Whole lot of nothing….
Well we are approaching the “Dog Days” of summer yet the temps have been barely warm enough to enjoy short sleeves. Lots of rain hasn’t helped either, putting a damper on things for weeks.

Cooler temperatures however, do mean more comfortable rides and less overheating.
Road rides are making up the lions share of my cycling as they tend to do this time of year. Yet I still managed to hit the trails a few times. The most recent trail ride was with Frank at Trail of Tears for a little 4th of July fun.

Frank & the 29er

Celebrating the 4th...

Yeh, he smoked me like a cheap cigar and on his new Salsa single speed 29er no less. The Salsa 29er was a Mountain Bike Action pick for great trail bike and Frank does it justice. Single speed or not Frank hauls ass. We had fun tearing it up on beautiful day.

Doing the dance…
Well I have been out on the Orbea Orca numerous times getting acclimated to its different geometry. So far I really like this bike with its smooth ride, quick response and handsome looks. Iron chick and I headed out the other day for a 50 miler and the Orca performed great. Overall comfort was great. I spent a fair amount of time in the drops to try and cheat the wind that was blowing 25mph that day. Traffic was not as bad as thought it would be but a couple of cars came just a little too close for comforts.

Hyannis...

For the ride, I averaged 16mph with the Orca verses 16.4 with the Cervelo P2C and top speed differences of 28.4 vs 29.8. The Orbea really absorbs bumps well and given the conditions of Cape roads that’s a great thing.

Cool runnings...

I switched back to the Cervelo for the last two rides to see the difference. I can’t help but say that the P2C is a smoking fast bike and the aero position is one of comfort and power for me.

Orbea Orca...

The Tour De France is back…
It’s the time of the year again that The Tour De France is happening and once again I am addicted. With Lance Armstrong back and a few new teams in the tour this year it’s proving to be great racing. I really find Lance Armstrong an inspiration and admire the commitment, dedication and intensity that he emanates. This new Nike video is really cool depiction of this.

Who is that guy?
Ok, so I didn’t really win a “Yellow Jersey” but then you probably guest that. These riders really do amaze me with their levels of endurance, fitness and strength. I know how hard I work when riding and I can’t even come close to the level these professionals operate at.

The bikenfool?

Let’s take a look at July 15, Stage 11: Vatan – Saint-Fargeau 192km (119 miles). Chris Anker Sorensen stats for the stage showed an average power output of 213, heart rate of 127, cadence of 91 and speed of 27.4 mph.

Chris Anker Sorensen stats

Then there’s the Bikenfool’s stats for the recent 50 miler, average heart rate 130, average cadence 71 and average speed of 16 mph. Even on a recent 12 miler I only averaged 20 mph at a 91 cadence. Dam I’m slow, hence no “Yellow Jersey”.