This is one of those "Let my life serve as an example" sort of posts. :D
I'm usually pretty good about keeping an eye on chain wear so that I don't have to do a wholesale drivetrain "upgrade" but failed miserably this time. I hadn't messed with the chain on the fat fixie for wayyyyyy tooo long. I went to put a new chain on last night and when I went for a shakedown ride, all I heard was crunching and grinding out of a perfectly clean and partially new drivetrain. What should have been a $20 fix ended up costing me $150.
Background: As your ride, your chain stretches and wears. If you don't clean your chain often, that process happens quicker. If you ride with a chain that is stretched and worn, the cogs (gears in the back) and the chainrings (gears in the front) wear to match the longer, worn out chain. When you finally do get around to replacing your chain, the bike will no longer pedal or shift correctly. Any time you put pressure on the pedals, the gears will pop and grind.
The "solution": If you've waited too long the only solution is to change the chain, chainrings and cogs all at once. That gets expensive. One reason you see seemingly nice, lower-end bikes on Craigslist at a good deal is that someone paid $500 for a new bike two years ago, ignored the chain and just heard from their mechanic that is going to cost $300 to replace chain, cogs and chainrings. Buyer beware!
How do I avoid this?: There are many companies that make tools that measure how much your chain has worn. They're simple to use and quite reliable. Use them frequently... especially if you ride when it is wet or don't clean your chain often. When the gauge says that your chain should be replaced... or is getting close to needing to be replaced, buy a new chain and do it!!! The fix is easy to do. It is a great job for someone wanting to start doing their own repairs.
Links:
Chain wear gauge: http://www.parktool.com/product/chain-wear-indicator-CC-3-2
Chain wear video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pUgHM8HU2Q
Everything you ever wanted to know about chains and much, much more from Sheldon Brown (MHRIP): http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html
Hope that is somewhat helpful.
Love,
Pete
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Dirty Kanza 200 race with the Service Course/ World Bicycle Relief team.
Dirty Kanza is a 200 mile, gravel road race in the Flint Hills surrounding Emporia, Kansas. There are 3 checkpoints on the race course where racers can get supplies and help from their support crew (which they must provide). The checkpoints are also where racers get the directions to the next checkpoint. The course is marked, but the maps that are handed out at the beginning of each sector are what really guide you. People think of Kansas as flat, but this year's Kanza route climbed over 12,000 feet during the 200 miles. The climbs were not particularly steep, but the constant undulation takes its toll over the miles.
I raced Dirty Kanza with a group from the Service Course/ World Bicycle Relief team put together by my friend Nick Legan. Nick, Kristen Peterson, Chris Case and Jess D'Amato are often part of the Service Course team. For this event Rebecca Rusch and I were invited to join for this event. World Bicycle Relief is a COOL organization that realizes the power of the bicycle to improve people's lives. In Africa, a bicycle means access to education, health care and employment. WBR sends purpose-built bicycles to people in need in Africa, teaches mechanics and helps start cottage industries around bicycles in these areas. A $134 donation sends a bike to Africa. $50 provides a tool kit and training to use it. $20 provides replacement wheels (the most common part to wear out) to people in need. So far over 130,000 bikes have been sent through this program. Our goal is to send 200 more. Your help is appreciated.
Donation Link: http://action.worldbicyclerelief.org/page/outreach/view/individual/DK200
Kansas? What the heck is there to ride in Kansas??? Hundreds of miles of beautiful dirt roads in many different forms is the answer to that question. There are well-maintained gravel roads and others that could best be described as "farm tracks". There are plenty of B roads... some C and even a few D roads. The other thing you need to be prepared for is how lovely the terrain is. There had been plenty of rain in the weeks leading up to the race so the entire countryside was lush and green. Wildflowers were in bloom. You cannot imagine how huge a Kansas sky is until you see one. Panoramic photos can give a small feel for what Kansas feels like, but they don't really give you the true impact of a small ribbon of gravel road stretching off to the horizon rolling over hill after hill after hill. It is lovely to see, and somewhat ominous to ride.
Weather conditions for this year's event were both perfect and awful. Temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s were perfect. Riding over 100 miles into an 18mph headwind, however, often in long stretches, is never easy. Most of sector 2 was either into a strong headwind or with a diagonal headwind... which is often worse. After a 9 mile "breather" heading out of the wind, sector 3 treated us to almost 40 miles of uninterrupted headwinds.
The team had a GREAT day! Christopher Case took 14th overall and was in the lead pack for quite a bit of time. Rebecca won the Women's division for the second year. Kristen was 4th. Nick was 4th in Single Speed class. If I'm not mistaken, Jess had her longest ride ever.
My successes were different. I rode well and finished strong, though not in the time that I would have liked. I had 6 flats... after the 4th flat I devoted my ride to helping others out along their ride. I stopped and checked on people and made sure they had what the needed. I helped fix a bunch of flats. I helped a guy who had started talking to unicorns connect with his support crew. After night fell, I lead a pack for the last 10-15 miles because I had very good lights and many of them did not. I finished 148th out of 670. In a race where barely half the field finished, that's a good thing.
Amazing things about this race:
The community of Emporia, Kansas is truly remarkable. I'm not just talking about the cycling community… I'm talking EVERYONE! We drove into town late on Thursday night and were greeted by bank signs that said "Welcome DK200 Riders!" and banners hung along the main streets. Riding to registration in the morning I had 2 or 3 people drive by and roll down their windows to welcome me and thank me for riding. Walking through town EVERY shop had some special or way of welcoming DK200 riders. Everyone wanted to stop and talk to us. When you consider there were 1000 people in town for the ride, there were a lot of locals doing a lot of welcoming. That's very different than the way Washington, DC locals greet tourists.
The next funny thing about the race had to do with some of the VIPs taking part in the race. There were some big time, famous racers showing up for this event. All the serious Gravel Grinder contenders were here. Some pros and journalists showed up too. The Emporia Gazette honored them by doing trading cards for 20 of the top or notable riders. Somehow I got tossed into that mix. Everyone else had serious racer photos for their trading card… they were represented their sponsors well and responsibly. Since I don't race and have no sponsors, my card looked a little different.
The trading cards were each sponsored by a local business. People who wanted trading cards had to go around to all the local businesses and pick up their card. I had fun going around and seeing all the different cards in businesses. I did some shopping to support the local businesses. It was a great idea! Many of the racers were given a stack of cards, so we didn't have to collect. There was an official signing session in front of the Granada Theater. I had fun signing a few cards and getting some of my cards signed. It was silly and fun.
