Shanghai Show 2008

First off, I returned with the usual upper respiratory hack/ illness/ cough that accompanies all trips to China.

The show itself was a bit different from Vegas, Eurobike or Taipei in that it was combined with electric bikes and electric motorcycles. Although they were in another hall, it just seemed a bit...odd.

It seemed like attendance was down as was the number of foreign brands represented. This may be a bit deceiving, though. Lacking was the unwashed masses (attendees) who had no interest in bikes but where just there hawking watches or looking for a way to make a quick buck (some of the watch guys still made the trip).

The questions asked by the dealers and consumers who did attend were more knowledgeable and overall were encouraging. Consumers are still having trouble with access to all the brands they see in the magazines or online. There is limited availability, in some areas, and confusion as to the legitimate supply channels. Basically, this is still a market in development.

I was working in the Campagnolo booth. It was interesting to see the contrast between those who were familiar with, or using Campagnolo, and those who had never heard of the company. I also had the obligatory guy (I called him Bora Boy) who came to the booth 5 times a day to look at the Bora wheels and then tell me how much he knew about Campagnolo. The funny thing was, he was wrong just as many times as he was right and wasn't the least bit interested in anything I had to say in response. There's one at every show.

Conversely, I had a great chat with one guy about our favourite riders and style of racing. We liked many of the same riders and events and shared a similar disappointment with Basso. It was a conversation between a Canadian guy, working for a company owned by an American, based in Taiwan, representing and Italian company in China, talking to a Chinese guy working for a Japanese company about Italian, French, American and Belgian riders and a race happening in the US at the time. Some things transcend. Bikes just may be one of them.

It will be very interesting to see how much the market matures between now and the next show. My feeling is that it will be substantial.

Training Schedule: Week #3

Monday: Off - Tired. Slept.
Tuesday: Time: 2:45 - Distance: 75km - Elevation Gain: 610m - Ave HR: 144
I definitely felt better than I did on Saturday and Sunday. I actually had a little snap on some of the climbs. I backed off for the last few km's. This time tomorrow I will be sitting on a plane to Shanghai and don't want to be tight.
Wednesday: Shanghai show: Eat. Drink. Stand around.
Thursday: Shanghai show: Eat. Drink. Stand around.
Friday: Shanghai show: Eat. Drink. Stand around.
Saturday: Shanghai show: Eat. Drink. Stand around.
Sunday:Shanghai show: Eat. Drink. Stand around.

Totals:
Time: 2.75 hours
Distance:75km
Elevation gain:610m
Ave HR: INCREASING!
TSS:120

Not a good week. I felt tired and had difficulty maintaining intensity.

Ergomo: The Install Pt.2

I went back to the bike and gave the spacers one more shot. This was the original configuration I had tried but, after having mastered the alternate torquing technique, I'm pretty sure I got it right this time. I torqued to spec and did a 4 hour ride. Everything seems ok, but I am going to verify that everything is still within spec tomorrow before I consider this a done deal.

I set up the speed and altitude sensors and everything seems to be working properly.

Total set-up time: 2 hours.

Ergomo: The Install Pt.1

Well, rocket surgery it ain't but there is a bit of heavy lifting.

This would be the BEFORE shot. A little dirty from riding in the rain but not too bad.

The basic tools needed. Not shown are the taping and facing tools in my shop, at work. Also grease. Oh yeah, that BB tool sitting there, it's the wrong one. I found that out a few seconds after snapping this picture when I tried to remove the Campagnolo BB. I had the Shimano tool. The other tool is the tool that comes with the Ergomo. More on that later. That'd be frame polish in the spray can. Finishline to be exact.

OK. Cleaned and all shiny, shiny. Whenever I remove my cranks, I have a good look at the BB area. I clean it and put a heavy layer of polish on it.
I skipped the tap and face as I'd just done it a month ago when I put in a new Campagnolo BB. I'm sure it's still fine (...more on that later).
I scrubbed the threads with a stiff brush. Degreased, then added an even film of FinishLine grease over the threads and the shell face. Yum.

