65 Days and Counting...

All packed up and ready to go

My alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, but I was already awake.  My dog woke me up at 4am, and I never really made it back to sleep.  I was excited because today was going to be the day that I took my new bike out for it's inaugural ride...an initiation of sorts...but for who?

I had every intention of getting out on the trail by 6:30 however, a few last minute adjustments (that I should have mad last night) postponed my start time by about 20 minutes.  No big deal...better to have the bike ready to go, than to have something break on the inaugural ride right?

Me, bike, Element...let's ride!

 I packed my new toy inside my little Honda Element for today's journey to the riding spot.  The reason I put it inside wasn't because it was new...although the thought had crossed my mind momentarily.  Actually, the bike is so pretty, I almost didn't want to ride it!  Anyway...this bike has a different type of wheel attachment to the fork, so it doesn't work with my roof rack...not yet anyway!  So instead, I packaged it carefully into the Element (nicknamed the Root Beer Float, by a friend of mine), loaded up all the necessities such as shoes, helmet, gloves, camelbak, etc. and slowly closed the hatch, hoping the bars wouldn't hit the glass.  A perfect fit!   If you are a cyclist, the Honda Element is a great vehicle...you can actually fit two bikes inside with plenty of room to put all of your gear...it's works out great.  I have a roof rack on mine, so I could actually transport 4 bikes with this tiny little, toaster-look-alike vehicle.  I love it!

A short drive and soon I was at the parking spot, gearing up and getting ready to take my new toy out for it's first ride.  Today would be a short ride, just 12-miles.  I didn't want to go too far, just in case something happened, and I had to call my handy rescue service...my wife Donna.  Last night she and I talked about where I should ride this morning...I wanted to go somewhere that was pretty far from home.  Donna wanted me to think about staying closer, just in case she got the call to come pick me up.  She is much wiser than I am...so needless to say, I stayed close to home.  I unpacked my bike, attached the front wheel, and just stood there admiring it.  It is truly the coolest looking bike I have ever seen.  The frame is a work of art, with amazing lines, and very cool visible carbon fiber cloth under the high gloss finish.  Like I said...it's almost too pretty to get dirty...but I managed to do so!

It'll never be this clean again

As I hit the trail, I was immediately showered with a multitude of tiny pieces of gravel.  You see, the tires on this bike are brand new...and very sticky!  Every mountain biker experiences this feeling whenever new tires are put on a bike.  It's a little annoying, but only lasts for a couple of minutes as the initial tackiness of the tire wears off.  Today however, it was more than just annoying...it was concerning!  It sounded like it was completely destroying my brand new, carbon-fiber frame!  Carbon frames sound completely different than aluminum frames...they have a 'hard-plastic' sound to them when you tap on them...or when they are being showered by hundreds of tiny rocks.  I actually stopped to check if there was any damage to my bike!  Pretty stupid huh?  That is pretty much what I said (out loud) to myself when I saw that no damage had occurred.  I mean, come on...carbon fiber is stronger than steel, so how could a few little baby rock hurt it, right?  

An inaugural trail photo

The ride was great!  This bike is amazingly fast.  Just like all bikes, when the pedals turn, the bike moves forward.  On this bike however, when you turn the pedals the bike launches forward!  This thing screams!  Not only does it go really, really fast...it handles like a sports car.  The Ellsworth Hand-built wheels are actually 5mm wider than standard mountain bike tires, which means that the tire is spread out wider, creating a larger contact-patch on the ground, making it more responsive and stable in the turns...this bike hooks up, and allows the rider to rail the turns, and then launch out of them with the utmost confidence.  

It is going to take me a little while however, to feel completely comfortable on my new bike, as it is a hard-tail frame (no rear suspension), which means that you can feel much more in the rear end of the bike.  My other bike is a full suspension bike, so it is much more plush over the bumps.  One is not necessarily better than the other, but both bikes require a slightly different riding style than each other.  I have ridden hard-tail bikes before, but it has been a while, and I need some practice!  When you ride them wrong, you can feel bumps and hits all the way up your spine...at least I can, and I have a damaged spine to begin with...so, like I said, I need to practice riding this bike...and practice I will!

67 days and counting...

Hello everyone...sorry for the short hiatus once again...I've been very busy lately.  You all know that I received my bike a few days ago, and that I decided to build it myself...right?  You also remember that I began building it on Wednesday of last week, right?  And then finally, you are all aware that I had made some pretty good progress on the bike, but that I was going to have to take it to my local bike mechanic to have them finish it up for me.   Okay...now we are caught up!

The good news is that I didn't have to take it anywhere...I was able to do all the work myself, including trimming the hydraulic brake lines, and installing new fittings on them, so that they could be run through the internal cable guides.  The bad news is that I didn't get to work on it all weekend.  It's not really bad news though, because I got to do something much better! 

Donna and I were able to get away for the weekend for a late birthday celebration at our favorite resort...The Sanctuary.  So...to be completely honest with you, I didn't mind at all that I wasn't able to finish up my bike.  As much as I like working on bikes, you can trust me when I say that I would trade working on my bike for a weekend at The Sanctuary any day!

