To Dare Greatly - An Ode to Lindsey Vonn

TO DARE GREATLY

For centuries, the contract between man and mountain has remained unchanged. It is a pact written in ice and signed in blood. To enter the arena of the high peaks is to accept a simple truth: you are there only at the mountain’s mercy, and at any moment, that permission can be reclaimed.

We often tell the story of Icarus as a warning against pride—a boy who flew too high and paid the price. But for those who have actually flown down the mountain the story is different. It is not about the fall; it is about the flight. Like Lindsey Vonn, who stepped into the starting gate with a titanium knee and a warrior’s heart, the goal wasn't just a medal. It was the challenge. It was the 13 seconds of being truly alive before the mountain decided the flight was over.

Critics call this "reckless," but they are the "cold and timid souls" who never leave the ground. They don’t understand that a serious injury isn't a stop sign—it’s just the cost of daring greatly. When you have been one with the mountain, the ice, and the snow your many injuries and surgeries are badges of honor, not a restraint.

To dare greatly is to trust the process, lean into the challenge and dive through the start gate. It is the realization that the relationship between you and the mountain is older than any injury. You don’t return to the slopes to conquer them; you return because you have earned the right to be there. You return because the chatter of your skis and the rush of the descent are what gives your soul life.

In the end, it is the "Man in the Arena" that best speaks to the journey of every racer who has had crushing injuries, broken bones, and still chooses to return—it is a testament and a gratitude. Gratitude for the speed, for the challenge, and for the borrowed time the mountain lets you have.  Go big or go home. Because in the mountains, the only real failure is never finding the courage to fly at all.

KHS Aero Track

 KHS Aero Track

Dutch Orange
KHS Aero Track - True Temper Chromoly 
Size: 56cm
Handlebars: NS Chrome Track 42 CM
Crank: Sugino 75 - 165cm
Wheels: Mavic Eclipse
Seat: Selle Italia Flite

As a championship track bike

Records:  
3 gold medals 2001 Senior Games
Gold Medal Team pursuit 2002 NCNCA State Championships

As a retired ride around the hood bike

Specialized StumpJumper Comp M4

 

Specialized StumpJumper Comp M4

Size: Small
Fork: Manato Elite Lite

Brakes: Avid Single Digit 5R
Brake levers: TekTro
Handlebars Azonix 64 cm
Drivetrain: Shimano XTR 9 speed 

Crank:  Specialized StrongArm II - 170 cm
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic
Seat post: Ritchey

Vintage Colnagos

 Colnago Master Light

Colnago Red
Size: 58cm
Brakes: Dura Ace Calipers
Brake levers: Dura Ace 9 Speed
Handlebars Ritchie 46cm
Drivetrain: Dura Ace 9 speed 53-38 - 12-28
Crank: Dura Ace 170cm
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic or ROL
Stem: Newton Deda

Colnago CT1

Colnago Reflex Blue
Size: 56cm
Brakes: Dura Ace Calipers
Brake levers: Dura Ace 9 Speed
Handlebars Newton Deda 44cm
Drivetrain: Dura Ace 9 speed 53-38 - 12-28
Crank: Dura Ace 170cm
Wheels: Spinergy Xaero
Stem: Newton Deda

For the Love of the Bike

For the love of the bike

How to Get Started With Zwift

I'm glad you're considering Zwift. It's a fun training tool and a way to meet like-minded cyclists from around the world. I've been riding in Zwift since March 2016 and I've ridden in the virtual world with 100s of people from Australia to Japan to Africa and all over Europe and the US. Zwift is very social and it's easy to communicate with the riders you're next to via text messages in the game. As with any video game the more you ride the more cool bikes, wheels and kit you unlock to dress up your avatar. If you climb 164,042 feet (50,000 Meters) you unlock the ultimate fastest bike called the Tron. It will take the better part of a year to get there! Here's a picture of me and Meylina on our Trons.

Communicating with riders after your ride is possible because you save your rides to Strava and Strava shows who you rode with. Knowing that you can start a conversation with them by commenting on their activity. Zwift creates a .fit file (just like a Garmin) which details real GPS coordinates and makes it possible to apply all the Strava analytics to your rides. Here's a picture of my screen in a group ride.

