Windy Monday!

Although the wind did blow about 30mph out of the West today, I was elated to have the opportunity to ride no matter the weather conditions. I did a REALLY easy 45 miles around Buffalo Springs Lake west of town, and I finished my ride with a cruise on the Canyon Lakes bike route (which was under construction) and through the Texas Tech University campus. It's been a while since I've ridden through campus...most of the time I am cruising the perimeter as we're departing or returning from a ride. It was nice to look around the campus and see all the new things that have been constructed since I graduated in 2005.

I have been getting the itch to return to school and study engineering again. I began my college career as a petroleum engineering student, then I dropped out during my third semester to enlist in the Marines. When I returned to Texas Tech following my four-year tour in the Marines, I changed my major to Business Administration. I've been looking at the curriculum for the PE undergrad program, and it'll probably take me 3.5 years given that almost all the courses are specific to the engineering college. The problem is that my wife stays at home with the kiddos, and it will likely be too daunting a task to take 15 hours of engineering courses and work full time+ to pay the bills!!!

It may be a while before I can make this dream come true...if ever! I decided to stop and take a picture in front of the Petroleum Engineering building on my way through today. I'll stop in and talk to Dr. Heinze about my plans one of these days, but it will probably be the fall semester of next year before I could make something happen anyway. Until then, I'll keep burning the midnight oil with Halliburton and sneaking in rides on the Baron whenever & wherever possible!

First Cold(er) Weather Ride 2010

The official time change occurred last Sunday, and this was my first opportunity to ride since then....almost my first time to ride this month! It was a brisk 42 degrees when I started my ride today, but it never was cold at all. Although I know I still need almost as much water in the winter as I do on my summertime rides, it's nice to not feel a constant overwhelming desire to drink and try to catch back up on hydration as I pedal down the road. I ended up riding an easy 40 miles today, and I only took one bottle of water (that did not need ice in it to remain cool).


There aren't very many cotton fields outside of Lubbock left to be stripped! The cotton farmers on the South Plains are making good time getting their crops out of the fields and to the gins. You can almost look down the highway at any given time and see a module truck barreling down the road to make another delivery to the local gin...I am certainly ready for ginning season to be over...have I mentioned that already!?!?


Nice view of FM400 running across the bottom of the canyon in my rear view mirror! This is the first ride since I began my job with Halliburton where my legs are REALLY feeling the effects of riding less...up to now it hasn't been as noticeable.


I rode by the Slaton Municipal Airport and Texas Air Museum during my ride today. My dad has participated in a few fly-in's at the Slaton Airport, but I have never done anything more than ride by while training on a bike! They occasionally have air shows at this little airport...need to make a point of coming out here for one later in the year. If I didn't want to spend so much of my spare time cycling, I would definitely be taking up flying! I love aviation, but this two-wheeled hobby pulls on my heart strings a little harder than flying does (at least currently)!



All in all, I had a great time on my ride today. Like I mentioned earlier, I am definitely beginning to feel the effects of not riding. No matter...I will ride as much as I can for now and enjoy every minute of it!

Today's ride: 37 miles / 18.9 mph average - Fun & Easy Training Day!

Cotton Ginning Season = Allergies Galore

The cotton ginning season is in full swing on the South Plains, and my allergies are flaring up with the same sort of intensity. The local cotton farmers have had a great year, so the ginning season may also be unusually long this year...bad news for me, but GREAT news for the local farmers!


I was able to sneak in a quick 25 mile ride to Buffalo Springs Lake and back last week. Unfortunately, I have been very busy at work and home, so I am just now getting around to posting pictures of the ride.

Although we haven't had a freeze yet, most of the fields have been sprayed with a defoliant and the cotton is either being stripped or just about to be! It's great to see such a good cotton crop on the South Plains, but I am more than ready for them to be done. I think this is the worst year I've ever had as far as my allergies are concerned...it's killing me!


Cotton modules galore in the stripped fields...bumper crop! In all the years that my dad was farming, we had VERY FEW years like this one!


