Three more down...

Three more workouts down this week.  Tuesday's workout was a short easy spin of 45 minutes or so doing Spinerval Recovery and Technique. Most of the ride was a one pedal bonanza. I choose to spin my way through the whole workout in Big Ring/19 or so for the whole 45 minutes keeping my exercise HR at around 127 or so.  Wednesday was a longer aerobic base builder for 80 minutes with my heart rate in the 130's to 140's depending upon the interval.  Tonight was again an aerobic base building of 85 minutes where I kept my HR at around 120 or so.  I quit at the 1 hr mark, as I was just not into the workout much.  That was probably from running around Christmas shopping after school. 
Awaiting my Chicken in Garlic Sause combo with white rice....how nice!

outdoor ride in Marlborough with Nick...

Today I went out to Marlborough to ride with Nick.  It was a confortable recovery ride on our usual short 12 mile loop.  We didn't ride until later in the day, so time was a factor.  It wasn't that cold with my winter gear on, but by the end my feet were a bit cold.  It was good to get outdoors again after riding indoors all week, and the outdoor rides are much tougher. 

Took my R3 out for the ride, and again my rear wheel went out of true.  The same spoke keeps coming loose, and is half way into the rim.  I ordered 2 new spokes in both lengths, so I can change it if I need to.  I am going to bring it to CC tomorrow and have Sondre look at it.  I am hoping that I can resolve the issue.  It has been going out of round on every ride lately, and it worries me a bit. I have less than 500 miles on the wheels, and hope that is is not a constant problem.  I might need to get them retensioned, we will see.
Tomorrow is another indoor training day.  Long and slow.

Three days in a row...ouch!

OK I had forgotten how much three indoor rides in a row hurt the behind, but man!  Tuesday was a short 45 minute intense workout with big gears and high cadences in and out of the saddle.  Wednesday at CC was 2 hour Spinerval: Aerobic Basebuilder Compelation, ouch!  Today when I was sitting in my chair, I had a tough time just getting out of the chair, my sit bones hurt!  Glad I already had kids, man!  Today was a guest trainer session with Ron Mizzino at Newington Bicycle for about 1 hour 10 minutes of hill climbing sessions which I sluffed through.  I am going to be hurting tomorrow!  Hot tub in the AM again!
For now Celtics and Whole wheat Pasta with Chicken Sausage.

Abs, circuit training and a hot tub stretch...

An active day of rest consisted of a quick ab workout, 1 circuit of upper body weights on the nautilus machines, and then a hot tub stretch.  The best part of course was the hot tub.  Since it was not working last week after my indoor training session, it felt awesome to finally get a good stretch in. Now I should be ready to go hard again tomorrow night! Bring it on!

Wanted to get another workout in this week, so I put my Tommaso on the trainer and reach for Cyclo-Core's Cyclo-Climb Tuscan DVD (http://www.cyclo-core.com/ ).  Graeme or whatever, used echo on the voice track...not needed, but the workout was about 30 minutes total with warm-up and cool-down.  The climb was 21 minutes and used his Shoe scraper, knee trusts and scissors in sets to get you through the total time at big chain 15....I used 17-21 to keep my avgHR at 140.  Maxed out at 152 for the last 3 minutes of the ride at Big chain 15, felt like going up the Marlborough hills for sure at the end.  Maintained nearly 80 rpm avg during the climb, now my legs are rubber.  Great workout, but need a bit more, it's feels too short a time, might do it again after a 1/2 rest, but "I doubt it". 
Going to put on Football and eat homemade chicken soup with grilled ham and cheese...Yummy!

Spin Class...

Well after two days off, I went to spin class with Kathy at HealthTrax this morning, and it felt great!  I had big energy in my legs, and was able to power through most hill intervals, nice!  That makes it three indoor rides this week with next week hopefully being 4 or 5.  I need to make sure I maintain a moderate pace this winter through my workouts, and just be consistant.
Yesterday I stopped by Newington Cycle and found out they had started their indoor training two weeks ago.  Wish I had known, could have used that extra week, OH WELL.  This week will be Newington Tuesday and Thursday, and CC on Wednesday.  Thursdays training will be with a live trainer, always a great workout.  I love the live training sessions, as they motivate me to work a bit harder. 
Tomorrow will be a recovery ride while watching football.  Maybe a long slow ride of over an hour.  Burn those KCals.
Well the C's are on now, so cioa for now.

2nd indoor ride...

2nd day in a row of indoor training at Cycling Concepts was again terrific.  Felt much better during this ride than yesterdays, as I readjusted the fit to be similar to that of my Cervelo.  I still did not have my knee shaver pedal extenders on, so the was still some knees flying about the shop last night.  No pain in the knee or calf last night though, which is great! 
Tonight is the Christmas party at CC in Rocky Hill, so I won't be going to Newington Bike to train. I have mixed feelings about this, as I am tired, but am beginning to feel the positive effects of training on my body.  My legs feel great, as we are still aerobic base building.  Last night we did Spinerval Base Building 3.  Nice an mellow long sets of 20-15-10-5 minutes to 1:30 rest between.  Each set was about 70% HRMax, or below anaerobic threshold. Love to ride this way, although I know it will not really make me faster, or increase my Fitness as quickly, it just feels good to my body and legs. 
This begs the question: Why do I ride and train?  Do I train to improve, and punish my body?  or Do I train to enjoy the workouts and make my body feel good knowing I will not improve nearly as much or as quickly?  Hmmmm.  I think I will try to do a bit of both.  On days my body can work out hard I will do high intensity intervals, on days I feel tired I will work less hard and more aerobically.  A plan emerges.  Not sure if this is effective training, but at my age, any training is effective.
Well, I need a nap before going to the party...Night Night!

Indoor Training Begins...

Well, I went to Cycling Concepts in Glastonbury for my first indoor ride of the year, and it was great!  Felt some lag in my legs because I had to revert to spd pedals and my mountain shoes on my Tommaso, but I am changing that today.  I am replacing the SPD pedals with my Ultegra pedals with knee savers that will enable my knees to work better.  It also give me a better stiffer planform to push on.  The SPD's give me a hot spot under my arch, not good when indoors because you cannot stand and pedal as long.  I must also reposition the saddle to put me back in the correct riding position.  I plan to do this at the shop in Rocky Hill tonight prior to riding.
Felt awesome this morning upon waking up.  My legs feel good and strong as we did an aerobic base building workout with coach Troy and Spinervals.  I think I am going to buy the series for my brother for Christmas so we can ride in the barn on the weekends.  More base building till January, which suits me fine, as I have gained a few and need the longer sessons to burn more FAT!
After the workout last night, I wanted to go the HealthTrax to hit the hot tub for my usual stretch, but it was down til NEXT WEEK!  Man!   I hope this is not a trend for the rest of the year.  I need that hot tub!
C's are playing tonight, so I will go right home after the training session.  No Rondo or Shaq, and maybe no Nate either...GO Cs.

Winter Training Schedule...

Well it is that time of year again when I come inside to train.  Although I enjoy it almost as much as riding outside, and more than hills, I wish I could turn up the heat outside once in a while to get a good long ride in.  So here is my proposed winter training schedule: (I say proposed because I did not get to perform my fall schedule as intended)

Sunday:  REST  (Maybe a hot tub stretching day, or easy indoor ride at home)
Monday: Circuit Training and Ab workout - 4:00 pm - 5:30
Tuesday: Indoor Training at either Newington Bike or Glastonbury CC, depending upon Nick's schedule. - 6pm
Wednesday:  Indoor Training at Rocky Hill CC - 6pm
Thursday:  Either Cynergy or Indoor Training at Newington Bike
Friday: Spin class at 5:45am if I did Cynergy Thursday or Circuit Training Ab Workout if not.
Saturday: Spin Class at 9 am and Circuit Training After with Ab Workout.

Well there it is, A hard 12 week period awaits, and I hope it yields the same amount of gains as last winter.  If so, maybe I won't hate hills quite so much.

Thanksgiving....My Favorite Holiday...

Yes!  It is Thanksgiving finally!  My favorite holiday by far!  I get to be with my family, eat Turkey, watch football, eat Turkey, have some Kelt, and yes eat more Turkey!  So what if I have to brave the cold to go out to a runners road race in Manchester with my family, at least there is wine at the event, and when we get back...Turkey.  So what if I have to walk 3 miles with a case of wine on my shoulder, at least I get my workout in before eating Turkey.  I hope my Dad remembers to replace on bottle of wine for Kelt.  Kelt is a better body warmer for having to stand around of 2 hours. 
What am I thankful for this year:  My health, my family's health, a new job that I enjoy going to, my bikes, and mostly to know that I have all that I need or want within reason without too much excess.  I guess my R3 is somewhat excessive, but I like it anyway.  I am not one for fancy cloths, fast cars, or big houses, but a beautiful fast bike is OK.  I have no hole this year, no void to be filled, no obsessive need to have to do something, or be something.  I feel good about where I am, what I do, and home I feel...Thanks!  Thanks to whomever helped me along the way, thanks to my brother who pushes me to be better, and keep my wheels turning.  Thanks to my children for unconditional love.  Thanks to my Dad for being there when I need to talk.  Thanks to whom ever on high that keeps me safe.  Although I am not religious, I am not without faith. 
Today and New Years are two days for reflection.  Today is happy day, one with thoughts of completeness of mind, body and spirit.
Thanks again to everyone!

