With the trip less then 2 months away, looking at the map of my ride route I’m sure it’s normal to have an epiphany and go “what the hell was I thinking?”

Is this like going to the buffet and putting more on you plate than you can eat because it all looks so good? Of course in the case I can’t simply push the plate away.

I’m sure we have all sat on the couch and thought, “that half marathon, long ride, triathlon, etc. won’t be that hard”. Going out and doing it is something altogether different. And believe me this IS something altogether different.

48 days, 3030 miles, wow this will be something else! But, I have been generally successful at things I set out to do.

One year I exercised every day for at least 30 min for 370 consecutive days.

One year I ran 250 days and managed to run on 4 continents.

Other times I set personal goals I had now idea how I was going to achieve. Surprising even myself, I did achieve them. But reach for the Moon right? If you fall a little short you still have done pretty well.

People have said to me, “Your ride will be fun”. I never really thought about it as a “fun thing”. The quote below sums it up for a lot of cyclists, and me to a lesser degree. ( I have a lower pain threshold in my later years). But even when I was younger I never ran a 25k race and said “Wow what fun that was!”

What people can do is amazing, what they are willing to do is a different story. It takes commitment.

Personally, I have found that writing down goals makes them real, and constantly revisiting them puts you on a track to be successful. Hence my, blog. I’m doing it for myself, but hopefully you enjoy it as well.

I confess, this goal is starting to feel a bit daunting. But as I mentioned in a previous post, the trip is about imposing my will on my mind and body. I used to be good at this. In high school and college it was shoot 1000 jump shots a day rain or shine, snow or ice. Run 4-5 miles daily in the summer for conditioning.

This got me into a great college and instilled a work ethic that led to professional success.

But my basketball and work careers are behind me. In fact, at my age my future is behind me too! So now it will be get up every day and train. Then beginning April 1 it will be get up, ride 60-90 miles. Eat, sleep and repeat. No options, no whining (well maybe a little)

Let’s face it, this is like jumping into the deep end of the pool. I have no idea what to expect nor what challenges I will be facing. But I take some comfort in knowing our trip coordinators have gotten numerous groups across the continent safely.

I also have confidence in myself that I will do this!

Hell, if this was easy I wouldn’t be doing it!

I’m sure the companionship of 11 other riders will help and we will encourage each other, but in the end, this is really a solitary endeavor. There will be no one to pull you along or tow you up hill. It will be a 1mp motor (manpower) powering the bike.

At this juncture I’m feeling pretty good. I have done 50 mile rides on 3 consecutive days a few times pushing harder than I will on the route. Definitely, getting stronger and building confidence.

Pacing will, I’m sure, be a challenge for the kid who always wanted to be first on the school bus.

Early on we will all be enthusiastic and adrenaline will be flowing. I definitely need to be careful not to take it too fast. In the early stage this may not be a problem as we tackle several climbs in the first week or so. Hills are my kryptonite!

So my training continues, I do want to be careful and balance my miles so I do not burn out before the trip. Need to have those rest days!

I’ve clocked 700+ miles so far this year and that feels like about the right pacing. 150-200 miles a week. Not too much, not to little.

The scenery here is pretty awesome which makes the riding nice, but to say it’s fun would be a lie. It’s fun when it’s over and I have a bottle of cerveza in front of me.

Our recent rides have started around 10am but that will change as we get into March and it warms up a bit more.

Right now I am getting to test my warm gear. By next month I will be getting the biker’s tan. Arms, legs and face.

Below is this weeks total. Today tested my will. 25+mph headwinds out. Was going to stop 5mi short but endeavored on. The reward was a snappy ride back with the wind

OK, that’s all for now folks. In my next post, for those interested, I will attach our daily ride schedule with destination, miles and elevation gain.

Til then, smooth roads and the wind at your back.

