Cape Epic - the craziest thing on Earth.

Riding a long way on a bike is tough if you want to do it fast.  You have to have endurance and strength - physically and mentally.  In a road bike race, there is lots of drafting to save energy and "coast" in the pack.  Climbing becomes a different story of course - drafting is of limited value to save a lot of energy.  Riding a mountain bike on rough terrain for hours is extra exhausting because the terrain puts harsh requirements on your body, and the drafting benefit is reduced.  Climbing hills on a mountain bike for hours at a time means it is all up to you with no real help from others.  You must stay with the stronger climbers just to get the draft on the downhills and flats if possible.

Cape Epic 2015 is about 50,000 feet of climbing in 700+ kilometers of length!!!

Watch the promo video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7A0zJ5MDEg&list=UUpr8fMJTBl3WLYIogQzGiOQ

I can't say that I have conquered any epic climbs in my cycling days yet, but I know that 50,000 feet in 8 days will not be on my agenda anytime soon.  I'm totally sane, and I am not in that good of shape (nor will I ever be).  I will blame that on my genetics.  Thanks mom and dad for making me the way I am and not allowing me to subject myself to anything that crazy.

For me, crazy starts to get real when my road rides get longer than 120 kilometers.  They are long enough for challenge and exercise, but my ass still feels like it is connected to my body and my man parts remain in commission for normal activities.  At about 140 kilometers or more, things start to really go numb or hurt.  Especially if we are trying to ride a fast pace.  What's funny is that a 40 km mountain bike ride is about the same as a 120 km road ride.  The thought of almost climbing up Everest twice on a bike in 8 days over 700+ km is unthinkable.

That being said, I admire these athletes so much.  Take the distance, the technicality, the climbing, the dust, and the risk of being eaten by lions - and you have a true challenge.  These are the best of the best in my mind.  Ride for 5 hours over a rough trail that ascends and descends a mountain or two and then go sleep in a tent on the ground.  No fancy buses or hotel rooms.  Just get in your sleeping bag and hope that the poisonous things are happier outside and that the carnivores were able to catch something earlier in the day.  Relaxing....  Do that 7 more times!  The prize for finishing should be knighthood, and if you win, maybe a small country just for you with servants and other fine things. Endurance athletes have different DNA than I do.  I am in awe of their talents, but not jealous.  Jealousy would imply that I want to be in their place.

I believe the closest I would ever get to Cape Epic is to take pictures to document the insanity.  (Call me Jared & Ashley Gruber - you are the best!  I'm sure you wish you had a third person to follow you guys around all the time.)

If you are not familiar with the race, the riders who lose their racing partners have to wear the Outcast Jersey if they wish to continue.  Maybe they should let them wear a normal jersey, but just strap a rotting piece of carrion on their back and send them out again.  It would make for a highly motivated faster ride and maybe better TV ratings?

The other detail I noticed when watching the footage on the internet of the last few races is the crazy helicopter pilots.  From the camera on the ground, it looked like the pilot was trying to give haircuts to some of the leading riders.  I guess the laws for flying low over people on the ground might be a little more relaxed in Africa?

Do yourself a favor.  Look up this race if you haven't heard of it and watch some of the coverage.  It will make your life seem easier, and the race you have coming up will seem that much more manageable.

Sunglasses and lens options - I actually know something about this.

I love cycling, bicycles, racing, and all that related stuff.  I have worked in a bike shop selling and counselling customers on bike choices.  I have gotten my hands dirty fixing my bikes and my friend's bikes.  However, there are lots of people out there who know a lot more about cycling than I do.  My background in eye care does give me a bit more information than some when it comes to (there are still others out there who know more than me ...).

I thought I might pass on my experience and knowledge in case anyone wants to hear my opinions on this topic.

First off, lens choice is very subjective thing.  What one person prefers as their lens of choice is not what another person would choose.  I have met people who wear one lens color for everything, and some who choose a different lens for every light condition and every activity.

In general, the most important advice is to protect your eyes from UV light.  UV is what ends up causing cataracts for most of us at some point in our lives.  As you're sitting out there on the bike for hours on a sunny (or cloudy) day the UV light is getting absorbed by your lenses (inside your eye) if your sunglasses aren't blocking it from getting there.  Luckily, most cyclists wear sun protection already.  Make sure they block 100% UV.  

Lens options come in all sorts of varieties.  This can include the lens color, lens coatings, polarization, and photochromics.  

