Drifts of Fallen, Crunchy Leaves...

Leaves fall late in this part of the world; though the calendar says the Autumn Equinox arrived two months ago, the season is just reaching its peak. Although gale force winds over the next few days may speed things up, the leaves are likely to continue falling well into December, maybe even January. Much as the Giro d'Lombardia, the so-called Race of the Falling Leaves held way back in October, signals the end of racing season, our own falling leaves signals a change of pace. It is a time of more social-oriented riding - long mileage rides, sure, but at an easier pace. The type of ride for which the ol' yellow Basso is perfectly suited. Pedals, saddle and seatpost get transferred over from the singlespeed, and my old friend is ready, complete again. My racing bike still gets its miles - being top dog in the kennel does come with certain advantages but, more than at any other point during the year, now is the time for old steel.

The past few mornings now, I have been crunching through drifts of leaves hued in yellow, red, orange, and those faded of all color but dried brown. Much like a kid in a Frazz comic jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves as some metaphor of an incident in life, I often find myself leaning toward the deepest part of the drifts. Who knows what those deeper drifts hold, what surprises they cover. For most, maybe all, of my life I have been a meticulous planner, trying to anticipate every potential eventuality, living up to that old scout moto that we were required to learn for one advancement or other - Be Prepared. Being prepared though, does not mean we must fore go all sense of adventure. And so I lean into those deeper drifts relishing the once-a-year moment, the crunching of leaves beneath my tires, on an otherwise quiet ride.

Bike to Hike...

If you are local to Claremont you already know, if you are from further afield, you likely do not. Our Claremont Hills Wilderness Park has become too popular for its own good. As the city ponders user fees as a way to generate funds for the park's increasingly demanding upkeep, residents at the top of Mills (rightfully) decry the assault of noise and traffic, and city staff daily combat the scourge of trash blight. Wouldn't it be great if people could just do what they know to be right, without being told?


For some time now, the great debate has centered around what to do with all those cars. It seems that in order to walk, people must first drive. Yes, I know, it is bassackward. That is motor-dependence for you. Included in the latest plan for the CHWP is the idea of converting some of the existing open space near the park entrance into parking. Parking that will accommodate three hundred vehicles. 300 motor vehicles. What are you going to do? Here is a partial answer:

Two mornings in a row now I have seen this gentleman riding up Mills to the Wilderness Park. Wears his hiking boots, hiking stick secured in a carrier, self-made from a length of pipe and a couple clamps. Simple set-up, simple answer. Bike to hike. No one wants to discourage others from using the park, doing something good for their health and well-being. But honestly, if you are going to the park for fitness, driving to and from defeats the purpose. Just do what is right without being told.

A Happy Birthday to Stephen Roche...

"I am convinced that long after I have stopped riding as a professional I will be riding my bicycle. I never want to abandon my bike. I see my grandfather, now in his seventies and riding around everywhere. To me that is beautiful. And the bike must always remain a part of my life."  - Stephen Roche


History will remember Stephen Roche for his three podium ascensions in 1987, I have written of this record year previously, but the efforts that Roche made during his final two years of racing will always be equally strong in my mind. Roche long suffered from knee and back pain. Sometimes that pain became too much to bear, other times the champion pushed on. I know that back pain; sometimes I suffered through a race, too proud to quit. One time, though, it was too much. At some level I can relate. Images of Roche attacking during races in his final two years remain with me after nearly twenty years. I, along with many fans, hoped this was a signal that Roche would continue on for another couple, maybe few years, but it wasn't to be. Roche knew when he was finished and went out with an attacking style that indelibly marked his career.


Here is a short clip of Roche winning in the deep mist at  La Bourboule during the 1992 Tour de France:

A longer Youtube clip of the same stage can be seen here.

Happy Birthday Stephen Roche. And here is to riding in our seventies, Slainte.


Update: If you are visiting this post for the first time, you get a special treat, one which those who have already viewed it may miss. I imagine very few people in the cycling world know of this, or remember it, if they happen to have heard it once before. For sheer novelty listen to "Get Outta That Saddle Stephen", a song written in 1978 by Dermont Morgan, as posted at the Irish Peloton. And while you are listening on the website check out that Sean Kelly board game, pretty collectable as well.