22 Miles in the Hills of Marlborough....ouch!

Nick and I road 22 miles today out in the hills of Marlborough CT.  As I have mentioned in the past, I hate hills.  My new R3 did not change this one bit.  Although I love the ride, and the comfort of the carbon frame, it did not make the hills any easier.  My brother says it is because I have not been riding much, and this might be true, but I still think the only thing that will help me over the hills is less weight, on my body.  During my winter routine I must really concentrate on nutrition.  Keeping it to small portion sizes and home made foods with lots of veggies is important.  I have to stay away from those snacks at work, and just be hungry.  I hope I can stay motivated enough to loose the weight as I did last year.  I only need about 25 more lbs.  This would help tramendously to both my cycling of hills but my outlook as well.  It will also help once the ECSU class is over, and I can get my routine back. 
I plan to ride a flat recovery ride tomorrow at a slow pace to burn some of the lactic acid I have built up today.  I most likely will not want to ride, but I must push myself out on the bike! 
My battery died on my Garmin again today, weird.  Nick did send me the file off of his, so I have the miles, which is nice.  I also ordered a new cadence sensor for my new bike, which i lost during the build somehow.  I love ebay.  You can find most anything there.  Nick is selling spare parts from his build on Ebay, and they should sell pretty quickly. Mine sold in a day.  Nice to know you can recoup your losses and try things out, and just resell them if they don't work for you. 

Ginger's surgery was successful...and Cynergy

First, if there is a god, I want to thank her for allowing my sister Ginger's surgery to be successful, and hopefully sees her is better health.  My thoughts are with her! 

Cynergy is an active yoga and pilates mat routine to music, and is a great way to re-energize your body.  Tuesday, I was not feeling well, and thought I was getting sick.  On my way home from work, I wasn't sure whether I should go to the gym, or just go home.  I was late because of an after school meeting, so i could not make spin class, but I managed to go by around the beginning of Cynergy class, 5:30 pm.  Driving down toward the gym I wasn't sure I should do the class.  But my car was on autopilot, and went right into the parking lot.  I dragged myself into the gym with my orange mat in tow.  plunked myself down on the mat and Doran came in. Then we were off in Mountain before I could object. My body fought me all the way, but I didn't stop.  By the time we got to the ab part of the pilates routine I was really beginning to feel better.  The fall routine for this year has a oblique intensive workout, but you rest in the middle with crunches that makes the whole thing tolerable.  The hips and folds tracks are amazing, and are cycling specific stretches, NICE! 
I have really taken this month almost completely off Bike Training, and will continue to do so until Dec 7th, D-Day, when my Winter Routine starts with indoor cycling.  I have however tried to maintain a 2 rides/wk schedule to at least maintain so of the gains I might have made this summer.  Winter training will bring me back to 4 to 5 rides/wk, and hopefully see the gains or losses I need for the hills. I doubt it though.
Back to Cynergy.  Last night class after going to the conference was awesome!  I got farther into the poses than I ever could before, although not even close to where I need to be.  My legs actually crossed when sitting in the hips track.  I was able to get deeper in both the warrior 2 and salute which challenged my quads. Also got deeper into the squats, and man my legs were shaking when we finished the challenge track.  Finishing with the meditation track is great!  Letting your body fully relax, and bringing yourself to a trans like state makes you ready for a peaceful nights sleep, and quiets the spirit. 
Cynergy is a perfect augment to a tough cycling routine, as it complements.  Cynergy helps to strengthen the supportive muscles of the core, while stretching out the working muscles of the hips, thighs and shoulders.  The down facing dog also helps to stretch the calf and achilles, as well as strengthen and stretch the shoulders and back.  This makes the sore cycling muscles happy.  The various and numerous planks we do helps to strengthen the shoulder, back and core making it possible to hold the cycling position more stress free on the hands.  The only down side is that I cannot get two Cynergy workouts a week during my Winter Routine, making my hot tub stretch imperative to progress. 
Last night Doran agreed to copy the music and routine tracks with me, so I can use them in my PE classes.  This might help to bring me to the next level, who knows, but it couldn't hurt.

Maiden Voyage

Nick and I after our maiden voyage at Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill. Nick on his Specialized Tarmac, and me I my Cervel0 R3. Both weighing in at 15 lbs. 13 oz. Nick looking light and fast, and his bike too. Me though only my bike looks light and fast. Looking for my extra 25 lbs off this winter...Training Starts Dec 7...Look out!

Getting ready for winter training....

The fall season has been somewhat slack for me, with building up my new Bike.  Which by the way was very enjoyable!  However, I feel my training has been pushed somewhat to the side, so I must recommit myself to the Winter Training routine which starts the first week of December.  That gives me two more weeks of mostly weekend outdoor riding, weather permitting, and some gym time.  So here is my winter routine in a nutshell, and my goal is to loose that 20-25 lbs. that I need to loose to make some headway on the hills.
Winter Training Routine (12 weeks, starting December 7th):
Mondays:  Gym Day with Ab routine and Circuit Training
Tuesdays: Glastonbury Indoor Training Rides at Cycling Concepts
Wednesdays:  Rocky Hill Indoor Training at Cycling Concepts
Thursday: Spin and Cynergy at HealthTrax
Friday: Spin at 5:45 am at HealthTrax
Saturday: Outdoor Ride or Spin and Yoga at HealthTrax
Sunday: Indoor Training at HOME or Rest Day.

Incorporate sensible eating habits with healthy foods with only 1 portion before 6 pm. 

The above should get me to my goal, last year it got me much farther.

Cervelo R3 Day 2: 2nd thoughts...NO!...

This was my second ride on my new Cervelo R3, and I loved being on the bike! Below are some of my thoughts after riding, (2nd thoughts, kind of).  Just a few comparisons of the R3 to the Tommaso Team Custom:
1.  The braking is incredible: The Gore Ride-On cables allow for an incredible amount of feathering of the brakes.  You can go from a touch, to a complete grab and anywhere in between.  The response to the controls is much quicker than the Cane Creek SR-3's I had on the Tommaso.  I think that is a combination of the 7900 shifter/levers and 7900 brakes pull ratio, and the Gore Cables.  A wonderful difference!
2.  Spinning:  Spinning with the 170 mm crank versus the 175 mm crank makes maintaining a high cadence noticeably easier and less fatiguing to the hips. 
3.  Spin-up:  Spinning Up to Speed is quick.  With a couple of quick pedals out of the saddle you can get to speed.  Gearing up is also easier, as you can sit and cranks out to spin easier.  Again most likely due to crank length, but could also be moving less rotational mass.  However, it could also be the increase stiffness in the bottom bracket as well.
4.  Maintaining speed:  Keeping the bike at a speed at higher speeds is also less taxing.  Allowing for hill recovery much easier.  Again a function of crank length and rotational weight reduction.

Large graded hills are not any easier however.  I still have to reduce my mass a lot to get that to work properly.  My chore this winter during training is to loose another 20-25 lbs.  This will help a ton!

So there you have it, the break down of the Cervelo R3 comparison to the Tommaso Team Custom.

Maiden Voyage...R3 and Tarmac!

Maiden Voyage

Yesterday morning I woke up and decided to email Dan to see if Zondre would be too upset if we finished the R3 build without him.  The weather was perfect, and the Nick and I were going to ride with his new bike, so I really wanted to get her done.  Thsi way we could both ride our new bikes on the same day, a HISTORIC EVENT to say the least!
Dan email back that it was going to be OK, and when I got there, he had already done most of the work.  All that was left was putting the bar tape on (deda), and the final fitting.  I was inpatient, so I tried to put the tape on myself, not my forte, and I pulled a Perk!  Of course I did it all wrong.  So Dan finished his fitting with another client, and fixed it for me, doing a figure 8 instead of the cheat strips, and the tape came of beautifully in white.


Video of the final fitting before the maiden voyage of the R3 taken by Dan at Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill.  During the initial part of the fitting there was a awefull noice coming from the seatpost area, so Dan and I decied to take it off and cut it and grease the collar.  Before cutting the seatpost the weight of the bike was 7.18 KG and after it was 7.16 KG a whopping .02 KG difference or 20 grams.  This alone did not change the weight in LBS as it was still 15 lbs. 13 oz with cages and computer mounts.  Very light considering that was not my ultimate goal here.  I was looking for a sturdy comfortable ride and to get all Dura Ace throughout...Goal met.

From Maiden Voyage

Nick came in shortly after the final fitting and we weighed his bike at the exact same weight in Lbs, 15 lbs and 13 oz.  This was totally by accident. However, with a few changes he will make in the next couple of weeks, his bike weight will come down below mine, as I do not plan any such changes.

