WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF COMPROMISE
While certain people are in Australia racing the MTB Worlds, and the luckiest of them are rocking the nearby Pump Track Worlds, some of us are stuck at home working too much.
Yesterday was one of those days, and I settled for figure-eight time trials in my driveway.
Sad. But fun in a bike nerd sort of way.
Setup: Two cones, 12 paces apart. One cone was on sticky concrete; the other on slippery asphalt. Since the driveway is sloped, one of the turns is off camber. There isn’t much room, so the turns are tight.
Bike: The Mighty P.3 with 2.3 Eskars. 34×19ish gear. Brand new Five.Ten Impact 2 shoes (happy birthday)!
Protocol: 10 timed laps. Start in the middle. Start the DMC Moto Trainer. Take splits when I pass through the middle. Embrace the awesome ridiculousness.
Results: A smooth cruise was 1:28. My fastest set was 1:18. I’ll tell you this: Riding smoothly is one thing; going for speed—while trying to stay smooth—is a whole other trick!
Findings:
This was actually super fun and a great mind/body interval/skill workout.
There’s a lot to improve.
I could spend the winter getting this more dialed (and I probably will). There are so many elements—turn initiation, acceleration, braking, transitions. This will keep me out of trouble.
And you know what’s next: World Championships of Endurance Compromise. 100 figure eights in your driveway.
Sad. But fun in a bike nerd sort of way.
If you have 1:18 to waste, here’s the video:
8MB Quicktime. |
Domestic braaap!
—Lee
Know more. Have more fun!
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6 Comments
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Simcik Says September 2, 2009 @ 3:55 pm
Thats pretty cool Lee, alot of people have a hard time understanding me when I say “I love every second I spend on my bike. I could be riding my bike around in circles and if you asked me if I was having fun, I would say this is the best bike ride I have ever been on.”
leelikesbikes Says September 2, 2009 @ 4:00 pm
Right on Nick! That’s why we love you.
http://www.nicksimcik.com/
Karmen Says September 3, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
Something so basic clicked in my head as I noticed your position up there on the still photo for the video. I need to keep my bike and myself better balanced on tight ascending switchbacks. Dah! I havne’t been able to find that balance point yet though. I’m going to scour your book for that section.
Jim Says September 9, 2009 @ 6:22 pm
Lee, I came inside Monday afternoon to download video of myself and my son doing the figure 8 drill in the driveway (we had company for the weekend – no time to ride) and I peeked and your site and saw you doing the same thing. Awesome!
(We also practice 100 drops off the curb)
leelikesbikes Says September 9, 2009 @ 9:35 pm
Right on!
You gotta make it happen however you can!
Lee Likes Bikes Pingback September 2, 2010 @ 8:12 am
[...] 2) I take what I can get. For a few years there I was super picky and would get bitchy when my rides weren’t perfect. That was silly. These days, I’ll rock it however I can. If I only have 15 minutes, and it’s dark, I’ll hammer around the neighborhood with lights. Heck, I’ve been known to do timed figure eights in my driveway. [...]