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Its been a while since i've written.  Since before Hurricane Irene, in fact.  I went to Canada for two weeks just before the hurricane, on an island, so no biking there.  (Although there are a lot of great roads, and a pretty good bike shop in Gananoque, Ontario, the nearest town, pop. 5000, and the biking bug seems to have taken hold there, with all sorts of people, large and small, old and young, dressing up in silly looking biking gear and perusing the empty, winding roads).

We came back from Canada a day early as Irene was imminent and we thought we should be home.  We lost power for a week -- no fridge, no light, no water, so we left and stayed in Brooklyn for a week, then came back when school finally started, late, about a week after Labor Day.

I'd been itching to ride, the bike was still new and I'd spent more days away from it than on it, so I hoped on late one afternoon for a ride.  Halfway out the driveway, flat tire.  Too late to get it to the bike shop.  So that night I repaired it myself, which brought back some memories (in high school i did some repair work), and then brought it to the shop to complain the next morning.  The guy there examined it and said it was a "pinch flat" where the tube got caught between the rim and the tire.  I had tried to pump up the tire earlier, and I think I deflated it too far first, and caused the flat.  Dunno for sure.

Done some little rides, but doing more running as I am doing my first half marathon in two weeks, and I'm not at all ready.  I ran 8 miles on Sunday, but it felt awful, I was real stiff that night, and I couldn't do much better that 9 and a half minute miles for the last 3.  Yikes.  My virtual training partner Ray George, on the other hand, is training in Brooklyn and recently placed 4th in his age group in a 10k in Brooklyn. Now I just need to figure out how to hide from him at the beginning of the race so he doesn't try to run with me.....

Today, did a somewhat hilly lap on the bike, around Stepstone Hill, for those interested:
9.25 miles
41 minutes
13.47 avg mph

Route 146

From Guilford Green to Stony Creek.  At Sunset.  Great road.  In bib shorts.

(This is Lance Armstrong)

Date: 08/07/2011 7 PM

Type: Bike (Road bike)

Distance: 11.58 miles

Time: 0 hr 45 min 00 secs 

Average speed: 15.4 miles/hr

Route: guilford green to stony creek

Route link: http://www.logyourrun.com/showroute/JkfEQGwDJ2WIBZ

My Bike -- 2011 Trek Madone 3.1

I'm loving this bike. Beautiful to look at but understated. Very comfortable ride,
smooth shifting, excellent brakes. Clipless pedals make a big difference....

The specs:


Trek Madone 3.1

Description

Colors

Gloss Black/White/Chi Red

Frameset

Frame

3 Series TCT Carbon

Fork

Bontrager Race, carbon legs, SpeedTrap compatible

Sizes

47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62cm

Frame fit

H2

Wheels

Wheels

Alloy hubs, Bontrager Approved alloy rims

Tires

Bontrager R1, 700x23c

Drivetrain

Shifters

Shimano 105 STI, 10 speed

Front derailleur

Shimano 105

Rear derailleur

Shimano 105

Crank

SRAM Apex, 50/34 (compact)

Cassette

Shimano 105 11-28, 10 speed

Pedals

n/a

Components

Saddle

Bontrager Affinity 1, steel rails

Seatpost

Bontrager Carbon, 20mm offset

Handlebar

Bontrager Race VR-C, 31.8mm

Stem

Bontrager Race Lite, 7 degree, 31.8mm

Headset

1-1/8" integrated, semi-cartridge bearings

Brakeset

Tektro R540 brakes w/Shimano 105 STI levers

Accessories

Grips

Bontrager gel tape

Extras

Fender and rack mounts

Home to Surf Club

Via Bartlett Lane, Nortontown Road

Date: 08/03/2011 11 AM
Type: Bike (Road bike)
Distance: 8.65 miles
Time: 0 hr 34 min 44 secs
Average speed: 14.9 miles/hr

Ride number 2

Took the bike back to the shop, had them put on clipless pedals (shimano 520, not really a road pedal, but does the job here, and you can clip in from either side) and bought some road shoes (specialized road comp). The shoes were a lot more than I planned on spending, but I didn't want the guy to think I was cheap, and they really felt good, and looked okay (a big plus for a bike shoe). With the cleats on, its hard to walk and not look like a duck, but out on the road, they were great, and really make things easier and help you go better, especially climbing hills. I've been told that no one has ever switched to clipless and not fallen over at least once when coming to a stop and forgetting to unclip. So far I'm the exception.

I went out for a test drive and got a little lost, ended up going 8.25 miles, about half of it on a newly paved, twisting road, with no cars, a really good road I will use again. Plus the ride ends coming down route 80 from the East toward my house, which is a nice long hill about half mile long, a nice way to end.

Wore bike liners, with less padding, and shorts over. Wore a new bike shirt, mostly white, with a full zip front which comes in handy. I may need a new helmet, as the inexpensive Bell helmet I have is really hot.

Date: 08/01/2011 2 PM
Type: Bike (Road bike)
Distance: 8.26 miles
Time: 0 hr 38 min 00 secs
Average speed: 13 miles/hr
Route: bartlett drive
Route link: http://www.logyourrun.com/showroute/OPmVWSoSGuLLBU

My new bike!

Yesterday I bought a bike. I've started running lately, about 15-20 miles a week trying to get my legs in shape so I can eventually train hard for a marathon I'd like to run in October. I don't like running every day, and swimming has not proven to be a very enjoyable off day activity, so I decided to try biking.

Growing up, I biked quite a bit. I rode about 3 miles to school in 3rd and 4th grade so that I could stay after and play on the playground. I lived in London and saved up for a 5 speed Raleigh that I loved, but in hindsight was a pretty crappy and overpriced bike. Back in Connecticut, I saved up and bought a 12 speed Motebecane Supermirage, which was quite a good road bike for its time and the money I spent. It made my paper route much easier, I think i had about 40 customers. Simon Cordery gave it a test ride once and crashed, and it was never quite the same, but it was still a pretty good bike. I rode 4 miles to and from swim practice and tennis practice in 7th and 8th grade. I used to ride all over with a friend, and we would draft each other down hills, no helmet, inches apart at 40 miles per hour, makes me shudder.

Anyway, I bought a bike. Bent my wife's arm to allow me to spend a lot to buy a really nice one, a Trek Madone 3.1, all carbon frame, Shimano 105 drive train. Went to Dick's sporting goods and bought some shorts, a shirt, a computer. Went on amazon last night for some tools, more shorts ....

I spent $1800 on the bike and it came without pedals. They gave me some at the shop -- i didn't have time to research and purchase the clipless ones, which I will get next week. I rode 10 miles today on my new bike, with my new bike shorts (still a little modest, I covered them up with some running shorts), and an old shirt that i think is a biking shirt, polyester with a quarter zip. I love the bike, its super fast, but my ass hurts. And there is only two positions in which you can ride and still reach the breaks, that might get really old on a longer ride. It was a nice ride, mostly back roads, but if I start from my home, I cannot avoid the rather major road that our private road empties onto. Thats a dangerous road for biking, i think I need a rear view mirror of some sort.

Date: 07/31/2011 1 PM

Type: Bike (Just for fun)

Distance: 10.74 miles

Time: 0 hr 55 min 00 secs

Average speed: 11.7 miles/hr

Route: First bike ride

Route link: http://www.logyourrun.com/showroute/nueEIfPYB9O7tH

Calories: 641.8