Go East for them Hills!

I have been in two cities I did not know too much about, but have driven through the area. The first city is Pittsburgh, I was here for a few days and I just was mostly working and I did not fare too well getting served in a locals restaurant, and that happened to me again on this visit.

I arrived to do the store here with Robert Brehn, with our bikes in tow. I think that if it was not for Karen all the Brehn boys would eat only spaghetti and burritos! So while he was here I at Chipotle which is a burrito chain, a pretty good Oriental place and a burger joint... So food (or is that fuel?) was consumed!

On the first day after work we headed out south, to find out we needed to make a few detours as bridges were out. I later found out that Pittsburgh had had two major floods this year that had taken out several bridges. Detouring routes around bridges or cyclo-crossing over bridge construction became the "theme" of Pittsburgh riding. So without any further adieu here are the Pittsburgh rides:

These are by my lonesome:
This one the "pigtail" to the West is where on a descent the paved road just disappeared, turned to a rock road and it took me awhile to slow to a stop and turn around.



Friday after my ride I went to the southside flats where the "hipsters" hang out, here there wanna be's and really just college students on bikes. But I found a very nice restaurant with an inexpensive dinner (bonus). While down there I found Pittsburgh Pavé.

Now on Saturday it was Thunderstorms (feels like a theme for this summers travels), then it cleared up about 2 p.m. So should I ride or see the town, I went out to see the town. There is a tram that lets you see the whole of the city and the stadiums.

It seems that there are very few cyclist for all the great riding, but no shortage of bikers, and if your into sports and bars to watch sports in this would be a fantastic city. 

Sunday a.m. I was up early to head off to my next assignment Baltimore, but via Gettysburg... I grew up with a Civil War buff, and I took Civil War history at A&M with one of the great scholars before he retired. I did run Strava on this, just to see where I had gone, but if you do get a chance, a bike is a great way to do it, but bring a MTB or a cross bike with shoes you can walk in, and a lock. I had the lock and a change of shoes, but riding up Big Round Top I met up with people walking down and I had to dismount and walk the rest of the way up, in road cycling shoes. If you don't know what they are well go here. I have a lot of photos of the fields and views but here are just a few...

David Wills on Lincoln Square where Lincoln stayed while in Gettysburg

This is general Unknown, but there also by state plus all the known.

The plak from cemetery ridge

The real thing

view from Warfield ridge of little round top and artillery ridge

artillery ridge looking at Devils den.

Then on to Baltimore, I arrived not knowing much at all, and found out I was in the middle of the shoppers mecca of Baltimore. Monday was a nice evening and I sat at my computer looking for the best place to ride, I had picked a few areas that were drive and ride (not my first choice). Tuesday it rained and rained and thunderstorms, so I went looking for food, and Yelp failed me BIG time, shoppers mecca means chain food places, and no real good places to eat. I was depressed no ride and no good food. 

Wednesday it rained and then looked like it wanted to rain, but a co-worker had told me about Fells Point and Bertha's Mussels. It is a historical part of Baltimore and in a revival. I had parked down at O'Donnell and  Boston at a park and talked to several dog owners, this is Michael Phelps home turf. I walked down the waterfront promenade to Fells Point, which is where Meg Ryan lived in "Sleepless in Seattle" and had nice evening looking at all the old buildings.

Oh BTW Baltimore Pavé

Thursday RAIN again, but again a co-work had told about a place call Iron Horse for good food and Nati-Bo's on tap. I binged on "junk food" I had $5 pound of wings with, OF COURSE, in Baltimore Old Bay seasoning and Sweet Potato fries, ah well not healthy but good, and this place was out of town a bit... on rollling hills. "Oh my what's a cyclist to think?"

Friday as some may know from my post it was raining after work and I began my laundry which was FREE at this hotel, score! As soon as I got the first load in the sun came out! Stupid Baltimore weather! So I planned Saturday while laundry was going. It was going to be tricky, light showers in the a.m. cloudy afternoon and a T-Storm at 4:30. The weather was not quite so stupid, it became sunny around 1:00 and I got a little red, and the evening was cool and fantastic (cept the mosquitoes).

Sunday I wanted to see the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum so after hotel breakfast off to see planes and spaceships! The engineer in me.

Once I got back to the hotel it was just too nice not to go riding so... 

Monday was just a very long day of work, then hop in car and drive all the way up to Long Island, getting late. Today rained but after work it cleared up. I was oh so tempted but just too too exhausted, so I made the Thai Curry recipe that Greg Niemialkowski had given me, its easy and forgiving for travel with small grocery stores. Tomorrow's ride is planned and no rain in the forecast! 

