Conference noted::bicycle

     Goals and some personal expectations of mine are going to be:
    
     o Miss only one Rte. 140 time trial again this year (if I don't go on
       vacation with the SO I won't ever have to worry about the top tube)
    
       Sub-goal: Crack the 28 minute barrier
       Sub-sub-goal: 25 minutes with a tandem (Norm?)
    
     o One century a month (I wanted to do this last year but whimped out)
    
     o Seriously thinking about my license - CAT IV
    
     o Log at least 6k this season
    
     o All finishes in the top ten (unless I get my license and barring
                                    technical difficulties)
    
     o Not to get dropped at Manchester this year (I'll be geared)
    
     o Take at least another 11 minutes off the Mt. Washington climb
       (yup minutes - I'll be geared for this too!)
    
     o Have my ERGO's on by June
    
     o No crashes - won't cause any (haven't yet)
    
     o Do more Sunday morning rides with the Gamache animals
    
     o Have more fun at the sport than ever before
    
       That's it... Best wishes and best of luck to all this season!
    
          Chip

	This past summer was the first year I *really* got into cycling.  I
	did by far the most mileage (over 2k miles), and started racing.  I
	also learned a bit about the workings of my bike.  My goals this year
	are to improve in all these areas:

	- Do 3k miles

	- Join a racing club (Nashua Velo's probably)
	
	- Start time trialing

	- Do at *least* one century (never made it in '91)

	- Commute by bike as soon as there's enough daylight (never went out
	  and bought that $150 lighting system)

	- Learn to do more work on my bike (repack hubs, BB, headset, etc.)

	
	Sue

    I got a Schwinn Highlander mountain bike for Xmas 1990. This
    past year I really got in biking!I just found this file, too!
    So a newcomer will stick her neck out and make some resolutions:
    
    1. I will bicycle over 2000 miles in 1992
    
    2. I will participate in at least 2 biathalons in 1992
    
    3. I will bike-commute to work beginning April. (I live in Arizona
       an will have to curb my commuting, only 10 miles each way, in
       the summer when the temps are in the 108-115 range at 4:00 pm.)
    
    
    So far I *LOVE* the sport! In early December I did my first "bike
    festival" (did a 15 mile ride). It's not much for all you pro's
    out there, but it was my first official race!
    
    pat
    

I don't know that my milage will increase much this year from last, but here
are a couple goals:

	- Do the first two brevets (200km and 300km) for BMB.  I did a double
	  metric last year, so I know that I should be able to do the first one.

	- Do some time-trialing.  I've never done any before, but I ran across
	  someone doing some while I was commuting home one night last year, and
	  I was almost able to keep up with him (I had panniers instead of aero
	  bars).

I'll probably start commuting again in March; the snow and ice on the road make
it too dangerous for early morning and evening rides at this time of year.

Rich

    
                   Jan - 1000 km on rollers and road (slow)
                   Feb - 1000 km on rollers and road (slow)
                   Mar - 1200 km to 1500 km on road, start riding to work
                   Apr - Oct average 350 km/week, ride to work
                   Nov & Dec average 150 km/week (rest)
                   this should work out to ~13K km, ~8K miles         
                
                  -  the big change this year is I will start riding to work,
                     it'll be 25 miles to work and another 25 home. So I'll be
                     home by ~6:30pm, this will give me more time at home each
                     night and take pressure off of doing mega miles on the
                     weekend. I owe this to the wife, the dog, the lawn, the ...

                 
                  -  take 2 weeks off the bike in summer (ahhh)
                  -  do the hard Wed or Thurs night ride with the Scarboro
                     hammer heads almost every week
                  -  race as much as possible -  probably no more than once a
                     week in sanctioned races
                  -  do some non-sanctioned club races from other clubs in
                     my area
                  -  try some centuries
                  -  peak for Superweek in mid July
                  -  If things go well get back the Cat 3 license I once had,
                      I'm now Cat 4
                  -  win some preems in Cat 4
                  -  try to relax and enjoy racing

This year I plan to:

  - hit 4000 miles for the first time.

  - do Ride The Rockies if I can get selected to do so.

  - do a double metric.  (maybe a double century if I can get motivated enough 
    to do the extra training.)

