Yesterday

So the Contour arrived...DOA some sort of system issue where it doesnt recognize and cant charge the battery. Apparently a few people have had this issue. I was very disappointed. Also disappointed in Compusa/Tigerdirect exchange policy. The only option for exchange i had was to pay for another and then have them reimburse me when they received this one. They didn't allow me to return this one and once they cleared it send the other. Rather suspect. Also the mounting options that came with the Contour did not seem very bike helmet friendly.

For the ride yesterday i got there on time but then went into Strictly bikes to try and buy a tube, as i walked into the store they started leaving so i got back to my bike. By the time i was at my bike and clipped in they were already 3-4 minutes out. I rode hard and caught up to them. I was able to stay with them for quite a while often staying in the very front. At one point we came to a stop sign and all stopped we then turned right...into a hill. I said a bad word when i saw the hill as we turned, someone said what and i realized i overreacted because it could seem that my bike was in distress, i said single speed man, and they pulled away from me. When the terrain leveled out there were 4 of us left behind. I got behind one of the guys and said "Lets go get them". I went head down top speed, we started catching up a little but realized we would not be able to catch them. We eventually pulled up to the farm and the guys were milling about.

I went in and bought some orange juice and 2 bananas. When i came outside they were already starting to leave. I scarfed down the juice and banana clipped in and tried to catch them. I only caught 1 guy that was left behind. What followed was a bit of comedy of errors. After a lot of wrong turns we eventually found ourselves well north of our destination. We wound up north of Toga and Nyack, going through a ton of hills and putting in more mileage than we should have. I wound up doing over 110 miles and was completely out of juice coming down the west side.

It was a tough day.

Stuff

So my stuff is coming through.

I just purchased a Contour helmet camera, it arrives on Friday, in time for my Sunday ride. I also found out that BikeTiresDirect.com is sending me my replacement Vrdestein Tricomp. They wholly rock and all of my tire purchases will be through them going forward without a doubt.

I need to purchase 2 more tires (to be safe and fresh) for La Vuelta, i am fairly certain i will be riding on the tricomps. The Schwalbe Ultremo ZX's look better and are faster but i think they will tear in PR.

Recently my commutes have been fairly uneventful.

That is a good thing.

The Challenge

So, i am trying to be the first person to do La Vuelta PR on a single speed bike. Here is why it is significant to me. I was pretty much born with asthma. My parents told me i was diagnosed when i was 11 months old. In my life i have been intabated 3 times due to my asthma.

I had severe asthma with my parents sometimes taking me to Kings County Hospital twice in one night. One of my earlier memories is thrashing on a table in a hospital with several nurses trying to hold me down so they could give me the needles that i needed. The fact that it took several people to keep a 6-8 year old boy on the table is one of the reasons this stuck in my mind (that and the DARN big needle). I missed many many days of school and was often laid out at home or in the hospital due to my severe asthma. Back in those days they would shoot us up with epinephrine and i remember curling up on my mother or occasionally my fathers lap in the hospital with my heart feeling like it will burst out of my chest, weak from the lack of oxygen and the large amount of epinephrine that was coursing through my body. At one point late in High School my mother confided in me that she never thought i could live independently.

Even though i was laid out pretty bad from asthma as a kid i also loved playing baseball and being active when i could. It was a bad combination for my parents, but they never put me in a bubble. They let me play for the leagues that played at the parade ground and bought me things like bicycles and skateboards. Where i am today is attributed to their belief against hope that i could lead a somewhat normal life. Their encouragement led me to taking up the first thing that i think helped towards me conquering the invalidity that was seemingly predicated by my condition, track and field. I ran in HS and i had amazing coaches. I was never a track superstar but i did ok and eventually strengthened my lungs to the point where i could actively fight my asthma. To this day i am significantly indebted to Coach Malek and Coach McCollum for working with me and my condition and never giving up on me.

In college my life began to turn around even more. Even though there were many things i hated about the college that i went to, it took me out of the environment i was in. The air was cleaner, i was eating more, and eating healthier. These were the final two things that helped me overcome one of the more significant demons of my childhood. My last real asthma attack for which i was hospitalized was in November of 1996.

Now i am trying to complete La Vuelta PR on a single speed bike, something i am told no one has done before and in an email from the tour director for good reasons. Having completed two centuries on my single speed including a rather hilly Escape NY with decent times makes me think i have some shot of actually doing this. If i do it or if i dont is not what is important. I am trying so if my 10 month old son actually has my asthmatic genes or if he runs up against some significant obstacle in life at the very least what i can do for him is show him by my example to not give up, that he can overcome it. At the end of the day win or lose you can still try.