Another Week in Brooklyn

The hotel in Brooklyn does not have a kitchen but I've requested a fridge and they threw in a Microwave... I don't have much use for the microwave but the fridge has given me the ability to live off Müesi; Yogurt with cocoa, nut-butter, and rolled oats (thanks to Krista's blog); salad and store roasted chicken. So I stay nice and healthy. Eating like this does make the desire to get out to eat even more imperative and I went over to a Thai place and had a Basil Udon with Duck, for a change on Thursday night. The hardest thing with going out to eat in this area is do you walk over two blocks West and choose good food or do you walk three blocks East for good food? Oh its such a difficult issue... And I know so many people feel sorry for me... HA!

Just behind the hotel is Brooklyn Boulders, which is a warehouse that has been converted to an amazing climbing "community". The hotel has a free pass per week for each resident so for my Friday night entertainment I headed over to climb late afternoon.

I managed to get up all the "0" climbs but could not get up the "easy" "1", it gets even harder, and you can climb the Brooklyn Bridge, it's for the "advanced" certified regulars.

There is also an exercise room where you can develope your grip, pull-ups, and tight rope. I went for the tight rope, it takes concentration and balance, I got up to one minute and a few steps. It's a lot harder than it looks (kind of like Yoga).

After four (4) hours my forearms and back was worn out, I was tired. I then went back to the hotel and went to bed early for an early morning ride.

The majority of weekday riding in Brooklyn is in Prospect Park. Though I wanted to say I rode through Manhattan during rush hour. Tuesday I took off over Brooklyn Bridge and hit rush hour, which was safer riding through than Saturday riding down King George Street in Brantford.... which is a bit of a sad statement. I also went over Chelsea to get a closer look at the greenway, which I want to walk on before I finish up, and "got to" ride on the Pavé there... 

Thursday night was training intervals in Prospect Park, it is easier to do intervals when you're limited to just going around circles rather than explore roads. Thursday after dinner I had walked into a bike shop and had started talking to a young rider, that belongs to a group that meets at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. for a fast ride. It's a "no drop" ride but it is a very fast ride, we stopped several times to regroup, there were 5 of us hammering up and over hills, and on the sprints... on roads that are "not on the map". Last year I was on that side of Manhattan and I had ridden up 9w, and had been on the main roads, not knowing all these little side roads (not that I know them now), makes riding with locals so much fun. We did stop at the halfway point for coffee and it was a town that I had ridden through. 

This was one of the first rides that I finished and NEEDED a nap afterwards, and felt much better for it. I then chatted/texted with my daughter Céline while she was watching a Dr. Who marathon, then used my Skype to phone home and talk to my wife, after all the news from home went and picked up my laundry, then I did go out and have a good burger and fries for dinner, I figured I earned it. 

Today it is pouring down rain, and I have to say I feel for all the cyclist who paid good money for the NY Grand Fondo, it's a cool wet day which is not my favorite to ride in, and I do avoid it if I can. A good day to catch up with reading and podcasts.

Giro de Manhattan

Today I decided to make it a point to ride around Manhattan. It's easy to get from the hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge and over into Manhattan and I had wanted to ride the Greenway last summer but never got to it. 
Going clockwise around the the city covers a majority of the greenway and the first stop was off the bridge and before Battery park where there were two tall ships.

Going around the tip of Battle Park I noticed that the bike path was not as clearly marked as I would have liked, there is work going on and they are marking out parts of it much better, I got through and onto the west side. As I passed Chelsea I could see the Greenway and it looked very pedestrian, and full so that looks like another Sunday afternoon project. Next to my left I could see West New York, NJ and the condo complex where I stayed last summer. I then came to the end of the West Side of the greenway, if I had gone straight over on Dyckman I could have gotten to the east side of the greenway but I wanted to cross over the river into the Bronx, at my turnaround point I got a little confused as about eight streets come together and when you're on 3 of them they all have signs "Bronx Zoo" so I was not sure what road I was supposed to take, I finally figured out one road that looked to head south, and chose that one. It lead me through a neighbourhood that I was quite happy that I did not get a flat in... as I'm not sure a tall skinny guy in lycra would be a normal sight. I then headed back over to Manhattan Island and through Harlem, making my way to the East side of Central Park past the Guggenheim. I decided to make a loop around the park as long as I was there. It was not fast at all between the kids, people on slower bikes, people out for walks, people out with their dogs, etc. Then on to Times Square and the over to the United Nations.Now somewhere after the United Nations I wanted to get back onto the East greenway but I failed to find the way that passed over/under the FDR. So I just headed down 2nd Ave. buzzing down to the Brooklyn Bridge and back home.

Once home I had a good shower and went out for Pizza on 5th and it was very good way to end the day.