Lens color facts / opinions:

• Grey preserves the most color perception and blocks out the most light.  However, it is a neutral filter which means that it doesn't allow the most contrast.  It is best suited for bright days that just need the brightness turned down.  
• Brown tints can block out a fair amount of brightness, but they are great at retaining contrast in cloudy conditions (provided that the overall light level isn't too low).  Green lenses tend to be similar to brown lenses in performance.
• Orange lenses are great for ski conditions - generally cloudy with a high need for contrast awareness on a white/grey background, not the best for cycling.
• Yellow lenses are the best for low light conditions like dawn or dusk.  They can even help at night time for some people because they allow light in a wavelength that approaches our peak sensitivity of 555 nm (think yellow-green, Cannondale-ish).  This means that nearly all of the light passing through the lens is at our peak sensitivity; hence, we see better.

• Clear lenses are good for night riding and gloomy or rainy days if you don't like tints.  They protect your eyes from UV and bugs, but don't affect your perception too much.

By lens coatings, I am referring to mirror and other coatings on the lenses.  This would include coatings like Iridium from Oakley.  These are filters / mirrors that reflect certain wavelengths of light to help the eyes get "better" light (and also produce a certain look to the product).  A common mirror appears blue because it is blocking the blue wavelength.  Does it make a huge difference?  Not really sure, but they do look cool.

Polarization is important to the cyclist because it is great for blocking reflected light off of the wet roads.  It also blocks reflected light off of cars windows, snow, lakes / rivers, etc.  It is usually more comfortable to wear, but it does take some getting used to because it also makes certain displays and windows (with their coatings) look odd. 

Photochromics are lenses that get darker in brighter lights (and in colder conditions).  These are nice if you want one lens that changes for your conditions without you having to actually change the lens itself.  I think they are great for cycling sunglasses, but they do not make a huge difference to actual lens shade (ie, pink lens to dark pink lens - as witnessed in my Rudy Project "racing red" pair).

I am a fan of companies that make good frames and have great lenses; especially with multiple lenses that can be easily switched out for based on the conditions.  Some brands / models come with several lenses. Rudy Project is great for this (I am surprised they aren't more popular). The Rudy fit is good, the nose pads are adjustable in most cases, and the temples are adjustable.

Rudy Project Noyz - optional lenses available

Smith Optics has a few pairs that also come with the interchangeable lenses - the Pivlok V2 is a great system, I wish they included a yellow or clear lens with each pair.

Smith Pivlock Overdrive - green mirrored lens, grey and brown lens included.

I have no first hand knowledge with many of the other brands, but I have worn Oakley a fair amount - not my favorite anymore, but good.  Maui Jim makes awesome lenses, but they lack the sport models that most cyclists would desire. 

The bottom line: get something that fits well, blocks out UV, and has multiple lenses that change out for the right light conditions, or buy a bunch of pairs with different lenses and keep the local eye care businesses afloat.  

Love for the bike people.

I think cycling and the world of bicycles contains a whole lot of interesting people; disproportionately so.  I come from the world of health care, where most people don't seem to be that creative or take the time to look outside of their own specialized world.  I know these are generalizations that should not be applied unfairly, but I am amazed each day when I read the cycling blogs written by professionals and amateurs alike.  Red Kite Prayer (RKP) is one of my favorites ... Padraig is a real gem of a writer and a professional; not to mention some of the other writers that write for RKP.  I am also keen to read things by Gary Fisher, hear about Tom Ritchey's exploits, or thoughts by Ben Serotta.

All of these people are famous in the world of cycling for a reason.  They are pioneers and passionate about the two wheel world, much like me.  I don't plan on being famous in the world of cycling, but I certainly enjoy writing and reading more about cycling and bicycles than most other subjects.  These famous bike people are either successful athletes turned business people or craftsmen turned athletes or some combination of the two.  The are a form of the modern renaissance person that has many talents.

In retrospect, I should have been a mechanical engineer.  It would have been more useful for being in the bike world and designing frames or components.  Although I am convinced that a job is just a job. I don't care if you are a carpenter, nurse, social worker, or doctor ... your days are very much the same one day to the next.  And as such, maybe if I was a bike engineer, I may have lost interest in it?  No ... probably not.

