Ride of the week 8/13 - 8/19 2018

Smoke Week 2018!!!

The ride of the week is Sunday's ride.

I started this ride at the boat lunch parking lot at Robinson's Beach in Freeland. Went to the end of Wahl Road, then down to Double Bluff Park and down and back on Shore Ave.
I was thrilled to ride on the new tarmac on Millman Road before crossing the hi way and going into Freeland. I then headed for Honeymoon Bay along Holmes Harbor passing Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and turning on to Honey Moon Bay Road.  Up past the golf course, down to Honey Moon Lake then back up to Classic Road. On to Resort Road and the queen climb of the ride Mur de Meerkerk. This is one of the toughest climbs on the south end.




The finale was the descent along the hi way turning on to Mutiny Bay Road and back to the parking lot.

Daily entry 8/19/18

I wanted to get another decent ride in before the smoke returned.  As it was, there was some smoke in the air. I could really feel it in the eyes and the lungs were a little raspy at the end of the ride.

I made another trip to the end of Wahl Rd. and went to the end of Shore Ave.  I don't normal ride on Shore Ave. Then rode on the newly paved Millman Road.  Hooray for new tarmac. I also made a trip out to Honey Moon Bay.  Then back to the Robinson Beach boat launch parking lot.

Daily entry 8/17/18

Went for a short one today.  I'm still filling a little fatigued from the work week.

Daily entry 8/16/18

No ride today.

I had no clean shorts or jerseys. I woke up late from my post work nap and had another hard day in the crawl space. This resulted in low energy and a lack of motivation. Listen to your body when its asking for a break.

Daily entry 8/15/18

Its still smokey.  I'm getting tired of the smoke.

Today I felt as if I hadn't recovered from yesterday's ride; and, I spent most of the day in a crawl space. Fatigued and sore I wanted to ride on a route that I know well, so as not to have to think about where I was going. Although I was beat I want to do 25+ miles.

Here's today's ride.

Daily entry 8/14/18

Another smoke filled sky for today's ride. It sounds as if the smoke will be with us for awhile.  I haven't felt any effects from the smoke other than dry mouth and a little bit of eye irritation. Still not the most favorable conditions for cycling.

As if the smoke was not enough I was stung by an insect on my ride. I caught a glimpse of it as it went under my chin and hit my chest. It was hot today so my jersey's zipper was open and of course it went right in. In a few moments it began to sting me. I pinched it with my thumb and index finger through the jersey. I then found a safe place to stop and removed it. The sting is still red and sore. 

I want to alert Whidbey cyclist that the Island County Road Dept. is doing a lot of road resurfacing on the south end. Watch for the loose gravel. I ran into some on Wilkinson Rd. today. There will be more before the summer is over.

Here is today's ride.

I did my traditional Tour of Two Towns Langley - Clinton until I reached Clinton. Instead of turning on to Dear Lake Rd. by the post office I continued down the hill to Humphrey Rd. and added the Orr Rd. and Heggenes Rd. climbs.

If you are cycling and see another cyclist give them a wave or at lest a head nod. We're all in this together.

Daily entry 8/13/18

I was told its good for your brain and helps you stay motivated to do different routes when you ride. Today I added a loop to a route that I do often.

The smoke is upon us.

Ride of the Week 8/6 - 8/12 2018

The Tour of Three Towns Clinton-Langley-Freeland is the ride of the week for a few reasons. Its a long ride for me with plenty of climbing and one that I have been thinking of doing for quite some time. More than this, the ride was done in the heat of the summer. Last year at this time I did a 38 mile ride in the heat and later passed out from dehydration. Since that time I have been nervous of riding in the heat especially one of any length. This ride shows that I've learned from my mistake. I now know how and how important it is to prepare for and recover from a long ride in the heat.

This weeks honorable mention is a ride my wife and I did together on the Sammanish River Trail. These casual rides are fun and relaxing. They remind my that bike riding isn't all about mileage and feet climbed. Cycling can also provide a means to spend quality time with love ones in a beautiful environment.

Daily entry 8/12/18

No bike ride today. I was too burnt out from the long anniversary weekend. We came home unloaded the car and took a nap. After the nap we just laid around and relaxed. Resting is part of training you know. 

Daily entry 8/11/18

We left Bothel for Anacortes hoping to get another bike ride in this weekend. Unfortunately the weather turned on us and we not able, rather unwilling to ride in the rain. Later in the evening when the rain subsided we walked almost six miles checking out the shops, restaurants and taverns of Anacortes. 

