I have the new Fuji frame built up with no power meter.  I called Quarq on this and was given the answer, “there are certain frames that the Quarq won’t work on”.  I am ok with that answer…not thrilled but I understand.  I want to stick with Quarq since I have been on the Quarq power meter for a few years and as a coach have recommended the Quarq to a lot of people. I figured maybe the new 2012 Quarq would work.  I talked with a Quarq representative who said, “In theory it should, but I will find out and call you back. If you have further question please talk to me.”  The person never called back.  I have called Quarq a few of times over the past couple of weeks to get some answers, and the point of contact that help me initially has not returned any calls.  I do not know what has happened to Quarq’s customer support but it has truly gone downhill in the last year.   I will get off my soap box and go back to the power meter.  There are a couple of other power meter companies out there but each one has a significant flaw I do not like.  I am very interested in the Garmin Vector but three things scare me with the Vector.  1…will it be delayed again?  2…how hard is it to get once it does come out?  3….how many issues will it have because it is a new product?  Now there is the Polar power meter but I have read reviews and they are not stellar, and I cannot find a US distributor for it.  There is the Power MAX but it too does not get great reviews, and it is not sold in the US.  This left the Gold standard of all power meters, the SRM.

I have been hesitant on the SRM for several reasons: price, calibration and battery life.  I have heard in the past, in order to calibrate or change the battery you need to send it back to SRM.  I have also heard about bad sales support back a few years ago when I was looking for a power meter.  Since no other power meter company seemed to work I called SRM with a lot of reservations.  Shaun at SRM is the unfortunate one who answered my call.  We talked for a little bit, and he understood my initial concerns and my issues with the Fuji.  He did not go into full salesman pitch but instead said let me do some research and make sure the SRM works on a Fuji.  After hanging up the phone, I got a picture from him of an SRM on a Fuji frame.  I called him again and we talked some more. The whole time Shaun did not really push the product but he did explain the SRM to me.  In summary what I found out is the SRM is a little more expensive than many of the others.  You can calibrate it at home but like the Quarq and others you need to ensure the weight being used is accurate and true.  Battery lasts about 2 years, and yes, it needs to be replaced by SRM.  Two years is not bad and I can live without power for a week or two in between seasons in order to get the battery exchanged and the SRM calibrated.  This will take a little planning on my part.  So after, bugging Shaun a bunch on the phone, the next day I called him and ordered an SRM power meter.

Now I am impatiently waiting for the SRM to arrive so I can get power back on the bike.  I will follow-up with a review of the SRM after a few rides with it.

My girlfriend thinks that I am silly to put this much effort into the search for the perfect power meter.  Pedal hard. Ride fast. Be the first one to cross the line….. it’s pretty simple in her mind.  She believes that we tend to complicate things when we start getting so wrapped around numbers.

148 years later the Battle for Olustee is back but this time it is not lead by swords and gun powder instead it is lead by men and women on two wheels riding for the love of cycling. The Battle of Olustee Ride has been going on for more than 25 years. This is my third straight year and Michele’s second straight year of riding it. The ride is a 115 mile starting at the Holiday Inn in Gainesville, Florida heading North past Lake City and Interstate 10 and back South to Gainesville. The ride travels through the Battle Ground of Olustee and hence its name.

This year the ride started with 123 riders. Who counted…I do not know but that is what has been passed around on facebook. The first 75 miles of the ride was fairly mellow. The group rode in a double pace line around 20 + mph with everyone talking. The only store stop was at the 46 mile marker and it was a small convenience store that got slammed with 123 riders trying to get food and pee. After grabbing some food and waiting a long time for the rest of the group to do the same the group finally got back on the road. The pace after the store stop picked up a bit but nothing substantial. The ride wandered South past an airport and as the group got closer to the 75 mile marker the pace continued to increase slowly. At the 75 mile marker the flag got dropped and it was every man and woman for themselves. To make matters a little more difficult, the last 40 miles were also the hilliest. The race was on for the next 40 miles back to Gainesville. There were attacks, quick rotations, surges and so on. Nothing got away and the group was coming into Gainesville for the sprint finish. A few riders got to the front and set a high pace to lead their sprinter out but one by one each faded quickly. As we approached the final kilometer, the lead rider was not able to hold the high speed and a traffic jam began to form. I had at least three handle bars hit my legs. In order to keep the ride safe, I nailed it and got the field strung out again. With less than 300 meters to go, the sprinters jumped off my wheel for the win. The winner of the sprint pushed 1933 watts in the final sprint. Damn, that is a lot. We regrouped and started to make our way back to the cars. Dustin and his roommate lead us back to the stadium where Michele and I parked. This year the ride did not seem as hard. Maybe, it was because there were no pros out there like years in the past. Maybe, it is because Michele and I are that much stronger…doubt that. Who knows why but it was still a great ride. Here are some stats from the ride.

