Century 21: 130 miles!

I rode hard the whole way. First thing, I got off the front and eventually Vic and another strong guy caught me -- but they turned off in Peoria to go to B'ville. John, who caught us just before Peoria, took turns with me riding to Harrisburg. He peeled off in Harrisburg because he needed to get home by 2pm.

I pushed on to Coburg at a leisurely pace, eventually getting swallowed up by the peloton. On the climb out of Marcola, I managed to stay with a couple who dropped the rest of the group. Knowing the road well, I turned up the heat and walked away when the road turned up some more. The rest of the way back I took some monster pulls and managed to edge out Larry for the sprint at the end of Peoria road.

After downing some groceries at home, I went out for a Peterson loop, continuing my tradition of extending the MVBC's "long" ride...

Bikes: red De Rosa, 106 miles; Cervelo, 14 miles
Calories expended: ~4500 (interesting -- this is what I usually burn in a century)
Feed: three bottles of Perpetuem, a 20oz Gatorade (Harrisburg), a can of tomato juice & a ham sandwich (Coburg), a 20oz Diet Pepsi (Crawfordville), a small salad + a toasted cheese sandwich (home, before the last loop) and Diet Lime Cola.

Also took a single Endurolyte at Crawfordville.

Note: Drinking the Diet Pepsi on the route may seem crazy, but it was truly refreshing. It does provide fluids, sodium, and caffeine. I felt stronger on the second half of the ride. I was pushing hard but struggling a bit early in the ride -- perhaps after effects of the ride the day before.

Twenty: Friday Century

Left work early and headed to Brownsville, an out-and-back on Northern Drive, and a Peterson Loop. I'm counting my bike commute to work, considering all I did was change bikes and clothes when I got home...

Distance: 100.6 (90.6 + a commute)
Bike: Cervelo (with new Profile CGT! Thanks Sandy for recommending these!)

Note to self: Need to spread the bars -- it's a snug fit trying to get both hands around the bars...

Tuesday ride: 41 miles

I believe I found the source of the clicking on my red De Rosa -- the rear wheel.

I put on a new Open Pro rear wheel that I've kept as a spare. The clicking is all gone! A Google search turned up that the Mavic Open Pros are notorious for clicking at the ferrules. That explains why my blue De Rosa also clicks; it too has Open Pro wheels. The wheels are true, but it drives my riding companions (yeah, you Joe M.) nuts. (Well I hate the clicking too.)

Rode towards Alpine and came back over Decker....

Nineteen: Waterloo and beyond

Started out with the MVBC ride to Waterloo and I extended by riding a loop over Decker. The couplet work in Philomath is causing traffic to be diverted across Grange Road. These drivers seemed aggessive and upset. At the end of Grange Road, an ODOT person told me to be careful, the drivers are driving like maniacs. I turned right, going in the opposite direction. I took Airport Road and came back on Bellfountain.

Distance: 100.6
Ascent: 1750
Calories consumed: about 4200

Consumed: two bottles of Perpetuem, Tiger Milk bar, a 20oz Gatorade; after the 62 mile ride to Waterloo, I stopped at home and had a small bowl of cereal. Just seemed like the thing to eat!

Bike: red De Rosa (still click city -- when my new cassettes arrive, I'll replace the one on the De Rosa and see if that helps).

Now payment is due

I'm paying for my "race" walk yesterday!

I've got sore calfs and anterior tib muscles, not to mention the lost skin on a couple of toes. Note to self: don't wear cotton socks!

Still it was fun. One of the joggers I was battling told me that I was "killing him". The lady jogger I passed on the wood-chip path said she wasn't sure she wanted to pass me back as she came around. I couldn't go as fast as they could on the pavement, however.

We all had fun!

"Walked" a 5K today

Here at work they put on a 5K run/walk. We even had to put on race numbers!

I can't run, but I can walk. And I'm a little bit competitive.

Finished the thing in 44:46, the first walker. It was fun, minus a blister on a toe.

A couple of joggers at the back of the pack made it interesting for me. I went back and forth with one, whom I drafted for a while on a wood-chip laden trail to catch another one. Ultimately they got away on the final stretch (on pavement) -- but they helped improve my time.

Nutso Nutria!

May day! I sent in my registration for the 508 today!!! Yay!!

Can you guess what my race "totem" is going to be?

#18 Saturday Century: 105 miles

I rode to the OR District TTT event and helped sweep corners. (I also ran the website and set up online registration -- a big win this year). We had about 50 teams show up!

Wish I could have ridden, but I didn't have a team. Very few members of the local club have ridden much -- and I had one of the best bikes there (to not be in the event!)

From there I rode to Brownsville and back through Tangent. Came back at the end of the event for the "traditional" organizers ride, but it wasn't to be. The winds picked up and the temperature dropped. None of the riders had enough clothes...

A friend showed up and we rode a few miles, only to turn back to town early because it looked like the sky was going to dump on us. He had a flat on the way back to town. Talk about luck!

Once I got back home, I ate a couple sacks of groceries, and headed back out. What's a little wind and cool air? (I put on a jacket.)

Bike: Cervelo Soloist Carbon
Total mileage: 105
Calories expended: about 4000
Food consumed (on the ride): two bottles of Perpetuem, one GU, two cereal bars, one Tiger Milk.
Ascent: 650 ft. (yep, it was flat.)

Problem solved?

I swapped out the Miche 11-25 cassette for an older Centaur 12-25.

The drivetrain on the Cervelo doesn't click anymore and it seems smoother. Time will tell!

Meanwhile I'm going to order a couple of new cassettes and a Campy chain.

Notes:

I did indeed use the lockring that came with the 11-25 cassette.

Wipperman chain issues

My new Cervelo came with a Wipperman chain. I've used Wippermans for years with no issues.

After three rides I had a problem with a stiff link -- the master link.

I replaced the chain with a new spare I had and after a couple hundred miles, it started skipping; the master link went stiff. (I also had another link go stiff on the same ride.)

What gives?

These are the nickel plated Wipperman 1008 chains, which are Campy compatible. I'm using a Miche 10-speed (Campy compatible) cassette -- can't imagine how that would be an issue.

I'm using 2007 Campy Chorus Ultratorque components -- can there be some sort of incompatibility? Or am I unlucky?

If you have a solution or have had similar problems, please post a reply to this blog entry.

Others have had similar issues with Wipperman 10-sp chains: See

#16 Bellfountain, Harrisburg, Brownsville (via Gapp), Decker loop

Distance: 105 miles

#17: Sunday Century: 91.3 miles

Route: Harrisburg, Peoria (via American), Tangent-Decker

Had severe problems with the chain -- the master link kept stiffening up. One time it was another link. This was the second Wipperman chain in a row that had this problem!

(I later determined that the "cause" was the Miche 11-25 cassette. Let's put it this way, the problem went away when I switched to a Centaur 12-25.)

Distance: 91.30
Bike: Cervelo