I am also impressed by the various creative individuals in the world of cycling that have funneled their passions to make a living based on their true love.  I think some of the smaller apparel companies are pretty impressive.  I like companies that focus their creativity to be different, but remain true to functionality and form (based on actually cycling experience?).  Stand outs for me include:

Handlebar Mustache
www.hbstache.com

Twin Six
www.twinsix.com

Morvelo
www.morvelo.com

Rodeo Adventure Labs
www.rodeo-labs.com

Tenspeed Hero
www.tenspeedhero.com

Some of the current or past pro riders are also extremely interesting personalities.  As an example, consider Phil Gaimon - writer of books, racer of bicycles, and comedian of all sorts.  Evelyn Stevens - a wall street analyst who just decided to become a world class cyclist.  Michael Barry - a rare Canadian world tour rider who not only survived as a pro cyclist for a long time, but is also a fantastic writer (I hope he throws me a mini-blog post some day).  There are many others.  I am referring more to the current riders than the past.  The past is full of characters; both good and bad.  I think we need to bring back the "great" nicknames in full force.  "The Badger," "the Sheriff", or "the Cannibal," sound so much more descriptive and menacing than "El Pistolero" or "the Cowboy."  If Lance was called "the Boss," then that may very well be perfect.  By "boss" do we mean leader of the team / peleton or power thug? (http://bikeraceinfo.com/riderhistories/cyclist-nicknames.html).

Creativity is the stuff that makes us move forward to invent, improve and instruct.  Most of us have some form of creative outlet that allows that part of our brain to express itself.  Some of us have made a living on it, and some just produce "art" of many forms just for our own good.  It's so cool to see the eclectic mix of personalities that build bikes, race bikes or just plain ride bikes.

I think the universal passion that people share about bikes is a little crazy and a lot cool.  How many non-bike people think its completely nuts to spend thousands on a bike?  Most.  How many people have friends that don't ride a bike that give you the weirdest look when you say you rode 100+ kilometers yesterday?  Most.  However, we all understand each other.  That's cool.  I'm glad I belong to a group that understands my spending and rides their bikes for hundreds of kilometers.

I love bike people: they are creative, tough, and adventurous.

Fat bike: Fad or Future?

Living in a cold and snowy climate, I can see the appeal of a bicycle that can plow through snow and keep us bike lovers active.  It is a source of depression for many of us when the snow comes and we have to hang up our bikes for 6 months.

I used to make my own studded tired before you could readily get your hands on them.  I would put them on my Fisher AL-1 (before it was Gary Fisher), and I would proceed to ride in the snow that wasn't too deep, but mainly on icy roads and sidewalks that had been cleared.  To be perfectly honest, it wasn't very much fun, the studded tires we made were crap, and sometimes it is just too cold to ride a bike here in Canada.

I will admit that the days when it isn't too cold and the sun is shining, I do feel a bit sad that there is no two wheel option for exercise.  I enjoy spinning on a trainer or going to a spin class, but one of the main reasons we like to ride is to be outside and enjoy nature.

Here in North America, outside of California, we have pretty good air quality (relatively speaking). All the more reason to stay out of our cars and ride our bikes, even in the winter when it is snowy and cold.  I met a guy who tried to ride year round last winter; he was definitely determined.  Now keep in mind, it can be as low as -40 deg C here and the snow can easily get to a foot deep over night.  He told me that one day it took him 3 hours to get to work because of deep snow ... his wife picked him up after work.  I bet everyone wishes they had a boss who understood that you are 3 hours late for work because you rode your bike in the fallout of a blizzard.

SO, if you want to ride mainly for fitness and fun and commuting when the weather permits, then I would definitely see the value in buying a fat bike for winter riding.  In fact, as many bike nuts are aware, the N+1 rule for how many bikes we should have is certainly applicable here.  My goal is to slowly build a garage full of bikes (without my wife noticing) that fills each of the different categories that are needed.  Perhaps, the fat bike will be next.

Now which fat bike?  I am not a rich man, not at least in the monetary sense.  So I may not call up Ericksen and order this beauty:

Ericksen Fatbike - Can you see me drooling?

I think a more price conscience model may be in my future.  Perhaps, I will go to one of the Surly models like the Moonlander. Capable and less than half the price of the highest end fat bikes.

Surly Moonlander - craters would be easy to ride over. 

Another bike I would consider is the Ritchey Commando for no reason other than my greater respect for Tom Ritchey after watching a documentary about Team Rwanda Cycling - Rising from Ashes. What does a multimillionaire need to go to Africa for and start a cycling team?  Now that is a person who has used his money to do something for other people.  And I don't really know that much about him other than his obvious passion for cycling.  I also like a lot of his components for reliability, design, and reasonable cost.

Ritchey Commando - a fitting name for a fat bike.