Talking to people about World Bicycle Relief was great. Being around people who are passionate about bikes is always wonderful. Sharing with people how 1 bicycle can change the life of a family and community is inspiring… especially when folks respond by donating to a great cause. We raised a lot of money and awareness in the "Tent of Awesome" as Nick called it. :D
Arguably my favorite part of the weekend was spending time reconnecting with friends that I hadn't seen for over a year. I'm a sap that way. :D There were a lot of people that I'd met through Ride on Washington and the National Bike Summit that I hadn't seen outside the internet. Spending time turning a pedal, flapping jaw or drinking a beer does my heart good! Y'all are amazing.
As always... Epic rides result in epic piles of stinky laundry….
I'm honestly not sure this weekend could have been more perfect!
Thanks for reading!
Pete
I raced Dirty Kanza with a group from the Service Course/ World Bicycle Relief team put together by my friend Nick Legan. Nick, Kristen Peterson, Chris Case and Jess D'Amato are often part of the Service Course team. For this event Rebecca Rusch and I were invited to join for this event. World Bicycle Relief is a COOL organization that realizes the power of the bicycle to improve people's lives. In Africa, a bicycle means access to education, health care and employment. WBR sends purpose-built bicycles to people in need in Africa, teaches mechanics and helps start cottage industries around bicycles in these areas. A $134 donation sends a bike to Africa. $50 provides a tool kit and training to use it. $20 provides replacement wheels (the most common part to wear out) to people in need. So far over 130,000 bikes have been sent through this program. Our goal is to send 200 more. Your help is appreciated.
Donation Link: http://action.worldbicyclerelief.org/page/outreach/view/individual/DK200
Kansas? What the heck is there to ride in Kansas??? Hundreds of miles of beautiful dirt roads in many different forms is the answer to that question. There are well-maintained gravel roads and others that could best be described as "farm tracks". There are plenty of B roads... some C and even a few D roads. The other thing you need to be prepared for is how lovely the terrain is. There had been plenty of rain in the weeks leading up to the race so the entire countryside was lush and green. Wildflowers were in bloom. You cannot imagine how huge a Kansas sky is until you see one. Panoramic photos can give a small feel for what Kansas feels like, but they don't really give you the true impact of a small ribbon of gravel road stretching off to the horizon rolling over hill after hill after hill. It is lovely to see, and somewhat ominous to ride.
Weather conditions for this year's event were both perfect and awful. Temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s were perfect. Riding over 100 miles into an 18mph headwind, however, often in long stretches, is never easy. Most of sector 2 was either into a strong headwind or with a diagonal headwind... which is often worse. After a 9 mile "breather" heading out of the wind, sector 3 treated us to almost 40 miles of uninterrupted headwinds.
The team had a GREAT day! Christopher Case took 14th overall and was in the lead pack for quite a bit of time. Rebecca won the Women's division for the second year. Kristen was 4th. Nick was 4th in Single Speed class. If I'm not mistaken, Jess had her longest ride ever.
My successes were different. I rode well and finished strong, though not in the time that I would have liked. I had 6 flats... after the 4th flat I devoted my ride to helping others out along their ride. I stopped and checked on people and made sure they had what the needed. I helped fix a bunch of flats. I helped a guy who had started talking to unicorns connect with his support crew. After night fell, I lead a pack for the last 10-15 miles because I had very good lights and many of them did not. I finished 148th out of 670. In a race where barely half the field finished, that's a good thing.
Amazing things about this race:
The community of Emporia, Kansas is truly remarkable. I'm not just talking about the cycling community… I'm talking EVERYONE! We drove into town late on Thursday night and were greeted by bank signs that said "Welcome DK200 Riders!" and banners hung along the main streets. Riding to registration in the morning I had 2 or 3 people drive by and roll down their windows to welcome me and thank me for riding. Walking through town EVERY shop had some special or way of welcoming DK200 riders. Everyone wanted to stop and talk to us. When you consider there were 1000 people in town for the ride, there were a lot of locals doing a lot of welcoming. That's very different than the way Washington, DC locals greet tourists.
The next funny thing about the race had to do with some of the VIPs taking part in the race. There were some big time, famous racers showing up for this event. All the serious Gravel Grinder contenders were here. Some pros and journalists showed up too. The Emporia Gazette honored them by doing trading cards for 20 of the top or notable riders. Somehow I got tossed into that mix. Everyone else had serious racer photos for their trading card… they were represented their sponsors well and responsibly. Since I don't race and have no sponsors, my card looked a little different.
The trading cards were each sponsored by a local business. People who wanted trading cards had to go around to all the local businesses and pick up their card. I had fun going around and seeing all the different cards in businesses. I did some shopping to support the local businesses. It was a great idea! Many of the racers were given a stack of cards, so we didn't have to collect. There was an official signing session in front of the Granada Theater. I had fun signing a few cards and getting some of my cards signed. It was silly and fun.
Talking to people about World Bicycle Relief was great. Being around people who are passionate about bikes is always wonderful. Sharing with people how 1 bicycle can change the life of a family and community is inspiring… especially when folks respond by donating to a great cause. We raised a lot of money and awareness in the "Tent of Awesome" as Nick called it. :D
 |
| Jess D'Amato, my Service Course/World Bicycle Relief teammate |
Arguably my favorite part of the weekend was spending time reconnecting with friends that I hadn't seen for over a year. I'm a sap that way. :D There were a lot of people that I'd met through Ride on Washington and the National Bike Summit that I hadn't seen outside the internet. Spending time turning a pedal, flapping jaw or drinking a beer does my heart good! Y'all are amazing.
As always... Epic rides result in epic piles of stinky laundry….
I'm honestly not sure this weekend could have been more perfect!
Thanks for reading!
Pete
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Rice Cakes on the Road
I've really had good results cooking and preparing ride food from the Feed Zone Cookbook and Feed Zone Portables Cookbook. I've liked it so much that I've actually had issues going back to using packaged ride food when I'm doing a race or event on the road. I also have had people ask me what I do for ride food when I'm on the road to a cycling event.
Last month I decided to try to make Skratch Labs rice cakes from the Feed Zone Cookbook in a hotel room with what is easily available in a hotel. They turned out pretty good. I'm sure Allen and Biju can talk to some of the substitutions that I made. These are NOT nutritionally ideal, but for me they're a better choice than packaged alternatives like Power Bars or Clif Bars.
Ingredients
* Steamed rice from a Chinese restaurant,
* Peanut Butter -- little, single-serving tubs from the Breakfast Bar in the hotel (replaces egg) You could use egg from the breakfast bar if you have a fridge in your hotel room to keep them cold until you're able to procure rice.