From Maiden Voyage

From Maiden Voyage

From Maiden Voyage

I love this picture of my Brother!  It show the joy for cycling that we both have shared since childhood, and the best part is we have always enjoyed it together, especially over this past season.  This makes all the expense of cycling worth whatever the cost!  You cannot put a price tag on a sport or healthy activity that one can share with loved ones and close friends!  Nick and I shared the experience of building our new bikes up from researching the frames and correct geometries for our respective bikes that match our riding needs and styles, to the maiden voyage with both shared.  It was an experience not soon forgotten or taken for granted!
Right after this photo my battery died on my camera, but Dan took a few shots of us after our ride with  the shop camera, that I will add to this post once received. 
Nick and I went on our maiden voyage of 15 miles from the shop to Middletown and back, mostly flat, but middletown has a couple of hills to test our resolve and our bikes.  We road up rt 99 Through Cromwell, across to Berlin and then into Middletown.  We came back RT 3 to the shop. 
During the ride, I noticed several things about the R3.  1st was that on Rt 99 I had to use a lot less effort both to spin up to speed at lights, clipping in and out of the pedals was a breeze with the Speed Play Zero Pedals, and that maintaining speed behind another rider was effortless.  When you stand on the pedals the bike just goes.  Standing and cranking up short hills seemed to use much less energy, and was extremely stiff in the BB area. I think I need to crank down the pedal float a bit, as I notice I was able to move my foot in the pedals a bit too much.  Even after a long layoff without riding, going up the hills in Middletown did not exhaust me like they did during the summer.  I never got that rapid breathing to where I had to slow down totally in 1st gear.  There was one time that a big dump truck pulled beside me and it broke my concentration and I lost momemtum.  But was able to regain it after I recovered from the exhaust.  I never used 1st gear, the closest I got was 3rd, 23 ring and same in the front.  I had never done that on that hill before.  I look forward to my follow up recovery ride today at noon.  Going to go back to CC for some Derailleur adjustments as the initial cable stretch of the Gore Ride On's will undoubtly be needed. 
After the ride, Nick and I went back to my house for a turkey dinner which was over done.  I hate over cooked turkey, dry and lifeless.  However the verggies that I baked with it were awesome!  This is what I will have upon return today,  Open faced turkey sandwich and veggies....NICE!
Here's to a great Maiden Voyage, but mostly to a great ride with my brother, time and MONEY well spent!

Cervelo R3 Build continues...

7900 Shifters and Brakes Arrive for R3

Went back to Cycling Concepts to finish the bike build, but could not get it all done as time ran out.  Could not leave work early today, and got to the shop late.  Sondre was already working on a bike when I got there, so he could not drop what he was doing to lend a hand.  So I mounted the shifters and brakes, cleaned the bars, and got the bike ready for new housing and cables. 

Dave's Bike Fit

While I was waiting, Dave and Dan were working on Dave's setup position to fix his left foot rotation angle.  They put shims in this shoes, and got his foot to track a bit better.  It facinates me how a few changes to your pedal can make such a big difference in your attach angles in the pedal stroke.  Dan broke out the laser to track Dave's knee position while pedaling.
Went back and Sondre installed all the cables, but did not have time to adjust the front and rear Derailleurs or Brakes.  I guess I have to wait until Wednesday...Maybe!

Dura Ace 7900 Shifters and Brakes arrive, and Dan fits a Tri-Bike..

From 7900 Shifters and Brakes Arrive for R3

Today the final pieces to the R3 puzzle arrived on my doorstep, so I rushed over after work to try to fit them on the R3 frame, to no avail.  Since Sondre was not at Cycling Concepts to explain how the shifter and brakes should be installed correctly, Dave and I decided not to tempt fate.  The 7900 shifters have all internal routing, that makes installation of the levers more intricate than I can handle myself.  There was also a question on the front brake installation that I was unsure of, so discretion is the better part of valour. 
In the middle of it all, there was a great orange hue from the sun setting over the bike shop, so save and I decided to go outside for a look, and found a new moon staring at us.  A beautiful sight for sure.  Upon returning, I found Dan in the middle of a Tri-Bike Fit for a Trinity College student.

From Tri Bike Fitting at Cycling Concepts by Dan

Dan checks the spin and hip angles, after setting the saddle height and fore and aft position.  Once the bike is fitted properly according to the riders specific body type, then the Stack and Reach can help to determine the correct frame geometry needed to accomodate the rider.  All TT and Tri-Bikes should be fitted properly before determining the correct bike frame, not the other way around according to Dan.  That make today sense to me, and can be the difference between successful riding position for mile to come.  This rider fit the P2 Cervelo over the Cannondale or the P3 or P4.  The P2 being the less expensive, and less aggressive version in the Cervelo line.  As Dr. Olcott used to say, "Proper planning prevert poor performance."  This seems to be an appropriate addage for the TT or Tri-Bike rider.
So, Friday will be, hopefully, the completion of the Cervelo R3 build up, with all Dura Ace Components throughout!  It will make me at least LOOK FAST!

Alec Bradley the Maxx

Cigar: Alec Bradley Maxx


Size: The Fix 5 x 58

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Costa Rica

Filler: Columbia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras

This cigar came in a 10 pack of Honduran large ring cigars I bought on CI.  Although it started off a bit spicey in the foot, the cigar became smooth and tasty after the first 1/4 inch or so.  It keep that smoothness all the way to the nub, even after 2 relights.  The Maxx at 58 ring guage is a large cigar that I am beginning to really enjoy, as they stay cooler, and as a cigar chewer it is a delight!  The flavor profile included coffee and a hint of cocoa, but also had a tough of pepper.  I usual do not care for a spicey cigar, but this one had just the right amount, just an RCH.  Not in the 5 vegas 'A' class but darn good.  This is a cigar I would look for as a CI or Cigar.com special.

Gurka G5 Avenger Review...

Company: Gurkha Cigars


Brand: G5 Avenger

Vitola: Toro 6 X 50

Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Flavor: Medium

Strength: Mild to Medium

Price: Approx. $135.99 (Box of 25)

Usually Gurka is a brand I do not care for, as there flavor profile is one I do not like, but the G5 started off differently.  The sweet foot was surprisingly pleason, but after the 1st 1/2 inch or so, I got back to the Gurka I know and do not like.  It has the most unpleasant aftertaste of a Lagura cigar tabacco.  I would not buy this if it had not come in a 10 pack of large ring Honduran cigars from CI.  Too bad!

Nick's Specialized Tarmac

Nick and Jill during lunch right after the build of Nick's Specialized Tarmac at 15.10 lbs. Nick finished the build today, and went on a brief maiden voyage that we video taped and I took pictures. A very nice bike designed for Nick's love of hills. He did a great job with the build, and I enjoyed being there for the event!

From Nick's Specialized Tarmac

From Nick's Specialized Tarmac

From Nick's Specialized Tarmac

My brother Nick with his pride and joy, The Specialized Tarmac!

Tommaso back on the road....and so am I...

Finally after about 2 weeks off the bike I am riding again, as I got the Tommaso built back up yesterday.  I guess there was good that came out of Fridays tragic R3 build problem with the shift levers, I got to build the Tommaso back up using the Ultegra SL Shift Levers.  Although I only road about 12 miles, being back in the saddle felt great! The Tommaso performed extremely well and shifted better than it ever did before.  Since I had it laying about, I changed out the 7900 front Derailleur for the 6601 SL, and it made a world of difference.  The 7900 has a different pull ratio, which makes working with the Ultegra SL 6601 shifter difficult.  Changing back helped to make the front shifting quick and effortless.  I also put Jagwire cables on the whole bike, and pre-lubed both the cables and housing with Teflon lube, this may have been the icing on the cake.  When I get the Ultegra 11-28 back from Nick, it should work even better. 
I am headed out to Marlbourough today to ride with my brother Nick, and for the first time and looking forward to the hills, or is it just being able to ride again.  I still have to make some minor fit adjustments to the bike; saddle height and fore and aft position changes, add knee savers to the pedals ( which I changed to spd's), and align the brakes to the rims.  As long as Nick doesn't run away from me on the hills, I will enjoy today's challenge.
I still have to purchase the 7900 brakes for the R3, which are another 230 bucks, but that is the last piece to the puzzle.  Now that I have the Tommaso up and running, I can certainly wait a bit for that.  My need to have it on the road has lessened, and my joy of riding has overtaken my need for speed...

Tommaso Rebuild in progress...

I obviously bought the 7900 shift levers last night, because this gave me the option of rebuilding the Tommaso to ride today!  That is if I get it done!  Need to review some adjustment videos and brake install videos to refresh my memory while I eat lunch, and then I will hopefully finish and ride!  NICE!

I am going to install SPD pedals, for now, on the tommaso in order for me to use my specialized shoes.  That way I have shoes that fit, and don't have to change the speed play cleats on my shimano shoes.  Later I will change back when I get around to finding my Vittoria shoes, and install the Ultegra pedals.

Going to put the Brooks Pro on for now also, as the Aliante that went on the Tommaso is broken, or loose.  When I get a chance I will order a new one for the Tommaso.

R3 Build Problems...

Today was suppose to be the final day of my bike build, at least for now.  I went to CC to get the shifters set, and put on the new chain.  Then the front D would not work properly, what a downer.  I am temporarily using my old Ultegra SL Shifters with my new dura ace 7900 Front D, which apparently are not compatible with the new 7950 crank.  The chain rubs going up into the last 3 gears.  Possible solutions are to change the front D to the old ultegra SL front D, which will work as the pull on the 7900 is designed only to work with the 7900 shifters.  Or to buy the $400 Dura Ace 7900 shifters now, and float some bills for a month.  I am leaning toward the later, but have not decided yet. 
The best deal I can find on the shifters is at PerformanceBike.com with my Team Member Discount it comes to a whopping 404, add my point discount of 3.33, and it then moves to 400.77...Wow!
I am completely depressed about this, because I wanted to ride tomorrow.  The thing is I do not want my maiden voyage to be with the WRONG STUFF, and MAKE SHIFT parts.  Will let you know what I decide....but we now the outcome already!