Not sure which bike to collect next, but I realize if I'm not skiing XC or downhill, I sure would like to be on a bike enjoying the outdoors.  I like fat-bike.com - they seem like they are serious about fat bikes in a not too serious way.  Check them out for lots of information on this category of two wheel fun.


On a side note: I'm glad the Tour of Beijing has been cancelled.  I'm surprised the riders don't have on gas masks or respirators for breathing in that air.  Scary isn't it?  One of the world's largest and most dense populations living in terrible air quality.  Hopefully, they make air quality a major focus for improving the lives of their population and the future generations.

All riders will be given a standard issue gas mask, maybe in team colors?
Lens options include clear, yellow, brown, or grey polarized.

The Best Two Wheel Coffee Shops

What makes the best coffee shops?  Is it the coffee?  Is it the staff?  Is it the ambiance?  Is it he snacks or food that are available?

Well, of course it's all of the above.

From a cyclist's perspective, it also means you're welcome with your cleated shoes on and there is a secure place to park your bike where you don't have to be paranoid that it will be gone when you're done the cappuccino.  I was in a local coffee shop the other day, one of my favorites (Leva / www.cafeleva.com), and a cyclist came in to get a coffee and head out to the patio.  The entire time, while the dude was at the counter, he was facing outside to see if anyone was going to steal his Trek.  He may have been overly worried, but also, the bike looked pretty new and he may have still been in the "new baby" phase.

Leva is a great cafe because it has great ambiance, great staff, a margherita pizza that is incredible, and the cappuccino is perfect.  The cafe itself looks great outside and in.  There is a huge patio that accommodates lots of coffee lovers and the whole cafe can open up for an indoor / outdoor experience.  Which unfortunately, usually only lasts a couple of months in Edmonton.  The patrons range from 2 yrs to 82 yrs, cyclists, students, professors and anyone else.  They also have a fantastic selection of beers if you're into that kind of thing ... which I am.

Another of my favorites is the Wild Earth Cafe (www.wildearthbakery.com) in Laurier Heights in Edmonton.  A small, comfortable spot that is easy to access and it has one of the coolest benches you will ever see located right inside the door.  It is really more of a bakery than a coffee shop per se, but the staff is always friendly, the coffee is excellent, and they have never yelled at me about my shoes.

I think my favorite non-Edmonton cafe has to be the Denver Bicycle Cafe (denverbicyclecafe.com). It seems to encompass all of the things that a cyclist wants.  It has bikes, coffee, and beer.  It has a beautiful interior.  They sell custom bikes, not off the rack pre-assembled cookie cutters like every other bike shop does (which is fine, someone has to).  They have a true passion for what they are doing.

The small business in general is not doing well.  Everyone is supporting the Starbucks, Costcos, Walmarts, etc instead of looking for something unique and individual or paying a little more and supporting the little guy.  The power of branding is amazing ... I am guilty of getting my Starbucks too, but if there is a small business option available, I'd take that anytime.  And the reason?  Not only does the money usually stay local, along with the jobs, but the passion of the owner usually shines through. And that's what makes a great coffee shop.  The passion shown by your barista for coffee, the baker who made the sweet treats, or the owner's love of being an independent business owner and having control of quality and customer service.  Next time you need bike stuff, go to your LBS.  Check the price online to make sure you aren't getting totally screwed, but they will usually come close to the price anyways (when you factor in shipping, duties, etc).  It's good for the local business (they need the support) and its good for you (expert advice, immediate delivery).

Someone once asked me: "why do you want to open a bicycle cafe, you're just buying yourself a job?  You'll never get rich!"  I realized I have a passion for a few things: bicycles, coffee, enjoying "my job" everyday, and getting to decide how I can give great customer service and meet interesting people.  Money is just a means to doing interesting things in life.  I know more than a few people who make loads of money, and they are neither happy nor doing anything interesting.  They spend more on bikes than I can, but they don't have time to ride them.  We only have so many hours in our life (about 700,000 for most of us), so make sure you do what you want to do.

So don't be too surprised if one day you see a "Two Wheels & Caffeine" on the corner.  Come in.  Don't expect a bike snob (or act like one yourself).  Expect a passionate bike guy who can talk about bikes all day or make you a great mochaccino.  I also appreciate a fine beer - there is no reason to exclude the finer things in life!  I may go off on a tangent about big mountain skiing or fly fishing.  The TV may be showing a bike race, a classic movie, or even SYTYCD.  You never know.  I plan on building custom bikes of ALL price ranges, not just the ones for my rich friends.  I promise great coffee and beer that should be savoured.