The Thanksgiving Day Ride...

Well, I am glad to have made the effort of getting out on the Turkey Day ride this morning. It would have been easy to sleep in, as the rest of the household did; instead I was greeted by a good sized group of Psycho-lists, Cycling Connection riders, and plenty of others as well, who had heard of the ride from one place or another. 

the gathering (i just now noticed you waving Trish, hey)

Over thirty (at one point I heard the number 34) of us rolled out under cloudy skies, but were never really threatened with rain, so the conditions were pretty much perfect for riding. We followed a route which was a kind of tour of three campuses - Mt. San Antonio College, Cal Poly Pomona, and then back through the Claremont Colleges. It is a nice route with plenty of hills for me to stretch my legs and attempt to put up a challenge for the KOM. I did respectably, never less than 4th on any of the climbs. Sorry, but if someone takes off on a climb I've got to go after them, and if no one takes that initiative, then I've got to take up that role of instigator. But then this was a Thanksgiving social ride, so I am sure there were plenty of riders simply taking it easy, and other than those hills, that is exactly what we did. 

setting the pace along Barranca through Covina

the long straight of Barranca, one place i could get the whole group.

the rider in front was on a nice vintage Peugeot

I got to see some folks I have ridden with recently, others I haven't seen in a while, and yet others I rode with for the first time. I saw Mike, aka Pain Freak, who I had previously only seen on an mtb, although I knew he was a long time roadie too. Shout out to Erik here, a reader of this blog, who is one of those I met for the first time today - sorry not to see you at the end and wish you a good Thanksgiving, I guess the group got split at that last light, and then I turned off for home while heading up Mills. Fun stuff. Bring on the turkey, or ham, sweet potatoes would be good too, and some pie afterward.

A Golden Sport Zebrakenko in Baby Blue...

The longer I am around cycling, the more bicycle manufacturers I discover, and which I was previously unfamiliar. Such as this one - Golden Sport Zebrakenko. The interesting headbadge at first suggested, to me, that the company was perhaps of European origin, what with the lion and the crown. But no, apparently Golden Sport Zebrakenko was/is a Japanese company, formed in 1901. During the big bike boom in the United States of the 1970s, it became profitable enough for many overseas manufacturers to begin importing here, and in about 1974 Zebrakenko got in on that action as well. I have seen one reference that the company ceased exporting to the US in the mid-80s, but this is all hearsay, and I am yet to find anything really substantive about them. At their peak, the company produced about nine different models with names such as 'storm' (the model shown), 'thunder', 'lightning', 'wind', etc. This particular one is a nice, solidly-built steel beauty, very small (48 I believe). It will be interesting to see how the guys at the Velo will build it up, and hopefully I can snap some more photos before it's gone.

Hope all my readers have a terrific Thanksgiving Day and long weekend (assuming you have one). Get out and ride; I will hopefully wake up in time for the Psycho-lists ride in the morning, and I can't think of a better way to start the day.

Slainte.

The Less Riding = Less Writing Correlation...

If you start to see fewer posts around here, it is not because I have lost interest in doing so, or have less time to more my fingers across the keyboard. No, instead I have come to the conclusion that the lack of frequent posting is a direct result of less time spent in the saddle. Even though we tend to have pretty reasonable weather around here during the winter months I, like so many others, find my mileage totals slipping away this time of year. Just list the usual excuses - inclement weather (there is always at least a little), shorter days, holiday preparation and the holidays themselves, off-season indifferent attitude toward training. All these various reasons accumulate and I may be riding half the distance at the end of the year as I was doing just a couple months previous.


So what does less frequent riding have to do with a lack of writing? Well, for one thing, if I am out on the road or trail less, I have fewer opportunity to accumulate tales of adventure, or even incidental happenings. It is a pretty direct correlation in this case. Of course I have years of those that I could fall back on. What I have decided is even more important is the correlation between physical activity and mental acuity. "Movement and exercise increase breathing and heart rate so that more blood flows to the brain" (the Franklin Institute); riding (as a form of physical activity) is effective in "oxygenating the brain" and one reason fellow cyclists often talk of using riding to clear our heads, or think through problems. 