* Soy sauce packets from the Chinese restaurant
* Brown Sugar from the oatmeal section of the breakfast bar.
* Pre-cooked bacon or beef jerky. Beef jerky is a bit chewy, but it works. Pre-cooked bacon is EXPENSIVE in the grocery store.
* Parmesan cheese packets from a take-out pizza place. Ask at the front desk if you don't want to order a pizza… My hotel had them. Check the expiration date on them… One of mine expired in 2009.
* Salt packets
* 1 gallon-sized ziplock bag to mix stuff up in. I thought about using the ice bucket, but I know what those have been used for in the past... Trust me, you don't want to do that. You could use the plastic liner bag that they usually give you for the ice bucket. I just usually have a ziplock or two with me.
* small sandwhich baggies in which to carry individual rice cakes.
I dumped the ingredients into a gallon zip lock bag and squished it all up instead of using a mixing bowl. I then used sandwich bags instead of fancy parchment paper to portion things out. Made them into portions about the size of a racquetball. They stuffed into jersey pockets or Revelate Feed Bags nicely. I usually have a sharp knife with me all the time. It is kind of weird dicing up beef jerky with a hunting knife while sitting on a hotel bed, but it worked.
Your hotel cleaning people will appreciate it if you're either VERY careful not to make a huge mess and/or you leave them a huge tip to clean up after you.
Hugs and Kisses,
Pete
Training for the Unknown
This probably belongs in one of my other blogs, but I'm going to put it here anyways.
I've become more of a distance rider than I was when I was a kid. I always loved long rides… my definition of "long" has just changed over the years. That's required me to adapt my training and preparation for events a bit more. The things that I'm going to talk about in this blog entry still apply to any ride that you define as long. Certainly if "long" means 200+ miles, you'll incorporate more of this into your workouts than you will if "long" means 60.
This year I've been preparing for Dirty Kanza 200… a self-supported 200 mile race on dirt roads around Emporia, Kansas. We don't find out the course until race day and have to navigate point to point using old-school methods (compass, map, cue sheet). Preparing for the unknown is something we all need to train for.
How do you train for something that you can't predict? Best way is to throw different stuff at your body and mind and then deal with them. For me training the mid is the most important part. If your mind is ready to deal with all kinds of stuff that you don't think you'll have to encounter, then the body just tends to follow suit. If you're narrow in your training focus, your mind may not be ready for something weird to happen. If your mind can't deal with it, then your body won't deal with well either.
Here's what I've worked with this spring:
Heat: This is a big one. DK200 has been held in temps over 100 degrees with high humidity, but it is really pleasant here in Virginia these days. We've had only a few days that dip into the low 80s. Hard to acclimate to heat with that kid of weather. To deal with it, I've been wearing winter base layer, long sleeve jerseys, tights, wool socks and mid-weight gloves for some training rides. It makes me hydrate more and get used to sweating buckets. Basically I dress for temps in the mid 40s when it is really in the upper 70s.
Cold: This won't really be a factor for Dirty Kanza, but it might be for other things. Dressing for the 70s when it is really in the 40s needs to be done carefully. You can actually hurt yourself and cause joint problems by doing so. It does, however, teach your body to deal with cold to remove a layer for an hour in the middle of a ride and experience some cold. It really helps your mind deal with it too.
Wet: Again, be a little careful with this one. Practice riding in the rain without rain gear to get the feel for it. This time of year it often happens organically… we all get caught in unexpected rain storms now and then. Ride and enjoy it! My favorite rain riding quote comes from the author Terry Pratchett:
Mistress Weatherwax: "I prefer to get wet and be thankful"
Tiffany: "Thankful for what?"
Mistress Weatherwax: "That I'll be dry later."
Weight: Mostly I'm talking about the bike here. Practice riding with a heavy bike. It helps with climbing, wind and generally dealing with adversity. Ride with a pack or a heavy camelback. This can simulate wind since you have to put out a lot more power and everything feels sluggish. Getting on your light, lively bike after riding a heavy, loaded-down bike feels great too.
Wind: Never let a windy day go by without going out to play in it. Teaching your mind to enjoy punching holes in the wind is probably one of the hardest things to do. Wind can be the most mentally defeating thing to encounter when you're riding. You feel like you should be riding faster and with less effort. Your mind registers this and it is easy to let it sink your ride or race. Practice spending LOTS of time outside the draft. Go play on windy days. Ride a heavy bike. Ride a fixie. Ride a heavy fixie on a windy day. Don't forget crosswinds. They can really suck. Practice in them.
Hills: Practice hills of all kinds and they become less intimidating. If you suck as a climber then you need to practice more. Ride hills in the rain. Ride hills in the wind. Ride hills on your heavy bike, with a pack and/or on a fixie. Throw all kind of weird stuff at your body. If you have a hill that you hate, go back and do it a second time… or third.
Road Conditions: Smooth pavement is soooooo nice to ride on! That's why it is best to train on rough stuff. Ride crappy roads. Ride dirt roads. Ride crappy dirt roads. Ride single track on your cross bike… or fixie… or fixie cross bike. Learn how your bike handles in the wet or wind on crappy roads.
Mechanicals: This is a weird one. My friend Nick broke his derailleur part way into DK200 last year and rode almost 130 miles in one gear last year. He is a super bad-ass. He was able to do that because he trained his body and mind to deal with the weirdness. This year he's going back to race single speed class at DK200. He's freaking awesome. Gears are not the only thing that break. If you break a spoke, you might have to deal with a bent wheel that doesn't allow you to ride with one of your brakes. Be REALLY careful doing this, but you can simulate that. Loosen or disconnect your brake. Most brakes have some kind of quick release. Riding with no front or rear brake can be really dangerous. Learn what you have to do ride safely with only one brake. I know… that's a bit weird, but I do it!!! it helps be mentally prepared for things.
Weird Resupply Intervals: Dirty Kanza has checkpoints every 50 miles or so where we're able to get water/food from our support crew. What happens if you get lost and have to go 70 miles? 90? 100? You get the idea. Learn how to ride and conserve water and food. Learn how to ride carrying too much food and water. Learn how much is way too much. Practice this!!! I did a ride this spring where I went 130 miles on gravel and paved roads with no resupply at all… not water or food. I carried EVERYTHING for that ride. It sucked in many ways, but it taught me what to do and how to prepare.
I know this was kind of a weird conversation. The bottom line is that if you want to be prepared for everything, you need to teach your mind and body to adapt. If you prepare for the stuff above, you'll actually be ready for the things that I didn't list up there. I obviously can't list everything you'll encounter. If you train while thinking outside the box, you'll be ready for weird, fun stuff to happen. That's what doing long rides is all about!!!
