bikejournal.com journal

5/1/2007
(Tue)

27.60

01:39:45

37.90

16.60

1

12

500

905

Min: 59
Avg: 59
Max: 59

228

2452

0

135

157

0

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Rode out Pringle/Battle Creek to Parrish Gap Road to Hunsaker Road to Marion Road to Turner and home.
Was thinking that I was not in the groove really until I headed north for home, but I see from the altitude profile that the real issue was just gravity! 500' of climbing in the first 5 miles, followed by rolling hills. When I headed north, coincidentally it was all downhill from there, with the last 12 miles being -0.1% average grade. My avg speed for this section was 19.8 and I just felt like I was flying. I came home sweat-soaked and exhilarated.
The only black spot was a jerk in an SUV who refused to pass and insisted I pull off the road to let him/her by on south end of Battle Creek Road. After some horn honking, I finally pulled into a driveway and let it go by (with more horn honking).
My first time: MFT riding this route once I got on Hunsaker Road.
Wildlife spotted: A raptor of some kind, killdeer, blue jays, Canada geese.
Interesting non-wildlife: Llamas, an emu/ostrich/rhea (not sure which), cows, sheep (and lambs), horses.
Wardrobe used: DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks, Lake MX60 shoes, cotton T-shirt, Specialized fingerless gloves, Headsweat, Adidas bike shorts, amber AiroShield lens (really would rather have had clear).
Food and water: About 0.5 liters of water.
Technical notes: Before the ride, I tinkered with the rear derailleur to try to get rid of the hesitation in certain gears. Couldn't get satisfaction with cable tension adjustment. Remembered that during the build I had tried flipping the idler pulley around for less resistance, and recalled that the idler mounting was not symmetrical. Ah-ha! Flipped the idler wheel back around and the problem was solved. It made just enough difference in the chain line.
Also tightened up the chain to make the granny gear usable again. Still not entirely happy, as the changes in the new frame geometry result in the power side of the chain rubbing the crossbar a little bit in the 30T -- no matter what chain length. The only fix I can see is to either shorten the boom (I like the current setting very much) or add chain tube or a second idler wheel. I think a phone call to TerraCycle is in order....
Continuing to get used to the reversal of brakesteer behavior with the new frame (the old frame had reverse brakesteer).
May have detected a very faint shimmy at about 35 mph. Will have to carefully monitor steering at higher speeds to make sure we don't have a high speed shimmying problem, which would be bad.
Now there is a chain-related clicking in the rear end when using the big ring above about 60 rpm. When adjusting the chain length today, I replaced about 18 inches with a new section that was leftover from original chain. I think this is the section that is click-free.... Hmmm. Puzzling.
I continue to be impressed with the GPS analysis software I'm using: Ascent (Mac only) from Montebello Software. Every time I use it, I find some cool new thing. And they frequently release new versions with feature enhancements. Very cool.

Weather Conditions: Overcast, dry. Light breezes. 60% humidity.

5/2/2007
(Wed)

4.51

00:16:46

27.70

16.20

1

3

220

84

Min: 44
Max: 51

226

505

0

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back.
Managed to dodge the rain both ways, except for damp streets.

Weather Conditions: Overcast with intermittent thunderstorms and pea-sized hail, wet pavement, winds from west at 15 gusting in the 20s on the ride in, southerlies of about 10 on the ride home.

5/3/2007
(Thu)

4.23

00:16:36

25.60

15.40

0

65

Min: 47
Max: 51

227

400

0

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: commute
Got to the salle just in time to avoid a massive cloudburst -- a deluge, even. Hail, rain, and some cats and dogs, too.
Light rain on the way home.

Weather Conditions: Thunderstorms. Variable breezes.

5/4/2007
(Fri)

28.39

02:01:34

41.90

14.00

0

11

373

831

Min: 53
Avg: 56
Max: 57

225

2432

0

143

164

0

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and home, then out Battle Creek to Kuebler to Cordon to Hazelgreen to Salem Parkway to Commercial to downtown to meet my wife for dinner.
Average speed includes the pokey pace home with my wife (she was on foot). Heart rate data only includes the 22.5 mile loop.
Averaged 16.6 on 22.5 mile loop, including those #($@ hills on Battle Creek and Pringle.
A nice ride, although windy.
Got to a new low weight today! 225 was my interim goal. Next goal is 215 and we'll see how that feels.

Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy, mostly dry pavement, westerly winds 10-15.