It was once common belief that people were born with a set and limited number of neurons, or brain cells, but now know that, not only can we produce more neurons, but that physical activity stimulates the regeneration of them. Studies show, time and again, that there exists a very real connection between physical and mental health, that an active lifestyle increases mental acuity. In fact I would suggest that the evidence is so conclusive that researchers might as well move on to another topic, or narrow their focus. There you go; if in fact you do notice a decline in content here over the next couple months, it is not for lack of trying (or more to the point, desire), blame it on lack of riding. That's my excuse and I am sticking to it. If it's good enough for Albert, it's good enough for me:

Gitane Kilo...

Remember this one from back in August? I was not satisfied with the photos I took at the time - well I finally got around to take some better ones. BTW, contrary to what I wrote in that original post, the bike is for sale. Let the Velo know you're interested; there is no reason not to race this sleek whippet around the local track. Saddle up and enjoy the ride.

USA vs Canada: Showdown at the 'drome...

If you can cut your way through the freeway traffic on a Tuesday evening

this event looks like a lot of fun. Maybe, since it is a holiday week

traffic will be light? Please.

Random Shots in Town...

I've taken a bunch of photos from around town in the past few weeks that never made it into any post. The saying goes that variety is the spice of life - well, there is sure a lot of variety rolling the streets on any given day. While on a ride this morning I was stung on the lower lip; I don't think that picture of my fat lip is nearly as appealing, so instead:

ah, yes. have coffee, will ride.

single,

in pairs.

ritte racer,

giant commuter.

ladies in lycra,

ladies in skirts.

we don't need no stinkin' motor, legs get the job done.

finally, this past saturday while hundreds (or is it thousands now) of riders braved the not-quite-as-cold, or rainy, or windy as was forecast weather, and rode one of three routes during the Tour de Foothills, the best i could manage was a donut run for the family. i did make a brief detour up to Baseline to get a few pics as everyone went on by back to the ride finish. 

The International Element...

Years ago, say the early to mid-1990s, while racing at the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, the announcer made mention that there was a rider entered in the race who had come all the way from Switzerland. Suddenly the race took on a whole new meaning; it wasn't just a battle between the usual locals anymore. Even twenty years ago it was relatively rare to see racers from Europe here in the States, except for the larger events - the big one day races on the east coast, or stages races like the Coors Classic, Tour du Pont / Tour du Trump. In the years since then, foreign faces have become more familiar, even on domestic squads who only race the circuit across the lower continental 48.


This past weekend, at the Velocity Cross, the Mens A race was graced (I don't know if that is the right word, but nothing else is coming to mind right now) by Greig Walker of Velo Club Moulin, direct from Scotland. Now cyclocross is, or course, a big deal across the pond, but to find a European at a local West Coast race is still undeniably rare, and it was kind of exciting to have that foreign flare this close to home.

In 1990 I made my first trip to Ireland, and figured it might be a one-time chance to race over there. I had planned ahead, at least enough to have taken out an international racing license for that one year. Unfortunately, I left the matter of bike transport until the last minute, but did manage to secure one of those big plastic cases from a local bike shop and packed everything up. Then I started thinking: What happens if my rental car is really small (which it was)? What will I do with the case? Can I store it at the airport? What about the various transfers I have to make? Blah, blah, blah, and I ended up talking myself out of bringing the bike. Too bad, it means I will likely not have the opportunity to race in Europe. Anyway, back to the Scotsman; this reporter was not so intrepid, and failed to track Mr. Walker down after the race to ask the important questions. Did he plan on this race? Did he bring his bike, and finding the race was simply coincidence? Whatever the case, he made the effort and that is what is important. And that international aspect just added a little extra flair to the race.

For a second year in a row now, Dorothy Wong and SoCalCross have brought / are bringing UCI rated races, with international ranking points on the line. The first UCI race this year was at Spooky Cross in Irvine; the second will be in Griffith Park in early December. Last year's race brought some big name American riders to the venue; who knows maybe this year they will be joined by an international element too.

Anywhere, Anytime...

You know, I think this sign has been up for a while, but I can't recall seeing it until last week when I was out on a night ride. Maybe the way my light hit made it stand out, or maybe I am tricking myself and it actually is new.

