Half a hundred

Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows I’m a box ticker and perhaps a bit obsessive. Yet somehow finishing my ski season with 49 days didn’t really bother me. Despite my obsessive nature, round numbers are just numbers to me, so the only difference between reaching 50 and 49 was one more day on snow.

But since the weather in Utah has pretty much sucked for the last week and getting workouts on the bike has proved difficult, Tyler and I decided to ski this morning. That’s right, on June 11.

One might ask what sort of skiing could be had on June 11. Some damn fine skiing, actually. I skied worse conditions mid-winter. The rain in the valley has actually been snow, albeit moist and grainy, in the mountains. Which left a soft, creamy layer on top, with the snow underneath warm enough to be carveable and not grabby.

The objective of the day was the Main Baldy Chute at Alta, an in-bounds line that’s usually closed during the season, and the first truly steep, technical line I ever skied back in 1993 but hadn’t been back to since.

We were able to skin all the way up to the base of the chute before we started booting.

What is it that Watcher says, if someone takes a good shot of your ass, you should post it to the Internet? Not sure this counts, but here it is anyway.

I’ll admit it seemed a bit ominous staring up into this thing with clouds shrouding the top.

Tyler practicing the rest step.

Looking back down at what we’d come up. The first 2,000 feet of climbing were the easiest. The next 500 as hard as the first 2,000, and the last 500 as hard as everything before.

About 100 vertical feet from the summit, the snow was getting harder, our footholds were less secure, and fatigue was setting in. Rather than risk taking a ride all the way back to the bottom, we decided to just descend from there. Here I am, wishing I could ski like Tyler.

Tyler, showing me how it’s done.

At the bottom of the chute where it widened enough that we could let our skis run, the skiing was incredible. It was like that all the way down the apron.

We skied all the way back to the car. Considering our expectation was to slog through the mud for a while before reaching snow, and then to hike and ski crappy snow with no expectation other than getting some exercise, today was a fantastic day. Good enough that Rick, who transitioned from skis to bikes way back in March, is making noises about getting out next week. I have a feeling it will be a group comparable to a mid-winter powder day.

The frugal cyclist’s guide to upgrading your road bike

I’m a self-proclaimed dirtbag. I hate paying full price for anything, and when I do, I want to make sure that I’m spending my money intelligently. But like every other leg-shaving roadie, when I fondle someone else’s lightweight bits and pieces, I get jealous. Since I have a limited budget for upgrades, pretty good spreadsheet skills, and a warped sense of what constitutes “entertainment” on a Sunday morning, I decided to figure out exactly how to best spend upgrade dollars on my bike.

First, though, a few assumptions:

1. The objective of the upgrade is to reduce weight. I don’t have a wind tunnel, and I live on top of a mountain, so my concern is reducing weight in the most cost-effective way possible. I can’t help you with aero.
2. You’re starting with a frame you’re happy with—these are upgrades to an existing bike rather than a new bike entirely, even though in many cases a new bike may actually be the better value.
3. You have an enthusiast-level part spec (Shimano 105, Ultegra, Ultegra SL), with a wheelset typical of a bike at that price point, approximately 1800 grams (think Bontrager Race, Mavic Ksyrim Equipe or Aksium Race, or Shimano RS20). I used Ultegra drivetrain and Bontrager Race wheels as the baseline since that’s what I have. If you have Dura Ace 7800 or Force and roll on Ksyrium SL’s, I’m really not sure why you’d be “upgrading.”
4. You’re already eating right and have about 10% or less body fat. If not, stop reading right here and start limiting yourself to portions that would leave a supermodel hungry. Spend the upgrade money on a nutritionist and/or coach if you need to. You’re only going to shave two, maybe three pounds by spending more money, so shed the weight for free if there’s more than that around your midsection.
5. You aren’t concerned about brand names or things that match, you just want quality parts that work.
6. Priority is determined by cost per gram of weight reduced, regardless of how much weight it will save (sort of like Net Present Value for you finance geeks). Cost per gram is calculated as:

price of new part / (weight of old part - weight of new part )

With that in mind, here’s how to spend your money:

Get new wheels

If you’re going to do just one thing, you should get new wheels. Not because rotational weight matters more than non-rotational weight, either. Wheels are a smart upgrade based on nothing more than dollars versus grams. And the weight savings are enough to be truly noticeable, too. Just make sure you get the right wheels—you can spend a ton of money on wheels and get no benefit whatsoever.

Revolution Wheelworks Rev22 wheels are the best thing going here. The Rev22’s will save you about a pound (450 grams) for a mere $480 or $1.07 per gram. I could probably get away with the Rev22L for even more weight reduction at the same price (510 grams at $0.94 per gram), but since I’m hard on wheels, I’ll stick with the slightly heavier Rev22.

