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Staples of Marin County June 22, 2009

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In the past two weeks since that epic, 200K day, I’ve gone back to some old staples. When you really boil it down, there aren’t a whole lot of different rides in Marin. Most of them cross the same roads, intersect with the same coffee shops, and climb the same mountains. It’s the order of things that really sets one ride apart from another. The order, and the company.

Here are all of the possible options. Think of this like one of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels. Create your own route!

Rides start with one of the following segments:

  • SF to the top of the Headlands.
  • SF to Sausalito to Four Corners.
  • SF to Sausalito to the far side of Camino Alto.

From the top of the Headlands, you can:

  • Go down to Sausalito in a variety of ways.
  • Return to San Francisco.

From Four Corners, you have a few options.

  • Down to Stinson Beach via Muir Woods.
  • Down to Sausalito.
  • Up to Pan Toll.

From the far side of Camino Alto, you have the following options:

  • North to Fairfax.
  • East and south to Tiburon via Paradise.
  • South to Sausalito.

From Pan Toll you have a few options.

  • Up to the Tam parking lot.
  • Down to Stinson Beach via Panoramic.
  • Down to Four Corners.

From Stinson Beach:

  • Up Panoramic to Pan Toll.
  • South (and up) on Rt. 1 and down to Sausalito.
  • North to “Points North”.

From Fairfax you can go:

  • West to Alpine Dam and up to the Gate.
  • North over White’s Grade and on to Nicasio.
  • South to the far side of Camino Alto.

From Tiburon you can go:

  • To the far side of Camino Alto via Paradise.
  • West to Sausalito.

From Nicasio, you can go:

  • West to “Points North”.
  • North to Marshall Wall (and ultimately to “Points North”).
  • South to Fairfax.

From the Gate you can go:

  • South up Seven Sisters to the Tam parking lot.
  • North down Fairfax-Bolinas Rd.
  • East to Fairfax (not recommended).

By “Points North”, I really mean Pt. Reyes, Olema, or the intersection of Rt. 1 and Fairfax-Bolinas. Anyway, from any of those, you can:

  • Go north to Marshall Wall and on to Nicasio.
  • Go east on Sir Francis Drake to Fairfax.
  • Go south on Rt. 1 to Stinson Beach.
  • Go southeast on Fairfax-Bolinas to the Gate.

From the Tam parking lot, you can:

  • Go down to Pan Toll.
  • Go down Seven sisters to the Gate.
  • Go up Tam to the Top of Tam.

From the Top of Tam, you can:

  • Go down to the Tam parking lot.

That, my friends, is just about it! When I started writing this post, I thought I’d go through and add in some descriptions of each segment… but I’m feeling lazy right now and I’ve already spent long enough. Maybe I’ll flesh them out at a later date. Who knows?!

In the drops May 14, 2009

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I went for my typical morning ride yesterday, a 40-mile spin around the ever-curving Paradise Loop. It wasn’t very different from any other Wednesday right, except for one thing: I forced myself to ride in the drops all ride long.

My old, silver bike was very upright. The new bike is a marked improvement – the handlebars are much lower, giving me the ability to settle in to a much more aero position. Unfortunately, I don’t think my back was ready to handle the even-lower drops on the new bike, so I seemed to naturally migrate to the hoods.

Anyway, that’s got to change. I didn’t spend a small fortune on that bike to sit up in the wind like some sort of parasail! After forty miles, though, I noticed something interesting: the hoods actually felt foreign. It had only taken me one short ride, but I had already adjusted to the position and level of control that the drops afford.

That isn’t to say my back wasn’t tight: it was. It still is, actually, which is why I’m looking forward to a day off before the weekend settles in. I’m just astounded by the world of difference that my position on the bike seems to make – and how quickly I seem to have lost touch with riding the hoods. Strange, but not necessarily something I’ll complain about!

The End April 12, 2009

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Well, not really.

