J. Ryan

Cold Weather Motivation

2010-02-03T11:25:00-08:00

This semi-cold weather is kicking the motivation right out me. I almost tuned the alarm clock off and rolled back over this morning, but I didn't. I managed to muster up the strength to push myself out of bed. I'm hoping that this lack of motivation is nothing more than my body and mind resisting a new routine. Every weekday morning for the past couple years I drove to work in a nice warm, music filled truck. Now It's dark, cold, and, with the exception of the occasional honk, quiet. Plus, cars are less than thrilled to be sharing a roadway with me, even if I am in a bike lane.

No Music For This Commuter

2010-01-27T12:38:00-08:00

Shortly after I started commuting to work again I thought I'd try getting my daily fix of music by carrying my iPod and wearing an earbud in my right ear. I figured this would let me enjoy my music yet still allow me to hear all the audio cues that are so important to bicycle commuters. Last week, after seeing a man hit by a U-Haul, I decided to go without the iPod and earbud.

I was initially worried that my ride would seem long and boring, but to my surprise it was not. Not only was it as enjoyable, but it was more relaxing. I found that when I wore my earbud I would pay more attention to the music than the audio cues. Any bike commuter will tell you that this could be a deadly mistake. Luckily I caught myself before any accidents.

Post up and let me know if you wear headphones or not while commuting or city trekking.

210 in 2010: Week 1

2010-01-24T19:35:00-08:00

The first full week of my 210 in 2010 challenge was interesting to say the least. I saw some things I hoped I'd never see and had some weather most could only dream of. I ended the week with 112 miles and some pretty tired legs. Here's a list of things that helped make it such an interesting week.

Helped a cyclist that had been hit by a U-Haul.
Got 2 flats 2 days in a row.
Received and installed my OMM Red Rock rack and Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic panniers.
Replaced my WTB All Terrainasaurus tires with Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires.
Had to have my rear rim re-tensioned.

WTB All Terrainasaurus Tire Review

2010-01-21T13:12:00-08:00

WTB markets their All Terrainasaurus tires as a hardpack and pavement tires. I have been using them on my commuter bike for the past couple months and am not impressed. I ride mostly paved roads with a few rough spots here and there. The tires roll nice and have decent traction, but when it comes to durability, they fell short of my expectations. These tires came stock with my commuter bike, so I decided to use them up before purchasing some new, more puncture resistant tires. I fully expected them last far beyond 550 miles and provide much better puncture protection than they did.

Pros:

Great grip on pavement (as long as the tread pattern lasts)
Relatively low rolling resistance

Cons:

Poor wear characteristics
Very poor puncture resistance
Picks up and throws a lot of debris

I don't know if WTB has redesigned these tires recently (for the worse) or if I just got a "lemon" as I've seen some reviews from people that were able to get up to 4 years of use before showing signs of wear. I don't think I'll test my luck with another one though. I'm going for a pair of Bontrager H2 Hardcase tires.

Eventful Commute Day

2010-01-19T16:22:00-08:00

Today was only day 2 of my 210 in 2010 challenge and it's one to go down in the books. The morning ride was great. The weather was perfect and the ride was uneventful. Things didn't start getting interesting until I walked out of the office and discovered I had a flat front tire. I wasn't sure if it was legitimately flat or if one of my buddies was screwing with me, so I decided to fill it back up and see how long it lasted.

Just down the road from the office, at a major intersection, I was horrified to discover that a fellow cyclist and his bike were laying in the road. I immediately dropped my bike and ran out to him as everyone who witnessed the accident just sat on their asses and watched. I asked if he was alright and he just sort of mumbled something. I yelled out to one of the assholes sitting in their cars to dial 911. The man didn't seem to have any cuts or abrasions, but I think something was broken in or around his shoulder. I stayed at his side talking to him, trying to evaluate his condition, while the ambulance was en-route. He seemed to be coming out of the daze little by little and was able to talk to the paramedics enough to convey is concern regarding an ambulance and hospital bill.

