Tuesday, February 26, 2013

First Century of the year

Its a 100 days to my ride from San Francisco to Los Angles with ALC -2013, and what better way to celebrate than by riding a 100 miles in a day.

So on Saturday morning 2/23/2012 my friend Gino and I embarked on a 100 mile ride though the South Bay.

Our route started with a warm-up to Milpitas and then on to a 1000ft climb up Calaveras Blvd. We then went around Calaveras Reservoir into the City of Fremont via Niles Canyon. Both Calaveras Reservoir and Niles Canyon were gorgeous routes.
From Fremont we rode across the Dumbarton Bridge to East Palo Alto and took the Bayshore trail to the Stevens Creek trail to end up on Foothill Blvd where we stopped for a well deserved lunch of sandwiches and chocolate croissants at the Los Altos Bakery & Cafe

After lunch we continued on to Palo Alto-->Atherton-->Woodside and then looped back to ride back to Santa Clara.

Elapsed time: 9:05 hrs
Total riding time: 7:00 hrs
Avg Speed: 14.4 mph

Link to Strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/42017157


Pictures along the ride:

Panorama of Calaveras Reservoir



 Calaveras Road

      


Beautiful day to ride



End of the ride

Friday, February 1, 2013

First Month of Training - Jan 2013

Today, Jan 31st marks the end of the first month of training for ALC 2013.  Its been a really cold January for riding and I had to start riding with ski gloves cause my finger were freezing during the rides.
My stats for this month are in and I am very pleased with the data:

Total Distance : 267.3mi
Elevation Gain: 9,380ft


 My Goal for February is to roughly double these numbers, so I'd like to be at:

Total Distance: 500 miles
Elevation Gain: 20,000ft

Additional details, ride maps and a few photos are on my Strava profile here

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

How to buy a new road bike

If you're looking for a new road bike or planning to upgrade your existing bike-  this is a good post for you.

The sheer number of choices available when deciding on a road bike is overwhelming!  I recently went through the process of upgrading my bike  and learned a lot about the decisions one needs to make and the choices available for selecting the ideal bike.
This post  focuses on the fundamental decisions - and can be used as a step by step process for new  and novice riders when selecting a new bike.
(I  say new or novice riders because the decision making process is rather different for expert riders)

Buying a road-bike 101 

Step 0:  I'm going to assume you've weighed the pros and cons and have already made the decision to get into road-biking! Congratulations!

Step 1: The basics : understanding geometries
As you begin your hunt for the ideal bike, you need to first understand the two types of road bike geometries.
  • Endurance Geometry
  • Race Geometry 
Endurance Geometry: Designed for longer distance riding (endurance riding) these bikes and are know to be a  more comfortable geometry.  These bikes sport a (relatively) shorter top tube and a taller head tube, giving the rider a more comfortable posture for those long endurance rides. (If you think you're going to do century rides - this is the type of geometry you want)

Race Geometry: These bikes are designed for speed and have a more aggressive set up. They sport a longer top tube and shorter head tube: giving the rider a more aerodynamic posture for sprinting and racing.

The basic recommendation for a beginner rider is to test ride both these geometries and select a bike that fits just right. The race geometries stretch your torso more than endurance geometries- so one may feel better than the other.  For a beginner rider neither geometry is better or worse. Its all a matter of what feels and fits best.

Remember being fast is far more a function of your fitness rather than the bike, or any accessories for the matter, although most road bikers pretend to be willfully blind to that fact :)

Decision:  Have an idea of the type of riding you're going to be doing, analyze your fitness levels and keep in mind the different geometries.

Step 2: Decide on a budget
Road biking can be a very expensive sport and the cost of accessories, upgrades and clothing options  add up very quickly. I recommend you start off by setting a budget - one for the road bike and another one for accessories.

Before you set your accessory budget here is a basic list of accessories you will need :
  • Helmet
  • Front and rear lights
  • Gloves
  • Biking outfit (shorts + jersey)
  • Pedals + Cleats
  • Biking Shoes
  • Water bottle cages
  • Water bottles
  • A bike computer (or gps) (*optional)
  • A heart rate monitor (* optional)
  • Spare tubes
  • A bike pump 
  • A patch kit

Step 3: Go on test rides
Walk into your Local Bike Shop (LBS) and test out the bikes that fit your size, riding style and budget.

The most important factor while buying a bike:
The most crucial requirement is to have a bike that is the right frame size for you.  Your LBS rep will help you select the right frame size.  This is really important because a riders comfort on the bike and his efficiency on the bike is essentially dependent on the right size frame.

Once you know your ideal frame size - test ride the different geometry bikes. Also try out different brands as they all fit a little different.
And don't buy the bike on your first visit. You need to ride a few bikes before you make your decisions - so go to other bike stores and ride the different brands of bikes. You'll soon understand the difference in fit - what feels more comfortable and what doesn't.

After a week or two of test riding - you will have a good idea of the bike you think suits your needs best. This is your bike.

Some thoughts to keep in mind while making this decision:
Q: What kind of components should one get?  (and you can spend a LOT of money here).
A: My advice is - buy the best components within your budget.

Q: Should I get a Carbon or Aluminum frame
A: If a Carbon frame is within your budget then go for it.
However if I had to select a new bike -  I'd go for an Aluminum frame with better components over a Carbon frame with not-as-good components. Again as a beginner it all comes down to the budget.

Step 4 : Purchase your bike
This may sound basic - but keep in mind the kind of customer service you've experienced at the bike store before you buy your bike. You're probably going to go to this store often - for repairs, general maintenance and accessories - so buying your bike from a store with good customer service will be worth it.

I hope these guidelines are useful and help you have a enriched bike shopping experience. And when you start riding, don't forget to Strava

Sunday, January 20, 2013

First real hill climb of 2013

Got down to conquering the first hill of the year. Not as fast as I'd like and a whole lot of room for improvement - but a good start to climbing.
Reverse Sierra is a good steady climb, and in comparison front Sierra is absolutely insane. Front Sierra downhill certainly categorizes as a hazardous decent with steep drops and winding roads. I was clutching on to the brakes through the decent. I can only imagine what it'd be like to climb front Sierra....soon.