M.Sommers
04-25-2008, 07:47 PM
Friday was another great day, in the 70's and sunny. I did some sprint/hill repeats and was headed out to the flats for some sprint work. I was shot though* and decided when I arrived at the flats, that I'd just spin. All of a sudden I hear a noise and whoosh, a dude in full tri setup races past me. I never pass anyone without the, "On your left" or something along those lines. He flew by me, then I noticed...his knees were like 18" apart as he pedaled and I knew what I needed to do.
On my 1984 Serotta Club Special, with beefy tires, I threw the gears to max warp, stood up and raced after the tri dude. I got to him and said, "On your left", then pushed harder.
With my hands in the drops while standing, it's hard to read your Polar watch, but I glanced quickly and read '185'. For me, this is death. I stayed in that sprint for 3.5 miles. The flats end when the road makes a slight left uphill. I got to that corner and sat down, drank and read the heart rate at '187'. A short while later the tri dude came along and said, "Nice job man."
I rode to the beach, the water fountains aren't turned on yet, so I was SOL. Just then, Jamie Swann, frame maker from Centerport Cycles, pulled up with his friend. I met Jamie a few years ago, great guy, very knowledgeable. He had given me my first real fit/measurements a while back and his store used to be a pitstop for conversation and green tea during my rides. It was great to see him, we rode back to town and I jokingly tried to bribe him with a cup of green tea, if he'd offer his thoughts on my latest bike fit. A few minutes later he pulled along side, reached over, grabbed my Giro Atmos and pulled it down towards my eyes by about 3/4". I guess the helmet is part of the bike fit and that's all he noticed.
So I'm all good. Got in 40 miles, hit 185 for the first time this season, raced down a tri dude (thank you to him, he made me see red and forced me to do something I didn't want to do) and now I know how to fit my Giro Atmos.
:beer:
* = The bactine was from a fall yesterday. Took skin off the left knee. Raced to CVS, grabbed some 1950's First Aid technology and kept on riding.
Jamie, on his own bike:
On my 1984 Serotta Club Special, with beefy tires, I threw the gears to max warp, stood up and raced after the tri dude. I got to him and said, "On your left", then pushed harder.
With my hands in the drops while standing, it's hard to read your Polar watch, but I glanced quickly and read '185'. For me, this is death. I stayed in that sprint for 3.5 miles. The flats end when the road makes a slight left uphill. I got to that corner and sat down, drank and read the heart rate at '187'. A short while later the tri dude came along and said, "Nice job man."
I rode to the beach, the water fountains aren't turned on yet, so I was SOL. Just then, Jamie Swann, frame maker from Centerport Cycles, pulled up with his friend. I met Jamie a few years ago, great guy, very knowledgeable. He had given me my first real fit/measurements a while back and his store used to be a pitstop for conversation and green tea during my rides. It was great to see him, we rode back to town and I jokingly tried to bribe him with a cup of green tea, if he'd offer his thoughts on my latest bike fit. A few minutes later he pulled along side, reached over, grabbed my Giro Atmos and pulled it down towards my eyes by about 3/4". I guess the helmet is part of the bike fit and that's all he noticed.
So I'm all good. Got in 40 miles, hit 185 for the first time this season, raced down a tri dude (thank you to him, he made me see red and forced me to do something I didn't want to do) and now I know how to fit my Giro Atmos.
:beer:
* = The bactine was from a fall yesterday. Took skin off the left knee. Raced to CVS, grabbed some 1950's First Aid technology and kept on riding.
Jamie, on his own bike: