2013 Wilson 100

The Southern Bicycle League Wilson 100 century celebrated its 40th anniversary on Sunday, September 8th in Senoia, Georgia.   The weather for the ride was perfect.  The morning started out with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60's.  The high for the day would reach very close to 90-degrees with a few clouds.  I had ridden the Wilson the two previous years in 2011 and 2012.  Both years I started with the lead group of riders which rolled out as a mass start at 8:00am.  Unfortunately, both in 2011 and 2012 my performance was not up to snuff.  see 2012 Wilson 100 and 2011 Wilson 100.  I got dropped at mile 50 in 2011 when I had to take a needed water stop.  I hadn't prepared appropriately.  Two water bottles weren't enough.  In 2012 I lasted all the way to mile 85 when I went off road briefly and wasn't able to catch up to the pack.

To prepare for the 2013 ride Susan made me a green salad and spicy chicken breast for dinner on Saturday night.  I ate it and said "I have a big ride tomorrow, I'm supposed to eat pasta".  So, Susan made me a second supper of spaghetti.

For 2013, the Wilson 100 would follow a new century course.  It was at mile 50 in Concord, Georgia where a slight directional snafu stopped the peloton and then split the lead group in two.  Half the group went right to Molena and the other half went straight to Zebulon.  Unfortunately for me I decided to go right but only after the group had already left Concord.  I spent the next 50 miles riding solo and passing the discarded elements of that group.

During previous rides I was forced to stop for water.  The Beck team had a SAG wagon following their team.  I didn't have that luxury.  I carried 2 ice filled water bottles in my cages and 2 bottles in my jersey.  I wasn't forced to stop until the rest stop in Hollonville at mile 85 after my water was all gone. I filled one bottle with delicious lemonade from "Joyce the Rest Stop Queen" and took off again passing some of the same riders I had just gone by.

I have to say that I wasn't totally unhappy riding alone.  I had hoped that for once I'd finish with the lead group in some awesomely unattainable time for me as a solo rider but the stress of riding in such close quarters is too great for me.  I rode my 2010 Quintana Roo CD0.1 tri-bike and if there's one thing that I could say that's negative about the bike is its braking.  The rear brake seems wholly ineffective which is much of the reason why I stayed well to the back of the peloton providing plenty of room between me and the riders in front.  I brought my Giro Selector aero helmet but decided at the last minute to use my better vented regular road bike helmet instead.  It was a good decision because I saw plenty of tri-bikes but no riders in aero helmets.

My Southern Crescent Cycling brothers and sisters

Lino and Marcelo

John and Martha

Just before the mass start at 8:00am

The peloton got stopped by a cow crossing

The rest stop in Hollonville at mile 85 on the century course

The parents of Tony Seranno and Joyce the rest stop "Queen" 

Delicious Food

After my ride I felt great and decided to back track in search of some of my fellow club members.   Apparently this was one case where I rode the correct route, as marked, and everyone else got lost.   The scene in Concord was almost comical as one rider professed that he checked the Internet and the route went straight.  I had collected a map at registration but it was back in Senoia in my pants pocket.

2013 SBL Wilson 100 t-shirt artwork dedicated to Scott Wilson

I ended the day with 115 miles although the last 15 miles were just a leisurely ride in the park out and back on the course.  I could have run or done something else after the ride.  I felt great!  I think it was the pasta.

Thanks for reading.

The Everything Ride

I call this ride the "everything" ride because it seemed like everything happened during this short Friday late morning/early afternoon ride.  At least it was more eventful than most rides.  The ride started at around 10:30am on Friday morning.  My training plan called for a 4 hour 30 minute ride.  Susan recommended that I find someone to ride with.  I called a friend and posted something on Facebook.  My fellow Southern Crescent Cycling board member and riding buddy Isabel was also looking to put in some miles.  We met at the Trek bike shop in McDonough.  Our plan was to ride to the Trek shop in Peachtree City and back.  We'd ride the same route as the Trek from Trek to Trek Customer Appreciation Day Ride that we'd ridden earlier in the year.  The total distance is about 60 miles.

As Isabel and I enter the bustling metropolis of Woolsey, Georgia we saw a fawn that had obviously been hit by a car.  As we rolled up beside her she tried to run but her injuries were too much.  She couldn't stand and her powerful back legs caused her to flip and flop in the grass like a fish out of water.  We stayed with her for quite a while.  The homeowner whose front yard the deer had probably laid in since early morning came out and spoke to us.  She called Noah's Ark, a Locust Grove, Georgia animal sanctuary most noticeably known for the adult lioness, black bear, and tiger who live as a family in the same enclosure.

