Building a Bike

When my parents attended bike-friendly UC Davis, they were both big into cycling. I grew up seeing their road bikes in the garage, but until recently, only ever rode a BMX or mountain bike myself.

Thanks to my new interest in road cycling and a desire to get (and stay) healthy, my dad decided to get back into it. He had a box of newer parts that we determined wouldn't work on his old frame, so we decided to build a bike! We found a used frame, fork, and handlebars on eBay for a good price and won the auction. Everything arrived within a few days, and the next several Sundays were spent working on the bike.

Once it was done, we went on a short test ride. It was sunny and unseasonably warm, making for a perfect spring ride. We went about 7 miles along the Centennial Trail, riding through both Kendall Yards and Riverfront Park on the way.

Now that it's done, Sunday build time has become our weekly Sunday ride!

Makeshift bike shop in my basement

Starting the assembly

Some nice Shimano parts from my Uncle, and a set of dual use pedals I had

Looks like a bike!

Shiny new cassette from a local shop!

My ever helpful cat, Aurora, checking out all the parts

Orion, hanging out with us

Look at those lines! Only thing left is bar tape

All done. Time to take it for a spin!

Beautiful day for a first ride

Going Further

February 21st, 2015

Bellingham, WA to La Conner-ish and back

70 miles

1820 ft ascent/descent

Sunny, 55 degrees

Greg LeMond famously said about cycling: "It never gets easier, you just go faster." I've kept that in mind throughout my training. It seems like sort of a discouraging prospect, though it doesn't necessarily have to be. If you can push through the pain, it's so rewarding just to look back at what you've done. Today, I pushed myself harder than I ever have before, and was rewarded by getting to see my mileage meter on my cycling computer almost 15 miles higher than it's ever been. Seventy miles!

Today was a gorgeous day, and I must have seen at least 50 other cyclists out on my route, many of them in their own mini-pelotons. I'd love to try team riding like that sometime. There is a cycling team here at Western, so I'll probably check them out soon. In the mean time, I discovered a way to help the miles pass by easier--music! I've always been wary about using headphones while riding because I fear not being able to hear the traffic or any strange noises my bike might be making. The solution, of course, is to only use the right earbud. So, I found an old pair and lopped off the left side, then strung it trough the straps of my helmet to help keep it in place. I made a cycling playlist full of high-energy hardcore and dance music, and voila. It worked wonders, I tell ya. 

Chuckanut Drive

February 14th, 2015

Bellingham, WA to Bow, WA and back

32 miles

1700 ft ascent/descent

Sunny, 56 degrees

I'm not gonna lie. One of the best parts of cycling is getting new stuff. And today, I got some new stuff! Namely, a Finish Line chain cleaner, second bottle cage, Cannondale gloves, and a Cannondale jersey. My kit is complete!!! (for now). The best part is that it all matches--black and white bike, jersey, socks and shoes. Yup, I know, lame... but here is a picture of the proud owner all dolled up for his bike selfie. 

Rather inconveniently, all this stuff came to my door about ten minutes after I got home from my ride today, so I didn't get to go show it off. But I did get to test out the chain cleaner, and wow, this thing is amazing. I just filled it with a little bit of degreaser, ran the chain through it, and now my chain looks like new again! One of the coolest things about it is the magnet at the bottom of the trough which collects the little metallic particles that would otherwise wear away at your chain.

It's been so sunny in Bellingham the past few days, so I've really gotten to enjoy my rides even more. On Saturday morning, I thought I'd finally try biking along Chuckanut Drive--one of the most famous scenic drives in Washington. It runs along this beautiful cliffside in Bellingham Bay, overlooking the San Juan Islands and the snowcapped Olympic Mountains behind them. I really want to take a picture for this blog, but my bulky camera won't exactly fit anywhere on my bike. 

The road twists and turns and climbs and drops all along the coast, reminding me of a mini-version of Highway 1 along Big Sur. The speed limit varies from 15-40 mph, and there are signs informing drivers to be aware of bikes on the road, so it feels pretty safe. 

After that ride on Saturday, I couldn't wait to do it again. So I did it today, riding just 20 miles this time, but keeping an average speed of 19 mph--a new record for me! 

Bellingham to Kendall

February 8th, 2015

Bellingham, WA to Kendall, WA and back

55 miles

1600 ft ascent/descent

Sunny, 58 degrees

My, how things change. When Peter and I started cycling together, I was totally content with what we were doing--one nice 30-40 mile ride a week on my commuter. I remember both of us saying how we weren't interested in racing, didn't need special bike clothes, thinking the whole middle-aged men in lycra culture was laughable. Then about the time we started this blog, things got more serious. Peter bought a new bike; I bought some new parts for my bike, and as I installed them, I realized how cool bikes are from a mechanical perspective. I became interested in taking things apart, cleaning them and putting them back together. I couldn't stop hanging out with my bike. Every spare moment I had at home seemed to be spent looking at bike websites--maintenance, parts, repairs, builds. Every time we rode, I felt like I discovered something else I could love about cycling. 