5/5/2007
(Sat)

103.10

06:41:07

41.70

15.40

0

13

540

2,783

Min: 47
Avg: 55
Max: 59

225

8791

0

130

155

77.2

122

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Metric century #8
Statute century #1 (1st ever!)
Double thermometer ride
Personal bests: 7-day mileage (242.57), 2-day mileage (131.49), calories burned (8,791), and avg HR (130)
State Street to Howell Prairie Road to Saratoga to Hook to Mt. Angel Hwy (bypassed Mt. Angel proper) to Downs to Gallon House Bridge to Hobart to Wilco Hwy to Silverton Road (bypassed Silverton) and then to the salle.
Then home for lunch. Checked e-mail, discovered that cadence sensor for Edge 305 had arrived. Installed new sensor. Friends stopped by to show off new car. Anyway, it was more than 2 hours before I got on the road again.
Pringle/Battle Creek to Parrish Gap to Wintercreek (nice climb, with a lovely ride down into the flatlands) to Jefferson Hwy to Ankeny Hill and across I-5.
Stopped at the overlook at Ankeny Hill NWR for a snack, and I realized that I should have topped off the FastBack during lunch, as I was almost out of water. I decided to seek water from the first people I saw outside who weren't using power equipment.
Headed south on Buena Vista Road through beautiful farmland. Got to the ferry, but no water. I was now out of water and getting actively thirsty. Bad.
Asked the ferry operator about sources of water nearby. She gave me two suggestions, and then, on impulse, gave me a bottle of her own water. Oh, did that taste good! Blessings upon her!
Her first suggestion, the little park just up the hill, turned out to have water but it was shut off for the winter. Argh. Worse, the entrance to the park was at the top of the hill, with a 10% grade (although I swear it was steeper!) leading down to the non-working faucet. And, in this case, what goes down must come up. Double argh.
I didn't get to the ferry operator's second suggestion, because at the end of the street coming off the ferry I spotted a woman unloading groceries from her car (Ah-ha! No power equipment!). She graciously let me fill up from a faucet with "good Luckiamute water" and even offered to fill the bladder and bottle inside in the sink. She asked if there was anything else I needed and waved me on my way. What a nice lady. And good cold water, too.
I was so happy to have water again, that I forgot to make the turn at Buena Vista to end up at Helmick State Park and ended up at the intersection of Corvallis Road before I realized the error. I was less than two miles south of Independence, so I decided to change my route and put in an extra leg to Dallas to get the miles I needed for the century. I called Kim to check in, and then continued north to Independence.
I was just about to head west to Monmouth when I spotted a new pizza joint that had opened up in the old hardware store at the stop light. A piece of a pizza sounded really good right then, as I was just beginning to feel some fatigue (at mile 73, already a new distance personal best). In I went.
It was an omen: they had cartons of chocolate milk in the cooler behind the counter. Yea! And salted peanuts on the tables (throw the shells on the floor). Double yea! And nice people and decent pizza to boot! And Widmer Bros. beer on tap (for future reference).
27 minutes later, I headed west to Monmouth, happily digesting a piece of Hawaiian pizza, etc. I tried to keep my heart rate down to facilitate digestion, but I couldn't stand riding that slowly. Fortunately, my stomach tolerated the food just fine.
From Monmouth, I headed north on the multi-use path paralleling Hwy 99W. I will consider riding on the shoulder next time, as the path was pretty bumpy. Right on Orrs Corner out to Dallas, through downtown and back on Ellendale Road to Rickreall.
I was starting to think about the end of the ride by then, and noticed that my average speed had slowly been inching up past 14 as I got into the flatlands on the west side of the river. I decided to try to finish at 15 mph average. It's a steady gentle upgrade (a bit less than 1%) from 99W to Dallas. You can't see the grade, but you can feel it in your speed. I gained ground on my average speed. And then gravity repaid me as I headed east again for home, and my average speed broke 15 and slowly kept going.
I rode Rickreall Road to 22 at the bike overpass, and then back to Salem on the shoulder of 22.
I stopped on Hwy 22 opposite the cemetery to change batteries in the taillight. I was starting to get tired and mentally encouraging myself with the you're-almost-home game. I noticed that my jersey, arm warmers, and parts of my leg warmers were blotchy white with salt. Hmmm... note to self about electrolyte replacement next time....
I broke 100 miles in West Salem and let out a whoop -- and kept pedaling.
I had spent the last few miles debating which route to take home -- the familiar one through downtown, with the need for short sprints to handle lane changes and traffic lights in the one-way grid, or the less-familiar bypass route with smooth pavement, a bike lane, and higher speed traffic. I was starting to get a little punchy, so I opted for familiar.
I got home safely and arrived just as Kim was putting the pasta in to cook. What timing! Kim took my "triumphant" photo, and then we had a lovely supper of baguette with tapenade (salt!), locally grown organic greens, fetuccine with fresh local mitake mushrooms, and chocolate milk for dessert. Heaven.
I was tired, a little sore, and very happy.