R3 Fitting Photos from 11/2/2010

http://picasaweb.google.com/r.scott.tomassetti/R3Fitting?feat=directlink

Pictures from the R3 Fitting on 11/2/2010.  Dan from Cycling Concepts adjust the R3 perfectly to allow for a more relaxed riding position while in the saddle. I could really feel the difference when the bike was adjusted correctly in my should and arm tension.  This will make long rides more confortable and increase my endurance on the bike tremendously.  If you have not had your bike fit properly, I recommend getting it done. It will increase your enjoyment and performance greatly!  Worth the expense 10 fold!

The R3 Cables and Crank Go On...with Pictures!

http://picasaweb.google.com/r.scott.tomassetti/CerveloR3BuildCableInstallation?feat=directlink

The R3 receives it's cables (temporarily), and a new crank is installed, as we get closer and closer to finishing the build.  Temporarily because new shift levers and brakes will require re cabling once they are purchased.  Between now and then, I want to be able to ride the bike a few times, so we are building it up with some parts from the tommaso. 
I was able to convince Nick that the Dura Ace 7900 that he bought did not match his new build, so I was able to installed said crank on the R3.  The crank is 170 mm, which is 5mm shorter than the Ultegra SL that it replaced.  This supposedly will enable me both the increase the ease at which I can maintain a higher cadence, and reduce hip fatigue.  I got it because of my lack of flexibility, coupled with my need to climb hills better, anything improvement would be welcomed.
Some cool accents were added to the overall look of the bike.  The red ferrules and donuts really did the trick, and matched the red nipples on the dura ace wheels sweetly.  Also the red pedals helps to tie the whole thing together.  The front brake really snaps, while the rear lags a bit still.  Compared to the Tommaso, they are light years ahead of the game.  Sondre did a great job aligning the cables in the front to run parallel to one another, really making the cables look clean upon entering the cable guides in the down tube.
I am really very pleased with the way the build is turning out.  Well put together, and just the right amount of bling!

Video of Dave's Dirty Dozen Cycling Hill Climbing Race.

Dave from Cycling Concepts has a hill climbing cycling race yearly in the hills of Glastonbury, CT.  View the video on YouTube:

Editing HD Video from a Canon HD Video Camera...Not Easy

Yesterday, I took some great footage of the dirty dozen bike race from the CC Van.  I have been trying to edit this video all morning.  Trouble is the format is not read natively by Vista or XP, but by Windows 7.  It also is not a native format to any video editing software I own.  So I did some searching, and found that Windows Live Movie Maker for Windows Video is free and can edit the streams from the Canon HD Video Camera my son Owns.  I downloaded it last night, a lengthy process, and tried to edit this morning.
I first tried to download the video directly from the card, sorry no good.  Then I plugged in the camera to the usa port, and it took nearly 1/2hr to create the clips.  Then I was able to import the stream from the camera onto Windows Movie Maker, but it had to convert the files before I could edit them.  This started about an hour ago.....Tic Toc.  Of the 15 video clips I imported, (not all clips from the race mind you), WMM only converted 5 so far...Tic Toc.  This is going to a costly time consuming venture I think.  Next time I use the cheep HD camera (flip Type) that I can natively edit.  Wow! 
Hope the quality justifies the time spent.
Not sure how the new Movie Maker works or the extent to which I can create a decent video either...We will just have to wait...and wait...and wait to see.
Wish me luck!
T

Introducing the Cervelo R3

Picture gallery on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/r.scott.tomassetti/Cervelo_R3_Build?feat=directlink

Friday was the Cervelo R3 build at Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill, CT. Sondre and I , mostly Sondre, placed parts and adjusted the frame to get the bike ready for the final fitting and cabling of the bike. Unlike the Tommaso build which I did myself, I choice to have it done at Cycling Concepts, as messing it up would have meant to great an expense for me. Sondre is an outstanding mechanic who knows his business, and I really wanted to learn as much as I could from him during the build process for later consumption.
The build started with me unwrapping the frame, gathering parts and putting the shifters on the handlebars. I put the front and rear Derailleurs, brakes, seat post and seat. After that I was pretty much a bystander, student, or gofer.
Once this was done, Sondre added the headset, which connected the fork to the frame. Sondre then leveled and turned the bottom bracket so the cups would screw in smoothly and evenly for better performance. He also turned the outer ring of the BB so the cups would fit parallel to each other. Once those things were done the BB cups were installed and then the Crank. I placed the new Speed Play Zero Pedal on the crank, the stem on the handlebars, and then Sondre leveled the Shifters, seat, and handlebars. Sondre adjusted both sides so the hoods would lay flat and slightly turned in for a more comfortable fit.
Once this was done I put the Dura Ace 7850SL Wheels on as the final piece to the puzzle before fitting. They match very nicely but subtlety to the bikes frame colors (White, black and red). The red nipples of the wheels will match the red nipples of the cable housing nicely. The red pedals are also a nice touch. The wheels made the R3 look more like a bike than an unfinished project, and gave my spirit a lift. It also made me anxious and ready to ride.
I still have to wait some though, as the fitting with be on Tuesday. This will determine the actual stem length we will be ordering, a Thomson X2. Once this is done, we can them put the cables on, and adjust shifting and the like. For now I am going with bar tape I already had laying about, but later will be using Deda Tape. By this time next week, she should be up and rolling. I cannot wait to go riding on the NEW CERVELO R3.
Just want to thank Sondre, Dan, and Dave for their extreme patience, and understanding my need to be involved with the bike build. I was important to me to involved with the build mechanically to feel connected to the bike, and to learn as much as I could about it mechanics for trouble shooting, maintenance or adding new parts later. By the end I will have knowledge of the bike I could never had gained from just buying one from the floor.
I have researched all the frame geometries, research and purchased most of the parts, (with Dave's helpful hand and watchful eye), helped with the build and setup of the bike, and most importantly had the final decision on all aspects of the build. I am not sure what was more fun, the research and deliberation with Nick about various part combo's and frame combo's, the build, or whether it will be the actual riding of the bike. It all works for me! I will miss the chase though.

View the picture slide show below:

Cervelo R3 Purchased!

Finally got my bonus check from Hartford, so I paid for the Cervelo R3 frame today. I also stripped parts of the Tommaso to finish the build, for now.  I took the bottom Bracket (F1 ceramic), an Ultegra Sl compact crank, Ultegra SL Shifters, and the Dura Ace 7900 Rear Derailleur.   That means I still need to purchase Dura Ace 7900 Crank, Shifter, and brakes as well as a new chain.  Most likely will have these by the first of the year.  For now I am also going to put on regular black bar tape, and generic cables until the new parts come, and then will change to white Deda Tape and Gore Teflon Cables.
Keith, the owner of Cycling Concepts, was there today, and he has been great about extending the payment timeframe, and holding the frame for me.  I am excited about a great Winter Training season, and a great new year on the bike!  If year 2 goes as well as year 1, 2011 should be mean some more gains in speed and distance...I hope!
Tomorrow begins the build up!  Cannot wait.  Have all the old parts cleaned and lubed ready to go.  Now I just have to show some patience!  Tic Toc!

Into Mass...

Yesterday afternoon, right after work, I road the Farmington Canal Trail up to Mass from Avon, about 28 miles or so.  Before the ride I had to adjust the seat AGAIN!  Might need a new style of seat post...this 3T doesn't seam to hold my weight.  Really a great ride, for a trail.  I much prefer the road, but this ride was nice after the hard ride with Tom on Sunday.  A bit longer, and more aerobic base building.  I left the Open Pro's on for the end of the season, knowing that my new bike will require my Dura Ace wheels.  They were great on the flats, and the Ultegra Hubs spun nicely, but were noticeably harder to maintain a spin or cadence over time.  That is another great summer ride, with most of the ride being in tree cover.  I tried to concentrate on proper posture and pedal stroke, when I remembered.  It is getting easier to hold positions as I get stronger in the core from Cynergy Class.  Bring me back again to Cynergy tonight.

After riding I went to a Tai Restaurant for dinner, and had noddles and crispy chicken...Not impressed.  Probably will not be back there, but who knows. 

Following dinner I went to Harbour Freight to get a 1/4 to 3/8 female to male adapter for my torque wrench so I can build my bike when it comes.  My brother Nick would never leave this place.  I bought a new Allen Socket Set in Metric, the converter, a set of Pen Magnets, and a Hand Blower for cleaning between brakes, derailleurs, bottom bracket, and crank. It all cost 20 bucks, total.  I will be back, as they were closing when I left, and could have spent hours looking around.

Tonight I am going to go to Spin and Cynergy classes.  I am going to class CC to see if Dan, Dave or Saunder are going to attend, as I have gotten them free passes to try it out.  I am hoping this will convince them that we need Monday Night workouts at RH.

Nick is excited about building his bike, about like I was my first time through.  It gets addictive.  Love doing the research myself, so actually completing the bike is somewhat of a let down.  So this time I have left parts to replace so I can upgrade and continue the fun.

Parts and Workout.

