It states: An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
With all the rain we’ve had lately I have been that object at rest. Occasionally I got in motion but I certainly didn’t stay that way. Did I just disprove Newton’s theory? No because even when I could have gotten out on the bike it seemed like a very daunting process. So I didn’t and managed to stay at rest.
I’m hopeful with a turn in the weather and a bit of sun that I’ll become more in motion and stay that way.
Tonight I was on the PVC Monday night ride (MNR) and it truly felt good. It wasn’t a complete hammer fest but a hard enough effort to feel like I was getting some decent exercise. My heart rate managed to push up to an uncomfortable level on a few climbs. It’s not a really hilly route but there are a couple short climbs.
As is the case with many group rides such as this, when I got home I thought to myself, “Gosh that felt good. I feel good. I should do more of this.”
So after tomorrow (because we have dinner plans with friends), I’m going to do my best to prove Newton’s theory of motion, by staying in motion.
A couple years ago my husband bought the Swagman 4-bike rack. You can purchase this rack to mount to a 1 1/4 or a 2-inch receiver for the rear of a vehicle.
This bike rack has served us very well. However, there have been a few issues with the use of this rack. That’s not to say that the rack is inferior because it’s not. It’s very well constructed and we have no complaints about the product itself. Sometimes you just find out that an item is a bit cumbersome to use when you start really using it a lot. Such was the case with this rack.
For example, because the bikes are right up next to one another on the rack we found it best to wrap any parts that touch another bike with pipe insulation. Wrapped items would include pedals, forks, chain stays, quick release levers, and an other item that might have an opportunity to rub against another bike. This method prevented any unnecessary rubbing to cause scratches, wear, or damage. It wasn’t hard to do, just required a little extra time and thought to mounthing the bikes.
Another example is the time it takes to turn down the nobs on the top that secure the top place and thus secures the bikes. It would require a lot of twisting of three nobs to get the plate completely secure or completely off. That’s not an issue when you are putting on or taking off all the bikes at once. Occassionally we would find that we would drop off one or more passengers at their home upon returning from an event. This meant going through the twisting process multiple times. It just wasn’t a quick process.
When we were looking at bike racks initially we had toyed with the idea of buying roof racks. We decided against it because of the fact that I know I would go through something like a garage that didn’t have enough clearance when I had bikes on the top. I’ve heard horror stories such as these and that was my big fear. Also at the time we did not have a vehicle that had a roof rack for this purpose and decided not to have one installed for this purpose.
However, we finally decided it was time to look into the roof mounted racks. We ended up purchasing the Inno fork lock rack because they would work with our current roof racks without having to purchase another system.
Not only are these racks easy to assemble and install, it will also be much faster for me to get the bikes on and off the vehicle. We purchased three because that’s all that we’d have room for on the top of the car.
The only issue with this system and our car is that the back hatch will not open with the trays on the top if it’s positioned in such a way that the forks are mounted facing the front of the car. But that’s an easy fix – just turn them around so that they are facing the back of the car. (This isn’t the same with all cars. It depends on the spacing of the racks on the individual car.)
The roof rack bike mounts won’t replace our Swagman rack completely. We’ll still have reasons to use it, especially since it works on both vehicles and the roof racks will only work on one. It’s just nice to have a couple options.
When I was out on a ride with a local group Thursday night I had a shifting problem. I could not shift into my large chain ring. I had to resort to reaching down and pulling on the cable that runs from the shifter to the derailieur.
Upon my return home I realized the cable was pretty loose and no doubt from me pulling on it. So I set out tightening it on my own and am happy to report I was able to fix it. During my subsequent rides it shifted flawlessly.
This was a simple fix. I would have normally taken the bike into the LBS for this kind of repair but after taking a bike maintenance class I was confident in my abilities to make this adjustment on my own. Yippee!
My husband and I recently joined a Meet Up group in Portland. The group gathers to dine at various restaurants in the Greater Portland area. Last night was the first event we attended and it was dinner at Caiola’s.
