3/3/12 Mid-Day Update - Sunday Ride Cancelled
3/3/12 Update - Saturday Ride Cancelled - Today will be a day to hit the trainers.
3/2/12 Update - Hmmmm - The forecast is for 20 degree wind chill, 20 mph winds, and roads that may still be covered with a bit of snow. Saturday is not looking terribly promising for a group ride.
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After the taste of spring we had today (Leap Day - Wednesday 2/29). it is disappointing that winter weather will be back this weekend. However, there is no training at Vision Quest on Saturday, so we will be able to get in group rides on both days -- if the weather cooperates and the roads are not too wet.
Tentative plan is to head to Bluffington's on Saturday and to Panera in Lake Bluff on Sunday. For now, both rides are planned for 8:00 am, although we could move the start time of the Sunday ride back to 9:00 am in order to give the sun a chance to warm thing up a bit. If a decision to move the Sunday ride to 9:00 am becomes the plan, we'll post it to this page by Saturday afternoon
Both of the last two Sunday rides have featured all out sprints on most of the overpasses and hills along the route. It seems like this may turn into a trend. In the past, most of us are used to Martin becoming a little black dot on sprints, but due to his riding his fixie, it has been possible to keep him in sight on hill sprints the last two weeks. There were some great battles forf King of the Hill between Felix and Martin last Sunday.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Ride Recap - a Windy Ride on 2/26/12
We had a group of 5 riders for a 52 mile ride on a day when the wind was howling out of the south. The group include Charles, Dave, Felix, Martin and me. We started out heading north with the wind at our backs and enjoyed the benefit of getting pushed toward Lake Bluff. When we got to the intersection of Ridge and Old Elm, we stopped to determine whether we would continue heading north on Ridge and stay on flat terrain, or turn west and head for St. Mary's and the Three Sisters (the series of small hills). Due to tired legs from challenging workouts on Saturday at Vision Quest and cross country skiing in Wisconsin, the initial inclination was to stay on the flat route. However, when the suggestion that we head west to St. Mary's was made, no one seemed to want to be the one to veto it. Thus, we headed west to St. Mary's road.
For the next ten miles on Everett, St. Mary's and Atkinson Road, every hill and overpass became an all out sprint. In addition to the three little hills on St. Mary's that are the sisters, a couple of little rises that can only be considered cousins at best, became hotly contested to see who would become King of the Hill. Despite Martin being handicapped by being on his fixie, he was the one that made it to the top of the hill most often. However, Felix also was first to the top of a number of hills. During a couple of the races to the top of the hill there was almost as much drafting strategy going on as in a NASCAR race.
After a longer than usual stop at Panera Bread in order to give our clothes time to dry out, we headed back home riding into the wind. The trip home was challenging, however with Felix doing more than his fair share of pulls, the group benefited from drafting off of him and made fairly good time considering the conditions.
For the next ten miles on Everett, St. Mary's and Atkinson Road, every hill and overpass became an all out sprint. In addition to the three little hills on St. Mary's that are the sisters, a couple of little rises that can only be considered cousins at best, became hotly contested to see who would become King of the Hill. Despite Martin being handicapped by being on his fixie, he was the one that made it to the top of the hill most often. However, Felix also was first to the top of a number of hills. During a couple of the races to the top of the hill there was almost as much drafting strategy going on as in a NASCAR race.
After a longer than usual stop at Panera Bread in order to give our clothes time to dry out, we headed back home riding into the wind. The trip home was challenging, however with Felix doing more than his fair share of pulls, the group benefited from drafting off of him and made fairly good time considering the conditions.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Ride for tomorrow 2/26/2012
We are going to meet at Panera Bread in Wilmette at 09:00 and do a Panera to Panera ride. If the weather is not too bad ( the winds are expected to be in the 30s tomorrow) we can add an extra loop on St. Mary Road. Todal distance 40 or 50 miles. One snack stop at Panera Bread in Lake Bluff.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
2/26 Ride - 50 Mile Panera to Panera Ride If Weather Cooperates
Tentative plan for the Sunday ride is take the same route as last week, via St. Mary's to Atkinson, with a stop in Lake Bluff. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and today's snow will have mostly melted by Sunday morning or at least the roads will be clear. The Tucson crew will probably find the concept that this ride includes some hill training to be a bit mirthful after the slopes that they conquered last week, but at least the Three Sisters provides a moderate climbing opportunity and the last slope on Atkinson prior to Waukegan is deceptively challenging. Weather permitting, we'll meet at 8:00 am at Panera Bread in Wilmette.