This week in Tuttle

First off, I'm posting the Strava maps because I do have several readers who enjoy looking at them... and some who do not, so if you don't just pass over them. This blog is also my personal cycling journal. And one day I do hope to connect up with George Mannus (Who is with me in the photo from 1983) and ride with him again. This is my journal of life and cycling. OK so that's out of the way.

This week was Monday OFF, I could have and wanted to ride, but it was a busy weekend last weekend. Then Tuesday and Wednesday was rain and I just commuted, and worked. Then came cool and sunny Thursday. PR on Claremont! Yea, it's a pretty hard little climb but I've learned how it needs to be climbed. It was still quite cool out because of the rain and on the decent on Pinehurst was a bit damp and there was one corner that I was just a wee bit "hot" going into it... but I amaze myself on my bike handling (humbly I say this) and just made the corner... but was expecting the worse. And in the shade on the "dark side" of that Berkeley ridge BURR... its just cold.



Friday was a Friday and I was tired but when the weather is just SO nice that all you want to do is be outside... Plus, Sunday was planed for Hamilton Mountain, and Saturday was laundry, packing and moving to San Jose, so this was just a quick and easy ride... and I posted the photo on Facebook because the weather back in Brantford is not quite as nice (I hope spring shows up in two weeks... Stupid ground hog what does he know?)

And Like I said Saturday was a busy day of packing and laundry...

Sunday... was a bit more laid back in the a.m. and I had a good breakfast, and then began working on some AutoCAD drawings. Chatted with a friend, caught up with all that happened back in Brantford via Facebook and watched Gent-Wevelgem, chatting with my Scottish friends on Twitter during the race (btw, only time I tweet is during pro-races).

Finally... after cleaning the bike (with baby wipes), and checking all my bolts, and everything that the bike's fit and ready to go, I'm out to take on Hamilton Mountain, where the Lick Observatory is located. I think this  climb is "easier" than Mt Diablo... but it only took me twenty minutes to get to the climb where as at Mt Diablo it was 2:15 before I was on Mt. Diablo road... what makes this climb difficult is the two dips where you go down, which one might think is a rest but what it does is it throws your rhythm and once I started climbing again it took a good 10 minutes before I could get it back again... so that was a new experience for me. One thing that I have noticed with climbing... when I was in Denver, we just climbed and when you were at the top you were at the top, you just did not know when you were there... Here both at Diablo (you could see the station at the top) and Hamilton (you could see the observatory) it makes it harder because you can see your goal, and it just does not get closer very fast. This week I had planned my climb and I had an ETA so I kept telling myself it's 30 minutes away, its 20 minutes away... and that really helped. 

Once I got there I had to see the observatory, I made the tour for the historic Lick observatory, from 1800's and the wood work in the place is cool, and the mechanics of the system is very cool.  And the obligatory photo of me at the top... (it is my blog)

The decent required arm warmers the whole way down, and my MEC wind vest half way down which I took off very "pro like" passing another cyclist... yea I'm cool... but only when on a bike... Util I got to the last part... stupid cars go so darn slow... I was behind two BMW Motorcycles who were be hind a mini van and car that were just SLOW! Really pull over and let us by! Then on the ride home I hit every city traffic light red... AGRH!

I got home worked a bit more on my drawing while supper was cooking... a nice cracked peppercorn roasted chicken with green beans in a balsamic vinaigrette, al fresco, you have to have a good recovery meal...

All ready for a long day of work tomorrow... Mondays!

My week back in California

And Mt Diablo is DONE!

I arrived Sunday morning and the weather required a ride, and I wanted to get back on Claremont for some leg strength. I had a good recovery when I was back home so I got a few PR's



Monday was nice too.. So I went out for a bit easier ride. I wanted to see more of Skyline, and just enjoy the weather.



Tuesday Cam and I went out for a "Tuesday night ride", back in Brantford these are quick and hard... and with a 25 year-old "carrot" in front of me on the climbs we got a really good workout with  a bit of climbing. This is one of the rides my friend from IKEA Emerryville had suggested, and the bottom loop with the climb was just fantastic. Loads of great places to ride just out of the back door!



Wednesday was "warmer" 75°F but I needed a day off so I would be ready for Saturday.

Thursday I wanted to climb easy and just have a good ride, But I had forgotten to charge up the bike computer and only the climb got recorded, Doh!



Friday I had to take Cam to the airport early in the a.m. and work in East Palo Alto store, I took the opportunity to go and visit Palo Alto Bicycles. Back in the '80's they had a catalogue before the days of the internet, and Bike Nashbar was in its infancy, it was one of the few places you could get hard to find bike parts (which back then was almost everything needed for a bike).