Well I didn't quite get to ride two rides, but went to the extra cynergy class, and then road about 18 with another member from the class.  We did my 2 shops ride and stopped by to visit my frame,,,again. The wind was tough today, but felt strong on the hills.  Really pushed the last 6 miles back to HealthTrax.  By then my legs were rubber, so I sent Nick a text saying I was out for the afternoon ride. 
Bought a new front derraellier, a 7900 Dura Ace Braze On model that fits the new frame.  I have a 7900 but it is a clamp on model, that would not work with the Cervelo.  Only 89 bucks with free shipping, so no biggy.  Also bought new handlebars, 3T Ergo Pro.  NICE!
Got home and am making Diablo Sause with Garlic Chicken Sausage...Nice!  Have to put the pasta in the water...Ciao.

New Bike Build and possibly two rides today...NICE!

Yesterday was so windy I went to spin class at the gym. Great workout, and a different one, very good for the body.  Also lifted on circuit and a bit of abs.  In class, my Cynergy mait, Tom, said he wanted to go for a ride today after a special Breast Cancer awareness Class at HealthTrax at 9:30, so I am going to take him on my two shops ride.  Then at 3pm I will be going out to my brothers to ride the hills of Marlborough, again.  Although I do not like hills, not even a little, I really enjoy riding with Nick, so there is a trade-off.  We have a lot to talk about today, new frames, what saddle, handlebars, brakes...and so on.  Should be fun, if not tiring.


CERVELO R3 2010 Frameset - NICE!

 Just a peak at my frame.

With mostly Dura Ace parts this should make me real fast!...:)  "The bike does not make the rider", too bad.
Bought a pair of stainless steel SpeedPlay Zero Pedals, a 3T handlebar shallow reach, and will buy the 3T stem to go with it, once I know the proper length to order.  Also, have to purchase a bottom bracket, and brakes.  Right now I am looking at the 6750 Ultegra Crank, and 6600g brakes, but could be swayed toward dura ace in both spots given the RIGHT Price.  Will most likely switch them out over time.  Have an offer on a pair of 6600 brakes and 6750 crank so we will see what we will see.  Having a great time shopping and researching though.

New Cervelo R3 Weighin' in at 900 grams or less....

After work, I went over to Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill to visit Dave, Dan and Saunder and of course my new Cervelo r3 frame.  After a chat about what pedals, cables and housing colors choice to match the frameset, we decided to weigh the frame.  Without the Fork and headset, but with the seat collar, hanger, 2 zip ties, and the chain stay guard the R3 weight was exactly 2 lbs.  For you in the KG crowd that would be 0.907409 Kilograms or 907 grams.  According to Cervelo it should weight about 867 grams, but that is without the seat collar, hanger, 2 zip ties, and the chain stay guard.  It was hanging in the back still in its foam wrapper, so Dan handed it to me, and I wasn't sure there was a frame under it.  Then we took the foam off, along with some plastic tube end covers and weighed it.  Wow, light is not the word for this frame.  The fork weight somewhere in the 350 gram range, and is a 3T.  Headset will have to be added, along all the other dura ace parts.  By the end, it should be around 15lbs.  NICE!
I also order some stainless Zero Pedals by Speedplay in red at +1/2 inch, along with Poly Cable.  I still have to order the headset, like the cane creek that's on my Tommaso, but who know. A bit of research is needed.  Along with new brakes, and handlebars I need a new stem to match the 3T seatpost.  Will keep my WCS on it for now, but will make the change to both 3T stem and handlebars when the money situation is right.
I am excited for the new riding season.

Airline Trail Ride

Road the Airline Trail in Marlborough with my brother Nick today.  Put my Open Pro's with Gatorskins on, and off we went.  It was a tough 5 miles of hills to get there and back, but the trail was flat and fast.  When we arrived at the airline trail we found ourselves taking a wrong turn and going down a gravel road.  I feel lucky to not damage the wheels or get a flat.  Once at the end of the gravel road, we climbed up a hill, and found the airline trail at the top.  Took it down to the end near East Hampton, then reversed and road back to Colchester.  Riding back up monster hills back to Nick's house, and finished the 20 miles.  Did I ever mention that I HATE HILLS.  My legs feel pretty cramped right now, and my carves are sore.  I am allergic to molds, and this time of year my breathing suffers, so the ride was doubly tough.  There is one hill on the south side of Marlbough that is just brutal.  After climbing a long and rolling hill, we then have to go up a steep grade before finishing with a relative short steeper grade into town. Man!
The trail was beautiful though, and the vistas were awesome this time of year.  The trail is on top of all the hills, and you can see for miles.  The path is relatively rock free and most smooth enough not to need a mountain bike.  You could ride it for hours.  A nice place to teach kids to ride, or ride with family or non roader friends. 
Will have to workup my Tommaso for the trails I think, after I finish the Cervelo.  Would make a great summer ride as the ride is mostly tree covered making for a cool long ride on a hot summer day.

New Server about to be unleashed onto the web.

Well after my server crashed this summer, I have been hesitating to rebuild it, but this weekend I finally put the parts in the case, installed Windows Server 2003, and am now upgrading to service pack 2.  After that is installed I am sure there will be 2 or more days of updating software and drivers, installing all the .net frameworks, visual studio, and SQL Server 2005 and 2008.  Then I have to restore from backup all my databases and webs.  Then configure the IP Address to point to that server through the firewall...Man I am sure going to be busy!  Hopefully within a week I will be up and running...Need a tape backup system me thinks, and more importantly I need a BATTERY BACKUP! 

Wish me luck.

Dan is the Man...New Frameset...Cervelo R3 2010

Dan is the Man!


Went into the RH shop yesterday because my saddle slipped back AGAIN and needed the seat to bar center line measurement. We also put on a new Fizik Alliante saddle (same one I had). I have been doing research on what bike frame to buy this winter to replace my tinger. So I asked Dan if I could try the R3. He set me up on the R3 SL in the shop, mentioned I might want to wait for Novembers new R3 release. Then we decided to try the r3 2010 just for comparison. Put my pedals on with the extenders, adjust saddle height and reach and off I went.

Wow! I have tried many bikes over the past 2 weeks in search of the best frame for the 2011 season. I ridden the Scott CR-1, the Look 566, the Specialized Roubeux, and the Trek 5.2. Hands down the R3 is the best ride.

Of course the R3 had SRAM Red groupo on it. So figuring out the double tap was tricky at first. But what a difference from the 105's or Ultegra I was testing. I did not care for the Fulcrum wheels though, sorry.

After the ride, just as a matter of course, Dan told me their was a 54 R3 frame in the back, and would give me a great deal...SOLD!

My 2010 frame will be a CERVELO R3...Dan is the Man!

Coupled with my Dura Ace 7900 groupo and wheelset it will be smooth sailing in 2011.

2 Ferry Ride in the books...

The weather was perfect for a long ride, slightly overcast and cool.  We began early, 7:30 am to ride the 100M Century through Central CT.  During the beginning of the ride, through a dirt covered road that was tree covered and damp, I got some kind of asthma attach or something.  Although I recovered from that about 5 miles down the road, I decided to turn back to do the 62 mile ride somewhere in Killingworth.  My brother Nick went on to complete the 100M journey through the hilly course.  By the end I had done 72.,3 miles at around 14 mph, including the ferry crossings.  Just east of the river we took 151 most of the way back to Glastonbury Ferry, and it was a bear!  Hilly is not the word.  Total accent was around 5000 ft. with most of that being EAST of the river...Wow!  Needless to say I took my time, and took it relatively easy on the hills, but did push some of the fatter parts and rollers.  My rear wheel needs a bit of a truing job, which I am too tired to do right now.  Tomorrow is a better day to do maintenance.  Got back to the Shop and had a cookout on the lawn...Nice!  Had a great chicken kabob, a hot dog and a hamburger...after burning 7000+ KCals, I felt I could indulge.
The Men and Women of Cycling Concepts did a great job putting on the ride...Thanks Keith!

Getting ready for the Century...

Tomorrow is the Two Ferry Century Ride out of Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill. This ride has alot of hills, and as we all know Hills are not my Favorite thing to do.  Nick and I will be riding this ride together, and eiter riding 100 mile or 100 K, either way it will be a century.  Since I have already surpassed 100 miles this summer, I do not feel the need to do the 100 mile this time, but will go with what Nick wants to do tomorrow morning.   Below is the 100 mile Route -






Here is the 100 K ride that I just created.





Both Route have serious elevation changes.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.  Off to Cynergy!

32 MILES SLOWLY!

After yesterday's ride in the hills of Marlborough, I thought I would take it a bit easier today, but put on e moderate miles.  I road the Meriden Mountain Route without the mountain, and adding some miles through Newington into Hartford.  Altogether the ride was about 32 miles of beautiful back roads.  The leaves are beginning to change and the weather was absolutely perfect for riding.  No wind and temps at about 80 with no humidity.  My lungs said thank you to the gods. 
I stopped at Newington Bike to say hello to Dave and check out some gear. The fall/winter fashions are out, and I could spend my whole paycheck on the stuff.
I am really beginning to appreciate the Dura Ace Wheels, as they roll so nicely, and spin up wonderfully.  The Tommaso is riding so wonderfully, I feel a bit disloyal looking for a new frame for next year.  Maybe I'll just buy the tommaso carbon version with the high end fork and call it a day. 
I need to go and make my chilli now....Yummy!