Whatever the case, I have previously shown examples of the many different cycling related signage to be seen around Claremont. There are the ones revealing that bikes may use full lane, others marking the Citrus Regional Bikeway, reminding everyone to share the road, and watch for bikes, or noting the boundary of the Bicycle Priority Zone. Then there are the other on-ground markings signifying the location of a bike lane, or a sharrow.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

Ooops, sorry about that, mind wandered for a minute there - thinking about all those signs. Anyway, I think my favorite bike sign of all has to be that one shown above. It is non-specific, it does not relegate bikes to a certain area, does not limit them to one place or another. Instead it seems to unequivocally proclaim - BIKES - expect them anywhere, anytime.

Velocity Cross 2011, at Prado Regional Park...

This weekend's cyclocross races, part of the So Cal Prestige Series, took place at Prado Regional Park in Chino. Nice place to visit, though I always find that area curious - big feed lots right next to newly constructed business parks and office buildings. A full day of racing on tap, and though I did manage to snap some podium shots of the victors, there was one set of races I completely missed - the Juniors.


As I was walking over to the venue from where I had parked, about the first thing I noticed was how spongy the grass was. The thing about cyclocross is that any course can throw a whole range of difficulties at you; some of those are constructed, while others are part of the landscape. Pedaling on grass can be hard enough under normal conditions. When the grass is just short of an Irish bog, well, lets just say it was the obstacle of the day. When you weren't trying to power through that, and you found a stretch of firm ground, the bumps would shake your arms apart. If you ever thought to get used to all that, there were some nice smooth sections through the baseball infields, as well as the paved section through the start/finish to throw you off. Anyway, the second wave, comprised of the Men's C, and the Master Women 35+ and 45+, was well into their torture when I arrived, so I only got a few photos - two below, more here.

Jason of the blog BicycleFriends. i am sure he will have 

some photos up as well, if not already

Wave 3 was all Masters Men B, 35+, 45+, and Men 55+

More from those Masters groups here.

Man, did the Men 35+A and 45+A race take off fast or what? I'll answer my own question - yes they did. Of course, what would you expect with the likes of racers the calibre of Chris Demarchi, not to mention those who beat the likes of Demarchi.

top roadies, like Demarchi, do cross too

There are some more photos from the 4th wave Masters groups here.

Hard to decide which was more exciting in the Women's Elite race, one of three races during the 5th wave. Was it the dominating win by Heather Jackson, or was it the battle a little further back between the trio of Jenna Kowalski, birthday girl Dorothy Wong, and Julie LaFranchise? Luckily in CX you don't need to choose, you can see it all unfold.

Kowalski, LaFranchise, and hidden back there, Wong at the run-up

The remainder of the photos from the 5th wave are here.

The singlespeeders comprised wave 6, with some all too familiar faces and pairs of legs setting the pace, and ultimately riding clear of everyone else.

Select group - Gareth Feldstein, Carlos Matias Mendigochea,

Alan Zinniker in the Single Speed A

Mendigochea and Zinniker at the barriers

More Photos of wave 6.

The Elite Men's field took off quick and built their speed from there. Most everyone did a pretty good job of keeping it tight for a lap, but not much beyond that a group of four to set themselves apart, and it was from that group that Brent Prenzlow emerged, to claim the day's prize. 

More photos from wave 7 can be found here.

Quotable Link: Gauchos Ride Bikes (UCSB Cycling)...

I love it when I come across some story relating to cycling and the ol' alma mater. I thought this was just a great quote, putting training in perspective:

“Training is more than just going out and riding for hours and hours a day, head down, like many think,” Murphy said. “Training is spending 10-16 hours a week chatting with friends, seeing awesome sights, exploring the area, carving switch-backed descents, challenging yourself and watching the progress you make. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it.”


You can read the entire story about the UCSB Gaucho cyclists at the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships here.

Cycle Claremont Update...