Have fun and be safe!
Pete
I've become more of a distance rider than I was when I was a kid. I always loved long rides… my definition of "long" has just changed over the years. That's required me to adapt my training and preparation for events a bit more. The things that I'm going to talk about in this blog entry still apply to any ride that you define as long. Certainly if "long" means 200+ miles, you'll incorporate more of this into your workouts than you will if "long" means 60.
This year I've been preparing for Dirty Kanza 200… a self-supported 200 mile race on dirt roads around Emporia, Kansas. We don't find out the course until race day and have to navigate point to point using old-school methods (compass, map, cue sheet). Preparing for the unknown is something we all need to train for.
How do you train for something that you can't predict? Best way is to throw different stuff at your body and mind and then deal with them. For me training the mid is the most important part. If your mind is ready to deal with all kinds of stuff that you don't think you'll have to encounter, then the body just tends to follow suit. If you're narrow in your training focus, your mind may not be ready for something weird to happen. If your mind can't deal with it, then your body won't deal with well either.
Here's what I've worked with this spring:
Heat: This is a big one. DK200 has been held in temps over 100 degrees with high humidity, but it is really pleasant here in Virginia these days. We've had only a few days that dip into the low 80s. Hard to acclimate to heat with that kid of weather. To deal with it, I've been wearing winter base layer, long sleeve jerseys, tights, wool socks and mid-weight gloves for some training rides. It makes me hydrate more and get used to sweating buckets. Basically I dress for temps in the mid 40s when it is really in the upper 70s.
Long sleeves and wool socks on an 85 degree day.
Cold: This won't really be a factor for Dirty Kanza, but it might be for other things. Dressing for the 70s when it is really in the 40s needs to be done carefully. You can actually hurt yourself and cause joint problems by doing so. It does, however, teach your body to deal with cold to remove a layer for an hour in the middle of a ride and experience some cold. It really helps your mind deal with it too.
Wet: Again, be a little careful with this one. Practice riding in the rain without rain gear to get the feel for it. This time of year it often happens organically… we all get caught in unexpected rain storms now and then. Ride and enjoy it! My favorite rain riding quote comes from the author Terry Pratchett:
Mistress Weatherwax: "I prefer to get wet and be thankful"
Tiffany: "Thankful for what?"
Mistress Weatherwax: "That I'll be dry later."
Weight: Mostly I'm talking about the bike here. Practice riding with a heavy bike. It helps with climbing, wind and generally dealing with adversity. Ride with a pack or a heavy camelback. This can simulate wind since you have to put out a lot more power and everything feels sluggish. Getting on your light, lively bike after riding a heavy, loaded-down bike feels great too.
Wind: Never let a windy day go by without going out to play in it. Teaching your mind to enjoy punching holes in the wind is probably one of the hardest things to do. Wind can be the most mentally defeating thing to encounter when you're riding. You feel like you should be riding faster and with less effort. Your mind registers this and it is easy to let it sink your ride or race. Practice spending LOTS of time outside the draft. Go play on windy days. Ride a heavy bike. Ride a fixie. Ride a heavy fixie on a windy day. Don't forget crosswinds. They can really suck. Practice in them.
Hills: Practice hills of all kinds and they become less intimidating. If you suck as a climber then you need to practice more. Ride hills in the rain. Ride hills in the wind. Ride hills on your heavy bike, with a pack and/or on a fixie. Throw all kind of weird stuff at your body. If you have a hill that you hate, go back and do it a second time… or third.
Road Conditions: Smooth pavement is soooooo nice to ride on! That's why it is best to train on rough stuff. Ride crappy roads. Ride dirt roads. Ride crappy dirt roads. Ride single track on your cross bike… or fixie… or fixie cross bike. Learn how your bike handles in the wet or wind on crappy roads.
Mechanicals: This is a weird one. My friend Nick broke his derailleur part way into DK200 last year and rode almost 130 miles in one gear last year. He is a super bad-ass. He was able to do that because he trained his body and mind to deal with the weirdness. This year he's going back to race single speed class at DK200. He's freaking awesome. Gears are not the only thing that break. If you break a spoke, you might have to deal with a bent wheel that doesn't allow you to ride with one of your brakes. Be REALLY careful doing this, but you can simulate that. Loosen or disconnect your brake. Most brakes have some kind of quick release. Riding with no front or rear brake can be really dangerous. Learn what you have to do ride safely with only one brake. I know… that's a bit weird, but I do it!!! it helps be mentally prepared for things.
Weird Resupply Intervals: Dirty Kanza has checkpoints every 50 miles or so where we're able to get water/food from our support crew. What happens if you get lost and have to go 70 miles? 90? 100? You get the idea. Learn how to ride and conserve water and food. Learn how to ride carrying too much food and water. Learn how much is way too much. Practice this!!! I did a ride this spring where I went 130 miles on gravel and paved roads with no resupply at all… not water or food. I carried EVERYTHING for that ride. It sucked in many ways, but it taught me what to do and how to prepare.
I know this was kind of a weird conversation. The bottom line is that if you want to be prepared for everything, you need to teach your mind and body to adapt. If you prepare for the stuff above, you'll actually be ready for the things that I didn't list up there. I obviously can't list everything you'll encounter. If you train while thinking outside the box, you'll be ready for weird, fun stuff to happen. That's what doing long rides is all about!!!
Have fun and be safe!
Pete
Thursday, May 16, 2013
On-Bike Photography
I've had a lot of questions on how I take photographs while I'm riding. I said I'd put something together to talk about it. I've been photographing things while riding for almost 40 years. I've shot with everything from medium format film and 35mm to digital SLRs and Point and shoot cameras. I've had a dozen different kinds of rigs for carrying the camera. I've got a few things that work well for me.
My camera: These days I shoot with an inexpensive point and shoot. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a camera. I tend to be hard on cameras, so I go cheap. My current camera is a Canon Powershot Elph 320. It is a 16mp camera with a few features I use a lot. It is small, durable and pink. Best of all, I got it for $70. I hate the touch screen. I leave it locked almost all the time. I'll be happy when it breaks.
What features do I like? Biggest for me is that there are simple, non-fiddly ways of accessing the controls on the camera so I don't have to look at it in order to turn it on, change settings and shoot. My eyes and attention needs to be on where I'm riding rather than fiddling with the camera. I change all the settings on the camera by feel rather than by site. The best camera I ever used was the Canon Powershot S100. It was AWESOME, but it wasn't perfect. The jog dial was great for adjusting exposure on the fly, but it required that I look at the camera to see if I'd changed a setting. I couldn't do it by feel.