Mark

    My 1992 goals:
    
    o Ride 8000 miles
    	- possibly 9000 miles,
    	    - dream of 10,000 miles
    
    o At least 600 miles every month
    
    o Try some centuries/other long rides
    
    o Take more rides in mountains (Smokey mountains are visible from work
      but I've NEVER ridden in them!!)
    
    o try a race or two
    
    o more miles on bike than car
    
    o get my wife to ride her bike
    
    
    Wishing everyone safe and successful pursuit of his/her goals,
    
    Terry
    

Hello again,

Goals for this year:

1. Dream of 5000 miles and hopefully make 4000. 
2. Try to keep my smart-alick notes out of the conference
so as to keep hate down to a manageable level. 
3. My son (now 13 and never will train for a ride though he
can complete all sorts of difficult rides and never complain)
will go on a ride with me and admit that he should have trained 
for the ride and that he was wrong to be so cavalierin not getting
ready.
4. Several centuries. I love these events, its something like a
60's happening. The featured one for this year is a ride called
a Tri-eatathon somewhere in Ohio 25 to 75 miles with several swimming
stops and so much good food that its been banned by several health 
groups.

Fred Mudgett

PS there I shouldn't have offended anyone with that reply eh? 

    Greetings and salutations!
    
    My goals for year 2 of real cycling -
    
    1. Finish building the fast bike.
    2. 100 miles by the end of February.
    3. 5000 miles for the year.
    4. Do some real 100+ mile trips (or fiddle the odometer on the 98 mile
    loop).
    5. Make the old man of the mountains (Rod W) work hard.
    
    ---Alan

    Well, this isn't serious, like some of you real sportifs, but...
    
    1) Over 2,000km (1,900 in 1991, but I only got the bike in May).
    2) Over 20,000m of climbing (19,700m in 1991).
    3) A proper century (did four metrics in 1991 without ever
       getting the 100 miles).
    4) Some more 2 or 3 day events (that I plan myself).
    5) Climb the Gd.St.Bernard from Martigny (2,050m in 40km).
    6) No flats (!) (Well I only had one in 1991).
    
    Should make the rest of you feel superior, anyway.
    
    Piers
    

    The usual goals: 5000mi, 100 commutes.  1991 saw 4441 miles and 105
    commutes.  One PR fell in 91: end of driveway in Clinton to top of
    Wachusetts and back in 1:57:53.  -kb

    Why does everyone set a distance goal for him/herself? My only goal is
    to enjoy cycling as much as I enjoyed it in 1991.
    The last few months I have worked in France where I have made many
    friends who live all over Europe. My only goal for 1992 is to visit
    many of these friends on my bicycle. This will mean cycling trips to
    (former eastern part of) Germany, Belgium, France and England. 
    Starting from The Hague in Holland this should be a lot of kilometers,
    but does it realy matter how much?
    
    So all you fanatic cyclists,
    
    ENJOY CYCLING IN 1992!
    
    Wout Davidse
                

     I think you answered your own question. There is such a diversity
    of riders/riding. Along with the "WHY" question, there will be a
    diversity of answers...
    
     Goals do not necessary imply non-enjoyment. We all get our "chuckles"
    where we can, I guess. Some folks do it for training, some folks do
    it for personal satisfaction and some folks do it because they think
    they should. All of them are good reasons because they are their own.
    
     I'm happy the sport is healthy, regardless of the motivation of the
    players and my greatest wish for 1992 is that it is a record year
    for cyclist participation, growth, and involvement...
    
      Adios,
    
            Chip

R.13 

Good point Chip. The odd thing I've found as a newcomer to
this hobby-thing is how delightful it is to be involved with
cycling as much as I am and it doesn't MEAN anything! Its the
old song about you don't have enough money for a (something)
but you certianly have enough for a new set of wheels for that
bicycle of yours. Well I grew up aroung farmers who only had time
for work no hobbies etc. and I couldn't imagine such a drab life
because I hated it. There is never enough time to be involved 
with a cycling project or ride somewhere.

I similarly enjoy that cycling is healthy as a sport. The idea that
its good for us (exersize-wise) is secondary, its a chance to force
us to do something physically difficult and also forces us to be
out there in the enviroment. I think the world will be a better 
place when we are outside some more like this. 

For all the whining I do about goals that I make or not, I'd do this
without goals...Its just nice to track what I am doing. It tends to
deflate my loafty visions of how good a cyclist I am. 

Fred Mudgett

     Fred, I know exactly what you mean... One thing that triggered
    for me (of your mention of being outside) is that one significant
    goal has been avoided thus far...
    
     Being outside and given the ozone situation I'm shooting for 
    a melonoma free summer... God I hate the destruction of the
    environment!!!
    
     And yes, I am a member of Greenpeace, Mass A.S.P.C.A., N.E.
    Antivivisection Society, MASSPIRG, WGBH (oops, that slipped)...
    