Isabel called 911.  The Fayette County Sheriff's Department deputy and a companion arrived at the house soon after.  They were both sensitive to the plight of this poor deer but after some discussion it was decided that the deputy would put her down.  Isabel and I rode off before the act.

We made it to Peachtree City without any other incidents.  On the way back to McDonough and with only 3.5 miles to go I had a major blowout.  Thump, thump, kapow!   My back tire was trashed.  At first I set about trying to replace the tube but soon realized that with a 2 inch long gash in the tire it would be a waste of time.  I called Susan and she dutifully came to rescue us.

Temperature on the return trip to McDonough was about 88-degrees.  The humidity was in the mid-80's as well.   Isabel was likely suffering from the affects of heat exhaustion and ended up losing her lunch.

Isabel took the opportunity to throw-up along the roadside a second time.  Kudos to the residents of Henry County who stopped to offer aide.  Since Susan was coming to get us we declined the offers but it was surprising how many people stopped.  Thank you!

As we sat at the roadside, in the heat, the grasshoppers seemed to invade our bikes.  Isabel had a big one on her pedal and I had a small green one on my wheel.

Susan met up with me soon after.  Isabel had already started off for the store but before she got there we picked her up on the way.

Overall it was a good ride.  Traffic on a Friday is a bit more than during other times of the week and it seems like everyone is in a hurry.  I didn't get the 4.5 hour training ride that I needed but with the Wilson 100 century only 2 days away it was probably best that I didn't overdo it.

Thanks for reading.

Pedal for Pets 99

On Saturday, July 13th I finally got the opportunity to get some time in the saddle.  I signed up for the Pedal for Pets 99 a few weeks ago and ride day was here.  I hoped to find some of my riding buddies when I got to Senoia for the start of the ride at 7am.  The ride was not a mass start so some people left before 7am.  The shorter distance rides were advertised as having an 8am start time but many of those riders started with the 99 mile route riders.  I think I would have preferred a mass start at 7:30am with all riders.

Registration at Senoia United Methodist Church

I ran into some of my riding buddies in the church parking lot on my way to registration.  Even though I had already registered I still needed to check-in.  I ran back to my car to get my bike and gear ready for the long day.  As I took my sweet time a large group of thirty or so riders rode by.  Several of them were my guys.  I hoofed it to the street and hopped on my bike.  I decided to check the parking lot one more time for stragglers.  There weren't any that I knew, except a platoon of about eight Beck Cycling guys.  I knew I didn't want those guys to hurt me so I hauled butt to catch the other group which by now had ridden well out of site.  On my own I passed person after person, almost took a wrong turn, but the group stayed beyond my reach, until the Beck guys showed up.  John in their group, who I have ridden with before (see Naked Lady Ride), invited me to join in.  I did and the ten miles whizzed by until the group I was trying to catch were right there before me.  It was pretty cool that as we passed them I was doing my brief stint at the front.  "Yeah, I pulled these guys the whole way" I thought to myself.  Shortly after we passed the group I trailed off the back and only reconnected with a few of the riders at a rest stop.

Greg, John (in the back), Steve, and David (l-r) leaving a restspot

Riders at a reststop in Grantsville (I think)

Fortunately for us the rain held off and we had cloud cover all day.  I like the route for the 99 mile course.  The only thing I might change is the color of the road markings.  They were white paw prints with small white and/or blue arrows.  Unfortunately almost everything else someone wanted to identify on the road was also marked with white paint.

Thanks for reading.

Naked Lady Ride

Wednesday brought another long ride out of Peachtree City with the two fellow Ironman Florida 2013 entrants I rode with last week, Chad and Jared, and two new guys, John and Tommy.  Chad, John, and Tommy were wearing their Beck Janitorial team kit.  Jared had a kit that matched his bike colors.  I wore my Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project team kit.  Chad and I wore our CBSAP kit during Ironman Florida 2011.

Before the ride I applied some Chamois Butt'r.  More butt'r than I'd ever used before.  I was glad I did. Later, for a short run, I put some butt'r where my Garmin heart-rate monitor strap rubs on my "massive" chest.  I was glad I did that too.  The run was shorter for me than for Chad and Jared.  I was out of gas after the first mile and rode the golf cart with the women and children for about two miles before recovering enough for the final half mile sprint to the finish.