Hi again. This post will be a little different ( as if all my posts aren’t). I plan to touch a bit on bike detailing, waxing (again), the land of Oz and a few other things. Like why I hate ebikes

So let’s start with bike detailing. Well a month or so ago Barb was walking out of our storage room with a can on bright green spray paint. Dropped it and presto my new Roubaix with the premium chameleon paint job got a detailing as seen below.

Now to say I was unhappy would be an understatement. And how do you think a typical husband would respond? Well….. once I saw the image below. I had to laugh. (To myself of course). Though it was difficult to be the sympathetic husband while looking at my bike. But 40 years of marriage has taught me a few lessons….

So I needed to get the paint off the bike and the WWW (Wicked Witch of the West).

First the bike. Well, I did want to ruin the finish with paint thinner, I tried de-greaser with no luck. I went to NAPA auto parts. They were no help. Then a local body shop who suggested rubbing compound.

Finally, I went back to Rob my LBS guy. He had a product called Clean Streak he said would work. I thought, yeah I’ve tried everything but what the hell. To say I was amazed was an understatement. I sprayed it on and the paint wiped off like it was window spray. Bike problem solved.

On to the WWW. Ok Barb was trying to get everything to get the paint off. With little success. But the clean streak along with more rubbing finally got most of the paint and a nice layer of skin off. Hence no need to wax for awhile. You probably wondered how I was going to fit in waxing again.

She was feeling bad about the whole accident so I took her to lunch. But it did get a bit worse. In the picture below you will see paint under her arms and on her chest. Well she didn’t get that off. Our waitress remarked “Honey you must be having a bad day”. 6 weeks later we can laugh about it

Continue reading “Bike detailing, the Wizard of Oz and other related topics”

So the ride coordinator is going to host a session on changing flats before we leave San Diego. Gee any of us who ride in Az or other states that have cactus, goat heads and other prickly friends are well acquainted with punctured tubes. In fact, when I rode in NoCal there was road debris that always resulted in the dreaded “thump,thump, thump.”

Now they say the pro riders can change a tire in 10 secs. Sure their SAG vehicle just grabs another wheel and with a little quick release magic the tire is switched.
For us unlucky (the majority) amateurs it’s either change the tube or speed dial the wife, husband, or significant other.

Now changing a tire should not be a big deal right? Simply remove the tire, check for nails, thorns etc, put on a new tube (from your saddle pack) and inflate with a CO2 cartridge or your trusty Mini hand pump.

Of course you will have to have arms like Popeye to get pressure up to 80lbs using the hand pump! And don’t screw up using your CO2 cartridge.

Oh, a tip on hand pumps. Get one that does not screw on to the valve . You can easily end up unscrewing the valve stem and then you are, in good old English, “Hosed”.(Done it) Find one that clips to your Presta or Schrader valve.

Anyway, my experience is, it’s not as easy as it looks on TV. In fact my Local Bike Shop owner says he makes his monthly payment on a new Ford Raptor from his tire repair revenue alone.

So what’s the big deal? Well first, getting the tire off can be a challenge depending on the wheel. On my Rol’s it was a snap. On the Roval’s it was a bit tougher and on my new Mavic‘s it’s a bit of a pain to say the least. Now tire levers help a lot and worked ok with my other wheels but the Mavic’s required a little trick.

See with the advent of tubless tires many wheels, like my Mavic’s, now have a deeper rim and lip. So If not done properly, you can easily snap the tire levers ( yep, I have). Or worse yet, when the new tire is on and the tube is pinched, have it explode when inflating (yep done that too)

The trick on these type of tires ( I learned this after taking in my tire to the LBS owner and helping him with his truck payment) is making sure the tire is in the center channel of the wheel. If you leave the tire in the rim channel the circumference is too big to fit). So when I defied Rob to change the tire using my levers, he simply pushed the tire out of the rim channel and into the center, tire off and changed in 3 min. It works I know.

So an other alternative is to ride puncture resistant tires. Gator Skins and Armadillos are the most popular of these. But guess what , there is something called “rolling resistance”. Both these tires are pretty puncture resistant. But you sacrifice speed and I think they ride rough.

