Prelim France plans

Be sure to explore the links I have as well!

Saturday July 18

Depart Newark airport for Geneva, Switzerland (CH)

Sunday 19

Morning - Land in Geneva CH

           Transfer to Grenoble, France by TGV (French Rail Service)

Afternoon - Meet with Cycling Classics guides, transfer to hotel on Les Duex Alpe, assemble bike, go for a spin ride

Monday 20

Ride the Alpe D'Huez, Croix de Fer, Col du Glandon, Les Duex Alpe.

Tuesday 21

Ride from Les Duex Alpe to Duingt France at southern end of Lake Annecy to hotel - 112 Miles total riding.  Includes the Col du Galibier,  Col Du Lautaret, and the Col du Telegraphe

Wednesday 22

Ride to Grand Bornand to watch the Tour de France (TdF) stage finish.

Thursday 23

Ride to Annecy to watch the riders warm up and depart for the TdF TT (Time Trial).  This is going to be a very important stage depending which riders are where on GC (General Classification or standings).

Friday 24

Morning - Transfer to Vacqueyras at the foot of Mount Ventoux

Afternoon - Ride up Mount Ventoux

Saturday 25

THE BIG DAY.  The tour arrives at Mount Ventoux and the mountain will most likely crown the final victor for the final ride into Paris tomorrow afternoon.  I will be perched on the side of the mountain with millions of other fans (seriously, it's going to be that many) and  I have something special up my sleeve to get on international TV (more on that in a later post).

Sunday 26

Morning - Transfer to Paris via TGV

Afternoon - Watch the big finish of the TdF and see the final victor crowned on the Champs-Elysées.

Monday 27

Morning - Mid-afternoon - Visit the Louvre art muesum (for a history click here)

Late Afternoon - Bike tour of Paris

Evening - Night bike tour of Paris.  This promises to be an awesome experience and includes an one hour boat ride on the Siene River, and see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Hotel de Ville, the Musée D'Orsay, and other Paris landmarks  fully lit at night.

Tuesday 28 

Depart Paris for Newark/Home

B2B ride/France

     After much thought it looks like the Harpoon Brewery to Brewery ride 2009 isn't going to happen for me.  With my trip to France being moved up from September to July, my schedule, but more importantly finances, will not allow it to work out.  I am already planning on making it a priority ride in 2010 to help with my 50 states challenge.  I want to ride in all 50 states and I'm currently at 7 (NY, NJ, NC, VA, PA, ME, MD).  Jim and myself are kicking around the idea of riding to Wallkill again - so I would still get the valuable training miles.

My France plans are slowly coming together.  I will be leaving for Grenoble via Geneva on the 18th of July and be returning to Newark, NJ via Paris on the 28th.  I am planning on spending Sunday afternoon and all day Monday in Paris seeing some the sights.  Regarding my comments about the tour in my last post check out this video from the Alpe De Huez TT from 2004.

Best!

Captain Crunch

Tour de France bound!!!!!

I am officially headed to France next year!  I have booked this trip.  I had to scale back the size of the trip due to financial reasons.  A week of following the Tour de France is going to be amazing.  I will get to see three stages in the final week (and maybe the finish in Paris).  The stage finish in Grand Bornand, the TT in Annecy, and the most decisive stage of all - the climb up Mount Ventoux.  I will actually be on Ventoux for the stage.  I hear it is one giant party!  For a cycling fan the TdF is the Super Bowl, World Series, and Soccer World Cup rolled into one.  The best part is you can literally run right next to the riders as they ascend the mountains.

I also will be climbing several of the famous mountains of the tour while there as well.  They include the Alpe d'Huez, Galiber, Telegraph, Les Duex Alpe, Croix de Fer, Glandon, Mount Ventoux (the day before the real racers climb it) and several other "smaller" climbs.  It is going to be a truly epic week.

At this point I am not sure if I am going to Paris for the finish or not.  The stage on Mount Ventoux is the day before so I will be very close to Paris.  The company I'm travelling with is putting together a Paris package for those that are interested in staying a few extra days.  I would love to go to the finish on Sunday, and then Monday go to the Louvre and see some of the other famous sites of Paris.

Now the countdown begins... only 8 months left!

Captain Crunch

2009 Schedule posted

The beginning of the 2009 schedule are now up - look to the right of the screen. It's short right now as I only have confirmed those two dates, but as I get more I will post them. Also, I will leave the results from 2008 up until Jan. 1st.

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch

End of Season thoughts

Wow, it's the end of season already.  What a year it was.  I made some of the biggest improvements ever over the course of the season.  The time trials helped me to make the biggest gains.  I completed my first double century, rode through Manhattan traffic free, conquered 15,000 feet of climbing in one day, and turned my fastest century time ever.  However, the year was not without disappointment.  I didn't break an hour in the time trial discipline and a mechanical failure forced an early exit from the Nightmare.