     I also never, ever, ever throw a beer can away!
    
       Chip

    
    
    Okay, well 1991 was okay...I went from a couch spud to halfway
    decent...now for 1992:
    
    - do 3000 miles 
    
    - do at least 1000 with GSW (including at least 4 Centurys)
    
    - Break 21 mph solo on our 17 mile circuit
    
    - try a couple time trials
    
    - finish my 'fast' bike
    
    - Break 5100 meters in 20 minutes on that #@$%^&* rowing machine
    
    - survive a ride with Fisher and Ellis (if I get a chance)
    
    Steve

    It has been pointed out that I made a couple of typos in my original
    posting:
    
    - When I said 7,500 miles for the year, of course I meant 750 miles
    (If I extrapolate my mileage for the year so far I fall short of even
    that)
    
    
    - I forgot to say happy new year to everyone.  Well I'll make up now:
    
    
    A HAPPY PEDDLIN' NEW YEAR to all of you, may your tyres never puncture,
    may your Titanium never corrode (some chance), and may you meet all
    your targets in this wonderful sport of ours; I've met maybe half a
    dozen of you and yet I feel I know you all.  Here's hoping I get to
    meet more of you in '92.
    
    r

Aims for 1992:

o  Get rid of the winter fat pronto.
o  8000+ km (to beat 5000 mi).
o  Notch up some 2000m+ cols, Galibier and ones like that.
o  Get up the Col de la Faucille (my local hill) in less than 40 min from
   centre of Gex to the top (best last year 42:30). (I bet this one means a
   lot to all of you out there in noteland.)
o  Not fall off or otherwise injure myself.
o  Sharpen up my cool-biker image. To this end I have bought some shades and
   intend to wear them at every possible opportunity.
o  Try to keep the chain cleaner so that you can see I use an expensive
   silver chain.
o  Not bankrupt myself on cycling-related expenditure.
o  Peace on earth and goodwill to all men and women.
o  Try not to murder scumbag drivers who cut me up.
o  err...
o  That's it.


Rod

	Rod

	the Col de la Faucille in 40 min is fast:
	remember: ~10.5 km and ~800 meters uphill.
	That makes ~16 km/h. Good luck. 
	Tell me when you're ready, I'll try it with you.

	Norbert

    >	Tell me when you're ready, I'll try it with you.
    
	Me too !  Let's target for mid August.  
    
    	BTW wasn't it Faucille that someone went up on a 53 last year ?

    
    Re.20 (Rod W)
    
    	See what I mean? The guy's enthusiasm tires me out.
    
    	Unless someone can come up with a way for me to post my aims for
    '92 without Rod W being able to read them, I'm going to have to wimp
    out of this. I know. I'm not playing fair, but that's the way it goes.
    Look, it's OK for you, he doesn't try to make you feel guilty when you
    want to wimp out of a training run. If I let him know my aims he'll
    keep on reciting them to me to get me out, and my excuse book is
    running dry. You should see what me and Alan are up against here; Snow,
    Wind, Rod's enthuiasm...
    
    	Seriously, Rod's a great guy and I'm going to do everything I can
    to make him achieve his targets. The next time he even thinks about
    entering the pub I'm going to give him a lecture back. He makes my life
    hell, I make his life hell. Fair's fair...
    
    Graham.
    

	
	re .20

	Why not: it's nice and hot !?!

	I would have loved to see that guy climbing the faucille (at some
	places 10 %) on a 53. It seems that nothing is impossible.
	
	A few years ago, I read about a guy climbing the faucille 11 times......
	in the same day!

	Norbert

So there is some interest out there in Notesland about the Faucille... I
make it 600m (Gex) to 1320m, and 12 km. Anyone's welcome to join me, although
I should point out that there is loads of snow up there right now. But come
summertime, yeah, we can have a Faucille mountain time-trial. I'll be time-
keeper.


Rod


PS  I reckon Norbert's the man to watch.

    And for those who don't read CASEE::CYCLE_RACING, and who want to keep
    track of their mileage, in the default DECNET account on CYPRIX::
    you'll find a 1992 mileage chart.
    
    I've proviided the DOC file since there may be one or two of you
    (...) who might need to change the scale!
    The document is created using the latest 2.0-1 of DECwrite.
    
    Directory CYPRIX""::SYS$SPECIFIC:[DECNET]
    
    MILEAGE_CHART_1992.DOC_STYLE;1
                           2622  10-JAN-1992 15:26:46.00
    MILEAGE_CHART_1992.PS;2
                            321  10-JAN-1992 15:09:38.00
    
    

Slow?   No, I'm not even that fast!

