Time to switch to two skis instead of two wheels.

The snow here has reached about 2 feet on the ground.  Since I don't own a fat bike (previous blog), I have no way of riding anymore except for my trainer (another previous blog).  Therefore, I must now focus my energy on my second favorite past time, skiing.

I'm not really picky either.  I love to ski traditionally on XC skis, skate ski, and throw myself down double black diamonds in waist deep powder as well.  I've been watching some ski films recently on Netflix to get me in the downhill mood, and it's working.  However, I'm understanding more now than ever that some of these new school skiers are crazy.

WTF?  Maybe when I'm 85?  Source unknown

I know I'm getting older, and skiing down the chutes at places like Kicking Horse Resort is not that hard for many skiers, but I really do want to see my kids graduate college!  When I see the Red Bull athletes fly off of a 70 foot cliff with a front flip, all I can think is that this might be the dumbest thing I've ever seen.  Yes, they are trained and extremely prepared, but accidents happen ... all of the time, and leave these guys in a wheel chair eating through a straw.  I feel bad for them because they have so much life ahead of them and they don't realize it OR the marijuana is temporarily clouding their judgement and the munchies are making them get to the bottom faster.

So this winter, I plan on:

1. Skiing inbounds all year
2. Teaching my kids how to put the "pizza" away and use the "french fries" full time
3. Not showing off for any of my ski buddies (almost blew out my knee last year because of that)
4. Spending more time in the hot tub apres-ski
5. Watching the weather reports and picking more deep days
6. More XC skiing to build more fitness and not collect too much winter insulation.

I hate to admit that I'm getting older, but the truth hurts.  And, as I say to all of my patients who complain about their age: "getting older is still better than the alternative!"  So I may not be able to ski bumps all day or huck the cliffs that I used to; partly because my knees say no, partly because I don't want to miss the cycling season, and mostly because my brain knows better.  With age comes wisdom and being more boring.  I accept my boringness, reluctantly.  My wife appreciates it.  My kids think their dad is smart (thank you offspring for that vote of confidence).

Cross country skiing on the other hand is very safe and excellent for your fitness.  I will attest to that after my first nordic ski two days ago which nearly killed me (maybe it's not so safe?).  I decided to head to some nice groomed trails on one of the local golf courses.  It's a pretty flat course.  The sun was shining and the temperature was about -8 deg C (chilly with the wind that was blowing).  I felt a little cold, so I decided to start with a quick pace to warm up.  I thought that with my cycling season ending so well with some big climbs that didn't kill me and a generally active lifestyle, the body would easily respond. WHAM!  I hit a wall so fast and felt like death had quickly sucked the life out of me.  My fitness level may have been OK for cycling, but XC skiing is totally different!  Yes, I knew it, but I had conveniently forgotten this over the year.  I guess I forgot about my upper body fitness altogether during the summer. 

source: www.nationalpark.at

I challenge anybody who thinks XC skiing is for wussies to go give it a try - and I'm not talking about walking around with skis on in deep snow with the poles dragging behind you.  XC skiing is an amazing workout and it's a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the cold but sunny skies.  Nothing is more graceful and better for your fitness that skate skiing for an hour on a beautifully groomed trail. 

There's a local mountain bike / cyclocross racer who flies around one of the circuits here in the winter time on his skate skis.  He makes it look effortless, while I make it look more like a whale on the beach trying to push myself along with floppy pectoral fins.  And the worst part is when you start to tire out. Then the fast slippery skis and the tired body don't communicate as well for balance.  This usually leads to face plants and generally embarrassing situations where you can't get up.  Thankfully, it's that not popular of a sport yet so it's usually the birds laughing at me, or the bike racer.

We must embrace the winter if we live in a snowy climate.  If you don't XC ski, I highly suggest you try skate skiing (provided you have snow and limited self respect for the first few times).  Packages are available for very reasonable amounts and there are no lift tickets to pay for.  Also, an added benefit for the cyclist-turned-XC skier, you can use most of the same clothing.  Tight fitting clothing that makes you look fast even when you're standing still (or just a dork wearing tight clothes).   Helmets are probably not necessary.  Get out there!!

On a side note, still no suggestions for where I should move so I can sell my ski equipment on ebay or trade it for a surfboard.  Let me know.

How do you people survive the trainer?

Living in an inhospitable place like northern Canada in the winter means that the trainer becomes your only option when you want to continue using your cycling legs.  In lots of places, the weather is bad and you might have to ride the trainer for a few weeks, and then you can return to outdoor riding even if its a bit cold.  Here, you might have to ride it for several months!

I've tried the videos, watched movies, pedaling next to a friend; all with the same result.  It sucks. I've found that spin classes are the best way to ride a bike indoors because the instructors are usually upbeat and motivated to make everyone have a good sweat.  But riding my bike is about so much more than just the exercise.  It's about the scenery, the fresh air, the rush of descending hills, and the hard climbs.  In a spin class, its about sweating your ass off and getting a good workout for 60 minutes.  Then you have to get in a freeeeeezing cold car and slide home.

