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!