The cycling blog is done, but blogging about cycling will continue.

Where?

Good Question.

The new Adventure Guys blog.

In this new blog, Adventure editor Jeffrey P. Mayor and I will write about our adventures, misadventures and insights in the outdoors, keep you up to date on the latest news and answer your questions.

Talk to you over there,
Craig Hill

If you haven't noticed, this blog has been retired. The plan was for this cycling blog to run for the duration of our STP Project, which painfully concluded in July.

But stay tuned. A new blog from the Adventure team is coming soon.

Thanks for reading,
Craig Hill

I got an e-mail this morning from a reader who had a much more positive experience than I did making the 204.5-mile pedal from Seattle to Portland. I thought I'd share it with you to let you its not all flat tires and wipeouts if you want to try this next year:

Craig,

Sorry to hear about your STP experience. Mine was almost the opposite. My training sounds about the same as yours. I was new to cycling this year and did this as a committment after having arthroscopic hip surgery in late October (at the age of 36). I started in March and trained with a buddy who has done a few STPs and some other races (Flying Wheels 100, MS150, RSVP) and are pacing was similar. He is a much stronger rider than I am, but I grew up being a long distance runner so I knew I would have the mind set to be able to focus and get into grooves while riding. We did some good hill training, so I felt prepared for the hills that awaited.

=> Read more!

As I took Rick Beitelspacher, Russ Meyers and Scott Wagar back to Deer Island, Ore., this morning so Beitelspacher could finish the ride, we noticed a man being loaded into a cop car.

We later learned he'd hit a cyclists causing a three-bike pileup.
Gerald Marvin, 24, of Seattle, suffered serious injuries. He is reportedly in fair condition.
Daniel B. Whittlinger, 40, of Portland was arrested on charges of felony hit and run, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and a parole violation.

Here's a link to a story on KOMO's website.

Two days to go and we're putting our bikes away until the big ride.
If there is anything else we need to do physically to get ready for the 203-mile STP, it's way too late.
As Rick Beitelspacher says, "The hay is in the barn."
Everybody on the team seems confident. Considering they've all done this before, this is good to see.
I, on the other hand, am not so sure.
While the team insists that I'm ready, I just looked at my training log. In three months I've pedaled 1,000 miles. That might sound like a lot, but that's less than 100 miles per week. Throw in another 500 miles on the trainer and the stationary bike and I'm still about 500 miles short of the mileage I'd hoped to amass during training.
That said, I know the first 100 miles won't be a problem. And I ought to be able to make it the last 20, with the finish line so close. It's miles 110-180 that make the most nervous.
A 10-day vacation in late June didn't help my training any and ensured that I will suffer for long stretches on Saturday.
But whenever I get too nervous, I remember the only other time I rode the STP. I did it in two days, however my training included less than 200 miles and I did the ride on a 43-pound, full-suspension mountain bike. The guy at the REI bike shop actually called me a moron for doing this. I averaged about 14-15 mph, and spent about 8 hours in the saddle each day. Talk about painful.
Maybe this year's ride will actually be easier.

We are starting to taper down on our training. On Monday we rode thirty miles with a medium pace. Today we rode thirty miles with a hard pace. On Wednesday, we will ride twenty to twenty-five with an easy pace. Start carbing up and drink tons of water the next few days. On Thursday and Friday, I will set aside an hour on both days to get my stuff and bike ready for the ride. Here is a list of items you can bring on your ride –

I make a list and check it over.

- Three water bottles

- A patch kit, spare tube, a pump and whatever else you need to repair a flat

- Lube for the tender areas

- If you are going to do the ride in one day, can I suggest you change clothes about ½ way. Our wives meet us for lunch, and they bring the clothes to us. I did that last year, and I felt like a new man.

- Tons of sunscreen

- The STP confirmation card to pick up your packet

- My clothes for the ride – Bike shorts, bike jersey, socks, and bike shoes

- Helmet

- We spend the night in a hotel so I bring a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast.

- I have my bag with towel, shaving kit, and change of clothes for the truck to take it to the finish line for an after ride shower.

- $20 just in case I need a tube or water on the road

- ID

- On Friday I go over my bike to make sure everything is tight, and my tires are pumped up. If I have time, I wash my bike. If I have time or not,I will make sure I oil up my chain.

Have fun on Saturday – Rick

If all goes well, we should be celebrating in Portland four days from right now.
But for everything to go well, you better plan for the heat. That means drinking a lot starting right now. (Actually, you probably should have started already.)

I'm trying to down at least 100 ounces per day. Monday I took in 152 ounces of water. So far today, I've downed 170 ounces (Including four water bottles during a two-hour ride this morning).

With a heat wave on the way, hydration will be paramount Saturday. Here's the forecast from the Weather Channel:

SATURDAY'S WEATHER
PUYALLUP
HIGH: 80 degrees
LOW: 58 degrees
HUMIDITY: 59 percent
WIND: SW 7 mph
***
CENTRALIA
HIGH: 81
LOW: 60
HUMIDITY: 62 percent
WIND: SSW 7 mph
***
PORTLAND
HIGH: 84
LOW: 64
HUMIDITY: 59 percent
WIND: WSW 4 mph
SOURCE: Weather.com

Women and cycling will be the focus of a daylong festival on Sunday. Women’s Cyclefest will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Seattle REI store, 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle.
The event is designed to outfit, educate and inspire women in their cycling adventures, especially as more women take part in the sport, organizers said. According to a study from the National Sporting Goods Association, 16.1 million women took part in bicycle riding at least once in 2006. That was up 1.3 percent from 2001, the report said.