Nyack

So i went to meet up with the group leaving from Strictly. I left 15 minutes later than the last time i wanted to leave and got to the store at 8:35, 5 minutes late. They had already left.

I wound up biking to Nyack with a group of 10 who were later than me.

I found out biking in a peleton with a single speed is not going to be good. There were times when i would need to speed up to get the forward momentum i would need to help crest the hill so i applied extra power forcing me outside the group and passing them, however once i was at the top of the hill i would be beat and they would blow right by me. Sometimes i was to the left of the group and i saw a hill coming but couldnt get around them and get to the outside so that i could power ahead leaving me struggling to get over the hill without the necessary forward momentum.

They called me dangerous. They all shifted gears and kept their cadence no matter if they were going uphill, downhill, or on flats, and they mostly kept their order in the group. For me on a single speed that is impossible. Its like i ride a series of intervals throughout my ride.

Other than that the ride was mostly uneventful.

While biking back home a cyclist went through a red light crossing Bleeker Street while i was riding in the green path on Bleeker forcing me to stop really hard, not enough time to get my feet out of the clipless set up my pedals eventually slammed into my shin somehow helping me realize how i got that last scab on my shin. My shin looks like a warzone now.

As i was headed home i saw the marathoners running underneath the willie b while i crossed it. I dont think my asthma will ever let me try that but i can dream...

The cold

So i have been riding in the cold more than i ever thought possible of myself considering my predilection for tropical climates. The past couple of years i have been finding that i can do things that i previously thought unfathomable (hopefully La Vuelta PR on a single speed is one of them).

I was just able to ship back my Vrdestein TriComp to Bike Tires Direct. Which means i probably wont get it's replacement for a little bit. That means i need to ride with a Schwalbe Ultremo ZX on my front tire until it comes back. As you can imagine thanks to its lack of durability, i already had a flat today. I wanted to make a Nyak run tomorrow but i feel tentative about trying given my luck with the Schwalbe Ultremo ZX.

I also hope all the snow is gone from the Nyack route...

The Clipless Experiment

Tried riding with clipless pedals and shoes for the first time today. No Bueno =( After riding my whole life with toe clips it uses completely different muscles, aggravated my acl, i felt like i was doing less power transfer, and i fell in the streets of nyc 3 times (2 red lights and one right turn fall when i braked hard to avoid a jaywalking pedestrian coming from behind a double parked car outside of the crosswalk).

On the bright side i learned how to unclip pretty quickly but i dont even see the power benefits that are supposed to offset the mobility loss. This may be an expensive experiment.

Flat

Darnit, less than 2 months and i lost my rear Vrdestein. It almost looked like they would make it. Thank goodness for BikeTiresDirect and their Road Hazard warranty. I reported it to them and they said they would replace it. I will never buy a tire anyplace else from now on.

This weekend

So the pedals and the shoes arrived, shoes were too small, i had to send them back.

I did Nyack this weekend. I finally conquered Police Station Hill (formerly known as Police Precinct Hill, its not a precinct) without getting off the bike. I made it to Nyack then got off the bike and enjoyed the street fair. I bought a bunch of fruit smoothies and a fruit cup at the fair then sat on the street to eat/drink it.

When i got up again i noticed that pain in my right knee again. It seems i have "tweaked" my right ACL. I felt it duringt the commute in today. It looks like i will have to rest, bad timing as this is likely the last real month of outdoor training prior to La Vuelta (i will ride with baklavas and gloves and everything else as much as i can this winter but it wont be uninterrupted training).

With the ups come the downs.

Trying to do this is getting expensive

So i use toeclips on my bike. Anyone who commutes in NYC would be crazy to do anything more restrictive, those who think otherwise let me introduce you to this video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgBSj0XIIzM&feature=player_embedded

Everyone and their momma told me i need to go clipless so i had been following some ebay auctions and my usual suspect websites for sales/deals.

I finally pulled the trigger yesterday on a carbon clipess pedal, a shamino shoe, and a camelbak rogue (yes i have a hydroback but everyeone says not enough portage in that for the ride so i bought the rogue).

All in total a little less than $200, my brother said i should have taken up golfing it would have been cheaper.

More commuting fun

One thing is for sure the commutes are never staid. That word can probably not be used to often in NYC but still even the most mundane commute is very colorful.

