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! 

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"

Where I've been

I know that the last post was leading up to the weekend, but my bike computer crashed, and once I got home I spent an hour with tech support. Basically I had to reformat it and do a factory reset... technology is great until it fails.

That weekend was a pretty good weekend, I attempted Mt Diablo, but my legs were not into it. Being a person not to waste great day enjoed the day and ride. On Sunday I went out to Alameda which is flat, it is also the home of the abandoned Alameda Navel complex where the Myth-busters do there car smashing. This was intended for a spin and an active recovery (it's hard to find flat here). Monday Robert and his son Cam arrived and we rode for a good 90 kms with good climbing.

Then I went back to the frozen tundra of Brantford... weekday riding was motivated by my friend Greg where we got on our bikes in his basement a couple of times to keep/get our legs moving. The weekend was some good roller work for me. Yesterday was supposed to be a fairly nice day in Brantford, but at 9:00 a.m. it was pretty darn chilly (0°C) and it went up to 2, I bailed and planed to ride on rollers in my sunroom, I had wanted to do the Sufferfest's Blender using Trainer Road but alas I wimped out.

Then today with daylight savings I got up very very early to fly to California... and when I got here it was +18°C  and very sunny, so what do you do with a Sunday afternoon? Go riding. No great photos I was just out to enjoy myself clear my head and put in some klicks.

The Weekend in San Francisco area

This was a weekend of visiting and fellowship.
I started the weekend off by taking a drive with my bike down to San Jose to meet up with Clyde Floyd who is setting up a FCA Endurance huddle group for the Bay Area, we took a nice ride which included the climb and most of the 2011 (they were not sure of the year) Tour of California' Time Trial. We then stopped at David's house and had our photo taken. That is Clyde's daughter-in-law Christy, Clyde, me and the "other" David.

Floyd and I then spent the afternoon "fellowshipping" talking about how and what he hopes to do with FCA Endurance in the area, it looks like a lot of good work will come out of this.

It was a quite night for me then I woke up to a cold room it was 3°C outside and my room was around 10! the two little heaters could not keep up with such freezing cold weather. I sat huddled under a blanket on the sofa reading part of the morning then went around the corner to have French toast with hippies, the had organic whole grain bread French Toast with free range egg batter, Free Trade Coffee and all for just a few bucks, by now it's warmed up to a very sunny 9°C and I figure with as much sun and NO clouds I can ride in the cold... So I pack up the bike and head over to San Francisco, I ended up taking the wrong exit so I got to drive through the Streets of San Francisco, once I arrived I had to drive around a while for a parking space, and then unpacked the bike and headed over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Golden Gate park. Where there are the "hulls" of WWII Batteries, the bunkers were built but the guns were not installed because the war ended.



Once I returned to the car I then went back over the Bridge to Golden Gate Seminary, and met up with my friend Kevin Trick who is studying for his D.Min.  We went out for lunch then spent the afternoon "fellowshipping" and catching up. He plans to do a half Iron Man in the fall so he wanted to get in a run before the sun set, and I wanted to get home before the sun set.