This is a post of my experience with pedals. It is not a definitive review but it might give you some insight if you are having to make a decision on road bike pedals.

In 2007 I purchased a set of Speedplay Zero cleats after using Shimano SPD-SL's from 2004 to that point. The SPD-SL is a Look style-3 hole pedal system. I was having sore knees and hot spots from my feet being forced against the sides of my shoes. I decided then to buy the Zero's which have up to 15 degrees of "float" yada yada yada .....I will allow you to find out more about them at http://speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.zero to read.

My experience with the Zero's was good. The Zero's are highly engineered which means they are more expensive, require regular maintenance, and the cleats have to be replaced regularly.

The problem is that I am a big guy and I am tough on bike equipment which exacerbates the inherent weaknesses of the Speedplay system. So here were some of my problems.

• The small pivot point of the pedal puts excessive wear on the bottom of the shoe plate and Speedplay does offer a metal plate to reduce the wear but I even managed to put wear on that. The cleats require a slight amount of lubricant at least once or twice a week.
• I had to replace the cleats twice a year which costs $40 a pop and without covers the walking is dangerous and will wear the cleats out very quickly. Even with covers I always managed to wear down the head of a couple of the screws that fix the cleat on the shoe plate causing an issue on replacing the cleats.
  
• With all my" force" application, the bearings had to be replaced twice and probably should have been replaced more often and greased more often. That's another $40 per set plus labor.
• The last time I used them the bearings in one pedal blew out and I had to ride 19 miles home with one pedal. Nuff said.
  

I need a system that is reliable and cost effective without requiring me to be so diligent on the maintenance so with a little research and thinking, I decided to give the SPD-SLs another try and went with the 2012 Shimano PD5700(105) pedals. Cost effective did rule out the LOOK Keo Blades which after research I did become a fan of. I found a supplier of the 5700 that I could get the pedals from for a total of $65 with shipping.

These pedals are significantly better than their predecessors that I used before when I bought my first road bike back in 2004. The platform is wider, there is a replaceable wear plate, the cleat replacements are less than$20. At this price I could replace the entire pedal system every year and still save money and have zero reliability issues as the design is very simple. And to boot there is some real "float" with the black cleats.

After a couple rides I have found that I only need to shim to take care of a couple of fit issues. If I ever get my bike fit problems solved or my right leg could grow 1/2 inch, I could go with the zero float cleats.

So I am excited that I was able to fix a nagging problem.

Going Raw

on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 6:04pm

Ok...Two weeks ago today, I got fired up and decided to change my life. I want my next 50 years to be productive, I want to be healthier, I want to be leaner, I want to get up the hills faster, and so I made a drastic change. Mostly Raw Veganism.

What is so drastic is that I am staying away from macro nutrient foods and going for the micro nutrient foods. Unfortunately meat and potatoes are macro. These are foods with lots of stored energy and low nutrition. It seems a rule of nature is that high calorie and high nutrition don't coexist so not only are most people getting fatter but they are also becoming malnourished which compounds poor health, disease and early death.

Why raw? The body needs nutrients, enzymes, and minerals. Heat breaks down nutrients and enzymes. It's pretty simple. A cooked or canned vegetable has lost 80-90% of it's nutrition. Why unprocessed food? It's quite apparent that once a food manufacturer gets involved there is not only the loss of nutrients from the processing but there's going to be a lot chemicals and fillers added. So if it's processed, it's not going in.

It took 2 weeks for my body to adapt to raw vegan. The adaptation is getting used to the drastic reduction in calories. First week of this journey was juice. I will say, I have had a little bit of salmon and tuna but only maybe 12-14oz in those 2 weeks. I can see myself eating cooked "rare" beef in small amounts in a few months.

What? Yes I said beef. My goal isn't 100% raw vegan but maybe 80-90% because when I start back to riding heavily I am going to need some calories so I will add back complex carbohydrates too.

The helpful things a person needs to do this are a heavy duty blender(at minimum 600watts or you are gonna burn one up). Commercial grades are over 1000 watts. Yep, smoothies are great. I have found that almond milk and/or carrot juice does well as a base for blending veggies. If you aren't great with the knife and cutting board a food processor makes the job quick.

The changes so far are the obvious weight loss, my heat tolerance is up also. My theory on that is my body isn't creating additional heat by processing calories for storage or for energy. There's also the obvious benefits of a high natural fiber diet. Another side effect is that I am not feeling like I want more than one cup of coffee in the morning which is completely unintended because I love coffee. My mind feels clearer though sometimes I can get into a mental fog with the low blood sugar and there is the occasional crankiness.

As far as riding, I have to manage my limited energy so I am just getting enough riding in so that I don't have to readapt to the saddle and crankset once I get back on. I will probably adapt to the lower calories some more so hopefully I can get my activity up so that I can burn more calories than I am now. My intention is to maintain this calorie level till mid or end of September and the epic adventure rides will begin in October.

