Time Trial Thursday: Progress!

I went out last night in spite of the clouds and did a good warm-up. I decided to change my strategy as the wind was dying down (for the first time ever!) and I would have a slight headwind going out and nothing much on the way back so this time I would hold back on the ride out.

The result was surprising as I crossed the finish line (after my first time trial in rain) feeling much stronger than usual. Not only did I manage to pass two other riders en route but I set a Personal Best time of 22:42 in the 15 kms. This translates out to 39.65 km/h, so while I am not quite at 40 km/h I only need to find 12 more seconds and I was 21 seconds faster than last week. Unfortunately, this effort will be delayed a bit as part of our tt course is being repaved and as of next week the course will be shortened to 10.75 kms. On the next two Sundays I will have some 40 km time trials to contend with...

Lance Armstrong Rides the Columbiere with his 8 Year Old Training Partner

Lance Armstrong's final preparation ride for the 2009 Tour. I rode this stretch at the Tour d'Enfer in a hailstorm last year. This looks like more fun!

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Obesity in America

Before I continue with my travelogue in the Land of Deep-Fried Cauliflower, a side note. Today the Trust for America's Health released its 2009 "F is for Fat" report (you can see it here) and things are not looking up. 2/3 of Americans are obese or overweight. Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and decresed in none. But what is alarming it the rate of childhood obesity, which has more than tripled since 1980. Mississippi has the highest rate of obese and overweight children at 44.4 percent, a number that seems incredible to me.

As a cycling enthusiast, my answer to this is that kids won't exercise unless they find it fun and cycling is enjoyable. But with fewer children walking or cycling to school, this outlet is being cut off, and good habits that they might develop in childhood will not be carried over into their adult lives. Couple this with bad dietary habits (such as mine during the GAP trail trip) and it is no wonder the numbers look so bad. Canada's rate of obesity is apparently one-third less than the U.S. one but still nothing to be particularly proud about.

Of course, who could resist this?

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

The Great Allegheny Passage, Part 1

Getting all the equipment loaded up in Cumberland, MD

In August 2007 Dr. Chef and I rode the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath from Washington, DC, to Cumberland, Maryland. At one of our overnight stops, our host gave us a Trailbook for the Great Allegheny Passage, a continuation of the C&O that runs along abandoned railway right-of-ways, reaching nearly Pittsburgh. The book whetted our appetites for more Mid-Atlantic Region cycling adventure. We were determined to ride this 134 mile stretch at some point and agreed to get together again at Cumberland. Of course, time passes and Dr. Chef is now on the West Coast and I am in Canada but all things are possible if you try hard enough and on June 8 we met up in Cumberland again, joined by the Badger and Mrs. Badger.

The first issue was logistics. Although the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail is an important source of tourism income for an economically-depressed area, it is still hard to get transportation one-way to either Cumberland or McKeesport, Pennsylvania. However, Dr. Chef solved our problem by working with a local Cumberland taxi company and we were able to book a minivan and driver. John, our driver, had even obtained a bike rack suitable for three bikes so with the fourth bike in the luggage area we were all set We left our cars in a special long-term parking lot under the Interstate after checking in with the Parks Service and off we went towards Pittsburgh. Heading west on I-68,we soon turned off on US-219, crossing the Maryland-Pennsylvania line (the famed Mason-Dixon Line, of course) and driving past Meyersdale, which would be our stop on the second night of cycling. We passed through Berlin, PA, home of the pretzel manufacturer Snyder’s of Berlin (not to be ever confused with those Other Guys making pretzels in Pennsylvania, Snyder’s of Hanover) before turning west on I-70 and soon reaching our destination, McKeesport, after a drive of 2 ½ hours from Cumberland.

Ready to leave McKeesport, PA

We unloaded the bikes near a bridge at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers. Pittsburgh was across that bridge but as yet the Great Allegheny Passage trail has not yet found a way over to the other side so for the time being the trail begins in McKeesport near the McKees Point Marina. Once noted for its coal deposits, which would have been important in the development of Pittsburgh’s steel industry, as well as its own steel-making plants, McKeesport is a faded town with a lot of boarded-up buildings and signs of urban decay. There are probably only 20,000 people living there compared to its heyday of 55,000. It resembled some of the towns I have seen around Buffalo, New York, where the Rust Belt decline since the 1980s has caused a significant population outflow and the virtual abandonment of downtown areas.