Other good choices in this category are the Neuvation R28 SL5 ($1.15/gram); Williams System 19 ($1.38/gram); and Easton EA90 SLX ($1.55/gram).

Change your tubes

Lightweight tubes only save 60 grams, but it’s the cheapest 60 grams you can find at about $0.30/gram versus standard tubes. Superlight tubes, like Continental Supersonics, save even more weight at 100 grams for two tubes or $0.48/gram. Technically both tube options are cheaper than the wheels, but since you’ll throw them away every time you get a puncture, the wheels have the advantage after your third or fourth flat tire.

Pedals, really?

You probably can’t wait to get to the drivetrain, but pedals come first. Specifically Speedplay. If you know anyone who rides with Zero pedals, they probably love them. Turns out they’re a great weight-reduction value, too. The Cro-Mo version is $125 and weighs 107 grams less than Ultegra (50 grams less than Dura Ace), and offers a lot more adjustability. Why didn’t I learn about these sooner?

Shifting gears

After changing out wheels, tubes, and pedals, it’s finally time to change gears. Or at least gear changers. Shift/brake levers are the next most cost-effective place to reduce weight, but it has to be done in combination of shifters + rear derailleur, since you’ll need to switch brands, too.

SRAM has a clear edge over Shimano in weight, but the interesting thing is that the best weight reduction value is found in the Rival group rather than the higher-end Force or Red gruppos. New Rival shifters and rear derailleur (Shimano front derailleur is compatible, but the rear is not) will set you back $355 and save you 191 grams over Ultegra for a cost of $1.85 per gram saved. Force will save a bit more weight at 218 grams for $490, but a greater benefit at a lower cost can be had by spending money on...

Stoppers

Rival is again the value winner, as Rival brakes will shave 43 grams off of Ultegra for $100. Considering Force shifters and rear derailleur are only 27 grams lighter than Rival but cost $135 more, spending another Ben Franklin on brake calipers is the way to go.

Force brakes are only seven grams lighter but $65 more than Rival (which are lighter than Dura Ace), while Red are 22 grams lighter than Rival but cost nearly three times as much.

Chains

Rival’s value streak ends with the chain. Here the smart money is on Dura Ace. The weight savings aren’t that great at only 28 grams, but my own experience with Dura Ace chains has been that they’re worthwhile for the durability alone. The one currently on my bike has over 4,000 miles on it and isn’t even 0.75% worn according to my Park Tool chain gauge. Those 28 saved grams will cost you $2.42 each. But since you have to replace chains periodically it’s only $1.08 per gram over buying Ultegra if you’re due for a new one anyway. In case you’re concerned, Shimano chains and SRAM drivetrain parts play together just fine. Same is true the other way around.

Steel cassettes?

Steel is dense, so it doesn’t take very much of it to make a strong part. Which is why SRAM machines much of its Red cassette out of a single piece of steel. At $230 it’s not the cheapest piece on the market, but at 75 grams lighter than Ultegra, it’s the next best place to spend upgrade dollars. Cassettes and chains as well as front derailleurs are instances where the absolute lightest part is also the best value.

Compatible cranks

The last two places to think about spending upgrade money are the crankset and front derailleur. There’s 123 grams between the lightest (Dura Ace) and heaviest (Ultegra) crank, but Force is the best value at 71 grams lighter than Ultegra for $275. Front derailleurs are separated by 30 grams from lightest (Red) to heaviest (Rival/Force). Red is the best value at 27 grams lighter than Ultegra for $105.

I’m just glad that SRAM and Shimano shifters are both cross-compatible with SRAM or Shimano cranks and front derailleurs. Don’t spend money here unless it’s the last thing left.

But is it worth it?

Upgrading your drivetrain as suggested will result in parts that weigh about the same as Dura Ace 7900 for about half the cost of buying Dura Ace at retail. You’ll be right around the magic 2 kilograms (which is only magic because it’s an even number). And your weight savings over Ultegra will be right about one pound or 450 grams.

Better deals can sometimes be had by purchasing complete gruppos. If you’re not buying piece-by-piece, the best bang for the buck is Rival, but Force is 156g lighter and not far behind in dollars per gram saved. However, if you already have Rival and want to upgrade, Red saves more grams per dollar than Force just because Rival and Force are already so close in weight.

For less than half the cost of upgrading your drivetrain, you can take the same amount of weight or more out of your wheels. My next upgrade will without a doubt be a set of Revolution Rev22’s. The drivetrain can wait for wheels and pedals. Especially since drivetrain upgrades would cost $1000 to net half a water bottle worth of weight savings.

Team (time trial)

Elden asked me earlier in the week if I'd ride Nebo Loop with him. When a friend needs a break and wants it to be on a ride that awesome, how can you possibly say no?