Hills of Marlborough..25 miles

Yesterday, Nick and I road out in Marlborough, through Hebron and Colchester and then back to Marlborough, about 25 miles of hills.  It took me a good 10 miles to get all the crap out of my lungs, as the polen count must have been high.  Once we got into Hebron, we took off, doing around 25 down rt 85.  We road back the back side and back up where Nick usual leave me to ride up a tough hill.  I decided to give it a try.  Took it really slowly, and did fine.  We then cruised up the tough little hill just south of town, and back to his house.  The dura-ace wheel were very stiff and I could definitely tell the difference on the hills, standing especially.
Nick and I went back to the barn and smoke a Diesel with some scotch, pretty good combo.  Not a smoke I would buy again, but decent. 
I came home to my homemade soup and a ham sandwich...NICE!  I had made the soup in the AM after buying a 10 pound lot of chicken at D&D.  They sell 10lb lots of boneless skinless chicken breast for a great price.  I always cut it into strips and freeze it in seperate 4-6 once packages for stir fry or to have chicken in my salad or pasta dishes.  I use the trimmings to make soup.  Yummy!  I also bought a 5 pound lot of hot pepper and spinach chicken sausage....awesome!
Today I am making my 3 bean chilli with ground turkey.  NICE!  I will then freeze that in small containers for starter sause mix, or just to have chilli over rice for dinner. 
Going for a long recovery ride today before the games.  Yesterday's hard ride must be avenged.

CC Group Ride in RH...28 miles at 14.4mph

Easy group ride on the flats in Cromwell tonight, 28 miles about.  Road to the shop and back home after the ride.  The ride was a mixed ride of B and C riders, having to wait several times for slower rides, not stopping probably cost me about 2 mph.  This is the 2nd week without a cigar, and am feeling the added lung power in added peddle power.  This is a good thing.  I have vowed to only smoke cigars with my brother.  If that is the case, between the two of us, we should be done smoking our tally of cigars by 2040.  I have three humi's full, and he has two gigantic ones.  Cycling comes firs though as cigars smoknig is counter productive.  I really haven't missed it too much.  Only find myself craving one every now and again after dinner or in the truck driving to ECSU.  Mostly out of bordom, but sometimes out of pleasure. 
I am going to workout at ECSU after class tomorrow night, and take Friday as a rest day before riding with Nick on Saturday in the hills of Marlborough.

Two shops ride...hard.

22 miles in the books on a beautiful evening solo ride.  Road pretty hard most of the ride at about 16 mph.  Hard heavy winds coming in held me back some.  Stopped along the way to see Dave at CC to have him take out a shim in the right shoe, and it felt much better.  I also have been having trouble with my wind, but had no such trouble today.  I think it is due to pollen or spoor counts on humid days, in difference to today being winding and dry.  I enjoyed today's ride very much.  For some reason I enjoy my time along on the bike as much, if not more, than group rides, or even rides with my brother Nick.  I think it helps me clear my head, and gather my thoughts, getting ready for a new day.  Maybe it is because I always road alone, very seldom riding with anyone else.  Well whatever the reason, it is just great to be on the bike riding hard again with NO PAIN!  (Knock on wood). 
Tomorrow is a group ride in RH at CC at 5:30.  No Nick, so I think I will ride there early, and ride the B group ride, of course this depends upon how I feel tomorrow. 
Love to ride outside, and will do so as long as I can this fall, but I always have my backup plan...HealthTrax.
Chinese mixed veggies and white rice coming for dinner....to lazy to cook.

Recovery day at HealthTrax....

After creating an updated exercise plan, I decided to execute that plan by going to HealthTrax in Newington, because the weather was not going to allow me to ride in Middletown.  I did not know the schedule for spin or yoga classes on Monday, but apparently they begin later at 6 and 7 pm respectively.  I arrived at 4:15pm, so there was no way I was waiting around.  That said, I decided to get a quick ab and weight circuit in before hitting the hot tub to stretch.  I felt strong on the ab routine, but very weak on the upper body circuit having to drop at least 10 lbs on each station from last winter.  Most likely I will get that strength back quickly once I get back into the routine for a couple of weeks.  I need to adjust my time so that I arrive at HealthTrax early enough to get my ab and upper body circuit in before the spin class starts.  Most likely around 5:00pm or so.  Risky, as this gives me time to go home first...not good.  Maybe I'll just stay at school and work a bit their on Mondays before coming home...Ya that's it. 
Afterward I headed to the hot tub, which was shocked today, and I had to remove the cover.  I was quite stiff, after not having done any stretching for most of the summer.  It felt really good to get a full body stretch in, my legs said thank you.
Not too strenuous, but a good recovery day workout just the same.
Tomorrow - Spin at 4:30 and Cynergy at 5:40, just right for me to come straight from work.

New Fall Routine...

After my ride yesterday, I changed up my weekly routine for the next 8 weeks until my winter schedule begins.  I wanted to add back some time in the gym doing core and weight training, so here it is:

• Sundays: Outdoor or Indoor Ride/Recovery day.
• Monday:  Shop Ride in Middletown at Pedal Power or Weights and Aerobics at the gym.
• Tuesdays: Cynergy at Healtrax and Weights
• Wednesday: Shop Ride at cc in RH at 5:30 pm.
• Thursday:  Weights and aerobics at ECSU
• Friday: Early Morning Spin Class
• Saturday: Outdoor/Indoor Ride Hard: 2hrs+

A much more diverse workout schedule than the summer which consisted of daily riding and not much else.  I needed to plan this because over the past two weeks I have missed many opportunities to workout, just because I was not prepared, or had the expectation to do it.  Today is the day.

Berlin Cycle training ride...22 miles...Moderate pace

After the long day yesterday at the Tour of Hartford, I wanted to get a ride in on my Tommaso.  So I went to Berlin Cycle and then down rt 99 in Cromwell to Old Wethersfield and back up Nott Street back home.  22 miles of varying intensities, but I was trying to keep the pace moderate, and my heart rate below 150.  Turns out I could not regulate intensity by heart rate, due to the fact that my HR monitor was not working properly again.  I think I need a new battery for it.  I kind of did intervals, or farklick training.  I work hard for a while then rest and recover, then work hard again.  All in all good workout.  Because it was so humid, I had a hard time breathing.  The polin and mold spour count must be pretty high.  My nose was runny the hole time.  I am sensitive to mold, so whenever the spour count is high I get like this, usually before and after raiin, or high humidity.
On another note, the tommaso is riding beautifully.  I can definitely tell the difference, and it is a joy to ride.  Now I have no excuses, top of the line components, now my only excuse is me!  I am good with that.
Making Spegettti with black bean burger sause...Nice!  The last of my peppers are in it too...Yummy!

Tour of Hartford in the books...

I just got home from riding in the tour of Hartford where I was a Marshall at the Keney Park entrance.  I started out in the front of the 1000 riders or so, and having to stay in the front and make it to Keney (about 20 miles) before anyone else....Oh man.  Not to mention the fact that I was on my sirrus, which is a commuter bike.  It was a good thing I changed my wheels Thursday night, as they came it handy.  I really had to push it to stay out in front, although the numberous lights helped. 
When I got to Keney, I had to direct traffic around the loop through the park.  The came in across the ongoing exiting bike and car traffic, not good.  It as an eye opener.  Bikers are funny about stop signs, they do not use them.  However this stop sign was imparitive that you stopped.  I observed that the more experience a rider has, the more daring they become.  The touring and mountain bikers, on the whole, stopped at the stop sign and waited for oncoming traffic, but true roaders ran right through it at speed.  It was only dumb luck that anyone did not get killed.  Almost every car took the time to stop for the bikes, and were very courteous, not the roaders...:(  This goes back to an earlier post were I blast roaders for not being more friendly on the road, same mind set here.  Fast, Fast, Fast....to hell with convention.  (by the way, I am a roader, and I have to admit to doing some of these same things, from time to time). 
All in all about 33 miles in the books. 
Have not eaten all day really except for granola bars and bananas.  Not sure what I want for dinner tonight...Might just order chinese again, or something from Vitos, like pasta primavera.
Tomorrow, I will be riding again, weather permitting, but back on my Tomasso where I belong...

Getting ready for the Tour of Hartford bicycle ride tomorrow...

Tomorrow I will be a marshall for the Tour of Hartford Bicycle Ride, and needed to get my Sirrus ready for the trip.  I have not ridden this bike all summer, as it is my commuter bike.  The ride is very slow, and most likely I will be a sweaper, which means I will be going even slower.  The glass and debre on Hartford streets is amazing, so I needed to change tires.  I put on my old Gatorskins on my 36 spoke Mavic Open Pro's.  I also had to change the cog set on the Ultegra Hubs to the 8 speed used on the sirrus.  The wheels that were on there were mountain bike 29er wheel intended for any trail riding I might do this past summer, of which I did NONE.  Took the cog set off of those wheels and put them on the Open Pro's.  I did have the OP's on my Tommaso until I recently bought my Dura Ace wheels, so changing them to the sirrus was a big upgrade. 
After mounting the wheels I check and cleaned the Rear and Front D and brakes.  I had to adjust the rear D a bit, watched a Performance video online, and it was a snap to make the needed adjustment.  Tightened the rear brakes because the rim is slimmer.  The last thing I had to do was change the seat height and angle, and now I am ready to ride.  I think I will take a quick ride on the sirrus tonight to make any last minute adjust and fine tune the ride a bit, especially to the SEAT!
Look forward to the lazy pace tomorrow.  Come join us at Bushnell Park in Hartford tomorrow at 9 for the ride.

RI ride and CC Newsletter...