As long as you are colorful and safe it makes for interesting stories, the cars that come from behind you then turn in front of you or come within inches of you while you are biking, those guys need to get staid.

On a very positive note these vrdestein tri comps really are holding up like champs.

Escape NY

Saturday was Escape NY. I did the Century. I averaged 16mph. There was about 5k feet of elevation. Those hills were brutal. I had to get off and walk twice. Overall it seemed like i could have done another 50 miles and still averaged the same speed so i was feeling good about my chances for La Vuelta. To top it off my tires continue to hold up (mad shout out to Vrdestein for making decent tires).

However my hopes were dashed a little during my ride in today. It was slow and i was feeling it.

Bodes poorly for day 3.

Vrdestein!

The Fortezza Tricomps are holding up.

I have been running them hard and i have only had 1 pinch flat.

Not one puncture flat, even after doing over 100 miles the day of the NYC Century. They dont look as good as some of the other tires but who cares! Found a winner!!!

Back to the commute

I have had the distinct displeasure of biking with rush hour traffic twice over the past three commutes. The commute home yesterday and the commute in today.

The commute yesterday was worse from a number of egregious dumb dumb's perspective the commute in today had the biggest jerk yet on my commute award.

Yesterday to name a few a saw a cyclist that was blowing through lights and weaving in and out of traffic, he cut off a yeshiva bus and forced the bus into the bike lane almost getting me smashed in the bike lane. Also across the ever eventful drawbridge on Metropolitan ave a van came careening from behind me as i crested the bridge. He gave me plenty of berth at first but immediately started cutting closer to me. I knew that this meant and immediately applied the brakes. Sure enough he cuts in front of me and makes that immediate right off the bridge. Had i not applied brakes at a minimum i would have been forced into the sewer grate and more likely would have crashed into him cutting me off. That was two of about 10 seriously bad biking/driving things i ran into on that commute. Don't people realize this is life or death? Speaking of which i also had a driver again ask me what the symbol of the left arm bent at the elbow point down means...the stop signal...the streets are not safe...

Today i was coming downhill across Metropolitan and Flushing when a black SUV doing 40-50 honks as he passes maybe 2-3 inches from my left. I was scared crazy because had he hit me there really wasn't much i could have done. It was very very scary.

I wish i didn't have to commute during rush hour ever...

The NYC Century

So i rode my first century yesterday. The NYC century. There are two ways this is both a good goalpost and a bad one.

First this is heavily rode in NYC traffic so no matter what you will not go as fast as a ride where the streets are cordoned off.

Second while there are a few tough hills and bridges there is actually very little elevation 3,000 feet in total. La Vuelta Puerto Rico has 12,000 feet of elevation over 3 days.

The ride itself was awesome. I rode with the Prospect Park Century riders. Based on the start it looked like there were about 100 PP Century riders. I started a little mid'ish of the start and it took some time heading to the front in NYC traffic. I finally got to the front group at around Coney Island Avenue and started leading the century riders at around McDonald Ave. Yes i said leading. I actually was the pacesetter for almost the entire race. It was incredible, amazing and a ton of fun! Most of the rest stops we got to they said woah you guys got here too early and they were generally just unpacking the refreshments. I was the lead rider for the vast majority of the ride even riding into serious headwinds. Of course i would fall behind on some of the more serious uphills.

Going into the Bronx (around mile 70'ish) i was going up the second part of the RFK which is a switchback path. I was stopped on the path due to an obstruction. I had to dismount. When i tried to get back on my fear of hights kicked in and without the forward momentum i couldnt overcome my fear and thought i would fall over either side of the path. This forced me to walk the bike up the path. Because of it i lost the lead pack of 10. To make matters worse i got stuck at a red light at the Bruckner separating me even that much further from the lead pack (for those who know the Bruckner you know how long that light is). There was one other cyclist who was also separated from the lead pack due to getting stuck behind other cyclists on the bridge. We pushed each other, he probably actually pushed me more as i was pretty dejected at that point. Miraculously we actually caught the group after 1-2 miles. They actually cheered when we caught them and i went to the front to lead the pack. They said i provided a beast pace and helped push them all on their pace (i'm sure they didn't mind the tunes either).

That was such a great feeling when they cheered our return and said that.