Duration of the ride: 5:17

Average Speed: 21.7

Distance: 116

Know the Rules

As a racer you must know the rules.  A rider must be aware of the rules for reasons of safety and the resulting disqualification and/or suspension which may transpire. Most of the rules applicable to road racing and the rules of the road are common sense. Only on closed road circuits can you forget the rules of the road. General behavior should be good and riders should avoid conflict with other road users at all costs and even amongst themselves. Pay close attention to what is going on, what other riders are doing, and what the officials are saying and doing.  Avoid blatant obstruction/blocking particularly in sprints. Check the race flier or the race bible for special instructions, particularly in stage races. In every case always read the flier or race bible thoroughly.

Know the Course

Get to know all the hazards and all the hills, junctions etc. Check the course on a good map, google earth or on mapmyride.  If the course is a local one, train on it! At least once. If the course is away try to arrive in sufficient time to go over it in the car.  If it is a criterium walk around the course and make mental notes of hazards, places to attack, find the lap counter at the start finish, and the finish stretch.  In all cases, you must take a look at the finish. Check the weather and the wind and take into account the affects of the wind and weather.

Know the Opposition

Early season can be deceptive.  Riders of quality may not be going well whereas lesser riders may be ‘flying’.  Most pre-registration web site you can look at therace rouster by category or age group.  Look at the list.  Pick out the danger men/women. Get to know their peculiarities, usual tactics etc. Read the results from previous years. Be well informed.

Know How to Read a Race

Some riders learn quickly how to read a race.  It’s no use saying “If only…” or closing the door after the horse has bolted. Know yourself and ride well within yourself, go with the right breaks and be there at the finish.  A good race reader has a good memory. He remembers all the details of the course, the opposition, the state of their fitness and he has confidence in his own fitness. He is strong willed and he is aggressive but he does not waste his energy. He applies himself to the job well.

Know Yourself

A rider must know himself and the extent of his capabilities. He must know his state of fitness and his coach should be able to tell him what it is. Find out the strong points; sprinting, climbing, flat out pursuit like riding etc. Work on weaker points. You will find that you probably excel in one aspect, be it only marginal. Make use of tactics which best suit your style and strengths. Only a rider who knows himself completely will obtain the full benefit from the tactical maneuvers available.

Keep the skinny side down!

Here is a _link_ to Adams web site: http://catonefitness.com/

Thanks,
Kent
2-Wheels

Michele and I headed up to Covington Georgia this past weekend to race.  The first race was a criterium in a new development.  The crit was basically a big oval with an uphill through the start/finish that has the only turn on the course, a 14% grade and a sweeping downhill.  Michele did the Women Pro, 1, 2 race and did extremely well.  She got off the front with another girl and lapped the field.  Unfortunately, the other girl dropped Michele, even though Michele was the stronger climber.  Michele was just out witted in the race.   Lastly, Michele got a total of $25.00 for taking 2^nd, which does not even cover her race entrance fee.

I raced the Pro, 1, 2 race which was at 7:45 pm.  It was a field of about 30 riders so not large at all.  Since I had not raced in a while I was not too sure how I was going to feel out there.  The first few laps were tough but I felt like my legs were coming around.  About 20 minutes into an hour long race, two deer came out of the woods and took out five riders as we were going down the back side of the course.  When we came around through the start finish, the race was stopped and the officials eventually called the race due to darkness.

The next day, we both had a 60 mile road race which consisted of 2 thirty mile hilly twisty loops.   Michele raced with the 35+ cat 4/5 and I decided to race with the 35+ (cat 1, 2, 3) since I did not have a feeder for a 90 mile pro 1, 2, race.  Michele took 3^rd but this time she was not out witted but was out played by cheese tactics.  As typical every time the women tried to attack and get away the men chased them down.   So at one point when Michele went toward the back, two of the other girls talked to a couple of their male friends to sit on the front and block so they could get away.   When Michele realized what was going on the two girls were already a few hundred yards off the front.

