Training with the Pros, it sounds like fun but it can’t be. Pros are genetic freaks; they put more kilometers on their bikes than any of us civilians do on our cars each year, they ride around whole countries at an average speed greater than 40km/hour and they can dish out such Rule V style day-after-day-after-day. We all dream about it but we don’t have it.
In an earlier life I came close to landing my dream job in Monaco with the IAEA. Serious people counseled me not to take the job, they said it was a bad career move. How could I explain to them I didn’t give a shiet if it was a bad career move, the chance to live, and more importantly to be a cyclist near San Remo and La Madone was all I cared about? Yet I knew if I even saw Tom Boonen or one of the many Aussies who call Monaco their home out on a training ride, I would only be seeing their lycra-clad asses disappearing up the road. Could I at least catch up to Stuart O’Grady to chat him up for a minute before my inability to talk and breathe would force me to lie and say I was turning right HERE? Maybe I could drink beers with the Aussies, I could keep that professional pace, actually no, I would get dropped there too.
Oh that job fell through and my dreams of commuting into work on Merlin on the Cote d’Azure disappeared like those watery mirages on a hot highway, but I digress. I have some good and funny direct video evidence why training with the Pros would be a cruel lesson in our mortal failings. One such Pro is Ted King, an American racer living the dream; he is based in Lucca, riding for Liquigas, riding in support of Ivan Basso and Peter Sagan. He is tough, he has finished every Giro d’Italia he has started. He broke his collarbone this summer racing in Philadelphia when his front wheel dropped into an inexcusably lame drain grate (thank you very much, oh third-world infrastructure that defines the USA).
To bring his training back up to speed he did the 200 on 100 with fellow Pro Tim Johnson and amateur racer Ryan Kelly. The 200 on 100 means 200 miles on Route 100, riding North to South from the top to the bottom of the state of Vermont, the Green Mountain State. Unless you are Marcus, 333 km seems like an impossibly long ride to do at once, I would be in broom wagon long before the end of such madness.
And by madness I refer to the 338 km at 34.1 km/hr average speed with 3,197 meters of climbing thrown in for good measure.
Video credit to Chandler Delinks
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Steampunk
Point of clarification please - with my ongoing determination not to ride indoors, I went chamois Big Mac last night and put my bib shorts on over my bib tights, and stuck a heed warmer on under my crash lid - my feet have never been as toasty, and this was the first time in weeks I didn't wear neoprene overshoes - is there a rule against wearing two chamois, does this contravene rule V or 9 - my LBS says you don't do that, you put leg warmers under your shorts? For some reason I am less embarrassed to ask the entire Internet community than the guys I ride with!!
I must say, riding in the dark and cold with white ladies exposed felt pretty Pro, and my arse loves me again
CycloX bike still not arrived despite ordering 5 weeks ago, but I'm determined to stay outdoors through the winter (my fault, as I wanted the black frame rather than the red one they had in the shop!)
@Marko
You hoser! Take off, eh?
@Dr C
Rule 21 and Rule 61 (indirectly in terms of paddling thickness) apply here. Get some proper thermal tights without chamois to go under your bibs, winter weight bib knicks, or thermals with chamois that are warm enough for you. Or cut chamois out of current tights if you must (as I've done). Leg warmers are the shit but won't suffice when temps really drop as cold air will go through regular weight bibs. And as frank mentioned in another post, consider wool Belgian shoe covers. Those things are uber pro and the business.
I'm looking forward to seeing your CX bike if it ever arrives.
@Dr C
I think this about covers it (even if Marko is a hoser). But you're in Ireland, no? Marko's talking about Minnesota winter, which is a good bit harsher; you're probably more concerned about keeping out the damp than holding out wicked cold. My sense is a good base layer might suffice with leg warmers (I often do this through winter here in Ontario). The real key is getting (and keeping) the hands and feet warm (ears, too). Belgian booties"”which I've not tried"”or regular booties and a pair of these"”which I swear by. In my experience, the core regulates itself; extremities need to be looked after.
Rules aside, though, being comfortable on the bike is key and defies what any online community might think, say, or dictate. I'm guessing, though, that doubling up on the chamois likely defeats the purpose of the padding in the first place, but whatever lets you lay down the V is probably kosher.
@Dr C
You know, I've had great luck using cross-country ski gear for winter riding. Fits well, is usually cheaper. Might be worth looking into......
@Buck Rogers
Welcome to the Kreitler cult!
@frank
Yes, only dark, not weather, will get me on the rollers. Thankfully I no longer live somewhere with a real "winter." The only time I got consistent indoor exercise was a winter I spent in Russia. And yes, Belgian booties are the shit. No one will confuse you with big George.
@Marko this is what I am hoping to receive mid November (2/3 the way through the season! Should give me time for a few muddy crashslides
Shame about the padding rule, but I'll accept due advice in view of lack of genuine broken skin or boils on my backside and revert to tights under bibtights
@scaler911
we don't have enough Norwegian people here to support a Cross Country Local Ski Bike Shop, but I'll take a look online
Random: I'm at the Day of the Dead/ Cross Crusade in Bend Or all weekend. Just wondering if there are other VM here? VMH and I are going to hit the Dechutes Brewery Warehouse part with some buddies too. Always a good time. There's also a handmade bike show here all weekend. I'll shoot some photos if anything is 'cool' and post 'em up later. Prost!
@scaler911
Good brew, Deschutes. I've but away a few bottles of the Inversion this week.