This morning’s ride marked the end of the grueling, six-week training block that kicked my ass back into shape after an unpleasant February filled with business trips and illness. I’ve been going pedal-to-the-metal since late February and my hard work has definitely paid off. Last weekend was the peak – my legs have been sore and begging for a break since that nasty climb up Panoramic and it was all I could do to keep them turning cranks this weekend. Fortunately, I’m ready to enjoy that well-earned rest week!

I’ll probably head out for light rides on Tuesday and Wednesday, but that’s it. Sara and I are flying to Philadelphia on Thursday for a pair of Phillies game. I won’t be back on my bike until the following Wednesday, giving my legs a full week to regenerate before the next (shorter?) cycle begins.

I won’t get in to today’s ride for a number of reasons. I did make a good countermove about a kilometer from the Tiburon sprint and held on to be the first across the “line,” so that was fun. At the end, I tacked on a trip to the headlands, where I spent a good thirty minutes on a wooden bench, enjoying the Pacific breeze, the California sun, the fantastic view and just generally decompressing.

Looking down (west) over the headlands.

Looking down (west) over the headlands.

Oh, and just in case you forgot what my bike looks like, I took another picture of it:

Awesome.

Awesome.

Now… what’s for dinner?

Bad luck, good ride. April 1, 2009

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Saturday’s ride was a mixed bag. On a personal level, I had an absolute blast – I’m finally starting to feel strong on the bike again and my unfollowed accelerations along Alpine Dam served as confirmation that my form is returning. Granted, I didn’t have Mike, Buck, Dylan or Kevin to contend with… but that’s okay. I’ll take wins however I can get them.

The best part about Saturday’s ride? The weather.

Check out this view!

Check out this view!

The worst part(s)? Eugene (pictured above) and Yujin both got tickets for rolling through a stop sign… and then Eugene ate it on the descent back to Sausalito. Fortunately, he only scuffed his legs up a bit and tore his handlebar tape.  I was right behind him when he went down – and it could have been a whole lot worse.

Here’s some more of the gang from Saturday’s 60-miler!

The group rolls along Seven Sisters.

The group rolls along Seven Sisters.

13.89 (with cages) March 10, 2009

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More pictures to follow…

Giant vs. Cervelo III – Test Rides February 27, 2009

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I took both bikes out for test rides today.

Cervelo R3. This bike was set up with Easton wheels and Dura-Ace 7800. I love the look of this bike – the white is just so classy. We swapped out the pedals and sized it up well before I hit the road. I took it through the Presidio, over the bridge, down Bridgeway to Fort Baker and then back.

The bike felt fantastic. It was very light and very responsive. Going from a triple to a double is going to be an adjustment, but this bike definitely knows how to go fast.

Giant TCR Advanced SL. This bike was set up with hand-built DT Swiss-based wheels and SRAM Force. It took a minute to get used to SRAM’s double-tap shifting, but that wasn’t really an issue. Sizing was. This frame comes with an integrated seatpost that is meant to be cut to size. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to cut the seatpost for me for just a simple test ride, so I was forced to ride it at maximum height.

I took the bike out for about two miles – to the Presidio and back – and spent most of that time out of th saddle. I don’t know if I can really compare the sensations felt out-of-the-saddle on the Giant with those from in-the-saddle on the Cervelo… but the ride was incredibly smooth.

Impressions. As much as I want to be leaning toward the Cervelo, I’m actually thinking the Giant provided the better ride. It was also noticeably lighter. So… I don’t know what do.

Giant vs. Cervelo, part II. February 26, 2009

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It’s been a few days and I’ve received input from all sorts of people.  If you had asked me which way I was leaning on Monday, I probably would have muttered something about the Giant being the better bike. Today, I’m on the other side of the fence. The Cervelo might be the bike for me.

I spent a lot of time yesterday wish-washing over the S3.  The R3 is a $3,000 frame.  The S3 is a $4,500 frame. When you’re spending this kind of money and you’re buying a bike that’s going to last you ten years, I think you need to really make sure you’re getting what you want. I did some reading on the S3 and it sounds like a fantastic bike – but I don’t think it’s for me. Or rather, I don’t think it’s worth the extra cash, even if the ‘bling factor’ of the S3 is through the roof.