In my race, it was even stranger.   First off, our group lead vehicle took us the wrong way on the first lap, and only five riders went the right way.  I eventually got off the front with three other riders but going into the last lap we got chased down by one of the teams who had a rider in the break.  When our break got caught we ended up slowing down and got passed by the Cat 4 field.  Everyone in our field thought we were naturalized and when two riders went up the road and went through the field that just passed us we thought they would be disqualified.  About ten miles from the line four of us got away and I ended up taking 2 in the sprint.  So the results could be 2^nd, 4^th, 7^th, 9^th, or DQ’ed depending on what the officials decide.   We waited around for well over an hour at the race to find out what the results were going to be but between the disorganization with the promoter and the officials not making a decision Michele and I decided it was best to hit the road and get home.

In the end, the races this weekend were very disorganized and very disappointing.  I am slowly getting tired of small fields in Georgia and the lack of decent pay outs.  The Georgia race schedule is scattered amongst all different web-sites and the payouts for races do not even cover the race entrance fees.  For example, the payout for the winner of the Pro 1, 2 race was $80.00 which barely covered the race entrance fee.  As many riders are starting to say, it is better to stay home and get a good group ride in rather than go to these races.

This past weekend at the Dothan Criterium (crit), we all witnessed a very courageous performance by one of our teammates.  Michele has been really struggling with feeling comfortable in the peloton racing at high speeds, especially in races with tight corners and down hills.  Well, the Dothan crit had both.  It was a 0.7 mile 4 corner crit with the last 2 of the 4 corners being downhill and fast.  To make matters even worse, as Michele and I were sitting on corner number 4 eating Moe’s and watching the Category 4 race there was a huge pile up with one guy being transported to the hospital. (side note: he is ok!)  This sent Michele’s fear sky rocketing.

So, as the hours passed and her race time got closer she was getting even more nervous about racing.  About an hour before her event, she started warming-up and I could tell there was something really bothering her.  She was distant and not really focused on warming-up.  Her thoughts were elsewhere.  As a good friend and someone who has been to all of her races, I have never witnessed her in this state.  All I could muster up to tell her as she warmed-up and debated on racing is that “if she wants to leave then we will!”….She has never not started a race and I only know of one time that she dropped out of a race and that was because of asthma. She has stayed in races and finished by herself numerous times because she refuses to quit.

After a half hearted warm-up, she headed to the line to race.  This was the first step in facing her fear.  The officials and promoter did the typical pre-race announcements and rules and they were off.  The women’s Pro 1, 2 race was an hour long event and on the first lap Michele was falling off the back of the peloton because she was cautiously going through every turn.  The good thing is Michele was strong enough to get back on the back of the peloton on the straight-aways and up hills.   This lasted for the first 20 minutes of the race.  Eventually Michele went to the front and pulled the group for a few laps and you could tell there was a change in her.  They were through about half of the race when this happened, and then Debbie Milne lapped the field.  After a couple of laps being in the field Debbie went up the road again.  Michele, realizing something needed to be done, attacked the field after turn 4 going through the start/finish and joined Debbie.  The two of them quickly started to work together and built up a huge gap on the field.  In the end Debbie rolled in 1^st and Michele took 2^nd.

Michele’s courage did not come through her ability to take on the whole field but came from facing her fears.  She has been struggling with the fear of crashing since she crashed at Master’s Nationals last year.  This fear has been hindering her abilities and results.  It had gotten so bad on Saturday that it almost prevented her from racing.  Regardless of the amount of fear she had eating away at her, she went to the start line and performed.  Her courage came out again by not only facing her demon but out witting it and the peloton and finishing 2^nd in a very tough long crit.  Please do not get me wrong, Michele is not over this fear and she probably never will be.  Having a fear of crashing as a bike racer is a healthy fear to have.  The level of fear she has for crashing at this time is too high, but this past weekend she made some big strides in knocking it down to a lower level.  Please do some self reflecting and if you have a fear reach down and grab hold and face that fear.  Do not let that fear control you!  Take control of that fear and face it. This is courage and being courageous is the act of courage….” ordinary person doing an extraordinary thing!”