The day’s activities include a bike safety check station conducted by REI’s cycling staff, free clinics and a community group/vendor exposition.

Among the clinics that have been scheduled are basic bicycle maintenance for women at 11 a.m., fitting your bike at 1 p.m. and preparing for a big ride at 2:30 p.m.

The groups that will be on hand include the Cascade Bicycle Club, Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club, Group Health Women’s Bike Racing Team and LunaChix Road Cycling Club.

For information, call 206-223-1944.

I got a cool gift for father’s day from my wife and kids. A Washington State University cycling jersey.
Just one catch, my wife said, “you’re going to have to find it yourself.”
While the Seattle-based Adrenaline Promotions manufacturers the jerseys, she couldn’t find them in any local stores. I called John Ambrose, the company’s owner, who said Rainier Cycle Sports is the only shop in Tacoma that carries the jersey. I picked it up today.

But as I chatted with Ambrose, he let me in on an interesting bit of information regarding his business.
While REI carries his product, the Seattle store placed an interesting request this year.
They ordered Huskies jerseys but declined to place an order for Coug jerseys.

Vs.

Seemed a bit surprising to me considering, the Coug fan base seems more interesting in displaying it’s school pride. For example:
1. Space Needle painted Crimson and Gray a few years back.
2. More WSU license plates sold than any other specialty plate.
3. Hijacking a recent UW Alumni online survey asking which school had more pride.

So, what’s the deal?
- Do Cougs not cycle?
- Does REI have a warped sense of reality being located just a few miles from the UW?

By the way, the folks at REI say if you want to request they carry a new item call their corporate headquarters at 253-395-3780 and ask for the merchandising department.

Here's what REI carries: UW, Cal, Texas A&M, Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Notre dame and Texas.

As for school spirit, here are the top three selling jerseys.
1. Texas

2. Wisconsin

3. Iowa

The STP sold out earlier this week, the first time it has sold out in expanded format (9,000 riders instead of 8,000).

If you want to try and buy a registration packet from a registered rider you'll want to check out the Cascade Bicycle Club classifieds.

Good News

I followed Craig’s advice and ate close to 70% carbohydrates four to five days before our ride on Saturday. I felt at the top of my game for most of the ride except when we missed a water stop or should have stopped to pick up water – more about water later. I didn’t think eating carbohydrates that many days in advance would make that big of difference – Wrong; it made a huge difference. My energy level was high most of the afternoon. The Flying Wheels 100 is a tough century. I say it is tougher than the 2nd half of STP which I find challenging. Since I felt good for most of the ride, I will follow the same eating pattern before STP.

Bad News

About ¾ of the way through the ride, I was close to being out of water, and a couple of the other guys needed water. I personally go through one bottle every fifteen miles, and as we rode through a town, we were thinking water was right around the corner. Right around the corner came about fifteen miles later, and I knew I needed to stop in town at the nearest gas station. I felt a headache coming on and the other guys were complaining of cramps and sickness. Being a man (Read Idiot), I thought I could make it ten more miles instead of stopping at a food mart and buying a gallon of water. At the water and food stop, I consumed a peanut butter and bagel with two water bottles, and with my body and vigor revived, I felt great. I had energy for the rest of the ride. The question for myself is why do I need to be reminded to do the right thing? I have to remember to stop drink and eat before I need to do it.
Many website give the following symptoms for dehydration - thirst, fatigue, irritability, headache, weakness, dizziness, cramps, nausea, decreased performance. Dehydration of just 1%-2% of body weight (only 1.5-3 lbs for a 150 lb athlete or 2 to 4 lbs for me) can negatively affect performance. The way I check to make sure I am mentally with it and not fighting fatigue or dehydration is to play “Slug Bug.” Russ, Scott (Barbie), and I call out VW bugs and keep track of the score. When I have a tough time keeping my mind alert, I need to start eating and drinking fluids.
On my rides, I bring five dollars to buy water and food if I need it. I put the money in my pouch in the back of my saddle with my tools. I hope this suggestion helps, and I will listen to Kenny next time who said “Let’s top off on the water anytime we can.” Remember to drink before you are thirsty and eat before you are hungry.

Have fun riding and be safe – Rick B

Last Saturday one of our teammates showed up to the 6 AM ride and announced that he had to head back home to help his mom with setting up his son’s gradation party. None of us harassed him although it was a first. Why? The reason can be found in the time we left to ride – 6 AM. We leave that early because most of us usually have some type of family commitment. Many times we get home after a ride to find the family still in their PJs, and I find that OK because I never feel like I am choosing cycling over my wife and kids. Some people have no trouble leaving their family for two to three hours almost every day to train for STP. I can’t make the choice or feel like it would be a wise one for me. Does that mean I only get to train once or twice a week? NO – it means I ride my trainer twice a week, ride Saturdays early, and before church on some Sundays. I try to ride four times a week for my own sanity, and I want to make STP enjoyable enough so that I want to do it again.