The Never-Ending Journey

Yes, I am obsessed with my bikes and all things bike-related. I am aware of my problem and at peace with it. My latest project in my never-ending journey of bicycle tinkering is converting my cyclocross bike to a 1 x 9.

With my little chicken legs, I race entirely in my small ring up front. But on the flats I sometimes find myself spinning out in the highest gear that I can get into on the small ring. I am always reluctant to shift the front during a race, especially if I know I am going to need to shift right back in a few seconds. So I started thinking. That's usually where the trouble begins ;-)

I found an article online about a guy who just built up his 1 x 9 cross bike. He provided a detailed description of what he did, and what parts he used. What a great idea! See, I'm not alone in my obsession - check out his article from Cyclocross Magazine:

"Building up a Cyclocross Bike, Part by Part"

Now someone of a lesser mind might say, "why don't you just put a larger chain ring on the front?" This person obviously is confused. I could write a novel about the issues this person has and why they are wrong, but I will stick to my point for now. Clearly, the only solution to this problem is to tackle yet another project on the bike that requires spending money on new parts (and potentially making the bike a whole 2 ounces lighter).

So, now I've got my Salsa Crossing Guard, my Cane Creek brake-only lever, and my Deda chain watcher. All I need to do is find a 42-tooth non-ramped chain ring. If I get one that is ramped, I will offend my sensitive single-speeder friend Brad, so non-ramped it must be. Then I will be ready for the conversion and will hopefully try it out this weekend at Donida Farm.

Call me Stupid...

I am "dropping the gauntlet"...on myself. In my obsession with Round and Round, the 24-hour race I competed in (and plan to compete in again), I keep finding myself on their website checking if they have set the date for the 2009 race. When I find that they have not, I can't just leave the site and go about my day. I have to find some other detail to over-analyze. Today it was the results from last year.

I looked at my lap times, and some of the others that finished more laps in front of me. Wow! I knew that I was suffering for a few hours, but seeing those 4 laps in a row with over 2-hour times is hard to stomach.

Here's the gauntlet...I will complete at least 15 laps this time. That is 2 laps more than last year. Really, I want to do 16, but if I'm going to publicly declare a number that I will need to achieve (or feel ashamed to face the world), it will be 15.

That means I just need to average 1.5 hours per lap and only 10 minutes in the pit per lap. Easy, right?

If you said yes, let me know and I will forward you the registration page once they pick a date ;-)

New Template

I changed the template for the blog today. It seemed hard to read the text with the black background. So I changed the template to one with a different background color and made the font larger. I hope it is easier to read.

In Memory of Rebecca...

I missed the race this past weekend at Steilacoom. Glad I didn't have to run up that brutal hill 3 times, but I missed it just the same. I was down in Westlake, CA for "my friend" Becky's memorial service. Really, she was my step-mom, but that title never really fit her in my mind. I could also refer to her as "my dad's wife", but that sounds so impersonal. It sounds like I don't approve of their marriage, and certainly was not the case. So for today, let's call her my friend, because that's what she really was.

The race this week at Donida Farm will be an especially tough one because she and my father were up visiting from California and came to see the race last year. I said in an earlier post that I was going to do something special at the race in honor of Becky. Winning is not really an option, although I would love to do it. I have decided on less specific goal, but no less difficult. I will try as hard as I can throughout the whole race. That may sound easy or maybe even silly. But let me tell you that it is a lofty goal for me, both physically and mentally.

A cyclocross race (at my level) lasts about 30 minutes and is generally 3-4 laps. It is basically a prolonged sprint. Putting out maximum effort for the duration is extremely painful. But even more difficult is the mental aspect of that effort. Everyone's mind will tell them to quit (or at least slow down) during such an effort. My mind has an especially strong will when it comes to this, and is very hard to defy. As hard as I try, I generally succumb to it and slow down to conserve energy for fear of...what? I'm not sure. But what I am sure of is this - my own mind is my nemesis. I am definitely tired and hurting after my races, but there is still something left in the tank.