You can also ride with friends in the virtual Zwift world no matter where they are in the physical world. I have done many rides with my brother who lives in Florida and friends I have met in Zwift from New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut, England, France, Canada and Australia.

There are all kinds of group rides and races which make it even more fun. In Zwift all the dynamics of drafting, climbing and descending work just like in real life. It makes for great motivation to see a rider just ahead and put the hammer down to catch them and get in their draft. I find I ride longer and harder indoors then I ever did before Zwift when the indoor trainer was a necessary evil. Now I'd rather ride in Zwift with over 800 people than outside by myself. Here is an example from a recent Zwift race showing my Suffer Score. That's 142 of 145 in the RED!

Your speed in the game is based on the power you're generating and your weight or watts/kg. The more watts/kg you're generating the faster you'll go. Using this formula for speed replicates all the cycling dynamics of real life. Heavier riders will need to put out more watts on a climb than lighter riders. Similarly heavier riders will have an advantage on the descents.

Here's a video of me riding is Zwift showing multiple views.



How to Get Started

A Zwift setup includes:

• Your bike
• A stationary trainer
• A Computer (laptop, PC, iPhone or iPad) to run the Zwift application and communicate with your trainer and bike via ANT+ or Bluetooth. You download the app from Zwift.com and the first week is free. From there on it is $15 a month.

Optionally you may consider

• A large screen TV or monitor for a more immersive experience
• A cadence sensor to accurately reflect the cadence of your avitar
• A heart rate monitor to know how hard you're working

The iPhone Mobile App which also lets you control the game and look up rider profiles during the ride. It also has the schedule of events and let's you join in advance.

You will want to pick a good place for your Zwift "pain cave." The setup should offer access to your keyboard to control the game and a fan to keep you cool (I actually use 2 fans, one in front and one on side)

Here is a picture of my setup in the garage.

Here are some suggestions for your setup.

Your Bike

It is most convenient to have a bike dedicated to Zwifting. This greatly reduces the time it takes to get going. Your bike should be a road bike with 700c wheels. You may also consider mounting a trainer tire on the back wheel. These tires are a lot quieter and last longer than standard road tires.

Your Computer

Most late model computers (Windows or Mac) will be able to run Zwift which requires 64bit. Zwift is a video game so high performance graphics enhance the experience. You'll also need an ANT+ USB that plugs into your PC or laptop. I use the Garmin one: ANT+ USB Stick If you have a computer you can test it out by downloading Zwift and running it without any other equipment. Zwift has recently added support for the iPhone and iPad which only communicate via bluetooth which means they only work with Smart trainers that support bluetooth.

The Trainer

The least expensive option is a Zwift supported "dumb" trainer with a speed detector on your back wheel. A dumb trainer is one that does not communicate directly with the game. With a dumb trainer you communicate with Zwift by transmitting the speed of your wheel. Zwift estimates the power you are putting based on the speed of your wheel and the power curve of the trainer. Here is the setup I started with. Travel Trac Comp Fluid - I think this is the best least expensive option. For a speed sensor I use the Garmin Speed Sensor Link

For a more immersive experience you may want to go for a smart trainer like the Wahoo Kickr. With a smart trainer Zwift controls the resistance so when you climb it's harder to pedal. After well over 1000 miles in Zwift using the Trac Comp Fluid I upgraded to the Wahoo Kickr SNAP. The advantage of smart trainers like the Kickr SNAP is that they communicate your actual power directly to Zwift. DC Rainmaker has a detailed evaluation of trainers here. and the Zwift site has the complete list of supported trainers.

Here are some other resources you will find useful.

• There is a Zwift Facebook group where a lot of the conversation happens.
• Here is the Zwift group ride events. It's a lot of fun to ride in a group or race.
• Here is the unofficial Zwift Manual which is very comprehensive

You can follow me on Strava at https://www.strava.com/athletes/8196543 and I hope to ride with you in Zwift soon.

RideON!

