21 posts tagged “bicycles”
Weight
The less stuff you have on the bike, the less work it is to drag yourself up a mountain.
Last year I used a seat bag, my camelback backpack (for water, but holds a few items) and a small bag on the rack. But, the ride is so well-organized you really don't need to carry much at all. So this year I'll be using just the seat bag and the camelback. I took off the rear rack entirely and also removed the fenders (which I left on last year because I am lazy). I'll also take off the U-Lock mount once we get there.
On a more personal level, I am 1.5 pounds ligther than I was at the start of the Trek last year, so that will help. I have a much shorter haircut, but I don't think that adds up to much :)
Bike Modifications
True these add a little weight, but hopefully performance gains cancel out the grams.
A couple of weeks ago I got new pedals and added powergrips. Since I ride this bike all over town I don't want to deal with clipless pedals, even if they would be more efficient. They seem to be helping out. I also added bar ends, which will give me more hand positions while riding. This is good on a long ride.
I put on the skinny tires (700 x 23) last week, which make a huge difference. I didn't put them on earlier this year because the roads in Maine are still in lousy condition from the rough winter and I didn't want to deal with potential flats every week.
Over the winter I got a new crankset and that has worked out nicely. I also replaced the shift cables and front derailleur recently.
Weather
Well, tomorrow looks like it will be a perfect day to start the ride - sunny and 79 degrees. This is about six degrees cooler than last year. Unfortunately, thunderstorms loom Saturday and Sunday so we'll see what happens. Riding in the rain is not a big deal, but everything changes depending on which way the wind is blowing, and how strongly.
Logistics
This year, instead of waking up way too early and driving the 1.5 hours to the start point at Sunday River, I am headed up this afternoon. I'll be camping out at Sunday River so come Friday morning I'll be all checked in and ready to ride. Several co-workers decided to ride this year as well, so I am on a team! I am hitching a ride up with a co-worker. The end point is in Belfast instead of Owls Head, no doubt due to the mess that ensued with people trying to get to/out of there last year. I'll be taking a bus from Belfast back to Portland with a bunch of other tired riders.
Instead of camping every night, I'll be staying at the dorms at each stop point. That's one of the benefits of signing up a year in advance, and it may prove quite beneficial (see Weather, above).
That's about it! You can still donate to the American Lung Association of Maine in support of my ride if you are so inclined. I'll be moblogging pics and reports here, and I'll deliver commentary from the road via Twitter as well.
This post is part of the 10 Posts For $10 series to raise money for the American Lung Association by supporting my bike ride across Maine.
Yesterday I took the bike to pick up my lunch and ended up going 5,000 miles. Not in that trip alone, but that two mile ride put me over the top, giving me over 5,000 miles in just under two years. It was in May 2006 that I decided I'd rescue my bike from neglect and tackle the commute to work.
I started tracking my miles at We Endure. Along with keeping track of miles, it shows me how I've improved in terms of average speed and gives me motivation on those not-so-perfect ride days. I recently passed the 1,000 mile mark since January, whereas in the same timeframe last year I had covered just over 450 miles. Knowing that slogging through the snow of winter made such a difference is heartening.
After surviving a colder and snowier than usual December, January 2008 is off to a mixed start. Last week began with piles of snow and then ice ruts from the two feet of snow that fell on New Year's Eve & Day. Friday was my coldest commute yet at 2 degrees F! Out of paranoia I actually over-layered and was too warm. By contrast it is 43 degrees F today (and, the streets are mostly melted clear).
I took the Christmas lights off the bike and stored them for next year. The days are getting a little longer, and we'll see how many days I can stay on the bike this winter. Last year the real snow didn't hit until Feb/March/April!
Got my bike all festooned for holiday travels:
These battery-powered L.E.D. lights are amazingly bright! I've had some good comments on them so far.
It is an unseasonably warm day (upper 50s F) and the sun is kind of shining, so I decided to do a quick lunchtime ride into the Old Port section of Portland. It's a pretty good ride - there is one downhill section where you pick up speed and end up coasting at 30 mph. Then I meandered down Commercial Street and sat for a while. It was nice to let the breeze and sun and random bits of cruise ship tourist conversations wash over me. Then a quick ride back up the hill and over the bay.
Somewhere during my bike ride to the beach this weekend, I passed the 2,000 mile mark for this year. Combined with over 1,000 miles for last year gives me about 3,100 miles total since I got the bike up and running again last spring. Let's see how many more I can cram in before icy roads set in :)
Unfortunately, I never counted miles back when I road in Menlo Park so I have no idea on the bike's total mileage.
