plan to execution I nailed it. I'm looking forward to the next one, rumor is there might be another Cronometro in July. Plus it's got me fired up for the Run Far Time Trials that will be starting up in April. I need to get me one of them bells David has on his bike, it was great.

Post ride shot of me, Andrew Collins and Alexis Hamilton

One of my joys for last season's Run Far Time Trials was passing and beating a few guys on Time Trial (TT) bikes with their aero helmets, shoe covers and skin suits while I was outfitted in a regular team kit and non aero helmet while riding my road bike. This Saturday I'm signed up for the Cronometro and it will be my first TT with a TT bike, aero helmet, shoe covers and even a skin suit. I've lost a little of the security or should I say the excuse for getting passed while on a road bike by those with full blown TT bikes. Now when the woosh of carbon rims signals the approaching of a competitor from behind it will be a hard pill to swallow. And oh yes it will inevitable happen. The 30-39 year old field is one of the largest at the Cronometro and race favorite David Wenger (Super Squadra) is starting 30 seconds behind me. So I will get passed at some point, my goal is to only be down by 6 minutes to David, another goal is not to get passed by John Korioth (Team Lifesize) who will be battling David for the overall fastest male prize. He's starting 13 minutes behind me. According to my crystal ball I will be about 6 minutes behind the overall winner.

My only solace will be that I spent a fraction of money on my TT bike than those that I'll be going up against, we're talking probably at least $4,000 difference as mine was very much below $1,000. Also I'll be rolling with the tires off my Orca, no carbon, no deep dish just heavy wheels designed for training. There will be competitors out there that spent more on their front wheel than I did for my bike.

I did get the TT bike outfitted with standard cranks last week. I found a great deal on Bonktown on Raceface Cadence cranks for $35, the deal only lasted about 40 seconds but I acted swiftly. Southwest Cycle Sport installed the cranks over the weekend and made some modifications on the cabling as well. The shifting is smooth and responsive and feels like a real bike, before I was never certain if it would shift or not, especially going from the 34 to 50 on the compact crank it was really tempermental. Not anymore, Paulie set it up to shift smoothly. I had debated racing both the TT bike and the Orca to see which is faster, but I don't think that would be a good test as subconciously I might hold back a little on the TT bike as to leave a little in the tank for the next race. No, I'm going to put everything into the one race on the TT bike. I'm fairly certain the TT bike is a little faster anyway. Before the cranks were changed on a 3 mile stretch on 360 I'd been doing some testing and on the Orca I averaged 22.5mph. On the TT bike with compact cranks I averaged 22.4mph. When I tried it again with standard cranks I averaged 27.3, I'm pretty sure the wind and other conditions played a significant role in the jump in speed.

The plot thickens for Saturday as I have a friendly bet with Chuck (Team Brain & Spine) on our times for the Cronometro, loser buys the other a Coke. Good luck to everybody on Saturday, I'm going to have fun.

Join me in welcoming the newest bike to the stable, a Fuji Aloha Time Trial (TT) bike. It kind of happened out of the blue and quite unexpected. I have been oggling TT bikes for almost a year, watching CraigsList for a deal trying to come up with ways to get another free bike. An opportunity presented itself when Spin City went out of business. I hate to see any local business close it's doors especially a bike shop but I was able to get the bike way under my imaginary budget.

The bike itself is very entry level, evident with it's 9 speed drivetrain powered with a compact crank. I'm not sure what Fuji is thinking when they put a compact on a TT bike, most TT cranks have 54 or 55T big ring (standard big rings on a crank are 53T). The crank will be the first thing to be upgraded. If you follow me on twitter you might have seen my tweet looking for a used 53T or bigger Shimano compatible crank.

I took her down to Peter at Southwest Cycle Sport for a fitting where Peter confirmed what I'd already known, I'm not that flexible. From the picture below you can see that I'm not bending at the hips and I'm arching my back to compensate. I've been working on that with some stretching but also working on my position on the trainer, I'll post up that process another time.

I am a little worried if a low end TT bike will be any faster than my Orca, thus why I don't want to spend much money on it. I did give it a little test, on a course I averaged 20.5 mph in a 20 minute TT on the Orca I averaged 20.8 on the TT bike. The time on the TT bike was a little faster and the power to accomplish this was 9 watts less on the TT bike. On the fast section of this course I spun out the compact crank in the 11 so when I get a new crank that should help. I'll also do more testing with a route I have more data to compare. I do plan to race it at the Cronometro. I suppose I can do 2 races, 1 with the TT bike and race the Orbea in the road bike classification race. In case anybody is wondering about the 20.6 mph as that is not very impressive, I have a disclaimer, the course is very short, .86 miles so there's a lot of braking to do a 180 to turn around at both ends. Not a great course to use to gauge the performance of the bike.

I'll be posting up my thoughts and experiences on riding a Time Trial bike as I'll be riding it almost everyday till the March 13th Cronometro race. For now welcome to the garage!