The view from the hotel. 

Daily entry 8/10/18

My wife and I enjoyed two nites stay at McMenamins Anderson School for our anniversary.  Its a lovely place in Bothel Washington. It has large luxurious rooms with very comfortable beds. They had free live music in the court yard both nights. Of course the biggest draw for us is the pool. Its warm, roomy and a great place to relax after a day in the saddle.

We started the day off with a good breakfast at  very reasonable prices at Steve's Cafe in down town Bothel. After breakfast we went for a bike ride. The Sammanish River Trail is a few bocks away from the hotel. The trail meanders along the river providing beautiful scenery. King county does a wonderful job of maintaining this trail. 

As you can see from the photograph we had an excellent day to ride. 

The Stava post for this tide.

Daily entry 8/9/18

Today I am celebrating my 32nd wedding anniversary.

Daily Entry 8/8/18

Today I braved the heat and rode a ride I've wanted to do for a long time.


I felt good most of the way around this loop. I was careful to stay hydrated and nibbled my Cliff bar occasionally to keep my energy up.

Two Water Bottle Weather

Week In Review 6/18 to 6/24.

The week of 6/18 to 6/24 was another 100 mile plus week. Starting with a ride not on Whidbey Island but rather Fidelgo Island. I like to ride in the Anacortes, La Conner, Mt Vernon area. The landscape  is different from Whidbey Island. Long flat roads stretching out over the farm land of the Skagit Valley.




 Reservation road however is very similar to roads here on Whidbey.  Known as the "back way" into La Conner. Reservation road climbs up along the wooded ridge above the farmed plane.  Once you reach the top of the climb you begin the long descent across the Rainbow Bridge and into La Conner.
Thought La Conner and onto the farm land where the wind continuously blows.

Three of the rides this week features the Campbell Road climb.  This is one of the most changeling climbs on the south end. I've meet a few riders who have come to Whidbey Island to train for events on this climb.  

I thought if I climbed it three days in a row I would get over my anxiety for this climb.  

                                         




This ride has lots of climbing and I didn't have to cross state route 525.




On Sunday I did this nice short and sweet loop into Langley.

The Real Reason Why Cyclists Shave Their Legs

Bob tells why professional cyclist shave their legs.

I have never ridden professionally and never have shaved my legs. I don't have a lot of hair on my legs and have never felt that I would get much of an advantage by shaving my legs. However, I can see the advantages of shaved leges if my leges were massaged everyday.

I've been sick!

Last few days I've been sick. Just the common cold. Coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, low energy and the rest of the crap that goes with being sick. A day before I became ill I came across a cycling blog The Human Cyclist and the post "Unstructured structure -Agile training plans".

In this post the author discusses the idea of listening to your body to determine the progression of your training rather relying on training plans and schedules. I think this is a great idea and I'm very happy with myself to have stayed off the bike while I was sick.  This is easier said than done. The days I was sick I was thinking "must get on the bike". Fortunately the rational part of my brain told me "Your sick dummy go to bed!" and thank goodness I listened. There have been other times when I ignored my body and rode hard on the bike while I was sick. I ended up making myself sicker and prolonging the agony. When I examine why do this I think its because my body will try to lie to me. Sometimes my body will say "Steve you're too tired to go out for a ride." I ignore my body and go for a ride and its the best thing I've done for myself all day. However, other times my body was right I was too tired.

In the end you have to constantly examine and reexamine yourself. You have to know yourself well. You need to know when your being truthful or monkeying with yourself. The relationship with yourself that cycling creates is sensational. Its another reason I love this sport.  

Strength, Stamina, Speed

Strength, Stamina, Speed. This is the method of training I try to employ. Over the winter I worked on strength in the gym. I'm working on stamina this spring and the speed is happening.

Graeme Street is a professional cycling coach and inventor of Cyclo-core 90 and many other training programs specifically for cyclists. I personally have not used any of his programs: none the less, I like watch his videos on youtube. He is inspirational and knowable. His enthusiasm for cycling is stimulating and encouraging. I've watched this video several times. I particularly like the part where he talks about not being afraid of failure. Pushing your limits to the point of failure is how you grow stronger, mentally and physically.   Here to explain the Strength, Stamina, Speed method of training is Graeme Street.

The LightHouse Ride

A big attraction on Whidbey Island is Fort Casey State Park. The Admiralty Head Lighthouse is in the park and that was my destination for today's ride.

How about the weather?

