tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post5388400076659617602..comments2024-03-29T04:01:31.445-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Hill Training: My Epic Semi-FailVelouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55230482181964442192012-05-27T23:01:22.927-04:002012-05-27T23:01:22.927-04:00I'd hardly call that failing. You just made a...I'd hardly call that failing. You just made a new climbing route.<br /><br />What street did ride up to Park Circle (the concrete water tower)? Park Ave or Eastern/Spring (goes by the park and has views of Boston at the top)? I've done Eastern/Spring 5 times (up/down/repeat) prior to the 2009 D2R2. It made the D2R2 a lot easier. But I had 30/39/50 and 12/27 gearing and used the 30/27 combination on all of the steep pitches on Eastern.New England Bicyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609454624593868118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-10353629191443394412012-01-11T03:13:17.734-05:002012-01-11T03:13:17.734-05:00What's a big hill? It's all a matter of pe...What's a big hill? It's all a matter of perspective and experience. A 300 ft gain in a mile? Eh, put three of those in a row (interspersed with what amounts to mile of mostly flat) and you've got what I call my "daily commute." <br /><br />Sure it was hell at first, but one adapts fairly quickly. <br /><br />And one buys a freewheel with a 34-tooth cog closest to the spokes. Leave work at 5pm and at 5:40, you're home and mixing cocktails.Downtown Hotelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16240613843214618555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-88929754509920262022011-12-31T02:35:02.273-05:002011-12-31T02:35:02.273-05:00As a dweller of a hilly mountainous area, welcome ...As a dweller of a hilly mountainous area, welcome to hill climbing. When I moved here I stopped riding for a few years because of the steep steep roads. I later moved to a less hilly area and began biking again, and riding to the area I used to live that scared me off my bike. Now I can bike those roads! At first I hated them, and still avoid the monsters. I can avoid most hills on my work commute so usually do not encounter the big hills. But, the thing is, your body gets used to it, it becomes easier and then no big deal at all. So, while you felt like barfing at one point, if you do the same ride again, it will be easier.<br />Mind you, Bowen Island is a lovely island nearby that I sometimes visit with my bike. It is insanely hilly. Each time I go I try to explore a new area, and in some cases regret going to some areas because the hills are endless and barf inducing. But I never actually throw up, or pass out or collapse.<br />Have fun!Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89510078897801825042011-12-24T12:46:20.477-05:002011-12-24T12:46:20.477-05:00Well done Velouria! I have been told that the path...Well done Velouria! I have been told that the path through the hills is initially hate towards them, then acceptance, then somehow people learn to love them. I am somewhere around acceptance. I enjoy reading your perspective on it, you inspire me to keep going. It's sort of like, wow if this cool lady can do this then so can I. There are many metaphors about life in riding and hill climbing I tell you.<br /><br />There is a route through San Francisco known as the Wiggle, it takes you around the hills (not up them) from downtown into the Western part of the city, where I live. About six months ago, a friend told me that she gave up on the Wiggle and started taking the more direct route up Page St, which has a very steep hill. <br /><br />At first I thought she was crazy, then I considered it, then I did it. And I haven't looked back. Taking this hill every day has made me a much stronger rider. Some days I walk it and I feel no shame, I feel that this is a path as much towards self acceptance as anything. It builds confidence, for me anyway. <br /><br />It is truly wonderful to read about your experience. I like the cast of characters as well: Somervillian, GRJ, the cat. Maybe one day I'll get to Boston, or you kids could come to SF and we could go for a ride.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09868420766305024247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-63556024784520202792011-12-24T01:13:27.069-05:002011-12-24T01:13:27.069-05:00It's really nice to see photos of that water t...It's really nice to see photos of that water tower. I used to live half a mile from there, on that very hill. I climbed it twice per day when I rode my bike out to Waltham (Concord Ave has plenty of other hills on the way, too) to work. The stretch up Park Ave from the Minuteman was steep enough that I walked it a few times, but it had nothing on the other side of the hill. Clifton St in Belmont goes straight up the side from Pleasant St, and it may as well have been a sheer rock face.<br /><br />I sure do miss Arlington.Merlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13350335129704993638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-79539238001710230742011-12-23T17:24:11.574-05:002011-12-23T17:24:11.574-05:00I'm personally not too keen on clipless pedals...I'm personally not too keen on clipless pedals because I don't like being restricted to just riding in the cycling shoes with the SPD cleats. With old fashioned clips and straps you can ride in sneakers or old style cycling shoes with nailed on cleats or even modern cycling shoes with cleats that screw on to the mounting holes intended for SPD cleats. The trick to living with them is knowing how tight to have the straps and when, like not tight at all in city traffic.Don McMahanhttp://www.softirishrain.