Last night, I managed the long walk from the house to the garage to get the
trusty steed readied for the road again.  Of course, the roads haven't been
readied for the bike yet, there is still plenty of sand along the edges. 

1991:  My Cateye was still preserving the data ... so you get to share my
achievement!  Was I surprised!  I didn't believe I had ridden that many
miles until I remembered the last ride of (my) year: Frank's Freebie:

	All of April 	150 miles
	May 11 and 12	210 miles (TOSRV, the one in Ohio)
	Sep 29		 90 miles (Frank's Spoke & Wheel century)
			===
			450 total miles

1992:  I'm already registered for TOSRV, so that'll be 210 miles, excluding
air travel.  And, yeah, I sent away for the Tour de Lowell (so you folks
will have a bigger throng to pull away from), so that'll be 30 miles,
unless I have to bike to and from home, which'll make 80 miles for the day.
And Frank's Freebie was fun, but I'll start and finish at home; that'll be
the regulation 100 miles, but I'll end sooner.  And, yeah, I'd better put
some miles on BEFORE the TOSRV, maybe even a bit more than last year,
because I gotta keep up with my Dad on his brand new Xmas bike, so I'm
aiming for 300 for April and early May training.  That'll bring the total
to 640, but perhaps I'll manage a few more trips to work, so I'll commit to
SEVEN HUNDRED! 

Year to date:  13.10 miles to work this am, the same predicted home this pm.

Sally ... please say Hello as you pass!  
You'll recognize me, I'm the one who's already on the right!

	re: .18 and .24

	I had a first trial sunday up the Faucille. I just wondered how long 
	it would take me without specific training (included in a ride of about
	90 km). 

	From the center of Gex up to the top of Faucille I needed 41:38. 

	So I think, on a good day, with some specific climbing training, 
	40 minutes should be possible. What do you think about it, Rod ?

	Regards

	Norbert

For you, Norbert, sub-40 minutes looks highly likely. I'm impressed with your
time! As for me, I've been up twice this year and the faster of those was 
nearly four minutes slower than that. But I've got a list of excuses as long
as your arm, number 1 of which is that I haven't done enough miles...


Rod

    Rod, Don't worry.  I've got even less, and I'm planning to start my
    holidays in Geneva (not end them) so I won't even be used to the hills!
    
    But I look forward to going up it with you both 3rd week of august,
    just wait for me at the top !
    
    rod

    
>>    But I look forward to going up it with you both 3rd week of august,
>>    just wait for me at the top !
    
    
    	Bring a good book to keep yourself occupied while you wait...   :*)
    
    Graham.
    

Re .27:  In between yesterday afternoon's rain and today's rain there was,
amazingly, a pleasant evening, so I took advantage of it to see how I would
cope with the Faucille this time.

Anyway, 41:21 - a personal best for me but still a little way off the target.
This was with a hard effort.

I timed from the traffic lights above the roundabout in Gex (when they went 
green!) to the "Col de la Faucille" roadsign on the right-hand side of the
road at the top.


Rod

    Rod, can you refresh for us the denivilisation (:-)) and mean grade?
    
    -j

My start point is at an altitude of about 610 metres. The sign at the top of
the col says 1323m, so the deniv is a shade over 700m. I measure the distance
as 12 km, so the mean gradient is 5.9%. The lower 2/3 is at about 5%, then the
top 3rd is about 7%, with steeper sections.


Rod

    I have a vague memory of a very steep bit by a left hand lacet with a
    house on it.  About 10% there but no harder elsewhere ?

re .34
Everywhere I go I have recollections of steep lacets with a house on the corner
- it's all just a blur in the red mist....

We are thinking of setting up a standard time from Cagnes s/mer to the top of
the col de Vence (0 to 970m in about 25km) - not that any of us will attempt
it, but there must be enough stupid visitors who want to prove themselves....

As I type, the sun has finally come out after the last month's solid rain -
the Barcelonnette trip looks as if it's on for Friday/Sat, 155km and about
3000m each day.  It has turned into the Robin and Rob show with the defaillance
of JW....   More if I survive the Cayolle and the Restefond...

Hi Norbert, I use a wimpy 38 chainring, so it was 38x24 or 38x21. It
all blurs into the red mist anyway, as I'm sure you know. And heaven
knows there's been enough mist, cloud and rain this June. Good luck
with the weather, Robin. If it rains I shall think of you as you thought
of me.