Monday, February 20, 2012
The YouTube Bicycle Stunt Video That Has Received Over 29 Million Views
If you have not seen videos featuring street trails rider Danny MacAskill, they are an amazing display of stunts and skill.
The following video has been viewed over 29,000,000 times,
The following video has been viewed over 29,000,000 times,
Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill April 2009
and another of his videos has been viewed over 17,000,000 times
And the following video of a couple of girls performing bicycle stunts as a team is stunning
Sunday, February 19, 2012
2/19 Ride Recap
As Martin and I were sitting at Panera Bread, we decided that the weather really should not be too cold for Cons. So we rode over to his house to show off the fixie that Martin had constructed using a circa 1980's Schwinn steel frame, parts found in his workshop, and 21 cm tubular clincher tires that Cons had given to him (it is the ultimate hipster bike - lots of gawkers).
We arrived at Cons house to discover that he was still asleep, but Melissa was more than happy to wake him. . Cons came down the stairs in bathrobe literally wiping the sleep out of his eyes. However, despite being rudely awoken to find two knuckleheads in biking kits in his front hallway, he was a gracious host. So of course, we repaid his hospitality by aggressively twisting his arm and making him join our ride
The three of us put a twist on our usual Panera to Panera ride by attacking the mild inclines of the Three Sisters on St. Mary's Road and heading north to Atkinson Road. Obviously, this ride was not even in the same area code in regard to hill training as that of the Tucson crew, but at least we got a little climbing in and got to feel a bit of burn in our legs. Martin was remarkably fast on the hills on his fixie, but once he lost momentum on a hill he was vulnerable to being attacked (admittedly, it only happened on one hill, but after getting schooled by Martin when trying to race up the other hills, it was fun to be able to challenge him at least once)
We stopped at Panera Bread in Lake Bluff and were joined by the group from the EBC 9:00 am ride.
We came home via the Skokie Valley Bikeway. The ride ended up being about 55 miles.
It turned out to be a fun ride on an unusually sunny day. Cons actually seemed appreciative that we had dragged him out of his bed and made him join us
We arrived at Cons house to discover that he was still asleep, but Melissa was more than happy to wake him. . Cons came down the stairs in bathrobe literally wiping the sleep out of his eyes. However, despite being rudely awoken to find two knuckleheads in biking kits in his front hallway, he was a gracious host. So of course, we repaid his hospitality by aggressively twisting his arm and making him join our ride
The three of us put a twist on our usual Panera to Panera ride by attacking the mild inclines of the Three Sisters on St. Mary's Road and heading north to Atkinson Road. Obviously, this ride was not even in the same area code in regard to hill training as that of the Tucson crew, but at least we got a little climbing in and got to feel a bit of burn in our legs. Martin was remarkably fast on the hills on his fixie, but once he lost momentum on a hill he was vulnerable to being attacked (admittedly, it only happened on one hill, but after getting schooled by Martin when trying to race up the other hills, it was fun to be able to challenge him at least once)
We stopped at Panera Bread in Lake Bluff and were joined by the group from the EBC 9:00 am ride.
We came home via the Skokie Valley Bikeway. The ride ended up being about 55 miles.
It turned out to be a fun ride on an unusually sunny day. Cons actually seemed appreciative that we had dragged him out of his bed and made him join us
Tucson Bike Camp Report
Yesterday we completed the Assault on Mt. Lemmon. 62.5 total miles, 7300 feet elevation gain (we reached 8300 feet altitude), we went from desert to snow covered mountain and reached speeds in excess of 40 mph downhill. Everyone had a blast.
Here is the link from the Garmin:
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/150628577
The week is over. We logged in a total of 384 miles. We climbed almost 20,000 feet. We spent 24 hours in the saddles. Calories burned 15,000. Calories eaten xxx,xxx.
Phil Procida went above and beyond to help us have the best possible riding and eating.
Here is the link from the Garmin:
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/150628577
The week is over. We logged in a total of 384 miles. We climbed almost 20,000 feet. We spent 24 hours in the saddles. Calories burned 15,000. Calories eaten xxx,xxx.
Phil Procida went above and beyond to help us have the best possible riding and eating.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tucson Bike Camp Update
We are now done with Day 2, 3 and 4.
On Day 2 we did a very nice ride to Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains. The total distance was 70 miles. Total elevation gain was 3143 feet. The road up to the Gates Pass was between 12 and 18 percent climb. I almost run out of gears (39/23 was not the best choice for it). The descent was great. In the evening we were treated to a nice pizza dinner at the home of Phil's friend Bill.
