Spring Classics 2013 Part 2: The Calabogie Classic

Update: photos here: http://www.pbase.com/robert_ottawa/calabogie2013

What should have been the cap to April's three classics wound up being the monkey in the middle on Sunday, the 21st. After a blizzard bumped the Almonte Roubaix to April 28th, the Calabogie Classic waltzed in as the go-between, the bridge to the ultimate match, Almonte. At least, so it was from the perspective of us odd men in green.

After racing Calabogie for the first time in 2012, I knew what to expect: wind, nervous riding, mixed abilities, and crashes. In 2012, I raced the Senior 1/2 spectacle, which proved breakaways are indeed possible on the race-car track. It also demonstrated that I was ill equipped for the sprint. However, while isolated then, the scene was different for this edition; Iain Radford and Alex Michel, fellow Tall Tree root-rockers, were also in the M1 category I'd joined. Meanwhile, Jim McGuire and Todd Fairhead set up for the M2 race, and Andy Brown struck off solo in the S4.



News came in just before our 14:15 start that Todd and Jimbo had struck out in their race. Bunch sprint, no dice. They stayed safe, but that was about it. Hmmm. Andy was already on his way home, having missed the break and finishing in the pack. Could Iain, Alex, and I salvage Tall Tree's honour? We were embrocated, we had matching helmets (mostly), arm and leg warmer (mostly), and I even had coordinating shoe covers on; no excuses. Except Iain had been sick for the last few days, and resorted to one of my potions: Kombucha....

Lets enter the danger zone.

The start is mellower than 2012's S1/2 race. That's ok with me. In every turn riders seem to brake and steer unnecessarily. I note the guys who are proving to be dangerous, not in the bike race winning sense. In the crashing sense. John Gee, having won the M2 race in 2012, is in the field, looking to score another notch. Wheels of Bloor have about 6 guys, and there are about 8 Rouleurs, including Marc Brazeau, who always packs juice. 5km/hr wind? Not. Its windy. Riders are clearly labouring up front, while we hide and feel out the changes of wind direction in the turns. Plenty of time to work out the details.

John Gee is aggressive within a few laps, as is Brazeau and other Rouleurs, not to mention other guys we don't know. Lots of wild cards in the bunch form our perspective, as we don't race road around Toronto enough to get to know the guys. But we do know the WoB guys are good.

Plenty of dodging required to stay on two wheels, attacks are amounting to nothing, and its getting boring. Then not. Carnage unfolds on the back half, riders and bikes hurtled into the air. So many bodies in the way, its hard to see where riders are splaying. I overreact and lock up my back wheel as I slow, and feel a rider's bar hook onto my bike somewhere, somehow. Gawd, I hope he doesn't go down...I hear nothing more behind me, and all is well. Two seconds have passed. Alex is already standing, while his bike still bounced sickeningly across the grass. Iain and I agree he is ok; we can continue.

It seems like the pack is halved, but in reality, we lose something like 10 riders. Focus resumes. Only about 50 minutes have transpired.

Iain and I are both getting antsy, I can feel it. Nothing is happening. John Gee can't do it alone. Nobody else is showing the vital combination of aggression and power. With only 45 or so kilometers down, it still feels too early. I don't care about winning anymore. I'm riding at bike-path pace, if that. I just want to ride hard, somehow. Alex is out, we can't leave it to the sprint and roll the dice. 2 in 70 chance? That's crap.

A nonthreatening break is reeled in a lap later, and as I crest a rise, at the front, one of the guys remarks on the the pack's lack of attentiveness. That felt like the perfect segue into a full scale attack. No deliberation, pure pre-cognitive, reptilian reaction: GO. I skip my back wheel twice, holding back nothing, hoping only the strongest will follow. None do. Wider, wider, wider, the gap grows to 25 seconds as I realize my heart is pounding and I have to calm down. Breath. Breath. Just ride. Time trial mode is where I need to be; I tighten up my position, get narrow, and try to ride well. Not ballistic-fast; well. Tight lines, smooth effort, no braking, steady breathing. The little things. Nobody still after a lap, same gap.