Roddy

    
    
    Isn't it nice to now that the continent is suffering such terrible
    weather (friends have just come back from 2 weeks in Spain where they
    got 4" of snow), while Scotland continues to bask in glorious
    sunshine...  Not if you're a hay fever sufferer (pollen count at 260
    for nearly a week :*(
    
    Graham.

re -.2

Wimpy 38 indeed, how do you think I feel with 30 & 36 on the inside?  I can't
even boast a 12 to go with the 48!!

Rod's remarks on triples by Shimano, Campag etc are interesting - Rob has a
Michenon catalogue which does in fact list such things.  Generally speaking,
however these guys are concentrating on the racing/posing market and you will
be lucky to get other than 32/42/52 - I ask you, what use is 52 to a serious
tourist.  (Don't bother to say that it's for pedalling downhill, that is just
garbage, down here you get so quickly up to a speed at which you can't pedal
anyway.)

On the other hand Stronglight seem to have cornered this market with their 100,
300 and now 1000 sets.  Not only do you get a choice of price and quality, but
the range of available rings (and not wait 6 months) is second to none.

Vive la difference!!

>    I have heard that Stronglights do not mix with Shinmano and Suntour front 
>    mechs. Can someone comment and suggest alternatives (MAVIC) This is of 
>    interest to me since I'll be buying a Stronglight triple on Saturday.  

I'm glad to hear that. I'm very close to buying a 300LX myself - now I can
wait and see how you get on! Incidentally I had a look at the new Stronglight
1000 chainset a few weeks and wasn't overly impressed. The finish didn't seem
any better than the 300LX and the price is vastly higher. Am I ignoring
some important feature of the new chainset?


Roddy 

re .40

I have 3 Stronglight 100's, 2 of which are triples on my bikes and 1 double
on my wife's bike.

On the Raleigh, I have Campag Chorus front and rear which work OK, although the
front change is a bit slow and you have to overshift, but it's OK for a
sensitive person like myself.  You have to watch you don't overshift when going
to the outside ring, but then you have to watch that with a Chorus gear and
Chorus double chainset - Campag don't seem too good on wide ratios and their
cheaper ranges. (Triple of 30/36or38/48 by 13,15,16,17,19,21,25 Raid set-up).

On the Vitus, I have a SunTour (ex Rob Rowlands) front and Ultegra 600 rear -
this works better, the best was 600 front and rear with 39/52 double, but that
front mech won't handle the small inner or the throw for a triple. (32/40/50 by
14,15,16,17,18,20,24 is the current set-up).

I have also sitting in a box, a Sachs New Wotnot front which I used on a
32/40/50 setup last year together with an ancient long-arm SunTour - that was
OK as well.

The crunch is that you have to watch out for front mechs with a 'fold' in the
outside of the cage to strengthen it.  This means you have to have the cage
further out and unless you have bought a new trendy 'dished' chainset (say
Shimano at xxxxxxxxx yen) then it fouls the crank.

I would recommend the Stronglight 300 with the Sachs-Huret front and a long-arm
Shimano 600 rear as being this week's best buy.

Shimano do make a racing triple, now I think about it: I have seen a 
three-ring version of the RX100 chainset (like 105SC without the paint).
Trouble is I don't believe they sell it as an after-market item.


Roddy

    S'funny how things like that happen in 3s. I saw a Cannondale R500 w/
    RX100 racing triple in Ricycles at the weekend. I didn't look at it for
    long though, my eye was distracted by possibly the ugliest bicycle that
    I've ever seen - a 'dale R900, 2.8 frame in dull silver paint with
    garish Stars and Stripes logos and C a n n o n d a l e writ too large.
    
    To the point - I happen to like my Shimano LX triple chainset w/Shimano
    Deore XT front changer. But if they can't share rings, that's no use
    to you. The neat thing about MTB sets is 28/38/48 (or similar) standard
    rings. I could really do with 30/38/46 to fill in the holes a bit, but
    nothing's ever perfect.
    
    ---Alan 

    
    
      This is turning into a rat-hole of major proportions.
    
      We should definetly move the last 10 or so replies to thier own
    note.
    
      John C.
    

Warm sunny weather just now, just long enough after the Raid for my tiredness 
to have gone but not my fitness, so I had a hard go at the Faucille last
evening and did it in 38:58. Pleased with that and probably won't try harder
than that this year.

The bike set-up has changed slightly in that now I'm using a triple chainset
with 175mm cranks. The 175s feel fine to me and haven't caused me any knee
problems.


Rod

Back in the spring, I commited to 700 miles.  Although I skipped 
the predicted Frank's Freebie Century, I did gather 828 miles for 
the season.  Yeah, I know, there are still nice days for biking, 
but I doubt that I'll get out there again until 25-Mar-1993.

