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Guest HESHIANDET

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Soup... when making changes to your cleats you should do so in mm. increments at a time. Nothing drastic or you could actually do more harm. And yes I do get deals on gels... Hammer Nutrition baby!

 

Race Report:

 

20 mile loop - 3 laps - rolling to hilly course - decent weather:

 

The race starts on a uphill rolling section of the course, which kinda sucks for us heavier riders but I had a good warm up so it didn't hurt too bad and we weren't going that fast anyway. Within minutes two guys break off from the pack and head down the road and get about 35 seconds away and just hang there. I have to give it up to them because after about fifteen minutes the field started to chase and they still hung out there by about 30 seconds. I asked my team mate who we chose for the win how he was feeling and he looked at me, smied and said really good. With that I worked my way up through the middle of the field and got to about fourth position. We were on our second lap and just crested the uphill finish area and were on a false flat section of the course just before it gives way to a nice long downhill section. The two riders were still out there chuggin' away as well. It was my goal to bring them back for my team mate. Just as the downhill was approaching I jumped from my position in the field and just hammered it. Didn't look back for help because I didn't care. One rider pulled around me and got in front of me so I assume dit was just the two of us and we were working our way up to the break. A flick of his arm and I pull through... and ramp up the speed a little more. The break is too close to not put in the effort now, I want to be up there. With the break about 50 feet in front of us another rider pulls to the front of me... then another... then a whole bunch. I sit up and look back with a "what the fuck?" look and the rider who helped me bring the break back looks at me and said "they've been on our wheel the whole time." that's racing I guess. On the final lap breaks try to get away but nothing is sticking. This race is too important to some folks to let anything get away from them. My team mate who wants to win comes up to me and tells me he wants me and one other rider to set a blistering pace on the second set of rollers after the start area. I find the one guy who I know can do the job and we all three go up to the front area just before the rollers. Two other team mates have been told to set a blistering pace on the first set of rollers so when we get there the two of them are on the front and they just hammer it. The field sits and watches... the best part though was listening to guys yell at the riders in front about chasing them down... about letting two team mates off the front... about being pieces of shit and other four letter words. That was awesome. What wasn't awesome was I was getting a cramp in my upper thigh, a really bad one. If I stood up I didn't feel it but I couldn't stand up for another fifteen miles. After the first section of rollers was a little flat bit so I was able to kneed the muscle and hope for the best. When the second set came up, and our team mates just brought back into the fold, me and the other team mate hammered it. At the crest of the roller I cramped up so bad I couldn't even do a pedal rotation and had to pull off to the side of the road and try my best not to cry like a little bitch. However, the pace was a springboard for the team mate who wanted to win and he launched a solo attack. He stayed away and won the race. It was impressive. I got a DNF due to my cramp because I just couldn't carry on. I had to roll back to the staging area and call it a day.

 

Now I get to do a fairly long recovery ride today and hopefully Tuesday's race coming up will be better for me since it's flat. Those hilly races zap me.

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He's been the team leader for a lot of the races lately because he's the strongest. We knew going into the race he was leader, but during a race you always need to ask how they're feeling. You never know... they could be cramping, their legs aren't "responding" like they should, they're just tired or they're just having an off day. Communication is key during a race. Results are good for the team so winning is good. Even if that means at the expense of wasting a few team mates to get you to the line first. It's a little overboard for a category three team but it's been working so we stick with it.

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on that same note, has anyone had experience with powergrips on fixed?

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000ADZ0IO/103-0716937-6132660?SubscriptionId=0GKY5T9AP29X0E3X4XG2

 

i either want to get some of those or invest in some quality double straps by the next pay check, as clipless is a bit more expensive and has more hassles than i want to have to sort through.

 

edit: didn't mean cadence above, just spin. oops.

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great weather in portland today eh joker? april showers...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

what kind of exercises/techniques can i do to improve my spin / cadence? i'm constantly obsessing over how to improve it. i'm running a pretty spin-friendly gear right now as well.

 

 

 

The weather fucking sucks right now. How's a pussy like myself supposed to train in weather like this?

