Bike Wreck

For your viewing enjoyment, a couple of nasty bike crashes.

**Warning - Some colorful language is used in the next clip.

Winter Training - Last Week

Monday - 30 Min Treadmill 1 Point

Tuesday - 1 Hr. Bike Trainer - 1 Point

Wednesday - 1 Hr. Bike Trainer - 1 Point

Thursday - Core work / weights - 0 Point

Friday

Saturday - 2 hour Mt. Bike Ride - 2 Points

Total for week - 5 Points

Here is Coach Dan's point system.

The points start over every week. Each day is worth up to a max of 3 points Only 6 days a week count for points (you have to take at least one day a week off) Points are earned doing only aerobic activities as follows: (weight lifting is cool, but no points for it)

1 point for each:
1 hour of outdoor cycling
1 hour of hiking, snowshoeing, or backcountry skiing
45 minutes of indoor cycling (trainer or spin class)
45 minutes of cross country skiiing
30 minutes of running
30 minutes of swimming

At the end of the week if you scored at least 1 point over 4 consecutive days, total points for the week are multiplied by 1.25 (25% bonus). If at least 1 point was earned over all 6 days, total weekly points are multiplied by 1.5 (50%) bonus. No fractions of points. So if you ride for 90 minutes, you get 1 point. You have to complete the 2nd hour to get the second point. With that said, riding 3 hours every day gives you 18 points, plus the bonus puts the total max points for a week at 27.

Post Christmas Post

Part A. I finally got out for a nice ride up on the water tank road of BST today. Someone plows the water tank road. There were plenty of tire tracks up on the road. Temperature was in the 20's, but it felt quite a bit warmer.


Part B. I, like many of you, drool over nice bikes. I feel the same way about nice cars. My good friend has had this beautiful car (may be a different model, but a sweet ferrari nonetheless) for the past 6 months. Last week he sold it to a gentleman up in Idaho. Part of the deal was that Aaron O. would deliver the car to Idaho. My friend Aaron was happy to have the car sold. He had a reliable employee load the car into a enclosed trailer and drive it to Burley.


Somewhere before Burley in the middle of nowhere, a semi passed the trailer with the ferrari in it making it fish tail. The trailer jack knifed disconnecting itself from the truck towing the trailer. The trailer flipped on its side tossing around its very expensive contents.


Aaron wired back the buyers money. The damage actually ended up being less than my friend initially thought, but it still makes you sick to see a nice car damaged. Mechanically, the car is fine. Oh, and by the way, this is the same friend whose wife wrecked their range rover the week prior.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all. Hopefully Santa brings you your desired cycling gifts (anything in carbon fiber would be just fine for me).

I am itching to get out on a ride. The trainer in the basement just doesn't cut it.

Nervous

On the Friday lunch meeting ride, as we headed out towards AF canyon, I was riding on Rick's wheel and a SUV pulled up by the side of me and started rolling down it's window. Canyon road to AF Canyon practically has no shoulder with a decent amount of traffic. I started getting nervous - Did I swerve out in front this car? Am I going to get yelled at? Are they going to throw something at me? Are they going to run me off the road and drive forward and backwards over my bike? To me relief, they pulled past me. Of course, they started up a conversation with Rick.




Winter Training Challenge

Started the challenge on Wed.

Wed. 1:15 ride - 1 point
Thursday 30 Min. Treadmill - 1 point
Friday 1:15 ride - 1 point
Saturday 1:30 ride - 1 point


Four days in a row bonus 25%


Points for the week 5



Here is Coach Dan's point system.

The points start over every week. Each day is worth up to a max of 3 points Only 6 days a week count for points (you have to take at least one day a week off) Points are earned doing only aerobic activities as follows: (weight lifting is cool, but no points for it)

1 point for each:
1 hour of outdoor cycling
1 hour of hiking, snowshoeing, or backcountry skiing
45 minutes of indoor cycling (trainer or spin class)
45 minutes of cross country skiiing
30 minutes of running
30 minutes of swimming

At the end of the week if you scored at least 1 point over 4 consecutive days, total points for the week are multiplied by 1.25 (25% bonus). If at least 1 point was earned over all 6 days, total weekly points are multiplied by 1.5 (50%) bonus. No fractions of points. So if you ride for 90 minutes, you get 1 point. You have to complete the 2nd hour to get the second point. With that said, riding 3 hours every day gives you 18 points, plus the bonus puts the total max points for a week at 27.

Happy Holidays from Utah

If you haven't seen this it's pretty good.

The lunch meetings continue. The groups are smaller, and we are riding on the road, but it feels good to ride. Another meeting is being organized for Monday.

Product Review: Specialized Defroster MTB shoes

I picked up a pair of defroster's from Timp Cyclery. They had to order them in, but it took only 2 days for them to arrive. I looked at some Lake, Sidi, and Garneau winter shoes, but decided to try the specialized.

The sizing is in whole european sizes. A 43.5 would have been perfect, but I went with the 43 (I wear a 10.5 street shoe and 44 in Sidi's). I have been a sidi guy for years. This is the first time I have ventured away from my reliable sidi's. The defrosters are roomy especially around the toes. They would accommodate wider feet better than sidi's.

