In Austin, Texas for work and riding hills

Wow, first and foremost I had forgotten how hot Texas can be, but it's a different heat than Ontario.
I flew down on a Tuesday evening with Robert Brehn, with a layover in Chicago we arrived at midnight. We were up at work a little later in the morning. The store was ready for us, and we managed to get a lot of work done, despite the scaffolding company had given us the runaround about delivery, in the end it was delivered to the Houston store and they sent it over to us.
Back at the "house" after work the first task of the day is to assemble my bike, I was quite tired from Tuesday being a long day so I just pedaled around the neighborhood, which is very hill, to make sure the shifters were going to work. The route I had planned for Austin is from epicRides a cycling training video company, and epicAustin literally passed outside of our house. So I had it all setup for Thursday and after grocery shopping Robert and I went out for BBQ brisket. On to Thursday where we had another very productive day at work at the store. I then headed out on my epicAustin ride, in 33°C (92°F) heat, which is not bad for flats but it takes so much effort on climbs it is very hot, some of the grades are at a max of 20% and I'm about 10 pounds overweight so I felt every percentage point and every pedal stroke.

You might observe in the route a lot of "pig tails" in order for epicAustin to punish you and get the steep climbing they head off of main roads. The video/Map my Ride route also starts and finished under the MoPac by the river, not in front of my house. Texas has a rugged beauty and I do miss it a lot.

Friday was another day at work and rest in the afternoon then Robert and I went downtown to watch the bats come out from the bridge and he then treated me to a fantastic Mexican dinner... Some bosses are "OK". :P

Saturday I ran Robert off to the airport and I went out for Mexican breakfast. All this for under $5 including a 15% tip! BTW that's eggs with cactus 

Back home, and I did a little bit of office work, try and fix my map so I could find my way around the Colorado River, Garmin Connect likes to have a good internet connection and we don't have much more than a fast dial-up at this rental, ARGH! I then got ready for my ride and grabbed my flashing rear light as it might rain at 2:00 p.m. and out to do the full epicAustin.

And it sure did look like rain when I got down to Westlake drive...

So I attached my flashing rear light and headed into the clouds the rain held off till I was on Riva Ridge at the end of the climb, which was nice. For those of you who are not cyclist climbing on steep hills in the rain is very difficult because your wheel will slip on the tarmac especially on grades over 7% and Riva Ridge is one of the climbs that has a max of 20%. It poured rain I could not see anything in front of me on the shoulder of North Capital of Texas Highway. When I turned off the hill at Hidden Valley was a sit in the saddle the whole time to keep the rear wheel from slipping too much, it has gone from down pour to a sprinkle and by the time I got to the top of that it had stopped all together. City park is an easyish downhill all the way and an easy return 4% or less, so I was in a nice rhythm and working on my mental skills for getting up Jester, it's long, and it's at the end of my ride so this time I wanted to be prepared for it, and I just started a bit slower at the bottom, because I knew that it would slow me down anyway, climbs like that are best when your done with them, the last tail home is not hard and as I was coming up Smokey Hollow the Taxi was dropping Jared off. I met him, took a shower and a nap.

For the evening I had planned on going to the Pecan Street Music Festival, and Jared was game. Great fun and we got to hear some good music.

The rest of the week was a bit more work and cooking at home. Because of Austin's hills I just could not ride every day. Tuesday I rode on "flat" and Thursday I made a run to Mellow Johnny's as Jared went golfing. Some how my bike computer did not charge up and did not record all of Thursday's ride.

We went out one night to Rudy's and had more Brisket... sitting outdoors drinking Iced tea.

Saturday was an all day trip home... then Sunday was church, and the church picnic at Mohawk Park, with a great fall day, and in the evening I took the dogs out for a run, then off to work in Burlington on Monday.

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.

My last week in California

With much colder temperatures back home I did try to find an IKEA co-worker to adopt me, but there were no takers... Oh well I have to leave 18°C and overcast for 7°C and rain (and I hope NO SNOW). It is what it is.

The last two weeks have been very busy at work trying to get two stores finished, last week was a disappointment I could not ride as much as I wanted because it was very nice out, but this week has been quite cool and overcast or raining (and pretty hard for the Bay Area).

