Weekend Of Mixed Emotions

I had a very full weekend of cycling for early April. It began on Saturday morning with a drive around the Cheesehead Roubaix route to check road conditions. And that news is good: everything is shaping up according to schedule. Some of the unpaved roads are still closed, but the ones I could see were not too bad. On Saturday afternoon I did a 35-mile road ride. On Saturday evening I watched the Sunny King Criterium as it streamed live on the USA Cycling website.

Sunday began with streaming coverage of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, won in a four-man sprint by Fabian Cancellara. The race was marred by a series of crashes. Stijn Devolder suffered more than most, either getting caught behind crashes or crashing himself. Devolder’s heroic efforts to get back into the race moved Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby to tears, but ultimately the Belgian road champion could finish no better than 86th, nearly 10 minutes behind three-time winner Cancellara.

But the worst crash at Flanders involved Johan Vansummeren, who collided at high speed with a woman who was standing on a traffic island in the middle of the road. Here’s a still image from a video taken by another fan, showing the woman, a man and a small child standing where no fans should ever be during a bike race:

Just seconds later, Vansummeren and the woman were lying on the ground. Vansummeren was taken to the hospital for treatment of facial cuts and then released. The 65-year-old woman was placed in a medically-induced coma and remains in intensive care with life-threatening brain injuries. Belgian law enforcement authorities have begun a formal investigation into the incident.

I spent Sunday afternoon on the Eisenbahn State Trail, in the company of friends as far as Eden and then on my own for the trip back to West Bend. The trail surface was a little soft in places and the headwind really cut into my speed on the return. I averaged just 13.8 mph over 50 miles. That’s slow, but it was an honest effort. We’ll see what kind of legs I have on Tuesday when I get back on the bike after today’s scheduled rest. Sunday’s ride put me ahead of my 2013 mileage pace, and I ride better as I ride more so I’m hopeful that greater fitness is on its way.

Swim/Bike/Run (To Nowhere)

In 2013 the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships came to Milwaukee and attracted a record number of participants: more than 4,000 athletes, representing all 50 states. The event will return this year, August 9-10. If you want to be ready for the bike portion, then the good people at RacerMate have what you need:

Just add the aroma of brewer’s yeast and dead alewives for a fully immersive experience!

“Ride past the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by renown (sic) architect Santiago Calatrava, along the shores of Lake Michigan on a short out and back. When you pass transition again you are directed onto the Hoan Bridge—not accessible (normally) to bike traffic. After a ride out to the city of Cudahy you’ll turn around for a ride back to the Hoan Bridge and back into transition.

“This popular ride can only be ridden on race day—or on CompuTrainer.”

Wow. Sandwich an indoor ride between a swim in the endless pool and a run on the treadmill and you’ll never have to leave the house! People do seem to want to ride across the Hoan Bridge for some reason, but once you’ve actually been to Cudahy, staying home will seem like the more attractive option.

But seriously: the CompuTrainer is a great product. I have used it on a few occasions and would have one of my own if not for the expense. There are three different options starting at about $1,600. Because of the cost, many users rent time at CompuTrainer-equipped shops rather than investing in the hardware themselves. A typical CompuTrainer studio will have between 4 and 16 stations, allowing riders to compete against each other and even to simulate the aerodynamic benefits of pack riding. Friends from Belgianwerkx and Team Extreme recently competed for charity at an indoor time trial hosted by Crank Daddy’s.

Spring still hasn’t quite sprung across Wisconsin, but it will soon and indoor trainers will collect dust for a while. But wouldn’t it be great to have a CompuTrainer racing league next winter?

Another Cock-Up From NBC Sports

Looking forward to the Ronde van Vlaanderen—a.k.a., the Tour of Flanders? It’s always one of the best one-day races of the year. You can bet I will be watching it live on Sunday morning. But not on American television. Nobody bought the broadcast rights.

On the following Sunday, April 13, NBC Sports Network will show Paris-Roubaix live … at its website. And if you have the right cable provider, then you can sign in with your username and password to view it. The network won’t broadcast the race on TV until Monday, April 14, 7-10 p.m. CDT. Rather than show the race on live TV as it has done in the past, NBC will broadcast 8½ consecutive hours of British soccer. (That should be long enough for one goal, a dozen fake injuries, and almost limitless acts of hooliganism by the crowds.)