Next year has some great events already lined up.  I will once again be riding the Dreamride, the Nightmare, and BikeMS NYC Traffic Free.  I will also be doing the time trials next year as well.  I will be trying my hand at road racing next year, running a few races.  Also on the schedule (possibly) is the Harpoon Brewery to Brewery ride.  This rides starts in Boston, MA goes through NH, and ends in Windsor VT 140 miles and 8,000 feet of climbing later.  It should be a great ride.

The biggest goal for next season without a doubt is France.  Currently I am planning on 9 days in the Alps, Pyrenees, and Mount Ventoux.  Hopefully I will be going late August early September when the crowds are not as big.  This trip will go over Alpe De Huez, Galiber, Tourmalet, Ventoux, and Hautacom to name a few.  It is on these mountains that the greatest champions of the Tour De France have been forged.  

Thanks for reading all season and stay tuned for more great updates!

Captain Crunch

BikeMS NYC Part 2

So off we go from the rest stop at mile 30 something.  By this time the rain had stopped and it was warm enough to lose the rain jacket.  From this point on we would be riding along the Palisades in NJ.  The ride was beautiful once we got out of Hoboken NJ.  The rolling park road made for great riding, providing enough climbing to make a bit of challenge.  It was so quiet that you would have never have known you were right across the Hudson from the biggest city on the east coast.

Around mile 45 another rider started riding together.  We were both going the same speed when alone, so once we started trading pulls (one rider pushes through the air so the rider behind saves energy)  This allowed both of us to go faster than if we were alone.  When one of us started getting tired the other would move in front to pull for a few miles.  We rode together until mile 85 when he had to stop at a rest stop.  Together we averaged around 18mph.  

Right at that point however, a club ride of 6 riders went past me.  I managed to hang onto their wheels and draft them the last 10 miles to the GW bridge.  I think we averaged 20mph+ for those few miles.  Coming across the GW was awesome.  It provided a great view of downtown Manhattan.  

The greatest part of the ride was coming back to the Start/Finish.  We got to ride street level through Manhattan with traffic.  It was awesome for a few minutes to get to ride like a NYC bike messenger.  I won't say what I was doing however (watch this video for an idea).  Once back at the finish I enjoyed my free massage and beer (both are always good after a ride)

Thus concludes the season.  It was an amazing ride and in my next post I will share my thoughts on the entire season and what my plans are for next year!

Thanks for reading!

Captain Crunch

BikeMS NYC Part 1

EPIC. That's the word that best describes this ride that went throught the heart of NYC. There is so much to tell that I will start from first thing in the morning work my way through the day. I will break the posts up to make for easier reading.

The weather on Saturday night called for mostly clear skies all day in Sunday. Five AM Sunday morning we awoke to the sound of a steady rain outside. Oh well, that's cycling.

Nehimiah and myself loaded up the car and headed across the Bronx and down into Manhattan to the start line.

The start line was right by

a NYC landmark, the USS Intrepid. We got a great spot at the start line - the second row! But in order to do so we had to arrive at 6:45 and wait around until the 7:30 start time. The entire time we stood there it kept raining. Riding in the rain is one thing (riding helps keep you warm) but standing and doing nothing to keep warm is brutal.

Finally (and thankfully) 7:30 rolled around and off we went. The first 5 miles were horrible. Since I was already soaked the air moving past me made it feel colder than it really was. I was ready to pull over right there and quit and go take a hot shower.

But, I didn't. We continued down the West Side Highway right past the WTC site and through the FDR Dr. tunnel (that was an awesome experience). That provided a few moments of much need dryness and heat that made the rain bearable.

Once out the tunnel we continued back uptown on the FDR. It was the coolest thing to look to my right and see Brooklyn and then to my left and see the iconic NYC/Manhattan skyline. On top of that, to be riding up a (usually jammed) NYC freeway topped it off. At this point the entire group was still moving pretty slow as the rain made it difficult to spot potholes, and because more caution is needed in such conditions.

Eventually we got to the top of the island and Innwood park. By this point the rain had stopped and the sun even made a brief appearence. Everyone had to stop here until the NYPD cleared the West Side Highway for us to ride on. While we were there I had another cyclist take a picture of me and Nehimiah.

After that point it was only another 15 miles until we completed our loop of Manhattan Island. Once we arrived back the start/finish we headed out to New Jersey through the Lincoln Tunnel. The NYPD shut down a tube for the cyclist to go through. That was an amazing experience - descending into the tunnel and then climbing out with the other cyclist is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was while were waiting to go through that I grabbed a photo that's rarely seen from the bike.

Once we cleared the Lincoln Tunnel and stopped to fuel up, we began the next 70 miles through New Jersey and the Palisades. In Part 2 I will tell the rest of the story and share some more photos.

