Pretty much the same ride, except four laps, including an extra three blocks (two of which were walking my Atlantis on the sidewalk) to hit the Post Office. Today only the clock was working on my computer. 30 minutes. Looks like conditioning may be happening!
It also looks like I need to put the Atlantis on the workstand and spend some time aligning magnets.
Before the ride I removed the MKS Sneaker pedals and installed the MKS Grip King pedals. First thing I noticed is that the Grip Kings are narrower. They are also longer, but the negative of the reduced width far outweighed the positive of the increased length. I noticed no difference in how well my Keen sandals gripped the Grip Kings compared to the Sneaker pedals.
Sometime before the weekend is over I'll be running around putting a tape measure on a bunch of pedals. Stay tuned.
Pedal Fore-Aft Side-Side Weight (oz)
MKS RMX sneaker pedals 3.50 3.50 6.75
MKS Grip King 4.75 3.00 7.50
Specialized rat-trap (on Allez) 3.00 3.75 7.10
Kona Jack Shit 4.00 3.75 9.95
Welllgo BMX (from Onesie) 4.00 3.75 9.50Today I rode essentially the same route I rode yesterday, but I rode my Atlantis, so I had a computer. I'm trusting only the time, because I don't recall having adjusted the wheel circumference calibration after putting on the Big Apples.
22 minutes and 35 seconds. So 24 minutes and four miles looks close enough.
I can tell I've ridden on two consecutive days, but I'm not wiped. Sure do notice that my Atlantis is heavier than Onesie pushing it up the stairs to our apartment. Didn't notice a difference while riding.
Just took Onesie for three easy laps around the neighborhood. 24 minutes, call it four miles. I'm feeling pretty good, so far. Now that I'm working a reduced schedule and the weather is generally pretty nice, I need to see if I can get a training effect by riding regularly.
On Saturday March 20 Dan and I went to Mt. Airy Bicycles to ride a couple of semi-recumbent tandems, a Hase Pino and a Bilenky Viewpoint.
First we took the Pino, shop owner Larry Black's personal steed, for a spin. We did about a one mile loop from the shop on quiet country roads with mild rolling hills. I could tell that Dan was taking some time to getting used to steering the Pino, both because of the bike's configuration, and because he was pushing his old man in front of him.
My stoker's role was easier to get used to, although I did have a problem keeping my feet on the pedals.
The Pino has semi-independent coasting. That is, the stoker can coast whenever he wants, but the captain can coast only when the stoker is coasting.
After we brought back the Pino it took quite awhile before the Viewpoint was ready. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and the shop was very busy. Mt. Airy has the largest and most diverse inventory of bicycles (and tricycles) of any shop I've ever visited, so there was lots of window shopping to be done while we were waiting.
When the Viewpoint was ready we took a couple of turns around the parking lot to get our bearings and then rode the same loop we had ridden on the Pino. I could tell that Dan was getting more comfortable with the handling of these long bikes.
In addition to semi-independent coasting like the Pino, the Viewpoint has an independent stoker gear train. The stoker gear train sort of modulates the bike's main gear train. Our Viewpoint (which was new, unlike the Pino, which was well used) had a 7-speed stoker gear train. Let's call the middle sprocket "neutral," with respect to modulating the bike's gear train. Shifting to a smaller sprocket causes the stoker to perceive that the bike is in a higher gear, and shifting to a larger sprocket causes the stoker to perceive that the bike is in a lower gear. I quickly learned to find the largest sprocket when were were climbing those rollers.
After one loop we rode back the shop to have a couple of adjustments made and to eat the sandwiches Dorothy had so kindly made for us before we left.
We did another one mile loop to test the adjustments, and then we struck out on a longer ride.
On the longer ride, a twelve mile loop, Dan soon discovered that he had never had to shift onto the small chain ring while riding the one mile loop, and now that we were climbing longer, steeper hills, that he was unable to do so. Obviously the bike had needed more time the workstand before being declared ready to ride.