I like shooting with a cheaper camera. The photos are not as spectacular, but I worry much less about the camera, so I'm more brave when shooting and get much better photos as a result. I am not worrying about destroying a $70 camera near as much as I am a $400 one. Don't get me wrong... I love shooting with great cameras. I just am much more reserved in how I shoot and that is somewhat limiting for me. If I'm shooting like Evel Kneivel, I want to be carrying a cheap, durable camera.
How do I set up the camera?
Holding the camera is important. I put skateboard grip tape on every flat surface that my hand touches. Fully 1/4 of my camera is covered in grip tape. 4 of the 6 sides of the camera have grip tape on them. Cameras are slippery. Doing this reduces the chance that you'll drop your camera.
Settings: leave the camera in Program mode with burst set. Auto ISO and Auto White Balance. The first month I have the camera, I figure out if I need to adjust the exposure before I shoot. My current Canon meters the photos with a little too much light, so I dial back the exposure 1/3 or so to compensate. I like the camera because it has a switch with two settings… one for full auto and one for program. If I know I need a fill flash, I set it for full auto (which I set to always fire the flash). That gives me a way to turn flash on and off with the touch of a finger… I don't have to look.
If light is going to be consistent during the ride, I may switch to Aperture Priority mode and set it to the sweet spot for the lens. F8 is pretty good for the little camera that I've got. That gives me a little different kind of shot than letting the computer figure everything out.
How do I carry it? I have a small camera bag that I attach to the handlebars or head tube of the bike. It has a velcro flap that completely covers the camera and keeps sweat, mud and light rain off when the camera is stowed. My favorite is the Mountainsmith Cyber II Camera Case. I not only velcro it to the bars, but I also either zip tie or velcro one of the D-rings to the bars. I've had the main velcro straps fail on bumpy trails.
On rainy days, I usually put the camera in a waterproof pocket on my rain jacket. All of my rain gear has waterproof pockets on them. They're not perfect, but my cameras are tough enough that they can get a bit moist.
Sweat is something you want to avoid getting in your camera. If your name is Sean Chisham, buy the toughest waterproof camera you can, completely baby it and replace it every year. You're gonna kill the dang thing, so shoot a lot before it dies. ;)
Using the camera while rolling: Step 1: slip my hand into the camera lanyard. Step 2: remove camera from case. Step 3: turn it on. Step 4: Shoot. Step 5: Turn camera off. Step 6: Stow camera. Step 7: Remove hand from camera lanyard. The camera is attached to my wrist the entire time it is out of the case. It is much less likely to get dropped.
Framing the photo: Use burst mode! Play with it. Shoot from down low. Shoot from up high. Try to avoid weird backgrounds. Try to include weird backgrounds. Get people making funny faces while eating. Take photos of yourself. Shoot forward, backward, up, down, sideways. If there was a way to shoot inside out, I probably would try that. Use burst mode! Throw away 99% of your photos.
Buy this book and read the chapters on composition. Learn the 7 rules and practice them. You will become a much better photographer. http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Guide-35mm-Photography-Techniques/dp/087985801X Who cares if it is about 35mm photography. Read it. You'll learn about light, aperture, shutter, composition... etc. You'll stop taking snapshots and you'll start taking photographs.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!! Play. Have fun. Find your eye. Practice one kind of photo for a while until you figure it out and get good at it. Then move on and try something different until you get good at that. Shoot EVERY DAY!!! Use burst mode. SHOT EVERY DAY! Join a photo group that pushes you and inspires you. Bike180 on Flickr is a good choice. SHOOT EVERY DAY!!!
Please let me know if you have questions or if there's something that works well for you.
Hugs and kisses
Pete
My camera: These days I shoot with an inexpensive point and shoot. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a camera. I tend to be hard on cameras, so I go cheap. My current camera is a Canon Powershot Elph 320. It is a 16mp camera with a few features I use a lot. It is small, durable and pink. Best of all, I got it for $70. I hate the touch screen. I leave it locked almost all the time. I'll be happy when it breaks.
What features do I like? Biggest for me is that there are simple, non-fiddly ways of accessing the controls on the camera so I don't have to look at it in order to turn it on, change settings and shoot. My eyes and attention needs to be on where I'm riding rather than fiddling with the camera. I change all the settings on the camera by feel rather than by site. The best camera I ever used was the Canon Powershot S100. It was AWESOME, but it wasn't perfect. The jog dial was great for adjusting exposure on the fly, but it required that I look at the camera to see if I'd changed a setting. I couldn't do it by feel.
I like shooting with a cheaper camera. The photos are not as spectacular, but I worry much less about the camera, so I'm more brave when shooting and get much better photos as a result. I am not worrying about destroying a $70 camera near as much as I am a $400 one. Don't get me wrong... I love shooting with great cameras. I just am much more reserved in how I shoot and that is somewhat limiting for me. If I'm shooting like Evel Kneivel, I want to be carrying a cheap, durable camera.
How do I set up the camera?
Holding the camera is important. I put skateboard grip tape on every flat surface that my hand touches. Fully 1/4 of my camera is covered in grip tape. 4 of the 6 sides of the camera have grip tape on them. Cameras are slippery. Doing this reduces the chance that you'll drop your camera.
Settings: leave the camera in Program mode with burst set. Auto ISO and Auto White Balance. The first month I have the camera, I figure out if I need to adjust the exposure before I shoot. My current Canon meters the photos with a little too much light, so I dial back the exposure 1/3 or so to compensate. I like the camera because it has a switch with two settings… one for full auto and one for program. If I know I need a fill flash, I set it for full auto (which I set to always fire the flash). That gives me a way to turn flash on and off with the touch of a finger… I don't have to look.
If light is going to be consistent during the ride, I may switch to Aperture Priority mode and set it to the sweet spot for the lens. F8 is pretty good for the little camera that I've got. That gives me a little different kind of shot than letting the computer figure everything out.
How do I carry it? I have a small camera bag that I attach to the handlebars or head tube of the bike. It has a velcro flap that completely covers the camera and keeps sweat, mud and light rain off when the camera is stowed. My favorite is the Mountainsmith Cyber II Camera Case. I not only velcro it to the bars, but I also either zip tie or velcro one of the D-rings to the bars. I've had the main velcro straps fail on bumpy trails.
Camera bag on the bars of the tandem
On rainy days, I usually put the camera in a waterproof pocket on my rain jacket. All of my rain gear has waterproof pockets on them. They're not perfect, but my cameras are tough enough that they can get a bit moist.