After two laps I begin to understand nobody is coming up. It will be the pack or nobody. I feel good, smooth, but its still windy, and I'm averaging 42kph.  How long can I hold this? Unknown. How long should I hold this? I can't lose here. There are better and worse ways to play this. I can bury myself and hope to hold on for the 30 remaining kilometers. Odds? Not great, this is work. If I let them catch before I'm cooked, Iain should be able to counter, and I can recover in case that doesn't work. I don't want them to think I'm letting them catch me, so I stay low, keep my cadence up, and hide.

The catch is made after either 15k out alone, I can't tell. Iain goes right away! Perfect! I sit in while others make the chase, watching. The catch is made again, and my chat with Robbie Orange is over; I counter. Once that's caught, Iain goes with John Gee, three in tow. I bridge up, smack Iain and John on the ass, and hope they can accelerate enough to get on. Nope. Sitting up, things come together again, and before we know it - like, seconds later - we attack again. Neither Iain nor I know how it happened. We are in the flow state at this point, totally focused; reptiles.

We are three, and four are latching on. This is it! Lets Go guys! We have willing wheelmen, and we work together, 25k to go. The gap is 25 seconds and holding. I don't expect the pack to get organized enough to catch if we don't slow. Our comrades, two WoB, three other one-offs, are of mixed ability. The largest man, well over 6'3", had the power, but the rises hurt him. The man with the fashionable hair is good all around, while one of the WoB guys is putting in strong pulls. Iain and I want it, and they know it. We pull hard, but as smart as we can.

The gap is holding. Two laps to go, the others are trying to avoid work. They are smart. Iain and I will not accept the possibility of a catch, and they know it. We hold.

Final lap, 5k. Negative tactics are on tap, as one would expect. Iain and I, perhaps through naiivete, think a catch is still possible. But it is unlikely. We pull hard, the others hide. With 2k to go I am unwilling to leave it to the sprint, feeling I can ride away. I try: overconfident. I tow one WoB with me, the stronger. Naturally, he is disinclined to work, as would I be in the same position. I force a pass in the fourth-to-last turn, which requires slowing. He accellerates, and I wonder whether the twinges in my hip flexors will culminate in seizure. I follow, but as he kicks into the false-flat straight, I have no punch, and am forced to sit and roll it in. My fate was sealed when I failed to shake everyone in my final move....perhaps.

I roll across the line and gain a good vantage point to see the resolution for Iain and the others. Iain kicks hard against three, and takes it at the line for third spot. Excellent! He thinks I pulled it off, but alas, not this time. No regrets, rounding out the podium is an excellent result in contrast to the likely outcome of a field sprint. Not to mention, we got a quality hour of riding in, and learned a thing or three.

Congrats to Chris Firek of Wheels of Bloor for the victory, and gracious conduct. Big up to Iain for riding so well right out of illness. You are welcome for the Kombucha tip, Iain. Thanks to the CycleLogik organizing team for putting on the race! And my best wishes go out to all the riders who hit the deck. I am aware that one of the women was airlifted, which caused all of us concern. Yariv Wolfe (RwR) suffered a punctured lung, and I know we are all wishing him a full and speedy recovery. Kris Westwood and Alex Michel both knocked their heads, but I think both are ok today, which is a relief.



This Sunday will deliver the culmination of our spring classic 'campaign' (I wish we really did have a campaign...) in Almonte. The route should be splendorous in its fullness, and provide a true test of resolve, skill, and cunning. To say I, and we, are pumped, would be a gross understatement. Tire talk consumes us....

Understanding the Cyborg Cyclist

Ryan Atkins atop his Steelwool in a pretty serious stage race.

Jan Heine talks about 'planing' without saying the word in his latest blog post. The human body is a dynamic 'motor' upon a bicycle. The way the machine receives power feeds back into the source of the power, UNLIKE the manner in which an engine delivers power to a drive train  Engines don't tire; they run out of fuel. In my view, this is the fundamental misconception that large bicycle companies perpetuate in their marketing copy espousing the structural design of their products. They lead consumers to believe that the most efficient bicycle system is the one that deflects the least under pedaling load. They use test apparata to quantify their claims. Riders are thus conditioned brainwashed into believing that the stiffest platform is the fastest platform.The paradoxical thing is that in the end, the prophesy might be self-fulfilling.