My first time: MFT riding a century, wearing a cycling jersey, on the Buena Vista Ferry, and riding across a covered bridge.
Wildlife spotted:Nesting osprey (with chick! KEEEEEEEP! KEEEEEEEP!), turkey vultures, a harrier, redtail hawks, redwing blackbirds, robins, bluejays, crows, killdeer, Canada geese, ducks of indeterminate species (backlit and flying).
Interesting non-wildlife: The 3 corgis chased me again (whoo hoo!).
Wardrobe used: DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks, Lake MX60 shoes, new BJ jersey, Specialized fingerless gloves, Headsweat, Adidas bike shorts, smoke AiroShield lens, Specialized arm warmers, Gore leg warmers. Temperature never really warmed up.
Am going to have to replace all my cycling shorts pretty soon, as I am "undergrowing" them and starting to get skin-to-skin contact and mild chafing in some tender places. Also, the right arm warmer caused two-inch long red mark on my upper arm that blistered. Hmm....
Food and water: About 3.5 liters of water (not counting lunch and pizza stops). Two bowls of cereal for breakfast. Leftover fettuccine (in a tomato cream sauce) for lunch. Two boxes of raisins, two granola bars at Ankeny. One slice of CB&P pizza, a large handful of peanuts, and two half-pint cartons of low-fat chocolate milk in Independence.
Need to take more food next time. Need to take electrolyte replacement next time. Get 3-liter Nalgene bladder.
Technical notes: Trikey behaved well, except for the beginnings of chain squeak about 70 miles in. Also need to add another idler wheel to get the chain off the crossbar in the inner chainring (don't like to do that, but no choice given how far the boom is extended).
Installed cadence sensor for Edge 305 40 miles into it. Can't use the speed sensor on a recumbent without heavy rewiring (may consider doing this later). Am pleased to have the cadence data recorded now (still use the Cateye Astrale 8 for real-time speed and cadence, as well as final distance and time data).
Still a faint shimmy at speed without hand pressure.

Weather Conditions: Mostly cloudy with sunbreaks. Chilly in the morning, and slightly warmer in the afternoon. Occasional light breezes.

5/6/2007
(Sun)

10.93

00:40:50

30.80

16.00

0

5

218

181

Min: 67
Avg: 67
Max: 67

223

1107

0

132

151

90.5

115

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Personal bests: 3-day mileage (142.42) and weight since age 21 (223 lbs)
Quick ride out to Roberts to get the kinks out after yesterday's ride. Felt pretty good, but I didn't push except for a couple of sprints to deal with traffic in town. A little bit of muscle soreness, but all in all, a nice ride.
My first time: MFT riding the day after a century.
Wildlife spotted:Nothing of note.
Interesting non-wildlife: Ditto
Wardrobe used: DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks, Lake MX60 shoes, cotton T-shirt, Specialized fingerless gloves, Headsweat, Adidas bike shorts, amber AiroShield lens.
Food and water: About 0.5 liters of water.
Technical notes: Need to lube the chain!

Weather Conditions: Mostly cloudy, calm, dry roads. About 60% humidity.

5/7/2007
(Mon)

3.87

00:17:09

20.80

13.54

0

5

0

49

Min: 78
Avg: 78
Max: 79

227

358

0

92

110

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back.
Warmest day cycling yet this year.

Weather Conditions: Sunny, dry, north wind 16-17, gusty.

5/8/2007
(Tue)

8.61

00:44:38

22.70

11.60

0

200

Min: 65
Avg: 68
Max: 70

227

398

0

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: test rides at TerraCycle, two trips to LBS

Maintenance: Replaced chain (at 2,090 miles on Trikey's odometer) with two new sections of SRAM PC951 and a partial section of PC991 (that's the best two LBSs could do today). I'll see how the PC991 does, but given how much stronger that chain is, I am considering switching to the PC991 for the next replacement.
Was stunned at how rapidly the old chain wore from the last time that I checked it for wear (about 600 miles ago). The old chain was >1.0 mm overlength in 10 links -- not good. I now have a chain wear gauge that I can easily use every couple of hundred miles. This explains the increasing plague of drivetrain noises. Duh.
Middle and outer chainrings are showing wear and will be replaced soon. 30T Q-ring looks great. Rear cogs show a little wear, but should last through another chain, I think.
The drivetrain is now blessedly quiet except for the satisfying whir of....
TerraCycle idlers. I spent the morning at TerraCycle, which got me home too late for the final WU club ride of the year (but I needed to get this stuff done.... sigh). Pat went way beyond the call of duty to come up with a solution to the chainline problems of pushing the Road's frame geometry to its limits (I have the extra-long boom at full extension). I now have two power-side idlers, one return-side idler, and a piece of floating chain tube (with beautifully fluted ends, I might add). Both sides of the chain now run under the crossbar. And best of all, I have the use of all three chainrings once again.
On Pat's advice, I also dropped the back end of the TailSok a couple of inches.
Pat also supplied me with the new Catrike "locking" boom clamp, as he had an extra. It's verra nice.
Many thanks, TerraCycle!

Weather Conditions: Sunny, dry. Calm in Portland. Windy in Salem.

