Bonkville

Yesterday I took my new Open O-1.0 for an extended test ride through the Headlands and over to Mt. Tam and back. Close to 50 miles and 7,000' of climbing. My new bike gave me a false sense of how much energy I really had. I kept pushing myself harder and harder towards the beginning because it was so easy to accelerate and put the hammer down. I also overdressed for the day, thinking it was going to be cold. I overheated quickly, but was able to regulate my body temperature by zipping and unzipping various vents/seams on my heavier jersey.

Again, I was dumbfounded by how light and agile my new setup was. The Rotor 3D+ cranks are incredibly stiff, and noticeable having ridden on X7, X0, and Specialized carbon cranks. The bike just begged to be sprinted up each climb. In the end I paid for it, bonking with 15 miles left on my ride. I bypassed the last single track climb and opted for the much flatter road and through the 5 minute tunnel back home. I had to stop at my work to grab a quick snack otherwise I wouldn't have made it.

Bonking is no fun. I do it to myself all the time, and never learn my lesson. Deep down I secretly like it, the pain and suffering, and knowing I can overcome it. I think of it as endurance training. I just need to pack way more food than I necessary, regardless of what it is. What made it bad was that I overheated in the beginning, and didn't layer enough or allow my perspiration to evaporate. When this happens it's almost impossible for your body temperature to keep up, and the chill just sets in. Add bonking and it makes for the worst day ever. Don't get me wrong, though. I had a great day of riding up until that point.

Open O-1.0 First Ride Impressions

After a long evening of unpacking and assembling, my new Open O-1.0 is ready to roll. I took it out on my local loop around the Marin Headlands early this morning, just to break it in. I wasn't out to destroy my previous segment times, but I could immediately tell this is a climbing beast. Read all about my fresh first ride impressions after the break.

Open O-1.0 Frame It's incredibly light packed with so many refined details. The tubes aren't as enormous as I was anticipating, and the black matte finish and minimal graphics makes for a stealthy and understated looking machine. How the cables run internally and to a single point at the front of the frame is a nice touch. It's very clean, and the housing doesn't rub against the frame.

2013 RockShox Sid WC Fork I was a bit hesitant on ordering the Keronite Grey  SID, but upon unboxing it really mates well with the frame. I love the PushLoc feature, but kinda miss the Specialized Brain. The 15mm front axle is super stiff, and I could immediately tell the difference. Setup was really easy with the new Solo-Air cartridge. No more +/- negative chambers to adjust. Overall it felt really responsive over small bumps as well as larger hits.

ENVE Wheelset These are the first carbon wheels I've ever owned. They are really light, therefore spin up incredibly fast. They're also very stiff. I had a lot of trouble setting the up tubeless, but I realized the trick is to use a C02 cartridge pump to blast it full of air in order to set the tire bead properly. I went with Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires, and I'm really impressed with how well they hooked up over the loose fire road corners and hard-pack single track.

X0 Drivetrain My build comes with a lot of new tech from SRAM. I was very excited to go back to GripShift, and the new version is ultra smooth, and makes for a very clean cockpit. I also have a new X0 Type 2 rear derailleur, and it's quite amazing how quite my chain is going over choppy terrain.

X0 Trail Brakes So much power packed into a small package. The levers actuate over cartridge bearings, so they feel really smooth and solid. Because they're quad-piston calipers I can modulate with a single finger. They're relatively light weight, too. Out of the box there was zero squealing, which is a huge bonus to me. However, I'll have to wait to see how they perform in the wet.

ENVE Cockpit I've got a complete ENVE cockpit; stem, seat post and handlebar. I appreciate the swept-back bar, and was worried it was going to be too wide, but it's just right. I may cut it down a tad in the future. My favorite piece is the seatpost. It's really clean design and solid anchoring sticks out the most. My only gripe is that I wish they made a more angled stem so that my stack height is lower.

The bike just begged to be pushed hard on the climbs. It's light weight and stiffness across the board will make this a fun bike to ride and race. It's tough adjusting back to a hard tail, but I can tell the frame's design allows for a bit of flex to soak in a lot of chatter. On the downhills I could just point and shoot with the bike. It's stiff front end with oversize axle is really noticeable, as is the rather steep head tube angle. It didn't feel sketchy at all, just really nimble and precise.