I installed the drive side cup hand tight (lip snug to the BB face by hand). I added the same even layer of grease where the BB will seat in the cup. There's the grease.

The destruction manual is pretty clear on 1 point; The wires need to be at the 9'0clock position for the Ergomo to be most accurate. To do this, you really need to face and chase the shell. The Ergomo comes with 3 different width spacers and it is a trial and error procedure to discover which ones you need to use. I guess you could mic everything but you'd probably have to install it, at least twice, to be sure.

The good new is that the torque spec for the cups is quite broad. This allows you to cheat a little bit. All that grease I put on previously came in pretty handy here. This was also a trial and error procedure. I had to alternate between torquing each cup while trying to have the cable at exactly 9'oclock as the torque fell into range.

It all seemed like a great plan, so far.

This is the tool that came with the Ergomo. It has a tooth missing so that you don't damage the cables during installation. It was cut well, feels like good quality tool steel and fit solidly in place and felt solid during use. Which is a good thing because I had to use it quite a bit and I am far from done using it.

Here's the latest incarnation of my bike - I've gotta lose the flames. The whole Ergomo set-up is quite unobtrusive. I hate zip ties on my bike but these are minimal.


The beauty shot. I think the water is kinda sexy. I was going to take a shot of the front of my bike coming out of the pool, dripping wet, but they were cleaning the pool today so this was my second choice.

Install to date:

Chase and face is a must. It's a trial and error install. I'm 1.5 hours into it, so far.

I went for a ride to test the system afterwards. It worked fine. If I had actually read the computer set-up destructions, I would have gotten the speed sensor working properly. Other than that, and not setting up the altimeter at all, they system worked and felt smooth.

The bad part. Technically, I got the cups into the lower range of their torque spec. Over the course of my ride, however, the cups moved. This means the data I recorded may be inaccurate. To what degree, I don't now.

I worked with the spacers and have come to the conclusion that I have to both add 1 more (there are different thicknesses) and face the shell again, thereby removing the tiniest amount of material. I'm positive that this will do the trick.

Without access to cutting tools, I could not have installed the Ergomo system at home. In short, a proper shop must be involved in the process. Factor these costs into the overall cost of the Ergomo PM.

I will follow on with an update on the installation and then it is on to the computer itself. There is some pretty cool stuff there.

Ergomo 1.1 - J'arrive!

Or something like that.
Well, it's here. I'm a tad disappointed because the cranks didn't show up. It's no biggie as I have some cranks that I can use.

I flipped through the destructions. All the whining I'd read about installation seems a bit much. It looks pretty straight forward and should take about a hour if I have a beer in one hand.

The case is really nice and the computer display look excellent. I like the screen choices and I'm sure I will have much more to say about that once I start using it.

It obviously comes with software. I think that will be the real make or break for the unit. I will document the installation and hopefully put to bed the idea that Ergomo is a pain to install.

Come' on folks, it ain't rocket surgery.

Regular Training Course Profiles

MONDAY: Ride the Sofa.
TUESDAY: 75km and 610m elevation gain.
WEDNESDAY: 65km Training Race. Dead flat.

THURSDAY: 75km and 610m elevation gain.

FRIDAY: 1.5 hours Recovery. Dead flat.

SATURDAY: Group ride/training race. 4 to 6 hours.

SUNDAY: Family day OR 100-140km with focus on elevation gain.