I don't like to blog about the weather but I thought it should be documented that the weather has been excellent the last few weeks. Lovely days for riding. Its the weather that has allowed me to put in some many miles.  I'm a fair weather rider in my old age. Last year at this time I had only logged twenty rides and 434 miles. This year I have twenty four rides and 557 miles. Thats four more rides and 123 more miles. Hooray for clear skies and moderate temperatures.

Now that I've said all of this I hope I haven't kiboshed on our meteorological good fortune. I do remember years when April and May were warm and dry. June rolled around and it was soggy and cold. It didn't stop raining until July 5th. Let hope this will not be the case this year.

keep cycling WHIDBEY.

Last Week in Review

Last week was a good cycling week. Rang up 104 miles. The first part of the week I had a Freeland theme. With these two rides.





I like riding into Freeland. The only draw back is having to ride on the highway.
The middle of the week I was a little burnt out so just a quick ride into Langley and back.




Finished the week with a ride out on the Saratoga road and back through Bayview.



I felt good over all and the weather was great last week.

This week I want to put in another 100+ miles riding loops through Langley and Clinton.

Ride your Bike. Ride your Bike. Ride your Bike.

I spent some time off the bike this winter and in the gym. I needed some time away from the bike and wanted to build some strength. Strength is the first element in the Strength, Stamina, Speed Formula. While in the gym I worked on the legs, then the following work out I would work on the upper body and of course the abs. It all about the abs. I worked hard and it payed off I'm quite happy with the results. I'm much stronger this spring than I was last spring or the spring before that. In fact, I'd have to go bad a few years to remember a spring where I started the outdoor season so strong. The reason I was strong that year was because I spent the winter in the gym as well.  With all of this working out been done their is nothing that prepares you for hill climbing like hill climbing.  Even though I spent all that time in the gym doing rep after rep of muscle building weight pumping I was still lacking what it takes to climb hills aggressively and confidently. I ridden approximately 450 miles this spring and I'm just starting to feel comfortable on the climbs. The muscles in the legs, arms and chest aren't quite so fatigued nor am I totally out of breath at the top of the climb. The mind plays a part in this as well; after you climb several  dozen hills you convince yourself that the hills aren't scary and hard, they are alluring and challenging. I realize that if I hadn't worked out in the gym during the winter  I would have had to ride many more miles this spring before reaching the physical and mental level where hill climbs are welcomed and sought after. However, you can't replace the time on the bike with any other work out.



Eddy Merckx was asked one time by a fan "How do you getting better at cycling?" Eddy said  "Their are three ways to get better at cycling.
1. Ride your bike.
2. RIDE your bike. And
3. RIDE YOUR BIKE. "

Get out their and ride your bike on Whidbey!!!

Favorite Run Ins

There are stretches of road, I call run ins, where I enjoy riding into a town or area. They are parts of the route that I look forward to and anticipate their approach. For example riding into Langley on Bayview road and going past the sign that tells you how fast you are going.



Another run in into Langley is coming down the hill on Langley road going past the fair grounds and around the corner by WICA. Its fast, fun and it has a sign to tell you how fast you are going as well.



East Harbor road going into Freeland from Goodell road to the stop sign by the post office is another favorite run in.



Riding on Double Bluff road from Millman road to the parking lot is scenic with a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound.











Form Ewing road to Maxwelton is a run in that I ride almost every time I return home from the north.



There are many more run ins that I enjoy but these are my favorite.

Good Legs. Bad Legs.

Heard a professional cyclist say in an interview, "Your legs can start off good then finish good. Your legs could start good and finish bad or they start off bad and finish good. Some days they start off bad and finish bad." Today's ride was one where my legs started off bad. I was considering not riding today. I felt sluggish, tired and undernourished. I encouraged myself to ride by telling myself the rains where coming and today may be the last chance to ride outdoors for awhile. So reluctantly I climbed on to the bike. I had no legs. They felt weak and limp. I pushed on and I am happy I did. As I reach Langley they started to fell better as if something came alive in them. The better my legs felt the better the rest of me felt. The rest of the ride was fantastic. My legs finished today's ride good.


 

Tour of Hansville

Yesterday I did a ride on the Kitsap Peninsula.



 
This was a very fun ride. Long hill climbs and long descents. Beautiful scenery. Went out to the Point-No Point light house, aka "the blinking light". From were lived in Freeland we could walk down to the end of the street and have a look at the Point-No Point light house. My daughter nicknamed it "the Blinking Light".  It was nice on a warm summers evenings to feel the cool breeze coming off the sound and watch the light blink at us. I hadn't been to Point-No Point light house in over 30 years. My buddy Robert and I would ride out to Point-No Point from Bremerton. This was back when all we had to do was ride our bikes all day.

