First Time Fat Bike Ride

A few days ago, one of the things my wife and I did for our nine-year wedding anniversary was rent fat tire bikes at Lovers Key. We’d never ridden this type of bike before but after 2 hours and 10 miles we were hooked. They are an absolute blast. We rode them on the 5 mile easy nature trail at Lovers Key and that was fun but we probably could have ridden our Townies on that. Where the fatties really shined was on the beach. Of course these bikes roll on the hard sand at the shoreline but they also roll easily over the soft sand. Whenever I go to the beach I always wish I could explore up and down the length of the shore but it’s usually just too much for walking. With these bikes we were able to explore the entire length of Lovers Key beach and we attracted a lot of attention. We had people stopping us asking about the bikes and taking pictures. Everyone assumed that pedaling on the sand must be hard but really it wasn’t.

The bikes we rented were Fat Tire A/T Cruiser II’s. They’re simple, inexpensive, steel bikes with huge tires, coaster brakes, and Shimano Nexus 3-speed hubs. The Nexus was perfect for the riding we did. On the cement you’d shift to third gear, most of the trail riding and hard sand was in second gear, and hills and soft sand was first gear. The 3 speeds covered everything. I’d love to buy a fat bike but for now it will have to go on the wishlist because a mountain bike and new wheels for my road bike come first. 

lots of Gopher Tortoises at Lovers Key

perfect bikes for the beach

Topeak Mini 6 Long Body Multi-Tool - review

I have three different varieties of Topeak multi-tools and this one is my favorite. The Topeak Mini 6 Long Body multi-tool is lighter than the Mini 9 and it has everything a roadie needs. It’s a saddlebag necessity. It’s considerably bigger than the original Mini 6 which must have been too tiny for most people because they quit making it. It has 6 tools (hence the name): 2/3/4/5/6 mm allen wrenches and a #2 Phillips head screwdriver. It’s 2.57 oz. and 2.6”x 1.1” and it fits in even the smallest saddlebag. 

http://www.topeak.com/products/Mini-Tools/mini6_long

I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel

I know I should do group rides more often and I do join them occasionally but for the most part I’m a lone wolf when it comes to riding. I think I need to make peace with that fact. I feel guilty about it but I have loads of excuses. For one I’d have to get up earlier since some rides leave a little early for me and I’d have to sacrifice my precious sleep. And for many group rides I’d have to drive my vehicle to get to the departure point which just seems silly. Also, I’d have to conform to the group. I’d have to do their route with their stops (or lack of). I’m the type of person who likes to mix things up and stop when and where I want to. I might want to take a silly picture or something. Lastly, most group rides don’t do the route I want to do. The exception is the Bike Bistro Sanibel ride, see my Allure of the Sanibel Causeway blog entry for more on that. That being said, I know group riding makes you a stronger rider. Every time I ride with at least one other person I push myself harder and get a better workout. They’re usually fun social events too. I guess what I’m trying to say is do as I say, not as I do. Get out there and do some group rides.

well this may not be a true group ride but at least I'm riding with a couple other people

November Rides

It’s that time of the year when there’s a charity ride almost every weekend pretty much for the  next six months and a lot of them are close to home. As they approach I’ll try and write about some of my favorites. Coming soon is:

Horrible Hundred, Sunday, November 16, 2014

http://horrible-hundred.com/

This ride is up in Clermont so you do have to travel a bit to get there but it’s worth it. Every Florida cyclist must do this event at least once. Holy hills! You WILL be challenged regardless what mileage you choose. I did this ride in 2012 when I was a rookie and my suffering was immense on the 70 mile route (called the Sucky 70). I hope to return someday and redeem myself.

big crowds

hills!

resting at base camp

Annual Turkey Leg Century, Friday November 28, 2014

http://www.caloosariders.org/

This informal ride starts at 8 a.m. in the Publix shopping center in Fort Myers at the corner of Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Daniels. Riders will then average about 18 mph and wind through a scenic route of Fort Myers Beach to Gordon’s Pass before stopping for lunch on beautiful Fifth Avenue in Naples. The ride is self-contained so bring a flat kit and money for lunch and two rest stops. For more information contact Jeff Brim at JeffBrim@yahoo.com. I’ve done this ride two years now and I always enjoy. It’s a nice bunch of people and you can cheat like I did and have your wife pick you after lunch.