The big question now is, why bother with NBC Sports Network at all? On some cable systems it’s not a basic tier channel, so viewers are paying extra to get directed to a website they may not be able to access for the coverage they thought they would have on TV. Meanwhile, at least three Internet sites (CyclingFans.com, ProcyclingLive.com and Steephill.tv) will link you to streaming coverage of almost every significant bicycle race on the planet. The coverage is live and it’s free. OK, it’s not high-definition video and you really don’t want to click on any of the ads—viruses and spyware aren’t just for porn sites—but it’s live and it’s free. Some of the minor road races and virtually all of the cyclocross races will have commentary in a language other than English, but it’s live and it’s free.

If we can trust the schedule at NBC’s website, then the next live TV broadcast of a bike race will be on May 11. That’s the first stage of the Tour of California. At 120 miles, Stage 1 will take about 5 hours to complete. It will begin at 12:50 p.m. CDT and conclude at roughly 5:50 p.m. CDT. The NBC broadcast will begin at 4 p.m. CDT, so you’ll see the finish but you can count on a lot of commercials. The better option will be TourTracker, which will feature the same video feed and announcers but will start earlier and probably will run without commercial interruptions. TourTracker should be in place for August’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado too. The Tour de France might be NBC’s only opportunity this year to present us with live TV coverage that is better than what we can get on the Internet. And the Tour is a big deal, but OLN/Versus/NBC used to give us so much more.

Pedal Fest 2014

April 2-13

Pedal Moraine Cycle & Fitness

1421 S. Main St., West Bend

(262) 338-2453

Support the local bike shop that supports Team Pedal Moraine and countless other cyclists in and around Washington County! Pedal Fest is the shop's biggest sale of the year.

My 2014 Spring Break

I am back in West Bend after a solo road trip that took me to 10 different states plus the District of Columbia. I drove 2,398 miles and I had a very good time overall, but I didn’t do as much cycling as I would have liked: just 4 rides for a total of 102 miles. I’m still feeling heavy, slow and unprepared for the season ahead.

My itinerary took me to Charleston IL last Friday. I was able to spend a few minutes talking to a friend I had not seen since I moved away from there during my sophomore year in high school. I rode the Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail to neighboring Mattoon and back, then paid a short visit to Charleston’s bike shop. Neither the trail nor Bike & Hike existed when I lived there. In the evening I drove to southeastern Indiana and spent the night in the back of the van at a highway rest area near Cincinnati. I slept reasonably well … certainly better than I would have in a tent. I think the van is going to be a more comfortable option on WORS weekends.

Lexington KY was my next stop and while I was happy to explore the Legacy Trail and a number of city streets, I was disappointed. The trail was great but I wasn’t crazy about the city. Southern cities all seem to sprawl for no good reason. Having satisfied my curiosity about Lexington, I drove on. By the time I reached Cumberland MD, I was ready for dinner, a shower, and a proper bed. It was going to be a cold night, so I checked into a hotel.

On Day 3 I ate breakfast at the hotel and watched part of Milano-Sanremo, but that’s such a long race (294 kilometers!) and I couldn’t wait around for it to finish. I had to be in Arlington VA for a 1 p.m. ride with another friend from my high school days. He has lived there for many years and knows the Washington DC area as a bicycle commuter. Our riding styles were not exactly in perfect harmony, but we enjoyed a 2-hour tour that included several prominent buildings and monuments. After the ride I drove to my mother’s house in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were cold, windy and occasionally wet. I wasn’t especially interested in riding, so I passed the time by completing some home projects for Mom and by reconnecting with several members of my extended family. Last year, an 8.5-mile paved bike trail opened near Mom’s house and on Thursday I included it in the final ride of my vacation. I would have liked to ride elsewhere in Pennsylvania, but more rain moved in and yesterday I decided to return to Wisconsin ahead of schedule.

So, things could have gone better but I knew that the weather might not cooperate. With just four more weeks to prepare for Cheesehead Roubaix and just five more weeks to prepare for the WORS season opener, let’s hope for more consistently nice weather here in Wisconsin.