Back to the bike.  This would be a good time to include a disclaimer.  Here it goes.  At no time did I take the lead or pull during the seventy-six mile ride.  I was probably in the front a total of two miles and while there I was being pushed by the four beasts behind me.  I'm glad I got that out of the way.

Chad, Jared, John and I took off and headed north out of Peachtree City to meet up with Tommy.  With Tommy on board and John, for the most part, in the lead we crisscrossed through Fayette, S. Fulton, and Coweta counties.   The cities of Tyrone, Fairburn, and Chattahoochee Hills all came and went.  We stopped for a minute at Le Jardin, an abandoned high-end subdivision obviously started before the real estate bubble burst.  I took take a few pictures of the "Naked Lady" statute located behind the swanky iron gates and stone walls of the entrance.

(l-r) John, Jared, Tommy and Chad like the Naked Lady

I like her too

I came prepared for the ride with three water bottles, a Clif bar, GU Shot Bloks, and a banana.  After our stop at the statue I ran into an orange barrel barrier bending my rear derailleur hanger, lost my Camelbac water bottle on a gravel road, and lost my backup bottle of water.  Fortunately, we stopped to refuel at a gas station twenty or so miles before the end of the ride.  And fortunately for me, I didn't go down on the asphalt when I hit the barrel.  I recovered from the impact but had to stop briefly to clean my drawers (if you know what I mean).  My bike was rideable albeit noisy as the rear derailleur chattered as I pedaled.  One might ask how does one ride into a four foot tall, two foot wide orange and black barrel.  However, the more appropriate question would be how does one avoid one when it's obviously bent of destruction.  The answer to that my friends I don't know.

My rear derailleur

Chad's wife and kids followed us on the run and gave me a ride when I needed it which was soon after we started.

(l-r) Audra, Tamara, and Carter

Thanks for reading.

Peachtree City Training Day

I debated on what I should call this blog.  I thought "I Survived" was appropriate but it was already taken by a television show.  "I shouldn't be Alive" was also taken.  I went with "Peachtree City Training Day" because it seemed less negative.

The day started for me with a 6am alarm clock wake-up.  I ate a bowl of Cheerios with a sliced up banana and Lactaid.  The Lactaid keeps gaseous emissions to a normal level.

I got to Chad's house at a little before 8am.  Jared arrived a few minutes later.  Jared and Chad are both doing Ironman Florida this year and, it just so happens, so am I.  Chad was trying out a new tri-bike fit he'd just gotten done at All3Sports and Jared was riding his Felt road bike.  I had my trusty QR CD0.1.

Chad, Jared, and Neil

Chad's wife Tamara was kind enough to take this great picture of us before the ride.  In my case, I'm glad we took a before picture because an after picture wouldn't have been so pretty.  I'm sure I quit smiling somewhere around mile 60.  While they didn't drop me, they had ample opportunity.  A well placed minivan was a welcome relief.  Those last 10 miles I was just barely hanging on.  I tried my best to play the "I'm old and feeble" card but they wouldn't have it.

Chad and Jared on the back roads of south Fayette County

Enough complaining!  The ride went well.  Chad was pleased with his new fit and Jared rocked that road bike.  As we rode, I found myself wondering how many different types of asphalt there is.  If one were to categorize the road surface, degree of incline, median between the lanes, width of the road, the amount of asphalt to the right of the white line, and the condition of the ground and grass and plants to the right of the asphalt there would have to be upwards of 200 variations.  I briefly thought about attempting this project myself but I quickly came to my senses.

Chad having some fun and loving the new fit

Tamara and she and Chad's kids provided golf cart support on the run.  They carried our drinks while  we ran on the cart paths.  That was an awesome idea and we all appreciated the support.  I thought so much of it that I took the opportunity to ride the last 1000' feet while Chad and Jared soldiered on.

On a side note, I've got X-Lab Gorilla Cages on my tri-bike.  They're not perfect but they're pretty close to it.  I rarely ever lose a bottle.  The picture below shows the regular water bottle and the Purist water bottle that I used during the ride.  Once the Purist bottle was empty I couldn't keep it in my bottle cage.

Regular and Purist water bottles

Some final thoughts regarding training distance, water, nutrition, and Chamois Butt'r.   Since the Tony Serrano Century on April 13th I've been mostly riding short 30+/- mile club rides.  Seventy mile rides are harder - do more of them.  When Chad says he's bringing two water bottles, you decide to bring two water bottles.  But then you find out that he has a secret third water bottle tucked into his jersey, don't believe him if you ask him that question again next Wednesday.  Nutrition - bring more (and eat it).  Chamois Butt'r - bring some (and use it).