So my goal for this weekend will be to empty the tank and leave nothing out there on the course. I will ignore the screaming voice in my head, and keep turning the pedals. It is a goal that I can be proud of if I succeed. And I believe Becky would be proud as well.

Stay tuned for an update after the race on Sunday.

We miss you Becky...

Are we Reaching "Critical Mass"?

I don't participate in the Critical Mass rides that you read about in the paper. And although I believe that some "activists" go too far and don't actually help the cause, I'm glad they are out there doing the rides.

I am more referring to the critical mass that it takes to reach a turning point. Seattle seems to be a city that is at that point. There is a seemingly well-funded program to vastly improve the city's bicycling infrastructure over the next few years. It came to my attention because of flyers that were put all over our office building notifying us of the "Temporary Parking Restriction for Bicycle Lane Improvements on Dexter Avenue North". This lead me to the Seattle Department of Transportation's "Bridging the Gap" website. I read a little about the plans that they have for executing on Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan. Nice to know that they even have a "Master Plan" and that they are trying to implement it.

I am seeing more bike lanes and more "sharrows". This was a new one to me - seems to be the new thing when bike lanes are not possible. A compressed version of "shared-lane arrow". Because in our busy lifestyle, who has time for three long words? I found the following definition online:

sharrow n. A chevron-and-bike logo painted on a road lane to indicate that the lane is to be shared by both cars and bicycles.

Photo of a sharrow in Seattle


Photo of a new bike lane in Seattle:


So to answer my own question, "No". No? You might ask why I say that. Because implementing the plan is only one piece of it. The other piece does not require money to implement, but it is much harder than it was to pass a levy and get the work done. It involves changing people's attitudes and behavior. We are living in the bicycling equivalent of the Dark Ages. People out there still think that bikes don't belong on the road. How do we change that?

I have to say, I was encouraged to see my former city (San Francisco) is moving along the same lines and actually putting up signs that say "Bicyclists Allowed Use of Full Lane". But again, are the motorists paying attention?

What's with the Attitude?

It has been a topic of discussion among my friends that ride for a while now. I think it is the worst on the road, but definitely there on the trail as well. Unfortunately, much of my time is on the road commuting to and from work. The road is also the only option I have for any extended rides in the winters up here in Seattle.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that most people out there on their bikes are not forced there by an overbearing spouse or significant other, nor are they forced onto their bike by a totalitarian government. We choose to ride our bikes. Whatever the reason - fitness, being green, don't have a car, deranged mind, you name it. We choose to ride. Really.

So why the attitude? Why so quick to judge someone you don't know by the bike they are riding, the jersey the are wearing, or the gear they are spinning? I really want to know. And why the total disregard for any kind of etiquette or politeness?

I give a wave or a hello to just about everyone I pass. I know that we're not all buddies just because we choose the same mode of transportation. But we all make a commitment, and maybe some sacrifices, to ride. So there is some sort of comaraderie there. I rarely get any response.

Oddly enough, writing this was not inspired by some terrible experience. It was actually one of the milder ones, but for some reason it got me going. I ride across the Fremont Bridge on my commute to work. It is fairly narrow, so I generally do not pass pedestrians or other bikers on the bridge. Yesterday, as I approached the bridge, I came up behind two people on cruiser-style bikes riding at a leisurely pace. Just in front of them was a pedestrian. So I decided not to pass any of them and wait the 20 seconds it takes to get across the bridge to resume my pace. About 4 seconds after I slowed behind the bikers and they are in the process of going around the pedestrian, I hear a loud, angry "ON YOUR LEFT" in my ear. As the two bikers are trying to reposition themselves on the path to allow him to pass without hitting the pedestrain, he bolts by them and rides off. Now no one was hurt, but what the f&$%?