After the obligatory starting photo, we said goodbye to John and rode off along the shore of the Youghiogheny. Looking at this name, I had to admit I was clueless as to how it might be pronounced but Mrs. Badger, coming from the region, told me to say it as “Yock-i-gain-y,” and that the locals simply call it “the Yough.”

Milkshakes!

Dr. Chef was feeling some hunger pangs so we were on the lookout for a likely place to eat but as we rode along the crushed gravel trail it became apparent that there would not be many choices. We asked a lady near Boston (or “Little Boston,” as the locals call it) if there was any place to get food and she told us that most things were closed on Mondays but that ten miles up the trail there was an ice cream place. Sounded good to us, so off we rolled and near Sutersville we found the Yough Twister, an ice cream drive-in the 1950s style. Even better than the 1950s, in fact, because along with a lengthy selection of various ice creams, both hard and soft style, there was a long menu featuring all kinds of food you would not expect in such a small place, including gyros and pitas. We enjoyed our food, including some great onion rings and deep-fried cauliflower, and some superb milkshakes. Perhaps not the kind of food for endurance athletes but we were on holiday.

The restored train station, West Newton, PA

Back in the saddle, our route took us to West Newton, where a beautiful restored train station was a reminder of the railroad whose path we were following. West Newton has been a jump-off point in the late 1700s for people heading west. Taking advantage of the abundant forest, they would launch rafts here and float downstream to Pittsburgh and on to the Ohio River. Evidence of industrial activity is commonplace and near Whitsett we saw the concrete silos of the Banning Number One mine, all that remains from a once-active coaling operation. We had a good view of the impressive Pittsburgh & West Virginia Banning trestle that crosses the river.

Dr. Chef relaxes in West Newton

There were tracts of land here once owned by George Washington, an active land speculator, but the region really blossomed due to the Pittsburgh Coal Seam. Our stop for the night, Connellsville, was a boom town once and no fewer than eight railroads, in competition with river freight on the Youghiogheny, went through the town. It had a population of 7,170 in 1900, but a century later this number was only 9,146, a mere 2/3 of what it had been in 1940. Immigrant labourers came to work in the area’s mines and Connellsville Coal was considered to be the finest metallurgical coal in the world for the production of the coke used in the iron and steel industries.

P&WE Banning Trestle

As we entered Connellsville, we could hear thunder. We asked for directions to our motel (the only one in town) and soon were on a busy uphill road. We made it to our overnight place just in time as the rain began to fall. The Melody Motor Lodge was the only game in town for accommodation, except a Victorian b&b, and was a bit grim, with possible the thinnest towels I have ever seen in a bathroom. Next to it was a small diner, but it was only open for breakfast and lunch.

Dr. Chef wandered down the road and found a beer store and brought us back some interesting craft beers, including one named for Eliot Ness (of “Untouchables” Chicago crime-fighting fame). There was not a lot of choice in restaurants in walking distance, since we did not really want to ride on the busy highway in the dark anywhere, but Dr. Chef told us we could get food at the beer store so we walked over there. The menu was fairly simple but yet again we could get deep-fried cauliflower, which seems to be a sort-of gourmet speciality of Central Pennsylvania. We had massive sandwiches with lots of fried things alongside, washed down with a mixed six-pack of beers taken from the cooler. And to finish off this healthful meal, we walked to the front of the place for yet more ice cream. If we had not been cycling all day we would probably would not have been able to burn off this food for several weeks.

And so ended our first day on the Great Allegheny Passage, with 73 kms (45 miles) ridden in 4 ½ hours of relaxed sightseeing.

Graham Watson's Tour de France Travel Guide: A Review

Lots of reading these days in preparation for La Grande Boucle! My second book review in a week is at Pezcyclingnews and can be found here.

