Cycling 2014 - In honor of MDS

[mitlen]

Yinz must have exceptionally strong legs...perogie power!

When I read the original post, I looked at some of the pictures of my hometown just to be sure I wasn't making things up.    There was one street/hill that was probably twice as long as Canton.    We'd ride bikes on it in the summer and sled ride down it in the winter.    Canton's just beyond the 18:30 minute mark in the following video:

 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

down and back to mount vernon plus a trip along the scenic 4 mile run = 35 miles today.

[mitlen]

down and back to mount vernon plus a trip along the scenic 4 mile run = 35 miles today.

Very nice.   Back when I lived in Arlington, I'd make the trip to Mount Vernon.   The first time I did it, I 'bout died.    I didn't realize that Mount Vernon sits well above the rest of the trail.          After 15 or so miles, that little hill gassed me.    Goin' back, not so much.   

[tomterp]

Very nice.   Back when I lived in Arlington, I'd make the trip to Mount Vernon.   The first time I did it, I 'bout died.    I didn't realize that Mount Vernon sits well above the rest of the trail.          After 15 or so miles, that little hill gassed me.    Goin' back, not so much.   

They straightened out that last little hill before the Mount.   

The pussification of the Mount Vernon trail. 

[comish4lif]

I.am doing the 50 mile ride up here in the Hartford area.

If you wish to support MS here's the link:
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[MarquisDeSade]

I.am doing the 50 mile ride up here in the Hartford area.

Did you move?  Went on my first ride in over two months yesterday.  Definitely going to take a while to get back into riding shape.

[comish4lif]

Did you move?  Went on my first ride in over two months yesterday.  Definitely going to take a while to get back into riding shape.

Yep.

I left DC for the lush hills of central CT. Southington, CT specifically. The DMZ for the Yankees and Red Sox fan bases.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Had to use a bright headlight (i.e. more than just a blinkie)...I forgot how many flying bugs were out after dark before the weather turns cold.  Dinner on the wing. 

[tomterp]

Did you move?  Went on my first ride in over two months yesterday.  Definitely going to take a while to get back into riding shape.

 

Dood, you live in stinking Minnesota, you sleep through 8 of the 12 week cycling season?   

[MarquisDeSade]

Dood, you live in stinking Minnesota, you sleep through 8 of the 12 week cycling season?   

Unless we have another winter as bad as this past one (worst since the 1800s and the invention of the modern thermometer) there should only be a few days where I can't ride.  Getting sick sucks but it beats being six feet deep.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Winter riding is great if the roads are clear.  You just have to switch to a chain lube that won't gum up and wrap the light batteries in some kind of insulation. 

[tomterp]

Unless we have another winter as bad as this past one (worst since the 1800s and the invention of the modern thermometer) there should only be a few days where I can't ride.  Getting sick sucks but it beats being six feet deep.

Sorry to hear you were sick.

I was in Winnipeg over the winter and three guys rode all winter, but that looked harrowing to me.  No sidewalks cause of so much snow piled everywhere, dark both morning and evening, riding on potholed streets in rush hour traffic, no thanks.

[MarquisDeSade]

It's not that bad if you have studded tyres or ride a fat bike.  The biggest issue, like Ali said, is that you have to "winterize" your bike so the chain doesn't gun up from salt but most people, if they're not doing super long commutes, just go with a single speed so you've only got a chain to replace every couple of weeks.  Me, I have a winter beater ('80s Japanese Steel) that I'm building up as a single speed that can take fatter studded tyres.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Having had my odometer roll over quite a few times since I regularly commuted in all weather, I'm a bit more selective about riding conditions (no ice or snow, broken bones ain't worth it), but there is no such thing as too cold (around here anyways).  Salt is the biggest problem - it just eats steel parts such as chains, derailleur pivots, cables, etc.  I guess you can put on a Wippermann stainless chain and go all titanium with the rest of the bike, but for that kind of investment you might as well just fly first class to Australia and ride in summer sunshine.   

[MarquisDeSade]

I won't ride in anything below 0° with the windchill or after any "warm" days in the winter, the ice just isn't werth it.  Once it gets below 0° here you're totally boned if anything goes wrong, even something minor like a flat.  That said, I overhauled my main bike with stainless steel cables and bought a decent supply of chains so riding this winter won't be a big deal.  Just need to summon up the motivation to ride every day.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

That Lumina 650 light I bought on your recommendation has certainly lived up to the billing.  It's about the same light output as my old helmet-mounted HID light, but without the big battery or cables all over the place.  There's probably far better stuff out there now, but why fix what ain't broken. 

[MarquisDeSade]

I just found mine along with my bibs this morning so I'm going to try and ride over to Midway to take in the Replacements show tomorrow.  Here comes Jane and she's wearing a chain.  Can't believe Westerberg moved to Edina.  Be like our old buddy Henry Garfield moving to Potomac.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

However you get there, go to that damned show!  I kind of sort of vaguely have fuzzy memories of the 'Mats opening for Hüsker Dü (or perhaps it was the other way around) at DC Space...ringing ears and lots of bruises the next day, must have been a fun show 

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Mkay, now I'm jealous

[JCA-CrystalCity]

http://www.theouterline.com/anti-doping-is-the-cure-worse-than-the-disease/

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Good read.

[HalfSmokes]

It reminds me of what is happening in a lot of sports. Increasingly, it seems like commissioners/governing bodies like to vilify athletes be it though insanely aggressive doping investigations (cycling is the prime example, but also the lengths that baseball went to to get Arod and track in general) or through portrayals of athletes as spoiled (here's a recent gem from the blue jackets, http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2014/09/17/0917-johansen-turns-down-contract-offer.html but the tenure during most CBA negotiations is the same) trying to curry favor with the public- it may work, people may think these execs are great people, but you've also sullied the players that people actually watch. The NBA seems to be the enormous exception to this with the lengths they go to to prop up and actively market their stars- I think it may be the better way

[JCA-CrystalCity]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/track/live-video-jens-voigt-hour-record-attempt_346456

on pace

51.115 km

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

 

It's going to suck not having him in the Tour next year. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Realistically, this mark just sets a new bar for Cancellara, Martin, and Wiggins to aim for.  With the use of modern pursuit bikes and no longer the Eddie Merckx technology and rules, it's not a huge surprise that the record fell.  Cancellara reportedly thought it was not challenging enough to be the first to try it once the rules changed in May.  But still, Jens was picking up speed in the last 10 minutes, and he'll always have a record.  It may be a while before a 40+ year old breaks it.