Last month I made mention of a new monthly ride around Claremont which will take place beginning in January. Tonight the steering committee held its second meeting, and even though the flyers have been out for about, what, a week or two, this was the first I had seen one. So, here you are:

Kind of makes it official. The flyers will be posted on the various bulletin boards around town, and I am sure you will be able to pick one up at other places too. Additionally, if you are on Facebook, Cycle Claremont does have a group page up and running. Click here for that one. Go on over and become a member to keep informed. For anyone not on Facebook, we will soon have a dedicated website as well. Our next meeting, in December, will be to make final arrangements for the ride. It is all coming together quickly, and January 8 will soon be here.


Oh, and now that I think about it, there was one concern raised tonight, that maybe I can clarify a little here for readers outside of Claremont (it may sound funny, but most of the readers of this blog fall into that category). This ride is not just for Claremont residents; it is more like, Claremont being the base of operations. If you live in Upland, LaVerne, over in Pomona, or San Dimas, heck if you live in some far-flung corner of the region and want to spend a day in town, check out the Bicycle Priority Zone, meet yours truly, or whatever, by all means join in. Cycle Claremont is not exclusive.

Tops, Drops and Hoods...

I have imparted words of wisdom, or at least conveyed that infamous roadie arrogance of which all us who ride the pavement are guilty (or so I have read) on various topics before. Who knows how many riders now turn, or attempt, perfect circles when they pedal, or sit upon saddles with the least padding they could find at their LBS, and look on those fat, cushy saddles with new-found and righteous disdain, thanks entirely to my turning them on to the truth. In that same true spirit of roadie arrogance, I am now going to talk about handlebars and tell you just where to put your hands upon them given different riding situations.


Handlebars. There are a plethora of different styles out there in the cycling market these days. You've got your typical road bars, most commonly known as drop bars, which themselves come with slight ergonomic-inspired variations. Then there are the moustache bars, flat bars, bmx bars, bull horns, triathletes have their own varieties of bars, cruiser bars, the rare ape-hangers, etc. The type of bar you use will most likely depend on your bike and the type of riding you do. For instance you won't realistically expect to see a drop bar on a beach cruiser, nor aero triathlete bars on a mountain bike. Admittedly, those are pretty extreme examples, but in general, you expect certain bikes to come with specific bars. However, there is some leeway. For example my single speed; when I bought it used, it was set up as a fixed gear bike with bmx bars, which had a rather shallow rise to them, and big red rubber grips on the bar ends. They were fine for a while, but I eventually traded them out for drop bars. Why? Well, that is the gist of this post. Road drop bars, with their typical curved "drops", offer advantages which other flat, or swept-back style bars, cannot match. 


The advantages of which I speak are about variety. Drop bars offer a variety of different hand positions, which in turn affect body position. Now if you only ride shorter distances, and have no desire to try anything longer, or faster, this may not matter. For the sake of argument I am going to assume it does matter. Why? First, being able to hold the bars at different places allows you to react effectively to different conditions. Second, being able to adjust hand, and body positions, especially as the miles add up, helps to ease fatigue, muscle and joint stress.


Take the photos shown below; what do they tell you? Yes, they tell you that I use black electrical tape to finish off the bar wrap. I know this is a strike against me according to the arrogant roadie rules of conduct; two more and they may revoke my membership card. Regrettable, but so be it. That is not exactly what I wanted you to consider though. The photos are meant to show the different hand positions typical of drop bars, which I will now explain.

In this photo I am holding the top of the bars, what I usually just call the tops. I suspect that I may be a bit unusual in that I do not wrap my thumbs around the bar. I don't recommend doing this, it is just how I have always done it. Yes, I have had my hands fly off the bars after hitting a bump; once while descending Sepulveda Pass - that's why it's not recommended (thanks to my superior bike handling skills, I did not crash). Anyway, griping the bar tops is the most relaxed position, your hands are closest to the body, so you sit relatively upright. Or, you can bend your elbows more, absorbing road shock - good for riding on cobbles, or beat-up city streets. I ride in this position a lot, especially if riding solo; if I am climbing while seated, I will grip the tops at least 90% of the time. It has been said that the more upright position allows you to breath deeper, more effectively fill your lungs, a definite advantage on those long climbs. Don't be fooled into thinking this is only for a slower, relaxed pace though. There have been plenty of times when I would grip the bars on the tops, bend my elbows and pull them in close to my body, while trying to power away from a group. You can get surprisingly aero while resting on the tops. Just don't let me catch you doing anything out of the saddle, either picking up speed/sprinting, or climbing. I will call you out for the error of your ways.