5/9/2007
(Wed)

4.01

00:17:58

21.80

13.50

0

4

0

55

Min: 66
Max: 54

228

348

0

77

111

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back.
Went 17th to D instead of my usual route. Was better for traffic at that time of day. New route home via Chemeketa is good, too.
Driveline is much quieter now, but am occasionally getting a gear jump on the rear. Hmmm.

Weather Conditions: Clear, sunny, dry, northerly breezes.

5/10/2007
(Thu)

30.84

01:48:11

33.70

17.10

0

7

496

855

Min: 53
Avg: 67
Max: 68

227

2990

0

141

164

93

126

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to the salle, and a nice ride north on Capitol/Portland Rd to Pine to Cherry to Salem Parkway to Hazelgreen to Cordon, then south to Kuebler and back on Liberty.
A nice speedy ride: 17.1 avg is a PB for urban/suburban riding.
Trike behaved great. Adjusted cable tension on the rear derailleur and life is good now. Moved the boom in 1/8" and my Achilles tendons really were much happier (especially the left). GPS mount is cracked, so ordered new one today after GPS fell off twice (once last night, once today).
My first time: Some new streets, but no real MFTs.
Wildlife spotted: None.
Interesting non-wildlife: None.
Wardrobe used: DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks, Lake MX60 shoes, BJ jersey, Specialized fingerless gloves, Headsweat, Adidas bike shorts, smoke AiroShield lens.
Food and water: No food, but 1-1.5 liters of water.

Weather Conditions: Clear, sunny, dry, northerly winds at about 10 mph. Should have used sunscreen. Oops.

5/11/2007
(Fri)

3.95

00:14:22

24.00

15.70

0

3

0

64

Min: 62
Avg: 64
Max: 67

223

311

0

78

122

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and home
17.9 mph avg on return trip!

Weather Conditions: Dry, overcast, calm.

5/12/2007
(Sat)

4.11

00:15:05

23.12

16.40

0

85

0

226

541

0

94

120

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back.

Weather Conditions: Overcast, dry.

5/15/2007
(Tue)

7.30

00:33:03

30.80

13.25

0

7

0

177

0

227

375

0

85

117

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: commute to salle and back, plus a couple of errands

Weather Conditions: Sunny, dry.

5/19/2007
(Sat)

145.55

09:26:54

43.20

15.40

0

16

676

4,527

Min: 48
Avg: 58
Max: 61

227

13468

0

134

162

92

116

Road: Rolling

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: First-ever double metric century!
Metric century #9
Statute century #2
Double thermometer ride
Total time: 13:00:43

This was the 17th American Lung Assoc. of Oregon Reach the Beach fundraising ride (I raised more than $1900 -- thank you, supporters!), with an unspported return trip home from the beach.
I left the house at 7:30 a.m., picked up my registration packet at North Salem HS, and I was off. The route through Salem and Keizer was poorly marked and the cue sheet was confusing, resulting in a some extra distance, but I got back on the route on the north end of Keizer. North to the Wheatland Ferry, across the river to the first rest stop at Maude Williamson SP. Then north a bit and west over the Eola Hills to Amity and the next rest stop. Then west to Sheridan and the next rest stop. From there, southwest along Business 18 through Willamina and then onto Hwy 18/22. I had several miles of rumble strips, which left me only a few inches on either side. Yuck.
It was a relief to get to Valley Junction and head northwest on Hwy 22 -- less traffic and much prettier. Grand Ronde Agency was the lunch stop. Kept looking for Aero_Diva or kirkej, but no sign of them.
Continued west on 22 to the summit (676' asl). Let out a whoop and began the sled ride to the beach. Skipped the last rest stop at the turn-off for the Little Nestucca Hwy. and kept going, as I was about an hour behind schedule. The Little Nestucca Hwy was even prettier by bike than by car. The "sled ride" had one little bump in it, though: a 1/4-mile climb with 16% grade.
After that little surprise, it really was a sled ride to Hwy 101 -- albeit one with a headwind -- and the turn-off to Pacific City and the beach.
The finish line festivities were a zoo, with only mediocre food and not enough of it (only one pass through the line allowed).
In accordance with my plan, I ate some food, checked out the sponsor booths, and then evaluated how I felt. It was an hour later than I had hoped to arrive, but I felt pretty good and I would have a tailwind all the way home. I called Kim, donated my bus ticket back, and headed home.
The trip back was actually more fun than the trip over. Most of the folks I passed going the other way smiled, waved, and/or said hi to me as they went past (even a couple of whoo-hoos!), in contrast to the trip over when I was lucky to get a grunt from most people when I passed them. And I finally saw Aero_Diva and kirkej headed to the beach -- just time for a shouted hello as we passed.
After about ten miles, the bike traffic thinned out and there were stretches when I had the road to myself. Green, lush, and sunlit.
I stopped at the Little Nestucca Hwy junction rest stop just a few minutes before the course closed, knowing that I was on my own from here on out.
I pedaled off and soon reached the coastal summit, where I had planned to call Kim to check in: no cell service. I had a snack and headed downhill for the reverse sled run to the valley. Unfortunately, I forgot to restart my GPS until 4.5 miles later. My average speed started to pick up and I gained confidence that I would be home before dark.
I stopped at Grand Ronde Agency to call Kim and have a snack. A friendly ride volunteer on his way home stopped and let me pick through the extra food loot from his station. A group of three 20-something riders asked me which way to the coast and how far. Shaking my head, I told them, and let them know they were on their own, as all the support stations were closed now. Undaunted, they headed off. Hopefully they made it without incident.
I refueled, I set out again. I was closer to Salem than I realized and soon was back on Hwy 22/18. Thankfully the eastbound shoulder as wider and free of rumble strips. Note: next time, go south on Grand Ronde Road to Hwy 18 and use the crosswalk rather than turning left at Valley Junction.
At the Willamina junction, I headed for Salem on Hwy 22. It was noisy because of the traffic, but it was smooth and the shortest route. I got over the two small climbs and had several snack breaks. I incited the interest of a herd of llamas, who actually trotted after me for a 100 feet or so. Other than some spots with lots of gravel on the shoulder, it wasn't bad. Even got to enjoy the scenery during the breaks in traffic.
I called Kim from Rickreall -- now on very familiar ground -- to give her a 45-minute heads-up. Exactly 45 minutes later, I rolled into the driveway, with daylight to spare. I was tired and very, very happy.
My first time: MFT riding a double metric century, MFT going so far west, MFT riding to the ocean, MFT being chased by llamas, and MFT riding with a vidcam.
Wildlife spotted:Turkey vultures, redwing blackbirds, robins, bluejays, crows, killdeer, barn swallows.
Interesting non-wildlife:Llamas (see above)
Wardrobe used: DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks, Lake MX60 shoes, new Mt. Boarah jersey, Specialized fingerless gloves, Headsweat, new Pearl Izumi bike shorts (size L, now!), amber AiroShield lens, Specialized arm warmers.