lots of gorgeous views on the Turkey Leg Century

Tagalong Bikes

I’ve heard them called trail-a-bikes, tagalong bikes, trailer bikes, and tandem trailers. Whatever you call them, my daughter loves hers. One of our favorite activities is to hitch it up to one of my bikes and go to the park. Normally I connect it up to my Electra Townie 21D which is a perfect bike for that. But the other day my dad was using the Townie so I hooked it up to my Cannondale Synapse. Big mistake. We barely made it to the park as I struggled to stay upright. So now I know road bikes are definitely not made for this. So while I wholeheartedly recommend one of these things, make sure you hook it up to the proper type of bike.

bad idea

DZ Nuts Chamois Cream - review

more effective and lasts longer than others

When I first started cycling I didn’t use chamois cream but after a few months I started having some slight pain in the crotch/butt region so I bought a sample pack of this stuff and tried it on a 40 mile ride. I admit that I tried this brand because of the funny name and because one of my favorite pro cyclists is behind it (Dave Zabriskie) but I was sold on it before the ride was halfway over. It really works. My discomfort was greatly alleviated. The consistency of this cream is just right. It’s not too thick and not too light. It creates a slight tingly sensation but in a pleasant way, not a distracting way. I have since tried other creams but  DZ Nuts stays on longer and is more lubricating than others. Yes it’s more expensive than some but  In the end you might actually save money with the DZ Nuts since you don’t have to use as much. They also make a version for women which my wife swears by.

DIY Crosswalk

There’s a section on the MUP where I often ride where if you are heading West the path angles sharply to the right and down where you have to cross an intersection. You have to scrub a lot of speed and make a sharp turn to pick up the path or else you’ll go into the dirt/grass. I’ve had a couple of near wipeouts there. Well the other day I noticed that someone painted lines like a crosswalk across the intersection. This is great for two reasons. Riders can now follow the path across the intersection and maybe cars will see it and not block the intersection as they are apt to do. I don’t know about the legality of this but it’s a road marking that the county should have put there. Kudos to the unknown rider who did it.

Winter Weather Has Arrived

It was 49 degrees when I left my house this morning. For me that’s a very cold ride. My wife wouldn’t even ride in it. I was dressed for the dawn of a new ice age and 20 minutes into my ride I wished I’d dressed warmer. A Belgian hardman I am not. The 16 mph wind out of the north didn’t help matters. I stopped at Paradise Bikes to say to the boys and begged for a shot of whiskey. No luck. Alex had a laugh at how much I was wearing and Charlie chuckled at my homemade dress sock shoe covers. I’m glad to be a source of constant amusement. After warming up I left and continued on my ride trying my best to stay positive. Yes it’s cold and windy but at least the sun is out. And then I saw a sight that gave me some perspective. There in a roadside culvert was a flock of Spoonbills. Their pink color is striking and a lot of tourists mistake these birds for Pink Flamingos. That’s not a sight most cyclists get to see in November. Heck cyclists in other parts of the country can’t even ride and they would be thrilled to have our winter weather. Here in SW Florida we ride 12 months a year and it’s awesome. You wear a few more clothes during the winter and as little as possible during the summer. Bring on the cold weather. I’m ready for it.

looks like winter right?

Charlie hard at work

my homemade shoe covers (cut up dress socks)

2015 Bianchi Intenso Ultegra 11sp Compact - review

I have about 500 miles on this bike, it’s broken in, and it’s been back to the shop for it’s initial derailleur tuning so I think I can review it now. Let’s start with the superficial because lets face it, the first thing that attracts us to a bike is it’s looks. The 2015 Bianchi Intenso 11 Speed Compact is beautiful. My neighbor said it looks like a work of art and he’s right. It’s a sparkly celeste blue so it really stands out and looks unique. The tube shapes and lines look cool too. I like thinner top and down tubes and this bike has them. The top and head tubes have some aero-styling but the downtube is good old fashioned round. The seat and chainstays have some interesting twists to them and they also look different from the norm.  I assume this is where the compliance is created and they do a fantastic job. The only catch is because of the twists, attaching a cadence sensor is tricky.

