Kansas Solitude

I love cycling in Kansas. Sure we don't have giant mountains or large flowing rivers or an ocean view but we have something that is a cycling challenge, WIND. I am acually growing to like the wind. I know that sounds stupid as I am usually cussing under my breath for the first 15-20 minutes at it. The tougher the climb the cooler the ride down.
Friday, My son and I went to Wichita to look at a bike a cycling/facebook/twitter/blog friend of mine had. Robert Garcia of RiverCityCycling had an amazing Koga Miyata 610 from 1980. Almost showroom quality. Not sure what that is since I was looking at it in a garage. I took my 52/54 cm(not sure) Raleigh Capri. I got it from a friend who did not need it and so I worked it into shape. I was looking to trade bikes and Robert obliged me. AMAZING how much the right size bike matters for speed and endurance. The Miyata is a lighter and much better bike. I consider Robert's "trade" as more of a gift. Thank You Robert again. Someday when I get a new bike, I will make sure someone who needs a cycling boost gets this Japanese wonder bike. I spent 2 hours in the garage getting it ready for me to ride it. Lights, cages, and bags. I took it for a short spin and ended up riding 20 miles. I could not stop. I felt like a kid on Christmas who got the new bike and would ride circles under the street light for hours after dark. The difference was not freezing to death. I averaged 14 mph on my 20 mile ride. I thought, surely my speedometer must be off. I checked it and no it is correct. I went up over 2 mph on average. WOW. I feel like the ankle weights have been lifted.
Saturday I did 32 miles. I have never done more than 24-25 miles in a single ride. I rode to Sedgwick from Newton on Ridge rd and then to 81 on county line road. 81 highway was a racetrack on the way home. I averged 14.2 mph for the trip but hit 30 mph many times and never dropped below 20mph. I did another 20 on Sunday and averaged 14.4 mph. I did another 12 this morning at about 14.3 mph avg.

Hard to believe that it has only been a little over a year since my neck surgery. I am loving life and HIGH on cycling and this new to me bike.

Sunday Ride

The day was amazing for riding. North wind about 15 mph could have been better but we have to get some kind of workout. Ray Olais and I rode 23 miles in 1 hour and 45 minutes. We averaged 12.8 mph. We rode north on K15 to old Dutch Ave. and rode west to Hesston and then took ridge south to 12th street. We cycled back into Newton. We only avg 10.4 mph. On the ride south we ran 19 mph minimum but most of the ride was 22 to 26 mph. Legs were burning the whole way. Got some new Pearl Izummo road cycling shorts and they made the ride really nice. No drawstring feels odd but I guess I just need to do some more sit ups to flatten ma belly...I burned over 1500 calories on the ride. I took in maybe 2500 calories in today if not a little more. Damn big brunch and then pasta for dinner. I plan on riding for an hour tomorrow morning. I hope that means about 12 to 13 miles. I plan to do 25 tomorrow afternoon from 3:30 to 5:30.

My debaters are getting their State Debate trophy photos tomorrow night. Red Room Studios here in Newton, KS. I hope the kids all show up.

More Snow

 

I got the camera out and tried to be a photographer.

COLD AND SNOW!!!

Other than the extreme cold and the 8 inches of snow, it looks like a perfect day for riding. The sun is super bright and makes me want to go outside and ride. That is till I actually get outside into the cold. I guess maybe I have become a wimp as far as the weather. When I was much heavier, I did not have a problem with the cold. Now I get cold really easily and since my neck surgery last spring, I am incredibly sensitive the low temps.
I have heard them all. "Cyclist make their own heat." Yep we do but the first 20 minutes of cold kicks my ass. The problem is I over dress for the first 20 and then I am too warm and sweat like crazy followed by being very cold.

Winter Motivation

Sitting here about to get my butt off the couch. Motivation to go out into a very cool 42 degrees with a north wind about 15 mph....ideas? Report back when I am finished...

National Winter Bike to Work(school) Day

Newton HS bike club is meeting tomorrow during seminar and hopefully we will have a good day for the ride to school. I am trying to think of some alternative club activities other than a ride if it is raining during club time. I am not sure how many people read this but those who do not understand NHS's club system. We are not a normal bike club that mainly rides and does some other fundraising or events. I teach HS and will have 50 minutes or so with the kids inside. If we ride then great and we can get back late as it is at the end of the day. We just continue our ride after school is out.

I need to plan an indoor bike activity. Here are some possible options.

How to adjust your brakes
How to adjust your rear derailer:
How to change a flat tire
How to patch a tube
How to repack hub bearings
The how to change a flat is probably the best bet but they might already know to do that.
What to pack in your seat bag and why you should have a seat bag.

The seat bag discussion is pretty important especially if on a longer ride. Extra tube is a really important part along with a pump and tire levers. A patch kit is also important. Sometimes we get more than one flat. Patching a tire successfully might be the difference between a long ride and long walk.

Mechanical Problems

I love working on my bike when I am not riding it, but come on! Saturday night I repacked my bearings on hubs of my old steel rims on my road bike. Need new ball bearings to really make improvements but some grease is better than NONE AT ALL. Only thing is I still have not mastered how tight I should tighten them after I am done. SO I am rolling along headfirst into a killer south wind but it is warm and beautiful so I don't care really. I am downtown Newton ready to ride south till I am bored, tired, or in Wichita. (LOL yea right) I love riding in Kansas, as you never know what will happen next with the weather. My back tire/wheel started feeling odd and fighting against me more than normal. I got off and pulled it up on the sidewalk and checked and it was like the brakes were locked even though the pads were not touching at all. I had tightened the bearing cups or whatever they are called a little too much and they worked into being WAY TOO TIGHT.

Went in the afternoon on Sunday to meet with Robert Garcia of Rivercitycyclist about a bike trade. I gave him an old girls trek I had and he gave me some aluminum shimano rims with a single speed cog on them with some decent tires. I thought I could fix it myself, but changing the cassette was problematic. My old freewheel was not compatible but John Hobbs from Great Plains Bike Repair/Bike SHop is truing my rims and switching out for a used cassette I bought from him for 10 bucks. This guy is super nice and very reasonable. Way cheaper than the bike shops in WIchita. No offense to those guys in ICT but they have way more overhead. So I should get it back today and switching cassette, buying cassette, truing 2 rims and making it all work. $35.00 to $40.00 bucks. I could not touch this job for less than 100 in Wichita at Bike Exchange. Plus this way I am sure the parts he puts on are what he says. Got a shifter "replaced" at bike Ex. and it looked JUST like the old one with the same scratches and all. I hope I have my new improved road bike by this evening's ride.!!!