I started chugging a little between mile 103 and 105 at that point we were whittled down to a pack of 5 and i did not lead the pack those last couple of miles, nonetheless i pulled into the finish line with the lead pack. The only single speeder among the finishing pack. There was a woman on a mountain bike who rode with us almost the whole time (we lost her somewhere after Central Park) was the first person to arrive after our lead pack (she was incredible), a woman on a heavy mountain bike who kept up with us the whole time, absolutely amazing! There was also one other single speeder who did the majority of the race with the lead pack however he stopped at Central park and didn't finish the last 16 miles (planned).

Overall we averaged between 16 and 17mph which is great for a ride in the city. In checking one of the lead pack's iphone app he clocked us at a pretty consistent clip between 20 and 15 mph with a max speed of 31mph (again lack of hills/elevation).

Overall it was amazing to actually lead a ride when it was my first century ever. Granted it was no race, and i am sure i will lag when i do the Escape NY Century this coming Sunday, but wow what a great experience.

Final thought, the music really helped me push my pace, without the music the ride just seemed harder (sometimes Pandora stalls on its stream and the last 16 miles my cell battery died).

Good ride yesterday

So yesterday i took a half day off from work and biked to Nyack.

It was interesting trying the ride solo.

Unfortunately i choked on what i call "Police Precinct" hill. I had to get off once and walk for about 1 minute before getting back on and finishing the hill.

This was better than my first attempt where i had to get off 3x before finishing the hill but still not good.

I also didnt bring an extra battery and my phone died slightly after the halfway point.

Finally when i got back to the city i hot the gym to do my brother's workout schedule. It was a legs day and it was absolutely brutal. We performed poorly but i didnt expect any different after biking about 70 miles. It still bodes less than ideal for La Vuelta Puerto Rico.

Finally i also came to the realization that i will not do well in the Vuelta format of riding in peleton's on my single speed. I will probably be fine with group B during slight uphills and slight downhills but i will be significantly slower on steep uphills or downhills. If i drop down to group C i will easily keep up with them for the majority except the steep uphills but as group c is the last group if i fall behind during one of those uphills i essentially drop out of the race.

I will look for guidance from the race director.

Tires and century rides

The new Vrdesteins have been holding up fairly well.

I did get a pinch flat on something i really shouldn't have but other than that no puncture flats to date.

The commutes have continued but i have not had the opportunity to do a long ride in a while.

This upcoming Sunday i will ride the NYC Century. Once i received the material for the century i was a little disappointed, the streets in the direction of the ride wont be closed (not even one lane), and we will have to contend with the standard NYC traffic issues including walking our bikes over many bridges that do not allow cycling. I was expecting a century in the vein of the 5 Boro Bike Tour. Instead it is more of a your path will have markers and we will man and stock rest stations (well it could be worse).

The weekend after that i will ride Escape New York. This appears to be more of a traditional century...we shall see.

The commuting has continued

I commuted in yesterday, not too fast, not too slow.

The commute in today was interesting. My Pandora streaming to my bluetooth speakerphone device wasnt working so i spent time pulled over fiddling with it.

Heading over the Willie B i was going up strong and halfway up the first up ramp i passed someone who was cruising but seemed strong.

He started stepping it up and followed me. I stayed ahead of him but the bridge was very crowded.

At one point on the downhill there were two cyclists riding side by side in the brooklyn and manhattan lanes heading to manhattan. I gave the stop hand signal and slowed down then called out coming up on your outside. The guy in the brooklyn bound lane started going over to his right but the guy i was ahead of was trying to get on their outside by going into the pedestrian lane =(

When the guy in the brooklyn lane moved into the Manhattan lane i passed and finished strong down the bridge (again passing the guy that passed in the pedestrian lane).

Rain rain go away

Its been raining pretty continuously here in the city.

I rode in yesterday but it was raining too hard in the evening and i didnt want to risk the streets of NY with rain that heavy so i didnt ride back. As i left my bike at work i also didnt make it in this morning.

Hoping i can bike back tonight.

Wheelset

So i have been told that my wheels are close to end of life, they have been trued too many times and are on the brink. I will likely keep riding them until right before La Vuelta. But that means i need to get some new wheels.

Wheelsets are expensive, heck the ones i am looking at cost almost as much as i originally paid for the bike which is making me think perhaps i should downgrade what i am looking for or perhaps i should just get a new TK3...to be continued...

The ride in yesterday

I had a very fast ride in yesterday. Averaging 16.9 mph, my fastest Ridgewood to Union SQ ride in so far. Heading up the Willie B felt fairly effortless. Coming back from USq yesterday was not as effortless. Here is to hoping i can continue to strengthen so i can consistently replicate the type of ride i had heading into Manhattan yesterday.