Gage Kronberger (Junior 14)

Ryan Couture (Cat 4)

Fantastic job this past weekend winning in your respective categories!

Reflecting back over the weekend of racing for me, I guess it was a mix of bad decisions, some bad luck, and some good luck.

Saturday’s Crit, Tour de Tuscaloosa (26 March 2011):

Being an avid cyclist, you also become addicted to the weather.  According to weather.com there were storms moving through Tuscaloosa in the evening on Saturday.  Between the late start of the Pro race and the storms moving in my decision was fairly easy and I decided to race the Masters 35+ to avoid the bad weather.  Parking and registration went smoothly.  Got the kits and the bikes ready and before I knew it, it was time to start warming up.  I was able to get a couple of laps on the crit course.  Basically the course was 8 turns with one nice descent and one nice leg snapping climb.  I guess you could say the course was a cross between a circuit course and a crit course.

With an ok warm-up, I headed over to the start line as the dark clouds started moving in.  This was not a good sign.  As we lined up, the thunder hit, and the rain came.  Unfortunately for us, it was a short little down pour and only brought all the oil to the surface of the roads and did not wash it away.  The officials went over the typical race information, the rain stopped and we were off.

The roads were slick and it seemed like every turn you made your bike would slide out from under you.  On the first lap coming out of turn 8 to the start/finish a rider right in front of me slid out taking a couple of cyclists with him.  How I avoided the crash I have no clue.  Luck!  A few laps later I was coming up the hill and realized I had a flat tire.  As I was going to the pit, Michele asked what was wrong and she headed to the car to get her rear wheel.  Mark Thompson met her half way between the car and the pit, grabbed the wheel and ran it to me in the pit.  I had enough time to place the wheel in the frame, adjust the brakes, hop on the bike, and start pedaling to join the race again.  Huge thanks to Michele and Mark for being great teammates!

Almost immediately back in the field I was off the front in a break with two other riders.  We held the break for a few laps but it was touch and go until we were reeled back in.  With about 5 laps to go a solo break went but I did not think it was going to stick.  The last laps were speed up, slow down with riders trying to bridge to the solo rider but no one did.  On the last lap, I got myself in a bad position for the sprint finish and really did not have a fighting chance.  I ended up taking 7^th.

Sunday’s Road Race, Alabama State Championship (27 March 2011):

Unlike Saturday, I decided to race the Pro 1 2 race on Sunday and it was not supposed to rain.  The reason for deciding to do the Pro race was because it was in the morning and not mid day allowing us to get back to Albany late evening on Sunday.

The road race course was a 10 mile loop rolling course with two good climbs.  The first climb was right after the start/finish line, and the second climb was about a mile from the start/finish line.  The Pro field had to do 7 laps for a total of 70 miles.  With not the best warm-up for the race, I headed to the start line hoping that no breaks get up the road until after the first lap or so.  How wrong I was!  The race started and within the first mile the winning break of 3 went up the road.  I saw it and was in a good position to respond but I thought “no way will they let that go”.  Another bad decision!  Individuals put some gallant chases in but no team came forward to chase the break down and it slowly gained time on the field.

After the first lap, my legs started to wake up and I tried to get in a couple of breaks but everything got pulled back.  On lap 4, I actually rolled off the front and held a solo break for a lap until I was caught by a chase group.  We all worked together for another half a lap until the peloton caught us.  It seemed like the next lap around, I rolled off the front at the same spot but this time I was chased down by the field within a half of a lap.  As soon as I was caught, a fairly large break of 11 riders went up the road and with tired legs and seeing that nothing else got away I made the decision not to go.  Another bad decision!  This time what was left of the field let that break go up the road.  With about 14 riders up the road, the remainder of the field just tempo’ed in the last two laps.  I ended up taking 25^th for the day and basically finished in the middle of the field.

Not the best weekend of racing for me but in the end, I put some gallant efforts in but they were probably poorly timed.  I did not crash, which is huge, and Michele and I were able to walk away with enough prize money to cover our entrance fees.  Lastly, we were allowed a late check out from the hotel so for the ride back to Albany we were able to take a shower and felt clean.

For the drive back to Albany, my GPS took us through Birmingham and back down.  This time we drove a more highway than back roads but the drive was still 4 ½ hours of boredom.