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Archives for August 2012

Big Ride Logistics

08.23.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

The Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred is Saturday in Wichita Falls, Texas. It’s a ride I’ve been wanting to do ever since I took up road biking five years ago. Not because it’s a fantastic, must-do route — it’s mostly flat and featureless — but because it’s one of those happenings where the event is the thing.

Wichita Falls is on the north edge of Texas, near the Oklahoma border, so the first consideration is getting there. Then, with thousands of cyclists converging on this city of just over 100,000, finding a place to stay can be tricky. Most hotel rooms in a 50-mile radius are booked up soon after the previous year’s ride.

I got lucky. Two friends from my club, Debra and Russ, rented a large RV for the trip. So that’s two birds with one stone. We can get there and we have a place to stay. RV parking can be found close to the center of activity near the ride start, and we will be able to easily get to the packet pickup, the bike expo, the pasta dinner the night before and the breakfast the day of.

We left Austin Thursday to make the six-hour drive. I did all my prep work earlier this week, and while I might not have the fastest bike in the field, I’m sure I have the cleanest. Weather looks like it will be a non-issue this year. Instead of hotter ‘n hell August temperatures, the forecast calls for a high in the mid 90s (35C) and a 30 percent chance of rain. Even if there is no rain, perhaps an overcast sky will keep things semi-cool.

After hemming and hawing over the last month or so, I decided to go ahead and do to 100-mile ride after all. I’m concerned that I haven’t done enough long rides leading up to it, but when I compare my mileage stats this year with what I did prior to my previous centuries, I’m right in the ball park. My only concern is that I’ll be trashed in the last quarter of the ride, which will make things miserable — but we’ll see. I’ll have a post on the outcome Sunday night.

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Categories // Rides Tags // HH100, Hotter 'n Hell

Bar Tape — A Quick and Easy Fix

08.21.2012 by Ray Niekamp // Leave a Comment

Guest poster Don Blount has some suggestions about changing your bar tape.

I recently changed handlebar tape from a synthetic leather tape that looked great but provided absolutely no padding, to something not as flashy but much more comfortable. It was a quick, easy job.

Old tape on left, new on right.

Changing bar tape is an inexpensive way to give your bike a different look, from black to red, white or blue, you can accessorize your ride.

I stick with black tape. It matches my bike and doesn’t show dirt easily.

For some, taping handlebars can be frustrating. But with a little practice just about anyone can handle this job.

Here are a few quick tips I received from a bike mechanic to get a clean, professional-looking job:

Start the tape at the bottom of the bar. And instead of starting the tape with a half-inch or so hanging over the end of the bar, align the tape with the edge of bar. This will provide a clean look while eliminating the task of trying to stuff the tape in the bar end and getting the bar end plug to stay in.

Don shows how he wraps electrical tape around the base of the bar plug.

Many handlebar tapes come with a sticky backing, which helps it stay in place. If it does not have this backing, you can use a small piece of electrical tape to hold it in place.  This will be out of view when the bar is wrapped. You can also wrap pieces of electrical tape around the inside of the plug, the part that goes inside the bar, to help it stay in place.

And, with a few exceptions, remember to wrap over the bar and away from the frame, this tightens the tape naturally as you ride. Look at how you twist your hands in the drops and this will help you determine how to wrap the bar. If you turn you hands in, wrap in that direction and vice versa.

Also, use the small rectangular piece that comes with the tape to cover the bottom of the brake levers. Finally be sure to stretch the tape as you wrap but not as if you’re playing tug of war, and check your work so you don’t leave gaps.

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Categories // Accessories, guest post, Maintenance Tags // bar tape, Blount, guest post

Conquering That Hill

08.19.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

I was planning to do a 50-mile or so flat ride southeast of town today, but some of my fellow club members did that ride Saturday, and they were headed for the hills today. That’s okay, because the route allows a convenient turnaround for me and other B riders at about the 17-mile mark. I figured 34-35 miles of hills would equate to 50 miles in the flats, so I showed up.

It was a morning for riding we haven’t seen around here in a long time. Rain came through last night, and the sky was heavily overcast, with temperatures in the low 70s (22C). No wind. Conditions were perfect for a fast ride, and the peloton took off like a pack of scalded dogs. I knew they’d be held up by stoplights along the way, and while I pedaled briskly, I didn’t push myself. I was the only B rider to show up this morning (apparently, the cloudy skies had enough promise of rain that they scared some riders off).

One of the really fast guys flatted about two miles into the ride. A few of us kept going, while the bulk of the group stood around while he changed his tube. We figured they’d catch us sooner rather than later. I had company in the form of Steve J., the state time trial champion of Texas in the 65-69 year old age group. He rode fast the day before, and was looking for an easy ride, so he was fine with loping along with me, chatting about a myriad of different topics.

We turned onto Barton Creek Blvd., which is a smooth, wide road through a (very) wealthy neighborhood. Here’s where the hills began in earnest, with a series of rollers that get higher as you go north. Sure enough, I was passed by the guy who had had the flat, then a couple more, and several more. We reached “Hail Mary Hill” at the end of the road in a group. This steep hill has caused me problems in the past, although I was able to climb it the last time I came through here, about a month ago.

Today, I hit the initial uptick for the hill with a surge of energy. Unlike past efforts, where I was loaded with doubts at the base of the hill, I knew today that I would climb it — and with no trouble. I shifted down, put more power to the pedals, and felt the bike surge forward — a bit. I wasn’t going to pass anyone today, since I carry a substantial weight disadvantage over most of these folks.

When I pulled into the church parking lot at the top of the hill, a couple of riders made remarks like, “You were climbing well today,” and “You had an easy time of it.” Hail Mary Hill is never easy, but I had an “easier” time of it than I ever have in the past.

I rode much of the rest of the ride with a 20-something cyclist who has had his cycling interrupted by work and school, and was happy not to race with the large group. The rollers went by with less effort than they have in the past. I didn’t have that fatigued feeling I often get on this route.

So why the big improvement? I include a decent, but not too tough, hill on some of my weekly rides. It’s got three or four short, steep segments and a long steady climb. I use a stopwatch on that long climb, and I’ve dropped my time by six seconds over the last two weeks — although I was eight seconds slower when I did it Saturday. Ever notice how a mediocre performance can presage a good performance in the next day or two?

Other than that, I haven’t done anything different. But I can feel that my legs are putting out more power. I’m sure the cooler weather today had something to do with it. Doesn’t matter. I’m just happy it’s happening — just in time for the Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred this coming weekend.

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Categories // Rides, training Tags // climbing, hills

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