Maybe 900 for next year?

Sally

    I forgot about this note...
    
    I have somewhere between 5k-6k miles right now. I should be able to
    get in close to a thousand more before I take my "break" during the
    holidays... This is about the mileage I intended to do for 1992.
    
    I wanted to break into the 28 minute bracket in my weekly Rte. 140
    12 mile TT and did! I posted a 28:51.
    
    I wanted to do at least 1 century a month starting in May and ending in
    October. Well... I did two so far, but I'm going to try and squeeze in
    one more this year.
    
    I wanted to break 1:30 in the Mt. Washington bike race. I shattered
    that one coming in with 1:22. I'll ride the elite group the next time.
    The elite group was a target for 1994. Now I can run in 1993.
    
    I think that's about it. I didn't set any race expectations that I can
    remember.
    
     Chip

    Well, 4780 Avocet 50(s) miles for 92, missing goal by 220m.  Next year.
    Roughly 1/3rd mountain bike, 2/3rds road bike.
    
    best wishes for all in 93.
    
    hmmm, 220.  gee, there are 11 hours left...

    Ah just get out the electic motor and put that Avocet over the edge,
    while your at it see how many MPH you can get out of it. :-)
    
    Alan

    Well, I got off on a slow start this year, so I didn't do any brevets
    for BMB.  I did do a 300km ride though (actually a double century).  I
    didn't get to do any time-trialing.  Milage came out pretty close 5116
    in 92 vs 5300 in 91.

    Re .9
    
       Reviewing my targets for the year, I think I can claim success in 4
    out of 5. Mileage ended up at 4077. That number has a ring to it. I
    blame a wet July and SNCF for the deficit, but in any case it's better
    than last year by a distance.
       My aims evolved during the year for a couple of reasons. First
    being, I was persuaded into doing the RAID. Second being that I packed
    a 200k in March, did a large series of 195k rides by chance as the
    summer wore on, and got very bothered about doing a 200k, which I
    finally managed in early July.
    
    ---Alan

  RE: .0 
      What a failure !!
    
    > so this year I'll go for 7.5k  Other aims:
    
    And I mamaged 5k.  I expect that If I'd done the raid and a few miles
    since Spetember I might have scraped past 6
    
>    	- Manage to keep up with the chaingang all the way back into town.
    No, getting better though
    
>    	- At least one cyclosportif event.
    No, I didn't even do the raid
    
>    	- Timetrials (again).
>    	- If I'm really lucky start racing again (I reckon this year is my
>    	last chance)
    No on either counts.
    
>    	- Keep fit and strong enough that the youngsters (Graham, Alan)
>    	don't drop me in the Alps this summer..
    
    Well at least I managed that one!                

Looking back on 1992, I have mixed feelings -

On the positive side, I got Silvers in all the Sportifs I entered, - Le 
Bouquet, L'Epervier and the Tom Simpson, but ......
On the negative side, I got the Lurgy and missed The Raid.

For Le Bouquet, it rained, and how!  Even so, I was only 5 minutes slower than 
the previous year despite creeping down the hills.  L'Epervier was cold and 
pretty unpleasant, and as usual, I rode the last 80 km with a severe dose of
The Dooms but finished OK with a reasonable time.  The Simpson was the best, 
the hardest, the friendliest, the hottest, the most spectacular etc etc - I 
must do it again in 1993, with at least 1 and maybe 2 more teeth on the back.

I'm proud of my mates, Rob, Rod and Alan for going through with The Raid, 
completing it in the excellent time of just over 82 hours.  I still haven't 
got over being left out and am working on "The Looniest Ride in '93".

The worst feature of 1992 was the poor weather, in particular the rain, even 
when it wasn't actually raining, the roads were wet and I had to clean myself 
and the velo up every time I ventured out.  When the hot weather finally 
arrived at the beginning of July it was unbearable because we hadn't had the 
usual aclimatisation.

Thinking more positively I must admit that we did have some good days out, in 
particular the 2 days to Barcelonnette and back (despite the rain!), the trips 
through the Esterel and the non-Monegasque (the real one being cancelled 
through lack of entries).  Oh and of course we did go to the Poggio to see 
Milan-San Remo, and I went to the Paris-Nice TT on the Col d'Eze....perhaps it 
wasn't such a bad year after all..........