As the week unfolded, my only concern about the ride was whether it would conflict with Brad's funeral. The funeral was scheduled for 2:00 on Saturday, and we planned to start the ride at 6:00. I figured we could ride 106 miles in six hours or so and get me back in plenty of time, ideally around noon, worst case scenario by 1:00.

We stopped at Wendy's in Nephi to refuel and got back on our bikes at 11:37. We were still 45 miles from Racer's shop. Not good. I figured if we all worked together and rode hard, we could still make it in less than two hours. Less than a mile from Wendy's, though, it was evident that wasn't going to happen.

So I asked Steve if he'd come with me and took off the front. We had a tailwind, so we were moving quickly and figured we'd seen the last of the group behind us. When I rotated off the front, I looked back and Jon J. and his brother Paul had bridged and were right behind us.

The four of us went as hard as we could go. We already had 60+ miles and over 6,000 feet of climbing in our legs, but evidently someone forgot to tell Jon, Steve, and Paul that. There were several times when I was barely holding the wheel in front of me and trying to figure out how the guy on the front was maintaining that pace. And then he'd stay there two or three more minutes.

We covered the 45 miles in an hour and 45 minutes. Every one of us left it all out on the road and had nothing left. Steve's my brother and Jon lives across the street from me. Maybe they felt like they were obligated to help. But today was the first time I'd ridden with Paul, yet there he was hurting himself to help me squeeze two days worth of commitments into one.

I'll admit it hasn't been the best week for me. But it's hard to lose hope when I've got a team like I do helping me along. Thanks, guys.

How to be fast

First let me say that fast is a relative thing. Compared to some, such as small children, three-toed sloths, or a two-legged dog, I am fast. Compared to many others, I am not.

Allow me to illustrate. A couple weeks ago on the weekly Friday morning Alpine Loop ride, Jon J set a blistering pace all the way up the canyon. At least it felt blistering to me. Then we got to the top and everyone starts talking about how slow the time was. I just sat there quietly, because it was a personal best.

This morning we rode again. We didn’t even try to stay together. I got to the top five or so minutes faster than two weeks ago even though I’d been dropped by Brad, Rick, Brandon, Adam, and Aaron pretty early on. Another new personal best.

Which leads me to the simple conclusion of my post. And it’s no secret either. If you want to be fast, ride with fast people. If you keep waiting until you’re faster before venturing out with the fast people, you’ll never get there. Join the ride and don’t worry about embarrassing yourself. Nobody cares. If you get dropped, vomit, or just suffer until your eyeballs pop out and your ears bleed, so be it. But you will get faster.

Review of the Rudy Project Noyz

A few weeks ago I mentioned I was in the market for a new pair of cycling sunglasses. I made a not-so-subtle hint that I’d love a sponsor to step up to the plate. I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear this, but the manufacturers simply weren’t falling all over themselves to sponsor a Cat. 5/Sport-class racer who’s only claim to fame is winning a MTB race in which he would not have even been on the podium were he one year younger and racing in another age group of the same division.

Since the unsolicited sponsorships didn’t come to me, I went out and solicited one. And since I was doing the soliciting, I went to the company I was most interested in: Rudy Project.

Rudy is an Italian brand that has a loyal following among cyclists in the US, but is much lesser known in other activities than say, the big “O” brand. But their products are awesome. The optics are up there with anyone else’s, and they have the best lens guarantee in the business.

Rudy products are almost all available for use with prescription lenses, so if you need prescription sunglasses, these are a great bet. Ask your optician about them—many of them are Rudy dealers.

Rudy was also kind enough to offer to sponsor team Revolution and offered us pro deals on their products. Here’s what I was looking for:

1. Crystal-clear optics: I like to see where I’m going and see it really well.
2. Photochromic lenses: I wanted one lens that would change tint for all conditions.
3. Hydrophobic coating: Didn’t want to be blinded by a rainstorm or my own sweat.
4. Frames that stay in place: I hate pushing my glasses back up on my face all the time.

The model I ordered was the Noyz. Fans of the Giro may have noticed the bright yellow glasses Ivan Basso and several other riders were wearing during the race. I wasn’t quite ready to make a statement like that with brightly colored eyewear, so I got the same model with the matte black frame and photochromic red lenses.

So far they’ve been great. I’ve worn them early in the morning and late in the evening and didn’t feel like the lenses were too dark, nor were they not dark enough in full sun. They stay in place well—once they’re on, I didn’t have to touch them. The adjustable nose and ear pieces make for a nice fit.

It rained a bit on Tuesday, and the water dripped right off the lenses without leaving anything behind. Sweat leaves some salty residue, but cleanup is easy. I’m not sure a lens exists that you can sweat on continuously without dirtying.

And the optics are great—the red tint creates a nice sharpening contrast that works well on trail or asphalt.

