Thursday, August 26, 2010

Aug-26: Neither Cadance Nor "Time-Trialing"

Just Pedaling and Testing

Saddle adjustment.  Lower.

I lowered the saddle a little before riding.  Well before completing 9 miles, I thought I needed to raise it back up about half of what I'd lowered it, but I decided to do a "fair test".  Nearing the top of Coley, I decided I'd been "fair" enough, and when I got to Carpenter Pond, I raised the saddle about half way back to where it had been.

The quads immediately started feeling better, but they were basically trashed after the 17.1 mile "test", and I just didn't have much "go" the last 20 miles.

Saddle adjustment.  Forward.

My saddle (on a zero-offset seat-post) was already about as far forward as it could possibly go.  But I tried to nudge it forward a few more micro-millimeters.  I left the saddle in the even-more-forward position.  Unless my gut gets significantly smaller, I can't see that I'll be able to bend-over further enabling a more aero position, and possibly a slight slide backward.

New bibs. 

I acquired some supposedly nice quality bibs from Gary.  In my opinion, the chamois just doesn't cover enough of the "front area".  No problems emerged on a 37-mile ride on a coolish late summer afternoon.  But NO WAY I am trusting those bibs for a 100-miler, or a 300-km or more ride.  Sending them back.

Cycle confuser, aka, Cateye.

Not a new confuser, and I certainly didn't intend to be testing my current confuser.  However, I was riding what felt like a very nice, quick pace back up Coley toward Kemp from 98, so I looked down to find out what my actual pace was.  "0.0", and the distance had only increased by "0.02" miles since I'd U-turned at 98.  What the heck? 

I was thinking / worried that I might have to actually give in and get a new confuser, but when I adjusted the saddle height as described above, I also managed to move the sensor and magnet imperceptably closer, fixing the "0.0" problem. 

Luckily, I know the distance on Coley which was not recorded, and I have a pretty good idea how long it takes me to cover Coley from 98 to Carpenter Pond.  Still annoying, though.

Shoes.

No testing of shoes today.  But I noticed today that the lowers are separating from the uppers (near the heel) on each shoe.  I'll likely try some shoe-glue to try to stop further separation.  But as anyone that has ridden with me probably knows, I could use a new pair of cycling shoes.  BEFORE going to the Blue Ridge Pkwy next month.

New Asphault on Carpenter Pond.

Not one single additional inch of new asphault has been laid since a week or more ago.  Today was the first time I rode the 1-mile of the westbound lane that has been repaved between Old Creedmoor and Kemp.  It is smooooth.  There are at least two sets of two round holes cut into the new pavement testing the depth of said new pavement.  The old pavement surface was easily visible.  So ... watch out for the test holes.

There did seem to be some big machinery unloading going-on, so maybe there will be new pavement all the way to Kemp by Saturday morning.  More likely, they'll be repaving and we'll have to navigate around the work crews early on in our ride.  Maybe we should modify the start and take Norwood to Vct Ch, which becomes Kemp; that way, we'd limit the interface with any work crews to the few seconds it will take to cross Carpenter Pond. 
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Aug-26: 

BJP:  Coley-DocN-Kemp-Virgil; 37.0 m.; 2 hrs, 19 min in-motion time; 15.9 mph. 

Q-1 tot: 16 rides; __938.2 m.; _60 hrs, 39 min; 15.5 mph.
Q-2 tot: 31 rides; 2,263.3 m.; 151 hrs, 29 min; 14.9 mph.
Ju1 tot: 13 rides; __786.9 m.; _52 hrs, 36 min; 15.0 mph.
Aug tot: _7 rides; __490.7 m.; _40 hrs, 38 min; 16.0 mph.
YTD tot: 67 rides; 4,479.1 m.; 295 hrs, 25 min; 15.2 mph.

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