After hearing him talk to the paramedics I decided to get out of their way and let them do their job. I had totally forgotten about my front tire, which was now completely flat again. I walked the bike to an empty parking lot, changed the tube, and got on my way. This was the most eventful day of commuting yet. Hopefully they won't get much more eventful than this.

210 In 2010 Kickoff

2010-01-19T05:47:00-08:00

I completed the first day of riding for my 210 in 2010 Challenge. Aside from a close call with a white VW Jetta and the discovery of a bent rear rim, I'd say it was a success. This challenge got off to a late start for me after taking some days off before and after the Disney Marathon Weekend. I had to use 3 vacation days and 3 of my 24 "off" days.

My butt is a bit sore and will probably take a week or so to get used to the saddle again. I placed an order for a pair of Ortlieb Backroller Classic panniers and an Old Man Mountain Red Rock rack that should arrive on Thursday. The rear rim needs to be trued back up and I think I might need a new rear tire.

Good Bye Blogger...

2010-01-05T13:39:00-08:00

I'll soon be saying goodbye to blogger and the tread29 blog. Being the techy geek that I am I've purchased a new domain and hosting account and will be hosting my own Wordpress blog. It's not set up yet so I'm not going to give out the address, but I will. I don't know how I'm going to structure it yet, though, as I'd like to write about so many different topics like family, bikes, web design, my dog, operating systems, friends, commuting by bike, running...the list goes on and on.

I'll let y'all know the new address as soon as it's ready in case anyone wants to follow it.

210 in 2010 Challenge

2009-12-17T11:15:00-08:00

I've spent the last few months pondering a new challenge for myself and I've finally decided on one. I'm calling it the "210 in 2010 Challenge". For this challenge I will attempt to commute to work by bike 210 of the 365 days in 2010.

How did I come up with 210 days? Well, I started with the 365 days that are in a year, and since this challenge is for commuting to work I discarded weekends and holidays. That gave me a total of 251 days. I'm the type of person who uses every last second of vacation and sick time, so after taking all that into account I was left with 234 days. That's 234 days that I could potentially use to commute. I'm giving myself 24 days to use for when it's just not logical to ride, like for my dentist appointment that's way down in Sarasota. That gives me my 210 days.

The "210 in 2010 Challenge" will start on Jan. 1st, 2010 and run until Dec. 31st, 2010. If I am to succeed I'll have to spend over 420 hours in the saddle and travel over 5,000 miles. I'll have to ride in temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 90s and relative humidities reaching above 90%. I'll get soaked by the Florida summer rains and blown over by the tropical storms. It's definitely going to interesting.

I'd also like to challenge all of you to either attempt the 210 in 2010 Challenge or make up a commute by bike challenge of your own. If anyone decides to attempt this challenge or create one of their own let me know and keep me posted on your progress.

Wish me luck and stay tuned for updates.

Bike Withdrawals

2009-12-16T11:08:00-08:00

I've been off my bike for well over a month and I'm starting have withdrawals. I spent hours online perusing bike commuting sites and blogs while daydreaming of commuting again. Screw it, I'm going to start riding into work again. Tomorrow sounds like a perfect day, what do y'all think? I'll deal with the running consequences later.

More Commute Pics

2009-12-09T06:05:00-08:00

Here are a few more photos taken of my commute route. I've also added all these images to a map if anyone cares to see exactly where they were taken.

Some Canal.

Well maintained bike lanes of Bradenton

With bike lanes mysteriously disappearing Bradenton isn't the most bike friendly city around.

Approaching a new traffic circle in a developing area of Manatee County

Long Bar Pointe Development Sign.

Looks like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's really not.

At least I get some great sunsets.

Some neat graffiti near our house.

My Poor, Neglected Superfly

2009-12-03T12:35:00-08:00

My bad ass carbon fiber Gary Fisher Superfly is just sitting in my garage doing nothing. Actually, I guess that's not entirely true. Over the past couple months it's been collecting samples for it's research on "Particles of matter regarded as the result of disintegration", more commonly known as "dust". Not only is is covered in dust but, I had to pillage the saddle for use on my commuter. So there it sits covered in mud and dust with a lone seat post protruding from it's sleek "nude carbon" frame. What's that? Mud? Did I forget to mention that it's still covered in mud from my last outing at Boyette? Yeah, It is. I know, I'm a horrible bike owner.