First off in training you build and take an active rest week then start building again, so after doing a mountain a weekend for two weekends my body wanted a rest, and add to that long days at work a tired body just can not turn the pedals. The first ride after Hamilton Mountain was out of the loft to the bike trail. I got started rather late in the evening and I knew I would probably not get as far as I wanted and kept a watch on  the time, even with flashing lights in a bike friendly city after dark on major roads is a bit dangerous. The trail itself in not too exciting but safe and nice to have such an asset so close to "home". The ride around the Lexington Reservoir was beautiful.



Friday I was able to finish work early, so I took a nap when I got back to the loft, made some coffee (this becomes a theme). And went out on the trail for the hills. There is one nasty little dirt hill on the trail just before you get to the damn that goes UP, last time I hit sand and had to walk, this time I used all my cyclo-cross skills, picked my line and got up on the bike. Then onto the highway to get to "the climb" The only thing I did not know about the road I was going to take is that it's 9-10% average with a fair bit of 13% and there was one hairpin at 15%, this is difficult climbing and I almost gave up... Remember when you're on a new road especially a climb you have no markers of when that 15% is going to hit you, or how much further you have to go. But once I got up to Summit Road, I was VERY glad that I finished. The only problem with a phone camera on a sunny day you can't tell when all your photos are blurry, so no visual memory's of that ride.



Saturday was pack, laundry (the loft had a VERY nice washer dryer) and move day. Once I got back up to Emeryville, people were driving crazy on the highway. A Saturday drive took me almost two hours to do a hour drive, I missed out on two accidents by being alert, whew. I then got checked into my hotel, got some groceries at the Berkeley Bowl, I will miss the grocery store with all of it's produce, it was late. The weather was not very nice but the roads around Eastbay are great for riding. So I called this one "A run from the Rain" it did catch me at the last of my decent off the hill so I had to slow down.



I decided that I would splurge and go out. I found this place calle B Side BBQ and enjoyed an evening of good BBQ good beer (Thelonious Triple Belgian Beer), the night before Flanders.

I originally had plans for Easter that involved me being on the other end of the Bay on Sunday a.m., but I had no intentions of driving over an hour both ways for a church service. And I also planned on waking up early to watch Flanders, my body had different plans I slept like a rock and do not remember turning off my alarm.  I decided to go for "brunch" and found this little hole in the wall café Doyle Street Cafe and had Huevos Azteca's, and good coffee.

The rest of the day was reading what I could about Flanders, a quiet time and doing two AutoCAD drawing for the next phase of work.

This week began long hours and DIRTY work, Monday was come home shower eat and bed... Tuesday I could have done the same but the evening was quite nice and I just wanted to be outside so I went out on the Bayview trail, for a coffee ride (nice little coffee shop at University) and up the bike shop to add air to my tires. I've got to find a floor pump that is lightweight and will fit in my luggage.

Tuesday I was hoping to ride but there were clouds over the hills (which are still there today as I write). It was just as well as I was just tired, but I found that the Bayview trail goes all the way to the San Rafael Bridge which has a bike lane and then you're in Marion County!

Then the rain did come and just as well as I was in the need of rest, but come Friday I wanted to do the hills one last time, so after work (a full day), I came back took a nap and had some coffee and off to the hills. It only takes a tired rider 20 minutes to get to Claremont climb, so as I said it's a nice place to be. It was quite an overcast day and a bit cool but I packed my kit for the Bay Area two months ago and I've learned that I have to take stuff off to climb and put stuff on the flats and add more on the descents, and for the last two months I've been out of reach of the team car to take my gear or hand me my gear so I look like the Hunch Back on the climbs.

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After this ride I packed my bike... the Ritchey Break-Away fits into a suitcase, Ritchey's video says it takes 20 minutes to pack, a Cyclingnews.com reivew says after a while it takes 20 minutes to pack... I'm at the one hour and 45 minute mark... though I think next time I may be able to cut some time off? maybe.

Now it's time for my flight home to Toronto. Which before I even woke up this morning it was delayed an hour. I've not had one single flight this year that has not been delayed... Oh well the joys of travel.

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!