Strava – PROBIKEWRENCH

EORA Show – Greenville, SC, Feb. 10, 2015

A couple of cool finds at the EORA Winter Show in Greenville, SC

I had a few minutes to kill today, so I stopped by the EORA (Eastern Outdoor Reps Association) Winter Show in Greenville. I checked it out last fall, and went ahead and registered for this show, too. For those who have never been to this show, it’s not really bike-oriented… more geared towards folks running outdoors-type stores. Regardless, they had a few bike-related brands, and some other cool stuff to check out. Here are my favorites:

1. Camelbak

I have always loved Camelbak hydration products. They came up with the idea, and they continue to develop new products that are really innovative. The best looking models I saw at the show were the K.U.D.U. packs. They come in two different sizes, multiple color options, 100 oz. reservoir, a load bearing belt with cargo pockets, and up to 915 cubic inches of capacity (for the K.U.D.U. 18).

The coolest part, that isn’t visible while you are wearing the pack, is the Impact Protector. It is a special panel made of multiple foam layers that protect you from the pack’s contents, in case of a crash. It is designed to take multiple impacts, and is very lightweight, at only 2 lb., 8 oz. for the larger model. Definitely an enduro-designed pack, but very eye-catching, and an excellent idea.

One of the coolest extra details of the K.U.D.U. pack, specifically for those like-minded friends who like to have every tool needed to do a minor (or major) trailside repair… a “bike tool organizer,” or as we call it in the pits, a “tool roll.” It’s not really heavy duty, but Camelbak was going for something lightweight that could offer benefit to the rider who needs to pack a lot of stuff in their pack, but keep pointy tools segregated from the rest of their gear. Nice work on this pack, Camelbak.

2. Timex

Timex is on the verge of releasing a game-changing new GPS watch called the ONE GPS+. This watch is the neatest “smart-watch” I’ve seen. The features include:

InstaFix GPS Speed and Distance
Phone-Free Messaging
Find-Me Feature
Live Online Tracking
Music Player
Always-On Sunlight-Readable Qualcomm Mirasol Display
Heart Rate Compatible
50m Water Resistance
Includes 1 year of AT&T mobile data service
Directly connects to Strava, MapMyRun, and RunKeeper apps
Utilizes Bluetooth Technology

I’m pretty sure you have to have AT&T phone service to optimize the messaging functions on the watch. It is a really sleek piece of gear, very comparable in size to the Garmin Forerunner 920xt. I think the social aspects of this fitness watch will prove to be a popular selling feature, as oppposed to other GPS-based watches. Although it may not be cycling/multisport compatible yet, I believe it will get there in the near future. I was impressed. Timex-sponsored athletes are testing the ONE GPS+ right now, but they should be coming soon. Look for a summer/fall release.

3. Leatherman

So… once again, the gear junkie in me comes out. This isn’t a bike-specific product, but it is a sweet new tool from Leatherman. The new Tread tool is basically 25 tools in a nice, neat watchband-style carrying device. It looks like a nicely-machined bracelet, but by removing it, it becomes the be-all, end-all multi-tool. The Tread and the Tread QM1 (same style band, but with a watch face and only 20 tools) both weigh less than 8 oz., and here’s the kicker – they are TSA compliant. Stylish and functional. My kind of fashion accessory.

Got any cool new pieces of gear for me to check out? Shoot me an e-mail at probikewrench@gmail.com and I’ll see if I can get it in for review. Thanks for reading.

Rapha Rising – Circle of Death Challenge

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before on this blog, but I’m addicted to Strava. For those of you unfamiliar with Strava, it’s a cycling/running program that you track ride/run statistics with, and you can use it to compare stats and compete with friends. You may have seen the television commercials on during the Tour de France coverage, featuring Tim Johnson (Cyclocross stud, multi-time National Champ, and one of my former riders on the Jittery Joe’s Team when I wrenched for them), Jesse Anthony (Optum p/b KBS rider), and others.

The cool thing about Strava is that you can set particular segments of road or trail, and the program keeps track of your times via your mobile phone or GPS-based computer. I find it extremely fun to challenge myself on particular segments (mostly uphill), and see how this 200+ pounder compares to his 170 pound counterparts. I’ve pushed myself harder to compete on climbs, even though I’m not a natural climber, and it’s been a good training tool for me, since I’ve started riding seriously again.

