My Laziness May Be My Downfall

I have to admit that I haven't been riding as much as I should lately. I can make excuses like work has been busy and family obligations are needing more of my time than usual but the honest truth is it is freaking HOT! The weather in New Orleans has been down-right oppressive.

I am not, nor have I ever been, a morning person. I do not wake up early unless I absolutely have to. Because of that character flaw, the temp outside is usually in the mid-90s by the time I get up with a heat index well over 100. Add to that the general steaminess of the oh-so-humid climate and it can feel like you are sitting in a pot of boiling water with the sun only inches from your head. I am getting older and with each passing year, my ability to tolerate the heat diminishes.

A friend of mine somehow managed to convince me to wake up in time to go on a group ride recently. The rest of the group are morning people. The weather was tolerable, not comfortable but really close. Not being accustomed to the morning sun, I didn't even think to apply sunscreen. Luckily the burn quickly faded to a nice tan but the tan lines... Wow.

The ride itself was great. We had several more experienced riders and two relative newbies. We elected to go at a pace that permitted most of us to have a pleasant conversation while also allowing the new-comers the ability to stay with the pack. All-in-all, it really was a great relaxing ride.

The one caveat I have to throw in there is that I experienced my first tire puncture since 1995. The unbeaten tire streak has ended.

Since the heat does not appear to be going away any time in the near future, I am beginning to think that I may need to take up night riding (at least until my stamina for the heat improves). I checked my lights and everything appears to be in order. The other option is finding a route that has at least some shade. Either way I just need to get off my lazy ass and ride.

Toe Numbness

This weekend I took a ride along my usual route of the south shore lake trail. In order to adequately describe the situation, I have to back up to earlier that morning. My aunt and uncle were in town for a concert the night before and I had met them at Cafe Du Monde for some coffee and beignets (fried squares of dough, think french donut covered in a pound of powdered sugar). This was what constituted the entirety of my breakfast that day. Let me just say this as clearly as possible, beignets are not the breakfast of champions...

I started my ride with a warm up to the trail. Once on the trail, I picked up the pace and maintained a cruising speed of about 15 mph. For the first 6 miles of the ride, I regretted my decision to have beignets. The powered sugar and grease had formed some sort of unholy alliance in my stomach and made me feel as though I was carrying a 20 pound baby made of bricks. As the miles wore on, my speed steadily decreased.

Luckily, about 4.5 miles into the ride, I was passed by two guys riding at a pace I hoped to maintain (one on a Scott and the other on a Schwinn Le Tour). I snuck in behind them and resolved to stay with them no matter what. For the next two miles, my mind was distracted by the desire not to drop off my new unofficial pack. At 6.5 miles, we came to the end of the trail and the pair road off. I, however, was not done. I turned around and began the journey to the other end of the trail.

I had only ridden another two miles when I experienced something I had never felt before while riding. As I neared the 9 mile mark, my toes on both feet went completely numb. I adjusted the straps on my shoes hoping the increased blood flow would resolve the issue but the problem persisted. Around this same time, my chain started to jump between gears with every shift. Every downshift would provide one full revolution of the crank in the proper gear then the chain would begin to slip between the higher gear selected and the lower gear I had just left. I continued on for a quarter of a mile to diagnose exactly what was wrong, figuring that I must have knocked something out of alignment when I services my chain before the ride.

I was forced to stop and adjust the rear derailleur. Luckily this solved two problems: First, the derailleur was fixed and I could continue the ride with smooth pedal strokes. Second, my toe numbness went away. I was only off the bike for two or three minutes but the feeling in my toes had returned and the problem never returned throughout the rest of the ride.

I continued to the opposite end of the trail and then rode back to my entry point and ultimately home. In just over 30 miles of riding, I had experienced more nuisances than I ever had before in an entire week of riding. That said, I still got to spend some quality time on my bike, with my thoughts, and enjoying what the day had to offer me.

One last note in regards to this report: The Bontrager Fusion Gel gloves that I have been using will soon find that they have been replaced. I have made every adjustment possible to my hand position and the contact point of my hands on the bike. There is simply no way to make these gloves comfortable. I may soon find myself reverting back to Pearl Izumi Gels or Specialized BG gloves but Bontrager gloves will no longer be a part of my cycling equipment. Ultimately, the shotty quality and padding design cannot be overcome. These gloves have the least effective padding of any gloves I have ever tried. Those who know me or are regular readers of this blog know that I love my Bontrager Privateer and therefore want to give the benefit of the doubt to anything with that name (yes, I know it is now a marketing tool only but a little willful disbelief never hurt anyone). That said, there is no excuse for these gloves...