Humans tire; the question is: how fast? Heine discusses his findings: stiffer and lighter bikes are not faster by virtue of these factors. Rather, they seem to fatigue the rider sooner (due to lack of yielding to the power input), reducing the overall power available for propulsion. Heine thus tacitly references planing. The titanium bike in his experiment does not harmonize with his body's pedaling rhythm, but instead loads his legs with lactic acid prematurely. He is not able to produce as much power on the lighter, stiffer bike. This is thus a slower bike than its heavier steel counterpart.

One might blame perceptual bias, but I suspect Heine's protocols are sound. Heine and his co-tester, Mark, ride steel bikes a lot. They are attuned to the rhythm and resonance of 'flexy fliers.' They know how to work with them. The both believe they are fast bikes, and prove it by riding them fast. On stiffer bikes they are less efficient. At the same time, riders who have grown up riding stiff bikes believe they are faster. These riders are attuned to the resonance of stiff bikes, and feel slower on bikes that yield more to their input. Feeling slower can mean you are slower; the rider's perception of speed versus effort can either enhance or diminish one's power output. That is, if you feel like a hero, you can eke out more power. In contrast, if you feel like a 'zero,' access to your power will be diminished; you will undermine your ability. Cue the excuses.

In the final analysis, I would contend that the fastest bike for a given rider is that which harmonizes with the rider's belief and ability. PRO racers probably really are faster on ultra stiff bikes than they would be on lively steel rigs (it would be fascinating to involve PRO racers in the same experiment Heine undertook).

Rando masters like Jan Heine probably really are faster on flexy, heavier bikes. When you get down to the bottom of the matter, there is no one set of design parameters that is ideal for ALL riders. A great bike is one that the rider feels comfortable and fast on, regardless of how that is accomplished. If you want to change it up, you are going to have to be willing to take the time to get intimate with a new platform in order to get the most from it.

This said, 23mm tires really are slower than 25s on the road. ;)

2012 in Review

A lot went down in the cycling world in 2012. Some of it was painful, some of it was enlightening, and some of it was downright sad. In our little corner of the world, cycling is thriving despite the turbulence being felt in the PRO peloton. More people are riding bikes each year around here, there are many local events to ride, and new projects are on the horizon. Here's how 2012 shaped up from my perspective.

2012 was my first winter on a fatbike. I rode my Surly Pugsley two or three times a week and figured I was setting myself up for some solid rides in Maui come March. The constant tension on the legs had to amount to god strength for the hills, right? Right, I had no issues with my joints during my trip to Maui, but the climbing I did there didn't exactly set me up for the hard training rides I'd do in late March and early April as well as I'd hoped. Instead, the lack of intensity I'd done showed, and I got destroyed on our group rides. Iain and Neil were perhaps fitter than they'd ever been in the early season, and that compounded the ass-kicking. Keep on trying, it'll come. Such was my mantra.

2012 was not a year of winning, yet it was one of my best seasons ever. It was a season of satisfaction earned through striving.



Iain, Tood and I headed down to Battenkill to kick off our season. I knew I'd suck on the climbs, but Iain would be good. As expected, I got schooled, and Iain flatted. The next day, we were back home and I earned a huge boost in confidence, along with a handful of dents in my rims - through attacking the last sector of gravel in the Clarence-Rockland Classic - and fighting off chasers to grasp the third podium spot. This was certainly one of the highlights of the season, as it exemplified the confluence of preparation and opportunity manifesting success. It feels good to take a risk, dig deep within, and meet your goal. Some seem to think racing is about winning. Its not (except for PROs, for whom it is, mostly), its about trying to win, or simply trying to realize every modicum of your potential. Maybe to even transcend what you think your potential is. Every highlight from the 2012 season involved risk taking and tenacity.

