Demise of the off-season

Way back in 1992 when I was relatively new to racing, I was riding with San Diego Bicycle club. The racing season had ended and the fall group rides had begun. While weekend training rides were held during the racing season, many of the hardcore racers didn't reappear on the training rides until the fall.  I had not yet learned the art of fixed gear road riding, but many of the riders converted their steel frame road bike to a fixie.  Back in the days when we rode steel bikes with horizontal drop outs, one could easily do this. While the in-season ride was fast, the off-season ride was a sedate 16 or 17 mph average.  At best it was a moderate tempo ride. On one particular October Saturday, one or more riders (with gears) showed up on the ride and started hammering the pace. It didn't take long before there was yelling in the group and someone told the hammering riders that they should "slow down, its October."  The strongest riders (who happened to be on the fixed gears) laid down the law and etiquette for the ride.

Fast forward to 2002, when I started riding in New Jersey with Somerset Wheelmen in October, and Joe Saling was leading the winter rides. A group of 6-15 riders would meet at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater and would ride at "winter pace" of around 16 mph. The ride was not ridiculously easy, but was easy enough that the women riders and even some of the juniors would have  no trouble keeping pace. If it was too easy for you, you could show up on a fixed gear and make it harder.  But the point of the rides was cohesion- to keep the group together in a tight double paceline on those cold windy days, to be able to talk/chat and have a social ride, to be able to enjoy the scenery. Racing was done, winter training would start soon enough in mid-December or January, so why go hard?

The dogma of bike racing experts has always been that November is a rest month. In Fred Matheny's Beginning Bicycle Racing he writes "November and December. This is the off season. It is the time for alternate activities that allow you to retain fitness but escape the onerous aspects of a rigid schedule and hard exertion." In Eddie B's Bicycle Road Racing, which is often considered The Bible, he recommends from October 15-November 30 to "cut your mileage drastically and ride no more than 3 or 4 times a week." Seniors (meaning senior men age 35 or less) should do 50-90 km (~30-55 miles) per ride, "these are not fast rides, not hard rides."  [Note that he also advocates shorter distances for women and masters].

Sadly, the cohesive winter ride is disappearing, or in some cases being shattered by riders who just want to go hard all year round. Here are a few possible reasons why:

1.  Cyclocross. Once viewed and advocated as a way to get off your road bike and enjoy some trails, gravel and dirt during the off-season, 'cross has now evolved into its own racing discipline. Statistically speaking 'cross race attendance far outnumbers road and while not every roadie does cross, those who do are now on a totally different schedule than the rest of us. They're not resting in November they are still racing and training and at peak fitness.  Those that are racing cross on weekends obviously are not going to be there for the group ride.

2. Coaching, training and power meters. Not only has equipment improved (which raises average ride speeds) but with  many riders using a coach and power training, there are a lot more stronger riders, which tends to fuel the "lets go faster mentality" during a time of year that is meant to go slow. While individual strength has increased, that has not necessarily gone along with riding skills.

3. Strava. It would be easy to blame all of cycling's ills on Strava, but in many ways it goes beyond its purpose as a social networking/training tool and is having an effect on our sport.  Strava tends to fuel the "I need to do more" feeling that social networking generates. When you see on Strava and Facebook how much (and how hard) your friends (or in some cases people you follow) are training, you might feel compelled to keep up with them. This can quickly become a "virtual competition" for mileage, monthly badges, KOMs and other achievements, where in reality there are no winners.

When you get a KOM on Strava, what have you won really? Its a brief moment of fame on a social networking site, it may even flood your receptors with dopamine. But the KOM will likely fall, and then what?

There is a new breed of rider now, which I've termed the "Strava Hunter-Killer."  Many of the SHKs don't race at all. You won't find them at USAC events. But they roam the roads each day looking for segments they can kill and take the KOMs.  The group ride is shunned, as the purpose is to slam certain segments and nab the KOMs. If they do ride as a group, its only a means to an end, where the goal is to use teamwork to capture the KOMs.  Ride slow? What would be the point of that? If I ride slow, then I get fewer "trophies" and achievements on Strava.....Its interesting to see these riders in November, riding at 95-100% max HR in cold weather, basically doing hard interval training.  I had one pass me last weekend, as I was cruising about 17 mph on my fixed gear, he flew by at 25 mph, head down. No time to say hello, after all if he slowed down to say hi, he'd blow his chance at the KOM on Oak Grove Road (which by the way is not even a hill).