New Orleans to Build a Rails-to-Trails Project in Urban Center

Recently, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling regarding the ownership of the land used for some of the existing Rails-to-Trails projects. While that dealt a fearful blow to those of us that enjoy biking on those trails, it was not a death blow by any means.

New Orleans, not a city typically known for forward thinking, is about to begin construction on a greenway through its urban center. Within the next week, crews will begin construction on a 12 foot wide, 2.6 mile long mixed use trail leading from the French Quarter to New Orleans City Park. The project, named the Lafitte Greenway Corridor, will use an abandoned railway corridor.

The city plans to make this pathway a destination of its own. Lining the path will be over 500 new trees as well as multi sport grass fields. The area through which the trail will lead should expect a dramatic increase in visitors.

Essentially, the trail is shaping up to be a long narrow park between New Orleans two largest playgrounds, the French Quarter and City Park. City Park, for those of you not familiar with New Orleans, is the largest urban park in the country. Larger in acreage than even Central Park in New York.

After the damage caused to the park by Hurricane Katrina, the city invested a great deal of resources into cleaning up the park and creating a new infrastructure within the park to provide better services. New trails were established and new services as well. One invasive species, feral pigs, was removed from the park but another, the Rio Grande Cichlid has continued to flourish. Visitors to New Orleans now have a designated path from their hotels in the French Quarter directly to the park to help combat this destructive species.

The path will also run by Bayou St. John which has been incorporated into the City Park structure. The bayou has recently undergone its own transformation with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers removing the flood wall separating it from Lake Pontchartrain. In doing so, the water has become more hospitable to aquatic life and the fish population has boomed. Bayou St. John is frequent favorite area for paddle sports and fishing. There are also several festivals that take place on its banks annually. This new pathway should serve to increase the attendance at those events.

If you get hungry riding the path, stop by the Parkway Tavern and Bakery for the best damn Po-Boy sandwich you will ever have. Seriously, try the shrimp. It is amazing!

Riding with Friends

I am used to riding solo. I ride alone most of the time. I do this partly because I do not want to get into a competition. I used to race, but that was a long time ago. At this point in my life, I have no desire to go back (well maybe just a little after seeing all the pictures from Rouge-Roubaix).

I like to ride alone. It allows me time to think, or better yet, not to think depending on my mood. I can let my mind wander or focus on a specific issue or whatever may be bothering me. Riding, for me, has always been therapeutic. 

Last week, I was invited for a ride with a friend. Jeff was a mountain biker in college but hadn't ridden in a while when I talked him into taking on road biking after law school. Since then, Jeff has been much more dedicated than I. Initially, I was apprehensive. Jeff has recently taken up cycling with a group. They ride frequently, train often, and sometimes even race. After some assurance from Jeff that this would be a casual ride as he eased back into the season, I agreed to meet him up. Getting my gear together, I borrowed my wife's car so I could throw my bike in the back and drive to meet up with Jeff on the other side of the city. 

When we meet up at the trailhead, we are both surprised by how many cars are in the parking lot. It didn't take long to get our things together and we were off. We decided that we would ride the river levee until we got tired. We kept our pace respectable but were able to maintain a conversation for almost the entire ride. Having been so long since I had ridden with a friend, I had completely forgotten how nice it could be to have someone to talk to. 

The conversation was not out of the ordinary for us. We covered most of the topics we normally discuss. There were no life altering epiphanies. What did happen was that the ride went by much faster. It was a distraction from muscle aches, sit bone pain, and other things that distract from the pure beauty of riding. It was an opportunity to experience the social aspects of cycling that I have neglected. 

While I still like to ride alone, I need to remind myself that riding with other can be a great experience. As I aim to ride longer distances, more rural routes, and more challenging routes, it will be great to have someone riding with me. Hell, I may even go on a group ride complete with pace lines and everything...

I Think The Wind is Trying to Kill Me

Today, the weather had warmed and the rain had finally stopped falling. I was looking at a blue sky and 70 degree temps for the first time in what seemed like ages. Having recently finished rewrapping my handlebars, I was anxious to get on my bike and see how the new tape performed. I got my gear and told my wife I was going out and was going to ride until I was tired.