Battenkill 

Clarence-Rockland Classic

The Calabogie Classic road race later in April was an odd experience, but another boost in confidence. I rode the Cat1/2 race without any team-mates, and didn't really have a plan. The race was very aggressive at times, then docile. I missed the winning break but made the next best move in helping form the chase group with a group of much more experienced and strong guys. I put in my share of the work, and we almost caught the leaders. I finished 13th, far from the podium, but nevertheless, I was happy. You have to be there if you want to win, and I was there.

Neil's ride at the Almonte Roubaix was one of the biggest highlights of the season for me. We'd planned our strategy, and Neil had committed to an early break-away attempt. He rode through the first wooded sector brilliantly, and made his escape with Osmond Bakker. He rode hard for about 50k with Osmond while the chase group, including Iain, bided their time. Despite his massive effort, Neil still hung on for 4th. This was a massive accomplishment, demonstrating formidable mental strength on top of physical ability. I'm very proud of Neil for the way he rode the race. Iain was not able to match Aaron Fillion and Doug van dem Ham for the victory, but landed in 3rd, a laudable result, nearly pulling off our plan. Rodd rode outside himself too, and I was just left wishing I'd been able to contribute to the team. 3rd and 4th felt like a victory for the team.

Things were coming along well by the time I was in New York city for the Gran Fondo at the end of May. Our Ride of the Damned had just passed, and I was too tired to ride well. But the event was a hit, and I was feeling good in the Big Apple, and eager to ride the route. As luck would have it, I flatted while riding in the lead group and had to chase back on for about 15 minutes. Within another 5 minutes, we were on the first timed climb, and the group was going ballistic. I simply climbed, then chased back on, and continued that way until I was in the lead group of 6 riders coming into the last kilometers of the route. I'd not been able to match the pace of the fast climbers, but I put in a ride to the finish that I was proud of, having tapped my ability to maximum effect, riding with the likes of Tim Johnson and many other talented riders. It was a heck of a ride, the route was spectacular, and despite being way down on the KOM scoreboard, I couldn't be happier about the day. My sealant even sealed up my tubular so I could ride back to the hotel!

Things just got better, but not because I was winning anything. Six of us drove down to the U.S of A. in June for the Rapha Northeast Gentlemen's Race. Sure, we got hassled by the cops on the way down, but that made for great story telling. In a word, the event was incredible. It might even have been epic. If it wasn't, it was damn close. It was a ride I hope never to forget, marrying camaraderie, challenge, heartbreak, triumph, apocalyptic weather, and fashion excellence. Sure, we didn't get cut into the beautiful video, but Dave and I did get props for killing ourselves on the Strava climb. One of the best days on a bike I've experienced.

Come July, it was time to crack the Masters stage race in Sutton, QC, Les Coupes des Ameriques. Again, we didn't win anything, but the weekend was incredible. Hanging out with the guys, talking bikes, racing, and Le Tour, we were in a bubble and loving it. Todd rode an outstanding time trial, Alex was a motorcycle, Jamie worked himself over, and Iain and I just missed the podium in the circuit race. In 2013 we'll aim to do better, but at the very least, we'll take risks and have fun.

"Winning is over-rated." - Iain Radford

Later in July I rode the Ottawa Gran Fondo. I didn't blog about it because I didn't want to add to the negative feedback swirling around the interwebs. I won't ride the event again, but not because I had a bad ride. On the contrary, the ride was great. It was my first day actually hitting 200k, finishing at 223k. I've come within one or two kilometers so many times, I was happy to finally hit it. But beyond that triviality, I was able to ride with many of the strongest riders in the area for the whole 223k,



Rounding out July our Hell Climb for Kidneys went down. It was incredible. The spirit of the event was embraced and taken to 11 by numerous participants. The quality of costumery was staggering, and to be honest, heartening. I can't wait to see what people go in 2013!