Thanks for reading.

Healthy Newton Criterium

On Saturday, June 8th Susan and I drove on over to Conyers/Covington, Georgia for the Georgia Bicycle Racing Association Healthy Newton Criterium Cat 3, 4 and 5 races.  To prepare for a day in the heat Susan and I brought a cooler and some folding cloth chairs.  The Southern Crescent Cycling team already had 2 tents and one tarp to place on top of the long grass.  The tarp was a good idea that I will remember for next year because ticks were all over the place.  Big ones and tiny ones too.

A Big tick

We brought our dog Max to watch the races.  He's on a regiment of Trifexis for fleas and heart-worms.  The literature doesn't say it works on ticks so Susan and I will have to be careful with Max.

Susan and Max the Wonder Dog

Our Southern Crescent Cycling friends and teammates were competing in the last three races of the day.  The Cat 3 race started at 4:45pm and was 45 minutes in duration.  The Cat 3 race was followed by the Cat 4 race which was 35 minutes long.  The Cat 5 race was the last race of the day.  It was 30 minutes long.

Having friends in each race made them much more fun to watch.  We had four friends in the Cat 3 race.  A fifth Cat 3 racer got caught in traffic out of Atlanta and missed the start.  We had one teammate in the Cat 4 and Cat 5 races.

Taylor Dunn followed by Marcelo Martino

The Cat 3 race went well with SCC riders scoring several top ten finishes.

Cat 3 Results

The Cat 4 race had one lone SCC rider making a podium finish much less likely.

Heber Cristino

Cat 4 Results

We had a better showing in the Cat 5 race.

Kenny Gilead

Cat 5 Results

Kudos to all our Southern Crescent Cycling teammates who competed this weekend.

Shane Matthews was also at the race.  He's taken some really good pictures in the past.  I'm sure he'll upload his new photos to his website soon.  http://www.shanemathewsphotography.com/

Below is a link to some pictures I took.

Healthy Newton Crit Race

Thanks for reading.

2013 Athens Twilight Races

Susan and I decided to head on over to Athens for the 2013 Athens Twilight bike races on Saturday, April 27th.  It was almost a 2 hour drive for us.  The return trip was even longer - dang GPS.  We had several friends who were competing and I hoped that I might get some good pictures to share with my fellow Southern Crescent Cycling club members before the day was done.  We had four riders in the racers earlier in the day.  A fifth rider got stuck in Los Angeles so he missed the race.  Dang Air Traffic Controller furloughs!  The twilight races, which started at 6pm, included only one remaining SCC'er, Modesto (Junior) Diaz.  Taylor Dunn, Heber Silva, and Marcelo Martino didn't make the cut.

Stephanie, Susan and Junior

Junior and Heber

Susan and I arrived in Athens at around 4pm.  Right away we ran into one of my FAA co-workers, Stephanie.  When I saw her last she had said that she might be there - she was.  She had ridden the gambler ride earlier in the day and was enjoying a beverage when we arrived.  We hung out and waited for the races to start.  We also ran into several other SCC'ers who were there to watch.

Joel in the red Georgia cap

Mission Source rider and friend Lino

Susan and I knew almost right away that we'd under dressed.  The sun that had warmed the downtown was replaced by cloudy skies and a light breeze.  We we wearing shorts.  I had a cycling jacket on and eventually covered that with my "Gordon's Fisherman" yellow raincoat.  Susan just had a raincoat.  I packed the car and apparently it was my fault that she didn't also have a jacket.  I didn't blame her the week before when I didn't have a suitcase for the Try Charlestion 70.3.  Just sayin'

The rain forecast for the day held off and the races started at 6pm.  The crowd lined the course with four turns.

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRide

This was probably the most exciting cycling event I've every witnessed.  The racers complete each lap in just over a minute so it's fast paced.  There's a festival atmosphere on the side lines.  Of course, Athens has plenty of places to eat and drink during the day.

Next year we're definitely going the VIP route.  The $10 fee to have the best seat in the house, close to a Terrapin Beer tent is well worth it.  We spent part of the evening outside the "No Alcohol Beyond This Point" area and later in the evening paid $5 and moved.  They weren't serving Terrapin though.

I would definitely recommend this event for anyone interested in cycling.  It's very well done from the announcing, to the volunteers, to the huge crowd.  We sure are glad we went.

Thanks for reading.

Checkout all my pictures below.