Food and water: About 2.5 liters of water, plus 1 liter of Powerade (worked well). Two bowls of cereal for breakfast. Two half PB&J sandwiches, 2 bananas, 1 boxes of raisins, two granola bars, 3? Clif bars (free), a very tasty organic apple, a Gorge Delights PearBar and a JustFruit bar (yum to both), ham & cheese sandwich, dill pickle spear, rigatoni with tomato sauce, rice, and a fajita. And one chocolate chip cookie.
Did I really burn 13,468 calories, or is my Edge 305 pulling my chain???
Technical notes: Trikey behaved very well. Intermittent squeak, possibly front left pedal or crank. New chainline worked great.
Helmet cam setup worked pretty well, but I didn't get quite the battery life out of the ARCHOS I was expecting. Need a clip for camera wire to back of jersey. Would like to try a thigh strap for the ARCHOS for easier monitoring. No one even seemed to notice the camera. Backup battery for GPS worked, but apparently there is a slight drain on the batteries even when it isn't plugged into a device, as they were almost dead. GPS battery last almost to Rickreall, though, and I was able to cannibalize 2 AAs once I realized I would get home before dark (taillight went the whole trip one set of batteries).
Need to get lighter weight rain pants (carried mine, but didn't need them).
Actually, I need to really lighten up for my next long ride, as trike, gear, food, and water weighed in at more than 70 pounds! Yikes!

Weather Conditions: Mostly cloudy, dry. Winds westerly and 5-10 mph in the valley, with 10-15+ mph winds on the west side of the Coast Range.

5/21/2007
(Mon)

18.13

01:13:54

28.10

14.70

0

7

0

454

Min: 61
Avg: 60
Max: 60

227

1463

0

125

153

90

119

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Recovery ride (a day late)
State Street to Cordon to Swegle to Hampden to Sunnyview to Howell Prairie to Conifer/Fruitland/Center to Hawthorne. South on Hawthorne with a cut through the new Geer Park (nice ballfields) to emerge on State Street and then home.
Nice tailwinds outbound, which meant, you guessed it, headwinds coming home. But it wasn't that bad, as I wasn't pushing that hard.
Took it easy. Had a nice ride.

Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy, dry. Steady west winds at about 15 mph.

5/23/2007
(Wed)

3.85

00:18:11

23.50

12.70

0

5

0

85

Min: 59
Max: 64

227

244

0

90

118

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back

Weather Conditions: Clear, sunny, and dry on the way in, with very light breeze. Mostly cloudy and wet pavement, calm, on the way home.

5/24/2007
(Thu)

4.54

00:19:22

29.80

14.10

0

5

0

82

Min: 65
Max: 71

226

454

0

90

122

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back, plus a short errand.

Weather Conditions: Clear, dry, sunny. Light breezes/calm.