Click here for the route map

Click here for all the pictures

Captain Crunch

Blue Ridge Picture

Just a picture from the BRP trip that I wanted to share with everyone.  

Clarks Valley and Carlise TT

The racing season has finally come to a close. After a long season of training I came close to the hour but was stil about 4 mins. away. In both TT's I went as hard as a could. At Clarks Valley I just had a bad day and didn't finish well, but that's bike riding. At Carlise I did the best ride I think I could do. There was a headwind on the way out and I turned a 35 min 20k, on the way back I turned a 28 or 29 min.

Next year I am going to break an hour. I will be coming back with new, better, lighter, and more aerodynamic equipment. I know it's not the bike, but having the right equipment sure does help. My last event of the season is on Oct. 5 in NYC for the BikeMS ride.

I made some great gains in my speed and fitness competing in the TT's. They have helped me to improve my pedal stroke, pain threshold, and position on the bike. All the events I have competed have helped me to make great gains in my skills and fitness. It has also been awesome sharing my thoughts with you since March! I'm already looking forward to the winter as I begin my cross training routine and plan my trip to France!

Thanks for Reading!
Captain Crunch

Carlise TT

1 hour 3 min. 52 seconds. Next year I'll break the hour. More photos to follow. I will update on both TT's this week. I was so busy last week I didn't geet time.

Best
Capt. Crunch

Clark's Valley TT

1 hour 7 min. 36 sec. Not the result I was hoping for (1 hr. 4 min) but still okay nonetheless. I plan on putting the full post up on Tuesday, along with the pictures that the photographer took (same as Carlise). Also coming up this Saturday, the 6th, I have my last chance to break 1 hour at Carlise and I will also compete in the South Mountain Hill Climb TT.

Best!
Captain Crunch.

P.S. Don't forget to go to my BikeMS website and donate to a good cause!

Nightmare -

There's a lot to talk about in this post so it's kind of long - sorry...

DNF - Mechanical Failure

At 9:30am I officially withdrew from the 2008 Nightmare due to the jockey wheel on my derailluer breaking loose. The jockey wheels are the small geared wheels on the derailluer (click for a picture).

Crunch friend Brian R. (of Blue Ridge Parkway fame) was kind enough to pick me up from the food stop I was at. The bummer was that I was at the most southern point in the ride (Kirk's Mill Rd.) only 50 miles in. I also want to give a huge thanks to Steve Mazeski and his support crew. His support car took me the 8 miles up the road to the food stop where I waited for Brian. Later in the day I met up with Jim and Brian L. who were also on the ride and rode the last 41 miles back to the start/finish with them on a borrowed bike and finished the day with 91 total miles.

The offending jockey wheel that ejected itself from my derailleur cannot be replaced. Both the screw that holds it in and the derailleur cage are stripped out. Considering it has 10,000 plus miles on it, I can't be to angry - parts wear out. It is a small consolation that even if I had the right parts on the course, I could not have continued anyway.

It is especially frustrating because I had based my entire season around Nightmare. I prepared so I would be on perfect form. When I got on the bike this morning I could tell my body was going to respond well. The 50 miles that I completed are probably the hardest and I felt very strong over them. But mechanicals happen - even to the pros (his chain broke in a stage he where he was clearly the strongest).

Now I have even more motivation for next year to complete Nightmare for the second time. A big motivation this year was completing the BRP past Bear Pen Gap where I abandoned. This year's Bear Pen Gap is Kirk's Mill Rd. However, the season is not over yet. I still have two TT's to try and break the hour, and I have the BikeMS charity ride in October, plus several training rides I haven't done in a while (i.e. Gold Mine Rd.). I also get to start planning my France vacation over the winter as well

Overall it was a good day - both Jim and Brian L. finished in 13 hours 20 mins. Remember, a bad day on the bike is better than a good day at the office. While I am disappointed, I know I tried my best and I'm in the best/fastest shape of my life.

Thanks to everyone for following along with me this year. Even though the main part of the season will be over in less than 3 weeks, stay tuned through the winter. I will be blogging my France vacation preparations (planning on riding the big Tour mountains) and continuing to share my random thoughts while cycling and running (sometimes it's just too cold to ride).

Best To All

Captain Crunch

Carlise TT

Hello Crunch fans,

I came so close the hour. 1 hour 3 min. 49 seconds. I think I turned a 33:30 out and a 30:19 back. I pushed myself to the absolute edge. I have never gone that hard before. I was literally seeing stars at the finish line.

If I continue to progress at my current pace I should break an hour at the next Carlise TT. I did 1 hour 8 min in May, 1 hour 6 min in July, and now 1 hour 3 min (almost four though). So that means I hit 1 hour 2 min on the 31st @ Clarks Valley and hopefully less than an hour on Sept. 6 back on the Carlise course.