When Virtual Serendipitously Resembles Reality

Amazingly enough my real world cycling team, San Jose Bicycle Club (SJBC) kit closely resembles  my Zwift virtual team CRYO-GEN kit

Saturday Velo 2020 Kit

Here is the 2020 Saturday Velo Kit. It features a simple design with:

Jersey - White and Black Versions

• The Velominati Logo front and back
• "Saturday Velo" on the front and rear pocket 
• "Rule #5" on the right sleeve
• The California flag on the left sleeve
• Orange, blue and red stripes on the front and back
• Blue bands on the sleeves

Shorts

• All black with matching orange, blue and red stripes on the side panels
• The Velominati Logo on each leg side panel above the stripes
• Black bands for the bottom cuffs

The Jersey will match well with all black shorts if you only want to get the Jersey.

You can order the kit directly from Voler.  Both Jersey and shorts feature the Peloton design.  The Jersey is available in Race or Club fit and both mens and womens fit. The shorts are available as bibs in both mens and womens sizes. 

Their sizing is detailed here.  As a point of reference I take a Medium Club Fit jersey and Medium bib shorts.

Order the Black Jersey here

Order the White Jersey here

Order the Shorts here  

(Note: the image shows blue leg bands but we changed it to black bands)

Call me if you have any questions (408-892-0498).  I hope to see you on our next Saturday ride soon.

Cheers and RideON

Richard
408-892-0498

Getting My New Titanium Hip

Well I knew it was time to get my second hip replaced as walking was becoming more and more painful.  My right hip was replaced 7 years ago so I knew what I was in for.  With that knowledge I put it off as long as I could.

My fitness was good and I had lost 25 lbs riding 150 miles a week and doing a lot of Zwifting.

But it was time.  June 5th was the day.  On the eve of D-Day.

The afternoon following surgery

My Matching Hips

Recovery Log:

Week 1:
At one week I was walking with the training wheels.  Still in pain and very diligently adhering to the 90 degree hip flex protocol.  Bending past 90 with the knee inward can cause a dislocation and that means going back to the operating table to put it back in!

At one week, walking with the training wheels

Week 2:
At my Doc visit 10 days after the operation I got the go a head to drop the training wheels and graduate to the cane.  I am walking 3 times a day for about a total of 1 mile with plenty of resting in between.  To get some aerobic exercise I devised a way to ride in Zwift with a hand trainer.  It was tough work just to get to 1W/KG.

At two weeks I graduated to the cane.  
Walking just under a mile a day

The Hand Trainer Connected to Zwift

Here's a Hand Trainer ride.



Weeks 3 - 6
At 3 weeks I started riding the trainer in Zwift.  Real easy at first at under 1 W/KG.  I also rigged a second handle bar to provide a higher position on the bike and not violate the 90 degree protocol.

Double Handle Bar for Raised Riding Position

Riding milestone:  Got my my FTP backup over 1.5 W/KG



Weeks 6-12

Six weeks was a big milestone when the bone starts to adhere to the implant.  The incision is healed and I started started swimming, PT and Zwifting at over 1.5 W/KG.  Here's a picture of Dr. Lannin, very happy with my progress.

Me and the Doc

The Garage

Colnago Master Light

Colnago Red
Size: 58cm
Brakes: Dura Ace Calipers
Brake levers: Dura Ace 9 Speed
Handlebars Ritchie 46cm
Drivetrain: Dura Ace 9 speed 53-38 - 12-28
Crank: Dura Ace 170cm
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic or ROL
Stem: Newton Deda

Colnago CT1

Colnago Reflex Blue
Size: 56cm
Brakes: Dura Ace Calipers
Brake levers: Dura Ace 9 Speed
Handlebars Newton Deda 44cm
Drivetrain: Dura Ace 9 speed 53-38 - 12-28
Crank: Dura Ace 170cm
Wheels: Spinergy Xaero
Stem: Newton Deda

KHS Aero Track

Dutch Orange
KHS Aero Track - True Temper Chromoly 
Size: 56cm
Handlebars: NS Chrome Track 42 CM
Crank: Sugino 75 - 165cm
Wheels: Mavic Eclipse
Seat: Selle Italia Flite

Records:  
3 gold medals 2001 Senior Games
Gold Medal Team pursuit 2002 NCNCA State Championships

 

Project One Trek Domane 6

Midnight Blue
Size: H2
Brakes: Ultegra 6800 Calipers
Brake levers: Ultegra 6800 11 Speed
Handlebars Bontrager RXL 44cm
Drivetrain: Ultegra 6800 - 11 speed 50-34 - 12-32
Power Meter: Pioneer Dual 
Crank: Ultegra 6800 170 cm
Wheels: Bontrager Paradigm 
Stem: Bontrager 
K-Edge Garmin mount
Pedals Shimano road