August's Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee was special for a couple reasons. First, Rodd was there. Our rental car's flat could not keep him from making it down to Massachusetts for his long overdue first D2R2. Iain was along for his first too, doubling the excitement for me, as D2R2 is best enjoyed by taking in the glee exuding from your camarades as roll out of the countless dirt descents. Pascal and Chris were on tap with families at their side, along with Nathan, Dawn, and Deb, our homies. Good company: check. The second thing that made the 2012 D2R2 special was seeing the communities we rode through having bounced back from 2011's hurricane, which destroyed swaths of road and property. Roads were reconstructed, locals were out smiling and urging everyone on. It was beautiful.

Into September, the Hastings Hilly Hundred was back for a rain-filled edition. Have you ever ridden for 180km in constant rain? I hadn't. Now I have. Ditto for Rodd, Todd, and Andy. Despite 50mm of rain, the ride was outstanding. The pace was mellower than usual, conversation more intense. The ride was free of drama (mostly), but at the same time, kind of illuminating to realize how riding in the rain for 6 hours can be no big deal. Its fine. Whatever. Its wet. I enjoyed learning that. I also learned to be more careful about dropping my buddies.

Double Cross, in October was a blast. Beautiful weather, great company, Pipolinka....what more could you want in October?

Cyclocross season is now a blur. It played out differently, yet the same as 2011. I finished no worse than third in every race I did, 13 of them. I was dogged by two lung infections, with one weekend clear in between, so I never felt like I was at 100%. I found it virtually impossible to beat Steve Proulx, whom I'd been able to battle in 2011. Most of the time he was on another level. I just did what I could, and I was consistent. About that I feel good. Second overall in the series for the third tear in a row, I can only hope to pull off the win eventually. Iain's steady ascent in the ranks was a consolation. His goal was to beat me, and that he did, convincingly. Neil was out for virtually the whole season with a broken collar bone, so it was just Iain, Andy, Jim, and me out there most of the time. Fewer team-mates than we'd have liked, we still had a great season.

This run down only captures the events that stood out over 2012. Interestingly, almost every big event I did made the cut. That must be a sign that I'm doing the sort of events I ought to be doing. Most of the rides I did in Maui should be on this list. The riding there was breathtaking in every sense of the word. But in fairness, the after work hammer sessions I did with the guys on Tuesday nights were amazing too; they brought us together and made us stronger. In the end, the most satisfying experiences I had on my bike in 2012 had nothing to do with winning or being better than anyone else. They were about working together; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

2013 has begun, what adventures will it bring?

Rapha NE Gentlemen's Race Training....Epic?

Today's photos. 
also here: photos

Long day today, about 10 hours from door to door. Rodd mapped a 200k loop that would take us up and down lots of gravel and dirt roads, and a fair bit of tarmac. My Hutchinson Intensive 25mm tubeless tires finally met their match, both puncturing on the same rock and failing to seal. After about 6000km on these tires, they are now officially dead. Unless I patch them.

Today's ride was intended as training for the Rapha North East Gentlemen's Race, June 23rd. Rodd, Jamie (both on the adventure today), Alex, Todd, Dave, I will head down to New Hampshire to ride about 200k of mixed terrain in through NH and Vermont. We were fortunate enough to be selected from a pool of applicants to enter the race, alongside 19 other teams of 6. Its all about tire choice for this event, so today's test was great, in that it confirmed that I will never use the Hutchinsons for truly rough stuff again. Simply not enough volume. Vittoria Randonneur Hypers in 32 are going on soon, my next tubeless experiment.

Here's the trace. The roads up around Lac St. Marie were great, especially the gravel downhill that had our eyes rattling. Quote of the day: "Gravel eh...that doesn't sound like much fun." Exactly, we're all about doing rides that suck, it kinda our thing.

2011 Mufferaw Joe Sportif - May 1

Yeehaaaaw!

If you fancy a swell ride, hosted by the Wheelers, in the Pontiac, put your cowboy hat on and get yourself to Quyon on Sunday, May 1st. We'll have a gaggle of Tall Tree riders out for the day, and when the swelling goes down, we'll enjoy some darn fine food together at Gavans. Sankant will be aflowin, I can assure you. Here's the lowdown from the Wheelers' site:

Well, we’re off. The 2011 Mufferaw Joe Spring Sportif has us peddling up the Ottawa, not quite as far as Mattawa, on the 1st of May.
So we’re up the Valley agin’, meeting in Quyon, at Gavan’s Hotel, the ideal spot to head back to for some homemade chow and a cold brew.
The ride will be about 130 km with some good dirty sections, steady 2×2 riding and some high speed jammin’ at the end.

