5 Boro Bike Tour...2011 Edition

When my friend Peter asked me to join him and some friends for the 2011  5 Boro Bike Tour, I was unsure if I wanted to do the Tour again. It's a big day with a large crowd of riders and only 42 miles of riding. I decided that I would do the 2011 Tour with 32,000 of my closest friends. I expected delays, lots of walking, and significant comraderie, and that's just what I got. As usual, we travelled to Staten Island and took the ferry to the starting point at Battery Park in Manhattan. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and it was a beautiful day, sunny and temperatures in the mid 60's.

I chose to ride Miss Pinarello in her final iteration with a Carradice Barley saddlebag, a Selle Anatomica seat, and Continental GP 4 Season 700 x 28c tires. There are a lot of fixies and every other type of bike on this ride. It is not technically difficult, and anything can and was ridden. After waiting about 40 minutes at the start and still unable to get going due to immense crowds, we elected to go up the bike path on the West Side, a scenic and smart decision. We rejoined the ride at 56th street, and did a lot of standing/walking from there and continued into Central Park. In fact, this is really a stand-walk-ride event. If you are interested in a steady ride, this is not for you. Saving factors were that the weather cooperated, and the company was just great.

Peter is a professional colleague, and thinks that I know more about bikes than anyone alive. Boy, is he significantly misinformed! Although steady riding was not to happen, we all had lots of cycle-bonding and great views of the various New York skylines.

Due to construction difficulties, the entire 32,000 strong mass of cyclists became deadlocked for about 2 hours on the elevated portion of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Considering the time delay, the behavior of the crowd was exemplary. I met lots of nice people. In most cases, our only common bond was the fact that we were cyclists and New York City during the Tour. The climbs up to the Queensborough and Verrazzano Bridges were semi-tough, but I never had to stand and dance up those inclines on the fixie.

Our group of five amazingly stayed together during the entire ride. Hats off to Ms. Stelling, who rode her longest ride ever, and never complained about the cycling. We all had a great interpersonal experience that we will carry as a shared memory for the rest of our lives. Will I ride the 5 Boro Bike Tour again? Probably not. What will I say if Peter says " Do you want to do the 2012 Tour with me? " I don't really know.

Riding With Your S.O.

Sometimes you ride with yourself. Sometimes you ride with a group, club, organized ride, or people picked up along the way. Sometimes you ride with your significant other person. Relationships in and out of a ride may be quite different than in their usual social atmosphere. Abilities and goals may be the same, similar, or different, and adjustments inevitably have to be made. The results can be wonderful or disappointing, and sometimes nobody knows why. Helen and I took a Sunday ride on this first truly Spring Day on Long Island. For me, riding represents a significant physical output on a regular basis. Helen enjoys riding, but her interest runs to about two hours of total riding time. To adjust for this I started early, did some major hillclimbing and speed intervals, and met her at a pre arranged place later in the morning. We both enjoyed the day, although at a somewhat differing pace. I took my fixed gear bike, and Helen took her tried and true Cannondale hybrid with lots of gear possibilities. We did some hillclimbing together, and stopped every once in awhile for some sun exposure. Helen left after about her usual two hours, and I did some extra laps around Caumsett park on this lovely 75 degree early spring day. A great adaptation and compromise. First time in shorts this season!

A Dreary Spring Day, Just right for MUD !

Last night there was a terrific rainstorm up and down the East Coast. The wind was howling, the rain was coming down in torrents, and I thought that today would be a washout for riding. Due to the fact that I was either on call, in the hospital, or in the office for the past 14 days, I was looking at today as kind of a free day off, and had planned a vineyard ride on the North Fork of Long Island. That was not to happen. A break in the storm gave me an opportunity to do something that I love to do...ride in the mud. Since I took up cyclocross in 2002, I have appreciated the subtleties of cycling in the goo, paste, peanut butter,slime, and grime of my favorite trails after a good rain. Although I did not race cyclocross last season due to an injury, a sloppy day on the trail is still well appreciated, and today ranks up there with the best of them.

An expected additional benefit at this time of year is the fact that Spring is springing. The new flowers and greenery that adorn the landscape contrast with the dark gritty reality of the trail . Ritchey Speedmax cyclocross tires were perfect for the conditions, and although it did spritz from time to time, my Showers Pass Elite 2.0 cycling jacket kept me cozy and dry.

I have to say that although a steady diet of muddy trails is not my general cup of green tea, the trail riding skills and change of pace are definitely a postitve whan it comes to longer road rides later in the season. Many thanks to the passer by who took my photo.

My LOOK Bike Gets a New Crankset

Spring is springing, and its time to get the bikes ready for the cycling season. I decided that my 2003 Campagnolo 53/39 crankset was no longer appropriate for our hllly North Shore of Long Island, with 16% to 26% grades common on many of my standard routes. I considered a triple, but wanted a low Q factor . I settled on a 2011 Campagnolo CX 10 speed Ultra Drive compatable crankset, which had extra sealing to ward off dirt and grime in the bottom bracket. The installation went smoothly, and I was even able to use my 2003 Chorus front derailleur. Today was the test ride, and everything went well.