But the extra workout Dan got from riding a double instead of a triple was not to be our last challenge. At around mile eight he discovered that is was possible to shift the chain off the largest rear sprocket into the spokes! We had a difficult chase of chain suck to deal with. Fortunately a good samaritan cyclist coasting down the hill we had been struggling up stopped to help.
We got the chain free but while doing so watched the quick link spontaneously open. Fortunately the piece that fell on the ground was visible amongst the leaves. We got everything back together and finished the ride.
All in all, we had more fun than misery. However, it should be noted that the total of fifteen miles completely wiped me out. My conditioning needs work. I certainly hope my medical issues don't prevent my conditioning from improving as I spend more time riding my bicycles now that we are "weather permitting" most of the time.
Took a spin on my single speed mountain bike this afternoon. Just a couple of easy (no busy streets, no hills) laps around the neighborhood. About 25 minutes. I was huffing and puffing a bit but not totally wiped.
If you really care, I posted a bit on my medical blog about my hernia support belt being more bothersome than I recall from the last time I rode.
This year the NAHBS, an annual event, was held in Richmond, Virginia from Friday February 26 through Sunday February 28. Dan and I had penciled it in months ago because neither of us wanted to pass up this show when the venue was so close. Last year the show was in Indianapolis, the year before that Portland, Oregon, and next year will be in Austin, Texas.
We were able to schedule an Amtrak-based trip that would allow us to spend all day Sunday at the show after spending Saturday night in Richmond.
During our planning research for the trip, Dan discovered a British-style pub near our hotel that had on tap the beer he usually drank during his Junior year abroad in Manchester, England, many years ago when he was a George Washington University undergrad. We agreed to have dinner there Saturday evening.
We got to the hotel and walked (mostly uphill!) a few blocks to the pub. It was very crowded and there were many bikies among the diners and drinkers. We got a table for two, ordered Boddington's and fish and chips, and dug in. Just like in England, the beer was fine and the food mediocre. Dan got his nostalgia fix and we headed back to the hotel. We wanted to get a good night's sleep and to be at the show when it opened at ten.
For various health-related reasons it takes me awhile to get going in the morning, so we set the alarm for 7:30. We were ready to rock and roll by nine and should have had breakfast in the hotel. We were hoping for something better than a hotel breakfast, but didn't find anything in the neighborhood of the show venue, so ended up having breakfast at a hotel across the street from the Coliseum. That took the better part of an hour so we didn't get to the show until 10:30.
That turned out to be OK. It was a great show but by the time the awards ceremony was over it was nearly four and we felt we had done the show justice, and headed for the train station.
I'll go out on a limb and say that the NAHBS is basically a framebuilder's show. There were certainly many vendors at the show who were not framebuilders, but the awards are all for frames and bicycles, and that's what most of the attendees come to see.
One non-framebuilder vendor that Dan and I were particularly interested in was Velo Orange. They had a large booth and virtually their entire product line (including VO-designed production frames) was on display.
Bilenky Cycle Works had a good sized booth with many bikes on display, and won the Best Road Frame award for a lovely tandem. BCW repaired my Atlantis frame after I suffered a vehicular assault and that frame came back to me in wonderful like new condition.
Richard Sachs Cycles also had a good sized booth with many bikes on display, including a couple of cross bikes that looked like they came to the show immediately after finishing a cyclocross race. I had a chance to chat with Richard and mentioned that I had heard a year or so ago that he had stopped taking orders when his backlog reached six years. He nodded to his wife sitting next to him and said that he was taking orders, but whether he was taking orders or not, his backlog is now seven years. Richard won the award for Best Track Frame.
YiPsan Bicycles had a couple of bikes on display that Dan and I really liked. One was a randonneur that was Dan's choice in the People's Choice balloting, and the other a city bike that actually won the People's Choice award.
We also both liked an expedition tourer that was displayed by Coho Bicycles, based, interestingly enough considering the company name, in North Carolina.
A big draw of this show for me was the ability to chat face to face with framebuilders, and I talked to many of them, especially those reasonably local to me. Tom Palermo from Baltimore displayed a road bike, almost a randonneur, that I liked will enough to make my choice in the People's Choice balloting.