First off, how much of a hurry do you have to be in, or much of a completely selfish "fill in the blank" do you have to be to act that way? Second of all, aren't we trying to improve the situation for bikes on the roads and trails? How does being a complete idiot and pissing-off other bikers and drivers/pedestrians help anyone? I realize that every time we ride our bikes we don't need to be taking up a greater cause and acting according to some guideline for bike behavior. But is it too much to ask to behave like a human being and not an ape?

Shivering in Seattle

Sorry for the horrible Sleepless in Seattle reference. Let me start by saying that I'm not only a "fair-weather fan". I ride, golf, fish, etc in weather that most people don't even venture outside in. But, what happened to our summer? All of a sudden, I get on my bike to ride to work in the morning and it's 39 degrees. It may be my own stupidity, but I haven't transitioned to my real winter gear yet. Riding downhill at 25 mph in 39 degrees is not warm. I know, I shouldn't complain, it wasn't raining this morning. I am glad for that. But I just need to vent that I miss the days when I could ride to work in a short-sleeve jersey without having to spend 20 minutes layering up for my 20 minute commute.

OK, I'm done complaining. Now let's talk about how happy I am to be commuting by bike to work. The weather was nicer in California, but I did not have the option to ride to work. Some of you might say, why not? You always have the option to ride. That is true, but it would have been very difficult for me to ride to work. Let's run through the potential commute from Novato to Alameda:

1. bike to San Rafael (30 minutes)
2. ferry to sf ($14.90 round trip - 30 minutes)
3. ferry to alameda ($12.50 - 45 minutes)
4. bike from alameda ferry station to work (10 minutes)

So each day I would spend over $27.00 for the privelge to ride my bike to work, and it would take me over 2 hours each way. Good thing they don't have any bike lanes on the bridges in the Bay Area ;-) And California is supposed to be the leader of the Green movement...what!?

So here I am in Seattle, where people say the weather is so bad and would think that I can't easily commute by bike to work. I ride almost every day now (when I don't have to drive because of work requirements) and I see way more people out on their bikes than in California. Even on the days where the weather is less than ideal.

See you out on the roads/trails.

Seattle Cyclocross Series Lead in Jeopardy

I'm laughing out loud as I type this. Why? Because I am referring to Jason Bavuso, who leads the Seattle Cyclocross Series with 206 points. I'm moving up in the standings with my 54th place finish this week, gaining an intimidating 14 points. That brings my total from 2 races up to 16 points!!!! I'm sure Jason is getting nervous.

All joking aside, I'm really stoked about the results from yesterday's race. 74 people started the race and 71 of them finished. My 54th place finish puts me up about 10 spots from my finish last week. It's very hard to compare your performance from one week to the next in cyclocross, because every week is a different course, with a different length and different difficulty. Aside from the obvious indication of finishing place, I am using the avg lap time of the winner to compare my performance from one week to the next. Feel free to rip apart my data as being completely insignificant. I just need something to grasp onto, even if it is a complete sham.

Last week's winner had avg lap time of 8:17
This week's winner had avg lap time of 9:07

My avg lap last week was 10:23
My avg lap this week was 10:48

Winner was 10% slower this week from last - I was only 4% slower.

What does that mean? I have no idea, but I was faster and I'm happy. And those calculations wasted 10 minutes that I could have been riding. So I'm saying goodbye.

Deja Vu and Something New

Seattle Cyclocross Series Race #3 - Today's venue looked familiar...maybe because we were back at South Seatac again. It was supposed to be at Kelly Creek, but the lawyers for the new property owner prevented that from happening. The "something new" refers to the fact that it was a different course, and more importantly, that I was actually "racing". Although this was the 7th time I have participated in a cyclocross event, I would say that it was the first time I was actually part of the "race", rather than just surviving. It was a fast, flat course, which I thought would not be in my favor. But it seemed like my best race yet. Although, in my excitement after the race, I forgot to go look at the results. So as I type this, I don't even know how I finished. Last week, I finished ahead of only 5 racers in my class that completed the race (a small but not very satisfying improvement on last year's results, when I generally finished dead last). I think that I passed at least that many just on the last lap of the race today. I hope that I'm right. I'll let you know as soon as I get the results.