The ride started great. I rode from my house to the lake trail on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain.  In order for me to get to the lake, I have to ride on some busy streets. This is never my idea of fun, especially since there is no shoulder to the road. For some reason, everyone was in a good mood today. I rode as traffic, maintaining a presence that took up the entire lane. No one tailgated, no one honked, all was good in the world.

On the way to the lake, I swung by my in-law's house and checked in on my wife's project. She had left before me to go to her parent's house to work on a project she had her mind set on (repainting some furniture). 

From there, I went straight to the lake. The ride is an out-and-back. Starting in Metairie, I ride to the edge of Kenner and then back (sometimes making multiple trips). This gives me a base of about 25km per ride and is something I know I can do if I only have an hour to spare. As I crossed the levee, I could feel the wind starting to pick up. Lucky for me, I had recently repositioned my handlebars so that I was once again able to make full use of the drops. Hunkering down into a slightly more aero position, I shifted my focus into just keeping my legs churning. The wind was not a head wind, but a strong cross wind. The gusts were only marginally stronger than the sustained winds, but the sustained winds were over 32 kph. 

As I pedaled, I had to lean at just the right angle to keep from being knocked over by the wind but not so steep as to risk falling if the wind suddenly lessened. This continued for about the first 10 km of the ride. It slowed me a little but was still not to the point where the ride was unpleasant.

When I crossed the levee again, where Kenner meet the Bonnet Carrie Spillway, I turned left and rode towards the interstate. This put me directly in conflict with the wind. I spent the next 4 km riding as low as I could, straight into a 32 kph headwind. I struggled to maintain a meager 16 kph but I took solace in the knowledge that, if this wind kept up, the return trip would be something special!

After a while, I could smell the rotten smell of the sewerage treatment plant. For the first time in my life this made me smile. It came with it the knowledge that I was close to the end of the road and would soon be turning around and reaping the benefits of my struggle with the wind.

I am not a power rider, never have been. When I check Strava's list of segments, I am consistently around 100th. As I rode the return trip, I began to feel much stronger than I have even felt. I was riding in a higher gear that I ever had on flat terrain. I was having the time of my life! The return trip was 4 km with a heavenly tailwind. Later, when I checked Strava, I learned I was now in the top ten for that segment.

I crossed the levee and turned right, heading back to the lake side and continued on the path. The wind had shifted for the first time that day and was now more of a headwind than a cross wind. The return trip had turned into 14 km of more pain and struggle. I was hoping to get in more mileage but the wind was killing me and I knew that the return 14 km would be the end of the ride for me.

I made it back to my in-laws right as they were getting ready to sit down to lunch. Unfortunately, the efforts of the day had left me a little ripe. I borrowed my wife's car, threw the bike in the back and headed home for a shower and fresh clothes. After a quick freshening up, I returned to my in-law's ate some delicious food and marveled at my wife's excellent work with her project.

Overall, it was 35 km of challenge but it was well worth it. Each day I feel stronger and suffer less. My goal in the coming months is to continue to build my strength to the point where rides like this are nothing more than an inconvenience in a larger ride instead of an entire ride of struggle. I will keep you updated with my progress.

New Orleans Cyclist Under Attack - Literally

There have been more than a few stories circulating around about the recent attacks that have happened to cyclists in New Orleans this past week. For those of you who do not follow the local news here, a brief recap: Two cyclists were attacked on the same night by two unknown males who ambushed both riders with head strikes from an aluminum baseball bat.

As a cyclist, I am terrified. As a citizen of New Orleans, I am both terrified and ashamed.

Unfortunately, this is what our city has become. The reports assert that these perpetrators are teens (likely 16-18 years old). Tragically, each time the media provide an age estimate of criminals in this city, they always overshoot. This leads me to believe that we are likely dealing with two people in their early teens (13-15). The fact that these children are allowed to roam the streets at 2:00 in the morning is an indication as to the quality parenting that they are receiving at home.

Growing up in New Orleans, bike thieves were the first criminals that I ever had dealings with. Even as a child, you learned to ride fast or else. The level of brutality that these two have exhibited is beyond my understanding. The first victim was hit in the mouth; teeth were broken as was his jaw. The second victim was hit in the back of the head; fracturing his skull. These are not the actions of a thief. These are the actions of someone who, if he hasn't already, will eventually graduate to murder. These perps have absolutely no concern for the pain and suffering of others. They must be stopped.

