Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

“Neat, but will it work with my SPD pedals?”

The truth is, in the last week there hasn’t been much cycling news for me to share.  Cycling has been very much on my mind, as always, but the weather has been cold and snowy and since my last update I’ve spent more time shoveling than pedaling.  Without any realistic prospects for outdoor riding in the immediate future, I have been evaluating my equipment needs and making little changes here and there.  Yesterday I installed a new Easton EA70 stem on my flatbar Giant FCR3, replacing the heavy adjustable stem that was stock equipment.  The purchase was more for vanity than for performance—few things scream “Fred” louder than an adjustable stem—but the new stem is less than half the weight of the old one.  Soon I’ll be making some changes on the Raleigh Competition too, the most significant of which will be a wider handlebar (44cm instead of 40cm).  And I’m thinking about going to stainless steel bottle cages for the Raleigh as a way to get around the frame clearance issues I have with the Tacx Tao cages.

It will be many more weeks before I get my Team Pedal Moraine kit, but this week I plan to order some Bontrager bib tights that I hope I’ll have in time for the first outdoor ride of the new year.  With both orders completed, I should be set on clothing for a little while.

I have been a good soldier with my training so far in 2011, logging more time on the bike trainer and staying diligent with my upper body strength program.  I’ve been a lot more restrictive with my diet in recent weeks but so far that hasn’t paid dividends on the bathroom scale.  At least I haven’t gained any weight this month.  I hope to shed several pounds when the trainer workouts get more structured and difficult.  For now, hiking is still part of the cross-training plan.  Today I hiked through the snow at Royal Oaks Park and Lac Lawrann Conservancy.  But starting on Tuesday, Feb. 8, it’s all about the bike trainer for the remainder of the winter.

And just what am I training for, exactly?  That’s still unclear.  I have a long list of competitive events that interest me.  Some are familiar and some are not.  I intend to try mountain bike racing but I don’t know the WORS courses, so I have been doing a little reconnaissance by watching YouTube videos of old races.  Obviously there’s only so much information I can obtain that way; it’s not meant as a substitute for actual riding.  But ideally I’d like to cut my teeth on races that don’t ask too much of my technical riding skills.  I’m not sure how far I can develop those before the racing season starts on May 1.

Today after I came in from the cold I watched the Versus coverage of the Tour Down Under.  Versus will broadcast highlights all week long, a nice distraction from the frigid temperatures and additional snow that are coming our way.