I'm hoping to get out for a short ride at Boyette soon. "Hoping" being the key word. I have to run 27 miles this weekend. 9 on Friday and 18 on Saturday. That leaves Sunday open. Providing I can still walk on Sunday I'm going to take the Superfly in all it's "nude carbon" glory out for a spin.

Yes, I'll be re-installing the saddle before I go.

Memories Of Cold Weather Commuting

2009-11-28T06:14:00-08:00

I'm not talking about Florida cold weather commuting either. The memories I'm referring to consist of sub freezing temps and lots of snow. I first started commuting by bike while attending college in Spokane, Wa. Although I don't have any images of my actual commute it looked a little something like this.

And here was my route. Oh how I miss commuting in the snow.

Bike Commuting On Hold

2009-11-23T08:02:00-08:00

I’m reluctantly putting my bike commuting on hold. I was just starting to get into a good routine and really starting to enjoy it but, I don’t want to jeopardize my running. With the Goofy race less than two months away and my training program pushing my legs to their limits every weekend I’m afraid that I’d be asking too much of them with an additional 24 mile a day bike commute. Besides, I think my wife would kill me if I was unable to run with her for her first Marathon.

Even though I’m planning on running the Gasparilla marathon in February I should be able to resume my commuting after the Goofy race. So why would I be able to commute while training for the Gasparilla when I can’t do it while training for the Goffy? The Goofy race consists running a total of 39.3 miles in a two day period, a half marathon followed by a full marathon the very next day. The Gasparill is just a marathon, that’s it. 26.2 miles and I’m done. This means I’ll only be doing 1 training run on the weekends so my legs won’t be trashed come Monday morning.

Whish us luck as I try to complete my first Goofy race and Theresa completes her first marathon!

Random Commute Pics

2009-11-06T15:10:00-08:00

Here are a few photos of my commute home tonight. I had taken a lot more but for some damn reason my phone decided it was only going to keep these two. I'll post some more later.

Some canal on my way home

Where did the bike lane go?

My Commute Route

2009-11-06T11:04:00-08:00

I thought I'd share my commute route.

<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/fl/bradenton/595125477072185583">Work Commute</a> <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/fl/bradenton">Find more Bike Rides in Bradenton, Florida</a>

Florida Coast to Coast Tour

2009-10-29T15:58:00-07:00

The other day I was having an exceptionally good commute home from work and started day dreaming about what would happen if I just kept riding. Well, I didn't keep riding but I did get another idea. I thought, "I wonder if I could ride from a Gulf Coast beach to an Atlantic Beach". I practically obsessed over it for a few hours wondering what it would be like, what would go wrong, what route would I take, how long would it take...

That night I mentioned the ride to Theresa and she thought it sounded really exciting. So, We're going to start planning this Florida coast to coast tour. Initially I looked up the straightest route from the gulf coast to the Atlantic coast which would have taken us along the same road for over 90% of the trip. Fortunately my man Karlos, the Naked Indian, is very good at planning routes like these and he's offered to work up a route for us. The only stipulation was that the entire route had to be on pavement. Why all pavement? Theresa will be on a full on road bike, not like my cyclocross bike, and I don't think she'd be too happy riding through sugar sand.

Stay tuned for more details...

Rad Rides From SingleTrack Samurai Productions

2009-09-18T12:51:00-07:00

For those of you who enjoy self supported endurance cycling and adventure type events you should check out SingleTrack Samurai Productions! All the events thus far have been completely free! My man, Karlos, aka The Naked Indian, comes up with some pretty rad events from quick local tours to epic cross state time trials. Did I mention they're totally free? He does all the planning and organizing himself, and with the help of some local endurance junkies, pre-rides each and every course to ensure they meet his crazy criteria.Oh yeah, and they're free.

The next event for SingleTrack Samurai Productions is the Cross Florida Individual Time Trials, or C.F.I.T.T. for short. It will be held on Saturday October 10th, 2009. Unfortunately this 170-ish mile trek across the state of Florida is already booked. Don't be scared though, I'm sure he's already cooking up something even bigger!