With the Tour de France starting on Saturday, July 4, with the Monaco time trial, this book has arrived just in time. Enjoy!

Lake Placid Interlude

A View of Lake Placid, New York

As part of our United Way campaign at the office last year, we were asked to contribute to an an on-line auction. Although, this being the Foreign Service, some people came up with things like Fujian cork sculptures that had haunted dark closets for years, I decided that since I really wanted to ride the Ironman bike course at Lake Placid, New York.

Lake Placid is known as the site of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, but it has other noteworthy things. It was the home of the Trudeau Hospital, established in 1885 as a sanitarium to deal with tuberculosis as the trend in those days was to treat people with fresh mountain air. It was also home to a group of abolotionists, including the famous John Brown. After his famous raid on the Harper's Ferry Federal Arsenal failed, he was tried and executed and his body was returned to Lake Placid. His home is a small museum and his grave is located in front of it. But we must return to the outdoor sports theme as it really is the kind of place where people naturally go hiking or canoeing or, even, cycling.

My United Way offer was for transportation there, the opportunity to ride the 90 km course (the triathletes do two circuits), a chance to cycle up the toll road to Whiteface Mountain (if so inclined) and dinner at the Lake Placid Brewing Company before the trip back to Ottawa. Amazingly, there were several bidders for the chance to ride with me (or drink beer) and after the auction the winner, Gwyn, and I agreed to pick a suitable date once the weather became good enough to do the ride.

This Sunday we were fortunate as the weather was perfect. Departing Ottawa at 6 a.m., we drove across the border via Ogdensburg, New York (the more convenient Cornwall crossing is presently closed) and headed south. For some reason, the creatures of Upstate New York were attracted to my car, including a large wild turkey hen that looked at us and then jumped into the road ahead of the car. But no harm done...

The Ice Center where the famous 1980 U.S.-Soviet Union hockey game for the gold medal took place

There was no traffic to speak of us we passed through small villages and soon found ourselves in the Adirondack State Park, which occupied one-quarter of New York State. By 9:30 a.m. we entered Lake Placid's busy Main Street and found a large municipal parking lot where we could leave the car. There was a clean washroom there as well and I changed into cycling gear and just after 10:00 a.m. we headed out on the open road, State Road 73. We passed a big horse show taking place at the local fairgrounds.

The course, which I downloaded from the Internet at www.gpsies.com began with a few little rollers and soon, just past the Olympic Sports Complex, we enjoyed some massive descents that saw some high speeds on excellent new asphalt. Unfortunately, Route 73 has more traffic than I would have expected on a Sunday morning, with the majority of traffic being large pick-up trucks, many towing boats. Although we enjoyed the downhill parts, it was with some relief that we turned onto Route 9N in Keene. The road was quite lovely, with a small river to our left and very few cars to contend with. We played road tag with two triathletes out on their bikes, and we were to see a great number of them during the day. Lake Placid, traditionally a huntin' and fishin' place and then a low-key summer resort, has found a new role catering to very thin and very fast tri-geeks. The Ironman race held each July here since 1997 is one of only six sanctioned by the Ironman organizers in the United States.



Unfortunately, our enjoyable ride along 9N towards Upper Jay was interrupted by a flat tire. My rear tire was not actually flat but was clearly losing air. I discovered I had not brought my Speedlever to change the tire and I was apprehensive about getting the very tight-fitting Hutchinson tubeless tire back on so we could complete the ride. So I just inflated the tire with a CO2 cartridge and hoped for the best. Of course, that is not always the best policy since a few miles on the tire had clearly gone soft again. Luckily, Gwyn had some tire levers and when I put in the tube I was able to get the tire back on without too much difficulty. Using my second (and last) cartridge, everything worked perfectly and we were back on the road in less than 15 minutes. It was clear that I had tried to take the tire one trip too far since the Hutchinson tread was looking pretty shredded.



Outside of Jay we turned left onto Route 86. There was a bit of climbing here but nothing too hard although there was some traffic. Reaching the village of Wilmington, we turned right onto Hasleton Road, an out-and-back leg where we saw a lot of triathletes. Doubling back after 8 kms, we returned to Route 86. We passed the road to Whiteface Mountain (the 8 mile climb was a bit more than we wanted to do today) and headed towards High Falls Gorge.