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-71186057448592633432011-12-23T16:46:53.054-05:002011-12-23T16:46:53.054-05:00Those are some big hills...I live in a fairly flat...Those are some big hills...I live in a fairly flat part of the country and we don't have climbs anywhere near that good. Climbing is a great way to build strength and speed. BTW 39 26 is not a very low gear. I use a 36 25 most days. For hills like those, I would throw on a cassette with a 28.Duyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613299526397793617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-21210892307209839692011-12-23T16:37:56.684-05:002011-12-23T16:37:56.684-05:00Hey John, I appreciate the compliment and your per...Hey John, I appreciate the compliment and your perspective. We're on the same page wrt the stupid shoes. <br />Merry Christmas to you as well.Ground Round Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103163385322185034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-74043129147139856672011-12-23T16:16:53.055-05:002011-12-23T16:16:53.055-05:00Steve - Sure. Most of the things I have done on a ...Steve - Sure. Most of the things I have done on a bicycle over the past 3 years would have been inconceivable before - first and foremost among them riding in traffic. Once I managed that. nothing really seemed impossible.<br /><br />The first 50 mile ride I did was 2 months or so after I started cycling. It was in Austria, on a crappy hybrid bike and I blew my knees so that afterward I could not ride for weeks. But it was super fun. <br /><br />The impulse to go fast and far was there almost form the start, but my skills had to catch up. <br /><br />Oh and the Moser objects to you questioning his loveliness. It is actually an extremely beautiful, handmade Italian lugged steel frame that is only cosmetically shabby. I brought it with me from Austria a year and a half ago (see <a href="http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/08/meet-my-new-cycling-coach-francesco.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>).Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-38714433978033737672011-12-23T16:06:45.719-05:002011-12-23T16:06:45.719-05:00Speaking as a long-term reader of - oh - at least ...Speaking as a long-term reader of - oh - at least 4 weeks, it does seem that what started out as merely an appreciation of sedate and civilised machines has morphed slightly into almost a personal odyssey. After all, granted the Moser is lovely, but is it Lovely? I'm a little sad, because as time has gone by (I've read the blog mostly chronologically) the original charming naiivity has inevitably drained away, leaving the need to replace it with new hurdles and unknowns. Never mind the hill-climb, you tossed a throwaway comment about a '50-mile recovery ride' up there! Am I wrong, or would that have been inconceivable when you started? There was probably a time not too long ago when you wouldn't have known a toe-clip from a pipe-wrench.<br /><br />Guess this must always be the way, everything must progress, but nevertheless it sort of feels like a condensed version of your child growing up. There's a small pang of sadness mixed with the joy of hope and optimism. I'm loving every post, and I'm sure your growing band of followers worldwide is too.Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-37791192725942922322011-12-23T15:57:26.032-05:002011-12-23T15:57:26.032-05:00One more. It's not that you could be funny GRJ...One more. It's not that you could be funny GRJ. You are funny. Enjoy your writing immensely. <br />Merry ChristmasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-60618415250949955842011-12-23T15:51:55.667-05:002011-12-23T15:51:55.667-05:00GRJ-
I'll go one more round if V has the pati...GRJ-<br /><br />I'll go one more round if V has the patience for this.<br /><br />The old shoes had two big problems.<br />First was they didn't fit everyone. Schwinn warehouse had Detto, Raleigh warehouse had Detto, anything else was only marginally available at all. You could visit Oscar or Spence or Tommy or Mel in person or you could go to Italy if the Detto last did not make you happy. Of course there were bike shop clowns ready to call you a Fred if your feet did not line up.<br /><br />Second problem was marketing. Which amounted to "We are the racing fraternity. These are the shoes. Technically they are for sale. We might take your money." Which ticked off a lot of bike riders but actually made a great deal of sense. There were only so many cobblers sitting at benches. Skilled labor is not fungible. Repeat skilled labor is not fungible. There were Americans volunteering to start at the top and be frame builders, there was a surprising cohort of racers making racing exciting, there were no apprentice cobblers. The old shoe factories operated on generational timeframes, getting product to fickle Americans this season right now was not a priority. We should be happy we got anything.<br /><br />Then when availability started to improve a little all at once there's new pedals that need totally new soles that are 99.9% incompatible with what's gone before. And here we are.