Sweat is something you want to avoid getting in your camera. If your name is Sean Chisham, buy the toughest waterproof camera you can, completely baby it and replace it every year. You're gonna kill the dang thing, so shoot a lot before it dies. ;)
Using the camera while rolling: Step 1: slip my hand into the camera lanyard. Step 2: remove camera from case. Step 3: turn it on. Step 4: Shoot. Step 5: Turn camera off. Step 6: Stow camera. Step 7: Remove hand from camera lanyard. The camera is attached to my wrist the entire time it is out of the case. It is much less likely to get dropped.
Framing the photo: Use burst mode! Play with it. Shoot from down low. Shoot from up high. Try to avoid weird backgrounds. Try to include weird backgrounds. Get people making funny faces while eating. Take photos of yourself. Shoot forward, backward, up, down, sideways. If there was a way to shoot inside out, I probably would try that. Use burst mode! Throw away 99% of your photos.
Buy this book and read the chapters on composition. Learn the 7 rules and practice them. You will become a much better photographer. http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Guide-35mm-Photography-Techniques/dp/087985801X Who cares if it is about 35mm photography. Read it. You'll learn about light, aperture, shutter, composition... etc. You'll stop taking snapshots and you'll start taking photographs.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!! Play. Have fun. Find your eye. Practice one kind of photo for a while until you figure it out and get good at it. Then move on and try something different until you get good at that. Shoot EVERY DAY!!! Use burst mode. SHOT EVERY DAY! Join a photo group that pushes you and inspires you. Bike180 on Flickr is a good choice. SHOOT EVERY DAY!!!
Please let me know if you have questions or if there's something that works well for you.
Hugs and kisses
Pete
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Feed Zone Portable Cookbook
Alright! I've had almost 3 weeks with the new Feed Zone Portables cookbook
from our friends at SkratchLabs. It surpasses my expectations on every
level. My first reaction to some of the stuff that I read in the book
was "This stuff is CRAZY! I'll never eat this as ride food!" Wow was I
wrong.
The first things I made were the Spiced Beef & Onion Rice Cakes. I picked the weirdest thing that I figured there's NO WAY I can eat this on the road. Beef, onions and a LOT of ginger! I'm an adventurous eater, but that just seemed way too spicy to be chowing down on in the middle of a ride. I figured even if I like it, there's NO FREAKIN' WAY anyone else is going to eat them. Dang was I wrong! I love them! They're perfect for riding. The ginger makes them easy on the stomach. I had 3 different portables with me that day. I figured VVill would eat one 'cause he likes spicy food, but that I'd be hauling them back home with me. I was wro.... wro.... WRONG!!! again. They all got chowed down and were the first to go.
What kind of crazy is it to bake a meat pie and take it as ride food? It would seem that it is not crazy at all. Beef & Sweet Potato Pies were awesome. They're a hair under 300 calories each and make AWESOME ride food! They have many different crust options. I chose to make them in a cupcake tin so that they'd fit perfectly into my Revelate Feedbag. 4 fit into the feedbag perfectly. The crust protected the pies and they were not at all gooey. They were exactly what I was craving in the middle of a long day in the saddle.
They take a little longer to bake than the rice cakes do. I can make a big batch of rice cakes in about 40 minutes including clean-up. It took me 1h20 to bake the pies. They are definitely worth it, but I still needed to speed my production or I wouldn't want to bake them very often. I figured it out! Double the recipe and stagger the process of making filling. I made a dozen beef pies and 10 apple pies in a hair under 2 hours (including clean-up). I made the crust first (2 individual batches in the food processor since one huge batch wouldn't fit) then I made the beef filling. While the beef pies were baking, I cleaned up and made the apple filling. Beef pies came out, I put them on a cooling rack and stuffed the apple pies. They were in the oven in no time! I cleaned up while they were baking. They went onto a cooling rack next to the beef pies. My wife and I had pies for dinner (time saving 'cause I'm making dinner + ride food!). By the time we were done with dinner, the pies were cool and ready to wrap up. 2 pies went in the fridge for today's ride, the rest went into the freezer in freezer bags. I'll put them out on the counter the night before a ride and they'll be thawed by morning. I've got ride food for the week!
Probably the best find for summer are the Blueberry & Chocolate Coconut Rice Cakes. They're delicious! They're great energy. They're vegetarian. They got gobbled up at Kill Bill Century VERY quickly. I used lime juice instead of lemon because it was what I had. It worked perfectly and tasted great. I went easy on the salt... easier than Biju recommends... and that was a mistake. They would have been better tasting and better ride food with a bit more salt in them. He says 1.5 tsp coarse salt. I'd suggest starting with 1tsp and seeing how that tastes and adding a little from there. I only used .5tsp and that wasn't quite enough.
The benefit of this book is that it is NOT all stuff that is difficult to make. The pies are quite involved to make and it helps to have experience making pastry dough... though they can also be your entry into getting pastry dough experience if you're so inclined. The rice bars are easy to make. Having a good rice cooker helps. Some of the recipes are SUPER EASY! The Blueberry & Chocolate Coconut rice cakes are extremely simple. PB&J Rice Cakes take barely longer than the time it takes to cook the rice. They make GREAT ride food too. They are inexpensive and provide GREAT calories for riding.
We're constantly exploring and having lots of fun with it. Let me know what you've tried. I look forward to hearing about your adventures in cooking these things. There's LOTS of room for variations on the recipes. Changing things up changes the nutrition of the portables, but if it makes it easier to eat on the road, then it's all good!
Have fun! Eat well!
Pete
PS: One more added benefit to these things... they're MUCH EASIER to unwrap and eat while riding than any energy bar or gel that I've ever seen. Not a big deal for most, but for those of us who often eat without stopping for a break, that is HUGE!
The first things I made were the Spiced Beef & Onion Rice Cakes. I picked the weirdest thing that I figured there's NO WAY I can eat this on the road. Beef, onions and a LOT of ginger! I'm an adventurous eater, but that just seemed way too spicy to be chowing down on in the middle of a ride. I figured even if I like it, there's NO FREAKIN' WAY anyone else is going to eat them. Dang was I wrong! I love them! They're perfect for riding. The ginger makes them easy on the stomach. I had 3 different portables with me that day. I figured VVill would eat one 'cause he likes spicy food, but that I'd be hauling them back home with me. I was wro.... wro.... WRONG!!! again. They all got chowed down and were the first to go.