“Well they say Big Joe used to get real wet,
From pushing a big gear and workin’ up a sweat,
And everyone will tell you, all the way up the line,
If you’re ridin’ with the Wheelers, life’s mighty fine!”
Details:


Download the KML GPS data file
Detailed course map
Sunday, May 1, 2011
We ride rain or shine
Hot homemade meal at the end, vegetarian option
$25 for members, $30 non-members
Start/Finish is at Gavan’s Hotel: 1157 Clarendon St. Quyon, QC
No license required
08h30 registration, 10h00 start
2 groups on the road, one “steady as she goes” and the other a little peppier
be prepared for weather and mechanicals
no-one left for dead intentionally

Preregistration available via Paypal.

D2R2 review- Best Ride Evar!

I will try to make this post shortish and sweetish. Firstly, I spazzed out in the morning at the hotel room and could not find my camera, so no pics. I can assure you that we were there and the scenery was some of the best I have witnessed while riding a bicycle. I was a little nervous going into this. Some say it`s one of the toughest Randonées in North America. It was tough but it`s really in how you ride it. We all rode super low gearing (34 chainring and MTB 9 speed cassettes, mostly 34 tooth). For 90% of the ride, we were either slowly grinding away in the lowest gear up these silly steep and long climbs OR we were SCA-REAMING down these seemingly never ending, twisty-turny descents. I spent most of the time smiling and often laughing, especially going down. This was the most fun I have ever had on a bike and I am somewhat timid going downhill. By mile 90 (get this, miles take longer to tick by than kms...) we figured out that the descents are so fun and smooth because the roads are mostly 2-300 years old. A 10-15% gradient with curves originally built for horse and carriage rides much different than one made for cars. (no stupid turns once you`ve hit 75kph)
The gravel was mostly excellent and the pavement was impeccable. I felt like I
got to spend 10.5 hours in cycling heaven. That sounds long but it flew by. I can`t recommend this ride enough. I`d do it again tomorrow if I could. Thanks to Matt for doing the recon last year, for prepping us properly and for the long term loan of the big orange bike. Thanks to Glenn, Ariel and Jamie for staying positive and riding superbly. BIG -SUPER-BIG thanks to Steve aka "the Colonel" who could not make it due to sudden unfortunate circumstances but who made us wicked tulip notes. Great job Steve, We owe you beer and/or something.

Next year, prepare the best you can and do it (the full 180k); you won`t regret it.

One photo, found on flickr taken with a guy Glenn referred to as "Florida" for the duration of the ride. We met lots of other nice folks as well.

Nomological Danglers: Double Cross Un-race Report

I once took a 'philosophy of mind' course while working away at a degree in...philosophy, back in Montreal. The course could have been extremely interesting. Either I wasn't quite ready for the material, or the prof was in fact a lame duck. I can say that he wore the same black jeans, black running shoes, and black sweater every day. In addition, he had thinning long gray hair and spoke with a British accent. Classic.

As I say, some of the material for this course just didn't really resonate. However, there were at least a couple really fun terms we got to throw around:

1) Homunculus - This word and its denotation are so interesting they've left a lasting impression in my mind. In a (small) nutshell, a homunculus (in this context) is a hidden agent steering/directing the functions of the body.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homunculus

Rather than digging out my notes, I've gone to wikepedia for a quick and dirty account. Gilbert Ryle writes,

According to the legend, whenever an agent does anything intelligently, his act is preceded and steered by another internal act of considering a regulative proposition appropriate to his practical problem (Ryle 1949).

That's not really very illuminative is it? Nope. That's ok. I encourage you to do some more reading on homunculi if you are interested. That's what the interweb is for. The point is, its a really cool term.

