Speed Trials

Oooh, I want to do this so bad…

But I don’t know if I can do it. Or, I should say, I don’t know if I could do it at the group’s pace…  But if you think you can do it, check out Tall Tree’s blog, http://talltreerides.blogspot.com/, to find out all the details.

This is a follow up to my post about managing a training program around a hectic schedule and/or unexpected time constraints. You can read that post here.

My bike is my primary form of transportation to and from work.  I ride in winter as well as summer and it has become part of my daily routine.  Even when life gets in the way, I still get on that bike every day (rain or shine) to get to work.  But I didn’t always have that kind of resolve. I had to learn a lot about myself, and about my preferences, to make bicycle commuting a fun and enjoyable experience.

Get the right bike – There are lots of options out there – road bikes, bmx, cruisers, fixies, vintage Raleighs.  They’re all different, and the right one for you depends on what you want to do with it. Are you interested in style over speed? Or are you a performance hound? Or do you want to find a bargain, determined NOT to spend an entire paycheck on a bike? Find out which bike works for you, and don’t think you have to buy new.

There are some really great shops in Ottawa where you can ask for advice, get informed on parts and services, receive reasonably priced maintenance, and learn more about bikes in general.

Re-Cycles
Phat Moose
Tall Tree Cycles
Bertrands
Cyclelogik

It doesn’t hurt to know a bit about bike maintenance: how to change a tire and what air pressure it needs, when to oil your chain (and what product to use), and how to raise/lower your saddle and handlebars.  Honestly, I ride every day, and that’s ALL I know how to do (or I know how to ask Angelo to do it for me!!).

Get the right accessories – your bike has a frame, a seat, handlebars, pedals and chain, and some wheels.  It’ll get you from point A to point B, but to do it in comfort, and while staying relatively clean, you may need a bit more stuff.  This could include fenders, a chain guard, lights (for those short winter days where it’s dark by 4pm), cages for your pedals, and a bell.  Maybe even a basket, rack, or saddlebags if you want to get real fancy. You don’t need to get EVERY accessory on the planet when you first get your bike.  Chances are, your “need to haves” will reveal themselves after a week or two of commuting.

Get the right gear – Getting dressed to ride your bike to work is by FAR the biggest hassle of commuting by bicycle.  I used to try to get away with wearing my office clothes on the bike, but it just did NOT work for me. Things would get snagged, stained, soaked, or sweaty.  I knew I had to get a better system. That means every morning I put on the following gear, just for my 10 minute commute: socks, shoes, tights, top, jacket, and helmet.  Every single thing I wear on my bike ride gets changed when I get to work. That also means I need a bag that can hold all my stuff – which, on a workout day, can include:

work clothes
jewelry or accessories
wallet, keys, camera, junk
Morning snack
Lunch
Afternoon snack
workout clothes
running shoes
water bottle

Since I’m not a fan of saddle bags, I had to find a backpack that would be big enough to hold my stuff, but not too big to be encumbering.

At first, I tried to use Angelo’s messenger bags to carry all my things, but soon found them too huge for my needs (and WAY uncomfortable).  Then I bought MEC’s $12 canvas pack, thinking it would be perfect, but it just wasn’t big enough for lunch, work clothes, AND my running shoes. I finally bought this backpack from the MEC, and I like it a lot.

It works for me.  The rest of my gear was collected over time, and I usually try to make due with what I have on hand.  It’s not necessary to go out and buy the most expensive, the most high-tech, the most fashionable, item in the world. You just need to find out what works FOR YOU.

These rubber shoes were found at a flea market for $0.75, and my rain jacket is a hand-me-down from Angelo.

Get in the right mind frame – It’s easy to look at the inconveniences of riding a bike to work (like having to bring a change of clothes or having to carry all your stuff on your back).  But let’s not forget how satisfying riding a bike can be, and the experience should be much more energizing than taking the bus or car.  To take the fear out of commuting by bike, and to make the experience enjoyable, I would suggest reading up on bike safety and effective riding before you hit the road. There are lots of things you can do to minimize your chance of accident.  The most important piece of advice that I can give a cyclist traveling in traffic is to be predictable. Don’t weaving, don’t make erratic decisions, don’t dart in and out of traffic.  Drivers will be able to navigate around you, and you’ll gain traffic confidence in no time. I would suggest contacting your municipality for more information on particular traffic laws in your town or city, and while you’re at it, lobby for more bike lanes, too!!