Then came Christmas, and along with it, two surprises that pushed me to the next level. First, I got some cycling shorts which enabled me to go for even longer distances without feeling uncomfortable. Plus, I can't deny the increased badass-level that came along with sporting them. Second, I got a cycling computer from my brother. Oh, so much fun! I could now time my rides and accurately brag about my speed! I just couldn't get enough. 

But then about a month ago, I started getting pretty bad pain behind my knees while biking. I adjusted the saddle over and over again to try to fine-tune it, but the ache just wouldn't go away. It started to become painful even to walk. I figured I had better give cycling a rest for a few weeks until whatever I had done to myself healed. In the meantime, I realized the pain might just be from pushing myself for 40-50 miles on this three-speed bike that was honestly made for the sole purpose of relatively short city rides. Yes, it is time, I told myself, for the next step in my cycling love-affair, the +1 in the infamous n+1 equation. I needed a real road bike.

So I started scouring the internet, checking Craigslist, Ebay and many other bike websites daily, trying to find the perfect bike for me. But after a few weeks of intense searching, I noticed Nashbar had released their new aluminum road bike equipped with the brand new Shimano 105 5800 groupset. From what I could tell, this thing was budget badassery at its best. I ordered it in a moment of payment pain/extreme excitement/payment pain again. But it was done, and within seven days, it had arrived. As soon as I put it together, I wanted to test it out, but the weather wasn't having it--it is Bellingham, after all. So after waiting with bated breath through three straight days of rain, I got to take my new ride for a spin.

Wow, this bike is so much different than my commuter. It just feels good, man. Not to mention the clipless pedals and cleated shoes, which were another monumental step up. It took awhile to get used to the shifting, but after about an hour of riding, I felt like I had the basics down. I was flying down hills at almost 40 mph without even pushing it (compared with my commuter which seems to absolutely max out around 36 mph), and I was able to maintain an average speed of around 22 mph. Until about mile 40...

As I rode back toward Bellingham along the Mount Baker Highway, cars and semis whooshing past at 60 mph, I suddenly began to feel weak. And as I continued, I felt worse and worse. I kept powering through, as one does, but after another ten minutes or so, I physically wasn't able to go more than 10 miles per hour. I couldn't think straight, I felt very lightheaded and absent from my surroundings--not good on the shoulder of a highway. I had to stop. My legs and arms shook uncontrollably as I dismounted and reached into my saddle bag for the granola bar I had thankfully brought along in hopes of reversing this awful feeling. It was the dreaded "bonk," as they call it in the endurance sports world, though more officially known as hypoglycemia. Luckily, that granola bar gave me just enough energy to push through the last 15 miles back home. But I'm vowing "never again!" with this whole bonking business. I'll be getting another bottle cage for my bike so from now on, I will have one bottle of water and one bottle of sports drink with me anytime I'm training.

And as for clothing, I'm moving into the upper echelons. I've bought some cycling gloves and a jersey to complete my kit. Still on the budget side, but hey, I'm a student. When I'm richer, I'll go for the full-on, color-coordinated bib and jersey thing with cycling-specific socks. Yes, not too long until I, myself, am a middle-aged man in lycra. My, how things change.

Bellingham to Lynden

January 6th, 2015

Bellingham, WA to Lynden, WA and back

32 miles

1140 ft ascent/descent

Partly cloudy, 45-50 degrees

I've just moved to Bellingham to start school at Western Washington University. Today was the first day of classes, and after my first class, I decided to take a ride. I had gone on one yesterday, but it was only about 15 miles and mostly just to get myself oriented, so I wanted to do something more serious today to get back into the swing of things.

What I noticed first off was how gorgeous the scenery is out here. Yesterday it had been cloudy and rainy, obscuring visibility. But today, I could see it all. To the east, jagged purple mountains jut out from these lush and incredibly green coastal plains. To the west, I catch glimpses of the San Juans rising out of the Pacific. It's pretty surreal. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera on this ride. Next time!

I picked this route today mostly because it was nearly impossible for me to get lost. There were only 3 turns I had to remember over the entire ride, and most of it was along one straight country road. Still, it was the hardest ride I've done to date! In addition to climbing 1140 feet, I had to do most of the hard climbs in traffic! And whenever I'm in traffic, I always feel compelled to go as fast as I can so I don't aggravate the drivers around me. That's not necessarily the best technique for climbing, however... It would have been better to pace myself. Because of this, I was so worn out by the end of my ride that I couldn't bike up the hill back to my apartment complex. 

