Velodrome Training Sunday June 19th

The Alkek Velodrome is having another training session this Sunday.  That's Father's Day so it could be a perfect bucket list present for the cyclist Dad.  You can find more details on the Velodrome's Faceboook Page and I have written about the training in the past 

Velodrome Training

Houston's Alkek Velodrome  has a training program that will certify you to race in the velodrome. The next training session is this Saturday May 21st Noon to 3:00 PM.  You can get the details from their Facebook Page which gets updated more than their web site.  They provide the instructor and bike you just need to bring your enthusiasm and bike gear.  At $20 this course is a bargain.

Ever since I first saw velodrome racing in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics I have wanted to try pedaling on the banked oval and was able to check this off the bucket-list a couple years back.  My course was designed to run Tuesday & Thursday evenings over two weeks.  We had rain delays and dates got moved around.  By the end of the sessions our group of maybe 30 had whittled down to 6 graduates.  I haven't raced since but am happy to say I gave it a try and completed the training.  Some advice:

• Get ready to ride.  There wasn't a lot of time spent getting to know you or chit-chatting.  It was hi see that line? Stay above it. Enter the track here and exit there. Now get on your bike.  We went around the warm up circle in the middle of the track a few times (my first time ever riding fixed gear) and then we were on track.  It was a little unnerving.
• Relax.  After each session my forearms were killing me.  I was squeezing the handlebars so tight because riding fixed geared, no brakes, on a bank was such a strange feeling.  When I finally relaxed and enjoyed the experience my arms and hands eased up.
• I would recommend bringing your own pedals.  When I did the training I was too lazy to take the pedals off my road bike and used the old school pedals that were on my loaner bike and wore my running shoes.  Trying to get my foot into the clips on a fixed geared bike I couldn't coast was hard.  For a couple sessions the clips I had were really old and laid smashed against the pedals making it impossible to slip my foot in.  I was already the slowest Fred (damn straight I wore my mountain bike helmet) out there and hearing the instructor yell at me to "get in the clips" didn't help.

Spring Creek Greenway

North of George Bush Airport in Spring is the Spring Creek Greenway.  Currently the Spring Creek Greenway has about 12 miles of shared-use paths with plans to expand even further.  The shared-use path along the greenway connects Dennis-Johnston Park, Pundt Park, and Jesse Jones Park.  This path is just winding enough to keep a cyclist interested, and even has some small elevation changes. For someone who rides through George Bush Park all the time it is refreshing to have to pay attention to the curves in the road and shift gears occasionally. The scenery is great.  And just like G Bush and other bayou trails it is great to not have to worry about cars and their texting operators.

I parked at Pundt Park and started heading East from there

View from parking lot at Pundt Park

Start of the shared-use path

 Beautiful scenery, smooth well paved, fun winding path.  This one is a recommended ride.  Enjoy some pictures:

New Route- Katy-Fulshear-Brookshire-Katy 35 miles

I've ridden my road bike a little over 1,100 miles so far this year and I estimate over 600 of those miles have been through George Bush Park.  Time for a change huh?  So I recommended to my group we do a ride starting at Sun & Ski in Katy Mills Mall.  Now notice I didn't say, do the Sun & Ski weekend ride.  That would require getting up and rolling out of the parking lot by seven a.m.  I'm not a morning person and and neither are the rest of the crew.  Seven  in the morning isn't happening.

So the plan was to meet at 8:30 a.m. for a 35 mile ride.  New route, fresh ground!  The route would be South to FM1093, then West to Fulshear, and North on FM 359 cutting over to FM 1489 at Hunt Rd, and back North to Brookshire, then back East to Katy Mills along Highway 90.  The route:

We had ridden the areas around Fulshear with the Energy Riders training group and I was looking forward to the scenic country roads.  This is an area that sees a lot of bike traffic, so I always feel comfortable knowing I can get help in a pinch and the auto traffic won't freak out at the site of a guy on a bike- well for the most part.

We got a little turned around leaving Katy Mills and ended up on a dead end road and switching directions a couple times.  I suppose you could blame me for suggesting a route I didn't know, but I am finger pointing at the guy who said he would print, and bring a map of the route, and didn't show up.  Amazingly at one point we were trying to make a left in the middle of a semi-busy Katy Flewellen (not sure the street) and a guy in a new BMW actually stopped and patiently waited for us to make our turn.  A polite BMW driver!! Can you believe it?