Here is Whidbey from Point-No Point. 

100 mile week!

This week, 4/30/18-5/6/18, is my first 100 mile week of 2018. 109.7 miles to be exact, according to Strava. I did two rides this week end. The first on Friday afternoon. This ride is the first 30+ mile ride.



The second was today.



This week, with the new Campagnolo components, was very satisfying. The next goal I'm looking forward to is a 10,000ft climbing week.

Giro d’Italia

The Giro d’Italia begins in Jerusalem on Friday May 4th. I'm looking forward to the first grand tour of the season. Here's BobKe's Preview



Chris Froome will be riding in this year's Giro. I'm happy to see him participate in the race; however, his mess should have been clean up along time ago. I don't want to go into all of that at this time.

I received an email from The Inner Ring blog with instructions of how to subscribe to the Giro's calendar.

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/e5ahe3c40vouk0egjtqg8pbdac%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

iCal?
An iCal is a calendar file that you can store on your phone or electronic diary like Outlook. There are several ways to get this on to your computer or phone.

• If you use MacOS copy the URL… and open the Calendar app. Then got to File > New Calendar Subscription…) and paste in the link and you’re done
• iPhone/iPad users should hold down a finger here , wait for the pop up message and select “Copy”. Then on your device go to Settings > Accounts and Passwords > Add account > Other > Add Subscribed Calendar and paste in the URL
• If you use Microsoft Outlook, copy the URL and then go to Tools > Account Settings > Internet Calendars and paste the URL to subscribe. In each case when the calendar is updated with a date change or an event is cancelled your software will upload the new data
• Google users can click on the Google Agenda logo on the bottom right corner of the calendar below
• Alerts are turned off in the calendar settings by default but to be safe think about turning off the alarm in your calendar settings to avoid any nocturnal notifications
• Stages are listed as “all day events” so they don’t clutter up your actual diary but in case you need to know so you can keep slots clear during May then each stage finish is forecast to finish at 5.15pm CET

I also have a link to The Geeky Cyclist bog with some facts about the Giro.

Last be not least today's ride.

Scott Speedster drive train swop out.

I spent last week end swopping out my groupo. I pulled my old Shimano drive train from my bike for a new Campagnolo Potenza 11 speed drive train.

The swop out process went well. The Campy group went together easily and the adjustments and indexing of the gears went smoothly. I made two mistakes however, I cut the chain too short and put the brake/shifters on the bars too high. The first mistake cost a little money and the second cost some time. Both have been corrected. I went for the first ride with the new drain train yesterday.


This groupo works so well. It shifts precisely and smoothly. It is quiet and good looking. I could go on and on but I'll spare you. I've always loved Campagnolo components and have wanted to put Campy components on this bike for a long time. Now they are on my bike and I'm so excited.
I went for another ride today with these bad ass components.

Tour of Two Parks

This is one of my favorite Freeland rides. Tour of Two Parks. Here's how it looks on Stava.


The first park is the Freeland park. I spent plenty of time here bushing my children on the swings and lounging on the beach in the sunshine.










The second is Double Bluff. A very popular beach and off leash area for dog walkers. 

Three Rides

I've done three rides sense my late post. We are having some beautiful spring time weather the last few days and I'm taking advantage of it.  Here are the rides.




This ride took me out Saratoga Road from Langley to Lone Lake Road. Great views looking north up through Saratoga Passage.

 One hill of note on this ride.


Only averages 3% grade, non the less, it is still challenging. It one of those hills where you find a nice gear and keep your R's up. By the end of the climb you welcome the down hill section just before Putney Woods.

The next ride was a short ride into Langley. It was all I felt as if I could do after the weekend.



Today I did this ride.


I'm finding that I prefer to ride into Langley on Wilkinson Road rather than Langley Road. Less traffic and nicer views. Hill of note on this ride is Campbell Road.


I personal rate this hill the toughest hill climb on the south end. I've meet folks who have come to Whidbey just to train on this hill for their up come rides and races. If you like to climb Whidbey Island has a hill climb for you.

Tour of Two Towns Clinton-Langley w/ Max Return

Two rides in two days. Again I'm feeling lucky to have the opportunity to ride two consecutive days with the way the weather has been this spring. The weather man is talking about this April being one of the wettest in a long time. Here's the ride for today.