An example, when I got my new Specialized it has Armadillos on it. The first few times I rode with my normal group I was 1/2 mile behind them in 1 hr. I thought “gee this new bike is pretty slow or I really have lost speed”! A week later I changed to Continental 4000’s and I was now back ahead by a nice margin. Then I bought the new Continental 5000’s and was faster yet.

The following is a link to a chart which shows the rolling resistance for many popular tires for those bike geeks reading this As an example the Conti 4000’s have a rolling resistance on 12 watts at 120psi. The Gators have a RR of 19.5 watts. Of course, I have no flipping idea what this really means. But the Gators are slower (if you exclude the down time to change your tire😆)

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews

But with the Conti 4000’s the flats started piling up. A couple of times I had multiple flats on a 30 mile ride. So I went to my standby Continental 4 seasons. Flats went away and speed only decreased marginally.

So the net, net on this is if you are riding locally and want speed choose the tires with the best rolling resistance. If you are doing long rides and want to minimize flats go with the Armadillos or gator skins. But they are a stiff tire and not a cinch to change.
Personally, I am going with the 4 seasons for my xcountry ride.

WAXING

Ok now you probably have been waiting anxiously for the waxing. Well while it’s true the pro riders remove body hair, but it’s not because of the Lycra speedos or for wind drag. Actually, it’s for treating road rash when they crash. It’s much easier to cleanse the wounds if there is no hair in them. Makes sense to me.

But the waxing I’m referring to is for your chain. Hot waxing your chain can provide a very clean and nice lube. In fact the times I’ve tried it I have had smoother and faster rides. A well lubed chain does make a difference. The problem is the hot wax needs to be done every 300 miles and that means taking off the chain and putting it in a crock pot of hot wax. Not worth it for me but you may find it worthwhile.

Presently, I’m using Finish Line ceramic chain wax and another liquid wax. It’s pretty dry here in AZ and the wax lubricants work well.

You have all heard the comments about ”dry heat” it’s true. Makes riding pretty swell too. No sweat soaked jerseys😉.I suspect once I do the big trip I with use traditional lubes. But for now it’s awful nice to be able to grab your chain and not have greasy hands or the dreaded chain mark on your calves.

So there you have it. My personal take on flat repairs, tire rolling resistance and chain waxing. I am certain many of you can elaborate or may have different experiences. Heck I’m not a technical guy but I do learn from my experience (generally). And I’m always willing to listen for new and better ways to improve. So feel free to share.

PS. Yesterday I repaired 5 tubes that had cactus pin hole punctures. I figured Rob already has enough help with his truck payment😉

So until the next post, May you have smooth roads and the wind at your back.

Sent from my iPhoneBob Dentzman 616-886-8192

Hills, I hate them. Being a full figured rider standing 6’3 and weighing in at 265 (for now) they are my bane.

While I can cruise pretty easily at 17-20 mph on the flats, on the hills I’m a turtle. Want a blow to your ego? Ride up a long hill stretch pounding it only to have a Middle Aged woman wearing a Snoopy T-shirt riding a mountain bike blow by you.

Now I’ve got nothing against Snoopy, or middle aged women or mountain bikes for that matter. But pleeese, it just isn’t fair. But darn it, Newtonian Physics favors the slight of build when climbing hills on a bike. The riders I crush on the flats leave me in the dust going up hill. So we know the answer to being

a better bike rider, right?

To give you an illustration, the following is from an article on Bike.com

“On a slow-burn climb, where you hold 200 watts up a six-mile climb with a three-percent grade. If you weigh 180 pounds, you’d average 11.46mph. If you weigh 175 pounds, you’d go 11.65mph. At the top of the climb, you’d have saved 30 seconds. That might not seem like a lot, but if you’ve ever watched someone slowly roll away from you, you know what a difference even a few seconds can make.”

So at 265 or 85 lbs more than that 180 lb rider I would be 510 seconds or 8.5 minutes behind. Ugh.

