Rubbish Bin Repost

Through the first year, I have accumulated many posts that I never completed due to lack of motivation, or enough knowledge to flesh out the text. In this post, I humbly present to you my rubbish bin, AKA unpublished post drafts:

Untitled

01/29/2010

http://djconnel.blogspot.com/2010/01/drivetrain-losses-introduction.html

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Road Race in Morgantown, WV – April 3rd!

03/01/2010

From BikeReg.com:

Leave your expensive Flux-Capacitors and fancy wheels at home cause it’s WV and we got pot holes, but do not forget your climbing legs, and yes, they can have hair on them too. We don’t judge! If you want to climb your legs off come join us over in West “by god” Virginia for some wicked hard yet truly fun grassroots road racn’!! This race course has just about everything a cyclist could wish for in ridge top views, back country road, big climbs and gear pounds flats.This course starts and finishes at Gospel Tabernacle Church on Shannon Run Road. This race course has just about everything a cyclist could wish for in ridge top views, back country road, big climbs and gear pounds flats. Starting out at Gospel Tabernacle Church you head North on Route 19 towards Kirby.  Then a left on Kirby Road and across the mountain to Route 218. Then it is a right turn to head North on RT 218 into Pennsylvania. Ride 218 all the way up to Waynesburg. A quick right on cook road and over top the mountain you will find yourself returning south on Sugar Run Road. At Kirby, PA take a right on Kirby road and then it back country roads all the way back to the finish in Mt Morris.

The race is 47 miles, and registration is $20, regardless of category.

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Nothing Like A Freshly Paved Road

06/03/2010

Ever been on a ride where

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Injuries – A Stick In Your Spokes

12/10/2010

Mountain bike season came around pretty fast this year, Serious riding started in April, and road riding peaked in late September… Once the temperature dropped enough, I hit the MTB with full force. After a few component upgrades, something was off on the fit of the bike, and I felt like adjusting my cleats was a good idea.

This was the biggest cycling related mistake I made in the past several years… or at least I thought it was…

My left knee started killing me after my first ride with the new cleat adjustment. My IT Band also felt like it was cut with a knife.I decided I would take a week or two to let the tendonitis/ITBS to calm down, and stop hurting. These two weeks were terrible… The weather was perfect to ride, all my friends were riding; and there I was… not riding. Total bummer.

The inability to do something that you enjoy just because of one thing is so demoralizing.

I knew I had the entire skillset to ride with my buddies; I had the endurance, the riding skills, and everything else needed… except the injury was inhibiting me from riding.

What do you guys do when you’re injured and can’t ride or perform some other favorite activity?

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Luckily I did not have writer’s block too many times this year, and I hope for even more published posts in 2011!

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One Year of WV Cycling!

Who thought WV Cycling was going to last an entire year? A lot has happened in the past 365 days, and to have the year in review, I’m going to list a little bit of statistics from WordPress’ site stats page:

Top Posts of 2010:

1. Snow Chains / Tire Chains For Your Bicycle!
2. Essential List For Your Bike Repair Tool Kit
3. DIY Foldable Repair Stand
4. How to Clean Your Bike – The Definitive Guide
5. Recipes For The Road

Top Search Terms of 2010:

1. bicycle snow chains
2. tour of tucker county 2010
3. diy bike repair stand
4. selcof stem
5. cycling recipes

Most Clicked Links:

1. afajarito.blogspot.com/2010/01/diy-portable-bike-repair-stand.html
2. wenzelco.com/details.aspx?NavID=283
3. cyclocamping.com/products.asp?cat=74
4. fyxation.com
5. craigbarlow.blogspot.com

Most Viewed Images:

#1 - DIY Bike Repair Stand

#2 - Tour of Tucker County 2010

#3 - Wenzel Lone Elk Hiker/Biker Tent

#4 - Before A Ride @ Fat Tire Cycle

#5 - Lovely Model w/ O2 Rainwear's 3Flow Rain Jacket

My Favorite Posts of 2010:

1. Ascension Par le Jeu: Rise by the Game
2. A Reply and Inquiry to Pantani’s Problems:
3. Falling… for a fellow rider
4. WV Cycling’s Service Course
5. The Squirrel
6. The Hitman
7. Un Jour Sans
8. Cycling is a Dreamworld
9. Top Ten Reasons to Ride Locally
10. Cycling Changing Everyday Behaviors

Taking a look backa at my goals for 2010, I think I did a pretty good job at accomplishing most, if not all of them; I’ve gone further around the state, and have ridden with many great riders, and LBS Proprietors. I also was able to acertain a cyclocross bike, and try that around; which oddly enough has been my favorite bike since October. The cross bike is more nimble than my MTB in the snow, and a heck of a lot more stable/safer than the road bike on dirt roads. Perfect balance.

Talking about other people, I met a lot of influential riders, advocates, business owners, and spoke to several State politicians about cycling in West Virginia. 2010 will be known as the year that I learned how many people actually ride their bike. This was a very comforting thing, and has motivated me to not only ride more, but promote more cycling events in WV.

I don’t think I spoke much about any Elite or european racing this year, but I am still wanting to ride with any local group that invites me to go for a jaunt with them.

If you ever have an event and want me to promote it, feel more than free. I have a hard time keeping track of everything that is going on; so even if it is a group ride, email me and let me know in advance by at least two days…. That’s free advertising~

I have a lot of optimism for WV cycling’s second year. I have a lot of things coming down the pipeline, especially product reviews, and rider profile stories. I think you guys will like what is to come.

Wish me luck, and have a great Christmas!

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Random Snowy Fun!

With snowfall, it is really hard to motivate yourself to do anything. After work, I was planning on doing an hour or so of cross country skiing to keep my aerobic activity up. I haven’t had too many exciting or super enjoyable ski sessions so far, so the inspiration to go out is even more difficult. With cycling, I can recall past experiences that make me remember great routes, climbs, downhills, or feelings in general. These great times allow me to know that I’d feel great after a good, hard ride.

I got on my bike and took off through the powdery snow, leaving wonderful tire tracks everywhere I went. The initial sting of the cold air hit my legs, but after the first mile… I was ready to keep on pedaling.

Oddly enough, the cross bike really feels more responsive, nimble, and under control than the MTB does in the snow. I’m sure this is due to the skinnier tires at low pressure, the tires not half-floating, half-sinking into the snow, and the differences in geometry and center of gravity.

We all know getting started for an activity is the hard part, but once I was out there, I was whipping around, trying to burn as many calories as possible. It didn’t take much discipline to have an adventure, and test out things that I have never done before on a bicycle in these kinds of conditions.

I learned a lot of new skills, and abilities of my own body (how long it takes my toes to go numb, then hurt), or about the bike (how I can powerslide down a hill by locking my rear wheel just enough..) These things made it totally worth going out.

 

Figure 8's, yes.

 

I was doing laps around the snowvelodrome, er, the rubber track at the college

Post ride snack~

 

 

 

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Winter Activities: Spin Class

Fat Tire Cycle – Monday & Thursday @ 6:00 PM.

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This Is How a Cyclist Decorates For Christmas

John ‘Impy’ Imperial has posted some funny pictures on facebook. His wife allegedly left him in charge of decorating the Christmas tree, so he went to town adding his own touch to the style of the ornaments:

I’m wondering how his wife like the decorations…. I think he would have had better luck with something like this:

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