Eric Keller and Herbie Helm each had a tiny booth displaying a single frame. Both frames were very nice and both framebuilders had interesting personal stories.
Dan was up for the weekend and we did a little work on a couple of bikes and went for a ride together on Saturday, and then I took a ride on Sunday while Dan was on the bus back to DC.
On Saturday Dan rode my Atlantis so he could check out the Big Apples he got me for an early birthday present, and I rode the Allez to check out the updated gearing.
Dan really liked the Big Apples. The updated gear train on the Allez seems fine. I need to spend more time on the big chainring and verify that the shifting is properly adjusted. Everything was fine on the small chainring, and the extra two low gears I now have prompted me to ride up the little hill from the LIE Service Road back into the neighborhood. 'twas fine.
We rode about 20 minutes. I'm still very deconditioned but improving. This was the longest ride I've taken since I was well into my first cycle of chemo. I've been off the primary drugs for about three weeks now.
On Sunday I rode my Atlantis for 24 minutes (computer is re-installed) to check out those Big Apples. Very nice ride. They don't feel slow at all, but I'll likely do my own version of a VBQ rolling resistance test to verify that.
I'm working from home today and it's a beautiful day so I took a quick spin on the Allez at lunchtime. Just three laps around the neighborhood, maybe 15 minutes. The frame pump and small Acorn bag moved right over from my Atlantis and I was ready to ride. Well, I did have to pump up the tires a bit.
I left the saddle height where Dan had set it. It needs to be a quarter-inch or so lower. And trust me, the difference between a new B.17 Champion Special and one that's broken in is obvious!
I did the entire flat ride in one gear, 42-21 = 54 gear inches. The fact that I currently have only one gear lower than that convinced me to avoid the usual short sharp hills I do on my training route. My planned gear train upgrade (53, 39 chainrings, 14-28 freewheel) will give me a couple of additional low gears and I can give those little hills a shot.
The bike fits well, all things considered. The bar is too low and too narrow for my current riding preference, even on a go-fast bike. And I really need to get better brake pads. Even from the drops, braking is not what it should be. I am, however, quite happy with my Allez, and it can only get better as I tinker with it.
Dan came up for the weekend and we just got back from a little ride in the neighborhood, my first ride of more than five minutes' duration since my surgery. I was a little winded at the end and needed to hit the Gatorade pretty hard, but all in all it was great!
I rode my Atlantis and Dan rode the Allez. I managed to reset my cyclocomputer when I dismounted it, but I'd guess we did about 5 miles in 30 minutes; the short version of my neighborhood training ride.
Before we rode we spent some time getting the Allez ready. Mounted the big rivet, copper rail B.17, and replaced the 700×23c tires with 700×28c wire bead Panaracer Paselas. Dan still thought the tires were hard and skinny, but I'm sure the ride would have been harsher with the tires we replaced.
During the preparations I determined that the 6-speed freewheel is 13-23, not 13-21 as I previously thought. During the ride Dan noticed an extra click on his right shifter; the seller told me it had been replaced, so it's likely a 7-speed, rather than 6-speed, indexed shifter. Too cool since I intend to swap in a 7-speed freewheel.
To the storage shed:
From the storage shed:
I didn't find the tubes with Woods valves. I didn't have time to check the back room for additional candidates. No additional chainrings and the only Technomic stem I found was the 60mm stem that came with the Waterford frame.
Dan took a "Chinatown" bus from DC to NYC and spent the long weekend with us. Great visit and Dan and I made good headway on my Atlantis To-Do list:
I'm going to ride the Atlantis for awhile with the bar un-taped to make sure I have the brake levers mounted where I really want them on the new Noodle bar.
Over time I've accumulated a number of wheels that have been filling up our back room and my RAV. It's time to take them to the storage shed.
This one is a possible rear wheel for the Waterford build. I have NOS Daytona 10-speed Ergo brifters and a new Miche 13-29 10-speed cassette.