Here is the Garmin link:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/149485858
On Day 3 the weather forecast was showing rain in the late morning, so we decided to do a quick ride up the near Dove mountain (35 miles). As we were climbing to the top, the clouds got darker and darker. It felt like we were going to touch them. Instead of turning back at the top and heading straight home, we decided to stop for a quick coffee break at the Ritz-Carlton resort there. We paid for that right away. It started raining freezing rain and not too long after it changed to snow. Few of us decided to head back and the rest was smart to stay at the hotel. Only one of the brave riders made it home. Two others had to stop at a gas station half way home and hitch a ride home, another two almost suffered from hypothermia at the base of the mountain and had to take shelter at a restaurant and wait for a ride home. The rest of us at the top of the mountain rented a shuttle van and took the ride of shame home. Charles' Garmin was still on in the van and he got an average speed of 50 mph with a heart rate in the 50s. We warmed up at the house and prepared a nice steak dinner at the house.
Since the weather forecast for Thursday was showing similar weather as Tuesday, Phil decided to move the Thursday long ride to Wednesday.
We had to get up at 4:30 AM. There was ice on the windshield of the car. We drove all the way across town and parked at McDonald's. Quick breakfast and shortly after 7AM we headed south towards the town of Arivaca. The beginning was very cold, but most of us chose not to have too many layers as it was expected to warm up later. As soon as the sun came up we felt much better and started peeling off layers. There were several flats, wardrobe adjustment stops, bathroom breaks etc. We were headed up a gradual rise over rolling hills against the wind. It took us a while to get to the point where we had to decide if we were going to turn back and trace the route we came on for a total of 92 miles or we would continue up the mountain and go home using a different route for a total of 130 miles. We all decided to continue. There were 20 miles up the mountain with the wind (20-25mph) in our faces. Finally we made it to the top where we stopped for lunch at the only sandwich place. It was already 14:30. Knowing that as soon as the sun goes beyond the mountains it will be pitch dark, 6 of us decided to head towards the cars and go back pick the rest. The first 15 miles were over rolling hills with the wind still in our faces. We were burning daylight. We managed to have two pinch flats over potholes, a tire sidewall cut and a tire bulge which took precious time. We finally reached the other side of the mountain and the road turned north. The wind was in our backs and there was a gradual 1-2 percent descent. We were flying at over 30mph for 33 miles. We made up the time lost. After a brief stop at a gas station for Gatorade and bathroom break we went down the last stretch. This time we were riding on the shoulder of a busy highway and the road surface was not the greatest. We made it back to the cars at 17:00. 10 hours total ride time with almost 7 in the saddles. 126 miles, 4377 feet of elevation gain, 5 Snicker bars and six water bottles ;-)
We went back with the cars and picked up the rest of the group just before it got dark. At that point everybody was in agreement that we should skip the planned dinner and head straight home. Quick shower, light snack, plenty of fluids and most of us were in bed by 21:30.
Here is the link to the Garmin file:
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/149913079
On Day 2 we did a very nice ride to Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains. The total distance was 70 miles. Total elevation gain was 3143 feet. The road up to the Gates Pass was between 12 and 18 percent climb. I almost run out of gears (39/23 was not the best choice for it). The descent was great. In the evening we were treated to a nice pizza dinner at the home of Phil's friend Bill.
Here is the Garmin link:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/149485858
On Day 3 the weather forecast was showing rain in the late morning, so we decided to do a quick ride up the near Dove mountain (35 miles). As we were climbing to the top, the clouds got darker and darker. It felt like we were going to touch them. Instead of turning back at the top and heading straight home, we decided to stop for a quick coffee break at the Ritz-Carlton resort there. We paid for that right away. It started raining freezing rain and not too long after it changed to snow. Few of us decided to head back and the rest was smart to stay at the hotel. Only one of the brave riders made it home. Two others had to stop at a gas station half way home and hitch a ride home, another two almost suffered from hypothermia at the base of the mountain and had to take shelter at a restaurant and wait for a ride home. The rest of us at the top of the mountain rented a shuttle van and took the ride of shame home. Charles' Garmin was still on in the van and he got an average speed of 50 mph with a heart rate in the 50s. We warmed up at the house and prepared a nice steak dinner at the house.
Since the weather forecast for Thursday was showing similar weather as Tuesday, Phil decided to move the Thursday long ride to Wednesday.