Aside from being gorgeous, this bike has a lot going for it. At $2700 you get a lot of bike for your money. The shifters, derailleurs, chain, and cassette are all Shimano Ultegra 11 speed. I know there’s some criticisms to be made of the new 11 speed groupsets and I was very happy with the “old” ten speed groupsets but pretty much every new bike from every brand is now coming with 11 speed. It’s here to stay so we best get used to it. That being said, I’m happy with the Ultegra 11 speed drivetrain on this bike. I appreciate the slightly narrower shifters because I get a better grip and hey you get an extra gear with 11 speed. If the groupset proves to be more finicky than my ten speed (that hasn’t happened yet) I’m not worried because I have a very competent bike shop (Bike Bistro) that’s alway willing to make an adjustment.

Bianchi downspecs the Intenso with FSA brakes but they’re not bad. Sure they’re not as good as Ultegra but where I live (flat Florida) brakes are not paramount. Most of the other components are also FSA which is a brand I’m very familiar with and trust. The seat post is alloy which I prefer. Yes carbon would be lighter and possibly absorb the bumps better but this bike is already very light and I’m not a weight weenie anyways. It’s plenty light for my needs and where I live. There’s no hills around here. This bike also absorbs road chatter like a champ so I don’t a carbon seatpost for that. I’m not sure a carbon seatpost would even add much there. I just rode this bike 68 miles and about half of those miles were on the roughest roads I’ve ever seen and I felt great. No pain, no vibrations, and no standing out of the saddle to avoid bumpy patches. Bianchi touts the kevlar in this bike so perhaps there’s more than just marketing hype there. Lastly, I like an alloy seatpost because I don’t have to baby it so much. There’s less concern about over-tightening and slippage and you don’t have to use that carbon grip paste stuff.

I love that the Intenso has an English threaded bottom bracket, the FSA Megaexo crank is great, and the Fulcrum wheels are a step above your average stock wheels. This is a true do-it-all bike. It can climb (I’ve tested it extensively on some big bridges), it can sprint, and it can cruise. Bianchi markets it as their endurance bike but they describe it as comfortable without sacrificing speed. It’s not as upright as some sportive models but not as racy as a true racing bike. That’s exactly what I was looking for and it delivered. I’ve already set several PRs on it and I wasn’t in pain afterwards. Is it possible to have a racy endurance bike.? Yes and this bike is proof.

I only made three changes to the stock bike. I swapped the stock 120mm stem for the same stem in a smaller size (110). I have it flipped at -6 degrees but with the full stack of spacers it’s not really that aggressive. I tried it flipped to +6 and that was too upright. I also gave the stock San Marco saddle, which is very nice, to my wife. She’s been searching for the right saddle and it turns out that she loves this one. I’m a die-hard Fizik Antares fan so I won’t use anything else. Because I put my black Antares saddle on the bike I had to change the white Bianchi cork handlebar tape to a black Fizik Performance tape. Also, I just had to put a Bianchi dominatrix “master says faster” sticker on the seat tube. Google this sticker. It’s awesome. All in all this is an almost perfect bike that is very tough to beat at this price point. I think Bianchi has a winner here and I bet we’ll be seeing more of them on the road.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/road/coast-to-coast/intenso-ultegra-compact/

The Allure of the Sanibel Causeway

I set out to ride east from my house today. I figured I’d do one of my usual routes which consists of Linear Park, Six Mile Cypress, and Michael Rippe parkway. Somehow I ended up on Sanibel Island which is in the complete opposite direction. I blame red lights and traffic which caused me to keep turning right but I think subconsciously I was headed there all along. The allure of the Sanibel Causeway is too powerful and I can’t resist it. I know I should vary routes more often but I end up riding out there at least once a week anyways.

Me and that causeway have a love affair and it’s easy to see why. For starters the view is gorgeous. You get views of Pine Island Sound, San Carlos Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. You also get views of people engaged in various activities such as kiteboarding, windsurfing, fishing, boating, swimming, and sunbathing. And it’s usually good for at least one bikini sighting, especially on the weekends. It also also has nice wide bike lanes and the traffic is mercifully slow. The views and lanes are good enough that pro cyclist Phil Gaimon gave them a shout out in Bicycling Magazine.