It’s 5 O’Clock …

And that means vacation has begun! I am looking forward to it despite a weather forecast that is somewhat colder than normal for this time of year. At least my destination cities will be warmer than West Bend. The high temperature in Charleston IL will be 67 tomorrow. I should see 59 degrees in Lexington KY on Saturday and 50 in Arlington VA on Sunday. Next Monday through Friday, I will be in Pennsylvania where temperatures will be in the 40s.

For this trip, the cyclocross bike is the best choice. You can see it in the picture above, secured by bungee cords to the front seats. The cyclocross bike gives me the widest range of training opportunities. By taking two different wheelsets—one with road tires and the other with knobbies—I will be able to handle both paved and unpaved surfaces. There’s no singletrack in my plans, just a lot of road and rec trail riding, and some of those rec trails are made of dirt and gravel.

Rubber “gym floor” mats will serve as a reasonably comfortable sleeping area. Being able to sleep in the van really appeals to the cheapskate in me and should open up some additional travel possibilities later in the year. On this trip I will work out any kinks so that I don’t find them on WORS weekends. If the rubber mats aren’t good enough, then I’ll buy an air mattress. I plan to sleep in the van at least three times during the trip, including the first two nights.

As my vacation begins, I have ridden just 150 outdoor miles in 2014. By the same date last year, I had ridden 200 miles. I’m not hopelessly behind last year’s pace. If I return on the 30th with a total of 403, I will be right where I was a year ago.

Will Live Video Make Race Courses Shorter?

Because I will be away from home next Saturday, I will miss the webcast of the US Cup mountain bike race in Fontana CA. That will be the third race of the four-race series, with the finale scheduled for June 28 in Colorado Springs. I watched the first two races as they happened. The initial webcast was a little rough. I think there were just two cameras, so glimpses of the riders were few and far between. Today’s webcast was better: more cameras on the ground, plus occasional shots from a helicopter. In each case, play-by-play commentator Colt McElwaine deserves a lot of credit for keeping the webcast interesting during those long periods when the racers were out of sight.

As I watched the Mellow Johnny’s Classic back on March 1, I wondered whether live video coverage could affect how courses are designed. It’s an expensive proposition to outfit a long mountain bike course with cameras, so maybe it would make sense to create shorter courses to give viewers more opportunities to see the riders. That was the case today at the Bonelli Park race: laps of just 12-15 minutes, with lots of open areas that could be covered by a handful of cameras pivoting from fixed locations. It reminded me of the purpose-built mountain bike course for the 2012 London Olympics:

Is that the future? If the sport wants to attract spectators—both at the venues and for the broadcasts—then the answer might be yes. To monetize the fanbase, a race promoter simply cannot allow the racers to disappear into the woods for 90 minutes and then reappear for a 30-second dash to the finish line. Could you live with multiple short laps of a course that spends at least as much time in the open as in the woods? Is it still “real” mountain biking if some of the technical features are man-made, as they were at the London Olympics and today at Bonelli Park?

I don’t know. Cross country mountain biking is an endurance sport and it is just really damned hard to watch. You don’t want it to be transformed into a cyclocross or BMX race; those disciplines already exist. But if you want it to be financially viable at the professional level, then things have to change and the US Cup might become the engine of that change.

Nice … For A Change

Riding counter-clockwise on this route made for a tough headwind on the way back home.

Today we reached 50 degrees for the first time in 2014. In fact, we briefly touched 54. Even with a pretty steady 12-15 mph wind that sometimes would gust above 20, this was by far the nicest day of the year. The brilliant sunshine and dry roads were a bonus. I outfitted my cyclocross bike with a set of road tires and enjoyed a 28-mile ride that included the last 5 miles of the Cheesehead Roubaix route. I might be out there still if I had not been hit with hunger pangs so powerful that they almost made me nauseous. And I had a big lunch today, so I don’t know what that was all about but this would have been a good day to have a Clif bar in my jersey pocket.