Well I was able to get in about 70 miles this weekend, between a pre-ride marshall training for the Tour of Hartford next weekend, to my ride with Nick in RI.  I also plan a few miles this afternoon to check my new front D that Nick bought me, a change from Ultegra 6601 SL to Dura Ace 7900.  This one change will make me much 'Faster'...maybe.  Also noticed my rear D wasn't shifting well either, so adjusted that as well.  Both still might need some tweaking.  The new wheels are rolling fantastic, and even in the wind was able to average 17.3 mph for 30 miles yesterday with Nick...FAST for me.  My AvgExHR was 138 and MaxExHR was 159, which means I was near my anaerobic threshold for the entire ride.  It was a great ride, and a good workout.  I love those flat rides.  The whole ride was less than 1000ft of climb, nice!

Not sure if is the placebo effect, but I haven't had a cigar in 5 days, and feel good.  I was worried that smoking too much was effecting my respiration during exercise, leading to premature fatigue.  I am not sure yet how this will work, but couldn't hurt.

Cycling Concepts did me the honor of putting my story in their newsletter this month, so if you haven't read it, and would like to, here is the URL:
 http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Cycling-Concepts-E-News---Sept-2010.html?soid=1102839656125&aid=DAo1bctU1Hc

Those of you who have been following "The Thinning of a Fat Man" know the story and have lived the quest!....:)
Ate too much chinese food for lunch after mowing the lawn.  Need a nap now...

Tour de Hartford - PreRide for Marshalls...40 miles slowly

Thursday evening I received an email from one of the members of our wethersfield commuting group about needing marshalls for the "Tour De Hartford" next weekend, so I decided to sign up.  I will be working the 25 mile loop starting at Bushnell park.  Very slow going with all the lights and traffic, so I will be riding my Sirrus not my Tommaso.  I did ride my Tommaso today, and it's like riding a thoroughbred horse on a roundup.  The last part of our ride went through Keney park and down past Clark Elementary School in the north end where I taught during the 90's.  The area has changed quite a lot, with all new homes, no tenaments.  Most are two family dwellings and beautiful streets.  Much has changed.  We then took the river path from north to south and back up to Main St.  I left the group there and road back home via Maple Ave.  The whole trip was about 40 miles at around 11 mph or so.  A perfect pace for my Sirrus.  I think I will put on my old Open Pro's with Gatorskins for the ride next week, just to be sure.
I am starving as I did not have breakfast, and 3000 KCals are calling my name....Eat ME!

Bonk goes the weezle...

Road in Glastonbury with CC last night on my new Dura Ace 7850 wheels and "Bonk" I went.   Not because of the wheels though.  They were extremely smooth and quiet.  The spin up incredibly fast and require little effort to maintain speed, which will be a great thing on longer rides in less hilly torain.  The Glastonbury ride is extremely hilly, and everyone knows how much I LOVE HILLS.  Not to make excuses, but more to figure out why, and how to prevent it again, I reflect on the causes:
1. Extremely HOT and HUMID
2. Working after a long summer off
3. Mold spores were out in force, as I am allergic to mold and it effects my lung capacity.
4. Did not sleep well the night before and was up at 2:00 am after going to bed early.
5.  Smoking cigars on my way home before the ride.

Let's look at what I can effect:
1.  I cannot change the weather, so this is out.
2. Cannot stop working as biking costs big bucks.
3. Could take some medication to curb this prior to riding, but had to take pill and put chemicals in my body.
4.  Force myself to go back to bed
5.  Stop smoking prior to rides and keep it to once or twice a week.

So proper rest, and curbing my cigar smoking may help, but sometimes you just BONK.

CC Group Ride to Reservoir

Tonight my brother and I road with Cycling Concepts out of Rocky Hill to the New Britain Reservoir, 25 miles at 16 MPH, fast for me...I managed to stay with the group for most of the ride, except the very toughest hills.  I did manage to catch them on the flats, however the did "Wait" for me at the top of the hills.  Nick says it was just an excuse they used to rest, but I think he was just making me feel better. 
Before the ride, Dave put some pedal extenders on the bike to align my feet, knees and hips, so I could stay more round in my pedal stroke.  I have noticed a difference in my ability to maintain a higher cadence tonight on the hills. 
NIck broke away ahead of the group on the last bit of hills and finished a couple of minutes ahead of the rest.  His avg HR was 130 while mine was a bit higher at 136. 
We went to Michael Angelo's for whole wheat pasta and veggies in a red sauce after.  I had 3 miller lites.
Going out to Avon tomorrow to get my schedule and meet with my student teacher to look over the facilities, and talk about what we need to to for the first day of school on Wednesday next week. Afterward I am gong to ride the Farmington Canal Trail again.  Should be fun.

Rest and Rain

Good thing I road yesterday, as it will be raining for a few days.  After the Century yesterday, I need a couple of days off.  I am going to go to the gym to get in the HOT TUB to stretch.  Really don't feel to to bad anyway.  I had much more pain this winter during my early indoor workouts.  

Look forward to the rest, as this is my rest week on my training schedule.  I have to create a new plan for the next 12 weeks till winter this week.  Always looking toward the future helps eliminate over training, and re-laps.  I will be in maintenance mode till winter I think.  Been training hard all summer.  Bring my riding down to 3 days a week, with some alternative activities mixed in: Yoga, Weight Training, Swimming.  

MapMyRide.com - General Road Cycling: Old Saybrook Ride - 106 miles on 08/21/2010

MapMyRide.com - General Road Cycling: Old Saybrook Ride - 106 miles on 08/21/2010

Being the last weekend before school starts, I wanted to end it with something really big, and I did! I went from Wethersfield, my home, to Old Saybrook beach and back, 106 miles, nearly 10,000 KCals, and 7 1/2 hours in the saddle...Ouch! I managed to do the ride into Saybrook without an issue, but the ride home was a different story. I guess when I planned the route, one of the roads on that route was particial unpaved, so I had to double back a go the long way round. This cost me about 10 miles and maybe 40 minutes, because those miles were very tough and hilly. I could have just gone up 148 from Chester, and made it in less time and miles, most importantly less pain! However, it all worked out for the best. I did over 100 miles, my yearly goal, and made it without an issue. No flats, no crashes, and most importantly no pain or injury! NICE!
Next challenge...The 2 ferry ride!

MapMyRide - Saybrook Shore and Back - 93.89 Miles in Wethersfield, CT

MapMyRide - Saybrook Shore and Back - 93.89 Miles in Wethersfield, CT

I am planning a long ride to Old Saybrook tomorrow, it is suppose to be beautiful. Going to leave bright and early, and ride to the shore, just to say I did. A very long ride, about 20 miles longer than my previous best, but I look forward to the challenge. Going to download to my Garmin, and off I go! Wish me luck.

First Bike Commute to Work...36 miles round trip!

So not being a regular work day, I decided to ride to work and back today to see how the trip played out.  I got on Google and drew a Bike Route, and then transposed that onto http://www.mapmyride.com/ .  The saved the file as a garmin file and uploaded to my Edge 305.  Went out about 10 this morning, and off I went.
Google took me through Hartford down New Britain Ave way, mostly side street which I had to do very slowly, probably less than 10 mph until Old After Farmington.  Then cut across West Hartford, and up Rt 4 to Talcott Notch Rd., Should call it Talcott Notch Hill Rd.  Then to Rt 10 in Farmington to Old Farms Rd to Rt 10 in Avon, and then to school.  17 miles or so. 
Really took my time going out, but pushed it coming back a bit.  When I got to West Hartford, I decided to go to Newington Cycle to see John and Jeff, my winter workout buddies, so I took South Main Street cut across to where Newington High is, and then up to Main Street where the shop is.  Hung out with John talking Celtcs for about 15 minutes, and then road UP Cedar Street Hill, slowly. I took my time, and really did not get too fatigued.  My HR stayed down below 150 and I just cruised up the hill.  Got home for a 36 mile Round Trip at about 14 mph or so.  It was probably more like 12 or 11 out and 15 or 16 coming home.  Three great rides in a row, and m legs feel great!  Not too much fatigue as compared to the beginning of the summer.  Will get to ride alot next week as we have training that starts at 8:30 am but gets out early at 2 pm...NICE!
When I got home, I dump some chilli in a sause pan, added a can of diced tomatoes, cooked up some whole wheat pasta, and am eating it now...Bye!

2nd group ride...Meriden Mountain...CC-RH..

Oh man...


Road out in RH group with CC last night...B. Went to Meriden Mountain, without the mountain for me. Tough, we were pushing 17 mph most of the way up hill going out...Man my lungs were burning. When we got to the break off point in the route, I went right to get home faster, and road by myself, I could not take that pace anymore. After a bit of recovery, I got back in a grove and made it home fine without being caught. My Garmin's battery was low and went out in  the middle of the ride, no data.  It also woould not give me my routes, weird. This morning I reinstalled software, and maps...Hope it worked. One of the hardest rides of the year for me. Most hills I felt great on, except the one going from the Berlin Bike Shop out to MM. Too steep for me to maintain any pace.
I need another winter of training to be able to handle the B group pace and maybe another 20 lbs or so.  This will come with time and DIET!  I want to take my time though, as trying to loose too much to quick will lead to muscle loss, not good.  The thing is, I do not need to ride with a group to enjoy cycling.  I guess I am a LONG WOLF.  I enjoy the ride at my own pace, out on the road by myself, as I always have and did.  Some people love the challenge of being pushed by others, not me.  I guess my days of ultra competitiveness are behind me.  Although I did not enjoy the slow pace of Tuesday night's ride either....I need a C+ or B- group maybe....Just need to get stronger on the hills...
As the season is getting short, my dream of having a new wheel set is being pushed back to this fall, or next spring.  I want to have it for the winter session to get the hubs ready for the road over the course of winter training.  I am looking at the Dura Ace 7850 sl or cl clincher rims.  I always have had dura ace, and want them badly.  Not that they will make all that much difference, as my wheels roll incredible now, but are very heavy, being 36 spoke wheels.  They could make a difference on the hills, but not enough to offsett my weight, which is the main goal here.  You know when you just want something, and no matter what anyone says you are going to have that thing...I want them...badly!

