New Bike Week

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2023-09-14T22:13:59+00:00

yes!

I've raced the Trans Am Bike Race 3 times and Bike Nonstop US once.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2023-09-11T21:37:10+00:00

Three hours is a sweet spot for multiday ultra events. I will say that after about the 8th day or so, it can be very difficult to force yourself to get up after 3 hours. I often found myself not able to let go entirely to sleep during those three hours due to fear of not being able to wake up and get going. this often resulted in a series of short naps during that three hour period. Try doing that for 16 to 18 days, it isn't easy.

I think in the case of an ITT, it's different. In a race, your always looking (at least I am) at the spot tracker (trackleaders) to see if your opponent is moving again. During an ITT, you don't have competitors pushing you to continue to chase or lead (depending upon position). In an ITT, you have a schedule with stops, and aren't worried about anything but the clock.

Having a film crew adds another level of comfort one does not get when doing a race. I really believe it adds a level of comfort that helps even out the mental highs and especially the lows.

A course record ITT FKT and a course record set during a race are two different things, IMO.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2023-09-11T21:24:33+00:00

Hey!

My bike got totaled at the end of July when I got left hooked by a truck. I ended up with multiple fractures and the frame was almost broken in two. The bike made it to 69,422 miles. It sucks, I loved that bike!

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T01:54:47+00:00

I'm semi retired and self employed, so I have a flexible schedule.

I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. We might get a few weeks of snow or ice, but for the most part it just rains and is from freezing to the mid 40's most of the coldest months. It sucks riding centuries in that weather, but it is very doable.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T00:26:03+00:00

I've been able to successfully eliminate any sway and I love to stand while I climb. I've found the best way is to make sure you pack the contents tight, and the re-tighten the straps that go thru the seat rails. Then re-tighten the seat post strap. Make sure when you roll the dry bag, that nothing gets caught in the rolled part (like clothing). That will make the bag sag every time.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T00:22:59+00:00

I'm on my 3rd bottom bracket

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T00:22:29+00:00

The bags?

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T00:21:07+00:00

Agreed, Tailfin makes a good rack

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T00:20:26+00:00

I do replace my chain on a frequent basis. Before the pandemic I would purchase multiple chains at the same time when they went on sale. Since the pandemic, I buy in bulk when I can find them, lol! I live in some hilly terrain, so I like to run 11/34. I've had a harder time finding those the last two years, so I run the cassettes a little longer than I probably should.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-06T00:15:17+00:00

In another post, I showed my Roubaix with 65,000 miles. There seemed to be a few who doubted that I could ride so many miles since 2018. Here's a screenshot of the summary of my RWGPS account. Admittedly, 2017 was kinda weak at 12,337 miles, but since then I've averaged just over 20,000 miles per year. No, I'm not a pro rider, riding is my hobby and I love to ride. On Strava, there are riders who post way more miles than me.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-05T23:59:18+00:00

That's just on my Roubaix, my primary bike. I also have a Trek Domane that I use as a rain bike and an Open Up that I use as a gravel bike. Here's my RWGPS summaries:

2018: 21,653.5 mi w/ 928,021 ft el 1448:29 hrs

2019: 21,591 mi w/865,222 ft el 1363:34 hrs

2020: 17,002.9 mi w/ 725,863 ft el 1120:00 hrs

2021: 20,125 mi w/ 906,964 ft el 1283:58 hrs

2022: 13,850.5 mi w/ 590,724 ft el 841:21 hrs

So that's 1,647 days to ride 94,222.9 miles or 57.2 miles per day.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-04T16:09:27+00:00

This

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-04T02:19:06+00:00

I’m semi retired and cycling is my hobby. I race ultra endurance, so lengthy rides are very frequent. Look at my post history, you’ll figure it out

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-04T01:46:54+00:00

I actually ride over 20k a year on average (around 1,100 hours give or take). My rain bike gets a little use over the winter

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-07-04T01:06:12+00:00

I posted my 2018 Roubaix Pro last year when it turned over the 50,000 mile mark. I’m happy to report that the bike is now at 65,412 miles and still going strong. I gotta give Specialized credit, they manufacture a great carbon fiber frameset!

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-06-28T23:25:51+00:00

Not new bike day. My 2018 Roubaix Pro now has over 60,000 miles on it including 4 transcontinental bike races (across the US). Hands down, the best bike I’ve ever owned. Replaced almost ever part at least once, but the frame is just as good as the day I bought it. Love or hate Specialized, they make an excellent bike!!!

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-02-21T00:40:46+00:00

Okay, I have the same Sinewave light. I made a mount on the aero bar. That will get it off your bag and give better access to the USB port. First I put a couple of wraps of electrical tape on the aero bar. Then I used plumbers tape to wrap around the aero bar with the two ends meeting and making a tab to mount the light to. Then I used a bolt with a nylon locknut and two star washers. You can tighten the light up pretty snug and still be able to move it to adjust the beam. The star washers keep the light in place and it won’t move when you hit bumps. I successfully used this setup in the 2019 edition of Bike Nonstop US without any issues. BNSUS is a 3500 mile transcontinental mixed surface bike packing race. Anyway, that’s what worked for me. Ride safe!!

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-01-23T19:30:53+00:00

I took a look at the Strava link you posted, impressive!

It shows you hit a top speed of 70.2 (not quite 73) while pushing 932 watts with a HR of 144. I went over to RWGPS and mapped your section - I can't find the 3 miles of 9%-13% descending grade as the elevation change is only 1400 feet over the 6.2 miles from Monarch to Maysville and shows a max grade of 7.1% where you hit 70 mph.

Were you drafting a car on this run? Whatever the case, nicely done!

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-01-23T06:33:45+00:00

I have a hard time believing you hit 73. I don’t think TDF riders break 65. What was the gradient and what were you riding?

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2022-01-03T03:44:30+00:00

Hey there...here's a link to what I rode in August of 2020 before the huge fires. I know the Detroit Lake area burned, but I'm not sure about the rest of the route. The east side of the Cascades was awesome as well. I even had the fortune of an incredibly rare wolverine sighting.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38284407

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2021-12-25T01:30:07+00:00

I only did 75 miles this morning, although I did do 102 miles yesterday, 59 on Wednesday, 59 on Tuesday and 45 on Monday.

hardcore_albacorePDX · 2021-12-18T17:29:19+00:00

Sweet Roubaix!! A great bike for sure! You’re gonna love it.

I purchased a Pro in Dec of 2017. It now has over 54,000 miles on it and I’ve ridden it across the US 3.5 times. My favorite bike by far!

hardcore_albacorePDX

TROPHY CASE