5/25/2007
(Fri)

22.32

01:26:54

28.10

15.40

0

1

0

226

1552

0

96

122

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Commute to salle and back, followed by a stripping down and tire-changing session for Trikey in preparation for racing this weekend -- and a shakedown cruise out to Cordon Road and environs, with an errand thrown in. The new Stelvios worked well. Loc-Tited the nuts on th tie rod and generally tidied up loose ends.

Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy, dry, calm

5/26/2007
(Sat)

36.08

02:13:18

29.40

16.20

0

225

Min: 57
Avg: 72
Max: 73

226

2631

0

163

172

98

128

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Oregon Human Powered Vehicles

Comments: Oregon Human Powered Vehicles Human Power Challenge at Portland International Raceway

What a great day -- my first bike race ever! Mileage includes practice laps, as well as actual race mileage.

Classification: Men's Super-street
Subclassification: Trike

Events:
200m drag race - 1st (of 2)
Due to the small size of the class and the abundance of racers in other classes, we only had one heat. Bike2work had a mechanical problem that took him out just before the finish. My top speed by my speedometer was 29.4 (official time pending). Fun, but I wish I had gotten to do more heats.

1-hour/50k road race - 3rd (of 4)
The other competitors in my class were riding two-wheel fully-socked recumbents (a Bachetta, a Calfee Stiletto, and something else) and were very strong riders (bike2work being one of them). I didn't stand a chance with two of them, and surprised myself by laapping the third one about halfway through. My real competition was a Go-One velomobile -- and myself, as I had set a goal of maintaining at least a 20 mph average speed.
The Go-One is a beautiful vehicle. The rider was a friendly fellow who lives and works in Portland. He got about 100 or so feet ahead of me and stayed there for (I think) the first three laps, until I managed to catch up to him going into turn 1. I was maintaining my average but I was getting some early fatigue, so I slipped onto his rear wheel to see how much of hole there was.
It was an excellent choice. I sucked his wheel for the next three laps, at times coasting. I started feeling a lot better. I pulled out around him, thinking I would return the pull for a few laps, but his speed just dropped like a rock and I left him in my mirror. I felt good and just kept things going through the slight gradients and the northwest wind.
The streamliners lapped me at least three times, and bike2work lapped me twice. The streamers just purred when they passed -- amazing machines.
I got a white flag one lap earlier than I should have and powered into the home stretch only to get another white flag. Curses came out of my mouth and I hoped I had enough gas in the tank to push for one more lap. As I came into turn 1, I spotted the Go-One and set myself the goal of trying lap it. Toward the end of the backstretch, he must have seen me coming. I gained ground rapidly, especially in the home stretch (26.3 mph sprint), but finished 20-30 feet behind him.
My unofficial average speed (by GPS) was 20.36 mph. I'm a very happy cyclist.

OHPV did a nice job. Met nice folks on all kinds of bikes. I just wish there were more super-street trikes.

I think I now have experienced bonking. Despite efforts to get some carbs and calories into me after the race (and a recovery lap), I was seriously stupid and fatigued by the time I got home. Glad that didn't happen while I was riding.... Yuck.

Tomorrow I have the flying 200m sprint, autocross, and a five-lap (almost 10 miles) time trial. Hope my legs are up to it after today's punishment.

Wildlife spotted: a pair of Canada geese and a great blue heron on the infield.

Technical notes: Trikey performed well, with Schwalbe Stelvios and a way stripped-down frame. I'm glad I didn't put the 62T chainring on. HRM was only working intermittently during road race. New sunblock (Neutrogena UVA/UVB SPF 45) is superb.

Weather Conditions: Partly- to mostly cloudy, dry, northwesterly winds 8-12 mph.

5/27/2007
(Sun)

28.81

02:25:50

33.00

11.80

0

3,000

Min: 54
Avg: 56
Max: 60

226

2085

0

153

173

91

125

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Oregon Human Powered Vehicles

Comments: Final day of the Human Power Challenge at Portland International Raceway.

Another great day! Mileage includes practice laps, as well as actual race mileage.

Classification: Men's Super-Street
Subclassification: Trike

Events:
200m flying sprint - 3rd (of 4)
I still had some juice left in my legs this morning for the flying 200. I made two runs, and my first one was my best, with an average speed of 31.37 mph.
Although I entered the trap at my target speed on the first run, I underestimated my top speed and found myself continuing to accelerate through the trap. As I exited the trap, my speedometer read 33 mph. So, with more experience, I could go faster. As far as I can tell, my speed is a track record for a super-street trike.

