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!