I'm beyond happy with the build. Just a matter of dialing everything in, and hopefully I'll be able to put in some major miles over the weekend. More ride impressions to come.

Paradise Loop

My wife and I rode around Tiburon for the first time. It's a good loop for beginners in that it's not too hard and just long enough. We started from home, and knew this would be a big ride for my wife. We stopped in downtown Tiburon to grab an early lunch while watching groups and groups of riders either starting or ending their rides.

I made sure we stopped a lot to soak in the sun, views of the city as well as the North Bay. The loop was really flat towards the beginning, but really picked up on the other side, which was very curvy and somewhat hilly.

We took our time heading home, as there were a lot of people out on bikes, and I knew my wife was beginning to fade a bit. We rode 44 miles, and I'm quite proud of my wife for sticking it out all the way through. She looked fierce in her new Rapha classic jersey, and even more fierce tackling the last set of climbs. Slowly but surely we're working our way to bigger and better rides.

Saturday Stretch

Finally got in a good ride this morning, after having spent most of the week with stitches, bruises and healing wounds. I was a bit nervous at the start of the ride, especially while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, where I had my accident the weekend before. I made sure I got out early enough to avoid all the tourist traffic.

I went straight up the side of Mt. Tam, and dropped into the Seven Sisters. I pretty much hammered all the way, seeing if I could best any previous times I set before. I ran into the Mission Cycling crew as they were nearing the top. The weather was as perfect as can be, no wind, not too hot nor cold. Just right.

I took a new route from the top down to Highway 1, a winding 6 miles descent through shady trees and uneven road. Seemed like it was a popular climb, having passed by at least 20 or so riders, including the Mission Cycling crew I just saw on the other side of the mountain.

My bike is all fixed up and even better than before. I upgraded to SRAM Red brakes, which shed a tiny bit of weight, but increased my braking performance. I stopped at Stinson beach to soak in the sounds of waves crashing.

On my way home I realized I should have eaten more or at least stopped in town to pick up something before tackling the coastline rollers. It was my first time riding along the coast line, which was absolutely gorgeous. I bonked with at least 20 miles to go, and suffered through it. I stopped at the 7-Eleven on the other side of the pass to refuel. Snickers and a Coke never tasted better.

Goodbye Epic

Today I sold my beloved Specialized Epic Expert to a friend. I needed to make room for my new Open O-1.0, which arrives sometime next week. I have to admit that I'm a little sad. I've had some pretty memorable moments aboard this bike; rediscovering my love for mountain biking in New York, exploring my new home in San Francisco and the Marin Headlands, my first comeback race at the Sea Otter Classic (pictured above), and of course completing the Leadville Trail 100 in under nine hours. It's been an incredible bike, and I'm happy to see it go to a friend who'll have just as much fun as I did.

Almost Fixed

My Tarmac SL4 is starting to collect a little bit of dust, but the good news is that replacement parts and tools necessary to get everything up and running started showing up on my doorstep today. I took the opportunity to upgrade my brake calipers to SRAM Red, having bent the front mounting post. I also needed a new internal spoke nipple driver to true my rear wheel. Besides that all I'm waiting for now is a new derailleur hanger.

Project Leadville - Saddle

The first component of my new rig arrived in the mail today. It's a custom Fi'zi:k Tundra 2 with carbon rails. It's black and white to match the rest of the build. I haven't ridden on this brand before, but I keep hearing great things about it. Not only is it handmade in Italy it comes in a super feathery weight. As for the rest of my bike it's in the work stand and near completion.

Back In the Saddle, Again

I rode my bike to work today, first time in the saddle since Sunday's chaotic series of events. My body's still pretty sore, but it actually felt good to get moving again. It feels like I'm catching a cold, but I'm sure it's just my body trying to recover fully. I rode with a lot of caution and wariness in the first couple of miles, but quickly found my stride, plus having two skinned knees rubbing against denim jeans isn't too comfortable nor efficient for hammering. My Tarmac SL4 is out of commission for the time being, so I rode in on my mountain bike. Because my new bike is on its way soon I'll only have a few more days with my trusty steed before I sell it to a good riding buddy of mine.