Autocross - 4th (of at least 15)
This event was a lot of fun, with riders segregated by gender and age (adults and juniors) into heats of four, with the top two in each heat advancing. I made it to the final heat, with Rob English riding a Bike Friday in all three of my heats (man, is that guy fast!).
In the final heat, I was holding a solid second place, with Lonnie breathing down my neck on his LWB. But Lonnie's racecar experience stood him in good stead as he made a beautiful move going into the slalom. The slalom could be entered either direction, and I had always entered from the right, as that was slightly faster. Lonnie passed just as I was going in and went left into the slalom just ahead of me. I ran out of gas shortly after that and the other rider passed me on the straight. I almost caught him on the final straight, but I was spent and had to settle for fourth place. Lotsa fun.

9.575 (10 laps) time trial
This event was tough. I used a lot of my gas up yesterday, and just felt slower. My results show that I was, in fact, 0.5 mph slower, but I think a lot of that was actually due to stronger winds, which I misinterpreted as fatigue. Funny how psychology works -- if you feel slow, you probably will be slow.
I had never done a time trial before, so it was interesting being out there by myself. I learned a lot, so I should be able to do a better job next time.

At the awards ceremony, I had the most points in the trike class (which I had anticipated). But I was very pleasantly surprised to be third in points in the super-street class, too! So, I came home with some cash, which is always nice, as well as some nice pats on the back.

Today there was no bonking, but I discovered that my gut does not appear to like Clif Shot Blocks. Ugh.

Technical notes: HRM behaved better today. I think the contacts just got a little dried out yesterday. I noticed in some of the photos that I appear to be angling my knees in slightly while pedaling. Need to keep an eye on this....
In analyzing the data from my GPS, I think I want to change the mounting point for it when racing so that I can use the lap button and use the data a bit differently on the track, as well as post-race. Also realized (afterward) that I could have downloaded data to my PowerBook and used Ascent to see which lines were faster.

Wardrobe used: Same as yesterday, except wore BikeJournal jersey and Gore leg warmers (all day), with Gore jacket in between events. Wished I had brought my arm warmers. Got pretty chilly at times when not racing.

Weather Conditions: Overcast, with occasional sunbreaks. Dry, except for a very brief sprinkle. There was an 8-12 mph NW, which acted as quartering tailwind for the 200m sprint (it canceled out for the time trial and autocross). Wind and cloud cover made it chilly.

5/29/2007
(Tue)

41.90

02:49:12

44.72

15.80

0

13

1,128

2,030

Min: 85
Avg: 87
Max: 88

226

2085

0

147

167

92

135

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: A beautiful ride on a warm, sunny afternoon. And this ride puts my 2007 mileage at exactly 2,000 miles. Whoo hoo!

Rode out State to Howell Prairie to Sunnyview. Then east on Sunnyview through Pratum to Cascade Hwy. Then a dogleg to Riches Road to Victor Point Road, followed by another dogleg to Fox Road, then up to Drift Creek Road and north to Silverton. Finally home on Silverton Road to Cordon to Center to Hawthorne to State.

My first time: MFT on Fox and Drift Creek. The views were so fine that I had to stop several times just to look. And there was fabulous 5.3 mile downhill run into Silverton.

Wildlife: A pair of California quail near the end of Sunnyview, and the first swallowtail butterfly (I think that's what it was) of the season (on Drift Creek). Also Canada geese, various unidentified songbirds

Non-wildlife: the burro on Silverton Road, plus a very friendly horse (American Cream?) on Fox Road (I think). And bees -- lots of bees happily pollinating -- enough for me to zip up my jersey, close my mouth, and slow down a little bit.

Technical: Had a (pinch?) flat on Center Street coming home. Trikey is still mostly in race configuration, so I was out of my usual routine and forgot to take my ID, etc. Oops.
With the addition of the second FastBack for food and first aid kit, plus taillight and flag, the race config works pretty well for touring.

Clothing: Used plenty of sunblock. Neon green Mt. Borah jersey, Adidas cycling shorts, Specialized fingerless gloves, DeFeet Wollie Boolie Socks, Lake MX60 shoes, Headsweat. Should have used sunscreen on lips, too.

Food and water: This was my warmest ride yet. 2 liters of water, 1 liter of Powerade, 1.5 pkgs Ritz peanut butter crackers, 2 Quaker granola bars. I thought I was doing fine on water, but by weight I was still at least 1 liter low on fluids when I got home. Have to drink more, I guess.

Weather Conditions: Clear, sunny, warm, dry. Northerly breeze 5-10 mph.
Highest low temperature and highest average temperature for a ride to date.

5/30/2007
(Wed)

17.53

01:08:02

29.90

15.40

0

4

0

281

Min: 72
Avg: 83
Max: 86

225

1464

0

132

157

91

142

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Dentist appointment, commute to salle, a trip to the LBS, and a short ride out to Keizer Station via the MUP on Salem Parkway.

