For the first ride of the month, I rode with the OCSR/OCW group on our usual Sunday Scenic route. I’ve mostly been riding most of or parts of this route for the past couple of weeks. Another mostly summer kit ride for the first ride of the month. I started off with the gillet which was quite welcome for an hour or so. Once we got out into the sun with it up higher and warming up the world nicely the gillet went in a jersey pocket.
I was careful and rode sweep at the back for a lot of the time. I did attack the climb from both directions and felt fine. HR dropped quick when I let off. Three hours and a bit with about 61% in zone 2 so a good workout. Skipped the donut since the line was long and nobody else was stopping. Saved those calories for a later date.
Second day of the month ride went about like the first though without the group and a bit chillier and not as far. Still three hours in the saddle 68% in zone 2. I’m getting there. It leaves me a bit stiffer than I recall. I’m not yet used to that amount of time in the position.
Our weather is supposed to warm to around 81°F, (by Wednesday, then cool and maybe rain next week.The third week outside I managed 412km. The last ride of the week was again a group ride with OCSR. That ride was mostly zone 1, for a nice recovery as I rode sweep. Next week we’re supposed to see some rain.
To begin my fourth week of outdoor riding for the year I rode a metric century, my February Strava Gran Fondo. Done and dusted.
I even climbed up to see the elephant.
And a glamour shot a the sports fields while I ate my homemade vegan flapjack. 4:18 on the bike took a toll on my neck and back. I am not used to that, but legs feel good. My shoulder doesn’t feel too bad. I’ll know more about that when I wake up tomorrow.
On Friday I did my second metric century of the week. This time revisiting the crash site. No photos there. Nothing to see. The city has repaired the trail pavements and I couldn’t see or feel anything other than butter smooth pavement. At least my pain was for something.
My new 60mm stem TPU tubes arrived just after I got home from my ride on Friday. I’ve included the current Vittoria latex tubes I use for comparison. The latex tube weighs in at 89 grams where the Tubolito TPU tubes weigh just 24 grams
Installed the front wheel complete is as light as I can go with a reasonable tire that isn’t a TT tire.
The 4th week of riding netted me, 461.7 km, 3,169 m climbing, 19:49 out there in the saddle. A part time job. I’m stronger, but not back to 100% yet.
I ended the week with a strong ride. We did the Aliso Creek trail ride. I saw the spot the city has repaired where I crashed. Nice of them to do that. My distance wasn’t as big this week with rain and dental work combining to put me off my game. But, good enough. 251 km. 10:41 so about half of last week. Sundays ride was a strong effort where I hammered the hills and descents, but backed off a bit here and there so as not to get too far ahead. Though on the Aliso Creek trail, I put my head down and pretty much decided to see what I had. I managed a 30 minute run of 183 watts. A pretty good ride for me at this point. I could feel the right triceps trying to lock up from the strain of compensating for the bad left side on the descents. But on the climbs my left was not bothering me.
There was a donut,
On Saturday I’d flatted, but not until I was about to leave for home did that become evident. It turned out to be a tiny invisible hole on the inside of the TPU road tube, a very light 23 gram tube. The invisible hole is just to the left of the big bubble. I assume these bubbles are thanks to the tubeless rim tape deflecting too much and the very light TPU tube flexing into them. I need to pull the tire off and inspect the tape. I have new tape on order as well as everything to go fully tubeless, but I don’t figure to do that until I wear out the Vittoria tires. The new tubeless Vittoria tires are 30mm Corsa N. EXT 2.0 tires in TLR.
I’ll be swapping out these tubes for Silca tubes. And like replace the rim tape with Silca tubeless tape.
My last week of February saw our weather go to summer temperatures. Monday was an unplanned metric century,
A recovery ride on Tuesday and a rest day imposed due to family duties mid-week.
I ended my week and month with another metric century. That makes three for the last week of February.
I saw 37°C inland for a high, (98.6°F). Plenty of water stops, replenish with Nuun and LMNT+ and I ate some dried apricots I’d carried. A pretty good week. I’m not real fast yet, though I never was and am down on power by about 15% or so. My shoulder and back and ribs still fatigue after a couple hours and on harder efforts sting a bit, but only for a bit. I’m about two kilos up from where I was when I crashed, but that will work off.
I’ll have a week away from the bike now for family stuff then back at it with a group ride.
Totals for the month:
Distance: 1,598 km
Climbing: 9,867 m
Time: 69 hours
Along The Way 