<br /><br />Excuse me if I am not impressed by current marketing. I don't care about the laser. I care about the eye guiding the laser. More than half of consumer satisfaction is how the product is promoted in the first place. There's brilliant marketing now. The product does not measure up. And it doesn't matter to sales how good or bad the product is. Even at "pro" level the shoes on the market now are used Chinese dog food. Even from the old reliable source all I can say is those Romanian shoes should not have Dino's name on them and the Italian-made product is suffering. I've seen very capable workmanship out of Korea, I haven't seen a good design. In the meantime customers are happy because they don't know better and a bike ride with 3rd rate bike shoes is still a bike ride and it's fun. Most customers walk out of the store with a shoe two sizes too big and I won't be the one to retrain them. I need at most two more pair of shoes before checkout time and they've already been made.<br /><br />Name's John. Just a Luddite who can't tame Blogger.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-34350055251923874952011-12-23T12:27:59.772-05:002011-12-23T12:27:59.772-05:00GJ on those hills I say. Your body is not used to ...GJ on those hills I say. Your body is not used to handling them and your bike isn't optimally set up for them either. I suck on hills because I don't care to do the necessary training for them. I am sure you know how you could set up the bike with better gearing and clippless if you wanted.<br />The reason it felt so awful was as others have said because you went over your lactic acid threshold for too long.<br />In highschool I threw up after 400m runs where I didn't warm up properly and didn't keep jogging afterwards. Several others had similar experiences and I am pretty sure what you felt was pretty much the same thing. If you want to do those hills faster you could do intervals or more climbing. Raising your lactic acid threshold level can be rather unpleasant however and some people who focus their training on it sort of burn out and take quite some time to recover (those people train ALOT though). Another thing you could do, and this will be easier with lower gearing, is trying to learn the feeling of when you go over your threshold and stay below it. While this will mean slowing down somewhat on hills, your average pace will be higher because you can't keep a decent pace for long with lactic acid buildup; not due to psyche issues but due to how your cells work.Johan Tnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-17214727872966119862011-12-23T11:56:07.803-05:002011-12-23T11:56:07.803-05:00You should get Jan's new Rene Herse crank with...You should get Jan's new Rene Herse crank with 44-28 chainrings. I have a 44 big ring and never really get spun out at 44-12 (I just don't pedal above 35mph). And a 28 small ring will give you very low gearing for short steep climbs, even if you keep the same cassette in the back. It's light and compatible with modern 9 and 10 speed drivetrains.<br /><br />I have a 44-28 Nervar crank on my rando bike and it works great for me, especially climbing steep hills near the end of long brevets.Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07773710747042305720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-38419112920113389522011-12-23T11:21:36.925-05:002011-12-23T11:21:36.925-05:00Oh yeah, forgot to mention that's a really gre...Oh yeah, forgot to mention that's a really great picture of you, even though you look a little ticked...mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-56115241776028219942011-12-23T11:15:47.050-05:002011-12-23T11:15:47.050-05:00I've done clipless and I eventually switched b...I've done clipless and I eventually switched back to Power Grips, mostly for the convenience of being able to hop on my bike and ride around the neighborhood with my daughter or the old Campy fanatic down the block. Clipless are a little better than Power Grips but not that much. On club rides (C+, B on occasion), I'm generally the only one out there without clipless pedals and I usually ride toward the front of the pack. MTB style shoes with stiff soles help maximize power transfer with regular pedals. I agree with the other posters who said gearing is more important than pedal choice. <br /><br />I ride in the Delaware Valley in NJ and PA. I have a 48/34 crankset and a 14-25 rear cassette that gets me up almost everything except Federal Twist in Kingswood (that's a BEAST). I'm now in process of swapping out the 18T cog in the middle of my cassette to stick a 28T cog on the back, which should in theory help get me up Federal Twist. I bet if you went with a compact crankset and a wider cassette, it'd help you too... probablty a lot more than clipless pedals.mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-68408382377326121702011-12-23T01:01:28.964-05:002011-12-23T01:01:28.964-05:00MHO is you done good,my friend! You thought you co...MHO is you done good,my friend! You thought you couldn't,was feeling like giving in,and went on ahead,good show!<br /><br />Where we lived before here couldn't even really be considered "rural",it was just flat out in the sticks,LOL,and my regular road loop (well,"out n back'er",about 30 miles total) was upill half the time both ways...you rode up to the halfway point,down to the end,then turned around and came back. the mid-point hill was heinous,and I hated it,but felt a little pride each time I made it without stopping :)<br /><br />Disabled CyclistAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-3125136316203046682011-12-22T23:41:04.040-05:002011-12-22T23:41:04.040-05:00Anon again, who am I talking to anyway? Same anon...Anon again, who am I talking to anyway? Same anon or dif?