Last month, Rapha posted a challenge to Strava users that was to take place last week called the “Rapha Rising Challenge.” The challenge was to climb 6,881 meters (22,575 feet) over the course of last week, which was equivalent to the “queen stage” of the Tour de France, which took place last Wednesday. Basically, you had to climb, in one week, the same amount the pros did in one day…

I wasn’t planning on completing the challenge, but I got a good start, getting several thousand feet of climbing in on Monday of last week. On Tuesday, I pounded out a big ride with the Free-Flite Canton group ride, where I pulled a lot, we broke some records (collectively), and after splitting from the group, I tacked on a few more miles. Wednesday and Thursday, I figured I’d add a couple of extra rides and see how my climbing was adding up. We took off for the beach this weekend, so I got a long climbing ride in on Friday morning (3 hours, 3700 feet of climbing) before we took off for Myrtle Beach, SC.

Myrtle Beach is obviously flat, which was not conducive to setting any climbing records. I was going to do laps in the parking garage to get a little bit of climbing, but I didn’t have any expectations of getting the remainder of my climbing – around 4400 feet) finished by Sunday at Midnight, so I just canned that idea. We enjoyed our time at the beach and headed home on Sunday.

We rolled into my parents’ house for the night around 6:30pm on Sunday. I talked my wife into letting me ride some more and see how much climbing I could finish before it got too dark. I rode about 3/4 mile down the road to Old Six Mile Road, where I did repeats until 9pm. I rode to my parents’ house and had close to 1200 feet of climbing left to go… only 3 more repeats.

After much sweet-talking and a few bottles of Gatorade, I headed back down the road with Niki in the van behind me, shining headlights so I could see where I was going. Together, we knocked out three more hill repeats, and finished up with 56.3 miles and 4236 feet of climbing for the evening, all on Old Six Mile Road… and I was cooked. We got home and I uploaded the data to Strava, and… I was around 15o FEET SHORT! 99% complete with the challenge was not going to cut it…

Since it was only 10:45pm at that point, I jammed my bike back in the van and drove down to Clemson. It’s a pretty well-lit town, so I felt comfortable riding downtown and around the university for a few miles to tack on the extra few feet I needed to finish the challenge. I completed an extra 3.8 miles and 259 feet of climbing, and FINALLY finished the challenge with 6,917 meters of climbing for the week.

I had to take a day off after completing the challenge, especially after the strong finish on Sunday. Would I do the challenge again? Absolutely, except next time, I won’t plan a beach trip in the middle of it, so I can space out the climbing better. I think because of the climbing that I had to seek out to complete the challenge, I’m actually enjoying climbing a little more. I’ve kind of honed some of my techniques and I now look forward to the hills a little more.

Training Time!

For the last few weeks, I’ve been getting back in the swing of things. My traveling mechanic gigs are over for a while, and I’m finally settling back into the rhythm of the daily grind again. Family, church, work, and school, are all becoming the norm again. One thing I’ve been missing out on for the last year and a half, though, is my bike riding.

Since I started back to school last January, I’ve really neglected the time I’ve spent on my bike. I’m not saying that all that other stuff shouldn’t take a priority, but without an outlet like cycling, I’ve been frustrated, bitter, unhappy at times, and had just gotten out of shape. Something had to change.

After hanging out with performance athletes for two weeks at the Amgen Tour of California Experience with CTS and sitting in the Team Exergy car during the USPRO Championships, I kind of got the bug to get back out on the bike again. After Greenville, I kicked it into gear and… signed up for a race. Why would I do such a thing? To motivate myself to get in gear, get some miles in my legs, and actually give it a go.

I signed up for the State Road Race Championships on July 7th. It’s a course I’m familiar with, one I’ve raced before, and a course that suits me: rolling hills and power climbs. I’m not a skinny little climber… I’m a big dude that does good on flats and downhills. This course is okay for my strengths.

I’ve been putting in a lot of riding the last few weeks. I started writing courses to my Garmin Edge 500, and started uploading them to Strava, which is a very addictive training tool. It’s been fun so far. Last week, I put in close to 10 hours on the bike, which is unheard of for me over the last few years. I’ve been riding a lot, and I can feel myself getting stronger.

Meanwhile, I’m missing the 2012 SC Ride 4 Life, which started today in Seneca, SC. There’s around 60 cyclists and 25 support staff making their way across the state of South Carolina to raise money to help the Foothills Pregnancy Care Center. It’s a ride that I’ve ridden and supported over the years, and I wish those guys and gals the best of luck as they make their way to the coast. Right now, I’m going to go ahead and clear the schedule to do the ride next year… that’s a promise.

Got some other cool things in the works, which I’ll talk about later. Got a ride with a good friend early in the morning, so I’ve gotta get some rest. I don’t necessarily think that he’s gonna hammer me in the ground, but it is getting late, and I’ve been at it all day, so… goodnight.

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