The photochromic lenses are activated by UV rays, so they don’t really darken in the car where the UV is blocked by the glass, and the styling is a bit much for casual use, so my Smiths will stay in the rotation for driving and casual wear. But then again, that’s not what I bought them for. For the intended application, I couldn’t be happier.

Telling a story for the last time

Provo, Utah is home to Johnny B's comedy club, which is somewhat of an anomaly for comedy clubs in that the performers eschew foul language and dirty jokes, and the club doesn't serve alcohol. But given that the clientele is mostly BYU students, the business model seems to work.

Years ago when I was a student at BYU, some high school friends and I went to Johnny B's one evening. We were all freshly returned from serving as LDS missionaries, many having served in far away and exotic places such as Russia and Colombia. My friend Brad was along as well. Brad went to Pittsburgh.

The headliner for the evening was none other than the club's namesake, Johnny Biscuit. Watching Johnny perform is a hoot because he has mormon humor dialed. Well at least it's a hoot if you're mormon or have been and can relate.

One of the things he talked about in his routine was LDS missions and how there's somewhat of a status associated with where one goes--the more exotic the better.

"But," Johnny said, "when all these former missionaries get talking, you really gotta feel for the guy who went to Pittsburgh." Brad smiled. The rest of us were rolling on the floor laughing.

About this same time I decided it would be fun to climb Mt. Timpanogos, a nearly 12,000 foot massif that dominates northern Utah County. As is often the case, there were many who expressed interest, but one by one work, dates, and other obligations narrowed the field until it was just Brad and me.

Our plan was to start Friday evening, hike up as far as we could before dark, make camp, and then attempt the summit Saturday morning. I should also mention that although it was September, it snowed about two feet on Thursday, and the mountain was covered in white.

Before embarking, we barbecued brats at my apartment. This was the first time Brad had eaten a bratwurst, and let's just say that although he enjoyed them going down, they gave him a little trouble afterward. No involuntary expulsions of debris, just a lot of noise and smell.

There was no bare ground to camp on, just snow. And the only flat place we could find was just below a waterfall and quite wet. Nevertheless, we crawled into the two-man tent together and settled down for the night. Or at least tried. More than once, I had to unzip the door of the tent and gasp for fresh air.

Once that either subsided or I got used to it, we still had the cold to deal with. Brad hadn't brought a sleeping pad, so since I had the warmer sleeping bag, I gave him mine. The sleeping bag alone was inadequate insulation from the cold below, while Brad's bag was inadequate insulation from the cold above. We both shivered and suffered through the night and were out of the tent and ready to hike as soon as there was enough daylight to see the trail.

As we hiked, we talked about how cold the night had been. I mentioned that I didn't sleep much because I was so cold and was on the cusp much of the night of asking Brad if he were cold to the point of getting in my sleeping bag with me.

"Well why didn't you say something?!" Brad asked. "I was thinking the same thing, but thought you'd think I was gay if I asked."


Perhaps this way is better, as I can retell the story without embarrassment, whereas the other way we'd have likely kept it to ourselves for the duration. Sure was cold though.

In the succeeding years Brad and I kept in touch, at times intermittently, and I was pleased to see him enjoy professional success that far exceeded that of most of the rest of the crowd I grew up with. He had his challenges like anyone else but seemed to overcome them with his trademark smile and enthusiasm.

I found out this afternoon that Brad passed away. I'll miss you, my friend. I'll likely not be able to tell your stories ever again. But I will never forget.

Granting wishes

When my mom was a little girl and people asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said “a cowboy.”

If they responded “don’t you mean a cowgirl?” She would say,

“No, a cowboy.”

Her commitment to this career path was such that she even tried to pee standing up. I’m not sure if she kept her boots on or not.

Neither the “peeing standing up” part nor the “cowboy” part of her childhood plans worked out. After the last of her seven kids started school, she followed him there and has been teaching ever since.

Her retirement party is this Friday. Being the thoughtful and eminently practical son that I am, I am going to simultaneously solve a persistent problem and fulfill a lifelong dream.

You see, my mom never really got over the “peeing standing up”  thing. And now, when she rides her bike, she envies the men who can duck behind a tree. She has more than once been dehydrated, sometimes severely, for fear of over-hydrating and having no place to go.

So last night I took the youngest two and went to Cabela’s. Incidentally, Cabela’s is just like going to the zoo for little kids. Except the animals are all dead. Well except for the fish. Kids five and under don’t seem to care, though, and think it’s the coolest place ever. I’m going to start taking them there more often since it’s free and just down the hill from my house.

At Cabela’s I got my mom a Lady J. Should be small and light enough to fit in a jersey pocket. Maybe not quite as convenient as it is for the men to duck behind a tree, but still possible.

My embarrassment at checkout was on par with buying tampons for my wife, but it was worth it to fulfill a dream my mom has had since childhood.

Congratulations on your retirement, Mom!