2013 Athens Twilight

Gore Bike Gear Xenon Jacket

I got a new bike jacket the other day.  The garment tag says it's a Gore Bike Gear Xenon AS (Active Shell) jacket.  It's a windbreaker.  I have two other similar jackets.  None of them are lined.  This new jacket is the only one I own that fits me correctly for road bike riding.  My Canari and Descente jackets which I included in a past blog - My Winter Safety Gear are loose fitting and work better for running or mountain biking than high speed road biking.

The Gore Xenon is, to me, very stylish and seems to be well constructed. The material is thin and the only area that has two layers are the sleeves.  There is the outer wind barrier layer and an inner mesh material.

I found the jacket on Nashbar.com.  It was the first item I've purchased from them since they used to send me paper catalogs back in the late 1980's.  I have a really hard time finding clothes that fit so when I saw that they had my size I ordered it.  The jacket is described on their website as follows:

"GORE BIKE WEAR Xenon AS Jacket There are chilly days ahead, but that doesn't have to 

keep you from riding. A lightweight, packable cycling jacket is the perfect solution for those 

transitional temperatures. This Windstopper jacket blocks the chilly drafts and breezes while 

you're on the bike, but still breathes well so you stay dry. It's got pre-shaped sleeves, a high 

collar and low tail that are ideal for a cyclist's posture. Adjustable cuffs, elastic hem, stretch 

inserts. Full length zipper lets you customize ventilation as you get moving. Rear zip pocket

 for easy gear storage, also serves as stuff pouch for the jacket once things heat up."

The jacket was on sale and I paid $79.99 plus taxes and shipping which put my total cost at just over $96.  The Nashbar website said the MSRP is $199.99.  The garment tag says the jacket was made in Turkey.  I find it hard to believe that anyone would pay over $200 (adding tax and shipping) for a windbreaker.

The front of the jacket

The rear of the jacket with reflective striping and pocket

Velrco sleeve cuff closures

The mesh material inside the back pocket

The mesh layer shown with the sleeve inside out

Tags

First ride

I had the opportunity to wear my jacket for the first time on Wednesday night.  After the ride I took the above picture.  The temperature was probably in the mid-50 degrees Fahrenheit.  I wore a long sleeve Under Armour shirt under the jacket.  That was about as minimalist as I go.  Note the full finger gloves and you can't see them but I'm wearing leg warmers.

Overall, I think I'll really like the jacket for those rides where the temperature is 60-degrees or higher or maybe a rainy summer day.  It would be wholly inadequate for anything below 50-degrees.  I like it though so I'm sure I'll wear it a lot until it gets warmer.

On a side note, when riding after dark with a bike light on it's easy to see all the trash being thrown up from the tire of the rider in front of you.  I've gotta get some clear lens glasses for night riding. Maybe I should ride in the front more often.

Thanks for reading.

Where To Take My New Ride?

I had expected that Santa would bring me something triathlon related for Christmas. I knew he was on a budget because one of his little helpers, my wife, told me. She said in fact that Santa wasn't getting me much. I chocked it up to the old naughty or nice requirement for gift giving/receiving.

Well, Santa is a liar! That’s right, I’m callin’ out Santa because he (she) gave me an awesome gift. I got a Trek Fuel EX 8 full suspension mountain bike. You may have seen the picture in my What’s for Christmas blog.

2013 Trek Fuel EX 8

In the few days since Christmas I've been investigating where I might ride my new steed and contacted some of my cycling buddies that I know are mountain bikers. Here on Atlanta’s south side we have Dauset Trails in Jackson, Georgia which seems to be the most popular. The Georgia International Horse Park (GIHP) in Conyers is also an option coming in a close second. Dauset is a 37 mile drive and Conyers is a 30 mile drive from my home.

Another option is the Clayton County International Park (CCIP), also known as Atlanta Beach or simply The Beach, located east on Jonesboro, Georgia and only 3 miles from my front door. Being an avid cyclist, I think I would have noticed riders in the park but in eight years I don’t recall seeing a single one. The first time I heard about any trails at the park was about two months ago when someone posted a ride there on the Southern Crescent Cycling Facebook page. Me not being the owner of a mountain bike at the time, did not join in on the fun or even take much notice.