 

I'm not sure I understand your question. You want to improve your spin, not your cadence? If you're riding fixed... what's wrong with your spin? Are you pushing down at 12 and pulling up at 6 on each pedal stroke, on both sides? Doing that on a fixed will give you pretty much a great spin... and the more you ride and the more you do it, the better your cadence will be. Two for the price of one!

 

One legged drills are good too, but as a recreational cyclist... I don't see the need for you to do them.

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While i'm on the dicussion of nutrition:

 

Gummie worms: work great, taste great. Awesome for longer events where youd normally eat.

 

Multiple gu ingestions: This has saved me many a time where i was on the verge of bonking or when the pace got a LOT faster. Basically, get a gel flask, fill it with about 3-4 gu packs, and then mix with hot water. Shake until you have a nice liquid substance. When you need it just drink anywhere from half to the whole thing. I find this conveniant in criteriums when you don't have the time to open multiple gu's.

 

Enervit: Popularly know as "crack packs". A little pricy but it works great.

enervit-gel.jpg

 

 

Edit: I'm sure all of the experianced guys religiously use recovery products. But if you aren't, DO IT. Some studies suggest that gatorade and chocolate milk work just as good, but i still fork out the money for Endurox. If you aren't using it, you'll be amazed as how much of a difference it makes. Get the chocolate milk flavor, its drill.

ENDUROX.jpg

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Dude if I see you riding around with those straps I am going to pull out my pocket GONG so fast the neoprene will melt.... why would you have to decide whether to get leather double straps or neoprene powergrips... Go to Bike Central, ask Dean about them, he will prolly lose it... he hates harder than anyone on the internet...hahaha

 

because it's about the $$$$$... buying / coming up on some powergrips for little to nothing vs. investing in some quality double straps (not trying to go for some cheap unlaminated ones), having to get new clips and pedals (my pedals weren't built for doubles), it adds up.

 

but yeah, dean is a homie and a bike snob too, no one builds a better wheel than him in town. i can understand his attitude though, he's a purist.

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gu makes me fart so bad its gross.

 

endurox is the shit. i usually just blend up trader joes whey protein and some juice and milk. kinda the same.

 

i dont understand why you need double straps this and that. rock mks peds and single good leather straps. your done. those power things are for faggots.

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I had to go to the link to actually find out what 'power straps' were... when I saw I thought "Oh yeah, those gay shits... I'd never have that..."

 

But, in a related matter... I just popped my right side strap last weekend so I removed my clips. I fucking hate riding plain platforms but I'm using the down time to reperfect my bunny hops and 'freeride' skills.

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You cant compare a piece of screwed on neoprene to the proper fitted steel toe cage and leather straps. Amorphic, $5 straps? Are they leather or cordua?

 

I think cordura...I'm not entirely sure. Definitely not leather. They appear to be made out of what you'd get if you took a bunch of VHS tapes and shredded them and made it into thread, then made straps out of the thread. Sort of a plastic-y deal. I really have nothing to complain about haha you get what you pay for....I just see all these straps for like $40 and above and I just worry about durability...

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Today i was feeling the best ive felt all year. My average speed in relation to heart rate was a lot better then i thought it would be. I was stoked until i hit a pot hole, snapping a spoke in my cosmics that ive trained on since i started racing bikes. I was riding loops around my house, and i had just passed my street. So i turn around and head home, thinking "no big deal, i'll just ride home slowly, switch the wheel out, and i'll be fine." As soon as those words go through my head, i hear this horrible snap. There goes my derailluer hanger. My second ride on my new bike and its already out of commision. Bummer.

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Enervit packets are definitely costly but damn... they are lifesavers if you have 'em. I recall being about two hours from home on a team ride and close to bonking. No good. I grabbed that Enervit packet, sucked the whole thing down and made it home with energy to spare. I think I even mowed the lawn afterward. Legal crack for about $3.50.

 

Endurox is no joke. I'm just about through a fruit punch tin. A little too sweet for me but not bad.

 

I've done the gel and water trick before and it is indeed golden. Way better than just gel alone.

 

Sorry to hear about your bike SE! Hope you get it fixed soon.

 

Can't wait to go and race in this nasty mucky weather tonight...

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