The tires have held up

The new tires arrived late on Friday.

I had them installed on Sunday. I have done some light riding on Sunday and Monday and they held up.

I hold out hope that they portend a better September.

Still no tires

So my curse with tires continues. They still haven't arrived. So much for a long ride with them before my first century.

I still haven't signed up for the century on the 25th because of the transportation costs involved (the ferry is the same price as the admission fee), but i need to make up my mind soon.

The ride in today was fairly solid, the Willie B was pretty packed with slow traffic so alot of stopping involved on the upslope, which hopefully makes me stronger.

My brother sent me a stiff leg deadlift technique video due to my poor technique in the gym. I sent him back a youtube link of the double x posse song "Not Gonna be Able to Do It"

Another good commute in today (9/1)

Still havent gotten my tires thanks to Irene.

However i had a nice strong ride in today.

It was tempered by something i read last night. I read about a cyclist that was killed by a turning truck on Metropolitan Ave. This is on my commute route and i started seeing that ghost bike a few days ago.

Here is a link to an article about the accident:

http://www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/2011/08/03/bushwick-cyclist-killed-while-passing-slow-moving-truck&cb=c3ab6b404b81b17f44e4276658cf1596&sort=desc#readerComments

Good commute in

So i didn't get the opportunity to ride yesterday. As i had to stay home i had a small window of opportunity to actually get on the bike and ride for about an hour. However work was very busy so once i had a little bit of time it was time for me to take care of the little one.

Today i biked in at a very fast clip. I came in pretty early so i caught the morning willie b commute. There were two people pushing that helped push me nice and fast on the upslope. As i passed them all on the upslope i didn't push as hard on the downhill, so while my fastest speed during the whole morning commute was only 29mph, i averaged 16.9mph.

Great speed for a city commute. Having said that i am skeptical about my ability to keep up with group b as i was a little winded for a short 7 mile ride. My long rides this month (a few Nyack rides and hopefully 2 centuries in September) should give me a better gauge of my ability to keep up with group b everywhere except the big uphills.

Then again when i think about where i came from (not doing any real athletic or physical activities since college until last year) being able to actually do this will be a bit of a miracle.

Hoping to start September with a Bang

Well hopefully not a real bang and no fizz following that bang at least.

My new tires arrive on Wednesday. I am taking off on Thursday from work and will do a Nyack double hill ride. 100 miles to help prove that August was a fluke. Because if it wasn't i will flounder.

Today

I rode in today, tired and lots of things to do and alot on my mind. Having said that when i ride my first focus is the road (i know strange considering how many flats i get, but you have to see its tiny pieces of glass that pierce these tires hoping the next ones hold up). The ride in today was safe and relatively fast but it did not feel that way. I felt weak. Hoping to feel stronger over the upcoming month, August has been a wash in so many ways.

Irene

So i head out to do a little biking on Saturday morning. Spoiling around while the rain and wind begin to pick up a little. Heck if it rains in PR during La Vuelta (likely in the Fajardo and San Juan areas, not likely in Ponce and the dry south), i need to ride through it.

As the rain and wind pick up more i figure this day is going nowhere. So i started biking back. About 10 blocks from home...and i flatted...

I finally

got a little riding in with no flat.

I was unable to get my bike repaired yesterday because i had too much work.

I brought my bike in to the closest shop near my work to get the flat fix (it winds up it was another piece of glass that punctured the Schwalbe Ultremo on the rear) and had them put the original Zaffiro Slick on the back tire.

I was able to bike in without a flat, although the ride felt weak.

It was about 15mph given how long it took me to get from Union Sq to Bushwick/Ridgewood, so the speed was decent in city traffic but the endurance was not there i should not have been winded in the least and i felt a little tired when i made it to the top of the Willie B.

Hopefully September will be a better training month.

No ride in this morning

I brought an old tire in to the office to get it installed on my rear until my new tires arrive.

Another day another flat

So yesterday i was unable to make my flight back from Rochester and was forced to rent a Dodge Ram monster machine and drive back to NYC. I got home at 4:30 and had about an hour of sleep. I replace the pinch flat inner tube in the front tire and get on the road, about 15 blocks later BAM FIZZZZ the back tire is complete toast...yes another day another flat.

