Texas Canine Ambush   
 Ride Stats
Distance: 17.73 miles Altitude Gain: 1,043 ft Avg Speed: 17.73 mph
Route: Reading Center Avg Grade: 0 % Max Grade: 0 %
Max HR: 154 bpm Avg HR: 130 bpm Terrain: Road: Hills
Bike: custom built Cipollini RB800 Road Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club
Weather Conditions: Overcast 45 F SW wind @ 11 mph
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 Back On the Chain Gang
After riding every day last year I've struggled just to get out on the bike in the new year thanks to illness both government sponsored and traditional. Lungs finally started to get clear once the sun returned from its southern excursion. Did get a fat bike for Christmas, and though I don't see the appeal of a heavy set of wheels, I did take the gift horse out in the mud and snow for a couple of short rides. Winter finally broke and decided to get back on the trainer and out on the road again. Due to better than two months of spotty health, I emerged with a resting heart rate a dozen over my normal and also fifteen pounds of excess weight. Racing season starts in a few weeks but don't see much chance of being in race shape before June at the earliest. Did twenty-five miles of weak intervals on the trainer in the morning and went for a short ride on the road bike in the afternoon. Put on my light winter attire and headed out into the sunshine. Felt fairly decent with the first couple of miles in the sun and tailwind and spun up my first climb of the year up SR 14 out of Watkins. Found I was grossly overdressed as the temperature climbed to 58 F on the hill. Headed up the short climb to Reading Center where the temperature dropped back into the mid-forties as the wind shifted to west and blew cold air from the melting snow in the woods. Turned back downhill and was unable to get the bike into the big chainring. Wasn't too much of an issue though as was still able to get into the forties down Mud Lake Road just coasting and that was fast enough. I thought my arms were going to ice over. Got back into Watkins and passed another rider going the other way. He was wearing a short sleeve jersey, and I thought it looked most uncomfortable since the sun was already over the hill. Put the bike on the stand after the ride and had a difficult time figuring out what caused the shifting problem. Finally pried off a piece of hard plastic that appeared to have melted inside the front derailleur cage. Assume something got jammed inside it and abrasion from chain melted it. After the removal the bike shifted fine. Couldn't really explain it and thought it was probably just an X-file event.

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Lifetime: 97,866 mi
Member No. 37801
Member since: Dec 2009
Home: Montour Falls, NY 
custom built Cipollini RB800
Road bike
Schuyler County Cycling Club

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