This is a view of the cottonseed mill and wind farm coming back into Lubbock on East 50th Street. This is typically the route I take to get to the canyons for some hills and long rides. I sure hope I'll get to ride a little more than I have been lately...sure missing it!

I was dreading the hills today since I've only ridden once or twice in a month's time, but I felt just as strong today as I did the last time I rode. I know that won't last forever, so I'll have to make a concerted effort to get some miles in on the trainer to prevent losing too much fitness!

All Work...No Play

I started a new job with Halliburton Energy Services on 8 September, and I have only ridden twice since. It's going to be an adjustment not being able to ride, but I was in dire need of a job that took care of the family financially as well as one that was professionally rewarding...HALLIBURTON fits the bill on both fronts. I will have to make the best of the time I do have to ride and will likely cherish those rides more than ever!

I almost sold the Baron to help fill the gap in our savings account while sales with Yellowbook had been poor prior to getting on board with Halliburton. I placed an ad on ebay on three separate occasions, but each time I continued to pull it off because I kept going back and forth about selling it. I have finally decided to keep it, even if it will collect a little dust in the garage from time to time. I love to ride, and I really enjoy the experience on my low racer! Hopefully I will be able to keep my legs fresh on a trainer from time to time between long 'bent rides! I'll be working roughly 80-100 hour weeks with Halliburton all over West Texas and Eastern New Mexico, so my Elite trainer and I will have to settle our differences because we haven't been very good friends in the past!

Cooler Weather Is Upon Us!

We met at the Chisum Truck Center on Hwy 84 this morning for a nice easy long ride. The temperature was just below 60 degrees this morning when we started out, and it was NICE! Two of my friends from the Carney Men (MS150 Team) joined us on the ride this morning...Terry Caughron and Michael Riojas (pictured in the Texas Tech jerseys). The roads were fairly busy this morning, and I attribute that mostly to the fact that it is a holiday weekend as the country roads south and east of Lubbock are usually pretty quiet on a Saturday morning. We ended up riding through Horseshoe and Ransom Canyons...including a trip up the "Wall!" It was a fun 77 mile ride and we averaged just under 19 mph! I am getting better at riding hills on the recumbent. I think it is an acquired skill as it sure feels more difficult to pull my weight up in a reclining position.

I feel like I'm cheating sometimes...

My good friend and boss (for a few more days) Terry Caughron and I went on a nice easy afternoon ride in the West Texas wind! The only time I have ridden my Baron with Terry was on the MS150 bike ride this summer, and I always seem to be on my Specialized Tarmac every other time we ride. I told him that all I wanted was a nice easy ride today, as we have a long ride (70-80 miles) with several nice hills scheduled for the morning. The wind caused my ride to seem much easier than Terry's this evening...I wonder if he thinks I'm cheating by riding the speed machine. Not that I really care if people think I'm cheating, but I still wonder...if they get really upset about it I will just direct them to one of many websites where they can purchase one of their very own!

Fastback Double Century Insulation

I purchased a Fastback Double Century hydration system new with my Baron and have loved having the extra carrying capacity for fluids, tubes, tools, nutrition, etc., but have been less than thrilled with the lack of insulation for my Camelbak bladder. The water I carry gets warm in no time, and the rise in temperature of the water seems to be directly proportional to the decline of positive thoughts in my head as I barrel down the road!

I contacted the folks at TerraCycle since they now own Fastback Systems, and they are apparently in the process of producing an insulating pouch for bladders. The problem is that they aren't available for sale yet. I decided to come up with a make-shift solution in the meantime! I purchased a 3mm neoprene yoga mat and cut it so that it lined the inside of the Fastback bag on both sides with a hole for the bladder's hose. I used this setup in the Hotter'N Hell ride, and I had ice and cold fluids for the bulk of the ride. It's by no means a perfect solution, but it worked pretty well for a short-term fix. Most of the time, I won't be riding more than four hours without a stop where ice will be available again...hopefully!