So I mentioned in my last post that you would be reading about me passing people this race, because I had problems with getting the nerve to get by people on the narrow singletrack last week. Well, I did it. I passed people on every lap yesterday. That includes passes on the downhills, uphills (if you can call them that - it was very flat), run-ups, and a particularly satisfying pass through the barriers.

Here's a pic that Sharon got of me at the race today. I took the steeper route up the left side of the run-up to try to get ahead of two guys in my class that were right in front of me - the guy in the yellow jersey and the guy behind him.



And here is the scene a few seconds later.



I got by both of them and stayed in front until the finish. I used that route successfully on 2 laps to get past people. Ow! I think I just hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back ;-)

Ran into Brad and Jessica again after the race. Sounded like Brad wasn't as excited about his results this week due to a tough start. I can't wait for the days where my start actually affects my results. Like anything else, it's all relative. The better you get, the higher the expectations. Greg Lemond's quote applies just as well to cyclocross..."you don't suffer any less, you just go faster".

I'll miss Steilacoom next week. It's bittersweet because there are so few cross races and I've already missed one. But at the same time, that run-up at Steilacoom hurts so bad. Maybe I will like it better when I have shed some more pounds...probably not. Go find a steep hill, put your bike on your shoulder and run up it as fast as you can. Hurt? Now find a backpack, fill it with 40lbs of rocks. Put it on. Put your bike on your shoulder. Run up the hill as fast as you can. Hurt really, really bad? Do you need smelling salts? Now you know how I feel in a cyclocross race.

So my next update will be after the Donida Farms race on 11/2. That's one of the races I did last year. I think it was the first one after I bought my cross bike. My Dad and his wife Rebecca came to that race. I am missing Steilacoom because I will be at Rebecca's memorial service. She recently lost her battle with breast cancer. I'll have to do something special at that race to commemorate her. I don't think I stand a chance of winning the race in her honor, so I'll have to think up something else worthy.

"Round and Round"

"Round and Round" is the name of the 24-hour mountain bike race in Spokane, Wa. I did the race this past May. It was my first 24-hour event and I did it solo. In my mind, it was a huge success. I trained very hard. Major appreciation to Sharon for toughing it out with Kayla as a newborn and the 2 boys while I spent endless hours on my bikes for months leading up to the race. I was able to ride for 24+ hours and complete 13 laps, totaling 195 miles. Pretty much right after the race, I said that I was going to do it again next year. Easy to say, maybe harder to follow through with?

Well, I've just come to the realization that I am definitely going to do it again. Completing the goal of riding a 24-hour event had a side-effect. I can no longer quit...just about anything. I gained a certain discipline during my training and after the race. Maybe it's just a desire to push the limit and see what happens. Whatever it is, it's a pain in my a$$. The other night I was out for a 3-mile run. While I was running, the thought entered my mind to go 2 laps instead of 1 and make it a 6-mile run. I instantly pushed the thought out of my mind. I had things to do, I wanted to see the kids before they went to bed, etc., etc. As I finished the lap, I started to veer off toward the road back home...but I couldn't do it. I had to go around one more time just to see, just to know how it felt. And I couldn't do it slow, I had to go as fast as I could. Thanks Brad. (for those that don't know, Brad is the friend (idiot) that got me into this insane sport)

So I found myself going to the Round and Round website a few days ago to see if they set the date for the 2009 race. They haven't. But I have. It doesn't matter the specific day in May that the race will happen. It is already marked in my mental calendar. I'm already plotting about what bike to ride and how I should set it up. I'm running through training regiments in my mind. Planning out foods that I will eat during the race. Yes, this is an obsession. I think it has to be. You don't just decide to go ride your bike for 24-hours straight tomorrow. You plan it out. You mull it over. You dream about it.