"getting better all the time" (Beatles)

Glastonbury Group Ride - CC

Last night Nick and I road out in Glastonbury with Cycling Concepts in their group ride.  I went with the C group, and Nick with the B's.  I did not feel I could hang with the B's and did not want to keep them back waiting for me.  Wish I had the route so I could have gone on my own, but hey.  Had to wait a few times on the C's ride, and even once doubling back quite a ways, as I do not know the roads well.  Felt very strong on the hills, maybe because I did not have to push it up them.  The small hills I was able to spin over, while I was strong enough to muscle up the rest without loss of pace, for once, with the exception of the first hill.  Nick psyched me out on that hill telling me it was the toughest grade he has done.  Although that may have been true, it was pretty short, and I could have cranked through it if I had known.  On the end of the ride, the A group went flying by us on a small grade, while I was still trying to keep a slow pace for the others down the flats. As they went past, another rider in my group, caught their wheel and said, let's go.  I didn't at first, but picked up my pace.  Then I noticed that they weren't getting away, and thought I would try to catch them.  They were doing about 30, so I wasn't sure.  I slowly inched along, until...at the second to last straight, I shifted up and stood up and said, 'what the hell'.  I did catch them near the end of the straight before the corner managing to hand for a while, but wasted myself in the stretch.  I had to slow down right before the shop on Main Street for cool down a bit before getting off.  Nice to know I can move it out when I want, but need to work on my fitness and weight some more before I can do it for a sustained period of time.  Still another season away.

New Tires and wheel trueing.

After about 1200 miles of riding, my Gatorskins are ready to be retired.  The rear tire is loosing some of its wall thread, and it is wearing down flat in the middle.  Only one flat in 1200 mile is pretty good.  I put on new tires, Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX 23 mm.  The gatorskins I had were 25 mm and very heavy.  I had the Open Corsa's left over from the winter refit, so I decided to give them a whirl...  They are supposidly the best clincher tire on the market for rolling resistance, and can take very high pressure for racing.  I am going to run them at about 125 or so at first to see how they react.  I like the gatorskins, but they were very hard, and did not offer a cushie ride even at 25mm.  The Open Corsa are suppose to be comfy and roll smooth.  We shall see tonight when I ride the CC group ride out of Glastonbury.  The best thing about the open corsa's is that they have a white stripe down the middle of a black tire...NICE!

After our ride to RI and the rough roads, my rear wheel had gone out of true for only the second time.  I first checked the tension on each spoke and tried to tighten them down evenly first.   Then went through and trued and balanced the wheel.  I am very particular about this, and it took about 1/2 hour or so.  Now it spins evenly and true once again ready for another 1000 miles.  For winter maintenance I will take the tension off every spoke and retighten to the same tension using a guage.  Then true them to spec.  Did not quite feel like going through that today, but maybe should have. 

Took out some chilli and a black bean burger for lunch...Yummy!

MapMyRide - Marlborough_to_RI_8-13-10 in Marlborough, CT#climbs#climbs#climbs#climbs#climbs

MapMyRide - Marlborough_to_RI_8-13-10 in Marlborough, CT#climbs#climbs#climbs#climbs#climbs

Our ride from Marlborogh to RI was 62 mile with many more hills and was more difficult than I thought. The ride through Colchester was especially difficult as was the end of the ride. Total KCals burnt was 6200, but I think I put many of them back over the weekend. The route we choose was extremely rough through RI, and there was two bridges out. We had to carry our bikes over one stream, and walk them across the other. We also rain out of water in RI, and I felt it in my legs even though we replenished at a quick mart on rt 2 in RI. We did manage to get water from a workman along on of the back roads, but it was not cold.
The good news was that I did not incure any injuries or pains anywhere after the fitting, and road relatively comfortably even though the roads were poor at best along RI. My rear tire now needs to be trued, this I will fix tomorrow. I noticed that I did not need to change my hand position as often, but my tighs got sore from moving my seat forward. I was worried about knee pain, but did not have any, NICE!
Nick had another flat, and is trying to buy wider rim tape to cover more of the inside part of the wheel where the pinch flats are occuring. We also washed our helmet liners, and they got lost in the wash. I had new ones already ordered, but Nick has to order them.
We road a short 12 mile loop today. At first I felt tired, but got in a groove about 1/3 the way round. The back half and rt 1 were fast. It did exhaust me however, and my body did not like the pace. Note; after long rides, make sure to do recovery rides eventhough you want to go fast.
Not sure if I can do a full Century yet, so we may be doing a metric century at the Two Ferry Ride.
Ate and drank way too much this weekend. although healthy. My stomach is in knots.

Dog gone, ride to RI tomorrow!

Today I took the dog back to Lisa's where she belongs, and should have done it a long time ago.  Tomorrow Nick and I are riding to RI from Marlborough for the first time - 62 miles or 100k.  The weather is suppose to be nice, cool and dry, which should make the ride enjoyable.  The trip is downhill to the shore, so it won't be too tough a ride.  Taking a foldable wheel with us just in case, as both Nick and my tires are shedding near the bead a bit.  Not sure why that is happening.  A new tire is in order though in the near future.  Right now I am riding on Gator Skins and have Open Corsa's in the wings. 

Bike fitting in about an hour or so, therefore I need to start to get ready, and do some yoga in preparation.  My legs feel good and not too tight, but I need to stretch them out a bit before I get measured. 
Going to have some Chinese for dinner: Chicken in Garlic Sause over white rice...how nice!

CC Group Ride and Bike Fitting...

Today is a recovery day after last night's group ride out the Lymann Orchards.  I got dropped in middletown on the long hill between middletown and middlefield.  I then took a wrong turn leaving me out in the cold.  Keith, the shop owner was nice enough to ride back to me, as he and I road "smoothly" through middlefield.  Even though I got dropped, it was a great ride, and feel great today.  The ride was only about 25 miles, and that would be less than my normal ride anyway. 
Nick, Scott Sieka, and I went to Eli's afterward for beers and a chicken philly.  We literally waited 2 hours for dinner, and 45 minutes just to sit and get our first beer.  Paul Budney was suppose to meet us at Eli's but I did not see him, although the place was packed.  I was looking forward to see him and catching up on things.  On my was to eli's Boston's Don't Look Back was on the radio, Alice Cooper DJing.  I thought to myself, how ironic, but I couldn't help looking back as I listened to a song that was the staple of many a road trip...Riff. 
Today, I am getting re-fitted to my bike to fix an issue with the seat being too far back, and once again find my 'sweet' spot.  When I put the new seat post in, the rails clamps came loose and the seat shifted all the way back.  This caused me to push outward on the peddles, so I feel it in my hips and ass too much.  I need to be more on top of the peddles, which will give me more leverage, and better climbing.
Going out to Reggio to turn in some paperwork today.  I am going to try to go out on the bike route, and back to find a commuter lot to leave my truck in for my daily commute on bike.  No shower at work, but HealthTrax in Avon is across the street...NICE!

Small Gears are Spinning...

Today was a recovery day, so I just road to the shop and back using only small gear chain in the front. I also tried to keep the cadence up above 85 - 90 rpm's.  The ride was only 10 miles and my legs felt fresh, but it was hot and humid out there.  The ride provided me with a big sweat even though it was a short one.  At about 800 KCals it also provided me with enough of a calorie burn to eat my 3 bean chilli with rice this afternoon.  Yummy!
Tomorrow was going to be a big day, as I was suppose to get fitted to my bike again tomorrow, and go to ECSU to meet with my supervisor. However, CREC called and said I have Orientation tomorrow, so I had to reschedule my fitting appointment to Thursday, and my other to whenever.  Dave cheered when he thought I was going to cancel. 
The reason for the bike fit is that I bought a new seat post some time back, and the seat rails were not tightened down enough, and the seat slid back on the rails.  This caused a feeling of being almost recumbant on the back, and not over the peddles enough to get leverage on the hills.  I also feel that my fitness has improved and was to change my attach angle a bit.  This will allow me to spin longer on the hills without using my BIG ASS muscles, thus reducing fatigue, HOPEFULLY.  We shall see what the numbers say.
Also, tomorrow Nick wants to ride with CC out of RH, which is always such a joy for me...OUCH! Group rides are not my favorite thing to do anymore.  I like solitary rides at my own pace....a bit of a loner I think.  Mainly because I like a more relaxed pace, and longer rides.  They also HURT LESS.  Paul Budney, an HS and College Roomie is meeting us a Eli's in Middletown afterwards at about 8:30, so you are welcome to come join us for a beer or two.
After I shower, I am going to make chilli with rice (Turkey version).