FeralBlog

No riding the last few days because I was in San Diego with my mom. My occasional riding partner Darcey had texted me to find out if I wanted to ride Sunday a.m., and I was pretty bummed that I wasn’t able to. Today the weather cooperated and I took a break from work to go out on the same loop as last time.

16.38 miles
30.7 mph max speed
14.9 mph avg speed (less than last time! boo hiss!)
1:06 ride time

(With a nod to fixedgear for the formatting)

Finally ordered a cyclocomputer for the fixie to start keeping track of my riding so I could measure progress. Went out just as the sun was getting low, went down Old Spanish Trail past my usual turn-around point of Saguaro East, and made it almost all the way to Colossal Cave. The ride gets much more interesting further east, with lots of rolling hills(!), including one nasty one that nearly equalled some of the steeper ones on my Pittsburgh commute. I turned around after that one (it’s uphill on the way back), and made it back just as it was falling dark.

15.68 miles
27.9 mph max speed
15.1 mph avg speed
1:02 ride time

Not that I haven’t been riding, but just haven’t been writing about it much lately. Yesterday I went after work for a lovely drive up to Sabino Canyon and back. I got motivated to do that ride because it looked very pretty going up there on Sunday with my evil stepmom and Zachary, and as a bonus it was hilly without being Mt. Lemmon.

The ride up was lovely, although I was almost out of water by the time I got to the rec area. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when it gets even hotter; either put more bottle cages under my seat, or start carrying some full Nalgenes in my messenger bag. I’m just now getting over a cold I’ve had since my doctor’s appointment last week, and all that stress wore my immune system down to a nub, and I immediately caught a cold from Kim, who had caught one from Zachary, who probably caught it from some germ-factory at his school. It felt good to ride, to be out sweating and having to work to keep cadence. I saw some bikers out, and I always feel vaguely silly that I’m riding some sort of middle ground between the guys riding the Lance Armstrong Trek bike (with the Lance Armstrong USPS clothes and the Lance Armstrong testicle removal plastic surgery) and the guys riding a beat-up mountain bike clearly going to school/work. I’m out there usually in baggy mtb shorts and a jersey without all kinds of gaudy logos and such over it, messenger bag on, riding my fixie.

Considering how cycle-mad this town is, I’m suprised that I haven’t seen more serious fixed riders; although I did see a guy on a single-speed mountain bike the other day (shades of old bmj). There is a decent site out there, (“the home of ASS”), but the events don’t seem to be updated all that frequently.

Anywho… on the way back I noticed a blur of a chunk of something stuck in my front tire, just left of center. Thinking that I probably didn’t want to put my weight on it making a leaning left turn, I slowed down and stuck my glove over the tire to brush it off. Big mistake. “fwip” “sssssssssssssssssssssss” Yup, I flatted right on the Tanque Verde Wash overpass. Changing the tire was quick and uneventful, but my handpump doesn’t seem to be worth a shite. I could only get the pressure up to about 60 without putting the little pump lever all the way through my hand, so I limped on it to the LBS. While there I picked up a replacement tube (David told me to always keep two on hand) as well as one of those universal CO^2^ cartridge pump dealies. Still need to get a computer to start keeping track of my rides, since I seem to only get around on the fixie these days, as well as a slightly more comfortable split saddle. More toys, more toys.

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dusty, originally uploaded by feralboy.

Because of the recent posts floating around from friends about their rides, I’ve realized that I’ve not been riding nearly as much as I should be, especially considering that Brian is fighting through slushy 20-degree mornings while I have the luxury of riding in “75-degree sunshine”:http://www.weatherunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=tucson,%20az.

This week I’ve found a new favorite riding loop for after work. Down Houghton, and then ride down Old Spanish Trail to the Saguaro National Park and back. It’s a beautiful ride, with smooth tarmac and gently rolling hills. You go past all sorts of beautiful desert landscape, as well as some fantastic homes. I’ve gone twice this week, and I’m planning on going again today, and this time I’ll bring the camera so I can share a bit.