Repair

I'm feeling a lot better than I did yesterday, a little sore and defeated, but on my way to a full recovery. I don't want to dwell on my physical condition, as I'm looking to turn the page on this humbling experience. I'm doing alright, and thanks to those concerned. My bike needs a little bit of work. I bent the front brake mounting post as well as my rear derailleur hanger. The hanger is an easy fix, but the brake post is beyond my skill. I went ahead and ordered a replacement caliper. My rear wheel got a little out of true, but that's an easy fix for me. Besides that my frame got chipped where the front brake swung around, however I can't tell if the brake mount cracked from the twist. It looks like it got compacted, but didn't crack.

Not My Day

Long story short, Sunday ride turned into road rage as another rider argued with me for passing, more arguing, he punches me and continues to ride, I catch up and asked why he had to punch me, I collide with incoming cyclist, crash to the ground, I'm dripping with blood from a gash in my head, I stop bridge traffic as Bridge Patrol makes sure I'm ok, nurse and other rider tend to my wounds, I ride home and go to the ER, I get five stitches, I'm bummed out, bike a little beat up, but I'm doing ok. Full report tomorrow. Be safe out there.

Saturday Sunshine

Finally found the time to put in a good ride this week. It was going to be gorgeous outside, and I wanted to get as much in before my day got busy. I rode through the Headlands, putting in 32 miles, and climbing 4k while viewing the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Tam in the distance.

I rolled out around 7am, just as the sun was beginning to rise. It was a bit chilly at the start. I had a vest on to keep warm, and to modulate my body temperature in case it got too warm. The temperature can vary by a lot depending on where you go. It's usually cooler on the other side of the Headlands, where the colder sea air is trapped in the valley below.

It felt great to be out, alone with my thoughts, or lack thereof. Just being able to clear my head after a rough week of work. I needed to hit the dirt, rather than road. It's more peaceful when you're not battling it out with traffic or other riders. I didn't push my pace too hard. I've been listening to my body, and lately it's saying I need more rest. After a couple of days of not riding too hard I begin to feel sluggish.

I love watching the sun creep up and over the hills. Some of the best lighting for photography. I love shots like this that are simple and somewhat graphic.

On my way back I ran into my friends blazing down the trail, nearly getting plowed, but it was cool to see them in force. There must have been at least 15 riders strong. I wanted to join them, but had other plans, and they had an ambitious route planned. After this morning I feel good again, and hope this great weather holds out for a while.

Another Rest Day

Didn't get any riding in at all today. Not because I didn't feel like it, but because I got all dressed up for Halloween fun at work. It's Friday, and I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead. Lots of plans outside of cycling, so I only have the early mornings to get them in. On another note, my Open O-1.0 is nearly complete. Just waiting on one last part to be released and shipped to the shop. I'm waiting on a new SRAM X0 Type 2 rear dreailleur. I'm looking forward to how this performs. Having a quieted drivetrain while descending will be nice.

Closed Off

I managed to turn in early last night, and got a good ride in the early morning. It felt like I was the only brave soul out on the wet roads. Halfway up Hawk Hill in Headlands I crossed paths with a couple of cycle-crossers coming up from a trail. I was on my road bike, heading up to the top, but the gates leading to the top of the climb were closed off. I asked the guys why they were closed. They said it happens every so often, but I should be good to go. They also added that the only person not allowed beyond those gates was Lance Armstrong. Funny.

It's been rather chilly and wet in the wee morning hours of San Francisco. I'm fully prepared for deep winter riding after spending all last year riding in the bitter cold of New York. It was nice to put on some slightly warmer layers.

I'm slowly coming out of my shell of work induced stress. It's been a rough week where I've been finding it difficult to find the time to de-stress by regular rides. It's been rough just finding the motivation and inspiration to get on the bike for that matter. It's just so dark, cold and rainy when I do find the time.

Too Tired

This morning I wasn't able to get in my weekly ride in the Marin Headlands. I was up late last night after picking up my wife at the airport, later stressing about work, making for an uneasy nights rest. I woke up with the intent of hopping on the trainer for a bit, but I just couldn't get out of bed. I did bike to work and back, but just didn't have the motivation or energy to ride. Maybe it's the change in weather, or maybe I'm riding too much. I'm listening to my body and taking it easy for a bit.