Best of all, the causeway is the only place in town that has any sort of elevation. The Sanibel bridge is the best climb in the county and the rest of the causeway has several gentle hills on it. It’s one of the few places where a skinny guy like myself has an advantage. It makes me feel strong and I have a bunch of great Strava rankings along that stretch so I feel like it’s my territory.

Once you get out to Sanibel you can turn around but cycling out on Sanibel is great too especially during the summer when you practically have the island to yourself. Sometimes I’ll park my car at Bike Bistro and launch from there so that I can make a day of exploring the island without worrying about being too tired to make it home.

I know the causeway is intimidating to some cyclists because of the cars and the fact that you’re riding over bridges that are way up high and over water. The wind can be quite strong there as well but I take that as a fitness-building positive. Furthermore, cyclist Tracey Kleinpell was killed there in 2011 which adds to the stigma. But Tracey was struck by a drug impaired and asleep-at-the-wheel driver (Theresa L. Shirley) who crossed over an entire lane of traffic and hit her head on. This could have happened anywhere and I don’t think the causeway was a factor. If anything you’re better off on the causeway because of the wide bike lanes. But the more you ride the causeway the more you will get used to it. It quickly starts to feel natural and personally I feel safer there than many other places I ride.

I like the causeway so much that I’ll often do causeway repeats. It’s also one of my excuses for being a lone wolf because most group rides don’t go out there except for Bike Bistro’s Thursday ride. The only thing I don’t like about the Sanibel Causeway is that on the way home the stretch between the tollbooth and Shell Point road can be brutal. Typically I already have about 20 miles under my belt, I just finished climbing the bridge (usually against the wind), and then I hit that segment which is 2 miles long, flat, and exposed to the sun and an ever-present headwind. I call it Death Valley. Fortunately, Bike Bistro, my oasis, is located shortly after the end of Death Valley and I always stop there for a Coke.

some of my favorite Sanibel Causeway Strava segments:

http://app.strava.com/segments/4904807

http://app.strava.com/segments/3126629

http://app.strava.com/segments/2784915

http://app.strava.com/segments/3135129

Death Valley:

http://app.strava.com/segments/3251906

the causeway at sunset

just arrived on Sanibel and I'm a happy man

climbing into the fog (not recommended)

riding through Death Valley headed to the Bike Bistro oasis

the causeway from afar

What’s With All the Dragonflies?

Is it just me or are there tons of Dragonflies out there right now? There must have been a recent hatch or something because I'm seeing them everywhere. One nailed me in the helmet the other day and I'm just glad it wasn't my face. Check out this pic my buddy sent me of the one he got stuck in his cassette.

Tour de North Port 2014

My buddy Ian and I decided to ride the Tour de North Port charity ride last Sunday and when Ian informed me on Saturday night that Andrew and Charlie from Paradise Bikes would be joining us I simultaneously thought, “awesome and uh oh”. I also instantly regretted the 45 mile ride I’d done that day. I should have given my legs a recovery day. Andrew and Charlie are fun guys and they always make me laugh. They’re also at least 15 years younger than me and very strong riders. If I ride with them I know it’s going to be a fast ride and that we’re going to try and “win” the event. Forewarned, I prepared for the ride appropriately. I carb-loaded the night before and had a huge breakfast washed down with loads of water, juice, and coffee. I was fueled and hydrated. I also packed my jersey pockets accordingly because I knew from experience that when you ride with the lead pack you don’t make many stops. One stop is usually the norm. In my pockets I stowed: 1 bottle of water (in addition to the two on my bike), 1 Clif Shot Blok, 1 energy bar, and 1 little can of coke. Aside from possibly having to go to the bathroom I was prepared to ride straight through.

We met up with Andrew at the event who showed up riding a 2015 Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0 with 55mm full carbon rims. Yep this was going to be a fast ride alright. Charlie unfortunately was absent because he had to work.
The ride started and immediately eight of us broke away from the main group of riders doing the 65 mile route. We quickly formed a fast moving paceline and ten miles later we’d shed two riders. Names were exchanged (Ian, Andrew, Richard, Eric, and Chris a former racer who I already knew from my local scene). The six of us continued on enjoying an interesting route. The course took us through what I would describe as a sparsely populated rural residential area. There were lots of loops, twists, and turns. I got a lot of practice turning at high speed. We had some roads that were freshly paved and among the nicest I’ve ever ridden on. We also had some roads that were some of the roughest I’ve ever experienced and they gave the compliance of my new Bianchi Intenso a good test (it passed wonderfully).