We chatted a bit before ordering and I started to hear a bit of conversation to my right that involved something about rain and drying out last weekend. So I turned my attention to that end of the table and realized that one of the participants, Tom, had participated in the Trek last weekend. So we started chatting about the Trek and biking in general.
As the evening wore on I discovered that another woman at the table was also a cyclist, along with another man by the name of Michael, who looked really familiar and it turns out he’s been on some of the rides I’ve been on in the past.
Eventually the conversation turned to where people lived. When we told the group where our home was, Tom announced that he was our neighbor and thought we looked familiar. He actually lives in a home that we looked at before we purchased our current home. I also knew he was a cyclist from a brief conversation I had had with him on the street when I was headed out for an early spring training ride a while back.
We all had a chuckle at the fact that we met our neighbor at such an event! What were the odds? And once again, my cycling life collides with other aspects of my life. You could almost say that cycling allows me to be connected to so many different people from so many walks of life – people I/we probably wouldn’t be connected to otherwise if it wasn’t for cycling.
I’m not one for taking photos of my meals when I go out but I ordered the figs as an appetizer and the presentation was just so charming I wanted to capture it for my blog:
It was really yummy! I love fresh figs and pair them with gorganzola and I’m a very happy diner!
We were not surprised to wake to wet roads yet again. Breakfast opened early at 5:30 and the hall was quite busy at that hour. I think most people were anxious to get the last day over and get home.
After picking up the bikes and meeting up with friends I threw my leg over the bike to clip in and realized that my crank was spinning freely and not engaging the wheel/cassette. I wasn’t going anywhere.
I urged my friends to go ahead without me as I got in line for a mechanic, who told me I was done. He wasn’t able to help me. There was another mechanic on site but he only had a spare 9-speed wheel and not a 10-speed wheel so that wasn’t going to help either.
My only option was to hop a sag wagon to the first rest stop to receive help there. I can’t believe how disappointed I felt not being able to ride. My heart sank even more after passing a couple friends. I received a text from another friend who said that Jamie of Gorham Bike and Ski was at the first rest stop. I felt a little relief but also knew that if he couldn’t help me it would probably mean a sag ride all the way into Belfast.
To my glee, Jamie had a 10-speed wheel for me to borrow to get me to Belfast. After it was installed I rode off with a couple other friends I had met there (the ones I passed in the sag wagon). Unfortunately I just didn’t have the legs to keep up with them. They had already ridden 15 miles so they were much more warmed up that I was after having sitting in the back of a club cab for 15 miles. I finally told them to go ahead without me. With a 20 mph head wind I couldn’t continue to catch up to them after being dropped on a few of the climbs.
At the second rest stop I met up with the friends that I parted with at the beginning of the day. We rode mostly together from there to Belfast and crossed the line together.
My husband was there to meet us. After a quick bite to eat at the BBQ we were on the road back home.
Even with all the rain and gray skies, the Trek is one of my favorite biking events. I signed up for next year’s Trek on May 28th, before this year’s Trek even took place. Hopefully we’ll have better weather in 2010.
Please forgive the typo at the end – next year’s event is 2010 not 2001.
This year’s event was the 25th anniversary with 2000 riders, 600 volunteers and over $1.6 million raised! Thank you to those who pledged and participated.
June 20th, 2009: Day 2 started out wet. As we walked to drop off our luggage and pick up our bikes it starte to rain. Luckily it didn’t last long. Still, the roads were wet, which meant eventually we would be a little wet just from the tire spray.
Right before we departed, I caught a glimps of blue sky. A ray of hope that didn’t amount to much.
Not only were the roads wet but we hit a fair bit of heavy drizzle off and on. I wasn’t thinking and had my feet in the 6 and 12 position at one point when coasting, which caused the spray from my front tire to soak my shoe, and then eventually my foot. Stupid move!
