Before I get started on this update – I need to make a simple statement.
In re-reading my summary of the Minnesota Ironman ride, I was a little harsh on many of the other riders and may have come across as being snobby (ala BikeSnobNYC?).
Please note, the criticism is only due to a true love of the sport and the full realization that I am also one of “those riders” who displays all of the stereotypes and rides a bike that looks like it belongs in a NASCAR race due to all of the adverts plastered on every available surface. I am likely the BIGGEST bike nerd out there – since I both ride in tight fitting Lycra shorts AND write a blog about the experience.
Thus, the criticism is in good fun and done under the realization that I am indeed one of them.
Definition of bike nerd? How about someone who takes pictures of themselves while out on a ride
Sunday’s ride was big, but not epic and I felt rather good on Monday. The part of my body that was most sore would probably be my butt, since it is not accustomed to five hours in the saddle. My legs were fine, back was good, and overall I came away from the experience without any negative feelings – emotionally or physically. Of course, I had been putting in some decent riding leading up to Sunday, so it should be no surprise that my body was in fact prepared for the experience.
Good feelings or not, it was important to take Monday off from riding and just let everything recover, working its way back to a normal condition.
Tuesday was another story as the weather was great and just begging for an extended ride. The sun is now setting around 8:00pm in Minnesota, which gives ample time to jump on the bike after work and not battle with limited light during an extended ride. Temperatures were mild and falling – low 60s into the high 50s for the ride – and winds were very light from the NW. Unlike Sunday, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so I didn’t need to consider the various equipment to combat the wet conditions. If anything, I knew it would be cooling off as the ride progressed (and planning for over 1.5 hours in the saddle), I wanted to make sure I was dressed to be comfortable in cooler conditions.
Most bikes are a nice neutral color, while mine SHOUTS OUT LOUDLY that it happens to be made by Specialized
The route I chose first took me north and west into the lower parts of Corcoran. I looped back through Loretto and into Maple Plain. Outside of Maple Plain I kept moving south until I hit Lake Minnetonka and hugged the lakeshore for a while before returning back. It’s a nice route with every-changing views. The roads around Lake Minnetonka are pretty rough, but are still fun for riding due to the way they twist and turn to follow the nature contours of the land.
Growing up on a Minnesota lake (Lake Minnewaska near Glenwood, MN), I have some embedded senses about the lake during the spring. In Tuesday’s case, that involved the smell of the lake as I got near the shoreline of Lake Minnetonka. The lake in the spring offers a “fresh smell” that only occurs shortly after the ice comes off. For me, smells can trigger a lot of interesting memories and I was flooded with childhood thoughts during the ride – recalling all the adventures I had growing up on Priest Point. It was indeed good stuff and I was fortunate to have the experiences I did.
Here are the detailed stats loaded into the Garmin Connect site:
My speed was OK at 18.4 mph, showing that I’m still feeling the effects of the longer ride on Sunday. I’m really happy that I was able to get a full 33.4 miles in the ride and hope to have time as the summer progresses to keep my mileage above 25 miles/ride. This is not so easy, as riding in the 30 mile range consumes nearly two hours in the saddle – which are hours that often do not appear. Either way, it was good to get a longer ride in on Tuesday and I likely won’t have a chance to ride again until the weekend returns.
Every nerd has their passion. Mine happens to have two wheels.
The bike is handling OK, but I was struggling with an adjustment to the shifting. During Sunday’s ride, my rear derailleur cable somehow got twisted back into my pulleys and frayed the end of the exposed cable. This was no big deal, but it screwed up the adjustment to the indexed shifting and was not quite perfect. I thought I had properly tuned it in the garage before the ride, but I was still a little off. Most of the shifting was smooth, but in the middle of the cassette I had a few gears that did not want to engage when downshifting. I’m still new to working on this modern drivetrain and need to understand the optimal setup for smooth shifting. The friction shifters on the downtube of my Old Steed™ never had this problem, so it is a new-found challenge to the newer technology.
Still – any minor problem would never be enough to go back to significant riding on the Old Steed™. I am now sold on the virtues of carbon fiber technology and greatly appreciate the ride feel and handling found in my Specialized Tarmac. It has been a great purchase – especially for a self-proclaimed “bike nerd” like myself.