The crankarms are plenty stiff, and jive well with the carbon LOOK frame. Climbing and dancing up hills was just fine. The new crankset also fits in well with the aesthetics of the frame and other components. The 34 ring combined with the 12-29 cassette should provide lots of gear inch advantage in conquering our rolling and hilly local terrain. I plan to use this bike for the Nassau to Suffolk 65 mile season warm up ride , starting out of Sea Cliff on Sunday, April 17.

A Very Cold First Spring Ride, and I test the Selle Anatomica Saddle

Spring training season is with us, but my first Spring ride was on a sunny but very cold day. The temperature was 38 degrees Farenheit, and there was a wind of 15-20 mph. I thought that it was a good day to test my second Selle Anatomica saddle, a Honey copper rivet Titanico watershed type. It is made in Wisconson USA by Selle Anatomica, and completes the last and probably final iteration of my 1984 Pinarello Record SL fixed gear conversion. It is mounted on the original 1984 Campagnolo Record seatpost, and has lots of rail for fore and aft adjustment. The honey color was chosen to compliment my Carradice Barley seatbag.

On the road, the seat is very comfortable right out of the box. There is virtually no break in period. Although I have never ridden a Brooks saddle, I can say that this is currently the most comfortable bicycle saddle that I have ever owned. It is solely responsible for my re-conversion from recumbent riding in June of 2009. Unlike other saddles that I have used, mostly Selle Italia Gel, you kind of sit " in " the saddle in sort of a semi sling approach. I have done two fixed gear centuries with my first Selle Anatomica saddle last season, and have been pleased with the results. At least the limiting factor was not butt time.

Due to the fact that My racing weight at 5'11" is 185lbs, I chose the thicker leather Clydesdale variety, which is rated for 180lbs and above. With me just over the minimum recommended weight, the saddle did not feel too stiff. The saddle is longer than average,which occasionally leads to some butt swiping on standing climbs. This was not annoying, and disappeared with experience. The saddle has an adjustment screw, which has a long range of travel. It seems to be an adequate stiffness adjustment range for most people. The anatomical cutout is comfortable for my almost 60 year old prostate. Although saddles are a personally acquired taste, I feel that for the almost two years that I have been using them, the Selle Anatomica Saddles have done me very well in

both fixed gear and geared bike situations. I even used one for the D2R2 on/off road ride in August, 2010. The saddle was not cheap at $ 179, but what price can one pay for both quality and comfort? No golf, no boat, no 'vette, I just ride.  I will be riding Miss Pinarello in the  5 Boro Bike Tour on May 1, 2011, and the Ride to Montauk century in June. See you there!

A Few Days Away in Woodstock, Vermont

As Winter progresses, sometimes one has to get away for a few days, and experience another area. We had been to Woodstock, Vermont a few times in the past, and loved the area. Great XC skiing, a walk around town with good food, shops, and galleries seemed to be the best of all worlds. We stayed at the excellent Charleston House : terrific rooms, friendly hosts, and a killer breakfast were all hard to refuse.We went XC skiing at the Woodstock in ski area, and had a great two days of perfectly groomed trails and scenery that can't be beat.

On Saturday, 2-12-2011 we went to Hanover, New Hampshire to see Omar Sosa and the Barbary Coast Jazz ensemble of Dartmouth College. The group was terrific in concert, and a good dinner was had at Murphy's on the Green in Hanover. Although the skiing conditions were somewhat icy in Woodstock, we tried Viking xc ski Center in Londonderry, Vermont on the way back, and had lots of skiing fun with the packed powder there. Back to the gym bike on Monday morning, but I have lots of great memories for our few days spent in Vermont. It's supposed to warm up this coming week. Maybe I can get out on Miss Pinarello for a few spins around Caumsett Park...

More Snow! I Decide to Take a Photographic Expedition on Snowshoes

We have had a lot of snow here in the Northeast. There are 16 inches in my backyard. I woke up on Saturday 1-29-2011 with a mission: to take a photographic expedition on snowshoes. With the exterme depth of snow lately, I have been taking advantage of this form of exercise more and more. It is literally too deep for cross country skiing, and cycling has been impossible. I decided to give my circa 1960 gray bodied and red bellowsed Century Graphic a workout. It has an excellent 101mm F: 4.5 Optar lens made by Wollensack, in Rochester, New York. As a matter of fact, the camera, lens, and rollfilm back were all made in Rochester, New York. Hats off to Rochester! think of that...an American Camera.

It turned out that cross country skiers had made some pretty good tracks over the past few days, and the trails were  unsullied by horses or walkers. Both cross country skiing and snowshoeing  were a delight in this deep and relatively heavy snow. The landscape was exquisite, and the woods were silent. I worked up quite a sweat on my Tubbs snowshoes, and took a few good shots with the Century Graphic

Those of you who know will notice that the XC tracks and the snowshoe path seem to respect each other. This is due to the extreme trail courtesy that each of these forms of snow travel have for each other in Caumsett Park. Its 1800 acres and 25 miles of trails are very varied, and are well shared by all,

I had a great time in the woods that day. Exercise, Nature, Photography, what a way to spend a day off. Nobody was around, so I took a picture of myself, and here it is. During the coming months I will plot the course of my Spring and Summer riding schedule, both social and athletic. I have already arranged with some friends to do the 5 Boro Bike Tour on May 1, 2011. Also, I'm 60 in June, and would like to plan some special riding event or accomplishment to celebrate. We will see what develops.