Hotter'N Hell Hundred

I decided late last week that I would travel to Wichita Falls, TX, to ride in the 2010 edition of the Hotter'N Hell Hundred bike ride. In spite of the fact that I live this close, I have never done this ride before. Given that the temperature at the start this morning was about 70 degrees and it barely hit 90 when I finished, I am not sure it actually qualified for "Hotter'N Hell" status...not that I am complaining by any means!


There were more than 13,000 registered riders this year, and it was pretty chaotic at times...packet pickup being one (below). This was the line I stood in post-registration to get my t-shirt and goodie bag.


There was a booth at the expo for Renovo bikes (below) who produces handmade hollow wood and laminated bamboo frames. They had road, mountain, and city bike versions available for viewing. The framesets are going for around $2700, but they are supposedly more comfortable and stiffer than carbon...definitely better looking in my humble opinion!

www.renovobikes.com

Gettin' ready to put some miles on the Baron! The recumbent & tandem riders were allowed to start up front just prior to the bridge. I had the opportunity to meet and visit with some really nice "bent" folks before we took off.



I managed to complete the ride without stopping at any of the rest stops today! My stomach had been feeling a little off all morning, so I decided to just keep pushing.

This ended up being a pretty good ride, but the start and first 30 miles were pretty chaotic with wrecks and stops-a-plenty due to a combination of inexperienced cyclists and a packed field of riders that were struggling up some little rollers. It was a good experience, and I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to come ride it...may never do it again though!

Total ride time was 4:44:36 with a 21.1 mph average!

Saturday Morning With The WTCA Guys

John Colburn got a group of guys together for an easy (for everyone except me) 77 mile ride this fine Saturday morning. We left from the Chisum Truck Stop on Hwy 84 and rode around south and west of Lubbock through the canyons. It was a great morning to ride as it was cool and calm, and the guys wanted to do some good easy endurance miles. It's rare that recumbent bikes make up the majority of the peloton, but that was definitely the case today!!!

77 miles
18.9 mph/avg

We're coming into the canyon just west of Buffalo Springs Lake (below).

Heading down into Ransom Canyon via "The Wall!"

The weather was just perfect for the ride...glad we seized the opportunity today!

Riding The Wedgie...

The more I ride my Baron, the less enthused I get about riding my wedgie. I have a pretty nice upright, a Specialized Tarmac, and have never shied away from riding in the past, but I REALLY LOVE MY BARON. I can't believe that I never gave recumbent riding a chance prior to now. I just purchased a new saddle for my wedgie, a Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow, and am going to ride about 50 miles in the morning as the first of probably 10 good break-in rides. I should be excited about trying out a new saddle, but I just keep thinking about how I'd rather be riding my Baron. I am beginning to understand why recumbent riders eventually only own recumbent bikes...because they are GREAT!

Baron vs Thunderstorm

I had the opportunity to make the Tuesday night WTCA (West Texas Cycling Association) ride at the last minute, and as I was riding to the start I began second guessing whether or not I would actually ride. Although the radar on weather.com showed the storms dissipating north and east of our ride route, the lightning was strong and it was still sprinkling. In the end, however, the group left and I went with them.

My legs haven't felt very strong since I did the MS150 Cactus & Crude, and I think they are just showing classic over-training symptoms as I have increased my monthly mileage by about 30%. It's embarrassing that a 30% increase only gets me to 500 miles/month, but embarrassing or not it's a fact! I got dropped by the hammer group and rode the remainder of the evening by myself...decided to pass through Ransom Canyon and travel just west of Buffalo Springs Lake for a couple of extra hills.

All in all, not a bad ride:

44 miles
18.8mph avg

This is the view of the western sky heading back into Lubbock tonight at about 7:30pm...the cool weather was a welcomed change.


I stopped by the Ransom Canyon entrance to take a picture this evening. A Dallas cyclist, Michelle Armstrong, was killed after being hit by a truck last Friday just prior to competing in the Senior Games. She had apparently swerved a few feet into traffic and was hit by a truck that had also supposedly swerved to avoid her but could not prior to impact. She was flown to the hospital by Aero Care, but unfortunately she died later that afternoon. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this tough time.