A Gift From Mother Nature to Cyclists - Riding The Big Sur With No Cars

Well after 5 years of drought Mother Nature gave us a rainy winter.  It rained and it rained and it rained.  It ended the drought but it took a toll on the roads all over the San Francisco Bay area.  One area that took a big hit was the Big Sur.  The excessive rain created a huge one mile slide that took out Rt 1 and rendered the Pfeiffer bridge impassable.  This created a section of Big Sur that was cut off to all thru traffic.  The only way to drive into that stretch of hwy 1 is over Nacimiento-Fergusson road.  That's a tortuous 2 hour ride over to hwy 101.  All this means that a 33 mile section of Rt 1 on the Big Sur is now essentially cut off to all but local traffic.

What a gift to all cyclists.

The Pfeiffer bridge will open in late October so time is limited to ride the 33 mile Rt 1 segment without cars.

We were able to do it last week and it was a once in a lifetime treat.

We drove to Pfieffer State park and hiked the trail from there to other side of the Pfeiffer bridge.  The trail is busy with school kids and professionals headed to school or work.  They take busses or have cars on either side to get from home to work or schools. The trail climbs up about 100 vt feet over many stair steps.

Once on the road the ride begins with the full splendor of the Pacific coast in full view.  And a note for all cyclists the ride has no flat sections.  You are either Climbing or descending.  I remember thinking on every downhill as we headed out that I'd have to climb it on my way back.

Here's the profile of the ride - a real saw tooth and over 5,000 ft of climbing.  Many of the climbs are cat 4s.  That's over 18 times up WIllow Springs

Riding along the Big Sur in the solitude of you, your effort and the awesome rugged coast below is truly inspirational.  

Here's the complete ride on Strava.

Here's my pictures from our ride.

Zwift - Spin Class Meets Velominati Meets Gamers

I have been riding in Zwift now for over a year now and it has been fascinating watching the intersection of the spin class community, the hard core Velominati and the gamers. It's an interesting and weird melting pot. 

For the Velominati Zwift is a place to experience rule #5 pain no matter what the weather or time of day. To hardcore Velominati jumping on the trainer during bad weather was giving up on rule #9. Riding a trainer is about the most boring thing you can imagine. Before Zwift the most I could ride the trainer was about 45 minutes.  In Zwift it's easy to whileaway multiple hours.

For the Spinners Zwift makes exercising way more interesting. It's Spinning anytime you want right in your own house. No need to go to the gym, just jump on and ride. Group rides at your fitness level offer a built in support group and fun conversation as you spin away.  It also gets the competitive spirit going experiencing what it takes to keep up with the group.  Faking intensity won't work as you'll be left behind.  Here's what a group ride looks like in Zwift

For the gamers  it's "Wait there's game I play by riding my bike, cool how do I win." Well, the more you ride the more you win.  Zwift prizes feature more options for dressing your avatar and riding faster bikes.  The hardest bike to win is the Zwift Concept bike called the Tron. You have to climb 50,000 meters to win it and that's a lot of climbing.  It took me 8 months to get the Tron and that makes it feel like a real achievement. The Tron looks really cool with customized fluorescent wheels of any color you choose.  Here's me on my Tron.

Zwift did some really smart things to build their community quickly and bring the Velominati, Spinners and Gamers together.

• For the Velominati they supported dumb trainers which lowered the entry costs for users that had a bike, a computer and an a dumb trainer in the garage that they hated to use. With the immersive experience those folks got hooked quickly. I used to hate riding the trainer and only did so if it was really bad weather. But with Zwift I found myself riding the trainer even when the weather was great outside. It was more fun riding with 100 others in Zwift than alone outside. The Velominati is a rabid group and getting them hooked was a key strategy.
• For Spinners they created group rides at specific fitness levels. Because a Zwift ride is recorded with real GPS coordinates it can easily integrate with Strava.  Once a ride is in Strava all the Strava analytics work especially the Flyby feature which shows who you road with. This means you can start conversions in the Strava activity comments with the folks you road with in Zwift. That's how I'm now following almost 200 riders from all over the world. I have even been able to meet them in person later when traveling to their home towns.
• For Gamers they created a very compelling virtual world in which all the cycling dynamics like drafting, climbing and descending work as they do in real life. By calculating speed using watts per kilo it also makes each rider's dynamics very close to real life outdoor rides. This creates situations where skill in the game means more success.  Knowing when and how hard to push, when to use power ups and when to start sprinting for the finish sprint are all skills to be learned  The gaming element also encourages you to ride more as the further you go, the more you unlock cool kit and equipment to deck out your avatar.