There is no doubt that many of these guys are strong, you can't argue with their times up the hard climbs. I just wonder whether they would be riding this hard if there were no KOMs or Strava? They are missing out on the group tempo ride experience, which are some of the most relaxing, fun rides you will ever do.

Skiing last great refuge

And then there were three...Mad River Glen is now one of only three ski areas in North American that do not allow snowboards (there used to be four until Taos, NM gave way). The others are the upscale Deer Valley, Utah and skier oriented Alta. As the only holdout in the northeast, Mad River Glen in many ways is the last refuge of old school skiing.

But the character of Mad River is much more than just a snowboard ban. The lack of boards is just an ingredient in the overall formula of Mad River's mission- preserve the sport of skiing for the true enthusiast, without all the bells and whistles of the 21st century "resort model." By resort model, I mean the economic model of many of today's ski areas are "improvements" such as high-speed quad lifts, a mountain village with trendy shops and eateries, valet parking and other slope-side amenities. Those luxuries go by the way side for Mad River, where the skis on the snow are king. The theory behind Mad River is that true skiing enthusiasts don't want a shopping mall at their mountain, they want to be out in the cold, freezing their butts off in an icy wind, for a chance to ski some amazing terrain covered in mother nature's snow.

Now don't get me wrong, snowmaking has its place. It is a great invention, allowing the ski season to be lengthened, providing early season training for racers and helping some ski areas survive through lean winters where there is little natural snow. It is now almost a must in the mid-Atlantic and Poconos. But snowmaking has a downside too; its expensive to operate, noisy, more often that not produces snow that ices up quickly and widens trails due to the fact that it kills the trees that line the trails. So you cannot blow snow on a narrow trail like the Antelope and keep that a narrow trail.

The ski areas that have added snowmaking, such as Sugarbush North (formerly Glen Ellen) have created wide cruising boulevards that boarders like, but they are relatively boring for skiers. What keeps bringing skiers to Mad River is the undulating terrain, the nooks and crannies, cliffs and natural features of the mountain. The twin tip freestyle skiers at Mad River don't need snowcat constructed humps or metal rails to grind, when they have natural rock outcrops, cliffs and frozen waterfalls to jump. Just underneath the single chair is a natural terrain park, known as the lift line, on which you can see some of the best freestyle skiing around. On a good day at Mad River- which regulars will tell you is any time after a snowfall, you're going to be challenged and have a blast at the same time. A high speed lift is not needed, because your legs won't be able to handle that many repeated trips down the mountain's 2100 ft vertical. For a leg burner try taking the Catamount trail off the single chair into the Lynx, which spills into the Beaver, and off-canter double fall line with bumps all the way down. Or ski the Fall Line into Grand Canyon.

On a powder day you may not see many people on the trails...where is everyone? The answer lies in the woods, where Mad River skiers have their favorite stashes of powder long after the freshies on the trail map have been skied off. The truth is there is no substitute for the silky smooth ride you're going to get on powder and packed powder at Mad River. This is what works for Mad River: a band of loyal skiing enthusiasts, families, children, telemark skiers, anyone who wants the traditional skiing experience without all the bells and whistle of the 21st century. When all is said and done, most of us are on the mountain to escape job, internet, TV, traffic and modern conveniences to commune with the mountain.

10 things you should never do on a group ride

Riding on a group ride is more than just showing up on your bike. It is really about proper etiquette and following the vibe and dynamic of the group. Here are 10 things that will earn you the ire of the group. Do some or all of these, and you probably won't be invited back:

10. Show up late to the start. If the ride says its starts at 9 am, that doesn't mean showing up to the parking lot at 9 am and then trying to assemble your bike and get dressed. New comers should arrive 15 min ahead to set up their bikes and get ready for the start.

9. Do your interval training on the group ride. Unless you're the ride leader and everyone understands that it will be an interval ride, don't try to do your own interval training, especially if the group is riding tempo. If everyone is going 18 mph and then you suddenly jump out of the paceline to ride 24 mph for 4 min, its going to disrupt the group. Similarly, if the group is riding hard that day, don't come out expecting to ride recovery.

7. Come out with a bike fraught with mechanical issues. One flat tire is no big deal, but if you started the ride with worn out tires and you're on your 3rd flat, no one is going to want to wait for you. Similarly, a loose crank bolt, pedal or seatpost should be dealt with in your shiop- not on the ride. A poorly maintained bike is also dangerous, if your chain skips in a sprint or you pop out of your pedals due to worn out cleats.

6. Wear yesterday's sweaty clothing. Excuse me, but bike clothes need to be washed after every ride, not every 3rd ride, No one is gonna want to draft behind the stinky person in the paceline.