I got kudos from several other riders for putting in the time I did with the bike I have. It is an older aero steel frame with 650c front wheel, no aero wheels, and the thing weighs a ton. It was really cool to have guys racing $5k bikes admiring not only my time, but also the bike for its old-school look.

I have decided that I need an real TT bike if I am going to continue competing in the TT. I won't be spending $5k like the hardcore guys, but will probably a newer aluminum/carbon frame with some aero wheels (maybe even a rear disc). Here is an idea of what I want to build (Blue Bicycles T-14)

Next up, only 6 days from now is the biggest single event of the season - Nightmare circumference ride of Lancaster County. Stay tuned for a update next week on the result of that ride.

Until next time!
Captain Crunch!

NYC BikeMS ride

Don't forget to check out my fundraising page for the NYC BikeMS ride.

Thanks for your support!
Captain Crunch

Dreamride!

Dreamride was a relative success. If viewed from the terms of Nightmare training everything went perfectly. Hopefully I got all the bugs out of the bike. At mile 20 my rear wheel decided to throw a spoke. Fortunately I was close enough to Roland's house that I was able to limp my bike back and swap out my wheel for one of his. If that would have happened on the Nightmare my ride would have been over.

The weather was perfect for a ride. Sunny and around high 80's with little or no humidity. Ride time was around 5 hours 55 min. (although 20 min. of that was spent riding to and from Roland's) and total time was just about 6 hours 50 min. Jim and me averaged 17.6 mph. So far that is my fastest century yet.

Nightmare is less than three weeks away (August 16th) and Dreamride provided some much needed training. Our goal for Nightmare is to ride unsupported. Therefore we will not be trying to break any speed records on it - we will simply be trying to survive the day. The week before Nightmare I will be competing in the Carlise 40k TT and hopefully break and hour for the first time. Let's hope the legs aren't to stiff :-).

Thanks for reading,
Captain Crunch
http://msnyc.kintera.org/bikems/captaincrunch

Clarks Valley Full Update

Hello fans of Captain Crunch racing!

So far it has been a successful 2008 campaign! The Clarks' Valley went very well. I am very happy with the results that I posted. The course is much more rolling and difficult than Carlise (that course is flat flat flat). That being said however I still posted my fastest 40k TT time ever - 1 hour 6 minutes and 24 seconds. It was good enough for 34th out of 49 overall riders and 4th out of 7 riders in my category. (Click here for the official results.)

I didn't break an hour like I wanted, but the course did not fit my riding style. Because of the constant up/down rolling nature, I never really got into a good rhythm. Carlise is a much faster course and more suited to my style of riding. After Sunday I feel confident that 1 hour or less is possible before the last TT in Carlise on Sept. 6th.

If I feel and ride the way I rode Sunday I may even be able to break an hour on the August 10th Carlise TT. Mark your calendar now for that date. It should be another great day of bike racing. If you want to come out please let me know! The gun goes off at 7:30am.

Thanks for reading
Captain Crunch

Clarks Valley TT

I came close to an hour, but not close enough. I did take two minutes off my previous fastest 40K time.

I finished Clarks Valley in 1 hour 6 mins. 24 secs. That is good enough to 4th in my catagory (out of 6) and 34th overall (out of 49). A full update should follow tomorrow.

Keep the rubber side down!
Captain Crunch

Wallkill Photos!!!!!

Here they are: http://picasaweb.google.com/JoelAnkeny/WallkillRide62108

For those that don't know sign, the mouth shape PAH is used when signing the word succeed or success, hence my using it in my caption. And yes, that is me passed out in hallway 50 feet from my hotel room door. I can ride 200 miles, but couldn't walk the last 50 feet HAHA!

Feel free to leave a comment about them or any of my pictures or drop me a line via email.

Best!

Captain Crunch

Bike MS link

Hi everyone!

Here is the link to my fundraising page for the Bike MS Tour NYC as promised:

http://msnyc.kintera.org/bikems/captaincrunch.

It will also be on the side bar to between now and October.

Best!

Captain Crunch

July 20 Clarks Valley TT / Bike MS NYC

Next Sunday on July 20th I will be competing in the Clarks Valley TT. It starts at the corner of routes 325 and 225 outside of the town of Dauphin in Dauphin county. If you are interested in coming out to watch leave a comment below and I will get back to you with more info.

Also, I am now officially doing the Bike MS NYC tour. Nehemiah and myself will be participating. It is a 100 mile bike ride through a traffic free NYC - truly a once in a lifetime experience! This is a fundraising ride for the MS Society. I will have the link up to the donation page sometime late next week.