As was the case with the last two years, it took me a long time to get my legs back from the day before. I’m not sure why that is but it’s always been the case.
I started out with a friend and a couple of his friends and eventually had to tell them to forge ahead without me – I just didn’t have it to hang on. Eventually though a small train of 3 guys came by and I snatched onto a wheel. My friend Tracey decided after a while that getting a facefull of spray from a wheel in front of her was not how she wanted to spend her day and fell off the back.
We ended up picking up another guy from the Greater Portland area and we rode together all the way to the first rest stop. (Later I found out that they were all from Portland.)
Along the way my chain was not cooperating and new I needed to have that extra link taken out from my repair a couple weeks ago. I told some other friends not to wait for me and I’d see them at the next rest stop. I actually didn’t find them at the next one and it was only a few miles more to the last one so I forged on and ended up meeting up with them there.
I have to say that I enjoyed that part of the day very much. It was just me riding tempo for several miles. I didn’t have to worry about anyone else and just rode my bike at my own pace. My only regret was that I didn’t have my iPod to keep me company, which of course are not allowed.
At one point I went by a guy with a blue and yellow Aegis. I also passed him the day before and told him, “Nice bike” so I said it to him again. As I pulled to the front he replied, “nice legs.” I had to laugh. It was the best reply I had heard in a long time. I wondered after if he was referring to my blue knee warmers.
After meeting up with my friends at the last rest stop we rode together to the finish at Colby College. I pulled for most of the way out of choice. I needed the workout and the legs finally felt good.
During this Trek I also focused on my nutrition by making sure I was taking in enough shot bloks and gels on a regular basis, along with electrolytes, to ward off the cramps. It seemed to work because I didn’t have one cramp the entire time. It also wasn’t scortching hot so my salt loss was a lot less than other times. Still, I’ll continue with this type of regimen to see if it continues to make a difference.
This will be a quick update. Today was the first day of the trek and if you aren’t following me on twitter then you don’t know that it rained all day. However, once I got wet and used to the wet roads I was fine. Both my friend, Tracey, and I agreed that it wasn’t as miserable as we anticipate. I just rode tempo with a nice average mile per hour for a rainy day. That was primarily a solo effort as there weren’t many that went by me to use as a draft. InsteAd I found myself passing most riders. We got a late start and I think most of the seasoned and faster riders started much earlier.
After being wet on the bike for 65 miles the shower didn’t even feel good- I was wet and just wanted to be dry for a while.
Off to dinner soon then meeting up with some classmates at a local pub. (I grew up not far from Farmington, the first stopping town for the Trek, and some classmates are still in the area. Good time to catch up with them!)
It’s been a very hectic week thus far. Not only is it crazy busy at work but I’m also preparing to depart for the Trek Across Maine, which is a 180-mile bike ride over three days from Sunday River Ski Resort in the western mountains to the coastal town of Belfast, Maine.
I’ve managed a couple rides in over the past couple days, which has only put me behind in my packing and preparations. I like to lay everything out to make sure I have what I need then pack them all up. Unfortunately the weather is looking dreary with chances of rain for all three days so my clothing choices will have to be adjusted.
The bright side, literally and figuratively, to my trip is that I’m biking with a few friends to Sunday River from our home town of Portland. That will be a nice 80-mile warmup for the miles to come.
If you were considering donating to this worthy cause, you can still do so by clicking HERE. Last year we raised over 1 million dollars for the American Lung Association.
I participate in this event in honor of my father. Even though he died of heart disease, his health problems started from smoking. My father had his first heart attack at 36, a quin-bypass at 38, and dead at 49. I miss him every day, even though he has been gone almost 17 years. So cycling keeps me healthy in addition to raising money to hopefully prevent others from the same fate as my father. But the American Lung Associate is more than just smoking prevention. They are also fighting for clean air. That’s something we ALL benefit from!
I might not be posting much on the blog until I return but you can follow me on Twitter, if you are so inclined.
"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks." - Scott Martin