Recently I made a few modifications to my fixie; namely I took off the rear brake and put in a quick-release axle on the front in case I need to put it on my bike rack (dropping the car off in the morning for servicing comes to mind). Few more things left… I’d like to get a better seat instead of the stock one, maybe the same split seat I have on the road bike. Also, I need to pick up a cyclocomputer to have a better idea about my speed and mileage so I can know when I’m slacking.

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Fixies, Coney Island, originally uploaded by Lasagna Boy.

Awesome picture

• Leaving this weekend to go on the family vacation to Antigua. We’ll be staying at a lovely resort on the south part of the island. I’m not super into laying on the beach, but there are a few things I think I’ll be able to do: 1) Sleep. 2) Do lots of pushups and situps to get my flabby body back into shape in preparation for a winter of Hueco bouldering. 3) Catch up on some reading. 4) walk around with my climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Virgin Gorda is too far away to take a puddle jumper, but it’s the same volcanic formation, I think.. so there’s probably at least a little bit of bouldering to be had on the island. 5) The place we’re staying has a casino, and there’s also a nice looking one a cab ride away. I figure there will be lots of fishy tourists (not including me, of course), so if I can find some $2/4 hold ‘em I’ll be very happy.
• It’s been pretty quiet here. Paul and April got married in New York over the weekend, and are on vacation in Banff and Jasper parks in Canada. I think they come back a week after I get back, and it will be good to see them. I have to order more holds for the woody, and have some problems set for when they get back.
• Been getting out and about on my fixed-gear bike. It’s a whole different kind of riding, but it’s really nice to have something that’s so cheap and so easy to maintain.
• Poore Brothers Habanero Potato Chips are the shit.
• My cat is a one-cat lizard-killing machine. I found 3 small ones scattered around the guest house just yesterday. You know that awful smell when you drive by a dead deer or something on the side of the road? Shrink that down about a fifth, and that’s what the little treats are that my special boy is leaving for me.

Well, this past weekend was the MS150 ride, from Cranberry to Lake Erie in Ohio. 150 miles over 2 days; 80 the first day (I skipped the 100-mile “century” option) and 70 the 2nd day.

I think I was more worried about the planning for the trip, and remembering to bring all the right things than I was about the actual ride. David was very helpful and sent a list of what to bring, what to eat, what to drink, etc. (more…)

Pat pointed out the Ghost Bike project that started this week. Basically a bunch of bikers took old bikes, painted them completely white, and started hanging them in places where bikers had been struck (although not necessarily killed). I think it’s a good idea as far as bringing awareness, but it troubles me slightly that the first two places pictured are on my commute route.

Fun little ride yesterday. Met up with David, Casey, Aaron and some guy Mike at the oval bike track on Washington Blvd, and then we went over the R. D. Fleming bridge and up through Etna on Middle Rd. Hit 910, went east, came down into Harmarville where it catches 28, across the bridge into Oakmont, and then back down the Allegheney River Blvd. About a 30-mile loop, so probably about 40 total with the ride to and from the starting point. I felt pretty good at the end of it (and even rode in today!), so hopefully I’ll be in good shape for the MS150 in about a month.

Speaking of which, I finally have my donation page set up! I only want to raise the minimum to ride, so if you feel like donating $5, be my guest! It’s for a good cause, really… it’s not funding my poker habit at all.

I’ve decided to try and kick up my game a little bit with the cycling. I’m going to try and do the 62-mile course for the Pedal Pittsburgh ride in about 3 weeks, and then attempt the Escape to the Lake in June, which is 150 miles over 2 days. Apparently lots of people that I know are doing the MS 150, which means that it should actually be a good time. According to my co-worker, who has done it the last 7 years running or so, “it’s the best workout you’ll get all year.” I’m kinda down with that. So, that means a whole lot of riding into work on consecutive days to try and get in a little bit better shape, and the 60-mile Pedal Pittsburgh should be a good acid test to see if I can hack the 80-mile Day 1 of the MS 150.

And hey, if anyone wants to donate money for the MS ride, I need to raise $200 to enter, and I’ll probably only hit my family up for half of that.