Get the right route – Some people want to get to work as fast as they can, while others would go out of their way to avoid a certain road or intersection.  This totally depends on your comfort level.  There is no point in taking a shorter route if it fills you with dread and stress every morning.  Choosing a bike path might alleviate a lot of bike-riding stress, even if it adds 10 minutes to your commute.  Or you may discover that by traveling one or two blocks out of your way, there is a road that has less traffic lights, lighter traffic, and saves you time in your overall commute.

Get the right lock – There is nothing worse than walking up to a bike rack and looking at an empty space where your bike used to be.  Getting your bike stolen SUCKS, and it happens ALL THE TIME.  There are lots of locks out there, but make you sure you get one from a reputable company.  Always lock your bike frame (the triangle part), and not the saddle or the fork. If you have quick release wheels, you can remove them and either bring them with you to your desk or lock them to your bike. I don’t have quick release wheels, so I just lock my frame, and call it a day.

And finally, riding a bike to work is just like any other new habit, it takes time to master.  Some days you’ll feel like it’s too much of a hassle, or realize you have a flat, or look out at the rain and dive into your hidden stash of bus tickets.  It happens to all of us.  Remember that one missed bike ride does not make you a failed commuter.  But if you get a plan that works for you, and you stick to it, you’ll see that after a while, prepping your bike ride will become second nature and you’ll find biking more relaxing than any of the other forms of transportation available.

Just a quick note that Angelo will be on CBC Radio 1 at 3pm TODAY, Thursday September 2, to promote the 2010 North Side Polo Invite.

Check it out here:

http://www.cbc.ca/listen/

Hopefully there will be a podcast, and I’ll make sure to post it for those who can’t tune in at 3pm ET.

I didn’t have a run scheduled today, so I took the long way home.

The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a 20km long man-made waterway. It runs North/South through downtown Ottawa, and has bike paths on either side. On any sunny day in the summer (and especially weekends) you can find them crowded with cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, and sunbathers.

Taking the canal home actually adds 10 min to my commute (therefore, almost doubles it) but it’s so worth it. Also, because I don’t see a traffic light until 20 min into the ride, it really feels like I’m flying home.

I also love how calming and lovely it is. I left work in a sour mood, but got home happy and cheerful.

Check out my Beautiful new tires. Not only are they gleaming white, but they have a flak jacket inside them that makes them super resistant to flats. Huzzah! (I got them at Tall Tree Cycles in Westboro)

Tomorrow I run.  It’s been a few days, and I’m feeling the need for a good one!

36 racers met up at the World Exchange Plaza in Ottawa yesterday to take part in the Apocalypse Now Redux Alleycat. It was a great turnout (especially on a day that was calling for thundershowers). Racers biked for an average of 2h to complete the race, which spanned from Little Italy, to Old Ottawa South, to Vanier, to Hull.

I was manning two checkpoints on this race (yeah, I’m baddass like that).  The first checkpoint was at the polo court, and it was all over before it ever began. All 36 racers showed up within ten minutes of each other, but I made them line up and wait their turn.  I would wait for each racer to get on their bike and leave the park before signing the next person’s manifest. Angelo thought this would space out the racers enough to keep things interesting.

(When Ange developed this race, he tied it into the movie by keeping the course close to the river. Ottawa South substituted for Vietnam, and the crossing into Vanier acted as crossing over into Cambodia. Ange’s manifests were great, detailed, and had maps too, so it was a nice, fun alleycat for newbies – while still being challenging enough for the vets.)

As soon as the last racer was on their way from the first checkpoint, I packed up my stuff and biked it over to the second last checkpoint as fast as I could. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get there before the first racers hit the checkpoint, so I pedaled like crazy for those 7km.

Of course I made it there first, and even had time to catch my breath and take a few pictures of the site.