The weather was perfect. It was sunny and the wind was relatively mild for this time of year. The day started at 60 degrees and finished around 80. I pulled down my armwarmers mid-ride and my base layer kept off the chill. Ian who has blood even thinner than mine kept his arm and FULL leg warmers on all day. He’d say it was a bit cold for him. Best of all, my food and water supply worked out perfectly. When we finally stopped for a quick break at mile 45 I still had a full water bottle. I chugged a bottle of Gatorade anyways. I also scarfed down a cookie, took a pee and then we hit the road again before I’d even caught my breath.

As we approached the end of the ride everyone was pretty beat by this point. Turns at the front of the paceline had dwindled from macho 3 minute pulls to 30 second turns and I was suffering from leg cramps. I couldn’t pedal out of the saddle without immediately getting muscle spasms on the front of my thighs. Nonetheless, we started jockeying for position. Andrew told me that his legs were toast but that he could still lead me out for the finish. That opportunity didn’t materialize though because Eric decided to go early. Chris and I were the only ones able to go with him but Eric went too early because he burned his match and we dropped him. With just two of us remaining, Chris and I fought to cross the finish line first but I was beat by a bike-length. Maybe if I’d be able to sprint out of the saddle I could have had it but there’s no way my legs were going to let me do that. Nonetheless, I was pleased to finish second out of a decent-sized group doing the metric century and be the first rider to the top of both bridge “climbs”. Finally tally was almost 21 mph average speed and 68 miles ridden with one short stop. Strava gave me an “extreme suffer score” 208. Yes I know it’s sad and pathetic for me to talk about a CHARITY RIDE like it’s some sort of race but any time you put two cyclists together it’s basically a race. And when it’s a group of middle-aged men vainly trying to recapture some of the glory of their lost youth it’s even more so true. So I’m not ashamed or embarrassed to admit that sometimes I treat these things competitively.

All in all this was a great event for a good cause (planting trees!) and it was well organized. The volunteers were numerous, friendly, and gracious. The route was almost completely traffic free and I enjoyed the scenery.There was plenty of good food both before and after the ride. Lunch was a delicious and varied spread of chicken stir fry, pasta, rice pilaf, chicken wings, salad, and pie. The one rest stop we used was amply supplied and we blew by at least 3 other SAG stations that appeared well attended. The only suggestion I can make is to place the road markers farther away from where the turns occur. When you’re going 20+ mph it’s hard to make a turn at the last minute. This is a problem I find at most charity rides though. Overall, I enjoyed this ride when I did it in 2012 and this year they made it even better. Now I plan to do it every year.
http://app.strava.com/activities/212043348

beautiful pavement

Giro Atmos Helmet Review - Maximum Air Flow

The Giro Atmos is the second helmet I ever bought and I liked it so much that after a year I bought another one in a smaller size. My first helmet was a Giro Transfer which is a nice helmet and a great value at $40 but I wanted something with more ventilation. The Atmos is about as airy and well ventilated as they come. Combined with it being ultra low-weight it's like not wearing a helmet at all so obviously the helmet is quite comfortable. This helmet is so well ventilated that when it's cool out my head actually gets a little cold and I have to wear something underneath it. The Atmos has a dial adjustment in back to make tightening or loosening a simple one-handed process.  I think this helmet looks pretty stylish too but I guess that depends on the shape of your head. My wife looks better in the Transfer. I also like the fact that I was able to find one with lots of hi-viz yellow on it. It’s surprisingly hard to find a hi-viz helmet. My only complaint is that the straps were much too long and I had to cut some off and seal the ends with a lighter. However, the strap issue is common to all helmets and it’s an easy fix. Yes at $180 this helmet is more expensive than some but it’s still about $70 cheaper than the very high end helmets and I don’t see what advantage those most expensive helmets provide. Like I said earlier, I have this helmet in two sizes. My head size is 57 ½ cm which must be an awkward size because in my large helmet I have to tighten the dial almost all the way and in my medium helmet I have to loosen the dial almost all the way. My first Atmos is a large and I went with that because I wanted to be able to wear a cycling cap under it. But as time went on I quit wearing my cap and realized I could wear a size medium which my wife thinks looks a little better on me (and her opinion is what matters). So now I have the best of both worlds. I wear my medium sized Atmos helmet almost all the time except when it gets really cold and I need to layer up under the helmet. I also keep a light-mount attached to my large Atmos helmet at all times for the occasional ride in the dark. Just to compare the Atmos to another helmet I bought (and returned) a Lazer Genesis helmet which is more expensive. I bought it because I can’t leave good enough alone but also because the Genesis comes in ALL hi-viz and I had to have it. Mistake. That helmet is so much heavier that I couldn’t get used to it. It’s also less ventilated and I wouldn’t have been able to wear it in the heat of the summer. So back to the store it went.

