Cycling

Cycling cadence to match heart rate?

July 31, 2007

Crazy cycling thought of the day: There’s been a lot of research on how your cadence affects your heart rate—for a given power output, there is usually a cadence that creates the lowest heart rate for an individual. But could...Continue reading...

Riding in War-Time

March 03, 2005

I haven’t ridden my bike for a while; changing jobs and travelling turning me into a stress case. But this morning a cancelled meeting opens up a chance to spin, so I rise at dawn and roll onto the road....Continue reading...

Mental Preparations for My First Race

May 07, 2004

While riding today, I realized that I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to do well in the race this weekend. It’s dangerous to do so, because it is just my first race and it’s one that, despite my...Continue reading...

First Race in Four Years

May 03, 2004

I just registered for my first bike race in four years. It’s this Saturday afternoon in Los Gatos, kicking off at 4:10 pm. But I’m still hesitant due to my unknown fitness level, so I thought I’d post my plans...Continue reading...

Cars, Transportation's Bullies

May 02, 2004

Schoolground Bullies are bigger than they need to be make a big display of strength when shown up by someone smaller walk with arms out wide to appear bigger consume twice what a normal person does and contribute less...Continue reading...

Stoplight Intervals

March 30, 2004

1 hour or less, intervals, city Inspired by a Velonews article on getting the best workout in a limited time, remembering my old TV movie ride (spin during the movie, go hard during the commercials), and facing a rapidly setting...Continue reading...

Big Basin Forest Ride

March 24, 2004

4 1/2 hours, 75 miles, steep climbs, shady I was a little worried that this ride would take up to 6 hours, but it turned out to be just over 4. On a day when the rest of the cycling...Continue reading...

Assault on Mount Umunhum

March 14, 2004

Originally a discussion about my failed attempt to legally bicycle up Mount Umunhum, this page is now a much more useful discussion about all things Mt. Um-related. View the original entry, including maps and road names. img {max-width:600px;}...Continue reading...

Highway 9 Copout

3 hours, steady climbs So I've realized that riding Highway 9 on a weekend is just asking for trouble. I tried it today, and my planned route to Santa Cruz became just a ride around Big Basin, and then finally...Continue reading...

Up Tunitas Creek (without a paddle)

March 07, 2004

5 hours, long climbs, ocean views Tunitas is the epic climb of the midpeninsula--long, steep, winding, it is actually quite similar to most other climbs around. There's just more of it... One of the worst bonks of my career happened...Continue reading...

The B.O.B. Ride

3 1/2 - 4 hours, severe climbing, some offroad This ride can be done clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on your desired level of pain. The route below is counterclockwise, which is much more sane. Of course, both directions cover the...Continue reading...

Elena Rollers

February 23, 2004

Elena and Purissima are roads that parallel Highway 280, but with less traffic and better views. It's the area of the Silicon Valley super-rich, and the ride is almost like a parade of homes. It is a 45-minute ride from...Continue reading...