My initial impression with the shoe is that it was comfortable out of the box. I was concerned that the neoprene cuff above the ankle would rub and irritate my leg. Contrary to my concerns the cuff was comfortable. I have worn the shoes with thin low cut socks and some mid calf wool socks. Any which way, the shoes are comfortable.

My feet still feel the winter chill with the defrosters, but not nearly as bad as with my Sidi's w/shoe covers. Last week I rode during lunch in the snow--Temperature was around 19 degrees. My feet stayed dry and relatively warm.

Pros:

Comfortable and roomy

Most affordable of the quality winter shoes

Keep the feet dry - water resistant

Cons:

The entry into the shoe takes some effort (maybe I'm being a bit picky)

I would like to see a boa/ratchet closure vs. the velcro straps

Half sizes would be appreciated

Even though it is less expensive than the competition, it is still pricy at $180

There was another excellent lunch meeting today. 22 mile road ride. As Brandon put it, it was a motley crew - 3 roadies, 1 ss cross bike, and 1 full suspension mountain bike. I overdressed for the weather.

It's on its way

Just ordered - Delivery late March !!!!!!!

Here is my snow condition report from Sundance.

Sundance Ski Conditions 12/14/09 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Winter Accidents

This is what the mirror normally looks like on my wife's car.

Here is what the mirror looks like after driving down the freeway and a snow shovel blew out of the truck in front of her and obliterated her passenger side mirror. Pretty scary thinking how bad this could have been.

The wife of my good friend Aaron O. had an accident the following day.

She slid into a tree.

It wasn't a small tree. It took three people to move the tree. Check out the girth of the trunk.

Cost of my new mirror $300. Cost of Aaron's repairs (new hood, bumper, fender, and repair the bent frame) $10k +

Ouch.

Today I get to meet with Dan to talk about some bike coaching/training. I'll post about it. I'm excited and think it can help me.

Lunch Meetings Video Part 2

Yes, it is opening day at Sundance today, but I'm not going as they aren't opening the back mountain. No need to fight the crowds for just the front mountain.

Here is second half of the lunch meetings video.

I am entering a helmet cam video contest. If you have suggestions on the best clips or music from the lunch meeting videos that you feel should be put in the contest, please let me know. Lunch meeting videos can be seen here.

I'm going to head up the BST today to check on the trails.

BST Lunch Meetings Part 2 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

One note - In the video, you will see Dan hunched over as he recovers from crashing into Mike Y.

Lunch Meeting Video Part 1

I love the winter. I love to ski. I get excited when there is fresh powder. However, this year, I am having trouble getting excited. I have been spoiled with lots of great bike riding through November and even into December. I keep thinking about how I can get in some more bike rides. Even with the snow on the ground, I plan on making some rides up on the BST. Opening day this Friday at Sundance will help with the adjustment.

Here is Part 1 of the video from the last few weeks of riding.

BST Lunch Meeting Part 1 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

RAPR - R

A new acronym has been created (I think Ricky M. or Aaron created it) - RAPR - Ride Around Provo River. The clockwise route takes you from the water tank road down dragons back and up BST south to Indian Hills park and back to the shooting range. The RAPR - R or Reverse/counterclockwise was the Friday lunch meeting route - Up the water tank road, down Bramber, Up from Indian Hills Park, BST South to Bridal Veil park, up Dragons Back, up Frank, upper belt, and Ireland (some went over to 51 and dry canyon).

Here are some pics from Friday's ride.

This guy had been riding his daughters bike with his orange hunting vest and rifle. He said he was too tired and was walking it down the hill.
PHAST Dan recovering from his collision with Mike Y.

If you don't have snow, why not hook the dogs up to the bike?

The Pain Cave

The lunch meetings continue. Yesterday (Wed.) had the largest group yet. The carborocket rep came and made a presentation to the group.

I'm not sure who to thank, maybe Kenny, Rick M., Rick S., Kyle, or Phast Dan, so I will thank them all for a visit to the pain cave. After riding Betty, Belt, down Frank and Dragons Back, up BST south and down to Indian Hills park, we climbed a new trail for me - Bramber. It was steep and painful.

Video footage from the lunch rides is being accumulated and will be released shortly.

December

It just doesn't seem right that December is here and the bike riding is still in full swing. I'm grateful that the lunch crowd has let me tag along on their rides. It has been a huge benefit to me to ride with people that are better than me. I am pushed everytime I ride with them. I am happy to take on the role of the lanterne rouge. Little by little I am getting faster--I have lost five pounds since I started attending the lunch meetings.

I fully anticipated that most riders would be swamped and not riding on Monday, the day after Thanksgiving break. Not the case. I met up with Kris to start defining a new trail. In the short time up on the trail, I ran into Kenny, Rick M, Adam, and Aaron.

Kris and I are excited about the potential of this new trail. Let me rephrase - I'm excited and Kris is beyond excited - Christmas came early for him. We believe that we have found a good route for the ascent and descent (even for the SS's). Kris' post does a good job summarizing the route and work that needs to be done.