This is my first time here, I live, eat, sleep and breathe cycling

[stop the bleeding]

I have been cycling for about 12 years now started off with mountain biking and then went into MTB racing. After doing that for a few years I switched over to road riding and then eventually road racing. I am a Cat3 and have ridden mostly on the east coast in VA, WV, NC, GA, LA, MS and FL which is where I live. I have also ridden a little bit out in CO, Road Bike on Cottonwood Pass top of the pass is 12,000++, I also did Marshall Pass at 10,000++ with a MTB as well. I also did a few other rides in addition to those when my lady were out there vacationing from FL while visiting Nat. Parks and the VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Hot Springs. The other item on my resume is that I ran a shop for about 3 years so I may have some Tech. advice if needed.

Well thank you for letting me ramble on and I look forward to coming back to check on this group on a regular basis.



Cheers from the Chairman:





I still can't believe that I have not found this until today.

[Kolesar]

1. And where you live, you probably only get stopped by the rainy season

So you get to do plenty of riding. Welcome to the group!

[stop the bleeding]

2. Thank you for the welcome

when I am training it is about 250 -350 per week, in fact I have the bike in the car right now so I can for an hour ride on a local bike trail just before the sun goes down after work.

Florida is great as far as weather, however you do miss something in regards to having extended climbs for a different type of riding fitness, but over all I do pretty good when I go up to North GA to compete against other cyclists that live in the mountains.

How are the riding conditions where you live?

[Kolesar]

3. I read about Floridians finding a highway overpass to do hill training

An athlete has to find hills to train the body to use other metabolic energy sources. So the rider will find a highway overpass, climb it, ride to the bottom, then turn around and climb it in the other direction. Repeat for ten minutes. As for conditions around here: we skied under a full moon in the park in the forest last night. It was beautiful. Our roads have been iced up for two weeks, so the bike stays in the shed until early March.

[stop the bleeding]

4. yeah I do hill training at least once a week in a ride that is 60 miles

long with several different hills with varying degrees of pitch, but the only way to get real hill climbing is to be on a climb that lasts longer than 1 mile. I try to stay off of the Hwy passes people in cars and on bicycles have a high mortality rate in FL via bad drivers and old drivers. Ideally 3-7 mile climbs are the best way to get hill training, but hey we got sunshine! I remember living up north and going out hiking out night with snow on the ground with a full moon, very peacefull and crisp, I do miss that part of the cold, but not other parts.

high of 70+ degrees today.

[bikebloke]

5. Lived in Florida briefly

A bike shop bloke told me about one of the bridge overpasses. Said it was a killer to the top, even with a granny gear. Well, I took the challenge and found the overpass. Cruised up it with ease, and in the higher gear range. River flat terrain gets boring.

[wtmusic]

6. welcome to the group

tech advice always welcome here :thumbsup:

[stop the bleeding]

7. Thanx and I am glad that your not above taking advice from a

"flatlander rider"

Some of the other posters seemed to have taken a Snooty tone as to the Quality of riding down here, and if they actually "knew" a thing or two about riding they wouldn't be so quick to pee shaw the terrain down here.

Thanks again for welcoming me aboard and look forward to giving you all updates on National Races that I compete in and any "BIG" rides that I compete in as well.

Peace!


Give Mommy a Kiss....

[Kolesar]

8. I don't think anything I said was that condescending

I was reiterating a thread we had had here months ago and recalling something I read years ago when I was really absorbed in cycling and spent a lot of time pedaling and reading about cycling. I wish I had time to put in a dozen hours per week on my favorite hobby, but the activism I do has taken that away. I figured I attended or hosted 40 evenings of my club's meetings last year. A good number of my Saturdays are dedicated to training (people, not my heart) or hosting tables trying to sell our ideas on global warming or wetlands or other issues. I spend my Saturday mornings returning emails and have this huge task of planning next year's outreach and political meetings. I have had to learn all this stuff by going to training or inventing methods myself. I would rather be down in the basement cleaning my chain or squeezing my spokes than drying out my eyes reading about how to do a project matrix or looking up the state government, but so it is. I find this very challenging, difficult, and definitely outside of my comfort zone. I'm not used to and definitely not a "natural" at marketing ideas, but I don't see anybody else willing to lead on global warming in my town. So, the cynic has to become some kind of darling.

In the last three years, I managed to get enough petition signatures to stop the republicans in Ohio government from giving away the state shoreline to private owners. I got a thousand of the 40,000 signatures we used to force the Corps or Engineers to keep requiring wetlands development permits. I organized two protests when Bush came to my town. That was fun, but I'd rather been playing in the countryside. Last week, I had an email exchange with an NPR reporter about a neocon plot to take over the Knight Ridder newspaper chain--the chain was founded by a newspaper that serves my town.

Like that major who left his Wall Street job to lead the sacrificed army unit in "The Lost Battalion" said: "in life you don't get to choose your responsibilities".

[stop the bleeding]

9. It's all good

I wasn't directing the tone at you. I have to say am very impressed with all of the work you have done.

Today went out for what suppose to be a nice and easy 3 hour ride.
About an hour into it the temperature dropped and the sky opened up with a good amount of rain, We decided to cut the ride short and get back to a hot shower as quickly as possible.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.


Give Mommy a Kiss....."

[Kolesar]

10. Oh, thanks!

I ended up at the inlaws' house. A family member is moving away so we gave her a going away party.

"Wouldn't you know it, I finally get a day off and what do I have to do--spend it with my family!" -- Al Bundy

[stop the bleeding]

11. Better than Ted Bundy, Al is hilarious

Was not able to ride today due to schedule and foul weather.


Give Mommy a Kiss....."

[bvar22]

13. You can "simulate" hills....

...by riding into the wind as the hurricane approaches, and after the eye passes, you would get to ride into the wind on the way home!:+

Welcome to the group!

Bob
riding through the Winter in Minnesota

[stop the bleeding]

14. It's funny you mention wind training we consistently have wind that ranges

from 10-25 mph so we get a "different" work out.



riding through the Winter in Minnesota

You are Hardcore to the bone - :toast:

[bvar22]

16. Not THAT hardcore yet.

We've had the warmest Jan. on record. Daytime temps 20-35 degrees F. with little snow. So far, Feb has been mild.
The test will be the next 17 days (to the end of Feb). Forecast HIs are single digit.
I've been pretty comfortable doing 3 hr. rides in temps down to 20, and can can see riding into the teens without too much trouble, but I have some apprehension about single digits with my current kit.

[Fovea]

12. Welcome to the forum!

Hope you enjoy it. I have a great fondness for the folks here.

[peacebird]

15. I can't believe that I only found this group until today!

Hubby and I are avid cyclists, not racers but we cover races for an online ProCycling webzine. All our vacations are spent riding sections of the courses of famous races, finding a good spot to spectate, and then watching the peloton speed past us!

We donate our time and effort writing and taking photos of races mostly to get coverage for domestic teams - just so they can have something to show sponsors. Keep the sponsors happy with coverage and they keep sponsoring the racers! Watching races keeps us happy so it's a good symbiotic relationship! LOL!

I'll definitely be checking back here!

:toast:

:hi: