Brendan and I started out around 11am from the GWB. I think temps had warmed to 21 by then. I brought out the "gloves I never wear because they are too heavy" and an extra layer of tights and wind vest underneath the Cirque du Soleil winter jacket (so named because you have to bizarrely flexible and multi-jointed to get anything after the most ridiculous rear pocket design ever). I had just woolie boolie defeet socks, plus my old-school Performance neoprene booties. I was pretty comfortable all day. Sun was shining and we were off.

Plan for the Upper Saddle River ride got derailed when Brendan's tubeless set-up sprung a leak. After a couple of stops to refill with a frame pump, we gave up that tactic and set out to find a bike shop. Thankfully he had a smart phone and we limped to two diff't bike shops (the first had closed down) until we landed at JP's old shop in Ridgewood (thank goodness it wasn't Sunday) From there we motored home.

All in all 50 miles of pretty brisk riding. Brendan managed to put the screws to me pretty good on the final climb home. Looking forward to racing with him this spring!

Tomorrow I soil the new tape...cause it's impossibly white.  Yack's installed his new Ritchey stem and seatpost too...feeling good Lewis

Brendan - carry a tube
Marc - lend Brendan your tube

That's how you deal with tubeless flats

vlad said:

Brendan - carry a tube
Marc - lend Brendan your tube

That's how you deal with tubeless flats

FWIW, because of how tight the bead was Brendan was reluctant to attempt to take the tire off on the side of the road. Apparently it took hours and a bucket of soapy water to get it on in the first place. Turns out, it came off and went back on in the warmth of the shop with significantly less grief.

For those who are racing, or contemplating Battenkill this spring, I strongly recommend going out in the rain tomorrow.

Marc Bertucco said:

JP, 11am work for you? I'd still like to ride wormhole (maybe the shorter one though, given that Monday looks nicer for longer day) style.

I got out at 1:30 for three hours.  Went up to Westchester and got lost again.  Just when I thought I knew where I was going.  

"FWIW, because of how tight the bead was Brendan was reluctant to attempt to take the tire off on the side of the road. Apparently it took hours and a bucket of soapy water to get it on in the first place."

Don't I know it. Brendan, now that I no longer run tubeless, I have some steel reinforced tire levers for you. Free of charge.

I'm going to try to get in some park miles before the rain. Up for a ride over the bridge on Monday if anyone is also game.

Gwb sidewalk is closed due to weather. I'm doing park laps today in CP around 9:30-10 am if anyone cares to join me. I have to go for 3 hrs so please feel free to come with!

it's really slick and icy out there be careful

Phil, Craig,

Craig London said:

Gwb sidewalk is closed due to weather. I'm doing park laps today in CP around 9:30-10 am if anyone cares to join me. I have to go for 3 hrs so please feel free to come with!

3 hours in CP? Yikes. I know a training plan is a training plan, and it's good to stick to what's written down, but when I look at a block of say 3 days, and 2 of the days are going to be dry, in general, I think it's a-okay to juggle some of those rides around.

Also, everyone, up by my apt near the GWB, Sarah couldn't even go for a run with the dog and stroller this morning because of ice on the sidewalk. Please be careful. I don't exactly disagree with JP's earlier statement, that riding in the cold/rain becomes a necessary rite of evil for anyone who expects to do some racing in similar conditions. BUT, you have to dress appropriately (from his work over the years, JP seems to have a collection of cold/wet weather gear that only Wall Streeters can afford), and be VERY careful.

Because I'm less likely to suit up for adverse road races in 2015, got in 50 miles yesterday in the dry, and I've "been there, done that," I'll instead be out again for a long ride on Monday. 2 out of 3 days outside. I'll take it! Temps in the high 20s, low 30s, sunshine. If you've got the day off, and family plans aren't in the way, I'd love company. Endurance paced. Nice climbs, but no weight doping necessary.

vlad said:

"FWIW, because of how tight the bead was Brendan was reluctant to attempt to take the tire off on the side of the road. Apparently it took hours and a bucket of soapy water to get it on in the first place." Don't I know it. Brendan, now that I no longer run tubeless, I have some steel reinforced tire levers for you. Free of charge.

Yeah I had a tube and levers the whole time.  Made the strategic decision to go to a bike shop to change the tire in case I couldn't get it back on the rim.  Turns out that the tire had stretched since I put it on several months ago and putting a tube in was easy as pie!  But I didn't know that at the time, so I thought there'd be a significant chance that I'd be stuck at the side of the road with a wheel that had no tire on it.

Craig,

Please post what time you end up going to CP; I might come out (but probably not).

Brendan Rigby said:

Great ride yesterday and not that cold due to the sun, lack of wind, and lack of rain.  We did put the screws into ourselves on the final bits.  The cold does odd things to you: I set a new HR record on that final winding hill in Jersey.  I am told that cold temperatures might make gas exchange (getting oxygen into your blood and out to your muscles) less effective and contribute to an elevated heart rate compared to the same effort in warmer weather.

Another factor that can lead to an elevated HR is dehydration. Blood is mostly water. And on cold days when we don't necessarily "feel" thirsty, because we're not sweating as much easier to forget to drink. Also as nice as it was, our bottles were icing over. So not drinking as much as we should have been. And so with less blood volume to circulate, our hearts will naturally beat faster to compensate.

P.S. Brendan, thinking more about your cold feet. (well, that sounds weird) Did you have one or two layers covering the legs? I'm normally very subject to cold feet, but I think that throwing another pair of bib tights over my fleece shorts and leg warmers, plus the wind vest under my jacket, contributed to better peripheral circulation, so that my normally always numb/cold left foot was pretty much fine all day.

Hi guys,

19 hour TRAINER week?!?

Temperature has just dropped to 32 from 35.  The radar is showing snow/ice mix.

Craig, the inland New Jersey ride I have in mind for tomorrow is closer to about 4.5 hours. Maybe just do 2.5 hours on the trainer today and make up for it tomorrow? And while you're at it, how about a nice focused 60-90 minutes on the trainer today instead of the insanity you have planned. Because friends don't let friends ride more than 2 hours on a trainer. #justsay'n

Marc- I'm down for whatever tomorrow if/when the bridge reopens and it's above freezing. Really I'm riding outside no matter what tomorrow. 9am GWB?

Craig London said:

Marc- I'm down for whatever tomorrow if/when the bridge reopens and it's above freezing. Really I'm riding outside no matter what tomorrow. 9am GWB?

Yup, 9am!

Yacks gots an ice glaze on the front stoop = computrainer day

I got the Gwb email update again this morning. Bridge walkway is closed due to ice. maybe we can explore up into Hudson valley side of the river for a change today? Any ideas or thoughts?

I could be down for some CP laps this morning. Chance of black ice further afield not appealing.

Okay, I'm going into Westchester via Broadway Bridge in upper manhattan. Plan to be there around 9:00 or so and heading up the hudson on the east side.