This stetch of road was also quite lovely, with a rapidly running river to our right. We saw fly fishermen standing on the rocks and high cliffs above us. It was beginning to get hot but, as if on cue, a dark cloud passed over. No rain but it cooled the air nicely.

Main Street, Lake Placid

The last third of the course is a gentle climb and was easy to do. At one point, I rode with one of the training triathletes. She looked very fit but when we came to the climb she definitely could not keep us with. I think if I had been riding my time trial bike I would have not gone as quickly either, given gearing and geometry. With 92 kms under our tires, we rolled back into Lake Placid. The organizers of the course had been smart to put the big descent at the start and the gradual climb at the end, but the final climb back up into the town itself was pretty steep for tired legs! But it was nice to have over 1000 meters of climbing in the bank...

Sampling our Beer Sampler

After getting cleaned up as much as possible, we walked along Main Street, which was bustling on this late Sunday afternoon. After a bit of effort, we found the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, which operates a small bar and restaurant, and we were able to get a table on the deck outside. We went with the sampler of their six available beers to get started. They were very good, and I was surprised at the coffee flavour that you could detect in the Sunrise Stout. I had a pint of 46'er Pale Ale, which had a pronounced hoppiness, while Gwyn tried the Moose Island Golden Ale.

Back to the car and we were on the road again (with a quick stop at Mountain Mist Ice Cream to celebrate our excellent ride). We were back in Ottawa by 10 p.m with a sense of a day well spent.

The Latest Tin Donkey: Heron Out of Junk--or A Phoenix Arises!

The Raleigh Heron

As someone not immune to the collecting mania, I have tried to limit myself but have not been too successful. From stamps as a child to classical CDs and cycling books as an adult, if there is space I will fill it. However, I was able to limit myself in terms of bicycles and actually sold several over the last year. But I was always attracted to classic steel and since my current road bike, a Specialized S-Works Tarmac E5, is pretty close to state-of-the-art, I thought that perhaps I would go backwards rather than forwards in terms of new bikes.

A real Marinoni/fake Raleigh

My steel Marinoni still remains a favourite and when a bike purporting to be a 1985 Marinoni frameset as used by the Levi’s-Raleigh Racing USA Team showed up for a laughable sum on E-Bay, I was particularly interested. There were only around 26 of these frames built, and they were painted as Raleighs and marked as having Reynolds steel tubing, when in fact they were built out of Columbus tubing. These “disguised” Marinonis were ridden with great success in North America by Levi’s-Raleigh, a team that included Andy Hampston and Roy Knickman and was the only domestic team up to competing with the vaunted 7-Eleven Team of the 1980s. As well, Connie Carpenter scored a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics on one of these bicycles.

The frame did not seem to be in bad shape from the photos. It had a braze-on for a race number, something seldom seen on consumer bikes but invariably on pro ones. The fork, a unicrown Tange thing, was clearly not original, but I was puzzled by the seatstays, which looked nothing like any Marinoni I had ever seen before. In addition to contacting Marinoni, I was able to find an e-mail address for Mike Fatka, who had managed the Levi’s-Raleigh team in its heyday and is still selling bicycle stuff. He was kind enough to check with a mechanic from the team, who was a bit discouraging:

It appears that one of the custom frames in the 1985 Raleigh catalog may have similar fastback stays? I can't remember anything about "real" Raleigh's from back then, but 1984 was an Olympic year, and Raleigh had all those Olympic "superbikes" built, and this frame seems much lower quality than any of those bikes or the Marinoni bikes. I don't know what it is, but it looks fake to me, or just very low quality. Perhaps not junk, but collectible? I don't think so.

The owner of the frame had gotten it from a former Raleigh employee and still believed that it was a Marinoni, although the team people didn’t think so and neither did Marinoni, since they stated it was definitely not one of theirs. The owner said it was a very good frame, and the filework was even better than on his Waterford. He said it had been raced with a Dura-Ace build-up as that was a team sponsor, but a better Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur was used, with the Campy markings scratched out!