Best!
Captain Crunch

Wallkill

200 miles, 13 hours, and three states. The ride to Wallkill NY was a success. It didn't start out so well. Jim and me got 2.5 miles up the road when I noticed I forgot my water bottles. So that made for an extra 5 miles. The weather was perfect! We had a slight tailwind the entire way. It was just enough to provide a nice cool breeze. We only were rained on once and it was for only about 10 minutes while we were in NY less than 30 miles from the finish. At that point I could not have cared less. I had ridden 170 miles and nothing was going to stop me.

The route we took was great. Very nice, rolling, and extremely fast. We averaged 18 mph for the first 160 miles. The final average was 17.6. Click here to see the route. It's not quite 200 miles but with our extra 5 from the morning all we needed was 2 more. We rode up and down Red Mills Rd. until our computers hit 200 even. We took pictures to prove it. I will have them soon.

This was by far the biggest test of the year so far. Even thought the route was flat to rolling with only a few big hills, it is still 200 miles. Flat miles can be really hard. There is no relief from pedaling, no hills to coast down. I still felt good at the end however - good enough to sprint for the finish line.

Next up is the Clark's Valley TT on July 20 and the Dreamride 100 on July 26! August is also shaping up to be a big month with the Carlise TT on the 10th and the Nightmare on the 16th.

Keep the rubber side down -
Captain Crunch

Blue Ridge Pictures

I have the first half of the Blue Ridge pictures. There are some great photos of the whole crew. Click here to see the entire album. Go through the archive if you want to read the posts about the ride.

Best!

Captain Crunch

CRASH!

I had my first crash of the season on the 11th (I know that was 10 days ago). I was passing the 8 year old kid who was riding down the road on his bike. The next thing I know he is coming right across my line and takes out my front wheel. I took an unscheduled flight via Endo Airlines and hit the deck with the right side of my body. Click here for pictures :-). What you can't see is the broken blood vessel in my right arm as well.

Also, the ride to Wallkill is back on for June 22 (aka tomorrow). I don't expect any pictures however. I did get the first half of pictures from the Blue Ridge and will be posting them later this week.

Keep the rubber side down
Captain Crunch

PCP part duex

I don't have the pictures yet. Considering I didn't take them I don't want to nag the people that have them too much :-). The ride back was quite uneventful. This is where 2/3 of the climbing was going to take place (5,000 out 10,000 back) The ride back started with a climb 10 miles up. It took about 1 hour 15 min. to climb. We knew about that one. After some descending we had the 7 miles up to Water Rock Knob.

The next climb we knew about but did not think it was going to be as long as it was. It was another 10 miles up to the highest point of the Parkway (Those three climbs accounted for nearly a 1/4 of the ride alone). At the top Jim and me engaged in friendly KOM sprint for the marker (which Jim won). After a quick break to refuel and have our picture taken it was just 22 more miles back to the Inn.

About a hour and half later we arrived back at the Pisgah Inn. The gnats along that stretch of 22 miles were horrible. Kathy took pictures of Jim to prove it. My arms and legs we black with gnats. At one point I actually thought it had started raining, but it turned out to be the gnats. You had to cover your mouth and nose so you could ride through without getting a mouthful of unwanted protein.

After a ride like that you gotta celebrate right. We all ate way too much at dinner. But, hey, we deserved it. We just rode our bikes 120 miles and climbed 15,000 vertical feet! So ends another Captain Crunch adventure. Next up, Wallkill NY. The date has been moved to the second weekend in July due to the fact that some other things have come up.

"Keep on Truckin, Peace: Ben Murphy"
(watch min. 5:50)
Captain Crunch

PCP Part 1

I decided to wait and post everything in two different post with the pics in Part 2. So last Tuesday I was down on the Blue Ridge Parkway again with Jim, Kathy, Brian, Jill, and Nehemiah. We actually left Monday and the ride went down on Tuesday.

When we got there Monday evening we ran into the same group that told us about this ride last year. They were doing the same ride we were attempting on Tuesday. That group was doing the yo-yo, Front Royal (start of the Skyline Drive) - Cherokee (end of the Parkway) and back to Front Royal (1100 miles in all) in only two weeks.

The ride started at the Pisgah Inn at milepost 408 on the parkway. We left at around 8:30 am. Our first rest stop was milepost 427.5 - the infamous Bear Pen Gap. That is the location where I abonded last years ride. Needless to say I got several pictures of me with that sign (see Part 2 later this week). After that it was all new territory. Going out to the end of the Parkway is mostly downhill (2 of the desecents make up a 1/3 of the outbound ride. 20 miles downhill, OH YEAH), however there is still some climbing. The biggest climb is about 7 miles long up to Water Rock Knob.