Training Schedule: Week 2

Monday: Off - Well, I nailed that one.
Tuesday: Time: 2:45 - Distance: 75km - Elevation Gain: 610m - Ave HR: 141
I felt pretty good today. I was able to carry some speed through the climbs but couldn't maintain any real intensity. I plan on using this course on Tuesdays and Thursdays but think I will need to lengthen it as I get fitter.
Wednesday: Training race - CANCELLED due to weather.
Thursday: Time: 2:35 - Distance: 65km - Elevation Gain: 400m - Ave HR: 144
Felt flat today. I wanted to go out and hammer in the rain but the gas just wasn't there. Rode tempo instead.
Friday: 1 hour easy. There is a big weather system hanging around and it is killing me.
Saturday: 2:40, 75km, elevation gain: 900m , Ave HR: 146. First ride with the new PM. I jammed the power climbs pretty hard. I could feel it near the end.
Sunday: 3:40, 110km, Elevation gain: 1100m, Ave HR: 148. Started strong but didn't eat enough the night before. Totally ran out of jam mid-ride.

Totals:
Time: 12.5 hours
Distance:355km
Elevation gain:2910m
Ave HR: INCREASING!

Not a good week. I felt tired and had difficulty maintaining intensity.

Keeping a sponsor happy

Last year my title sponsor was Fuji Asia. I got a last minute call to do a MTB race in Korea. I thought, "What the heck." and said ok. You've gotta keep the sponsors happy!

A short flight and a long drive later we were in the mountains in the northern part of the country. It was beautiful.

I did the pro race and finished 2nd. I had a mechanical but even without it there was no way I could climb with the Japanese guy from Specialized who won.

This isn't the good part of the story.


After the race, there was the usual draw for prizes. The thing is Fuji Korea had really stepped up and there was a ton of loot. I got a Shimano LX equipped bike for my second place. The winner got a carbon frame (along with our cash). In short, there was a ton of loot.Every participant was given a number with our timing chips and they went into a bucket. Some of the riders had left or had given their chips to other people. Near me was this kid who had a few numbers and, it was pretty clear, he REALLY wanted a new bike!

They kept drawing numbers and people kept coming to the stage and hauling away bikes, frames or wheels sets. I kept watching this kid because he was pretty funny. Eventually, they ran out of stuff to give away and I could tell that this kid was crushed.

The Korean organizer had told me that they could ship the bike to me and change it for the proper size if need be. I asked him if they had kids bikes. He said yes but was puzzled. I told him I wanted to give my bike to the kid I'd been watching and could he take care of it for me. He said he would do it personally.

I dragged the bike box over to where the kid was still standing. His numbers were scattered on the ground at his feet. My interpretor told him that I wanted to give him the bike I'd won. Needless to say it took us 10 minutes to get this kid to stand still long enough to take this picture.
This picture was taken with my camera and didn't come out too well. I'm sure the ones the press guys took were much better.

Did I mention how happy my sponsor was?

They signed on for 2 more years and increased the budget. My job here was done.

1998 Nationals

Nationals, in 1998, were in the lower mainland BC. I had a few friends that I could get there with and a teammate who was riding well.

The RR was a rolling circuit that was just right for both of us. I'd been racing Cat 1/2 all season with the occasional Vet A race thrown in. When I wanted to reg for Nationals I was told that, based on my license, I had to race Vet A. At first I was miffed but then I adapted my thinking. Instead of being pack fodder in the Senior (P/1/2) field, I'd ride for the win. I talked with my team mate and we made a deal; I'd work for him in the RR and he'd work for me in the crit. Done.

During the RR there was a break containing my teammate mid-race and I went to the front and started blocking. I was a complete dick and it didn't take long for guys to figure out what I was up to. I took a few elbows and a punch to the quad but it all went according to plan. My teammate got 3rd in the sprint and I was second in the field sprint for 8th. Not a bad day.

Then it was my turn.

The crit was held on an oval course the was high on one side and sloped down on the other. There were no corners so it was full gas all the way. I'd done the Senior (P/1/2) Provincial Championships there before so I was familiar with the rhythm of the course. The race was set up with a prime every 3 laps. There was a ton of shwag and even some cash. I spoke with my teammate and we had a plan.

As we came around and heard the bell for the first prime, I found my teammates wheel. We worked ourselves into a good position and watched the sprinters go for the prime. Then we attacked together. At first there was no reaction and we got 1/2 a lap gap pretty quickly. The course was open so we could see the group on the other side - and they could see us. Not ideal conditions.