Clayton County International Park trails

Now that I do own a mountain bike I’ve got to plan my first ride. I’m thinking that, for convenience, I’ll stay close to home and ride at The Beach. I have some concerns that the trails are not maintained well however, who am I to judge. I’m sure it will be fun.  My concern is less regarding actual trail maintenance than is the relationship between the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) - Atlanta chapter, and the now absorbed SORBA - Southern Crescent chapter. I'm a big proponent of bicycle advocacy and an apparent rift (or maybe it's the lack of interest in anything exercise related by most of my south Atlanta neighbors) has left the southsiders with little leadership than I would like as a person new to the sport. A good solution to this is probably less forum reading time and more time on the saddle.

Unfortunately, for my mental state, even before I hit the trails I've already heard the stories about trips to the emergency room. Needless to say, I’m hoping for a safe and uneventful first ride. If something bad does occur then I only have Santa to blame because, if it wasn't for him (her) I wouldn't have a mountain bike, I wouldn't be riding in the woods, and I wouldn't have gotten hurt. That’ll be my argument should the situation arise. It’s not my fault!

One thing is for sure, I’ll be taking a lot of pictures over the next few months. I’m sure that along the way I’ll also improve my biking skills. Hopefully this new discipline will result in improved bike splits in my 2013 races.

Thanks for reading.

CycleOps Jetfluid Pro Trainer

Last week Susan and I purchased a new CycleOps JetFluid Pro training kit.  The kit came with a wheel skewer, rubber mat, bike thong to protect my bike from sweat, remote control caddie with 2 pockets (both barely big enough for my cellphone), training DVD, 2 climbing blocks, and the trainer itself.  I set it up in front of the television in our family room.  Susan rode it that same day for an hour.  She said it gave her a pretty good workout.  I was optimistic that it would do the same for me.  The plan was to train more at home.  This would allow me to get my time on the bike and reduce my time away from home.  My goal was to try to better adhere to my future training plans.  As with many couples where one person is training for long course triathlons and the other is not, there can be a good bit of time spent discussing the drawbacks of long training days away from home (and ones chores).  With the recent spate of cyclist vs. motorist incidents we both thought that it might be safer to spend a little less time on the road.  Our RoadID's are just gonna help the authorities get word to family members faster, they're not gonna keep us any safer.

Today was the first time I had a chance to take the trainer for a spin.  I had a Blackburn fan trainer years ago.  I found then that the fan trainer was so noisy that I only used it a few times briefly before relegating it to the basement and later donating it to charity.

I wore my Garmin 910XT watch and heart rate monitor to keep track of my effort.  I was surprised how quiet the trainer is.  My bike chain seemed to make far more noise than the trainer itself. 

CycleOps Trainer

In addition to being quiet, I found (with my limited use), that the trainer provided a much better workout than I had expected.  I used my road bike for this first ride.  I'll swap it out for my tri-bike for the next go-around.  I found that my heart rate remained steady and that most of the effort was in my legs.  Aerobically the trainer seemed less stressful than a vigorous group ride.  This was indicated by the "Training Effect" of only 2.3 during an hour long session.  Usually I'd be in the 4-plus training effect range during a group ride of the same duration.  My average heart rate was 132 BPM.  That's far lower than the 150 BPM, or so, than I'm used to.  My average cadence was also slower than when I'm riding on the road, 70 RPM as opposed to 80 RPM.  What was most noticeable was the sweat.  I'm generally not a sweatter but with no airflow it was easy to heat up to the point where I started dripping sweat onto the rubber mat.  I'm glad I got the mat!  I suppose a fan to help with air flow is in order.

The only thing I've got to resolve is how to use my Garmin to record distance.  I suppose it would help if I hadn't lost my magnet off of my back wheel.  During this ride only my time, heart rate, and cadence were recorded.  In addition to the trainer I also bought an extra Garmin GSC-10 speed and cadence sensor for Susan's bike.  That way she'll be able to enjoy the wonders of data overload like the rest of us.  I have no power meter so training by power is out.

So, while I doubt that I'll be able to withstand the boredom of a 4-hour ride on the trainer it should easily fit the bill for those 90-minutes rides on a rainy winter day (or night).  I guess I shouldn't have deleted all those bike races I recorded on DVR over the summer.  As I work through the kinks I should improve my workouts with regard to data collection and actual intensity. 

Why did we choose the CycleOps trainer over the Kinetic Road Machine or Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer?  The CycleOps Pro has a few options on the Road Machine mainly, locking legs and one leg that is adjustable for uneven surfaces.  The Rock and Roll trainer looked interesting but the larger footprint, higher cost, and possible issues with creaking and added torque on carbon bike frames led us back to the CycleOps.  Lucky for us our LBS just received a new shipment.

Thanks for reading.