I moved the blog to wordpress since it seems to have a nicer selection of features.
http://gatorback.wordpress.com/
All new posts will be at the worldpress blog.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Skate and Swim
We decided to do a skate and swim today. It was actually Radovan's idea so we met at BJP park for a 36 mile route.
The skate out was pleasant in that we did a more social pace then normal and with the heat it felt good to go a little easier. Temperature rose to 102 degrees today.
At the half way we had a chance for a nice dip in the lake. The camera has a good timer mode so we got this group shot of the four of us in the lake.
I got this shot of Josh, Kendra, and Radovan after we got out of the lake. I am holding the camera so I am not in the photo.
The skate back was also nice but it was getting warmer so we once again took it easy and stopped often to rest in the shade.
I shot this video of the Radovan, Kendra, and Josh.
This video shows Kendra stopping at the bottom of the big hill. You can't really tell from the video but the hill is quite steep.
It was a nice social skate and although it was a bit hot the dip in the water really helped a lot.
The sad thing is that today marks the death of my digital camera. It worked fine for the skate but I guess the heat got to it and the display cracked at some point after I took the last photo. I think the problem is that it was in my black bag and the bag was in the car when we ate lunch.
Kendra and I replaced the camera with a newer one with more memory and features.
The skate out was pleasant in that we did a more social pace then normal and with the heat it felt good to go a little easier. Temperature rose to 102 degrees today.
At the half way we had a chance for a nice dip in the lake. The camera has a good timer mode so we got this group shot of the four of us in the lake.
I got this shot of Josh, Kendra, and Radovan after we got out of the lake. I am holding the camera so I am not in the photo.
The skate back was also nice but it was getting warmer so we once again took it easy and stopped often to rest in the shade.
I shot this video of the Radovan, Kendra, and Josh.
This video shows Kendra stopping at the bottom of the big hill. You can't really tell from the video but the hill is quite steep.
It was a nice social skate and although it was a bit hot the dip in the water really helped a lot.
The sad thing is that today marks the death of my digital camera. It worked fine for the skate but I guess the heat got to it and the display cracked at some point after I took the last photo. I think the problem is that it was in my black bag and the bag was in the car when we ate lunch.
Kendra and I replaced the camera with a newer one with more memory and features.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Commuting round trip, 30 of 461
Road to work and back.
It is nice to be back in the swing of bike commuting. The bike is riding well and with the dry/dusty summer conditions it is easier to keep the bike clean vs. the wet/muddy conditions I had earlier in the year.
Also, it is nice to ride into work since leaving at 7am I get a chance to enjoy the relative cool of morning.
It is nice to be back in the swing of bike commuting. The bike is riding well and with the dry/dusty summer conditions it is easier to keep the bike clean vs. the wet/muddy conditions I had earlier in the year.
Also, it is nice to ride into work since leaving at 7am I get a chance to enjoy the relative cool of morning.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
It's not the heat, it's the humidity, 32 of 431 miles
Today was the first hot day of the season. I road moderately hard but with the heat it was difficult to motivate my self.
It was hot in Tucson over the weekend but that was nothing compared to today. Tucson might have heat but we got the humidity and while it is cliché's it also really does make a big difference.
On a day like this I feel like I am riding in a steam room. The sweat simply drips off and the air never really cools you down.
It was hot in Tucson over the weekend but that was nothing compared to today. Tucson might have heat but we got the humidity and while it is cliché's it also really does make a big difference.
On a day like this I feel like I am riding in a steam room. The sweat simply drips off and the air never really cools you down.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
A little bit of rain
It's Tuesday so Kendra and I got a chance to do the CSH ride/skate. Today was 35 mile at 19 mph average speed and substantial sections of 25+ bursts plus hill. Basically this is the most fun I have on skates, a good working, and a chance to chat with friends all at the same time.
The ride started with a little bit of rain and I was worried that I would get dropped. On the first hard climb my wheels were slipping and I could not get the traction needed for strong stroking but luckily I made it over the hump and was still in contact with the group just as the rain stopped. I was on Gyro pink wheels and even though they are soft just about all wheels slip a bit in the rain plus this particular hill is not the best pavement.
Since it was hot most of the day, the roads dried fairly quickly and after that first bit grip on the roads was not a problem. The pace was solid with the group especially motivated for some of the sections where we traditionally ramp up the pace.