5. Talk about work, religion or politics on the ride. These are taboo subjects. Most of us have day jobs and when we're on our bikes, we don't want to stray into the workplace. Religion and politics are too heavy subjects for rides. Listen to what the rest of the riders are talking about... equipment, racing, coffee, food or training,

4. Ride in the middle of the road. There is simply no reason to do this and it will only infuriate motorists, so stay in a tight paceline and don't ride on the yellow line.

3. Randomly attack the ride. On many rides there are set sprint points and places where there are jams. Sometimes its a bridge, the town line sprint, or a certain climb. If everyone else is going, then by all means jump on. But when the group is all sitting up talking and a person just randomly attacks, he is going to be thought the fool. Some riders will get tired of these antics and counter attack the rider and drop him- for good.

2. Disrupt the paceline. This could be speeding up too much at the front, not pulling through, staying at the front too long, not slowing down in the relief line so the next person can't pull through, or going too slow on the relief line. Any and all of these will upset the person on your wheel.

1. Show up with aero bars. You may as well show up to the ride with a billboard saying "clueless." Do not come to a group ride with a Time Trial bike.

Eight is enough

How many bicycles should a cycling enthusiast have? The answer may surprise you. Currently, I counted 11 bikes at my house. Five of those are mine, two belong to my kids and the other 4 are loaners for the juniors cycling team that I coach. But why do I have five bikes? And just what is the proper number of bicycles that a person should have?

For most of us roadies, our mainstay is our road bike. That will likely be a 10-speed racing bike, hopefully carbon fiber. Its the bike we will put the most miles on throughout the spring, summer and fall riding seasons. However, many of us keep a backup road bike, "just in case..." That might have been our bike from the previous season and we kept it around after we got our new one. Its good for rainy days, or maybe you don't want to risk wrecking your $7000 Colnago in the local crit.

If you race in time trials, you may have a TT bike. This is a tough one. Most people who race them seldom ever ride them. They look cool, but they're not all that comfortable to ride and they're heavier than a standard road bike. In my case, I could use one, because I live near Rt 29, where I could practice my time trialing. I haven't gotten myself to the point to buy one though, as I prefer mass start racing to solo time trials.

A fixed gear bike is great for riding in the late fall and through the winter. Many people build one out of an older road frame, that has horizontal dropouts, but nowadays almost all the bike manufacturers sell a decent fixie that is set up for the road for just over $500. While riding a fixie may be hip and there is a certain coolness achieved when you pull up on your fixie at the local coffee shop, there are other reasons to ride one. A fixed gear bike will force you to pedal in circles and get rid of the bad habit of coasting. In the winter, you will get a better workout with fewer miles and less time in the saddle. There is no shifting to an easier gear when the road points up. In my case I have two fixed gear bikes... one set up for road, and another set up for dirt and trails. The "Country road Bob" has an identity crisis. Is it a fixed gear road bike, or a single speed cross bike? The answer is either! In the quest for fewer bikes you could say it's two bikes in one.

Next on the list is a Cyclocross bike. This is basically a road bike, with drop handlebars that has a beefier fork and more clearance for wider, knobby tires. Most have cantilever brakes, but don't be surprised to start seeing disc brakes on cross bikes soon. Believe it or not, people who are serious about their 'cross often have two of these bikes. That's because one is used as a "pit bike" to grab when the one you're racing clogs up with mud. Its kind of like getting a fresh towel at the pool every time your towel gets wet.

If you race the track, you will want a track bike. Not to be confused with the fixie, a track bike is not really built for the road, and it has no brakes. While its possible to ride these on the road, it borders on suicidal in hilly areas.

Finally there is the mountain bike. When the terrain gets too tough for a 'cross bike, the mountain bike comes into play. Take your pick, full suspension or hardtail? And the newer ones have 29" wheels. I still have a full suspension 26" wheeled MTB, which seldom makes it out of the basement.

Ask any cycling enthusiast to justify all their bikes and they can easily think of a purpose for each steed.

Getting to Ski Country Green Style

Don't give up your car just yet...Public transportation options for
getting to Ski Country
by Doug Antelman

IN this day and age of turning Green, I decided to see if it would be possible to get to the lodge using public transportation, rather than driving my own car. The answer is yes- sort of. But no matter what mode of transportation you use (i.e. rail, bus) when you get to Vermont you are going to still be 20+ miles from Waitsfield and will need either a ride or a car to make the final leg to Ramapo.

