Chasing Fast Freddie's Wheel From Danville

I started this log to document my bicycle maintenance, but had to document this event as it relates to maintenance and just was a great day on the bike.

The Focus has been noisy lately, trying to tighten the front sprockets helped a little, but really
its the chain and freewheel - lack of cleaning, number of miles and passing of time. Had the bike for
over a year and over 4-6K miles, wear happens.

SO thinking I'd take it easy and need some anchorage to slow me down, I chose the big steel Pinarello for the day's ride. It seemed a fine, "retro" sort of choice, until Floyd (aka Fast Floyd now) coaxed me to
hammer down Danville Blvd to Peets Coffee. Feeling worn but okay, got my coffee and noticed Fast Freddie Rodriguez in line before me. Floyd is Fred's neighbor, and I sorta know Freddie/he recognized me, or he's just polite. Anyway I mention to Freddie that Floyd's sporting Freddie's PROOFF kit more than Freddie is (he had a more subtle one on actually) so he goes over to Floyd and starts gabbing.

Floyd is in a hurry to get home, and it turns out Freddie is too, they agree to ride together. Riding with Freddie is more an issue of hanging on rather than "riding with" and Floyd suggested I go along. Er, okay. I start fumbling for Strava realizing this could be a quick ride home. Before even leaving Peets, Freddie gets a flat tire. Sorta tried to help, couldn't help feel bad for a pro having to change his own flat. He used my keys to push out a big staple embedded in the tread, slapped in the tube, Floyd and I helped best we could. The BBC group had taken off meantime.

After a few polite words, FF tucked in and hit some gears. I heard Floyd say behind me "now it begins". In mild terror, I caught and hold the wheel of FF, staring at the neon green derailleur and noticing the svelt power meter on his wheel. Prototypes no doubt. A few choice stoplights helped, but the big rolling flat and FF cutting wind let us catch the BBC group before the turnoff. 28 mph or so. I boldly led out the sprint, the BBCers inspired and behind me at 30, not enough. Back at the stoplight I caught FF's wheel again (no on was fighting me for it) past Olympic and over to the bikepath we went, low level flight.

On the bikepath at 20-24 mph (amazing itself) I learned the most - FF uses the force to move people,
strollers, dogs, other riders aside. "Bikers!" in polite but stern tone, with a sharp whistle, timed perfectly
every time. I try this, I get yelled at, ignored, etc. But we have the pro leading us on. Floyd is still on, lets me know we are down to 4 - me, Floyd, yellow guy, and Freddie. 22mph plus, bikepath. Holding on, we cross streets, cars bowing before FF stopping as if he's magic and as if they all know him. Uphill we go to St Mary's on the bikepath, I'm actually holding in there, literally holding that wheel like my life depended on it and realizing like life, I will only loose and die trying in the end.

Suddenly we are in Moraga. Floyd and Brian (yellow guy) buzzing along behind, I am hogging FF's wheel. 25 plus that whole stretch. We are in the Canyon, and hit the hill. FF slow's to a suddenly reasonable pace - hurray he's on a program!! I actually recover a bit while climbing! Back to it, we
buzz the Canyon to Pinehurst, again FF is kind, or seemingly so, up. I even see sub 10 mph some parts! I actually make jokes, or try to, suggesting the "Fast Floyd" line of clothes for the avid, non-pro cyclist, with big pockets. Need reflectors too.

At the top of Pinehurst, I see 172bpm but feel relaxed and elated to be able to have held on this long with FF, able to smalltalk, etc, and to have blown lots of "rust" out of the system.

I thanked FF and FFloyd, took leave of them on Tunnel (there was no way I wanted to follow FF downhill, FFloyd is scary fast enough), feeling happy, grateful and accomplished. I still got something going, yet was grateful for the "training", health, mileage that led up to this day to allow me to even hold FF's wheel, despite the maintenance issue that required I had my heaviest bicycle along for the tow.

Still happy and trying to enjoy the moment, I had Barbara take some awful pictures of me and the rig of the day to mark the occasion. Strava did its thing too, I broke all my records EXCEPT for those on Pinehurst itself, only 3rd best splits there.

MTB With Brian Leads to Shopping = Flatbar and Dominator 5's

I've been experiencing a "President's Day Training Camp Weekend" with the family away. Today was the finale after 132 road miles, a mountain bike ride with Brian in the Oakland Hills. As with the last ride, the elevated handlebars were impacting my slow reflexes, causing at least 1 near crash. Like with my last ride in December, I was speed limited by my eyeballs bouncing in my head - age or lack of practice?

After the ride we headed down for coffee, and promptly sheared the bicycles off Brian's roofrack as we turned into a parking lot - another story, the rack seemed to have a series of intentional sacrificial fuses that thankfully preserved the bikes and car. My armwarmers held the rear wheels to the car, Brian dropped me off, and I proceeded to hose, soap and brush the bike down. 

While drying the bike, the caffiene kicked in and I got antsy for a bit more riding,

and pondered shopping for a cheap flatbar in downtown Berkeley to get the bike dry and address the nagging geometry imperfection. I rode first to Mike Bikes - closed until 11am, then to Missing Link, also 11am start time, then finally as last ditch, Performance Bikes now located on University Ave in the old Pier 1. They were open, I literally rode the bike inside and leaned it against the register.

I found exactly what I needed, a "cheap" alloy flat bar, even on sale for $9.99! (Much cheaper than the carbon one on order that won't show until end of March)

Then I noticed the shoes on sale, and started trying them on. Unsatisfied with the mushy feel, this led me to the not-on-sale Sidi Dominator 5's that fit relatively great and felt like boards under my feet (good!) "Don't tell my wife!" I mocked, turning over the cheap bar and pricey shoes to the clerk. The wife is actually supportive of the cycling habit (to a point), and given I sold the Porsche and life I get out of the shoes and and whatever justification I just wanted them they will be great. Besides being fun, these MTB rides are sorta pricey - Nuti got me on new shocks, now Brian the shoes.

Rode home, started some bike-shop action in the garage, installed the bars and tweaked them to fit. Pipe cutter to shorten, only about 1" each side, what a great deal. Bars almost seem low now, I can always rotate the stem back up. Can't wait until the next ride - gosh, I hope before June ;)