2) Nomological dangler - This is another one that just stuck; its so distinctive. This time, wikipedia comes through with a good spiel:

Nomological danglers is a term used by Scottish-Australian philosopher Jack Smart in his articleSensations and Brain Processes. He credits the term to Herbert Feigl and his article The "Mental" and the "Physical". It refers to the occurrence of something (in this case a sensation), which does not fit into the system of established laws. He thinks that systems in which such "nomological danglers would dangle" are quite odd. In his example the nomological danglers would be sensations such that are not able to be explained by the scientific theory of brain processes. Some mental entities for example in a phenomenological field, that are not able to be found (and do not behave in the way that is expected) in physics....Smart puts forward his own theory in the form of Materialism, claiming it is a better theory, in part because it is free from these nomological danglers, making it superior in accordance with Occam's Razor.

BTW, I maintained the hyperlink on Occam's Razor because I've always loved its elegance. Check it out.

Ok, so what's the geeking out al about? Well, as a person who maintains a fascination with the many wonders of the mind, I like to pursue things that pop into my head from time to time. Once in a while, something is indeed going on below the level of awareness we call 'consciousness' that bears fruit. Dreams are sometimes productive in this way, as are intuitions. Nomological danglers popped into my mind as soon as I started thinking about this post, so I decided to follow the lead. What's the connection to Sunday's ride? Read on, I'll try to piece it together.

Like most, if not all, would be riders, I awoke on Sunday morning to +6 overcast weather, a good 4-5 degrees warmer than predicted. Very fine. After a quick breakfast, mostly brown, I 'kitted' (isn't that and annoying term?) up. I was faced with what would prove to be one of my most difficult decisions I'd make that day: which embrocation to apply. Indeed, I underwent mental gymnastics, weighing the pros and cons of capsicum versus cloves, finally arriving upon my choice: Mad Alchemy Uber Secret Coffee flavour. Its my favourite, and consequently I tend to save it for special days. Such a day it was to be. Off I went.

Five minutes later I faced an even more challenging question, quandry even: should I return home to get the maps I'd forgotten. I was already cutting it close to arriving on time, and it certainly looks bad for the organizer to show up late. Maybe I should leave them....But I photocopied them and everything! I decided there was more to lose from having riders get lost without maps than me showing up late, so I backtracked and got them.

I arrived to see a solid mass of riders assembled at Gamelin. Well, solid in number, not congealed, that is. Without much fuss, and a minimal speech we were off on the parkway.

What felt like a mellowish pace proved not quite mellow enough pretty quickly. By the time we turned onto Mine Rd. we'd already broken a few danglers off. I knew Dom and Sean were likely to be happy maintaining their own pace, so I didn't worry. They are always well prepared with routes, so I figured we'd catch up at Pipolinka. There was a bit of hammering going on up front that had to be tamed, which I managed to do one point. I was very impressed by the quality of riding in the group, numbering about 20 at this point. A few of the riders I know are not powerhouses on the road were sitting in very well, riding really smart. There was very little yo-yoing happening and we were covering ground fast.

As usual, Cross Loop was a real crowd pleaser. For the first time, I witnessed riders pass in and out of the covered bridge from atop the hill; a beautiful sight. Before we I knew it, we were pulling up to Pipolinka for a snack. It felt premature for a snack to me - we'd covered the first leg so quickly - but it was promised, and I think well appreciated by many if not all. Stronger riders tend to not realize how much a break like that helps others recover. I quite enjoyed my coffee, as I always do there.

Off to the trail past the Mill we went.

After a last minute addition of air to the tires (sorry, I should have done this earlier, like at home), we were rolling on the dirt. Ryan and Nathan pulled away immediately, never to be seen again. They expected to see some of us at some point. Nope. The rest of the group rolled toward Lac Phillipe as a group for a bit, then strung out. I pulled up the the parking lot at the lake and waited for the others to trickle in. Jamie and Neil were right there, but we soon realized there were issues further back. A lengthy wait revealed a number of flats have occurred further back. Once we were all reassembled we continued on around the lake.