Most of the info regarding these epic journeys can be found on Karlos' Blog, The Naked Indian Chronicles, but the C.F.I.T.T. was big enough to warrant it's own blog. All the info regarding this epic cross state adventure, including the course maps and gpx files, can be found at http://crossfloridaindividualtimetrial.blogspot.com/

Maybe a SingleTrack Samurai Productions website is on the horizon? We'll see if I can talk Karlos into it. For now you'll have to settle for updates via The Naked Indian Chronicles blog or via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SingleTrack-Samurai-Productions/127304854530

Although these events are free to compete in, they are time consuming and cost money to develop. Please help keep SingleTrack Samurai Productions events alive and donate a few bucks to the cause by vising the C.F.I.T.T. blog and clicking on the "DONATE" button.

Running With The Florida Summer Heat

2009-08-03T10:56:00-07:00

Anyone who’s ever tried running in the Florida summer heat knows just how brutal it can be. Theresa and I discovered this first hand last Sunday morning during an 8 mile training run. The run started at Holmes Beach, and was to take us along Manatee Ave to Robinson Preserve, through the preserve, then home. We parked the truck and spent a few minutes stretching and making fun of a few beach bums before we hit the pavement.

The run started well but it didn’t take long for us to realize that the heat was a bit more intense than usual. We got to the Manatee Ave Bridge and I remember looking out over the water and seeing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge thinking “If the sky is this clear the Sun is gong to be brutal”. Our pace was much slower than usual, partially due to a lower leg pain that Theresa was feeling, but mostly due to the heat. Around mile 5 Theresa decided that she didn’t want to take any chances with her leg and that she was going to walk the remaining 3 miles home. Feeling pretty good I decided that I was going to add 2 miles to my run and head back towards the truck. The one thing that I didn’t consider is the lack of shade on that portion of the route. I was still feeling pretty good and I still had 2 full bottles of water with me so I took off.

At mile 6 I started noticing a tightness in my chest, difficulty breathing, and a light head ache. I didn’t think much of it and kept running. At mile 7 the head ache was fairly intense and my pulse had started racing - more than it should have considering my pace. I figured a short walk break and some water would take care of the problem. After about 1/2 mile of walking I didn’t feel any different. I couldn’t seem to cool down and my pulse was still racing. A that point I decided to finish the remaining 3 miles with an easy walk. Unfortunately I was out in the Sun for the entire walk. I’d see cyclists, both serious roadies and casual beach goers, and wished I had my Superfly. I’d take off and let the wind cool me down, but I didn’t have it and I doubt anyone would let me use their beach cruiser. I kept on walking. Once I got back to the Manatee Ave Bridge I was relieved to feel a slight breeze. Not enough to cool my body down, but enough to make it a little more comfortable. I didn’t get really cooled down until I reached the truck. I blasted the A/C and headed home.

I need to figure out how to get these training runs in during the summer months without succumbing to a heat stroke. It would be very easy to say “forget it, I’m not running when it’s this hot” as some people do, but that isn’t going to provide enough training for the Goofy. The only thing I can think of is to get up and get the runs over with before the Sun comes up. That means getting out of bed and out the door by 4:00 or 4:30 a.m. depending on the distance and sun rise. That’s very early for a weekend. Does anyone have any advice, suggestions, or ideas? If so please post up.

Post Peach Tree Road Race Update

2009-07-23T11:32:00-07:00

The 6.2 mile jaunt that is the Peach Tree Road Race proved to be much easier for both Theresa and I than we expected. We weren’t sure how things were going to end up considering the run/walk routine we’ve been using for training. We started the race with the intentions of running as far as we could without the walk breaks, but were pleasantly surprised when the only one needed was at “Cardiac Hill”. “Cardiac Hill” isn’t much of a hill by most standards, but it sure is for us flat landers here in Florida. We made it about half way up the hill before needing a short brake. After getting back up to speed the rest of the run was smooth sailing. We finished it in 1:30:45, which isn’t the fastest, but hey, we’re training for a Marathon not a 100 meter sprint.