Framebuilding at Raleigh SBDU

I was becoming very intrigued by the frame. Marinoni said that they could refinish it for me and build me a correct-style fork. The owner was able to provide a serial number and with this the mystery was solved. The frame was indeed a Raleigh, but a very special one. Mike Fatka was able to explain that the frame was built in a small 12-man factory in Ilkeston, near Nottingham at Raleigh’s Special Bicycle Development Unit.

Unable to resist, I put in a bid for the frame and soon afterward Raleigh Professional #SB6032 was mine. It actually cost more to ship the frame from its owner in Kansas City to me than I paid for the frame, but I was about to discover that the frame was only the first and nowhere near the most expensive part of my project! The owner had packed the frame so well it took me an hour with a very sharp knife to free it from its shipping box. The frame actually looked better than it had in the photos and my wife, who had been appalled by what she thought was going to be a piece of rusty junk, was highly impressed. The decals were quite good, as was the paint (unlike the notorious quality of Italian and French finishes from the 1980s) and the only rust, which was very minor, was to be found on the under-tube cable guides. The bottom bracket and headtube were very clean and the frame looked to be quite straight.

SBDU in action, 1980s

The Internet, that source of all information, good and bad, yielded a great deal about SBDU and its bicycles. Here is one reference I found:

Headed by Carlton’s Gerald O’Donovan, Raleigh Specialist Bicycle Development Unit, was created in 1974 and housed in its own standalone factory in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, which was once part of the Rolls Royce works. The SB unit is best known for pioneering and proving the new Reynolds 753 lightweight tubing in 1974 although it made Reynolds 531 framesets as well. Initially, almost all 753 production was for the TI Raleigh Team (which was equipped with 753 frames from the 1975 season onwards) and other European teams with each team member of the Raleigh squad getting two or three frames per season.

From 1974-77 it bought out most if not all of the 753 tubing from Reynolds (both Raleigh and Reynolds being part of the TI conglomerate of course) making it exclusive to Raleigh. Production increased to the point of offering framesets to the general public by 1978 at a cost of $475 in the US market including an Edco headset. The 753 was offered in track, roadracing and special time trials frames in the famous team livery, midnight blue or champagne. Initially Ilkeston turned out about 25 753 tubed frames a week c. 1977 and produced approximately 9000 framesets in both 531 and 753 for individuals and teams until its closure in 1986.

The piece went on to say that due to their lightweight nature, 753 frames in particular were prone to damage but that a good SBDU frame was a high-quality one, and, indeed highly collectible since never more than 700 frames per year were built at SBDU.

The Internet yielded further gold: a Yahoo discussion group devoted to high-end Raleigh bicycles and I learned a great deal about my new acquisition. It would have been built in 1983/84 and sold as a special order frameset to a customer of Raleigh USA. A similar frameset, available both in Reynolds 531 or 753, is shown in the 1985 Raleigh catalogue. I have since acquired a 1985 dealer catalogue which shows a built-up version of the same frame, and which I will use as the basis for my rebuild. The Yahoo group experts told me that I could determine what kind of tubing was used by the diameter of the seatpost. I had my local bike shop check with an electronic caliper and they confirmed it was 26.8 mm, meaning that I had the high-end 753 frame.

Before bidding for the bike, I made sure not only that Marinoni would refinish it for me, but also that I had a source for new decals, one of the difficult points of any rebuild. I was able to source suitable decals from California, Australia and the United Kingdom, so everything was good there.

A Restored SBDU Bike

My purpose in buying this bike was to bring it back to life and get it on the road so that I would be able to experience a state-of-the-art 1985 racing bicycle. SBDU frames are supposed to be lightweight and highly responsive and this one was clearly very good-looking. And since I have wanted to ride l’Eroica, the Tuscan cyclosportif event that celebrates vintage bicycles and the heroes who rode them over the dusty unpaved roads, I thought that the Raleigh would be the perfect time machine. It turns out that now post-1987 bicycles are not allowed in the event, so my choice has become all that much better.