October Charity Rides

From now through April there's a charity ride pretty much every weekend and a lot of them are in town or at least close to home so there's no excuse to not try one. As they approach I’ll try and write about some of my favorites. Coming soon is:

Tour de North Port, Sunday, October 26, 2014

http://peoplefortrees.com/tourevent1_14.php

I never ride in North Port so this event seemed like a good opportunity to ride in a different area that's still close to Fort Myers. I did this ride in 2012 and I remember we got a great breakfast and lunch with lots of homemade desserts. There were loads of volunteers and the route was well marked and took us through some sparsely populated areas of North Port. The rest stop at that ladies house in the woods was super cool. Thank you for the chairs! We ended up hanging out so long my legs got stiff. The ride benefits a group that plants tree and I love trees (but who doesn't).

http://app.strava.com/activities/35172761

Everglades Bicycle Club Homestead Speedway - Freedom Ride, Sunday, October 19, 2014 @ the Homestead Miami Speedway

http://www.evergladesbc.com/freedomride2014

I skipped the Tour de North Port in 2013 to do a charity ride out of the Homestead Speedway. It's a unique event and it was nice to get myself out of my comfort zone. It’s a younger, bilingual, and multicultural experience over there which is cool. And I’ve never seen such a wide variety of bicycles. You get to do a lap around the speedway which is an absolute blast and then you head down to beautiful Key Largo. Lunch afterwards was gourmet and they used a bracelet to make sure everyone got fed. No bracelet no food and when you got in the food line they cut off the bracelet so you couldn’t go twice. Why don’t all charity rides do this? It's worth staying for the raffle because there are some great prizes. You should definitely do this ride at least once just for that lap around the speedway.

http://app.strava.com/activities/90364573

Welcome Back Snowbirds!

I did an early morning (in the dark) ride this morning and it prompts me to say welcome back snowbirds. It was much busier out at that hour than it was a month ago. Yep the snowbirds are back in force. Last week I wrote about the arrival of good weather. With the good weather comes the birds. The birds are my friends, my family, and they support our economy and give me employment. But boy does it sure make you have to step up your awareness when riding. And not just on the road. I think the MUPS are just as dangerous. They are packed with people right now. My biggest crash was a collision on a MUP so please, everybody, be careful out there and be aware of others.

Two Ride Weekend

I got two rides in this weekend. Granted they were shortened due to family obligations but any weekend that I get to ride both Saturday and Sunday is a good weekend. And this weekend was one of those. Best of all we had two days of cooler weather. Finally! It was a hotter than usual summer. It was so brutal that for the first time since I moved here 12 years ago I thought about moving. Moving for me and my family isn’t truly realistic but the oppressive heat made me fantasize about it nonetheless. Somewhere with hills or mountains would be nice. Of course the downside is that unless you move to southern California you probably won’t be able to ride 12 months a year. Yes it gets hotter than hell here but you can still ride. Drinking a lot of water goes a long way and I can ride in heat a lot better than I can ride in cold. And I certainly can’t ride in ice or snow. So if you in SW Florida you gotta take the good (12 months of riding) with the bad (no elevation and some of the highest temps and humidity on the planet). But here’s to the next 7 months of good-weather-riding in SW Florida!