With the Peach Tree out of the way the rest of the week was open for activities. Most of our days were spend hiking in and around the state parks near Helen, Ga but I did manage to get a short 12 mile ride in with Theresa’s step father, Ron. The plan was to ride on a few miles up a forest service road and back. It didn’t get off to a good start though. A few yards from the cabin my chain jumped off the large cog and ended up between the cog and the spokes. Luckily I wasn’t moving very fast so there wasn’t any damage. I quickly pulled the chain back up on the large cog and took off. A few miles down the road the chain jumped ship again, but this time it really lodged itself between the spokes and the cog. It took me about 15 – 20 min to work it free. Everything seemed to be in working order so I made a slight adjustment to the low limit adjust screw on my rear derailleur and took off again. I didn’t have any more problems after that. The rest of the ride was great. I could definitely tell that I’m loosing my base when it comes to mountain biking though. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s completely gone by now as I haven’t ridden since.

The plan for now is to concentrate on my marathon training. The hardest part is consistency. We have a tendency to want to skip a lot of runs which really hurts us in the end. I know that if we’re gong to make it through these Disney runs we’re going to have to get into a routine.

Pre Peach Tree Road Race Update

2009-06-30T11:31:00-07:00

The 6.2 mi Peachtree Road Race is just around the corner, but am I ready? I've been following my Marathon training program, I've added weights, and I'm still riding once a week. I'd say I'm better off now than I was before I attempted my first marathon. Unfortunately, that's not saying much considering the little amount of training I did for that marathon.

I started my marathon training program about 2 months ago with a 3 mile run / walk routine. Although my mileage is still low and I'm still on the run / walk routine my legs are much stronger and more importantly they're injury free. I attribute this lack of injury to my slow introduction to running. It's giving my body time to get used to the constant pounding it'll be taking from the concrete and blacktop. It's also allowing me to more easily adapt to the ridiculous heat index we've been experiencing here in Florida this year.

A few weeks ago I joined the YMCA so I could start lifting weights. I've only been able to go a couple times so far but I'll be hittin em hard after the Peach Tree Road Race. This should also help keep the injuries at bay once I get into the 10+ mile training runs. One small injury and I could very well be sitting out one or both of the Goofy runs come January.

Riding is my passion, but I'm sure you already knew that. I would ride every day if I could, but I can't. I live too far away from the good trail systems to get a daily dose in so we have to make time on the weekend. This once a week ride comes at the expense of a training run. I'm supposed to get a run in both Saturday and Sunday - especially important for someone planning on running the Goofy. I've been riding about 15 or so miles each ride with the exception of a 32 mile ride on the Santos Epic Trails last weekend. My wife, Theresa, had been off the bike for about a year due to some back issues, but she's been joining me on the weekend rides and doing very well. She's even agreed to try a 50 miler with me next year! AWESOME!

I'll post up with a Post Peach Tree Update in a week or so.

55nine Performance & Wobble Naught

2009-06-16T10:15:00-07:00

-- UPDATE --

It is with the deepest sadness that I am writting to inform you of the cancelation of my Wobble Naught fitting. I thought I'd have the funds but things aren't looking so good on the financial front. I'll have to hold off for while. Please join me in my mourning process.

A couple weeks ago I had decided to sell my Superfly and order a custom frame. The reason behind this was simple, I wanted a frame that fit me better than the Superfly. The Superfly is an amazing frame with the G2 geometry and the custom offset Fox fork. I simply felt that it was a bit small for me, specifically the stand over height and toptube length. Even though the frame is an XL it doesn't fit me too well due to my abnormaly long wingspan and very long legs.

After some careful considerations, like the fact that I'd be without a bike for 6 to 9 months, and a few discussions with Eddie O'dea from 55nine Performance I decided to hang on to the Superfly and get a Wobble Naugt Fitting. I'm confident that Eddie can adjust the bike to properly fit me despite my previous concerns regarding the size of the frame and my abnormal wingspan and leg length.

The fitting is schedueled for July 9th. This, of course, is durring our annual 4th of July Georgia vacation so I should be able to get some good miles in right after the fitting.