A beautiful frame deserves suitable parts but this meant I had to make a decision. I communicated with Greg, the very helpful owner of Bicycle Classics, which specialized in NOS (New Old Stock) parts from this era. Although I did not pay very much for the frame, I decided I do not want to spend $2000 to end up with a bike I could easily sell for $900 so I made the decision to go with lightly-used Campagnolo Super Record parts from the correct era. That said, I was not going to go insane trying to build a perfect period-correct bike–the fork problem alone would prevent that.

After attending Peter Weigle’s talk at le Cirque du Cyclisme, I decided that the Raleigh would be rebuilt as a safe and reliable bicycle meant to be ridden without too much obsessive worry about scratches (well, no more obsessive worries than normal). As a practical matter, I did not want to use tubular tires, although they would have been authentic but would have a new wheelset made using old Campy SR hubs and new silver Mavic Open Pro box rims. They would be hassle-free and in addition I would not have any worries about old parts failing. The other area of concern was the stem and handlebar. I did buy a nice used Cinelli Giro d’Italia handlebar but I had been eyeing new Japanese-made Nitto parts, which are certified for keirin racing and are beautifully made (although not cheap either). At Cirque’s swap meet I found a new Nitto handlebar and stem in the correct size and at an excellent price, so I went with these in the end.

It has taken a great deal of patience to locate nice Campagnolo Super Record parts but they have come in: from Virginia, Florida, Australia, Naples, Berlin and who knows where else. With the exception of a few small generic mechanical parts, almost everthing has arrived except a suitable seatpost. I have a great-looking Selle San Marco Regal saddle, a model that has been produced for decades and features big copper rivets at the back. I have brand new Super Record brake levers with hard-to-find amber rubber hoods in perfect condition. My hubs were overhauled and my new wheelset constructed. All the Campagnolo parts look really gorgeous.

A non-SBDU Raleigh in the right colour scheme

Once I return from my trip to Europe in August, I will deliver the frame and decals to Marinoni so that they can work their magic. With any luck, everything will be built up before the first snow falls and this reborn Heron (the long-time Raleigh symbol) will fly again.

A Ride into the Past: L'Eroica

L'Eroica 2007
photo by Dale Brown, Cycles d'Oro

In the spirit of le Cirque du Cyclisme but moving to an outdoor arena, l’Eroica is a cyclosportif (that is, timed) event that is Italy’s answer to France’s Paris-Roubaix and, like that ride, offers versions for professionals and amateurs at different times of the year. Rather than facing cobblestones, participants need to contend with the strade bianche, the “white roads” of Tuscany, stretches of loose gravel that make up half of the course. The course is also very hilly, with steep grades and up to 4000 m of climbing.

Many of the participants do the ride (and there are varying lengths, with 205 km being the long route) on vintage bicycles, while wearing vintage clothing. Helmets are not mandatory to maintain the period feeling. Getting into the spirit of it all, many cyclists show up with dawn-of-time racing bikes–one of Fausto Coppi’s domestiques came last year! They wear wool jerseys and have tubular tires wrapped around their shoulders. Many wear goggles to deal with the dust. The food stops are vintage too, since they will give you salami and Chianti wine, just like in the Good Old Days.

The Indomitable Pashley Guv'nor

There are good reports of the atmosphere of the event here and here, along with photos of some of the bikes that were entered. As well, TOUR magazine in Germany did an article with excellent photos that can read (in German) or admired in .pdf form here. However, my favourite account by participants in the October 2008 ride surely must be David and Bryce, the English madmen who work for the U.K.’s Pashley Cycles and who turned up in Tuscany ready to ride Pashley Guv’nors, a “modern” replica of a 1926 Pashley gentleman’s racing bike. They brought the up-market version, complete with three-speed Sturmey-Archer internal hub gearing. For 4000 m of climbing. There is an entertaining account of their trip here, and the video below will give you an idea of what they went through. And it is no wonder that while their time was not terribly fast, they certainly deserved to be distinguished by being judged in the Top Ten group of cyclists who were the “most heroic.”