We had to get up at 4:30 AM. There was ice on the windshield of the car. We drove all the way across town and parked at McDonald's. Quick breakfast and shortly after 7AM we headed south towards the town of Arivaca. The beginning was very cold, but most of us chose not to have too many layers as it was expected to warm up later. As soon as the sun came up we felt much better and started peeling off layers. There were several flats, wardrobe adjustment stops, bathroom breaks etc. We were headed up a gradual rise over rolling hills against the wind. It took us a while to get to the point where we had to decide if we were going to turn back and trace the route we came on for a total of 92 miles or we would continue up the mountain and go home using a different route for a total of 130 miles. We all decided to continue. There were 20 miles up the mountain with the wind (20-25mph) in our faces. Finally we made it to the top where we stopped for lunch at the only sandwich place. It was already 14:30. Knowing that as soon as the sun goes beyond the mountains it will be pitch dark, 6 of us decided to head towards the cars and go back pick the rest. The first 15 miles were over rolling hills with the wind still in our faces. We were burning daylight. We managed to have two pinch flats over potholes, a tire sidewall cut and a tire bulge which took precious time. We finally reached the other side of the mountain and the road turned north. The wind was in our backs and there was a gradual 1-2 percent descent. We were flying at over 30mph for 33 miles. We made up the time lost. After a brief stop at a gas station for Gatorade and bathroom break we went down the last stretch. This time we were riding on the shoulder of a busy highway and the road surface was not the greatest. We made it back to the cars at 17:00. 10 hours total ride time with almost 7 in the saddles. 126 miles, 4377 feet of elevation gain, 5 Snicker bars and six water bottles ;-)
We went back with the cars and picked up the rest of the group just before it got dark. At that point everybody was in agreement that we should skip the planned dinner and head straight home. Quick shower, light snack, plenty of fluids and most of us were in bed by 21:30.
Here is the link to the Garmin file:
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/149913079
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sunday Ride - 2/19/12
Sunday is forecast to be a sunny day with the temperatures getting up to the upper 30's. The roads may even be dry and relatively salt free by then. We'll meet at 8:00 am at Panera Bread in Wilmette. Destination and distance to be determined based on how ambitious the group is feeling, Most of the ride will probably be at a 19-22 mph pace, but since Martin will be on the ride, there are likely to be at least a couple of sprints.
Weather Forecast Update - 2/17/12
We'll see whether the Tom Skilling or Weather.com forecast for Sunday is more accurate. Tom Skilling is forecasting temperatures of 22-34 degrees. Weather.com is predicting 27-37 degrees on Sunday. Here's hoping the Weather.com turns out to be more accurtate
Weather Forecast Update - 2/17/12
We'll see whether the Tom Skilling or Weather.com forecast for Sunday is more accurate. Tom Skilling is forecasting temperatures of 22-34 degrees. Weather.com is predicting 27-37 degrees on Sunday. Here's hoping the Weather.com turns out to be more accurtate
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tucson Day 1
We arrived on time in Tucson. Phil and his friend Dave were able to load all the bike cases in their cars and we made it to the beautiful Oro Valley. There was a big difference - we left Chicago with 10 degrees and snow on the ground, we found 80 degrees and blue skies here. After a nice lunch at Phil's place we went back to the house we rented and settled in. All bikes arrived safe and sound. It took us couple of hours to put all of them together and make sure everything works.
We picked up Albert from the airport and got back in time for the dinner. The company was good, the food and service at the Keg Steakhouse were average.
Everybody had a good night sleep.
The next morning everybody was itching to get on the bikes.
The temperature was already in the 60s. We had a total of 18 riders. Phil took us on a scenic ride( mostly downhill) to the University of Tucson in downtown. After a nice stop at a Starbucks we headed home.
The winds had picked up and we had to make the our way back to the Oro Valley. We rode for most of the time along the Santa Cruz river which was also mostly downhill. The last 12 miles we had to make up for all the downhill riding. The weather was getting warmer, the sun was burning and it felt like we were not sweating at all, it was that dry. Quick stop at a gas station for water and ice. One un-named EBC member managed to start a verbal war with a local red neck. For the rest of the ride we were all worried that we would get run over or shot ;-)
We made it home safe and sound. We felt that the Vistoso cyclist were too gentle on us the first day. We'll see what they have in the store for us on the next day.Mileage for the day was 58.3 miles. Elevation gain 1959 feet.
After few hours of rest we headed to the Macayo Mexican restaurant where we had dinner with good number of Vistoso members and spouses.
Everybody had a good night sleep and feels ready for Day 2.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Will Bike Friendly Eating and Drinking Spots Become Trendy?
A bike-friendly restaurant in Chicago, Handlebar, was recently reviewed by the Chicago Tribune. According to the review "riders park bicycles along the front railing or behind the restaurant. The staff keeps air pumps on hand, especially when hosting biking events. A bicycle sculpture sits in the outdoor patio (open when weather permits". The complete review is at
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/ct-dining-0202-veggie-handlebar-20120202,0,7889582.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/ct-dining-0202-veggie-handlebar-20120202,0,7889582.story
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Ride Recap 2/5/12 - Too Cold For Cool Cat Randy?
