Bike

Recap: 2024 Tour de Tucson

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So the Tour de Tucson has been on my bucket list of rides for some time. My stepbrother, Reed, lives in Tucson, and last year we took a stab at riding it. It did not go well. So we were at it again this year, and while my training still wasn’t super consistent, I managed … Read more

Cycling Gear That Kicked Ass in 2023

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Northern Frameworks Custom Ti Gravel Bike

I added a lot of gear to the pile in 2023. Prior to separating from the kids’ mom, I didn’t spend a lot on bike stuff, and over the years, I had more and more stuff that was broken, falling apart, or barely operational anymore. Combine that with adding a new gravel bike to the … Read more

DAMN Planning, Preparation, and Strategy

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So the DAMN (Day Across Minnesota) is my big target for the year — a 242-mile gravel race starting Gary, South Dakota and ending in Hager City, Wisconsin. It’s going to be brutal. It’s going to be a gut-punch. I’m actually excited for it. A group of us from the bike shop have been planning … Read more

Season/Training Recap: 2023

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This was my first year where I consider myself really back at it. Taking cycling seriously again. Training regularly, cleaning up my diet, targeting at least a few events. I knew back in January that I had to get my shit together and I was wanting a new bike, so I ordered a custom titanium … Read more

FTP Weirdness

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For cyclists that are training for high-level performance, there’s a number called FTP — or functional threshold power, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. Your power output is measured in watts (like a lightbulb) and your FTP is the amount of power output you can manage before you start building up lactic acid … Read more

Training Update

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trainer road screenshot

Well, the Base 2 segment of my training started, so I feel like it’s a good time to look at what I’ve been doing and results so far. This is the first time I’ve been rigorously sticking to a training program in a timespan counted in decades (more than one, less than two). From the … Read more

Training Week One, Complete

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So the first full week of training is in the books, and I’m into the second week. So I’m going to touch on results and what I’ve been up to. The Program So I’m using TrainerRoad to get my training done, and I’m building around the plan around a focus on the Tour de Tucson … Read more

Back in the Saddle Again

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stationary trainer

Not trying to throw out old Aerosmith lyrics with the title, but it’s what best describes the current situation on the bike. If you’re a long-time reader of this blog, you’ll know that I’ve struggled to stay on the bike consistently. Life, lack of discipline, winter blahs, etc., all add up to me not getting … Read more