So if I took off just 30 lbs. , which is realistic, ( yeah right) I would improve my time by 3 minutes. Snoopy girl look out!! My best training for hills is to push away from the table, bar and the dessert tray.

They say the ideal weight for a climber is 2 lbs per inch. At 6’3 that would be 150lbs. Hell I didn’t weigh that little in 5th grade.

But the numbers don’t lie and frankly my biggest fear on the trip will be taking on those 5000 ft climb days. I have two months til departure so, WW it is. As I mentioned in my prior posts. A big part of the training is mental, and maintaining a good balance of diet with my riding will be a mental challenge for me.

But now you can understand why riders are so obsessed with equipment weight. When you have 3% body fat you look for other ways to reduce weight.

For hacks like me, we are much better off losing 5-10 lbs than buying $3000 Zip carbon fiber wheels or a $15,000 15lb bike. True these purchases will make you quicker but REALLY? Why not just lose a little of that spare tire?

We all have mental images of ourselves and then there is reality. Below are the two versions

Darn it the camera makes you look fat, I hear. But really… The fact is pictures are sobering and a reality check for sure.

So while I’m training and struggling up hills I always call up the famous Jens Voight quote: “Shut up Legs” or as my brother would say “do yourself a favor a drop a few pounds you fat a$$. Gotta love family…

In addition to riding and diet, I am hitting the weight room. This is more to build muscle to support the long ride. Lots of upper body for shoulders and back as well as arms. I did leg work earlier this winter but am backing off on that and riding. I am told muscle burns calories so I am trying to add lean muscle. German training high reps at 60% of max effort.

Typically, I am doing 3 sets of 20 reps and 3 exercises per muscle group. Feels good we will see about the results.

So the beat goes on. I sent my check for $9k today so now I am financially as well as mentally committed. One reason I started this blog is to provide another reason for not backing out. (We all have our mind games don’t we). So it looks like I’m in for the long haul😎.

So till next time, smooth roads and may the wind be at your back 🚴‍♂️

The above quote is actually the title of Lance Armstrong’s autobiography (pre cheating scandal). Yeah I know he cheated but then again I’m confident that a vast majority of cyclists he beat were also doping. It’s just losers are not scrutinized as closely as winners. PED’s and cheating have always been around sports where world class athletes are trying to gain that slight edge. And probably always will be.

But this blog post is not an apologist for cheating. Although it could metaphorically be considered that since Lance did cheat cancer as chronicled in his book. Recovering from stage 3 testicular cancer that metastasized in his lungs and resulted in brain lesions which required surgery, he was given a 20% chance of living. He went through aggressive chemo, recovered, and was riding professionally again 18 months later. He then went on to win multiple Tour de France races (yeah I know doping, but still…)

So why am I talking about Lance? Well his book gives great insight to the type of relentless training and drive that is required to be at the top of your profession. It resonates with me because I have long believed the quote from Vince Lombardi. “ the will to win is not as important as the will to prepare to win”

So that’s the gist of this blog post. Now for me winning will simply be completing the TransAmerica ride. But if you think it does not require the “will to prepare to ride”, you are mistaken.

Reading how Armstrong trained at a level which was almost inhuman, post cancer, was a big inspiration to me. I always admired the great athletes that had a unrelenting drive to be the best. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods and sadly, RIP, Kobe Bryant all had this in their DNA . These and many others inspired me to try to be a better version of myself in all areas, not just sports.

So with that background here is a little sample of what I have been doing to prepare for this ride. 2019 was about putting on base miles and getting used to hours in the saddle.

Let’s face it of the 232 rides I did last year, there were many times I dreaded putting on the Lycra shorts , jersey and shoes and hitting the road. Not the least of reasons was looking like a poorly stuffed sausage.

If you think MIML (Middle Aged Men In Lycra ) are a ghastly sight you should see us older guys. But then again we don’t have to look at ourselves.