We got home from our little getaway yesterday, and I was able to put a couple of hours into the bike, getting it nearly finished up before going to sleep.  This morning I was up early training athletes, then off to the bike store to pick up a special little tool used to cut the steer-tube on the fork, to the correct size.  Once that was completed, all I had left to do was bleed the brakes, adjust the saddle, and set the air pressure in the front fork.

The problem is that to bleed the brakes, I need a brake-bleed kit, that is specific to my particular brake system, and wouldn't you know...I couldn't find that kit anywhere, and I went to five different bike stores!  Without brakes, the bike is out of commission.  So....as it turns out, I will have to take it to the bike mechanic after all!  Oh well...it's better than waiting for the kit to come in the mail.  This way I should be able to be riding my new bike by this weekend...or sooner!

Check it out...aint it a beaut!

72 days and counting...

I decided to move my bike build project indoors...it has been pretty hot here in Phoenix...112 degrees today!  Take a look at the pictures I have posted, to see my progress.  Remember...I am not a bike mechanic, so it is taking me more time than if I had taken it to someone...but I am having fun putting it together.

A much cooler working environment!

Finally...wheels that actually hold air...and tubeless, just the way I wanted them!

The cassette mounted to the rear wheel

Taking shape!

Now that is really starting to look like a bike

73 Days and Counting....

The wait is finally over.  Yesterday was one of the longest shifts of my 21-year career as a firefighter!  All day, I was thinking about the fact that my bike...you know, the one that I have been waiting on for nearly six months...was sitting in a box in my house.  I actually considered taking the remainder of the shift off, so that I could head home and check out my new toy.  Then reality hit...it's just a bike, right?  I had a job to do, and my bike could certainly wait.  After all, I had waited this long...what was another twenty-some hours?

My pooch Chloe is so excited she cant keep her head still!

This morning when I got home, the box was waiting for me just inside the front door.  It was smaller than I had imagined, and when I began to unpack it, I thought they had only sent me the frame and wheelset.  But as I unpacked more of the cardboard, the wonderful little components began to appear.  First, the shifters, then the brakes, the handlebars, the cranks, tires, saddle, stem, seatpost, grips...and finally, the fork.  You remember the fork right?  The fork that I almost didn't get?  Thankfully they included it, as it would cost me nearly $1000 to purchase.  Thank God...it was all there!  All I wanted to do was get to work building my new race machine...but first, I had to do some training with one of my clients.  Patience, patience. 

I couldn't wait to unpack it...I didn't even change out of my uniform!

Once I was finished training, I got right to work on the bike.  This is my first attempt at assembling a bike like this from scratch.  I have rebuilt a number of bikes over the years now, but this was something different...I would be building the bike that I would be racing on...pretty cool huh?  Donna was surprised that I wouldn't just pack it all back up, and take it to my local bike store, where they would put it all together for me.  No way!  I was really looking forward to building this little masterpiece all by myself!

There is however, one task that I am unable to do.  Install the headset.  The headset is a set of bearings that are pressed into the frame, which act as an anchor of sorts, for both the forks and handle bars.  To install this, I would need to take my new bike frame and fork to the bike store, and let the mechanic use his special tools to press the headset into the frame.  I dropped it off at the store, and three hours later it was ready.  

What a cool looking frame

One of my beautiful new Ellsworth Wheels

I spent a good portion of the day trying to convert the tires to a tubeless setup.  Unfortunately, I was unable to do so, and will need to go buy a different set of tires tomorrow, which will allow me to convert this bike to tubeless.  You might be asking yourself "What is tubeless?"  Traditionally, bike tires have used inner tubes to inflate the tire on the rim, and keep it full of air.  In recent years however, the trend for mountain bikes has been to remove the tube, thus eliminating unwanted weight, but also enabling the tires to be run at much lower pressures.  Running the tires at lower pressures creates more surface area contact between the tire and the ground, allowing the bike to handle much better at higher speeds.  Unfortunately, some rims and tires are not compatible with this new system.  Hence the reason why I will need to purchase two new tires tomorrow.

I hope to be finished building my bike tomorrow, but it may run into next week...this is something that must not be rushed...like I said before...I've waited this long, so I can wait a little longer.  Check out the pictures of the great Ellsworth Bike Build, thus far...

The infamous fork, and my new carbon handlebars

The goods...

The frame design is like no other on the market today

The first tire mounted...before it went flat!

Hard to see, but its starting to look like a bike

74 Days and Counting...

Happy Tuesday morning to you all!  It's a wonderful day isn't it?  You may be asking yourself at this very moment, "Why is John so happy?"  Well, let me tell you why...in fact, let me show you why.

This is the UPS tracking information for my bike!

That's right folks, my bike is finally on its way, and should arrive at my door sometime today!  Now it should be very clear why I am so happy.  Tomorrow, I will begin assembling my new toy, and if all goes well, I should be up and running for my first ride within a couple days!