From what I’ve read, the R3 is still the lighter, more forgiving frame.  The S3 is stiff and twitchy.  Aero construction would be nice, but I don’t think it’ll come into play out here in the headlands of Marin county.

I did a whole lot of research into the wheelset and it sounds really, really nice. No, it doesn’t sound like a set of Zipp wheels… but I’m positive they would check in at under 1400 grams – and that’s nothing to scoff at.

I’ve been thinking about the component set.  SRAM Force will work just fine for me.  I’d really love to move to Dura-Ace 7900, but I don’t think I can afford it right now.  What I’ll do is ride Force for a year or two and then make the switch when I’ve got some spare cash burning a hole in my pocket.  It’ll give me a place to go with this bike once I’ve got it in the stable – if I max it out now, I won’t have any upgrades to look forward to!

Cervelo vs. Giant February 24, 2009

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I just sent this e-mail to Dobo, but I might as well post it here as well.  The more input I can get, the better!

I have narrowed my bike hunt down to two and now I’m polling the audience.  I value your bikenerdness, so your opinion is quite important.  And let me preface all of this by saying: I have not ridden either bike yet.

Here’s what I’m looking at: the Cervelo R3 vs. the Giant TCR Advanced SL.

Both bikes would be identically equipped with SRAM Force*, aluminum bars and custom wheels (DT 240s hubs, aerolite spokes, Kinlin rims**).  Both bikes come to roughly the same grand total.  Sastre won the Tour de France on the R3 last year.  Cavendish won 18 races on the Giant in ‘08.  Both bikes have received glowing reviews – but the R3’s are from 2006 and the Giant’s are from 2008/9.

* – The salesperson at the shop has done a good job convincing me that:
A) Dura-ace 7900 is awesome but way overpriced (it is).
B) Dura-ace 7800 is okay, but not that great.
C) SRAM Red is pretty good.
D) SRAM Force is mechanically identical to SRAM Red, only the bolts are steel instead of titanium… and it’s cheaper.

** – Have you ever heard of Kinlin rims?  I haven’t been able to find much, but then again, I don’t know a whole lot about custom wheels.  The salesperson has assured me that they are “essentially the best alloy rims on the market.”

Fun stuff. Your opinion matters.

Daylight February 6, 2009

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The sun finally came out today after four straight days of miserable snow and rain. I hope this weather holds out: I’d love to do some sightseeing this weekend!

A sunny Dublin morning.

A sunny Dublin morning.

I tried to do some running yesterday. It didn’t go so well, so I resorted to something I almost never do: rowing. It wasn’t that bad! I think I’ll give it another shot today and see how it feels.

Top o’ th’ Mornin’! February 4, 2009

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Note to self: while direct flights from San Francisco to Dublin sound like a great idea, fourteen straight hours in the same airplane is not a pleasant experience.

I left the sunshine behind on Monday afternoon, crossed a continent and an ocean and landed in Dublin on Tuesday morning – just in time for work. It was a wasted day: jet lag was killing me and I struggled through various meetings until finally excusing myself around five-thirty.  I was out like a light by 6 PM.  

Unfortunately, I woke up eight hours later and if you know me, you know that unless I’ve been doing some serious drinking, there’s no going back to sleep for me once I wake up.

That said, I showered and walked over to the office, where I was able to plug my iPod into some speakers and get some serious work done. You know how that hour between 7 and 8 AM is always so productive in the morning? Try coming in at 3. Instead of one productive hour, you get five. I even worked out!

It’s almost 9:30 now and the office is still empty.  What’s worse, I’m starting to drag. No, I haven’t escaped the jet lag – not even close – but I’m hoping to augment my body click with an afternoon nap.  At least I can say I’m functioning on a good night’s rest!