Many people have been discussing what can be done to protect cyclists. In this situation, I am afraid not much. Those who know me know that I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. The method of these attacks is such that there is almost no time in which to react. The ambush tactics create a sudden situation in which the danger is not present until it is likely too late. While I know many people who arm themselves while riding, I cannot image they would be able to recognize the threat, deploy the weapon (be it a firearm, pepper spray, etc.), and defend themselves in a manner that would not put other innocent people at risk. (Side note - for those looking for an effective concealment method while riding, I suggest the belly band).

The only things that can be done in a situation like this is
- Avoid dangerous areas and dangerous times of riding;
--- Stay in well lit, low crime areas if possible. It is better to ride a mile out of your way than to end up in the hospital or worse.
- Ride with others;
--- Predators are less likely to attack a group.
- If you see something, say something.
--- New Orleans criminals have long thrived under the fear of others to speak out. This culture of cowering in the corner has to stop. We cannot afford to continue handing the keys to the city over to the criminals just because we are afraid.

To the media: When these perps are caught or killed (eventually, one or the other will happen and I pray it is the former), I do not want to see you parading the crying mother around telling everyone how sad she is to have lost her little angel who "never did nothing wrong." We all know that is a lie and we are sick of hearing these same stories every time a criminal picks the wrong target.

To the law-abiding citizens of New Orleans: Stand up and reclaim what is yours!

About This Blog

I am not a professional cyclist, a journalist, or a photographer. I do not fancy myself an advocate or a racer. I commute to work by car. What I am is a recreational cyclist who has been riding bikes for mental and physical health since the early 90s. There was a time when I raced mountain bikes, both as an independent amateur in South Carolina and for Louisiana State University's intramural team. I have bike toured Burgundy and Louisiana. I have stood on the side of the road and cheered on the riders in the Tour de France.

I love bikes and appreciate them for their mechanical beauty. To me, a good bike is like a fine timepiece or a precision made firearm. All of these require attention to detail, fit, and finish in order to perform at their best. Each requires proper cleaning, lubrication, and frequent use. Corrosion is a death sentence to each.

Cycling today has become more complicated than it needs to be. Every year bike prices rise touting new materials, new designs, and new gadgets. Do not take this to mean I am a luddite. Some of these improvements are exactly that. Suspension improvements have made it possible to ride trails that would be a near certain death on a rigid bike. Shifting technology has improved the reliability and durability of many components.

However, not everything that is new is improved. Increasing rear gear selections from 9 speed to 10 speed to 11 speed seems to have created more problems than it solved. Sure there are more options to choose from but those options are incremental at best. Now, chains are thinner which makes them both more expensive to produce and purchase as well as weaker. So now you have a chain that you have to replace more often and it is going to cost you more to do so.

Yes, I admit that I saw an improvement in shifting performance when I switched from 8 speed to 9 speed but there are many factors in that and I do not believe that merely going from 8 to 9 speed was by any stretch the most influential. What is more likely is that I was replacing a drive train that was 10 years old and had seen substantial use.

These drive train increases serve another purpose other than just marketing more gears. This now creates a system of planned obsolescence. An example can easily be found on my Bianchi. When Campagnolo switched its base groups from 9 speed to 10 speed, the company produced a much more ergonomic shifter lever. In order for me to replace my 9 speed Mirage shifters with a new generation 2 ergo shifter, I would have to upgrade my cassette, chain, crankset, and front derailleur at a minimum. While this is a brilliant marketing strategy for the company it is painful for the customer.

I intend to incorporate reviews in this blog in an effort to stay relevant with modern equipment but rest assured, I will provide this information based solely on the value of the improvements and not recommend products simply because they are new and shiny. In that same vein, I do not intend to disparage a product simply because it is new and shiny either. My goal is to provide fair and accurate information that you can rely on when making decisions.

I have set a goal for myself this year. By the end of 2014, I hope to have completed 3,500km. I apologize to my fellow countrymen for the use of kilometers but there is a reason behind this. As stated above, I have no desire to race anymore. This does not mean that I do not value a good challenge. I have become intrigued by the notion of randonneuring. For those who do not know, randonneuring is non-competitive, self supported long distance cycling. Instead of racing against other riders, participants race against the clock. These rides are mapped in distances of 200km to 1,200km or more.

As I progress through the year (and hopefully beyond) I will chronicle my rides here. I intend to incorporate ride reports, photographs, and gear reviews throughout the process. I look forward to this journey and I am happy you have taken the time to join me. Feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have.

 Jack Ingram recorded a song whose refrain is most fitting for my future endeavor: “The road goes on forever and the party never ends.” Take care my friends and I hope to see you on the road!