On the equipment side, no problems except that the all-pervasive rain managed 
to destroy the Stronglight X15 headset on the Vitus - I have gone to a Campag 
Athena for the next season which Fusberti's reckon is a bit more proof against 
the wet.  3 chain-rings are a good thing despite the fiddling required to get
them really well set up, and the good news is that I have now converted the 
Campag Chorus to 3 rings with the help of a file and some bits from TA and 
Stronglight.  In addition I have discovered that I can do a similar job with an 
old but immaculate Campag Sport......
I don't think I will go to the extent of 8-speeds or Ergo changers.  Brooks
saddles suit me better than anything else and the Look shoes are a great
success.  Now if I can only find a solution to the rust-bug on frames ........

As for km's covered, I didn't manage the desired 10000km thanks again to the 5 
zero weeks down to the Lurgies.  However 8250 in comparison to 1991's 8630 is 
quite satisfying and I already have 187 in credit for 1993!!!


     1992 weekly totals  - Total to date 8249km/158kpw
340-                                                     
320-                          *                          
300-                          *                          
280-               *   *  *   *                          
260-               * * * ** * **                         
240-               * * * ** * **                         
220-       *       * ****** * **                         
200-       * **    * ****** * **  *     ***        **    
180- *    ******** ******** * ** **     ***        **    
160- *   ********* ******** * ** ****   ***       ****  *
140- * * ********* ******** * ** ****   ***      ***** **
120- * *********** ******** * *******   ***    * ***** **
100- * *********** ******** *********   ***    * ***** **
 80- ************* ******************   *****  ******* **
 60- ************* ******************   ****** ******* **
 40- ************* ******************   ****** **********
 20- ********************************   ****** **********
     |   |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
     1       10        20        30        40        50 Week
     JJJJFFFFMMMMMAAAAMMMMMJJJJJJJJAAAAASSSSOOOONNNNNDDDD

Best wishes for 1993, everyone !!!!!!!

     Not too bad a year... I did wimp on some stuff though.
    
     Pledge: Miss only 1 TT
     Results: Missed 3
    
     Pledge: To crack into the 28 minute bracket at the TT
     Results: PR - 28:51 (I wanted to get a little deeper)
    
     Pledge: Get licensed
     Results: Re-Pledge for '93
    
     Pledge: Not to be dropped at the Manchester RR this year
     Results: &$^&&^#$&^#7
    
     Pledge: Get in 6k miles
     Results: 5+k (I'm okay with it)
    
     Pledge: Take off another 11 minutes in the Mt. Washington Race
     Results: Took off almost 13 minutes ('91: 1:35:41 - '92: 1:22:48)
    
     Pledge: Have my Campy Ergos for the season
     Results: Got 'em and love 'em
    
     Pledge: Do more Sunday morning rides with the Gamache boys
     Results: Affirmative!
    
     Chip

1992 was my best cycling year ever, no doubt. I went further, higher and
faster than I've ever done. Some highlights and lowlights:

A silver in Les Portes du Soleil (185km/4500m) in atrocious weather
conditions. I think this is the best ride I've ever done, since I
maintained my strength throughout and soldiered on despite continuous
cold rain. (Could also be uncharitably viewed as conclusive proof of cycling
lunacy.)

Missing a silver in Le Chartreuse (140km/3200m) by three minutes. My
brother took a most amusing photo of me crossing the line with a face like
thunder. My silver hopes were ripped to shreds by the sadistic uphill
finish of this event.

Highpoint of the year: the Pyrenean Raid, chronicled in another note. Just
terrific, a complete experience of pain and pleasure. Two days after this
finished I did a little 120km event in the Jura to arrive at a weekly total
of 914km - it may be a while before I exceed this in a week.

A one-day ride in Switzerland on a golden autumn day with Piers L, marked
notably by a stonking good lunch and hiccups on the ensuing climb of the
Col des Mosses.

Here's how it went with my stated 1992 aims:

    >  8000+ km (to beat 5000 mi).
Made 7600km - I'm happy with that. Would likely have done 8000 had there
not been so much rain in June and over the last three months. I did quite
a lot of climbing: for the 5850km logged on the Avocet 50, I logged 73km
of ascent. Between the two bikes I must have accumulated something like
80 to 85km. 

    >  Notch up some 2000m+ cols 
A few: the Col du Grand St Bernard, 2473m, was the highest, and I had a
max speed of 86kph descending it. Other than that, the Tourmalet, again,
and maybe one or two others.

    >  Get up the Col de la Faucille (my local hill) in less than 40 min
Cracked this one nicely: 38:58 on Sept 16th, using my post-Raid fitness.