This tragic event sure reminds all of us to be ever mindful of traffic as we are out enjoying our two-wheeled hobby. Cyclists are often just as guilty of bad road etiquette as drivers are, and if we want to continue our hobby without car-related injuries, then we have to practice defensive cycling every time we're on the road. If that means we have to slow down or stop to avoid a potentially hazardous situation, then so be it...no matter how it impacts heart rate or wattage!

Early Morning Road Kill Ride

I took the Baron out on an early 50 mile ride this past Saturday morning, and the weather was awesome. Clear skies and the cool, dry South Plains air made for a pleasant and relaxing workout. I was heading north on FM400 just east of Ransom Canyon when my heart was given a jump start at about 48 miles per hour. The road cuts through a hill on the south end of the canyon rim, and the angle of the sun at that early hour caused some strong shadows to reach across the pavement. You can really pick up some speed on FM400 as you enter the canyon due to the very steep gradient, and I didn't see the nice piece of road kill lying in one of those shadows until I was already committed to hitting it. It ended up being a dead coyote, and I was sure it was going to result in me picking up some road rash...thankfully I was wrong! The only injury sustained was a water bottle that was no longer fit to drink out of. I took the bottle out of the holder and as I lifted it to my lips, the smell of rotting corpse was so strong that I thought the coyote might have been sitting in my lap...needless to say I no longer had an urge to finish the Gatorade in the bottle!


The cotton plants are all starting to bloom as the summer months begin to fade away. You can see the Baron's silhouette against the cotton field as we are making our way along the route early in the morning.

"Don't Ride Your Funny Bike...."

My daughter likes to take rides together any chance we get, but this past weekend she told me NOT TO BRING MY FUNNY BIKE on the ride because we couldn't go off road through the deep grass in the park. Funny bike huh? She is five years old, and she sits a little taller than I do when I'm on my funny bike cruising the neighborhood!

382 miles later....

After spending most of the spring & summer traveling and in hotels with my job at Yellowbook, I have finally had a better month with regard to increasing my riding mileage. The problem is that I went from an embarrassingly low number to 382 miles in the last two weeks...my legs are sure tired! I need to take a few days off the bike and then start back with some nice easy endurance miles. I'll call one of my new "bent" buddies in Lubbock for a ride in the middle of next week...can't wait! I am glad to be back in Lubbock for the remainder of the year, so I can get back in the groove with my riding.

Aloe Vera, Please!!!

I usually neglect using sunscreen on my legs by the middle of the summer, as I have logged enough miles by this time to keep from getting sunburned. I neglected this task last Friday as well, but I didn't take into account the fact that my legs would be looking straight up at the sun for over two hours on the Baron unlike their usual position riding my upright. It would be fair to say that the front portion of my legs are still a deep shade of red today, and after 20-30 applications of Aloe Vera are just starting to lose their burn...I will not make this rookie mistake again...I hope!

Relaxing The Legs East of Lubbock

I took the Baron out for the first post-MS150 ride today...Terry and I rode our upright bikes in Horseshoe Canyon on Wednesday evening to stretch our legs a little, but this was my first time back on the recumbent. I left the house today and rode out on East 50th to Buffalo Springs Lake. I did two repeats of the little hills west of the lake entrance, and then I rode north to East 19th Street and finished up by doing the Canyon Lakes route. It was a nice easy ride and just what the doctor ordered after the long riding weekend. There was a fairly strong SSW wind (15-20mph) for the majority of the ride...a little challenging when I am trying to relax and stretch my legs.

Mileage: 44.8 miles
Avg Speed: 17.8 mph

I don't know if anyone else has ever experienced this, but I had a huge problem with indigestion this past weekend as a result of eating/drinking all day in a reclined position on the Baron. Has anyone else ever had this problem with taking on nutrition while riding a recumbent? I am hoping it's something that my body will become accustomed to as I ride more, because it was extremely uncomfortable!

Riding by the numerous cotton fields east of Lubbock. It was sure a nice afternoon for a ride!