Before I even tell you about bus or rail options, there is really no substitute in terms of travel time, convenience and cost for driving your own vehicle. Unless you have a behemoth gas guzzler, your cost in fuel to make the 600 mile round trip from New Jersey to Mad River will be $90. Thats because you will consume about 30 gals. of fuel at 20 mpg and $3 a gallon for fuel. Of course if you have a Prius or you split the driving with at least one other person, it could cost you a lot less. If you wanted to figure in the actual cost of driving at about 0.42/mile, then the trip really cost you $240 in terms of gas, oil and wear and tear on your vehicle.

So what are the mass transit options?
Air- you can fly from Newark, NJ (EWR) to Burlington, VT (BTV). Assuming you book well enough in advance, the round trip flight on Continental airlines will cost you as little as $164. The flying time itself is only 90 min, (wow). But of course, you will need to drive to Newark and park (allow 1 hr for that) and then be there an hour ahead of departure. Parking for 3 days at Newark is going to cost you about $50. Then you have the issue of getting from Burlington to the lodge. Its going to take you another 90 min to get your bags, rental car and drive approx 1 hr to the lodge. The rental car will cost you at least $150 plus fuel. Total cost $384, total time: 5 hours.

Train- Did you know there are three different Amtrak Trains you could take to Vermont? The fastest of the three is the Ethan Allen that runs from NY-Penn Station to Rutland (6 hrs). Then there is the Vermonter, which runs from various stops in NJ and NYC to Montpelier or Waterbury, VT. But this train will take almost 9 hours to get there! At least its a bargain at $56.00 (one way). Lastly there is the Adirondack, which you could take to Ticonderoga, NY (5 hrs). Of course with the Champlain Bridge out, you would need the ferry to get across the Lake. Ferries are not exactly the fastest mode of transit! And who knows if they run in the winter? So, the trains range from 5 to 9 hrs and cost $50-60 each way. However, you will again need time to drive or take a local train to get to NY Penn Station or the departing train station. Figure at least an hour for that. And then once you get to Rutland, Montpelier or Ticonderoga, you would again need a rental car or a ride to the lodge. The round trip train will cost you $120, plus $170 for your rental car and gas. And figure in another $20 to park at the train station in New Jersey or take the local train to NYC. Total cost: $310, total time: 7 to 11 hrs.

Bus: The only bus line I could find that goes to Vermont was Greyhound. Their newest buses boast wireless internet, power outlets and more legroom. A one way bus ticket from NYC to Montpelier is $52 and the travel time is 8.5 hrs. Once again you would need a rental car or ride from Montpelier. Total cost $274, total time: 10.5 hours.

Conclusion: None of the mass transit options offer the convenience of your own vehicle. In all cases, it won't be cost effective, unless you have a friend that lives in Rutland or Montpelier that could give you a lift to the lodge (and back!). The fastest option is by air, and barring delays you might even get door to door faster than driving the whole way. If money is no object, then fly. The bus and the Amtrak options are a toss up. Rail will be more comfortable, you have the option of a dining car, bathrooms and to move around, as well as power outlets or internet. You could watch a lot of movies on a 8 hrs train ride. If high speed rail existed- which is doesnt- you could go from New York to Burlington in less than 3 hours. Its nice to dream.

The bus and rail options could make sense if you take them one way and then can get a ride the other way. But none of these options really makes much sense unless you don't own a car, or you don't like driving long distances. In terms of time, the rail and bus are going to take a lot longer, unless you live very close to the station. At the end of a holiday weekend, when the traffic on 87 Southbound is snarled, the train MIGHT get you home faster.

The train makes the most sense for city dwellers going to Killington. These are people who may not own a car, and they can relax on the train and have drinks with fellow skiers. Now that's something to toast to.

A Birthday Not Worthy of Celebration

April 20th is not a day that has significance for most Americans. But for a few students at JP Case Middle School, April 20th, 2010 did have significance. You see, April 20th is the birthday of one of the most reviled figures in history, Adolf Hitler. Several girls, who happen to be friends of my 14 year old daughter- who is Jewish- thought it would be funny to signify Hitler’s birthday through various postings on Facebook, Twitter and other online blogs that they use.

A post first appeared on my daughter’s Facebook Newsfeed. One of her friends status message now read “Happy Birthday Hitler.” Since this girl has 300+ friends on Facebook, all of her friends could now see her status. A second friend of my daughter said that she “liked this”, indicating her approval or amusement with what the first girl posted. The second friend then became a fan of one or more facebook pages commemorating Hitler’s birthday.

