On Bicycles, and.... what else is there?

Basso climbing Zoncolan ( CyclingNews ) Last post I proposed an estimate of the power used by Basso and Evans while climbing the mighty Zoncolan stage of the Giro d'Italia. However, no sooner did I publish my estimates than CyclingNews published claimed numbers from Basso's SRM. That Basso had an SRM was surprising to me: this stage is one of the rare days in pro racing that riders use a 110 mm BCD "compact" crank. In the past, they've not made the investment (or their sponsors haven't made that investment) of a separate power-enabled 110 mm spider. But 110 mm BCD power meters are gaining increased acceptance as people realize that "compact" gears are suitable for racers, too, in addition to the substantial power meter market of performance-oriented cyclists who don't race. So they probably want to promote their compact option, and a epic stage like this one attains substantial visibility. In any case, the numbers: Basso averaged 395 watts...

Yesterday's Giro stage finished on the epic Zoncolan climb, a truly brutal slope which I've vowed to climb myself some day. If numbers alone can induce pain, these numbers surely qualify: Zoncolan profile: ouch!!! I watched the last 50 km on Justin.tv (linked via CyclingFans ): absolutely riveting stuff. Sure, L'Alpe d'Huez has its character and history, but the mighty Zoncolan is in a separate category of "beyond". With the pathological gearing used by riders on the stage (for example, 34-52 front with 11-29 back), riders were at least able to maintain a decent cadence, but that couldn't hide the brutality of the slopes. This hill is truly every rider for himself. Given this, it's interesting to see what the numbers say about what transpired on the mountain. I took a few time checks from the main group (ignoring the break) starting at the 10 km to go point. The climb "officially" begins 100 meters sooner. But it didn't appear to...

Saris sent me back my powertap wheel after I'd sent it to them for torque-tube test. Hats off to Saris: they did it w/o charge and returned it to me quickly. But had they actually done anything? Unfortunately I didn't follow up their quick return with a quick re-test. Honestly, I found it liberating to not have power numbers telling me how lame I was every single ride. It was fun to just ride. I didn't need the power meter to tell me if I was going hard or not. But eventually I couldn't ignore it any longer. So time for the torque test, again. My procedure was slightly modified, after what I'd seen a friend do with his. To optimize the crank orientation (the weight needs to hang perpendicular to the crank or the torque estimate will be off), I grabbed the rear wheel and rotated in, forward and backward, until I saw the Powertap torque reach a maximum value. But here I deviated from my friend's approach: instead of using this number, I grabbed the brak...

After Skyline to the Sea, amidst all of the Cosco food provided by PCTR which generally falls into the "hydrogenated fat + corn syrup" category which I prefer to not put into my body, especially when trying to repair the considerable damage from such a hard effort (a recipe is only as good as its ingredients, and my recipe for me is what I eat), I found something which for me saved the day: small protein-fortified balls by Clif called Shot Roks . Obviously they were sponsor products, not part of the Cosco run. They were mostly sitting untouched: honestly, they looked fairly threatening. Little hard balls. But after I tentatively tried one, I had another, and another, then two more, then... good stuff at the end of a very depleting day, and the protein was just what I craved after the long run. So what's in Shot Roks? Here's the listed ingredients: INGREDIENTS : Clif Protein Blend TM (Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Organic...

I rode over Hwy 84, first misty, but then a steady rain at the summit, near Skylonda (but technically Woodside). 84 is normally too heavily trafficked to be popular with local cyclists, except as a descent where good riders can outpace most cars. It's the easiest route up to Skyline in the area: Old La Honda Road, Kings Mountain Road, and Page Mill Road (in order of increasing difficulty) all much-preferred. TOC tried to get Page and OLH, but residential resistance meant they had to go with 84. In any case, I rode 84 today in the spirit of the race. Fortunately, the skies cleared as I descended to the west, a long gradual downhill into the town of La Honda. after passing through, a left onto Pescadero at the "5 km to KOM" sign took me into the redwoods. A short rise, a bit of flat, then a right over the bridge marking the climb proper of Haskins Hill. Here it was chilly, the roads a bit damp, but thankfully no rain. This climb is the highlight of the annual Pescadero Road...

Yesterday was the first time I've ever worked registration at a sanctioned race. Berkeley Hills is a classic Nor-Cal course: San Pablo Dam Road, Castro Ranch Road, Alhambra Valley Road, and Bear Creek Road provide almost idylling riding in the hills east of Berkeley. The route is highlighted by the "Three Bears", three short but fairly steep climbs along Bear Creek Road. From the south, first Mama Bear (where the race once finished), then two bumps of which the second is generally considered to be "Baby Bear", then a descent over the bridge @ Happy Valley Road to the final climb, Papa Bear, at the top of which the race now finishes. For laps preceding the last, following Papa there's a fast, straight descent to another bridge and a short but steep climb to San Pablo Dam Road. Then it's back around the loop and another encounter with the Three Bears. The race is a war of attrition: survive a seemingly endless series of short hill intervals until th...

Chris Solinsky In comments to the Science of Sports blog post on Chris Solinsky's remarkable sub-27 minute 10 km time, data on the height and mass of those who've managed to break that barrier were listed. It's interesting to see how the numbers scale: height vs mass for sub-27 min 10 km running times While constant BMI certainly describes the upper bound of these data, at the lower margin, the trend is closer to a constant ratio of mass to height. It was proposed a factor may be the ability to dissipate heat, which becomes more difficult for larger runners than smaller runners at a fixed BMI. For fun, I also plotted my numbers, and while I'll never run close to a 27 minute 10 km (40 minutes would make me happy), my dimensions certainly fit in nicely with this super-elite crowd: I added myself to the plot

It's amazing to me all three of the Grand Tours within a 12-month window begin in Holland. I'd love to go to Holland, especially Amsterdam, and take in the refreshingly bike-friendly culture in which the need to slow down cars to protect public safety is well established (in stark contrast to the "drivers own the road" mentality in good-old-friendly U-S-A). But from a racing perspective, the convoluted roads and complex network of traffic circles make racing there quite a challenge. Challenge is good when it's a test of skill, but with the Russian Roulette of a peloton surviving an almost endless series of traffic circles in the final kilometers of a win-at-all-costs pro bike race, not so good unless you're into random blood-letting. So here's the profiles for the first three stages of the Giro d'Italia, from CyclingNews , each stating in Amsterdam: Heck, I can't ride from home to the local market (in San Francisco) without doing more climbing t...

This blog is mostly about bicycles, and I ride my bike to the polls in California several times per year, so anything having to do with elections also qualifies.... California's primary election is 8 June this year: less than 6 weeks away. A quick scan of statewide ballot measures: Proposition 13 : Definitely no. Property owners should pay a tax proportional to the value of the property. Seismic integrity is an important aspect of value. Additionally, putting loopholes in the tax code allows owners to classify upgrades as "seismic retrofitting" even if they contribute to other aspects of a building's value. Proposition 14 : Definitely yes. The present system of party-based primaries is polarizing and inertial. I think both parties benefit from a broader base of input. For example, fiscally conservative yet socially progressive voters can contribute to less dominance of the wacko fringe in the Republican party, while the Democratic candidates will be less smug ...