We just got back from the 2010 edition of the MS150 Cactus & Crude which took us from Midland to Lamesa, TX, with an overnight in Big Spring, TX for a total of 150 miles over two days. I wasn't sure whether or not I would end up riding my recumbent since I hadn't received all the parts/accessories I had ordered to make this ride happen on such short notice. In the end, however, I opted to give my Baron a go for at least one day of the ride and ended up using it both days...AND LOVING IT!!!

Dana and Kate at Bent Up Cycles in Van Nuys, CA, really worked hard not only to get my new Optima Baron to me in time for the event, but also to send some last minute accessories for hydration to me at the hotel the night prior to the start...I can't say thank you enough to Bent Up Cycles for really working hard to get me going.

Everyone told me that it would take a while before my leg muscles adapted to recumbent riding, and boy were they ever right. My hamstrings have received quite a workout over the last two days, but overall I'm riding faster and am not as sore as I expected. The Baron cuts through the wind and is a ton of fun to ride. It took the better part of a week and about 100 miles worth of riding before I have really been comfortable with the handling, but I am having no problems now and am having a good time cruising down low to the ground. I stayed with our team, the Carney Men, for all but the last five miles the first day, and took off on my own and tested my legs a little on the second day. The second days was a little more challenging because we were climbing out of the canyons and up on the Caprock in Lamesa, and we had a pretty steady 15mph WSW headwind! The upright bikes were definitely suffering more than I...and they let me know each time I passed one of them! HA! I am going to have to do a bunch of hill climbing on the Baron, because it does not climb as well as my upright (Specialized Tarmac) and the hills cost me a little speed on the second day.

Day 1:
75 miles
20.6 mph average

Day 2:
75 miles
19.5 mph average

Getting serious prior to the start on the first day of the ride...sitting low in the crowd!

For all of the non-Texas Tech Red Raider fans out there, this hand gesture means "Get Your Guns Up!"

Getting started on day two!

Another recumbent on the ride...now there are two guys that everyone can poke fun at! They didn't poke fun for long, because it's hard to make fun when you're getting dropped like a bad habit!

I saw 17 tarantulas crawling along U.S. Highway 180 between Gail and Lamesa, TX, this morning. I have never seen that many total in my life...I have no love for spiders!

Our MS150 team, the Carney Men, regrouped just prior to the finish line and all crossed together. My Uncle Darin was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis about 13 years ago, and our team is comprised of his friends and relatives that get together each year and raise money and awareness for research to help fight this awful disease. As a team, we raised $17,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society this year.

The pictures were all taken by my lovely wife, Amber, who was volunteering with our support team along the way in addition to taking pictures for our team members. I'd like to say a big "Thank You" to all our volunteers for making this a wonderful experience!

See you next year for another edition of the MS150 Cactus & Crude.

The Baron Has Landed

My wife and I rode in the 2010 edition of the Tour de Muleshoe (TX), and I ran into two really fast recumbent riders on Velokraft VK2's. I have considered recumbent riding for quite some time, but I have never had any SERIOUS motivation for looking hard at purchasing one...until now. John Colburn and his buddy on their VK2's totally dominated the race from start to finish. I didn't realize just how fast and seemingly fun these bikes were...so I began to look. It only took a week or so for me to make my purchase, which was an Optima Baron from Bent Up Cycles in Van Nuys, CA. Dana and Kate got me going in the right direction, and I am ready to begin developing some recumbent muscles and start burning up the roads.

The UPS delivery driver arrived at our house around 1400 on the 9th of July. Dana worked really hard to get the bike to me a week ahead of my next cycling event. My uncle has Multiple Sclerosis, and I ride on a team called the "Carney Men" who ride in the Cactus & Crude MS150 from Big Spring to Post, TX, every year. The route was detoured a little this year as a result of flooding associated with Hurricane Alex, and our finish line will be in Lamesa, TX, this year.

John Colburn came over and assisted me in the Baron build...this is the new machine just prior to getting out on the street and looking very awkward for a few minutes! The recumbent really is a different feeling ride, but I am excited to put some miles on it and begin to get better. Nathan has really enjoyed climbing all over the Baron in the house...Amber wasn't so excited about the chain grease on his clothes...OOPS!