Not quite ready for a cyclocross session

The day has a decent head wind along FM 1463 and it got a little too hot at the end of the ride.  I burned through my two water bottles and was pretty gassed by the time I got to my car in the shopping mall lot.  I went into Sun & Ski and got some advice on better routes South which we'll try next time.  Also with this heat we have decided we'll need to try and become morning people.  Next ride is this Sunday June 1st... leaving at 7:45 a.m.

Advice On Starting Riding Road Bikes

The other day at work I was in the elevator with one of our executives and he said he was thinking about doing next years MS 150 with his daughter.  We had a quick chat about training and bikes and he asked if I could email him some information.  I thought I would share here.  Let me know your thoughts...

Next year’s MS 150 ride is April 18 & 19^th.  If you and your daughter started riding one day a weekend in January, and towards the end of March did a couple back to back weekend rides, you would both be in great shape for finishing the MS 150.  We had people who only rode a couple training rides and still managed to finish the ride.  Finishing shouldn’t be an issue. I think it is more about being comfortable and enjoying the ride which is easier with the more training time you get on the bike.

As for the bike, I always tell people cycling is a lot like golf in that as you get more involved, there is always a new gadget or better piece of equipment you will want.  And it is never cheap.  An entry level road bike from one of the big manufacturers like Fuji or Giant will run you about $650.  If you go with Specialized, Bianchi, Trek, or similar it is probably around $800.  I know people who swear by carbon fiber bikes; but personally, I don’t think they are good $$ spent for beginning road riders.  Chances are you are going to bang the bike around a bit, maybe even fall over while trying to get out of your  pedals, and an aluminum bike will handle that better. 

When I decided I would buy a road bike (I had been commuting on my mountain bike) I knew I would use it a lot, so I bought a more upgraded bike and spent $1,400.  I focused on the group-set (brakes, shifters, crank, derailleur, etc).  If you decided to buy above the entry level that is what I would suggest instead of focusing on frame material.  I’ve ridden my bike just over 1,000 miles since I bought it in January and haven’t had to fix or adjust anything.  The other teammates that bought entry level bikes, and used them a lot, are now having to fix parts on their derailleurs or brakes, etc.  To me not having to mess with the bike is worth extra $$.  If you are going to spend above entry level I would say go with a 105 groupset or better (chart below).  Of course the entry level bikes are just fine- see the golf analogy?

Intended Use	Shimano Models	SRAM Models
Entry level	Sora
General use level	Tiagra	Apex
Mid-range level	105	Rival
High-end enthusiast level	Ultegra	Force
Pro race level	Dura Ace	Red

For the basics, you will need:

Bike                                                       $650+

Helmet                                                 $50+

Clipless pedals                                   $50+

Shoes                                                    $80+

2X Water bottles                              $20

@x Bottle cages                                $20+

Shorts                                                   $50+

Jersey                                                   $60+

Gloves                                                  $20

Saddle bag w/repair kit                 $60

Back warning light                            $15

                                                                $1,075 + tax

Nice extras:

Bike computer                                  $40+

Floor pump                                         $40+

I could go on and on but I think this should cover the info you were looking for.  Feel free to ask me any questions.  I love this stuff.  I hope you and your daughter decide to join the team.  We had a great group last year and all 15 members said they would do the ride again next year.

 

Energy Riders MS 150 Training Week 8

Energy Riders MS 150 Bike Ride Training Week 8

This last Sunday we were back out in Waller.  We started further North than previous rides at the Waller Auxiliary Stadium.  This is just on the South side of the I-10 and one of the official MS 150 starting points the New Waller Stadium.  We did the full 51 miles route heading North around Prairie View and back into Waller.  The ride was mostly flat with well paved roads and good shoulders and a chill population used to seeing bicyclist.  That said, along  FM 1488 we had a duly pass us too close, he seemed determined to pass us without crossing double yellow in the middle and damn tough if the pinkos in tight pants on bikes don't like it, and a few minutes later another big pickup honked at us as we were preparing to pass a slower rider.  I say two incidents on one short stretch of road is more than coincidence and would reroute myself when I come back.

Starting point of our ride at Waller Auxiliary Stadium

One of the three break points

Third break point looking out at roads