When I waver about riding I think how lucky I am to be able to ride. I’m sure there are many who wish they could. And you know what, I rarely finish a ride and not feel a small sense of accomplishment. So I say “Bob get off your sorry ass and get on the bike”. Of course this often results in a sore ass!

That said, if I want to enjoy the journey I figured I’d better make the effort to put in the miles. Yep I have the will to prepare to win, but for me winning is merely proving to myself I can finish the ride

5000 miles in a year may sound like a lot of riding but to an avid rider it’s not outrageous. Heck there are guys and gals out here still working that get on the road at 5 am and ride 30-40 miles before going to work. I am not that committed. My rule, the temperature has to be at least my age minus 10. (It used to be my age but I would have to move to Death Valley if that were the case today)

I’m sure there are all levels of riders out there reading this blog (I hope so anyway). Probably the best advice I have is to quote the Great Belgian Rider Eddy Merckx

For us non-pros, it should be about the bike. It should be fun, and yes, challenging at times, but it has its rewards. As many of us age we are finding technology allows us to ride into our 70’s, 80’s and 90’s with enjoyment. The advent of E-Bikes, Peleton, and Zwift is making it possible to extend our riding careers.

So take Eddy’s advice “just ride”. You will feel better afterwards, I promise.

Til next time smooth roads and wind at your back!

The above is a line from the movie Field of Dreams, where Shoeless Joe Jackson and Ray Kinsella have an exchange.

Well Tucson is not heaven but its darn close for cyclists. Each winter all types of riders appear in this Western town to take advantage of some outstanding cycling routes, the mountains, the elevation, and pretty swell weather. Pros train here as do high ranked amateurs, local enthusiasts, and of course old hacks like myself. But we all share one commonality, we love to bike.

Today I took advantage of a perfect day to ride “the Loop”. Tucson has created an extensive network of bike paths and the portion I rode today was 53 miles. I rode with another older rider, Chris Dansdill, but frankly he is a much stronger rider (and 120 pounds lighter) than me. But we knocked out the K ride averaging about 16mph and it was enjoyable but certainly tiring. I set 30 personal records on stretches we rode, so clearly Chris pushed me to a higher level of performance. For that I thank, AND, curse him. But I did beat him on effort as I averaged 130 watts to his 90 watts.

In my last post I posed the question why would someone like me take on a 3000+ mile TransAmerica ride. After some consideration I came up with a few of the following reasons.

1. Having been an athlete and fitness enthusiast my adult life I find there are few things I can do better than in the past. So of course since I have never ridden across the U.S. this will be a personal best achievement.
2. At this age I finally have the time and financial resources to take on this type of ride.
3. My “use by date” is rapidly approaching and my window for doing this is closing.
4. This will be more of a mental test than a physical test. I am confident that I have the physical capacity to do this, but mentally it will be a challenge. This will test my mental discipline.
5. I will escape the voices in my head. We all have self talk and trust me when you retire you have more time to be inside your own head. I had a friend on the east coast who was always taking on different challenges. I asked someone why and they said, “I think John is running from the voices in his head”. Seems right, little time for that when riding 70 miles a day.
6. I take some perverse pleasure knowing that I am probably in the 1% of people my age that are crazy enough to take on this kind of journey.

Also I have read several books recently about people who have taken on singular challenges. “One Man’s Wilderness” by Dick Proenneke, “The Long Way” by Bernard Moitessier, “A World of My Own” by Robin Knox, are all books that depict the efforts of men who took on adventures. I certainly do not compare to what they have done, but they did inspire me to step outside my comfort zone and off the couch to prove something to myself.

So there it is, my reasoning for doing this ride. Truly, “running from the voices in my head” may be the single most reason. As someone once said ” don’t go up there without adult supervision”.

BTW, Below is the logo my daughter made for my blog, It ROCKS !!! Not only is she smart (PhD) and beautiful, but she is creative. Thanks Katie!! I love you honey.

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More to come leading up to my ride

Below is my ride today and stats. This week I got 158 miles in