‘We' is a little misleading here. In fact, a few riders dangled off the group and were completely detached. This was not realized up front until we'd pulled away from the lake. This was where the most difficult decision had to be made: do we wait?

The problem at this point was precedent. I/we'd waited the first time. I personally felt like riding with friends beyond Jamie (no offense Jamie, the more the merrier), and thought there were a lot of people riding the same pace anyway. My informal plan was to keep everyone together around the lake, then let it string out the rest of the way. Getting around the lake on the path we wanted to take is a little tricky, but getting around to the far side of the lake is pretty easy, one way or another. Unfortunately, a few riders broke off before we made a couple key turns. So when we found ourselves missing riders, I wasn't quite sure what to do. The tempation was to backtrack to find them, which Rodd and Pascal did, while the rest of us continued. But they came up empty. Later on I wanted to backtrack to get Rodd and Pascal, but they ended up catching us as I fixed a flat anyhow. In the end, the missing riders all made it home, but a couple ended up stopping to hang out, which we didn't know about. So, the lesson I take from this is that we have to follow a pretty cut and dry approach: unless explicit agreements are made between teams to wait for each other, riders should continue on with their partners, assuming those behind them will sort themselves out. Since you can't tell whether someone behind had a catastrophic failure and called in a lift home, took a shortcut home, or opted to take an hour long break, its best to just keep rolling. This lends predictability and reduces confusion. Dropped riders will know they can ditch the route and nobody will get screwed looking for them, and everyone can proceed without doubt. Again, pairings are meant to cover people - you'll know your buddy will come back for you.

Beautiful shot by Rodd.

Steve. Beer. We amassed a gaggle of riders apres at Raw Sugar on Somerset and it was great. They serve proper coffee, food, desserts and beer. New after ride spot I think (replacing our present non-existent one).

It would be rather nifty indeed if I pulled this all together and revealed how its all about nomological danglers. But its not, so I won't force it. Sure, I could work it, but the theme here is danglers, and I think that's what made me think of nomological danglers in the first place. Danglers are not unstuck, at least not all the way. They don't break off in a clean a binary manner: on/off. While a rider might well perceive they are off, unlikely to get back on, they often still dangle in the minds of those ahead. Where are they, just around the bend. They are not gone, a thread of concern psychically connect them, almost imperceptible...danglers.

If anyone else felt pretty bagged Sunday night, know that you are not alone. I cannot remember once doing an long cross bike ride on trails and not being drained at the end. Micromanaging your lines takes much more mental energy than riding a road bike on roads or an mtb on trails. Decisions are constantly being made. Its draining. Its also very rewarding. So don't think you are in worse shape than presumed; its just a case of sensation not really lining up with expectation. Not nomological, but certainly phenomenological. More on that another time.

Rodd's photos can be found here

NEWS FLASH: Sunday's ride was so much fun I can't wait to ride more trails on my Steelwool (below). After this coming Sunday's cross race, the last of the season, I hope to be able to pull off at least one more long ride before the snow sets in. I've got a couple routes in mind that would be fun (and longer) than the DC route. This would of course be an informal affair, but I'll post here if it looks like a go. I'd really like to make it out past Lac LePeche and return on the trails. You can email me at talltreerides@gmail.com if you are interested.

Some will recall I promised a post on the ride quality characteristics I had in mind for this bike. That post is sitting, waiting for a quiet time to put up. That time will come very soon. I hadn't expected to ride this bike much with full on cross tires, but took Sunday as the perfect opportunity to try it. The bikes geometry is very different in comparison to my Pinarello. While it is set up with mid-reach caliper brakes, it still fits a 34 in the front and a 32 in the back, on account of the chainstays being too narrow for my fat 34. I fell in love with this bike on Sunday. Before then, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. On the trails the bike was flawless, incredible stable while plenty nimble. I will race it on Sunday and see how I like the geometry and tubing in that context. I hope for mud for the sake of making the race harder technically, but hope my brakes don't hinder my progress if that materializes. I'll report back on this for certain. I've tipped off the Belgian Waffle man about the race, so bring some cash in case he shows up!