How the hell am I going to make it until May!?

Cyclo-what!?

I have recemtly become a cyclocross addict, and I often struggle to explain what cyclocross is to people that are not familiar. I give full credit to the CascadeCross website so they don't try to sue me. It's very likely since my blog has such high exposure ;-)

They have the following description for cyclocross (I love this):

It's the least understood but most emphatically enjoyed faction of cycling. It's mud-bogging, sand-squirming, barrier-hopping, wet-grass-slipping, steep-pitch-scrambling fun.

It will make you want to puke. It will make you want to fall over. It will make you feel alive, and once your heart rate comes down, you'll want to do it again.

It's called Cyclocross, and it's like no other cycling discipline (but somewhat like all of them).

And here's a link to a great article. If you race cyclocross, you can definitely relate. If not, this might help you understand...or just make you think we're (us cyclocross addicts) crazy. But we already know that.

"How to Crash Your Bike and Look Good Doing It"

Note: that is Barry Wicks in the photo above

If you are a cyclist and you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend that you do. If you're not a cyclist, I still recommend that you try it...after some training. Otherwise, I highly recommend that you go out and spectate a local cyclocross event.

Seattle Cyclocross Series Race #2 - South Seatac

I'm a little behind on my blog. Just now getting to last Sunday's cross race. It was a fun course, more of a mountain bike style. Not many tight turns or other tough maneuvers. Unless you count the giant sand pit pictured above. No, that's not me - couldn't find anyone that had pics of me from the race. I was there without the family this time. I did run into Brad and Jessica though. Sounded like Brad had a good race and beat his nemesis. I am looking forward to the days where there is actually a single person that is my nemesis and not the entire race ;-) I really struggled with trying to pass on the downhills - need to work up my nerve and just push through. I finished 68 out of 78 (but I think only 73 finished). Much better than last year - where in a few races I didn't even finish on the same lap as the leaders. Even when I did finish on the same lap, I was always dead last. This week we'll be back at South Seatac due to some legal issues with the planned venue for this weeks race. So no excuses, you WILL be reading about how many people I passed this Sunday. Stay tuned...

Crosstoberfest and the Benefits of Going Tubeless

Crosstoberfest arrived and I had missed the first Seattle Cyclocross series race. So it was time to prep for the first cross race of my season. I have been running tubeless on my mountain bike for a while, and recently converted my road bike as well. No problems. So I figured, why not do my cyclocross bike as well?

Here is your answer: because you might find yourself in a cyclocross race at St. Edwards that has a fairly tight radius turn on asphalt and at the critical moment when you are leaning into the turn, the bead of your tire might decide to roll right off the wheel. In this split second, you hear a loud boom and you are suddenly on the ground. The photo above is what the results of that experience might look like. Thanks to Joe Martin for being right there on the scene to get a photo of my on my a$$.

And so it begins...

Been thinking about starting 2 blogs for a while. One for my family and one for my bike obsession. What a surprise, the bike-related one made it into existence first.

Biking is my choice for exercise, which is important in my life. Due to genetics, or really bad luck, or a combination of both; at the age of 31, I had a serious heart attack. Is there a heart attack that isn't serious? No, but I learned that there are varying degrees of heart attack. Mine was described as massive, and has the nickname "the widowmaker". I was always into biking - ever since I can remember. I think my first memories are racing BMX at about age 6 or 7. After my heart attack biking became more of a focul point in my life due to the need for me to lose some weight and stay fit cardiovascularly.

Biking is also an activity in which I can escape whatever is on my mind at the time. And it is an endeavor that presents a lot of challenges for me. Whether it is going more miles, or faster, or more laps in 24-hours; I can always find a new challenge on the bike. That is part of my obsession as much (or more) than just riding.

So I have created this forum for sharing my thoughts/experiences and photos. Feel free to ignore it or comment. I'll keep blogging either way ;-)