Beginning in 1996, the event has developed into a wildly popular one. In 2008, some 3,000 participants descended on the tiny town of Gaiole (pop. 2,300!) to take part in L’Eroica. Although vintage bicycles were preferred, there was no restriction on any other bicycles, so there were not only current racing bikes to be seen but even mountain bikes.

“Basta!” say the organizers now and the rules have been changed. There will be an event for everyone in June but the Real Thing will be held on October 4. Bicycles must be pre-1987, an arbitrary date that sort of marks the wide availability of concealed cables and clipless pedals. These will not be allowed, even on bikes of the right age, and shifters must be mounted on downtubes, an exception being for period-correct (non-indexed) bar-end shifters.

I have just learned that the current June issue of Outside magazine has a l'Eroica story as well. Read about the Giro di Salame here.

Needless to say, I really, really, really want to ride L’Eroica. If you want to ride with me in October 2010, here is where to sign up. The history, the romance, the difficulty all combine with the Chianti to make it irresistible. And the herd of Tin Donkeys has been expanded with the acquisition of a suitable bike, which will be the subject of another post shortly. Suffice it to say, it will not be a Pashley Guv’nor.

Red Bull Road Rage

Here's a different kind of race. On June 20-21, 2009, the 1st Red Bull Road Rage downhill race was held in Italy, in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The event is a 5 km downhill race, on an asphalt road, with contestants competing in heats of four, starting with 100 and racing over two days until the final eliminations.

The course has 13 hairpins and descends more than 400 m in the 5 km. Here is what it looks like:



The winner this year, ex-pro Mauro Bettin, clocked in at a top speed of 98 km/h, or 60.9 mph. I have personally ridden at 90 km/h on the Scenic Highway in West Virginia and there is no way that I could do it on a road like this! I personally cannot stand the flavour of Red Bull but I have to admire their marketing instinct. It must have been an amazing event.

RedBull Road Rage Cortina

Time Trial Thursday: Improving (...a bit)

After a week of excellent weather, I was looking forward to last night's 15 km time trial. It has been several weeks since I was able to do one and I thought my training had been going well. There was another excellent turnout. It was quite hot (29C/84.2F), and when I was warming up I was pretty worried about the wind but it died down a lot by the time I got on the course.

I had a very good launch and pushed hard to take advantage of the tailwind. I was up around 47 km/h but I thought it would be good to back off a bit since my heart rate was pushing 180. As I slowed down to a sustainable 42/43 it was obvious that there was actually no tailwind at all but a slight crosswind/kind of headwind. So I just kept on riding as steadily as I could. I could make out my 30 second man after about 6 kms. I was making excellent time, although a very fast rider overtook me just near the turnaround.

On the way back there was a bit of a headwind for sure and I could not hold much over 38 km/h on the way back and felt pretty tired near the last bridge. My time was 23:03, which was a bit of a disappointment as I thought I could go under 23 minutes. But what was very odd was my heart rate. On the launch it hit 179 and never really came down. I saw 173 for most of the ride, and even counting the five minutes of slow riding after my average HR was still 164 bpm. I wonder if I have been underestimating my max HR or exactly what happened here. No cramping and my first 10 kms was actually very fast at around 15:30 so if I can just improve the finish I should have a much better time. As it is, this was my fastest so far this year and my third-fastest ever, with an average of 39.05 km/h.

I think that the high temperature during the ride (and it was around 7:00 p.m that I began) affected me as I woke up this morning with some symptoms of heat exhaustion. As usual, I always forget something in the excitement of the time trial and I did not put my bandana (or, as Bikesnoby NYC calls them: Euroschmatte) on under my helmet to help deal with the heat. Live and learn, I guess. At least this time I remembered to put on my gloves.

I plan to be faster next week and the following week. After that we lose our course due to repaving, alas, and the tt will be reduced, probably to 10 kms. This might be a good training opportunity to raise my speed by hammering a shorter distance. It will also be entirely on a smooth road. I am sure that I lose a lot of speed due to the first and last 2.1 kms of the present course which is very rough.

Of course, if you want to read about a real time triallist, check out Jered Gruber's excellent summary of the Tour de Suisse's final time trial here.