    >  Not fall off or otherwise injure myself.
I more or less achieved this... a couple of low-speed tumbles, but happily
nothing to match my damaging falls of 89 and 90.


A very good year. Plus I acquired a titanium-framed bike... (even if only
the three main tubes are titanium).


Rod    

	Hmmm.... Didn't quite meet all my goals, but I did have a really
	great year riding.

- Do 3k miles

	Made it to about 2750 miles.  I attribute this to the fact that I
	unexpectedly bought a mountain bike and put in a lot of hours riding
	that instead.

- Join a racing club.

	Joined the Nashua Velos.  Thier Tuesday night training rides made me
	more fit than I've ever been.  My hill climbing really improved.

- Start time trialing.

	I guess technically you can say I accomplished this one: I did one
	TT. %^)

- Do at least one century.

	Nope.  Did two 75 milers on adjacent days tho....

- Commute by bike 

	Well, I commuted to work a few times this past summer.  Not nearly
	as often as the year before.  I think I was too concerned about 
	being fresh for my lunchtime rides which got longer, harder, and 
	faster.  But being on the bike 3 times a day really allows you to
	eat whatever you want!

- Learn to do more work on my bike

	I certainly did!  Last winter I repacked my BB, headset, and hubs.
	(with some help).  Took everything off the frame and cleaned it all
	up.  I'll be doing that to the road bike again in the next couple of
	weeks.  Come summer, I'll be rebuilding my mtn bike.

	Now... to start thinking about 1993 goals....

	Sue

Well two out of three isn't bad...


  - hit 4000 miles...

    Done.  Ended up with 4655 miles.

  - do Ride The Rockies...

    Done.

  - do a double metric....

    Not done.  Maybe this year. 

I never posted a reply a year ago with my goals for 1992, but I had some in
my mind. For mileage, I was hoping for 2000 miles (after getting back into
riding in the summer of 91, with an 800 mile total for that year). I ended up
with 3300 miles, which I'm quite happy with. About 2500 miles of that is
commuting to work. My wife has driven my new car more than I have at this
point!

I also hoped to try and ride a century, which I had never done before. That I
did in June, and felt very satisfied afterwards. The hardest part was finding
the time!

My last goal was, for me, the most daunting: get into racing. I'm happy to
say that I've broken into that arena as well, with five races competed in
during the year (four road, one criterium).
						-- Tom

Time to log in....
    	
>>    1992 Goals (from note 1808.32)
>>    
>>    - Put on over 3000 miles 

Close... final mileage was 2548

>>    - Commute at least 3 times a week (I've started this week).  Take the
>>      longer way to work to raise the round trip miles.

Here's where I fell short in getting my 3000 miles.  Of my total 2548 miles,
only 742 were commuting.  I had expected to do about double that.  Perhaps
1993 ;') 


>>    - Ride a bunch more centurys, I really love those long rides.

Rode lots, but one can never get enough centurys.

>>    - Do a sub six hour century.

Missed this on.  My best century was 6 hours 20 minutes.

>>    - Beat my top speed of 56 MPH (Crawford Notch)

Did Crawford Notch twice in 1992 but maxed out at 55.

>>    - Rent a tandem and take my wife riding (my next bike purchase???)
  
Not!  Maybe 1993.
  
>>    Major rides in the planning...
>>    
>>    - Complete the Cape in a Day Classic (122)

Missed...

>>    - Complete the White Mountain Triple Notch Classic (81, maybe stretch
>>      this one into a Century) 

Missed...

>>    - Complete the Rural Vermont Classic (204)

Missed...

>>    - Spend a week in May cycling Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway
>>      (400-500+ if the heart can take it)

Yes!  Did manage to spend a week cycling Skyline Drive in May, but the weather
somewhat hindered the riding. Lots of rain.

>>    - Speed a week in August cycling the from Calgary, Alberta to Banff, up
>>      the Icefield Parkway to Jasper and back to Banff (450+)

Yes!  Spent a full week and cycled from Banff to Jasper to Banff and back
to Calgary.  Great trip!

>>    - Spend a week camping in Maine and ATB riding the Acadia Carriage
>>      Paths in June (200+)

Yes!  Besides the carriage trails I also rode the park loop and climbed
Cadillac Mountain on my road bike.

>>    - Do my favorite White Mountain Century in the spring, summer and late
>>      fall in time for leaf peeping (300)
    
Yes!  I did my favoriate local ride twice in 1992.


Also managed a trip out to Colorado and brought my bike.  Lots of road riding
done - Cripple Creek, around Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper, many rides
around the Springs, and the best ride was up Mt Evans.