The ride out was pretty uneventful, expect for Jim crashing in the tunnel! The tunnels down there are not lit, but usually short enough you can see through them. However, one has a bad curve that you can't see around. Jim's night vision is horrible. So he goes in first and all I hear him say is "I can't see, I can't see" and I see him go crossing the opposite lane. Then I hear a loud crashing noise. The problem is I can't see him because of the darkness so I assume the worst. Fortunately he kept the bike upright and hit only a reflector on the wall. The only injuries sustained were some road rash and a bruised ego (haha). The ride down to the end of Parkway took four hours.

Now I can say I have ridden the entire Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Too bad I can't say I didn't in 5 days, but 5 days, plus one year, then 1 more day is still pretty good. Check back later in the week for the final installment of this epic ride and hopefully some pics from Kathy and Jill.

Captain Crunch

Quick Pisgah Update

Pisgah-Cherokee-Pisgah was a success. It took around 10 hours, 15,000 feet of climbing, and 120 miles but Jim and myself did it. Tomorrow or Friday I should have a full post on the ride and next week lots of pictures to share.
Keep the rubber side down...
Captain Crunch

Carlise 40k TT

Last weekend was not as eventful as the last TT I had (no bike problems or flat tires this time). The Carlise TT was awesome. I rode 24.8 miles in 1 hour 8 minutes at a 20.9 mph average. That sounds good until you look at the results. Half of the field rode it in less than and hour. My time was good enough for 44 out of 48 riders. However, I feel that I made a huge improvement. I felt stronger and pushed myself much harder than the first TT. I was hurting really good by the end and had to dig deep (and I was freezing due to the steady rain for 3/4 of the race).

This week I am taking it easy in preparation for the PCP ride on Tuesday. I have a 30 mile ride lined up on Friday and then Saturday a 75 mile ride. Although I have less miles than last year I still feel on better form than this time last year and I'm totally ready to tackle PCP.

The last couple of weeks have made me rethink my goals for the year. Instead of trying to go for high milage I am really focusing on increasing my power and sustained speed (quality of training instead of quanity). I feel a difference already and should be able to increase it throughout the season using the my TT's to gauge my progress.

Thanks for reading. My next post should come either next Wednesday or Thursday after the PCP ride.

Captain Crunch

Carlise TT

Sorry to be so late with the update... I will have more about this race tomorrow. No pictures however.

Captain Crunch

Gold Mine Rd. and early season update

Last Saturday I went up to Gold Mine Rd. with Jim. It was a great day for a ride, low wind and slightly overcast to keep the heat down. For those of you that don't know what Gold Mine is, it is probably the closest thing we have in the Lancaster, Harrisburg area to a real mountain climb. It has multiple switchbacks and is not for those who don't like trying to defy gravity. On the plus side the downhill run to Tower City is scary fast at around 55-60 mph. Click the embedded link to see where it is. The total trip was 83 miles and just a hair over 5 hours long.

If you would have asked me to make this ride this time last year I would have laughed at you. But this year is different, I feel much stronger and I'm climbing better. I'm still about 200 miles behind last year, but I feel I'm on better form (aka: level of fitness) than this time last year and ready to tackle the PCP ride down on the BRP.

Thanks for reading
Captain Crunch

P.S. Check back the week of June 9 for special update. I'm hoping to see the U.S. Pro Championship in Philly. The worlds best riders take on the Manayunk Wall and other famous Philly hills.

My bike is fixed - HHHOOORRRAAAYYY

$100.00, a new FSA headset, and a trimmed steering tube, later my bike is as good as new. A special thanks to Crunch friend Roland for lending me a bike to ride while mine was in for repair.

Later
Captain Crunch

Miles to date: 772
Goal: 5000

US 40k TT weekend Part Duex

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY...

I arrived to the start area plenty early to check in and get a good warmup. This is where the race started. That's right, we started right in the shadow the only US nuclear power disaster site, Three Mile Island.

The weather started out cold and damp but turned out to be a great morning for bike racing. The course ran from TMI to Marietta PA (24.8 miles or 40 kilometers). My start time was 8:49am. 40 minutes and 20k later I was in Marietta averaging a good speed and in a good rhythm through quite a headwind. However, it was not to last. As I was making my turn to comeback my tire picked up a 1 inch piece of glass causing it to go flat. The good news was the race organizers had spare wheels right at that point. I quickly hopped off my bike and changed the wheel, however I still lost 5 minutes during the change. Unfortunately the wheel I was using had a 9 speed cassette and all the spares had 10 speed setups, so the entire way back I only had 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th gears in the big ring.

Because I had a headwind out, it was tailwind the whole way back, combined with adrenaline from the wheel change, I managed to turn a respectable time back to TMI. My actual time was 1 hour 21 minutes (18.3 mph avg.), but my actual time spent riding was closer to 1:16 (19.2 mph avg).

That time was good enough for.... last place in my catagory and 4th to last overall (click here for the results). I suffered, I got a flat tire, finished last, and loved every second of it! In fact I am planning on doing another 40k TT in Carlise next month!