Also a possibility for the Waterford build. Rear rim is a Mavic MA 40 and the front is a Matrix Aurora (they are visually similar). Front skewer is Campy; rear is generic Shimano, and needs to be cleaned up. 13-26 cassette and 700×25c tires (front: Vittoria Freedom Tecno Twin Tread; rear: Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case) included. I have two sets of Campy 8-speed Ergo brifters, one Chorus and one I'm not sure about.
Yet another possibility for the Waterford. Rear skewer is Dura Ace, no front skewer. Continental Grand Prix 700×23c tire on rear (no front tire). I have a set of like new Shimano Sora 8-speed brifters.
Generic skewer. I bought this wheel primarily for the rim. We'll see where it ends up.
My only current frame with 126mm OLD is the Maruishi and these puppies ain't going on that bike. Includes Vittoria Corsa CX tires (need to be reglued) and a mint 14-22 Dura Ace 7-speed freewheel. I gave $35 for this wheelset; I've always been curious about tubies and this was just too good a deal to pass on.
Dan, Dorothy, and Alexander were in NYC for the weekend and spent some time at our place on Long Island. Dan and I did a little work on my Atlantis.
I now have a cyclo-computer (with cadence!) and the N-Gear Jump Stop is installed. Dan also replaced a poorly positioned zip tie on my rear fender with two properly placed zip ties, and that fender is now much better aligned.
Dan did most of the work and I read instructions and handed him tools and held a light. Quite a role reversal from earlier times. He obviously learned a lot building up his Mother Trucker.
Tasks still pending:
Dan and I had originally planned to take five days to do the entire length of the C&O Canal towpath, but medical issues intervened, and we did a two day trip instead.
We spent most of Wednesday finishing the build on Mother Trucker, Dan's new Surly Long Haul Trucker that he's built from a bare frame and fork. Owing to mounting issues (since resolved, he tells me), he made the trip without a front fender, and owing to a lack of time, his bar wasn't wrapped. Other than that, MT was pretty much built as planned and ready for a shakedown cruise.
Most folks would have started with a ride around the block, but Dan and I headed out about 11am Thursday, hoping to make it to the last hiker biker site before White's Ferry on the C&O Canal towpath.
We made a quick stop when we reached the Capital Crescent trail for Dan to make an adjustment to MT's stem and bar. Later in the day he made a slight adjustment to his saddle position. That was all the TLC MT required on the trip. My Volpe lost a fender and rack mounting bolt near the end of the first day's ride. Fortunately, an unused water bottle cage mounting bolt fit, and that repair was quickly made.
We made it to our desired camping spot, pitched the tent, and then rode to White's Ferry to see what we could pick up at the store at the ferry landing. Slim pickings. We bought water and Gatorade and Dan bought some chips and I bought a couple of bananas. We got back to the campsite to finish our day's ride at about 6pm.
At the end of day 1, Volpe's computer showed 3 hours and 48 minutes of riding time, total mileage of 39.1, and an average speed of 10.2mph.
We finished setting up camp, had our evening snack, and were in the tent (sans fly, betting on no rain, because all that netting makes the hot, muggy night more tolerable) by 8pm. Uneventful night and Dan's Blackberry went off at 6am.
We broke camp, had our morning snack, and were on our way by around 7:30.
We took the ferry across the river and then rode a few miles on the road to Leesburg where we picked up the W&OD MUP. The paved path was a nicer riding surface than the crushed limestone (and rocks and roots and mud) of the C&O towpath, but we sure missed the shade!
Dan would have made much better time, but my butt was dragging, especially on any stretch of uphill in the sun (and there were plenty of those). We stopped in Herndon for bread and coffee, and made several rest stops along the path.
Our destination was the East Falls Church Metro station and we made it shortly after noon. We boarded Metro and I insisted on going all the way to the Woodley Park station since I felt in no condition to ride up 18th Street on the way to Dan's place.
We got back to Dan's around two, and the immediate order of business was a shower, a bowl of ice cream, and a nap!
At the end of day 2, Volpe's computer showed 7 hours and 23 minutes of riding time, total mileage of 75.1, and an average speed of 10.1mph.