I will be putting on my old Vittoria Zaffiro Slicks that lasted me a year to tide me over until the new tires i bought today arrive:

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/vredestein-fortezza-tricomp

Please let these tires hold up to La Vuelta.

I can't do anything right

I am cursed.

So i met my brother at the gym today. His usual "i lift things up" and put them down killer workout, i was tired but not as much as Friday.

When i got back to the office i needed to do a little more work then at 8:45 i hit the road to head home (my lights are a little dim so i have to get new batteries). The bike ride is good and strong. The red traffic lights lined up against me but hey that's just more interval training especially on a single speed (yes i stop and wait at every light).

Going over the Willie B is nice and strong and fast. Passing Williamsburg and industrial Williamsburg and Bushwick bring me through some bad terrain but i am coasting and the traffic isn't that bad, and for the most part staying out of the bike lane.

I turn on to Menahan for the easy coast home. On Traffic there is a car coming the other way and is taking up pretty much the whole road even though it is a two way keeping me close to the parked cars in my direction (right side). Then all of a sudden BANG FIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, my wrist has a sharp stinging pain and i am on the verge of tears, not because i hurt myself but because i got another FRIGGEN flat. A pinch flat on tires inflated to 135psi. That must have been a monster pothole.

No luck...

I am flying to Rochester for work tomorrow the flight is at 8, another day without a bike ride to simmer and stew over my bad luck with flats.

Oh and when i get home i break the blinds as the pull string snaps in my hand...=(

The commute in today

The commute in today was ok. I wasnt feeling particularly strong. When i got to the Willie B there was construction as usual.

For those who dont know the Willie B has now been segmented the north side is for cyclists and roller bladers and other non motorized on wheels transportation methods. The south side is for pedestrians. For a few months the south side was under renovation/construction and we had to share the road with pedestrians.

Now the south side is no longer under construction but the north side is. However they are not closing the north side they are working on it piecemeal leaving a little open.

Today they were working on the north lane of the north cycling roadway. I stopped before the roadway as there was a cyclist coming down the path and there was a pedestrian going up. Of course that pedestrian is not supposed to be there he was supposed to be on the south walkway. Once the pedestrian was safely to the left and the cyclist coming into Bk had passed i then proceeded forward, i was quickly passed on my left by another cyclist who didnt stop at the construction area. He did call out passing on your left which was good.

He was riding a Felt 2010 TK2. I immediately kicked up to get some momentum and try and catch him. After about 100 yards i caught him and drafted him a bit, as we transitioned to the next segment of the bridge i passed him and said keep working it your almost at the top...then i left him.

I needed the push he provided it helped me get some value out of an otherwise lackluster commute.

Trouble with tires

After getting into a pretty bad accident i replaced the tires i had for a year with performance tires. Vittoria Open Corso 320's. They were fast. I rode my first two organized rides with them, however they fell apart after three months. They were $65 each. I felt like i did not get my money's worth so i went to my repair shop and asked my mechanic what should i get. I wanted something with the following characteristics:

1) Could inflate to a high PSI (over 120). The main reason being my commute path takes me over industrial areas with TONS of potholes. With my original tires i used to get a bunch of pinch flats even fully inflated.

2) Puncture resistant, goes without saying.

3) Low rolling resistance, speed is what i need.

He recommended the Schwable Ultremo ZX. When i got them i was really rooting for them. They looked schmexy on my bike and they felt sticky. However after less than 1 month and immediately after my Nyack ride the rear tire flatted with a serious gash rendering the tire useless. I booted the tire and decided to give the tire a second chance. This past Friday i got the new tire and replaced my back tire. I rode it for the first time on Saturday, a rare chance to ride on Saturday as that's usually the day i have to watch the baby. After 25 miles the rear tire got a serious gash rendering it useless...almost $300 in tires this season...i am about to cry.

Lots of training to do

I have alot of training to do to have any hope of completing La Vuelta Puerto Rico. 375 miles, in 3 days, on a single speed.

The first leg of the journey is from San Juan to Ponce along the east coast.

At mile 83ish there is a 1 mile climb with up to a 10% slope.

To train i will try to do the Nyack ride via the Pallisades every other Sunday or so i also commute about 14 total miles in NYC every day. On the Nyack rides I will try to hit the police hill at least twice during that ride. I will also try to do some Bear Mountain rides.

I will hopefully be doing two century rides in September.

My main concern will be staying in the same riding shape during the winter months as the Vuelta is in January.

I hope i can do it