Converted Trikey back to commuter/touring setup. Changed rear tire and tube back to Marathon Plus; will do front tires tomorrow. I left the front fenders off for now, as it only takes a few minutes to put them back on and they scoop a lot of air.
Bought three new 20 x 1.5/1.75 tubes today, as I realized I had been running the MPs with 20 x 1-1/8 tubes before. Oops.
Also bought a presta-to-schraeder adapter and stuffed it in my Tailrider for gas station air pump use (when I'm feeling lazy and running 120 psi tires, which are no fun to top off with a frame pump).
Clothing: Basically the same as yesterday, with plenty of sunscreen (I should buy stock in the Neutragena Company).

Weather Conditions: Clear, dry, sunny, variable breezes 5-10 mph.

5/31/2007
(Thu)

40.70

02:36:36

46.80

15.60

0

16

1,000

1,682

Min: 58
Avg: 75
Max: 84

224

3831

0

124

165

92

120

Road: Flat

Catrike Road
Trike

Team Catrike

Comments: Monthly personal bests:
Miles: 600.86
Time in motion: 39:45:17
Average speed: 15.11 mph
Commute to salle and back.

My first time: MFT on Gibson Road/Eagle Crest. MFT through construction zones with flaggers. MFT intentionally riding at night for non-commute (fun!).

Started by running an errand downtown and then continuing over the bridge and out Hwy 22 to Oak Grove Road, then up and over Orchard Heights Road to Eagle Crest to Gibson to Bush College Road to Wallace Road and to the salle from there.

Oak Grove and Orchard Heights had beautiful new smooth asphalt. (Wow! Thanks, Polk County!) Gibson and Eagle Crest were, unfortunately, nasty chipseal.

Gibson Road is an absolute screamer -- 2.2 miles of downhill with an average grade of -5.8%, including a 3/4 mile stretch in which I averaged 41.3 mph. There are no crosstreets and virtually no driveways, as well as low traffic. The only drawbacks are the rough chipseal and the fact that a number of turns have a slight reverse camber, requiring careful steering and braking on a trike. But fun, fun, fun!

I also got a surprise on Brush College, which had a stretch torn all to heck with a short detour. Unfortunately, the detour was uphill in loose gravel. I couldn't get traction and had to suffer the ignominy of towing my trike up the hill behind me.

Rode home after work, unfroze the coils on the A/C (not fun), and then rode over to the industrial park off of McGilchrist to get a few more miles in on a quiet loop of smooth pavement. That got my mileage for May to just over 600 miles, which was my goal! The moon was almost full, the air was cool -- it was a very nice speed ride (I just treated it like a one-hour time trial -- 14.2 miles in 46:43, avg of 18.2, max 26.5, HR 140/155, cadence 93/116).

The industrial park has a nice rectangle (including a short stretch of McGilchrist) that forms a 1.25 mile loop. Pavement is good, it's fairly well lit, and traffic is generally very light (except at shift changes). I did get a bit overconfident coming back onto McGilchrist and ended up doing a stoppie (cross traffic, even at night, isn't as visible at 40+ mph as I thought. Oops.). I also discovered that 22nd Street is a very nice way to get home from there, as it is very smooth and flat and has a camera-driven signal to cross Mission Street.

Notes: This was the first time going over Orchard Heights with both the GPS (with working altimeter) and the 30T Q-ring. So, here's the data:

Beginning of Orchard Hts to summit:
1.6 miles
570' elevation gain
6.9% average grade
15.8% max grade (steepest I have ever climbed)
0% min grade

From Oak Grove/22 to summit:
3.8 miles
774' elevation gain
3.8% average grade
15.8 max grade
-5.6% min grade

The worst stretch is in the middle, with 0.3 miles of 12% grade right after a short flat stretch. There is a short stretch that is steeper shortly before the summit.

In looking through my records, the only historical data I have for the route is speed. The last time I rode this route was 3/13/07 (19.2 miles, 13.9 mph avg, 138/169 bpm, avg 51 deg F.). Comparing roughly apples to apples (I took a different descent), today was 19.2 miles, 14.1 mph avg, 140/165 bpm, avg 83 deg F. So, I was a little faster in substantially hotter weather. Perceptually, I felt like I wasn't thrashing my legs as much on the climbs. When you come right down to it, I like the way the Q-ring feels -- smooth -- and that's worth it even if the speed gains are very modest.

Clothing: Used plenty of sunblock, including lips this time (much better!). Neon green Mt. Borah jersey, Adidas cycling shorts, Specialized fingerless gloves, DeFeet Wollie Boolie Socks, Lake MX60 shoes, Headsweat.

Food and water: two Ritz peanut butter crackers, 1 liter of Powerade (all during daylight), 2.5 liters of water. Felt like my hydration level was better this time.

Wildlife spotted: Turkey vultures (I'm sure there wee other birds that I spotted, but nothing of note).

Technical: Trikey behaved fine, except for a slight shimmy at higher speeds. I probably should have readjusted the toe-in for the Stelvios, but they are coming off soon. Also, need to adjust the cable tension on the RD and the inner stop on the FD (can be hard to get onto inner ring under load).

Weather Conditions: Clear, dry, sunny, light variable breezes.