Toyota Tundra - My First Full Sized Truck

2009-06-09T10:22:00-07:00

I've been sporting a Toyota Tacoma for the past 6 years. The first Tacoma I owned was a 1st generation extended cab version with the TRD off road package. It was small even with the extended cab, especially for someone my size. I can honestly say that I never got used to cramming myself into it. Despite the small size I absolutely loved that truck. It's till my favorite truck, even today.

In 2006 Theresa and I had decided to trade in the miniature bad ass for a newer, bigger, 2nd generation model. This one had more leg & head room than the previous generation. Plus, we decided to get a double cab in case we wanted to haul anyone else around. We used that truck for everything from tailgating at the Rays games to hauling bikes, from moving friends furniture to moving mulch. It really did serve us well. It was still just a bit too small for me, especially when we were hauling passengers and my seat had to be moved up.

After discussing the possibility of getting a full sized truck for months we finally decided to look around. We knew we weren't going to spend the money on a brand new truck, so we started browsing for a used one. Let me tell you, there aren't many used Tundras around. We went to our friendly neighborhood Toyota dealer, Gettel Toyota, to see what they had. We were in luck, they had 3. After noticing a used ash tray and a bad smoke stench in the first one we quickly moved on to the other two. One was a beige double cab V8 and the other was a white double cab V6. The beige one had the more desirable V8 but the white one had a slightly nicer interior and some body trim that the beige one didn't. It also had close to 30,000 fewer miles.

After weighing our options we decided to take the white one for a test drive. We now own a White 2007 Toyota Tundra. I've already installed my Rocky Mounts Clutch bike racks in the bed so the truck is good to go. We even tested them out this weekend with a drive up to Wilderness Trails and a 15 mile ride. The only thing that the Tacoma had over this truck is storage space, but who needs to tote all that crap around anyway?

Pulling The Plug on Hammerhead...

2009-05-12T10:21:00-07:00

...and poppin the top on a Santos ride.

I have officially decided not to ride the Hammerhead 100 this year. It was supposed to be my first hundred miler ever, but I got lazy for a few months and am in no condition to even attempt the 50 mile option. My level of fitness just isn’t there. Not to mention the $70 entrance fee! Finances have been tight in the Schroder household the last couple weeks and that $70 could be used to get a lot of beer..er...I mean groceries. I am instead considering a ride at Santos.

Good luck to those of you who are still panning on riding!

Boeshield T-9: Interim Review

2009-05-11T11:04:00-07:00

I’ve been using Boeshield T-9 for just over a month now and I must say that I’m not as impressed as I thought I would be after my First Impressions post. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great chain lube, but it’s not quite a great as some other reviews had let me to believe.

Boeshield T-9 does a great job of creating a nice even coat over the chain which I would assume aids is rust prevention. I’m saying “I would assume” because I don’t know for sure how it handles rust due to the severe drought we’ve been having here in Florida lately.

Where it falls short of my initial expectations is with it’s ability to keep the chain quiet, specifically the squeaking noise that chains often make when they need another application of lube. I have found that, although it does prevent noises for a little longer than the Clean Ride, It’s not by much. I might get an extra 10 or 15 miles of squeak free riding and that’s about it.

To get the best results from T-9 you have to apply it the night before a ride to give it time to “set. If you’re a procrastinator like I am you probably apply the lube right before you load the bike into your vehicle or even a few seconds before you hit the trails. This won’t fly with the T-9. It needs those few hours of “setting” time to be effective.

I’ll keep using the T-9 for a few more months so I can give it a proper final review, but I think my next chain lube review will be the Epic Ride that The Naked Indian suggested when I first started this review.

Mountain Bike Feed Bag

2009-05-11T10:01:00-07:00

Endurance Mountain biker Karlos (a.k.a. The Naked Indian) just published a great review on a bike mounted bag called the Feed Bag. If you’re looking for easily accessible storage while you ride check out his review.

http://singletracksamurai.blogspot.com/2009/05/extended-review-part-two-epic-ride.html

I’ll definitely be purchasing one of these in the near future for my longer rides.