Saturday was sleep in a bit, and have a good breakfast, Mt Diablo is getting conquered today!
I knew this ride would take at least 5 hours and any ride I did last year over 4ish hours I was dragging myself home the last bit, so I planned my fuel. Once I found out that Mt Diablo was the penulimate stage of the Tour of California and it was within "reach" of where I was staying I began planning for this day!

Hammer nutrition has several products but I never fully understood what they all did, and I'm a cyclist who rides mostly 3 hours and if decently fueled I have no problem, but after 4 hours fuel is a huge issue, so I talked to some of my Ironman friends and phoned Hammer help line. This is the result, to start off with I had one 3 hour Perpetuem bottle and two bottles of Heed with Endurolites, I also had enough Endurolite fizz to make up four water bottles, and I had 6 Perpetuem solids. The idea is that the Perpetuem has so much good stuff in it that a bottle over three hours starts to go "rancid". In the end I went through the 3 hour bottle and the two Head bottles, and four bottles of Fizz, and this is the first 5 hour plus ride (early in the season too) where I was tired at the end from all the climbing but not dragging myself home! So I now know how to fuel myself for really long rides.

I prefer not to drive to a ride if I don't have too, so I picked an easy pass over the ridge by me and then headed off to Mt Diablo, which when your half way there you can see it looming in the distance, just waiting for you....

I still had a way to go at this point but it is big. Just before I got to the base of the climb there was a community center and I filled up with water, I did not know what was before me and I wanted to be prepared. The grade is 4% average, as per the literature at the top so it's not really too hard, but it just keeps going, you come to the ranger station which is the park entrance and to that point it's not that much climbing, then it goes, when you get the the next station which is just before the turn to the summit, your feeling pretty good about yourself... But the summit climb is the second half of the climb and about half way through if you look up you can see the station at the top, and it's not getting closer very fast... several switchbacks and then the last bit is the WALL and it's a gift, it's not long but you've been climbing for almost and hour and it can only be done standing, then your there and Diablo is in your back pocket!

The decent is always the best part and I've gotten much more confident on descending so its just pure fun! I did not pick the best route home, and I had to make it up staying close to the 24 till I got to roads I recognized from earlier rides. The final climb before home I was a bit slower than the last couple of time but I made pretty good time, and I got a PR on my decent into Berkeley. Then home for Recoverite and "supper"

The LSD cell phone ride.

I'm not sure if my head is always on straight when it comes to opportunities to ride my bike... This morning around 7:45 I received a text from my friend Greg:: "do you feel like riding to Georgetown and back? 160 kms approx." Me: "sure", Greg: "Agnes (Greg's wife) forgot her cell there", Me: "OK I'm in".

Now this ride ended up being 183 kms. and that is a long way... Plus we went via the Three Sisters, which are three pleasant hills in a row, then once you cross the 6 there are a few more hills to deal with. Needless to say it was a long hard day in the saddle of  6 hours and 20 minutes (I think I have the right to say day).

The destination is Greg's friend who has build a custom pizza oven... it's very very nice, and if I had time I'd have one in my backyard, with a custom smoking pit. mmm food.

LSD Ride in Minneapolis

Today was again supposed to be sunny and nice out. Jeff and I were both tired but we were planning our rides last night, we had picked up a MTB/cruiser type rental for the week for him and he is still on the trail at 6:30 p.m. and I am not expecting to see him till much later tonight.

My plan for the ride was to do an appropriate ride for this time of year a LSD (Long Steady Distance) and I fuelled up the bike and planed on a five (5) hour ride, I was not positive if I could do 5 hours of trails but if I could do it anywhere it would be here. I looked at the map and there is a loop that went around the "lakes" and to the Mississippi River then down and back to the lakes. This was my first go around, I got a chance to see some fantastic architecture on the river, so I did a bit of sight seeing took some photos and went on to do another loop and this time I went a wee bit further north seeing what there was to see, and when I came back toward the river I connected up with a young engineer named Ben out for a ride. We got chatting and I was able to join him on his ride and he took me over to St Paul, up a couple of good climbs (oh boy at this time of year those HURT!). We then went through the U of M (the university of Minnesota), and through a couple of other campus' in town. Looking at more fantastic homes. We finished up our ride down the green belt where we met up with another U of M cyclist who's studding physiotherapy (sorry I don't remember you name). They pulled off at their respected exits and as I arrived home I peeled my butt off of my saddle with a total of 5 hours and 15 minutes of riding time in the saddle, a good day! Two bottles of Recoverite, a shower, a beer, and a nap... and at 6:45 it's still sunny and gorgeous outside!

BTW, I don't take photos too well when I'm tired sorry Ben...

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