Peter and I want to do a mini-triathalon sometime in the summer, so I'm going to try to start swimming twice a week and running in addition to cycling! First, though, I'll get the hang of my school schedule.

Winter Training

Now that the roads are covered in snow and ice, and since I don't use my bike for commuting, I got an indoor trainer to keep riding. Putting the trainer tire on was definitely a learning experience (the tube got several pinch flats in the process!), but everything fits together and works well.

It's a nice fluid trainer that provides good variable resistance. I've only used it twice so far, but it's going to help keep me in riding shape for when things melt!

Canada Trip!

A few months back Chris and I went to the Snowlander Expo/Powder Keg Brew Fest at the Spokane Convention Center. It's the perfect mix of local brews and winter sports information and gear. With admission, we got free lift tickets to Red Mountain in Rossland, BC. We figured since we had the tickets, we'd plan a weekend trip to Canada for some great skiing! We booked the hotel early and counted down the days...

When the day of our trip finally came, we weren't sure if the mountain was even open yet. They hadn't posted an update on their website, but since the hotel was locked in we decided to go anyway. There was always the Ainsworth Hot Springs if skiing wasn't an option. We loaded up the car with all of our gear, made sure we had some music and, of course, our passports, and headed out. Now it was on-wards to the border! After a nice drive up US-395 we arrived at the border only to be interrogated by the Canadian border patrol agent. In a stern tone and in rapid succession, he asked us about nearly every detail of our lives. I thought we had passed his test, but he asked us to pull into the lot so he could search the vehicle. Two agents came out and looked through every nook and cranny with a fine-toothed comb. A good ten or fifteen minutes later, they seemed satisfied that we weren't doing anything illegal and let us continue on.

The day was beautiful and sunny and we went straight up to Red Mountain, hoping that they might possibly be open. Turns out only the T-bar was open, but snow was expected later that day/night. We decided to head to the hot springs and pray to the snow gods that the mountain would open the next day.

The mountain passes were foggy but breath-taking on the drive away from Red, and we had fun driving on the snowy roads. We were passing through Nelson on the way to the hot springs, and saw a charming shopping area that ran up and down Baker St. We wanted to stretch our legs so we walked around and checked out a bunch of the local shops. We were pleasantly surprised with the number of local bike shops!

Driving on Highway 3B

The rest of the drive to Ainsworth included a short stop at a nice little stream, and some unintentional off-roading (due to an outdated GPS), but we arrived at the hot spring in time for lunch. The hotel and hot springs are situated between Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park and Kootenay Lake, so the view from the restaurant on the top floor was beautiful. For lunch, the waiter's hilarious description of the day's special helped me quickly decide what to order... In a slow and sophisticated voice, "You see, what they've done is they've taken a bacon cheeseburger and crumbled it into a dish of macaroni and cheese." That paired with a delicious beer brewed by the Nelson Brewing Company, made for a great lunch. The hot springs were clean, well maintained, and incredibly relaxing. We spent some time in the cave and even went in the freezing ice bath before going back to the restaurant to try another amazing Nelson beer.

Stretching our legs a bit

Restaurant at the Ainsworth Hot Springs

View of Kootenay Lake

Chris, nice and relaxed after being in the hot springs

We got back to Rossland in the early evening and decided to check into the hotel before finding a place for dinner. It was a good thing too, since the hotel owners invited us to their annual Christmas party that they throw for select local residents! Once we settled into the room we went over to the party. The food was authentic Indian cuisine, and it was FANTASTIC! Everyone was extremely friendly, we met some great people (hi to Dave, Karen, Leann, and Grant!), and we had a really good time. Hopefully we'll be able to make it back next year!

During the party, it had started snowing pretty heavily, so we had high hopes for Red Mountain the next day. Afterward, we relaxed in the room for a bit and played a game of Monopoly (which I won!) before turning in for the night.

In the morning, we woke up to a power outage! We had to shower in a dark bathroom, then had no wifi to check the status of the mountain. After a quick breakfast, we checked out, brushed some snow off the car, and went up for some (potential) skiing. It turned out that even with all the snow, they still only had the magic carpet and T-bar open. We were already there and wanted to at least get some skiing in, so we went for it! Neither of us had ever ridden a T-bar on skis before, so it took once or twice to really get used to it. We didn't spend a ton of time on the slope since only one run was open, but it felt great to be skiing again.

Red Mountain

Getting ready!

Look at that view!

Peter and Chris

After skiing, we went into Rossland to check out the town a bit. We walked up and down Columbia Ave., and went into local coffee shop for a quick pick-me-up before going home. The drive home was fast and uneventful and we had no issues at the border this time!

I definitely can't wait to go back up next winter!