Near the end of the day the cyclists put things into overdrive and the group split up. I stayed with the middle
The ride started with a little bit of rain and I was worried that I would get dropped. On the first hard climb my wheels were slipping and I could not get the traction needed for strong stroking but luckily I made it over the hump and was still in contact with the group just as the rain stopped. I was on Gyro pink wheels and even though they are soft just about all wheels slip a bit in the rain plus this particular hill is not the best pavement.
Since it was hot most of the day, the roads dried fairly quickly and after that first bit grip on the roads was not a problem. The pace was solid with the group especially motivated for some of the sections where we traditionally ramp up the pace.
Near the end of the day the cyclists put things into overdrive and the group split up. I stayed with the middle
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Tucson Epic Ride, 24 of 399 miles
Jason and I did our epic ride in Tucson. The ride was marked "extreme" on the mtb ride guide map.
Here we are at the start of the ride. The peak between us is the top of the mountain with the observatory.
The first 10 miles of the ride was up hill. In hindsight it would have been more fun to park at the top so we could do the climb at the end of the ride rather then at the start. As it was we road the climb quite easy to save energy for the rest of the ride. If we ride this area again I want to park at the top so we can do the climb harder.
The very top of the peak has an observatory that you can't actually ride to. We road up as far as the road allows and got this photo of Jason at the entrance to the institution.
The view from the top was awesome.
From the top we had a "hike a bike" section down a single track road that was far to steep for actual riding.
After the hike a bike section we got a chance to ride some more road sections.
I guess when cars break down in AZ someone just drives it out the desert and leaves it. This car looks a bit one Jason owned when we were in high school.
This one reminded us of "no country for old men".
Jason crashed on the ride back so we went easy. We finished up the ride with only one the one minor mishap and he was no hurt to bad. The next day he was mostly feeling fine.
The flight back to Raleigh went well. As was the case with the flight out my bike flew free due to the tight packing. I gave the sky cap $5 for a tip and was able to check the two boxes as normal luggage.
Here we are at the start of the ride. The peak between us is the top of the mountain with the observatory.
The first 10 miles of the ride was up hill. In hindsight it would have been more fun to park at the top so we could do the climb at the end of the ride rather then at the start. As it was we road the climb quite easy to save energy for the rest of the ride. If we ride this area again I want to park at the top so we can do the climb harder.
The very top of the peak has an observatory that you can't actually ride to. We road up as far as the road allows and got this photo of Jason at the entrance to the institution.
The view from the top was awesome.
From the top we had a "hike a bike" section down a single track road that was far to steep for actual riding.
After the hike a bike section we got a chance to ride some more road sections.
I guess when cars break down in AZ someone just drives it out the desert and leaves it. This car looks a bit one Jason owned when we were in high school.
This one reminded us of "no country for old men".
Jason crashed on the ride back so we went easy. We finished up the ride with only one the one minor mishap and he was no hurt to bad. The next day he was mostly feeling fine.
The flight back to Raleigh went well. As was the case with the flight out my bike flew free due to the tight packing. I gave the sky cap $5 for a tip and was able to check the two boxes as normal luggage.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tucson MTB ride #1, 22 of 375 miles
Flew out to visit Jason for some MTB riding.
I was able to fly the bike for free by checking it as normal luggage with the bike in one box and the wheels in another box. When packing the bike, I zip tied everything to a piece of plywood to keep stuff from moving around and protect the bike. I customized the plywood with wood standouts for the frame and to protect the bike from being crushed in transport. The disassembly included removal of the fork, rear triangle, cranks, and a few other parts all. With this approach it takes about two hours to pack the bike and another couple of hours to put it together for the ride but I like working on my bike and the disassembly gives me a chance to inspect everything.
I mounted a brand new cassette and chain for the bike.
The first day in Tucson we did a moderate 22 mile ride.
The ride was very nice. We kept good tempo. On the way back, Jason made me hurt but he did not twist the knife too much since he is such a nice guy and it was only the first day.
I was able to fly the bike for free by checking it as normal luggage with the bike in one box and the wheels in another box. When packing the bike, I zip tied everything to a piece of plywood to keep stuff from moving around and protect the bike. I customized the plywood with wood standouts for the frame and to protect the bike from being crushed in transport. The disassembly included removal of the fork, rear triangle, cranks, and a few other parts all. With this approach it takes about two hours to pack the bike and another couple of hours to put it together for the ride but I like working on my bike and the disassembly gives me a chance to inspect everything.
I mounted a brand new cassette and chain for the bike.
The first day in Tucson we did a moderate 22 mile ride.
The ride was very nice. We kept good tempo. On the way back, Jason made me hurt but he did not twist the knife too much since he is such a nice guy and it was only the first day.
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