Overall I had a great time and learned how far I can really push myself!

Until next time thanks for reading

Captain Crunch

U.S 40k TT weekend part 1

The weekend really began on Friday evening. I had just gotten my aero clip-on bars the day before and wanted to test the setup I had on a quick 10 mile TT. As I'm rolling up to a stop sign I grab the front brake and the whole front end starts shaking uncontrollably. Upon further examination, Jim and me discovered that the top headset bearing was totally toast.

I managed to limp the bike back home and called my closest Bianchi dealer to see if he has a headset in stock. First thing Saturday morning I haul the bike up to Holmes Cycling and Fitness in Camp Hill hoping they can fix it the same day, as the headset was in stock. More bad news, I'm told it is going to take a week. So now I don't have a bike for the TT on Sunday.

Once again, the great Jim Thome came to the rescue. Because he was not riding the TT, Jim graciously lent me his TT specific bike. My entire afternoon on Saturday was spent tweaking the setup so I would be as aero as possible, yet still comfortable on a unfamiliar bike. By 3:00 PM I had the setup dialed in and was ready to race.

More to follow up tomorrow on the actual race, results, and pictures!

Thanks for Reading,
Captain Crunch

Furnace Hill Rematch

Just a quick update this week. I went back to Furnace Hill (not alone this time) and the bike made it back in one piece. In fact we averaged 16.3 mph through a good headwind for most of the ride.

That's all,

Captain Crunch

Miles Ridden to Date: 516
Goal: 5000

My First Mechanical Breakdown

After 7000 miles and two and half years of riding it finally happened - my first mechanical. To top it off I was riding alone. I was coming back from Furnace Hill and was about 20 miles from home when - pow! - the chain gets sucked into the spokes. I stopped right away to investigate the problem. The jockey wheel on the derailleur had worked loose at the same moment I shifted throwing the chain into the spokes.

The wheel, derailleur, and chain are fine. However I lost the bushing cover to the jockey wheel, making a roadside fix impossible. So, 20 miles from home I had to call the SAG Wagon (aka the great Jim Thome). Now comes hard part of finding a bushing cover to fit the wheel (this part is not a commonly stocked part). Shirk's bike shop in East Earl should have one, as he always has odd parts lying around.

It's a real shame that it happened on this particular ride. I was feeling strong and had a tailwind after fighting the wind for close to 30 miles. The part of the ride I had to bail on is also my favorite section of road on that route. On the flip side, however, I did at least get to ride Furnace Hill and got in 40 miles (the longest ride of the year so far). This coming Saturday I intend to go back to Furnace Hill and finish the ride (not alone this time) for the full 60 miles. I think Furnace Hill has it out for me. Last time I went out there alone, I discovered all of my chainring screws were loose!

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch

Bike Tune Up

Hello Again!

I had off of work on Friday so I decided to put the time to good use and completely tear down my bike and give a good cleaning/tune-up. The pictures are here. First I took everything off except for the derailleurs and gave the frame a good wipe down. Then I slowly put everything back on. In addition I installed new brake pads, a new chain, crank covers, and all new cables. I even put the cassette and jockey wheels through an ultra-sonic cleaner. I can't link to all the pictures in this post so most of them are captioned. 6 hours later and I'm ready for the new season!

Also, my pictures from the Philadelphia Auto Show will be online later in the week. I will link to them later.


Remember...

Go Hard or Go Home
Captain Crunch

Miles to date: 341
Goal: 5000

Training, Training, Training

What a week. Lots of early season training to do. I got some nice 30 mile rides in over the weekend. On Friday (depending on the weather) I am hoping to make a run at Furnace Hill (considered to be the second hardest in Lancaster to ride) for a nice metric century (62 miles). I'm hoping to have some pictures from it as well (at least of Furnace Hill).

This weekend, or next I'm not sure yet, I am planning to completely tear the bike apart and clean it up for the new season. Cables, chain, ultrasonic cleaning, etc. Of course, more pictures.

That's all for now!

Captain Crunch

Miles ridden: 297
Goal: 5000

RAAM

Today I am going to tell you a little about the Race Across America (RAAM). This is one of the toughest, if not the toughest sporting event in the world. This year it runs from Oceanside CA (just south of San Diego) to Annapolis MD 3000 miles away. It takes a team of 4 anywhere from 6 to 9 days to complete depending on how fast their average is. It takes about a crew of 12 people to complete the race. Why 12 or more? You need at least three follow vehicles/support vehicles, and an RV for the crew and racers (so at least 4 to drive them). You need at least one person with some medical experience, either in the sports medicine field or an EMT or RN. Another to care for food/cooking. It takes at least 6 people at any one time to keep things going.