The hill climb of note on this ride is the



Don't let the 8% average grade fool you. This hill is has steep as 12% in places. The lead up to this hill from highway 525 to the bottom of the Mur de Bob is an undulating road with two small hill climbs with has much has 13% grade. These hills tend to soft the legs up just before the Mur de Bob. If you like to climb and suffer I highly recommend the Mur de Bob.

Max-Langley-Willie w/Cultus Bay Return

Got a ride in today. The sun was shining nicely but still a little chilly out there.

Super Fast !!

Worked out on the rollers the last couple of days. I'm feeling stronger and faster but I'm not on these guys level. I can't decide weather this is for real or is the play back sped up?

Hazards: Saratoga Road from Strawbridge to DeBruyn Ave

This stretch of road just outside of Langley is very hazardous. Pot holes and cracked pavement along the way. Going into Langley is particularly bad because you'll be going down hill into town. Coming upon this unsafe area unaware, and with speed could prove to be perilous.

Here's a sample of what it is like all along the way. I'm hoping the road crews are plan on resurfacing this road soon. In the mean time be careful out there.

Fausto Coppi

I recently used this picture of Fausto Coppi, on the right, as my cover photo on my facebook page Racer's Edge Boards and Bikes.  Fausto Coppi is considered to be one of the greatest cyclists of all time. Won the Tour de France twice, the Giro d'Italia five times. He was world champion, won Paris-Roubaix as well as La Flèche Wallonne.

I've compiled some links for those interested in Coppi's life and career.

Fausto Coppi-Wikipedia

Fausto Coppi: the triumphs and the tragedies

Fausto Coppi Photo Gallery

  Fausto Coppi

Tour De France 1953

Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali 

Brooks Hill

I was lucky again today to get a ride in between rain storms. First time climbing Sills Rd. and Brooks Hill this year. I was happy with how well I did on these hills. I will admit I have always had trouble on the bottom part of Brooks Hill. It’s not that steep but for some reason I struggle with it. I seem to do better and I am certainly more comfortable when I get about half way up where it starts getting steeper. I’m not sure why maybe it’s where I get into a good rhythm. Here’s what the route looks like.

Recovery Work Out on the Rollers

Nice weather three days in a row is too much to ask for this time of year. Sense I'm a fair weather rider I did a recovery work out on the rollers. I'm just not enthusiastic about riding in the rain with the wet pavement any more. I'm able to ride in the rain if I get caught in the rain, but I'm not going to look out the window, see that it is raining and say "Oh boy it raining. I'm going for a ride!" My legs welcomed the reprieve from the road. Staying warm and dry was especially pleasant. 

I created a new Facebook page to day Racers Edge Boards and Bikes. So like me on Facebook please!

I have no picture for todays post so I have inserted this picture of Laurent Fignon looking back at Greig LeMond. I love this picture. I can only imagine what they were saying to each other. 

The wind was blowing but the sun was shining.

The wind was blowing but the sun was shining. I feel lucky to get a ride in two days in a row this time of year. It was a welcome surprise when it cleared up this afternoon. Here's the ride for today.




One hill climb of note on this loop.


Here I am sporting my new Castelli perfetto gillet. I wish I would have bought one of this sooner. Its light weight, comfortable and keeps me warm without having to add a lot of layers.

First Ride of 2018

The First Ride!!!


The first ride of 2018 was lovely. It was great to be moving along checking out the scenery and breathing the fresh air. After being on the rollers all winter I was anxiously waiting for the day I could get back out on the road. The first ride makes you realize all the work you put in on the rollers and in the gym paid off.


I worked out at Family Care Fitness Center in Clinton from October to February. Building strength with some weight training. You know the formula, Strength - Stamina - Speed. I also did some rowing for the first time. I enjoyed rowing it was a great cardiovascular exercise and good for the abs.
Family Care Fitness Center is a great place. Inexpensive, helpful employees and friendly courteous people to work out with.

How to Change a Flat Tire

Every cyclist should know how to fix a flat tire. Bobke shows you how.
When I first started riding bicycles it was part of the sport to know how to maintain and repair your bike. Fixing flats, truing wheels, adjusting brakes and derailleurs were all part of being a cyclist. Evergreen, where I went to college, had a bike shop in the basement of the library building. An hour before a group ride I would be in there adjusting this and fixing that making sure everything on my bike was perfect. You could say I was fanatical about it. It gave me confidence and peace of mind when I was on the ride knowing everything was good on my bike. Doing it myself made it even better. I still work on my own bikes and enjoy doing it.

I wonder how many cyclists work on their bikes?
Let me know if you work on your own bike in the comment section.