The last couple of days has been about the bike. Yesterday, I collected it after the "big" service. I was really shocked to find that the cassette and chain had been replaced; the cassette and chain that were on were only 3 months (1600 miles) old! When I went into the shop, I did say that I wanted to make sure that the bike was spot on for the Etape and to do whatever needed to be done. I don't doubt that they needed to be replaced but I'm just shocked that my bike maintenance is so bad that they would have worn so quickly.
So, I've bought the Park Tools Big Blue Book, Vol II, and I'm going to start studying and doing these jobs for myself. I tried to book myself onto a course but it was full. However, my good friend Graham is a very skilled bike mechanic and I'm sure he'll give me some tips and I also have an offer of help from Dan from Manchester Wheelers. I really dislike that I don't have a clue about the mechanics of my bike - I'm not confident talking about the various parts of the bike because I'm not entirely sure that I've got it right. This will change!
Today, my new tyres arrived so I set myself the task of changing them over against the clock. The first tyre came off reasonably easily but getting it back on, particularly that last little bit that is so tightly stretched across the rim, was much harder. I used my new Topeak pump and found that the gauge was accurate, however, 160psi is totally effing ridiculous. Who on earth is pumping a tyre up to 160psi with one of those? I managed 90 - acceptable I think. It took me a couple of minutes, if that, to get up to 90. The rear wheel was much easier and took me about 15 minutes in total. Not too bad.
When I was a spectator last year, I took my track pump with me and helped a guy, who already had 3 punctures by 40 miles, to get a bit of life back into his tyres. I just hope that if the same fate should befall me, there is a track pump angel waiting at the side of the road for me.
I've stripped off the old pump and my rear light from my bike - about 200g - the same as the new pump. My watch weighs 100g so I'm not going to wear that. Colin has also offered to wait in Bedoin for me with bottles/clothes/Joe Blow/food etc so that I don't have to carry the lot over the entire course. This will be good, as long as we manage to see each other on the day. We'll organise a spot the day before but I will still have to carry all the essentials, just in case.
My training between now and the Etape is finalised:
Tomorrow - 1hr 20min spin
Sat - rest
Sun - 2hr hilly
Mon - 1hr 20min spin
Tue - rest
Wed - 1hr 20min 6x1min climbing effort
Thurs - <1hr spin
Fri - travel
Sat - assemble bike. 12km spin(to start village and back)
Sun - <30min spin bike check
Next I have to start making lists of things I need to take.
11 days and counting.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
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5 comments:
Hi Karen
Why don't you get a co2 pump? I've used them for sportives for a while now & take a couple of spare cartridges. They inflate to about 100psi in a second.
Good luck with the etape!
Hello Karen,
Leave Hair alone....
Ive lost all mine, but still heavy :-)
If you need assistance on the etape its best to look as feminine as possible, someone will always help a damsell in distress.
Could I also suggest your fella meets you just before Bedion, 2 reasons, the town was packed out when i stopped at the feed station, lots of riders and spectators, so good chance you will spend 20 mins finding him.
if you do miss him, you can still get food and drink at the feed point anyway.
I saw a guy get flip flops from the town, he passed me walking Ventoux in them faster than I was riding at the start of the climb after the sharp left turn!!!!although I got past in the end.
PS look on google to see the turn approx 4 miles out of Bedion, make sure on little ring before you turn in, otherwise you will stop and cannot get going again, think Mow cop.
Good Luck.
PPS I have a bet that Lance lets Contador stay in the yellow then attacks them all on Ventoux to take stage and overall.
Then does book, movie etc.
Cheers
Graham team lard.
Thanks Nick - I do have a spare co2. I will try it out beforehand just to see what it's like. what i worry about is using both spares up and then being stuck.
Graham, I'm not really a Lance fan after reading a book about the alleged drug taking. However, I'm really coming around to him - he is making this tour very exciting and I would quite like to see him win it just for the story of it all. I follow him on Twitter and it's interesting to read what he's up to and some of his thoughts about the tour.
I'm more into this tour than I have been into any other.
Thanks for the tip on the turning. I hadn't realised we had any ridiculous gradients - will get into google map later on.
Hi Karen,
Try this, its a bit of a nerdy site, but good for the mountains...
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Mont-Ventoux&qryMountainID=4
Mentions the turn too.
Its not too bad on paper, however after the miles and with all the other people dropping chains, falling over etc it was impossible to get a rythem going, plus I mistakenly had 39/23 on and it felt like i was on a pennyfarthing...used compact and mtb 30 tooth block after that!
When you watch todays tour, they will attack just out of the town in Arclasis, its very steep there then it levels out before the tunnel, I watched Ullrich on big ring on the statue near the finish, stunning scenery.
Enjoy.
Are you on the turbo while watching?
Cheers
Graham Teamlard
Graham, Team Lard,
Thanks for the heads up about St Esteve (the left turn). I've put a warning on my garmin course so that it'll remind me to change down a few hundred feet before it.
yeh, i've been on climbybike before - does this mean I'm a nerd then? Probably :-)
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