By being extremely attentive Zwift fostered a rabid community of supporters through social media especially facebook and twitter. They are hyper aggressive in responding to problems. In my own personal experience as I was just getting started in Zwift and I couldn't get into the game. I planned to join a group ride that was about to start. I thought how can I get help quickly so I sent a Tweet to @GoZwift asking for help. In less than a minute I got a response and was able to get started in time for the group ride. Later I checked who had responded so quickly and it was Eric Minn the CEO! I thought, "man these Zwift folks are on it!"

So with a large supportive community in place and the Velominati, Spinners and Gamers all interacting daily I see several interesting conversations going on.

• For the Velominati the conversation centers mostly around racing and the cheaters. You can cheat in three ways: 1) set your weight lower to get a higher watts/kilo and go faster especially on climbs; 2) have incorrect dumb trainer settings that generate really high Zpower wattage readings and 3) use a mechanical assist to generate higher watts.  
  
  Eventually the cheating discussion delves into to all the subtleties of using watts/kilo to define the racing categories. In races the watts/kilo limits are absolute so going over the limit results in immediate disqualification.  It's not like IRL racing where you aren't upgraded to the next category until you regularly win in your current category.  This comes as a shock to most racers, myself included, when they get disqualified and upgraded in their first race.  As such Zwift racing has evolved to gaming skills - when to go hard, or draft, or let others race ahead knowing they will be disqualified for going over the watts/kilo limit.
• For the Spinners the conversation centers most around keeping everyone together in group rides.  In group rides the game is to try to stay as close to the leader as you can.  This means staying under the advertized watts/kilo for the ride.  Inevitably there is a group that hammers off the front which prompts the leader to plead for them to slow down and rejoin the group. The drafting effect in large groups is very real.  If you get dropped you will have to put in a very hard effort to catch back up.  Many rides have sweepers that will drop back and pace dropped riders back into the pack.
• For the Gamers the conversation is mostly about learning aspects of the game and cycling. This group is not well versed in cycling terms or dynamics so there is a lot to learn which makes it more challenging.  I experienced this learning curve with my brother who I convinced to get into Zwift.  He is a gamer and not a cyclist.  It took awhile for him to grasp the cycling dynamics required to ride in Zwift.  Simple things like not being able to pair his speed detector because he wasn't pedaling or controlling his speed to be able to get into a draft.

I must say I'm having a lot of fun participating in all these conversations as they unfold in in the various forums in Facebook and the Zwift Community.

Feel free to jump in and have fun.

RideON!

Bettini On Willow Springs Road

One of my favorite Specialized adds.   Filmed in the green Californian spring on Willow Springs road, a road I ride often.

Enjoy

Buyer Beware: PowerCal Will Not Work in Zwift

I got the PowerCal to be able to ride in Zwift on Spin bikes while traveling. However, the PowerCal does not produce reliable enough power numbers to be used in Zwift. For a given heart rate the watts will vary from 0 to 150 to 250 in a given 10 second period. In Zwift this means you are stopping and starting constantly.

In working with PowerTap support I did some testing on a trainer to compare the PowerCal to a Wahoo. I recorded a single session 2 ways.

- Using Zwift I recorded the power from the Wahoo and the HR from the PowerCal
- Using a Garmin 820 I recorded the power from the PowerCal and the HR from the Powercal

During the test session I could not determine any pattern to the power output from the PowerCal. At any given HR the power jumps around randomly from 0 to 100 to 150 to even 600 watts. I would have expected that for given HR there would be a given consistant wattage.

Here is the Strava data from the session

You can see that the HR data is nearly identical as you would expect but the power data is significantly different. A note the difference in distance is due to Zwift calculating speed based on terrain and Watts/Kg while the garmin is using only wheel speed.