What kind of crazy is it to bake a meat pie and take it as ride food? It would seem that it is not crazy at all. Beef & Sweet Potato Pies were awesome. They're a hair under 300 calories each and make AWESOME ride food! They have many different crust options. I chose to make them in a cupcake tin so that they'd fit perfectly into my Revelate Feedbag. 4 fit into the feedbag perfectly. The crust protected the pies and they were not at all gooey. They were exactly what I was craving in the middle of a long day in the saddle.
They take a little longer to bake than the rice cakes do. I can make a big batch of rice cakes in about 40 minutes including clean-up. It took me 1h20 to bake the pies. They are definitely worth it, but I still needed to speed my production or I wouldn't want to bake them very often. I figured it out! Double the recipe and stagger the process of making filling. I made a dozen beef pies and 10 apple pies in a hair under 2 hours (including clean-up). I made the crust first (2 individual batches in the food processor since one huge batch wouldn't fit) then I made the beef filling. While the beef pies were baking, I cleaned up and made the apple filling. Beef pies came out, I put them on a cooling rack and stuffed the apple pies. They were in the oven in no time! I cleaned up while they were baking. They went onto a cooling rack next to the beef pies. My wife and I had pies for dinner (time saving 'cause I'm making dinner + ride food!). By the time we were done with dinner, the pies were cool and ready to wrap up. 2 pies went in the fridge for today's ride, the rest went into the freezer in freezer bags. I'll put them out on the counter the night before a ride and they'll be thawed by morning. I've got ride food for the week!
Probably the best find for summer are the Blueberry & Chocolate Coconut Rice Cakes. They're delicious! They're great energy. They're vegetarian. They got gobbled up at Kill Bill Century VERY quickly. I used lime juice instead of lemon because it was what I had. It worked perfectly and tasted great. I went easy on the salt... easier than Biju recommends... and that was a mistake. They would have been better tasting and better ride food with a bit more salt in them. He says 1.5 tsp coarse salt. I'd suggest starting with 1tsp and seeing how that tastes and adding a little from there. I only used .5tsp and that wasn't quite enough.
The benefit of this book is that it is NOT all stuff that is difficult to make. The pies are quite involved to make and it helps to have experience making pastry dough... though they can also be your entry into getting pastry dough experience if you're so inclined. The rice bars are easy to make. Having a good rice cooker helps. Some of the recipes are SUPER EASY! The Blueberry & Chocolate Coconut rice cakes are extremely simple. PB&J Rice Cakes take barely longer than the time it takes to cook the rice. They make GREAT ride food too. They are inexpensive and provide GREAT calories for riding.
We're constantly exploring and having lots of fun with it. Let me know what you've tried. I look forward to hearing about your adventures in cooking these things. There's LOTS of room for variations on the recipes. Changing things up changes the nutrition of the portables, but if it makes it easier to eat on the road, then it's all good!
Have fun! Eat well!
Pete
PS: One more added benefit to these things... they're MUCH EASIER to unwrap and eat while riding than any energy bar or gel that I've ever seen. Not a big deal for most, but for those of us who often eat without stopping for a break, that is HUGE!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Choosing a Saddle / Adamo Breakaway Saddle Review
This is a hybrid post. My new saddle looks weird, so everyone asks me about it. I figure that's a good excuse to review it. I also thought it might be nice to talk about how I go about choosing a saddle.
Scott:
Hey Pete. How do you like your Adamo saddle?
Me:
Scott:
Hey Pete. How do you like your Adamo saddle?
(Image thanks to ISM Adamo's web site.)
Me:
I like it a lot! It takes a little
getting used to though. The Adamo saddles are weird enough that any
Adamo dealer will have demo saddles that you can try. I strongly
encourage you to demo one for at least a few long-ish rides. There are
some things about it that are cool and different, but like anything in
the bicycle world, if it doesn't fit, you're gonna hate it.
Saddle Fit/Shape:
I use Specialized seat sizing system. They have you sit on a board that has some memory foam on it (I call it the ass-o-meter) and then measure how far apart your sits bones are. They use that to figure out which width of saddle you are. I'm 143mm exactly. You then have to pick if you want a flat or curved profile nose to tail and a flat or curved profile side to side.
In Specialized speak, I'm a 143mm flat nose to tail and flat side to side saddle kind of guy. That comes out to a Toupe or Phenom 143 for me. It also means that a Fizik Antares fits me like a glove... an ass-glove that is. A good saddle dealer can help you figure out what shape fits the measurements you come up with. Most will let you demo a saddle for at least a few rides before you buy.
Fizik has 3 different saddle shapes depending on the kind of riding you do and your positioning on the bike and flexibility. The curved saddles are for those who are very flat-backed and aerodynamic. There's one in the middle for people who are somewhat in the middle and a wider, flatter profile for people who are a bit more upright. It is a good starting point for choosing the saddle shape, but doesn't really allow you to reliably pick a saddle without trying it.
Looking at the Adamo saddle line, the one that was the closest to my dimensions was the Breakaway. It is about 143mm wide (135mm at the sit bones) and board flat side to side. There's a tiny bit of curve nose to tail, but I'm able to adjust for that with seat angle so that my man parts don't get smooshed. Adamo makes 6 or 7 different models that fit different kinds of people. Go through a fitting process, then demo them to find out if your research and fitting was right.
Seat Adjustment:
Dialing in the seat angle is very important with the Adamo.... more so than with my Specialized or Fizik saddles. I don't know why that is, perhaps it has to do with the bit of curve at the nose of the saddle and its width. Adamo's web site suggests starting with the saddle level, then adjusting forward 1/2 - 1 degree at a time until you find the perfect setting. Thomson seatposts make that a little easy because they've got the angle marked on the seat clamp. My saddle is tilted forward a bit more than i thought I'd ever ride. That is likely because of the slight curve to the noses (there are 2 saddle noses on the Adamo).
What kind of riding?
I chose the Adamo Breakaway because of its reputation with endurance athletes. I spend a LOT of time in the saddle and I'd heard that the Adamo design is great. Riding fixie much of the time means I don't coast and get out of the saddle to give my butt a break as often, so saddle comfort is critical. This saddle is also designed for people who get very aerodynamic. If you sit quite upright and have a lot of weight on the saddle, it is unlikely that this saddle will be anywhere near comfortable.
My impressions:
Now onto my impressions. The saddle is deceptively firm. The padding feels much like my other saddles. Not significantly softer or harder. The shell of the saddle, however, is MUCH more firm than the other saddles that I use. There's no give at all to that saddle. That is probably why fit and adjustment are so important. The saddle is a brick with a nice leather cover and a bit of padding. That isn't a bad thing. It means that the saddle will likely last for ever and never deform. It does mean that if you don't like how it feels, the saddle won't do like a Brooks or Specialized Toupe and conform slightly to your shape. Your shape is what will do the conforming.
