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HC Bike/Cycling Thread


boomana

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Found out today that I have to be in Wilton Manors in Ft. Lauderdale at 5:30 AM on Saturday for registration and mandatory safety training for this ride I committed to do on Saturday.  That means I need to leave my house at 4:45.  That's seriously early, even for me.    Between the sucky course, the early time, and the fact that there are going to be people who need safety training prior to heading out has me really wishing I could come up with a good excuse to bow out gracefully, but I already made a promise to ride with someone on his first metric, so I'm in.  Maybe a thunderstorm could be brewing.....just hoping.......

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Vicki,

 

The safety training is just probably to cover their own asses. Will someone need it? Sure, but most won't.

The HUGE ride (2000+ people) in Chattanooga last weekend had a fatality. It was actually someone who had made the trip from Tampa. HORRIBLE conditions, but things happen.

If it's your friend's first metric, it's probably not going to be as effortless to do 62 for him as it is for you, so it should be a long, leisurely ride for you, and I'm sure your friend will be very grateful that you're riding it with him.

If it's too early for you, I'm sure there's a hotel right at the course. Will it be 80-90$? Sure. Will you possibly be happier riding your bike out of the hotel as opposed to packing up and driving 45 minutes? Perhaps. Find out if you HAVE to be there (for real) that early. I know for my ride, I'm going to head out at maybe 9, but registration opens at 6. They may want you there an hour early, but that 5:45 call may be for the century people. I'd pick up the phone and call the race organizer.

**BRENT**

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This being a headphone forum, I thought I would ask if it is acceptable to sell my primary rig, Beta22 and LCD2, to fund a bike frame/fork purchase.  There are three frames fro sale on paceline that I would love to have.  A Speedvagon, Kirk, and Firefly all with measurements that are damn near perfect for me.  I would only be able to pick one of the three which would be hard enough to do. 

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I have noticed as I get older my tastes are changing.  I figured you guys would understand.  Pick your poison is definitely right.  Yesterday I spent almost $5K to sign up for an IT(CEH) boot camp during my vacation.  I would have never done that a couple of years ago.  Priorities change. 

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I say do it!

 

So my ride was pretty much as predicted, but I still had fun and met some good people.  It was the first year for the ride and only about 60 riders signed up, with only ten of us doing more than 30.  I ended up riding with a small group of docs and nurses from Broward General Hospital that were raising money for Children's Diagnostic Center.  None of us could read the freaking cue sheets.  It was pretty funny.  We got pounded by the wind and eventual rain of a fast storm that came through, ended up in really heavy traffic down by Broward General and so far off course, we called it a day around mile 52.  Got met at the end by drag queens spraying us with lavender, which I have to say was a first for me.  

 

John and I are riding tomorrow morning, so hoping for better weather.  

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So I'm wondering... how do you people ride in the rain? I went on a training ride today, and got in way too few miles before it just started POURING down rain. I stopped to help a rider with some mechanical problems (3 hour old bike's chain just got mangled... there was no road-side fixing going to happen today), and the bottom fell out.  Luckily, we were pretty close to some tree cover, so we got him and his daughter/grandkids out of the rain for the most part. They had their SAG vehicle (grandma) pick them up in the truck, and they offered me a lift back, but I decided to get a few miles in in the rain.

Even wearing glasses, (was sunny when we left), the rain was pelting me in the eye, and the last mile or so I just rode with one eye closed. Seriously, I don't see how you guys do it.

It's going to be pretty tough to realistically do the 35 mile TdC ride, for me, and there is always the 25 mile option to fall back on, but I'm hoping I'm going to be up to it.  3 weekends in a row of it just pouring down... it's been a frustrating month, riding wise.

 

**BRENT**

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Brent rain can be tough on vision.  Things that have worked for me in eyewear is to have a pair that's fitted quite close to your face.  Big gaps are not your friend in this case.The problem with glasses fitting like this is that fogging then becomes an issue when stopped or riding slow.  There are some things that can be applied to the lenses that will help to reduce the fogging but right now I can't remember the brand names.  If I know I'm going to be out in the rain for a while I've actually got a couple of pairs of less expensive glasses that I've treated with rain-x which sounds goofy but in this case it does work.  I don't use the stuff on my better glasses because I just don't know how or if it'll damage the lenses over time though.  

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I say do it!

 

So my ride was pretty much as predicted, but I still had fun and met some good people.  It was the first year for the ride and only about 60 riders signed up, with only ten of us doing more than 30.  I ended up riding with a small group of docs and nurses from Broward General Hospital that were raising money for Children's Diagnostic Center.  None of us could read the freaking cue sheets.  It was pretty funny.  We got pounded by the wind and eventual rain of a fast storm that came through, ended up in really heavy traffic down by Broward General and so far off course, we called it a day around mile 52.  Got met at the end by drag queens spraying us with lavender, which I have to say was a first for me.  

 

John and I are riding tomorrow morning, so hoping for better weather.  

 

 

 

Wild.

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Did a short 15 mile ride this morning to try out the new Compact crank.  Huge difference.  On the way back I kept looking for the hill climb that always kills me and realized by the time I got back to my truck that I had done it without even noticing.  It does make much of the little ring fairly useless as the hills around here do not really need much gearing with the compact.  Destroyed my PRs and averaged over 17MPH for this ride which made me happy.

 

Wind was really tough as the, I think Cottonwood trees, were pouring shit down that was peppering my eyes the whole way.  I need some riding glasses as my Maui Jim Ti do not give enough eye protection.

Edited by VPI
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John is a cranky wimp.

 

 

I meant the lavender spray.  :laugh:

 

 

P.S. Did a hard ride around the island yesterday. Pic of the North Shore of Oahu--not many opps. for some good shots if you get my meaning. At least the sky is blue and the trees green.

 

 

 

8730741817_d40259da2f_c.jpg
IMG_0556 by pigmode, on Flickr
Edited by pigmode
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Glad you're liking the Cannondale, pigmode.

 

Brent, I don't mind riding in the rain as long as there is no lightening.  I hate the first couple minutes, but after that, I just have fun, even if the rain is stinging my face.  I wear prescription glasses, so I'm pretty blind once it starts raining, but that really doesn't bother me.  I didn't have a car for a couple years when I moved down here from Manhattan, so I got used to riding in the rain, sometimes every day for weeks.  Braking, when riding in heavy traffic while in heavy rain bothers me a little.  I don't mind it when I'm alone, but I didn't like it yesterday when riding in a larger group.  I'm just paranoid and don't trust others.  What I find more annoying is cleaning all the wet, greasy sand hiding in all the nooks and crannies of my bike in rainy weather.  I'm a bit ocd with it, but spent over a half hour, both yesterday and today, with pipe cleaners when the regular brushes and wash didn't do it perfectly 

 

So I was a bit unfair to John.  I thought he was just whining and trying to get out of riding as far as I wanted, but turns out he was genuinely exhausted from lack of sleep, and hadn't put in many miles recently.  He now wins the trooper award for completing 60 windy miles with me.  Sorry John.   :(   It was, at least, a gorgeous day to ride.

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After talking with the wife she gave me the okay to get this.  What do you guys think?  I measured my current bike and compared the numbers. They are almost the same except this has a taller head tube and less drop.  That is exactly what I need right now.  I cut some wood blocks and held them against the bars to simulate the difference that other day and it was almost perfect.  It will take a little time to do the full build up but that would be okay with me.

 

8698984064_eaa34238ec_b.jpg

 

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