<br /><br />Ok, I'll play. Leather absorbs sweat and stretches. It does not breathe as well. My modern cleats have adjustable float, at whatever angle my peg leg likes. <br /><br />Biomechanics a cobbler adjusts isn't exactly cutting edge. He can't see how your hip, knee and ankle line up with laser precision, can he? What does a pie have to do with it anyway?<br /><br />Look, I applaud you for being able to use the old stuff, that's great. But for most people the new stuff works better. I'm anxious to see V try these with real cleats, actually. <br /><br />I could be really funny.Ground Round Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103163385322185034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-57902311048256258152011-12-22T23:29:33.319-05:002011-12-22T23:29:33.319-05:00GRJ-
All those things you point to as features of...GRJ-<br /><br />All those things you point to as features of contemporary shoes have always been available. Touting breathable materials as something new? Leather is breathable. Leather always was breathable. Float? Get a file and do some shaping on your cleat. Most of the rest of what you're talking about was taken care of by craft and skill, quality materials . Biomechanics is what a cobbler does, he just doesn't spin it.<br /><br />I had a pair of Carnac shoes from the early 80s, kangaroo leather with ostrich lining, that was lighter than anything now marketed. <br /><br />I have been stuck in my pedals exactly once. D-A 7401 pedal got some kind of local sand/grit in the mech. With a single strap and light cleats darned if I know how you could get stuck.<br /><br />We used to have a running skirmish with the zebras over the rule said you had to wear white socks. The rule, when enforced, got dodged all kinds of ways. My fave was cutting off an inch of sock cuff and gluing it to my ankle with tire latex. It never occurred to us that our shoes were not so comfortable and so perfectly shaped to our feet that we would need a sock. Insoles?!! Dead weight. If you need an insole you're only covering up for a badly made shoe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-88636041196198104182011-12-22T22:50:02.108-05:002011-12-22T22:50:02.108-05:00The sun arose picturesquely over the local Dunkin ...<i>The sun arose picturesquely over the local Dunkin Donuts parking lot...</i><br /><br />Ah, I miss New England. I think I saw my share of sunrises (and sets) at Ye Old Dunkin's "Back in the Day." Unfortunately, not with bikes.<br /><br />Do they still have that "No, we're not a Dunkin' Donuts" Dunkin' Donuts in Harvard Square?adventure!https://www.blogger.com/profile/11840448827760637569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-91623544749754907962011-12-22T22:35:53.773-05:002011-12-22T22:35:53.773-05:00V
There are country to country variations in the ...V<br /><br />There are country to country variations in the Euro sizing system. I'm only familiar with Italian. Italian for athletic shoes (at least) doesn't do separate men's & women's. There used to be German shoe stores in Chicago, I got all confused. They were too wide anyway. German and French made Adidas, when those existed, were the same as Italian.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-91442923798448056442011-12-22T22:03:26.730-05:002011-12-22T22:03:26.730-05:00Is confusing. From what I gather the sizes are not...Is confusing. From what I gather the sizes are not the same, but sometimes they overlap due to manufacturer variability. My memory of it (from having lived in Europe and bought both W&M shoes) is that they are not the same but close enough to be super confusing. Just gotta try them on.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55881282901109252512011-12-22T21:59:01.983-05:002011-12-22T21:59:01.983-05:00I am looking forward to this. Should be good.I am looking forward to this. Should be good.Ground Round Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103163385322185034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-85762562493210924112011-12-22T21:52:50.617-05:002011-12-22T21:52:50.617-05:00"37 is 37 men's or women's"
Hmm...<i>"37 is 37 men's or women's"</i><br /><br />Hmm. I was pretty sure that's not the case, but I guess I can look into it using the popular search engine.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-91143974420980568902011-12-22T21:48:41.226-05:002011-12-22T21:48:41.226-05:00Obviously, the nails were too long. Yes, the last...Obviously, the nails were too long. Yes, the last is narrow - why wouldn't I want bound feet? Hm. I'll have to think about that. <br />Thanks for the lecture about the history I lived regarding cleats. You see the sport, and its equipment, have moved on. Things like metatarsal buttons, shims, float, advanced biomechanics, being rigid while comfortable, lighter, breathable materials, no laces. You know, little things like that that make cycling more enjoyable and knee problems minimized. You wouldn't know these things, of course.<br /><br />Engagement - yeah, I imagine forgetting to loosen a strap after a set of hard intervals while entering the city didn't make generations of cyclists pucker. Now? You just pop it out. <br /><br />Welcome to 2011.Ground Round Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103163385322185034noreply@blogger.com