Once the race starts the clock doesn't stop. That's why you need at least 12 people. 6 on duty while the others rest. The race runs 24 hrs. for 9 days - a grueling test for the crew just as it is for the riders.

The probability I will ever compete in this race is very low. But you have to start somewhere, right? So here is where ask a favor of you. I am trying to see if I could even put a crew together.

If you are interested in an all expense paid trip from the east coast to CA (by plane) and back by car avg. around 15-20 mph then let me know by leaving a comment. The only required thing on your part would be your time (there would be no compensation for that). All food and lodging would be cared for. If you want to know more about crewing for this race click here. Also, if you know of anyone that would actually be interested in riding please let me know as well.

Thanks for reading
Captain Crunch

The Season Begins

Well, March is here and I took the first few rides of the spring season this week. I finally got my event schedule in order. It is going to be a busy season (If you see a name underlined that means its a link to the event page)...

April 20 - US 40k (24.8 miles) Time Trial from Middletown PA to Marietta and back.

I usually don't do actual races but this is a time trial. You are simply racing against yourself and not in a pack. It allows you to see how you compare with other riders without the pressure of riding in a pack.

May 27 - Pisgah - Cherokee - Pisgah

120 miles of pure mountain riding. Starting from the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway riding to the very end of the parkway 60 miles and then riding back. There is a 13 mile descent at the end of the BRP... so that means 13 miles back up :-). This ride will take me past the infamous Bear Pen Gap parking area (the spot where I abandoned last year.). The total elevation gain is about 15,000 feet (imagine riding three miles straight up).

We're just getting started...

June 20 or 21 - Elizabethtown PA to Wallkill NY (200 Miles)

It's okay, you can call me mentally ill. This ride is 200 miles long but only 7500 feet of climbing. We will stick mainly to routes 443 and 209 all the way to Bethel. The Delaware Water Gap is quite scenic and will provide some much need rest at around mile 120. Using the longest day of the year we hope to leave Elizabethtown at 5 AM and arrive in the parking lot of 800 Red Mills Rd. at or earlier than 7PM the same day.

July 26 - Dreamride Lancaster (100 Miles)

This is a 100 mile charity ride around Lancaster Pa. This is a great warmup to Nightmare.

August 16 - Nightmare (177 miles)
This ride circumnavigates the entire county of Lancaster in one day. With 12,000 feet of climbing and the hardest hill in Lancaster County (mile 107 22% grade for a 1/4 mile) and the August heat... I hope to survive - I did last year.

September 20 - 27 - The Outer Banks (Total 500 miles for week)
I will be headed to beach for the week staying with friends in Corolla, NC. But I am hoping to achieve 500 miles or more in the week. I am working on possible routes up and down the coast as we speak.

October 16 - Bike MS NYC - 100 Miles
100 miles around a traffic free Manhattan - does it get any better. This is the only actual event on the calendar that I have to raise money for, but it is definitely for a good cause. I may be seeing some of you about this event.

There you have it. Of course there will be lots of training between all these events, hopefully hitting my peak with Nightmare. Also, I will be posting pictures of all these events.

Catch ya on the flip side...
The Capt.

Miles to Date: 174.4
Goal 5000

My Pictures

Hello again,



My pictures are up and running. You can access them using the link on the right. I'll explain a what the galleries are...

Lime Rock 07...

In July I went to Lime Rock CT. for the American LeMans race. My boss took the photos. Motorheads rejoice

Nightmare 2007....

The nightmare is held every year in August. It is a 177 mile bike ride around the entire perimeter of Lancaster County. Last year was my first year. I finished in just over 13 total hours (total ride time was 11 hours).

Porsche Musuem...

I wish I could take credit for these. My boss was on a business trip in a nearby town and stopped by.

NYC 1.13.08...

My trip up to NYC. The few random pics at the beginning are for a bike ride that I am planning on completing (more on that in a later post).

Blue Ridge 07...

Over Memorial day week me and my friend Jim Thome (the only other person crazy enough to ride with me) deceided to ride the Skyline Dr. and Blue Ridge Parkway (just about 575 miles) in 5 days. I had to bail with only 40 miles left because of horrendous knee pain. I wasn't going to take a chance messing my knee up, and hey, I made it 530 miles!

I am going back this year to finish the last 40 and try something even harder.

Bikes...

Exactly what it says it is. There are some random pics in there as well as those from the Richard Sachs/RGM Watches race team thrown in.

Enjoy

Welcome to the Adventure

Hold on tight cause it's going to be a long strange trip. I intend to use this space to keep my friends updated on my latest crazy cycling adventure or other exploits. So far this year I have several big rides lined up (I'll list them in later posts). Also, you can see my pics from last years two big rides (Skyline Dr + Blue Ridge Parkway = 570 miles in 5 days) plus Nightmare and other random pictures.

Happy Reading,
The Capt.