We worked really well together and kept trading pulls. We won all the remaining primes and had a hoot divying up the loot afterwards. With 3 to go my teammate was starting to really fade. I had been taking longer and longer pulls and the group was slowing reeling us in. As we rolled through and took the bell I put my head down and was determined to pull him to the line. Half way through the lap I could see that the group was really breathing down our necks and that the rider, who had won the first prime so handily, had jumped out of the group and was motoring across to us.

My team mate said' "You'd better go." I knew he was right. I jumped away.

I have a photo of me crossing the line, jersey zipped and blowing kisses. The caption reads "1998 Vet "A" National Criterium Championship."

My teammate held on for bronze giving him two for the weekend. We were both pretty please with ourselves.

Ergomo 1.0 - The anticipation

I am a few days away from receiving and installing my new Ergomo set-up.

I have heard both good and bad things about the system but have decided that it is the best option for me. I am currently testing wheels for Novatech, so a PowerTap was never on the table. SRM would be nice but I feel the cost is prohibitive. I also like the idea of Ergomo in terms of how it interfaces with the bike. Another plus seems to be the computer display itself. it has features that others don't.

I have heard users complain about how difficult the Ergomo system is to install. With many years of bike shop and industry experience this doesn't worry me at all. We'll see.

I've been racing for 20+ years. I am a licensed coach. Although this gives me a pretty good background I am most excited about what changes, in terms of training structure, using a power meter will bring.

I have already adapted some of my interval work to those that are based on use with a PM. My former team mates were using SRM so I had access and exposure to their equipment and training methods but I never fully made the switch as I felt I was close to retirement and didn't think a complete revision of my training was worth the energy. Obviously I've changed my mind.

I will post about the installation procedure once the unit arrives but for now all I can do is wait like it's December 23rd.

The center of the universe

This is my son, William. I am fortunate that he is healthy and happy and full of life.

I spend time playing with him every morning before work and every night when I come home. On weekends I take him for a ride on the bike (with baby seat) I built for him and he loves it. Maybe even more than daddy.

He gives me perspective on what's important and I can't wait to take him to see his first bike race.

Some backstory.

Without context, content is meaningless.

I decided to start a blog based on the modicum of encouragement I receive from regular posters on BikeForums.net. Little did they know what they would be unleashing on the world.

I've raced since the mid 80's (that's 1980's for all you kiddies) and have had a pretty checkered career. I have won 2 National Championships, (well 1 but that's another story) and had 3 major injuries which include a shattered arm(1989), a collapsed lung (1993) and, most recently spinal surgery (2005) to do what they could with the remains of 2 collapsed discs and bone spurs on the inside of my spinal column that were threatening to seriously damage the nerves in the area.

Each time I bounced back and continued racing. Last year (late 2007) with a new son, increasing demands being placed on my time by my job, and managing a team that I was hoping to eventually register as a Continental team on the Asia Tour I reached the conclusion that I just couldn't commit the time to all 3 and survive. So I retired. No racing, no coaching, no managing and very little riding.

I spent the next 6 or 7 months fascinated by my son. He is the center of the universe and nothing will change that. I got a handle on my job and even squeezed in a few rides now and then. Life was good but something wasn't right. I had this itch I just couldn't scratch.

Now, my family life and work life have settled down to a point where I can begin structured training again. I waste some of my time on a cycling forum site vicariously suffering (err...I mean racing) through others. I encourage, support, harangue and spin long winded yarns. Generally I will go on incessantly and annoy the crap out of people who want to talk about racing. So I decided that what I really needed was a blog.

I also wanted to be able to share the experience, and the data that will follow, with anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation. I'm sure you're out there. Both of you. I am hoping that those who have gone before me can offer insight and encouragement. I will be getting a new power meter soon (details to follow) and look forward to the pissing contests that will result.

If you're still reading, that should get you pretty much up to speed. Stay tuned for more riveting stuff or drop by if it's a slow day at work.