We had another day of pretty good winter weather for a cycling. Temperature was in the high 30's, although the moist wind coming off the lake on a sunless day made it feel a bit colder than the actual temperature. However, given that it was early February in Chicago, it was yet another in a string of days the has made this the warmest winter here in 80 years. Heck, it was warm enough that even Cons made it out for the ride. He arrived with Clay. Martin was able to ride with the group for the first time since having to head down to Austin for a training course. As usual, John came well prepared and was the only member of the group to remember to bring a sign up/waiver sheet with him. Felix let work get in the way of his bike riding, and missed the ride due to being on call.
The wind out of the northeast made it a challenge to live up to 20+ mph title of the group on the way north and easy on the way home. We followed our usual Winter routine and took the Skokie Valley Bikeway up to Lake Bluff and stopped at Panera Bread.
In looking at the weather forecast, glad we were able to get out today, as it appears we may get a dose of winter next weekend. We enjoyed a successful ride today and it was nice to actually be rolling instead of sitting on a trainer.
The wind out of the northeast made it a challenge to live up to 20+ mph title of the group on the way north and easy on the way home. We followed our usual Winter routine and took the Skokie Valley Bikeway up to Lake Bluff and stopped at Panera Bread.
In looking at the weather forecast, glad we were able to get out today, as it appears we may get a dose of winter next weekend. We enjoyed a successful ride today and it was nice to actually be rolling instead of sitting on a trainer.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Did Global Climate Change Heat Up Winter Bicycling In Chicago?
The weather this winter has has been exceptionally favorable for Chicago area cyclists. The combination of the warmest winter weather in 80 years and the snow drought that lasted through the middle of January has made the majority of days during the first two months of winter suitable for bike riding. The Evanston Bike Club got in rides on 25 of the 31 days during December in 2011, up from just 6 days the previous year.
A question that many have been asking is whether the good weather for bike riding is due to global climate change. The most common answer to that question is that weather is so chaotic and variable that it is not possible to attribute localized weather events to climate. Chicago's warm weather this winter can be explained by the effect of La Nina and the Arctic Oscillation . According to Dr. Jeff Masters
The Arctic Oscillation is not particularly well understood. However, it does not require too great a stretch to consider that its unusual behavior this year could somehow be related to the thinning of the arctic ice sheet. The change in wind flow over the thinner ice could be impacting the Arctic Oscillation with the result that cold air is not making its way to Chicago.
Ultimately, there is no definitive answer to the question of whether global climate change is heating up winter bicycling in Chicago this year. However, if 2012 turns out to be another year in which extreme weather causes record setting flooding, droughts, and wild fires, it will strengthen the case for a viewpoint that global climate change is causing the freaky weather in Chicago and across the world.
A question that many have been asking is whether the good weather for bike riding is due to global climate change. The most common answer to that question is that weather is so chaotic and variable that it is not possible to attribute localized weather events to climate. Chicago's warm weather this winter can be explained by the effect of La Nina and the Arctic Oscillation . According to Dr. Jeff Masters
"we are experiencing a La Niña pattern of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. This pushes the jet stream and the cold arctic air northward.
On top of that, this year's Arctic Oscillation has been stronger.The Arctic Oscillation is a see-sawing pressure difference between the Arctic and lower latitudes. When the pressure difference is high, a whirlpool of air forms around the North Pole. Last year, the whirlpool motion was weaker, allowing cold air to escape from the polar regions and head southward to the US.
This year the whirlpool has been more forceful, corralling the cold air and keeping it nearer the pole. That has reinforced the La Niña impact."Thus, the lack of snow may simply be due to normal variations in the occurrence of La Nina. The warm weather is largely due to the Arctic Oscillation. However, I tend to agree with NASA's James Hansen and suggest that the likelihood of such extreme weather is small enough that it is hard not to assume that global warming is playing a role in producing the freaky weather.
The Arctic Oscillation is not particularly well understood. However, it does not require too great a stretch to consider that its unusual behavior this year could somehow be related to the thinning of the arctic ice sheet. The change in wind flow over the thinner ice could be impacting the Arctic Oscillation with the result that cold air is not making its way to Chicago.
Ultimately, there is no definitive answer to the question of whether global climate change is heating up winter bicycling in Chicago this year. However, if 2012 turns out to be another year in which extreme weather causes record setting flooding, droughts, and wild fires, it will strengthen the case for a viewpoint that global climate change is causing the freaky weather in Chicago and across the world.
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