Now, I just have to convince my wife that I am allowed to change jobs ...

The "new" stage race

OK, I imagine that someone has thought of this before and I'm not really coming up with something new here.  In fact, it may exist somewhere in the cycling world and I haven't heard about it yet. However, I have decided that if it is new, then I want credit for it.

The "new" stage race will be a leg of each discipline: road, mountain and cyclocross.  

The first stage would be the road event.  Perhaps it would have a circuit feel to allow for good crowd support and feel like the other stages.  It should allow the road geeks the ability to distance themselves from the peloton before they leave the pavement.  The team aspect to the road portion would be minimal as it really doesn't carry too much to other the stages. Maybe maximum 4 members for each team?  After the first stage, each rider's time will be recorded and placings will be determined with time bonuses, etc.

The second stage would be a mountain stage that is technical but not so much that the roadies are dead at the end of the day.  That wouldn't be fair.  Obviously the two disciplines (road and mountain) are so different that there would be an opportunity for the fat tire freaks to pull equal with the road specialists.  To make it equal to stage one, the race would be a challenging circuit that was X number of laps that was timed.

From usacycling.org 

The final stage would be the lung buster.  A fixed number of laps on a cyclocross bike of a course that would allow both disciplines a chance to shine - some flat out speed and steady climbs mixed with a few gnarly climbs and scary descents.  Normally a timed event, but that would be tough to keep the placing square as far as I can figure.

  

Here are some the things I think are good about this idea:

• You need to have at least 3 bikes.  I love bikes.
• You can wear spandex 3 days in a row - you don't even have to change.
• It lets everyone hang out together like cycling best buds (roadies, off-roadies, pscyo-Xer's)
• Everyone could have a coffee together in the morning and a beer together at night.

Now, that is an intense look.

Drawbacks to this idea:

• Ryder Hesjedal would win every race if it went to a pro discipline (or is that a positive?)
• Lance would come out of retirement and blame Oprah for his downfall.
• Bike shops would be overwhelmed by demand for all the bikes.
• Jens would tell the legs to "shut up" and would take second place behind Ryder after he also comes out of retirement.
• The women's division would be ruled by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (or is that also a positive?)

So if you want to help me start this discipline, I am looking for a marketing genius with deep pocket to get this off the ground.  I think the public will get behind it ... or not.  But I think the coffee, beer and racing thing seems to work out most times.  Just look at NASCAR, minus the coffee.  

The Redbike Redcross

Cyclocross marks the end of the cycling season, and it's supposed to be fun but hard as hell.  The Redbike Redcross did not disappoint, except for the good weather and lack of mud and sand.  Joking aside, it was a beautiful day to race and a competitive field.

First lap, first climb

Cyclocross attracts all kinds - the roadies, the mountain bikers, and the cross specific riders who are in love with the unique mix.  Not only did we see an eclectic mix of racers, but where else will you have jumpy castle next to the speakers blaring hard core rap?  My 11 year old definitely learned a few new phrases ... "Dad, why does that motherf@#$%r want to b#%*h slap his ho?"  I told him the key phrase we have all used since it's introduction: "ear muffs."

Just like this shot ...

I enjoyed the jeering from the crowd.  It was a special kind of love from the fans.  "You can't blame your bike anymore, it's brand new."

One of the "Hardcore" riders

One fan yelled: "you got a guy on your wheel, keep going!"  The same fan then yelled to the very next rider: "you're right on his wheel, you can take him!"  He was very supportive to everyone.

Jumping the obstacles.

There's something addictive about watching athletes up close and personal push themselves to their limit on each and every lap of the cyclocross course.  There is the adrenaline of racing your peers, the challenge of not barfing up a lung, and the technical side of descending a a grassy hill or picking up your bike and running over obstacles while you're nearly seeing double from exhaustion.

Picturesque setting for the race.  Don't think too many racers noticed the lake.

If you get a chance to go out and watch a cross race, I suggest you do it.  It is a great sport to test your endurance and challenge your bike skills.  Redbike did a great job putting on the race and the venue (Hermitage Park) was perfect.   Hopefully there will be more spectators at the next race on September 27th.

The next race in the Edmonton area is the:  Jim Horner Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross on Saturday September 27, 2014 run by Juventus Cycling Club.  Races start at 10:00am.  Go to http://www.albertabicycle.ab.ca/events for a complete list of races.