Pretty!

Here I was supposed to give racers their third and final manifest, which told them where they could find the general.

I was in constant contact with Angelo over the radio, and it was clear that Johnny Rockstar had a sizable lead over everyone else.  He showed up to my checkpoint first, where he discovered that the final destination was still about 6km away from my checkpoint, and kind of hard to find (squaw bay is off the bike path over in Hull, and not marked in any way). Lots of racers were SUPER disappointed that I wasn’t the last checkpoint, especially those who had been pedaling for +2h.

Rhys and Devon. Devon took a wrong turn at the very end, and fell a few places in the rankings. Oh well, just add it to the bank of experience, right Devon???

Some racers

Pascale was first female overall, even though she flatted out during the race! She was super fast!!!

Once the racers had come through the checkpoint, I collected my stuff yet again and made my way down to Squaw Bay. it was amazing coming through the bush and seeing a sea of bikes on the ground!  We hung out there for a while, drinking some drinks and recounting favourite parts of the race.

Look at those smiles – you’d never guess they came in DFL!!!!

Slowly we made our way over to Brian’s house, where the afterparty was held. Angelo still had to get the beer for the party, and figure out the prizes (who would get what). He is a man who knows his priorities – beer was DEFINITELY first on the agenda.

In total, Angelo bought 36 cases of PBR. It was a little obscene.

The biggest outdoor cooler I’ve ever seen!! A trough of PBR.

Once the masses were appeased with beer, Angelo and I slipped away to get some food and go over the results, and he figured out who would get what prizes.

Here are the results:

1st place: Johnny Rockstar
prize: Giant Omnium 50″ frame
prize sponsor: Cyclo-sportif G.M. Bertrand

2nd place: Rhys
prize: Brooks saddle (!)
prize sponsor: Phat Moose Cycles

3rd place: AK
prize: gold Steelwool hubs
prize sponsor: Tall Tree Cycles

1st female: Pascale
prize: $100 Gift Certificate for a tattoo
prize sponsor: The Ink Spot Tattoo and Body Piercing

2nd female: Oleha
prize: Wool bike jersey
prize sponsor: Tall Tree Cycles

DFL: Alexis
prize: kickstand and brake lever
prize sponsor: Pecco’s

There were enough prizes for almost everyone, including socks, tires, and spokecards from past alleycats. It was a really fun awards ceremony. It’s always my favourite part of the night, because everyone is always SO HAPPY for everyone else, and there were big cheers for each racer when they went up to pick a prize.

Once the prizes were all handed out, then Ange was really done his duties as race organizer, and proceeded to shotgun five or six beer. I imbibed a little too much as well last night, and really felt it in the morning. Oh well, that’s part of alleycats too, I suppose!

Here is the final ranking of all racers:

1 – Johnny Rockstar
2 – Rhys
3 – AK
4 – Rishi
5 – Shamus
6 – Eric (Apocalypse Now Trivia Award)
7 – Sailor (PBR Award)
8 – Fathead
9 – Devon
10 – Pascale (first female)
11 – Marc
12 – Tomas
13 – Chris
14 – Oleha (2nd Female)
15 – Bryon
16 – Mark
17 – Emma
18 – Jamie
19 – BG
20 – Emily
21 – Courtney
22 – Jizza (Cpt Willard Award)
23 – Tiffany (special mention – ate shit in the HUGE pothole on the trail)
24 – Adam
25 – Jesse
26 – AB (farthest traveled – all the way from Pensacola, FL)
27 – Johnny Crash (Lance Johnston Award)
28 – Texas (DFL)
The next racers finished before Johnny and Texas, but got some answers wrong on their manifests, so they got bumped down the list:
29 – Zach
30 – Nicole
31 – Nick
32 – Barry
33 – Raph

DNF – Cam

DNS – Omar

Congratulations to all who raced, and big ups to the volunteers and sponsors! It was an awesome turnout and an awesome race!

NOTE: If you raced and are not on this list, please email me at baddirt@gmail.com. We’re short 4 racers, and we DON’T leave any soldier behind!