But the two above Facebook postings were fairly inocuous compared to what my daughter’s third friend did. Not to be outdone, and as the defacto “leader” of this peer group, she posted a picture of Anne Frank on a blog website called “Tumblr.” Written across the bottom of the young Anne Frank’s photo was a hand lettered “Happy Birthday Hitler.” My reaction to all this was close to rage. Here was a group of 8th grade girls, roughly the same age as Anne Frank, who hid in isolation from the Nazis until her eventual capture and later death in a concentration camp.

Aside from the general repulsiveness of commemorating Hitler’s birthday, the postings showed a complete lack of judgment and sensitivity towards my daughter and other Jewish kids at J.P. Case. The kids who posted this vile crap thought they were being funny and sarcastic. But to a Jewish person, the Nazis and Hitler are not a joking matter.

Think about who actually celebrates Hitler’s birthday today? Neonazi groups, such as White Aryan Resistance and other hate groups routinely hold public celebrations on April 20th to mark the birthday of the man they worship as their “hero.” Hitler is their hero, because he tried to rid the world of Jews.

I wonder how people would have reacted if these girls had celebrated Obama Bin Laden’s birthday, or maybe they can throw a party on September 11, celebrating the fall of the world trade center buildings? Would there then be some outrage?

These are the girls my daughter is friends with? They really have no clue. Safe within their suburban bedrooms, they sit in front of a computer for hours Facebooking and blogging such words of wisdom as “I need2 shower and do my homework” or “I hate everyone rite now” or “I really need to calm down and stop being so obnoxious...” Wow. Such literary presence. Are these our future leaders?

Below is a passage written By Anne Frank in 1944:

“I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know I can write ..., but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent ...
And if I don’t have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can’t imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! ... I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me! When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?”

The answer to Anne’s rhetorical question at the end is of course, yes, as history defines her as millions of people have read her diary since its release.

I wonder if any of my daughters “friends” have even read The Diary of Anne Frank? I seriously doubt it. How can you have time to read when you spend countless hours texting, twittering and facebooking?

There is a final chapter to this story though. Offended by the Hitler postings, I confronted one of the girl’s mothers. Rather than ask her daughter to apologize, she wrote me the following:

“As for my daughters opinion on Mr. Hitler......We are very fortunate to live in a country that provides us certain unalienable rights, included in these are freedom of religion and freedom of speech! If it is offensive to you, then do not read it or turn it off. That is your right! Just because you do no not like her opinion does not mean she has to remove it!”

Really? I wonder how the school would react if her daughter posted the picture of Anne Frank in the hallway? Technically she is probably correct. However vile, her daughter can post antisemitic material on her blog. However, then I will exercise my right of free speech to expose her daughter as an anti-semite hater, who is insensitive to her friends and classmates that are Jewish.

Here is an interesting thought; Anne Frank’s birthday is coming up on June 12th. Let’s send all these idiots a message by celebrating Anne Frank’s birthday.

Saying goodbye to winter

April is a busy time of year for many of us as we transition from winter into spring. Aside from doing our income taxes, I start winding down my ski season and ramping up for cycling and bike racing. This year was a heck of a winter in the northeast, with several snowstorms in late February and early March that left people wishing winter would end. But I tend to hold onto winter as it's one of my favorite seasons.

Winter is a time when you can spend more time inside with friends or family, read a book sitting by the fire, enjoy a hot bowl of soup or cocoa. But you needn't spend your whole winter indoors getting lazy and fat- even if that is a programmed biological tendency for mammals. Winter goes by much faster if you spend more time outside. There are often gloriously sunny days during winter with cloudless skies and sunlight is a known antidote to the winter blues. Moreover, winter sports such as skiing, snowshoeing or skating will keep you fit and stimulate your body's endorphins.

And then there are the storms. For those of us that love this season, the excitement starts when those first flakes begin to fall and the ground gets covered in a blanket of white. Suddenly, the neighborhood becomes a silent, mystical place. Roads and walkways vanish into one extensive white landscape.

I do a lot of skiing during the winter. Some days were pure recreational ski days, others were driving my daughter to race practice. This winter we were fortunate enough to have some natural snow in the Poconos that lay in the trees between the trails. On a trip to Seven Springs, I found myself schussing through powdery moguls in Western Pennsylvania's coal country. It snowed there for four straight days as a storm system hung over the area during President's weekend. During the winter my daughter bonded with her racing teammates and I met a lot of people on the chairlifts and slopes. That in itself made all the early mornings worth it.

Now the snow is all gone and a lot of us find ourselves missing our winter friends and mountains. We will just have to wait anther 200 days.