When it comes to commitment and riding a trainer I just don't have it.  I recently read Phil Gaimon's book, Procycling on $10 a day, and marveled at the commitment the pros have to riding so much for 11 of the 12 months on the calender, including 4 or 5 hours on a trainer.  That would kill me or I would go insane.  I also know a guy who trained indoors for the Ironman in Hawaii.  He had to train for the bike portion on a trainer all winter, and his training had to be done starting at 4:00 am in the morning.  To prepare for a 112 mile bike ride at race pace that means he had to ride 3-4 hours in the cold dark basement of his house several days a week.  He also had to find time to swim and run (on a treadmill or an indoor track) to train for the 2.4 mile swim and the 26.2 mile run.  I admire it, but I also think it borders on crazy ... no offence.

Which brings me to my most recent revelation.  I need to move somewhere else.  I have been in the great white north for most of my 40 years.  But I've also had the chance to live in several of the southern states during the internship portion of graduate school, and visit many other locations around the world. I've always said that the really nice places are packed full of people for a reason, and Canada is empty because it's f@#*~%g frigid.  Don't get me wrong, I love my country and all of the wonderful things here; but, if we ever get a chance to annex some small territory that's much warmer, I'll move faster than Mark Cavendish can sprint.

I hate the trainer and love to be outdoors.  I would ride my bike 12 months of the year if I could. Yes, I know there are lots of other things to enjoy like XC and downhill skiing, windsurfing, fly fishing, etc.  However, I think I can find the perfect spot where I can do both almost all year round. If I do, I'm confident that my family will follow me, and be grateful that we don't have to wear parkas, snow boots, long underwear, gloves, hats and snow pants for half of the year.  No more snow tires, frozen windshield wipers, or shoveling snow.  And don't misunderstand me here, this isn't a grass is always greener scenario.  It is truly inhospitable when you can literally freeze your fingers, toes, or nose walking to the corner store to get milk.  It is unbearable when you have regular snow storms similar to the one experienced by Buffalo (we're just better prepared because it's normal).  It is not fun to freeze your ass off between November and April.

I think I would love going to the cold mountains to ski, but then enjoy going back to the temperate city to do everything else.  I'm going to need help with this.  I need anybody out there to send me your suggestions of where to live.  I promise it's between you and I in case you think everyone will follow me and ruin this great hidden gem.  Here are the requirements: weather to bike in year round, mountains to ski at, opening for a job - unfortunately, affordable cost of living, low crime rate, and some clean lakes and rivers nearby.  Easy, right?  Send me your ideas, please!

Kamloops - great city for riding bikes and drinking coffee

I have no intention of racing bikes at my age unless there is a bear chasing me or I join an over 35 club that has races to see who can get to the beer first.  However, that doesn't mean that I don't want to become a better cyclist all around and that includes climbing hills.  The city I live in is really very flat.  There are a few good hills that we use for climbing, but it usually becomes climbing intervals. The hills are small enough that the best climbers in the city are done in under 1 minute.  Intervals are great for climbing, but nothing compares to the actual hour long climbs up steep slopes where there is no real recovery.  Perhaps physiologically there may be some argument that there is little difference, but actually riding up a mountain or huge canyon climbs, certainly test your mental state differently.  When I ride interval hills, I know the top is coming and it spurs me on just to finish the interval, but when I can't see around the corner and the endless uphill, it tests the concentration much more.

I think of this today because I returned from a recent trip to Kamloops.  It's a city located in the heart of British Columbia.  Mild winters and hot summers.  Lakes, rivers, gorgeous views, small town feel with almost everything you could want in a city (except for the pulp mill which stinks a bit).  In fact, there are so many hills that I thought this would be great for my legs, but not so good for my carbon wheels and brake pads.  I would either buy a set of aluminum clinchers or get a disc version of a bike for all of the long hard breaking.

It is an outdoors city that has a massive expanse of hills surrounding and protruding from within it. There is no shortage of hills to climb on quiet roads that would give you 2000-3000 feet of vertical to climb all over the place with gradients from nearly flat to 12% (or more).  Not to mention, there is plenty of straight flatter roads for time trialing in the valley and mountain biking everywhere for every level.  It really could be a bike haven for athletes training for cycling of any discipline or multi-sports.

If you want a great city for cycling, head to Kamloops, and there are plenty of good coffee shops throughout the city.  I didn't make it to many of the bike shops in town, but I've read really good reviews on a few of them including Spoke 'N Motion.  And don't forget about the bike ranch ... how many cities have that?

Check this out:  http://mountainbikingbc.ca/trail/kamloops-bike-ranch

And, if you like to put the boards on in the winter and ski, pretty easy to get to world class powder at Sun Peaks just 45 minutes away!

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.