We still have not put winter behind us; today was a beautiful aberration. A snow shower is in tomorrow’s forecast and we’re expecting a high of just 18 on Wednesday. My Raleigh is still hooked up to the indoor trainer, and it will remain so until at least the middle of April. Last spring I did indoor trainer rides as late as April 10. You may recall that spring was not especially nice in 2013. It would be foolish to hope for anything better coming out of this winter. But today, at least, we got to feel good.

The Russians Are Coming

Last known photo of Comrade Goofov …

You would think that the Russians would have enough on their plates as they try to tear down both the Sochi Olympic village and Ukrainian independence, but it seems they have time to read my blog. During the last week, Russian visitors to this blog have outpaced American visitors by a margin of more than 2-to-1:

I don’t understand the appeal, but if Jerry Lewis can be a comic genius in France and David Hasselhoff a pop music icon in Germany, then perhaps I can be a voice of reason for Russia. First lesson: If you are planning to visit/invade Wisconsin, then dress warmly. This week the weather is twice as warm in Moscow as it is in West Bend. In other words …

Она сосет здесь. Не подходи.

I think this is just a statistical bump in the road and soon my American audience will reclaim its rightful position atop the leaderboard. But it does make one wonder. If I disappear suddenly, check the gulags.

In the meantime, I am still doing my trainer rides and my upper body strength workouts, still waiting for another opportunity to ride outside, and still hoping that the weather forecast will improve for my upcoming vacation. This morning I had a routine annual physical examination by my doctor and all is well. Next Tuesday I will visit the dentist’s office where, I suspect, not all will be well but at least there will be a plan to make it better. Life—the life I want—is on hold and not even the impending return of Daylight Saving Time brings comfort. Another hour of after-work daylight should be welcome, but not if it’s just another hour of looking out at the ice and snow.

In Like A Lion

March will arrive on Saturday. Big deal.

We are expecting -20 to -30 wind chill tonight, more snow this weekend and below-freezing daytime highs for at least the first week of the new month. We have had just four days above freezing in February, the same number we had in January.

March will bring the return of Daylight Saving Time and the vernal equinox, which is rumored to be the beginning of “spring” but you’ll be hard-pressed to see any evidence of that here. I wish I could spend the entire month somewhere else. It would be great to visit one of the Top 10 training destinations recommended by Global Cycling Network:

Colorado
Mallorca
Gran Canaria
Adelaide, Australia
South Africa
Tenerife
Andalucia
Tuscany
Nice, France
California

All of those are fine suggestions, but I will do something different for my self-directed training camp, March 21-30. That time period coincides with spring break for West Bend schools but my wife and kids are going to stay home while I go in search of cycling adventures. (They would prefer to travel in the summer when there are more things to do, so maybe we’ll arrange a trip for the whole family in July or August.) I will spend some of my spring break visiting my mother in Pennsylvania, but I won’t know my exact itinerary until a day or two before the trip begins. If the weather forecast is favorable, I will make a beeline for the Philadelphia suburbs. If the weather forecast is unfavorable, I may swing south before arriving at Mom’s house for a shorter visit. That trip would look something like this:

If I do take a few extra days to reach Pennsylvania, then I will have a chance to ride the Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail in Charleston IL. It did not yet exist when I lived in Charleston, 1976-1981. I will be able to check out Lexington KY, which on paper appears to be a place where I might like to relocate someday. I could stop in Richmond VA to get a feel for the 2015 UCI World Championships, whose courses were announced earlier today. I could do some cycling in and around Washington DC, a city I have visited many times but never on a bike.

But Pennsylvania will be the main attraction. In addition to some of the places I like to ride near Philadelphia, I plan to tour the countryside around York and Lancaster and to ride part of the Great Allegheny Passage from West Newton, my childhood home. The trip should be an opportunity for me to indulge a few cycling itches that would be impractical to scratch if my family were traveling with me.

It all depends on the weather, though, and most of the eastern US has been hit harder than usual this winter. I’m counting on daytime highs in the mid-50s and assuming that whatever my destinations get will be better than what I leave behind in Wisconsin. And I have to believe in those things, because right now there’s nothing in our forecast to feel good about. I will begin March with just 31 miles of outdoor riding year-to-date, 134 miles behind last year’s pace.