The Breakaway is not particularly light weight. This isn't a huge deal, but it is something I take into account. All that substance and firmness costs weight.
When I first started riding, the noses of the saddle felt odd between my legs because they're wider than anything you've probably ever ridden before. It didn't take more than a few miles before I forgot about that, though. There's absolutely NO pressure on my tender man bits. In that respect, the Adamo is perfect.
The firmness of the saddle takes some getting used to. I'm there with it now and I like it. The fixie cyclo-cross bike that I have it on is one that is designed for long gravel road rides. I've got 8 rides on that bike so far.... 4 of which are over 100 miles... one of those over 150. Though I've got very few rides on the Adamo, the mileage is significant... over 600 miles. The Adamo Breakaway has been exactly what I wanted. I'll keep it on there.
Final Comment:
Last comment on the saddle... The main reason why I was so careful about measuring and choosing the saddle was that THESE THINGS ARE FREAKING EXPENSIVE!!! The $225 price tag made me stop and think a few times. I could almost buy 2 Specialized Toupe saddles for that. I'm glad I didn't, but it is definitely something to consider.
I lied about that being my final comment:
Everyone is going to comment on it or ask about it. It looks weird and people want to know about it. Be prepared for that with either a serious, helpful answer, or something kind of obnoxious. My personal favorite answer is, "It feels like I'm sitting on a giant tongue." It takes a few moments for people who don't know me to figure out that I'm joking.
References:
Adamo Breakaway: http://www.ismseat.com/saddle/adamo-breakaway
Local Adamo Dealers: All have a demo program, I believe... Tri360s is probably the best saddle demo fleet I've ever seen.
Saddle Fit/Shape:
I use Specialized seat sizing system. They have you sit on a board that has some memory foam on it (I call it the ass-o-meter) and then measure how far apart your sits bones are. They use that to figure out which width of saddle you are. I'm 143mm exactly. You then have to pick if you want a flat or curved profile nose to tail and a flat or curved profile side to side.
In Specialized speak, I'm a 143mm flat nose to tail and flat side to side saddle kind of guy. That comes out to a Toupe or Phenom 143 for me. It also means that a Fizik Antares fits me like a glove... an ass-glove that is. A good saddle dealer can help you figure out what shape fits the measurements you come up with. Most will let you demo a saddle for at least a few rides before you buy.
Fizik has 3 different saddle shapes depending on the kind of riding you do and your positioning on the bike and flexibility. The curved saddles are for those who are very flat-backed and aerodynamic. There's one in the middle for people who are somewhat in the middle and a wider, flatter profile for people who are a bit more upright. It is a good starting point for choosing the saddle shape, but doesn't really allow you to reliably pick a saddle without trying it.
Looking at the Adamo saddle line, the one that was the closest to my dimensions was the Breakaway. It is about 143mm wide (135mm at the sit bones) and board flat side to side. There's a tiny bit of curve nose to tail, but I'm able to adjust for that with seat angle so that my man parts don't get smooshed. Adamo makes 6 or 7 different models that fit different kinds of people. Go through a fitting process, then demo them to find out if your research and fitting was right.
Seat Adjustment:
Dialing in the seat angle is very important with the Adamo.... more so than with my Specialized or Fizik saddles. I don't know why that is, perhaps it has to do with the bit of curve at the nose of the saddle and its width. Adamo's web site suggests starting with the saddle level, then adjusting forward 1/2 - 1 degree at a time until you find the perfect setting. Thomson seatposts make that a little easy because they've got the angle marked on the seat clamp. My saddle is tilted forward a bit more than i thought I'd ever ride. That is likely because of the slight curve to the noses (there are 2 saddle noses on the Adamo).
What kind of riding?
I chose the Adamo Breakaway because of its reputation with endurance athletes. I spend a LOT of time in the saddle and I'd heard that the Adamo design is great. Riding fixie much of the time means I don't coast and get out of the saddle to give my butt a break as often, so saddle comfort is critical. This saddle is also designed for people who get very aerodynamic. If you sit quite upright and have a lot of weight on the saddle, it is unlikely that this saddle will be anywhere near comfortable.
My impressions:
Now onto my impressions. The saddle is deceptively firm. The padding feels much like my other saddles. Not significantly softer or harder. The shell of the saddle, however, is MUCH more firm than the other saddles that I use. There's no give at all to that saddle. That is probably why fit and adjustment are so important. The saddle is a brick with a nice leather cover and a bit of padding. That isn't a bad thing. It means that the saddle will likely last for ever and never deform. It does mean that if you don't like how it feels, the saddle won't do like a Brooks or Specialized Toupe and conform slightly to your shape. Your shape is what will do the conforming.
The Breakaway is not particularly light weight. This isn't a huge deal, but it is something I take into account. All that substance and firmness costs weight.
When I first started riding, the noses of the saddle felt odd between my legs because they're wider than anything you've probably ever ridden before. It didn't take more than a few miles before I forgot about that, though. There's absolutely NO pressure on my tender man bits. In that respect, the Adamo is perfect.
The firmness of the saddle takes some getting used to. I'm there with it now and I like it. The fixie cyclo-cross bike that I have it on is one that is designed for long gravel road rides. I've got 8 rides on that bike so far.... 4 of which are over 100 miles... one of those over 150. Though I've got very few rides on the Adamo, the mileage is significant... over 600 miles. The Adamo Breakaway has been exactly what I wanted. I'll keep it on there.
Installed on the Fixie Adventure Bike during a 120 mile, unsupported (not even a water stop), gravel grinder ride.
Final Comment:
Last comment on the saddle... The main reason why I was so careful about measuring and choosing the saddle was that THESE THINGS ARE FREAKING EXPENSIVE!!! The $225 price tag made me stop and think a few times. I could almost buy 2 Specialized Toupe saddles for that. I'm glad I didn't, but it is definitely something to consider.
I lied about that being my final comment:
Everyone is going to comment on it or ask about it. It looks weird and people want to know about it. Be prepared for that with either a serious, helpful answer, or something kind of obnoxious. My personal favorite answer is, "It feels like I'm sitting on a giant tongue." It takes a few moments for people who don't know me to figure out that I'm joking.
References:
Adamo Breakaway: http://www.ismseat.com/saddle/adamo-breakaway
Local Adamo Dealers: All have a demo program, I believe... Tri360s is probably the best saddle demo fleet I've ever seen.
- Tri360: http://www.tri360.com/
- Freshbikes: http://freshbikescycling.com/
- Bonzai Sports: http://tribonzai.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)