It's been a long time coming, but I can tell you already, that it is going to be well worth the wait!  Thanks to Ellsworth Handcrafted Bikes for their support!

I'll be posting pictures of the build over the remainder of the week, and possibly into the weekend.  

Stay tuned!

76 Days and Counting

Yesterday was my day to ride for 2-hours...the trouble was that I was on duty.  If you've been following me for a while, you most likely remember me posting about trying to ride on the trainer for two hours at the fire station.  Well, it was bound to happen again...and it did.  

My shift at work was a busy one yesterday, and I was concerned that I might not have time to get in my workout.  I know, what you are thinking...and believe me, I know how blessed I am to have a job where I can actually work out...while at work!  Anyway...we were pretty busy all day long, and thought I might have to skip my workout...or at least get it in late at night, which would be just fine due to the heat.

Things finally slowed down around 830 last night, so I got my bike set up, mixed up two sport bottles of Hammer Perpetuem Endurance Fuel, strapped on the heart rate monitor, clipped in, and took off.  Well, I didn't really take of so much, as I was locked into the stationary trainer...but I felt like I was flying!...for a few minutes anyway.

About 2-minutes into my workout, I noticed a clicking noise over the sound of the band RED that was playing through my iPod headphones.  I stopped to check it out, and found that I was having the same problem I had with my rear wheel during the Foray at the Fort race a couple months ago.  This meant that I would have to take the bike off of the trainer, remove the rear wheel, take off the cassette, and tighten the rear hub...or I could just pack it up and call it a night.  

My new favorite band...a MUST for long training sessions!

Believe me when I tell you that every fiber...well, almost every fiber in my body, was telling me to hit the rack because it was sure to be a busy night.  Somehow, I mustered enough will and determination to fix the bike, get back on, and attack that 120 minutes of mind-numbing solitude.  At least this time I was listening to some great music...the band RED...check them out here.  They play some pretty hard Christian music (its actually hard regardless of the genre) but trust me...its exactly the kind of music that helps to keep the pace during a long stationary training session!

About 45-minutes into the session, came my first mental struggle.  Physically, I was doing fine, but mentally, I was beginning to get fatigued...even with the music!  I just kept on pedaling, even increasing the resistance and the pedal cadence, eventually pushing past the weakness.  At 60-minutes I was feeling better than I did at 20-minutes!  I was on my way, feeling great, and had no doubt that I could pass this 2-hour 'test'.  At 1 hour, 15 minutes however, we were dispatched on a call...it was time to go to work.  When I got back nearly an hour later, I thought about getting back on and finishing, but roughly one-tenth of a second later, I changed my mind :)

Listen here Mr. 2-Hour workout...so far, beating you has eluded me.  But mark my words...you will go down!  I will beat you sometime between now and September...I will own you!

I thought you might be interested to see my workout stats for the past few days, so here you go...



RECENT WORKOUTS

Friday, June 17
30-minute High Intensity TRX Circuit workout
454 kcal burned

60-minute Cycling (indoor trainer)
700 kcal burned
15.8 miles

Saturday, June 18th
75-minute Cycling (indoor trainer)
793 kcal
19.4 miles

Sunday, June 19th
Father's Day of Rest!

78 Days and Counting

I went to bed last night with every intention of getting up at 5am this morning, and getting in an 90-minute ride while it was still cool, then returning home to train clients by 8am.  As I write this, the clock reads 6:34 am...and I just got up, which means that I wont be riding while it is cool.  What is the silver lining to this?  At least it is only supposed to be around 100 degrees (Fahrenheit for my foreign readers) today...not 110 like it was two days ago!

So this morning, I will just have to settle for a strength training session, waiting to ride after I have finished up with clients.  It'll probably end up being an indoor 'ride' on the trainer...oh well, its better than nothing at all.  The summer is rough for riding, as I mentioned in an earlier post.  In the past, I have always rode sparsely during these hot months, but now I am required to increase my riding...significantly ramping up my volume of training in preparation for September. 

I was at my local bike store yesterday (Exhale Bikes), talking with Nathan (the owner) about racing and training during the summer.  I have seen him at the races that I have competed in over the past few months, and he had asked me if I was going to be competing in the MBAA state finals, being held in Williams, AZ.  Fortunately, I am going to be on duty at the fire station, and wont be able to race!  I say fortunately, because Williams is nestled in the pine covered mountains of Northern Arizona, at roughly 6800 feet above sea level.  We all remember what a wonderful time I had at 6300 feet during the Prescott Punisher, right?  Enough said.

Oh how I wish....

Anyway, Nathan and I were talking about riding during the summer months, and I was somewhat relieved to hear that even the purists like him don't really enjoy riding in the heat of summer, and tend to taper down their riding volume during this time...settling for 1 or 2 night rides per week.  "That would be nice" I thought, "but there's no way I can do that and expect to be in shape come September!"  My training plan has me on the bike four days per week, with my shortest ride being 60-minutes...so no tapering for me!

Alright, time to go get a workout in.  Until next time...