Next photo, riding the brake hoods. If I am on a group ride, you will usually see me here. It is probably the most versatile position for some obvious reasons - braking and shifting is right at your fingertips, it also allows you good leverage when picking up speed, or climbing out of the saddle. Gripping here provides improved control over gripping the tops. I will often go into pursuit mode when gripping the brake hoods, you can generate a lot of power while seated and holding the hoods.

This is a slight variation to riding the hoods; you'll notice my hands pulled back a little from the actual hoods, for which I am generally forced to apply a little extra pressure with my fingers to keep from sliding forward. Your arms are a little less outstretched, so it is somewhat more relaxed than riding the hoods. I have noticed that I favor this hand position when there is a crosswind and I want some extra control and stability, but don't want to be stretched out. There is one additional variation to gripping the brake hoods, but I forgot to take a photo - I will put my palms flat on the top of the hoods and wrap my finger around the tops of the levers. It is kind of reminiscent of the position you get from using bull horn bars; it is as stretched out as you can get using drop bars. I have successfully broken away from groups using said position.

I pretty much limit riding on the drops to two situations. First, descending. Second, sprinting. I may also ride in the drops during group rides when some knucklehead up front is really pushing the pace, and sometimes if I am chasing a breakaway. You see something common there? Speed. The higher the speed, the more likely I am to be in the drops. Every once in a while I will notice someone climbing in the drops; makes me want to yell at them, but I never have. It is their choice, I guess. You won't catch me climbing like that though.

Well, there you have it, everything you ever wanted to know about holding those drop bars. You may be saying, "well that is great Mike, but it sounds like that applies to racing, and training, and that is not the type of riding I do". True, that is how it has been written, but keep in mind that many of the same advantages apply, or are adaptable, to your daily commute, or errand runs. At some point everyone has to take off from a stop, pick up speed, fight their way into a headwind, or battle to keep from being blown over by a crosswind. Our backs, and muscles can become sore and stiff, from even shorter rides sometimes; shifting position will help to minimize the likelihood, and can help relieve these aches and pains, when they occur.

Small Gripe...

So, there I was riding along this morning when all of a sudden there is this great racket emanating from my rear wheel. Seems a broken piece of concrete had been kicked up into the spokes. No immediate damage done, but never a sound you want to hear. A few miles later and I find myself dodging chunks of chopped up roots littered across the lane, and not exactly easy to see in the dappled sunlight / tree shade. What do these two incidents have in common? They both happened adjacent to where crews were demolishing sections of sidewalk, extracting offending roots, and replacing the concrete. Who ever the contractors are (no markings on the vehicles) they are doing a crappy job of cleaning up after themselves.

Mid-week C & V: A Steel Pinarello Treviso...

Pinarello is one of those grande names of Italian bicycle manufacturing, enjoying a glorious history spanning more than fifty years. Among the highlights in the company's palmares are Alexi Grewal's Olympic victory in 1984, Pedro Delgado's Tour de France victory in 1988, Miguel Indurain's five consecutive Tour de France titles, all ridden on Pinarello, follow-up TdF victories by Bjarne Riis, Jan Ulrich and Oscar Pereiro, and the Gold, Silver, Bronze triumvirate during the 2000 Olympic road race.


This 1980s Treviso model Pinarello, while not particularly old as far as bikes go, is never-the-less, a Classic and Vintage dream. It is fully Campagnolo equipped, except for the stem and bar which are Cinelli, though with the Pinarello imprint on the stem. I forgot to check what the wheels were, but obviously they are for tubulars.

The Pinarello Treviso (at the time this one was built) was the company's second tier bike, behind the Montello SLX (the Treviso model is still being manufactured in aluminum). I have read that the Treviso had chromed chainstays; this one clearly does not. I have also read that the original stickers/decals were defective, and quickly flaked apart; many owners purchased better quality ones from the company as replacements, and considering how unblemished these one are, I would assume that to be the case here. This is one beauty of a bike, worthy of a place of honor in just about any peloton or group ride. As is typical, I spotted this one at the Claremont Velo.