The NFL, Cars, and Cyclists


The current situation of traffic accidents and vulnerable vehicles(cyclists, runners, motorcycles, light energy efficient vehicles) relates to the same dilemma that the NFL is having with it's increase of brain progressive damage. The NFL thought it was solving it's problems by "improving" it's helmet design and padding. The result was the increase in brain trauma. NFL players got faster, bigger, and stronger and the impacts got more severe. I remember as a high school football player when I got my neck roll pad, I became a lot more aggressive and reckless with my hitting because it made me feel more protected. What the NFL has found out that they now need to change the rules of the game to reduce brain trauma. So now we as a society need to change the rules of the game when it comes to reducing automobile accidents.

The progressive damage that we are seeing with cars and accidents is that we have felt that by making cars more impact resistant we reduce the chance of damage. The result is the increase in costs of automobiles, the increase in cost of repairs and even more worse, the perception of invulnerability by today's drivers. The whole notion of invulnerability is the disease that needs to be addressed. The rules that we need to change are the ones that target the behavior of motorists by removing their distractions, provide a cost for ignoring established rules of the road, education and verification of one's competence behind the wheel.

Today the driver is distracted more than ever by cell phones and pdas. Texting increases the risk of an accident by 23 times, and talking on a cell phone 4 times. Drivers are more prone to riskier behaviors as they feel a sense of invulnerability provided them by the protection and power of their vehicles. A person is only required once in their lifetime to prove that they are competent to drive a vehicle, but consider a vehicle that weighs 3200lbs going 30 mph has 98,000 ft lbs of energy. It is one of the most deadly machines ever created and there is no system in place to remove incompetent drivers from the road.

Today most traffic accidents are not investigated by law enforcement unless they result in a death or severe injuries. Law enforcement has relegated traffic accidents up to insurance companies. Instead of identifying behaviors that result in accidents and targeting them with fines or penalties,and punishing those who practice them, those drivers are now "protected" from the consequences of bad behavior by the "protection" of insurance. I personally was hit 3 times in a short period of time by other drivers all who were breaking some law and not a single citation was issued. No citation was issued when I was hit while riding my bike by a motorist who failed to yield the right of way as he entered the roadway. This inaction has added to the progressive erosion of drivers true liability and their attitude to more vulnerable users of the roadways.

The laws that we need to target should be specific for reducing the progressive reduction of drivers responsibilities.

Rich

The standards that motorists should be held to have their car under control need to be addressed.

When I get on my bike and get on a roadway I assume that my life could be taken away by a motorist but by assuming that risk I do not absolve the motorist from his obligation to have his car "under control", neither should our govt.

It's quite obvious why a car should be required to be under control to the utmost ability of that driver. The physics dictate that a car in motion is a very dangerous situation. Here is a link that shows the forces of a 3,200 lb car. The energy behind a 3,200 lb car at 30 mph is over 98,ooo ft lbs. That is huge for a car on car and even more deadly on a more vunerable user of the roadway such as a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, or lighter energy efficient cars.

For this post I want to talk about an essential element of control and that is avoiding the distraction of using communication devices such as a cell phone or pda. It's quite obvious that today there are more distractions for motorists and the number one distraction today is the use of communication devices while driving. Society has become very lax as we don't want to give up our use of cell phones as we drive. It's a pretty selfish reason that results in loss of life and loss of money. The result is that we are even more dangerous than ever now. The statistics of texting and driving can me found here. The result is 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident while texting. Talking on a phone is also a distraction and increases the likely hood of an accident by 4 times.

Faced with the realities of the physics of a car in motion and the potential for disaster it is quite clear that while you are engaging in either texting or talking on a cell phone and driving an automobile, you do not have your car under control to your utmost ability.

Of Tubes and Tires
Tubes and Tires are the greatest factor in the ride quality of a bike. Here are some “expert” resources along with a couple of my observations.

The late Sheldon Brown has given us a great primer on tires and tubes and it should be read including the “other” related articles at the bottom the page. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html

My personal experience with tubes is that where tubes go wrong is in the manufacturing process. Tubes are strips of butyl rubber vulcanized together as well as the jointing of the seams around the valves, and it’s this jointing process that determines where things can go wrong. I have had bad experiences with cheap tubes from off brand companies coming apart at their seams or that the strips weren’t uniform creating a bulge point, so spending a couple more dollars for a decent tube means I won’t have to spend several dollars on CO2 cartridges, a bad ride experience, and possibly not making it home. I now am very happy to pay more for a good Continental, Michelin, Maxis, etc. tube. Tubes are best bought in bulk. It’s cheaper and you never get caught without one. Most local bike shops sale them now with a buy 3 get one free. If they don’t, you should tell them the mark up is plenty enough to give you the 4th one free.

Tire selection also can affect a tube selection. Here’s where the offsetting features can come to play. If you have selected a tire that has the flat protection belts added you can offset the weight gain and worsened ride quality with a “race” tube which is lighter than normal or maybe even a latex tube. IF you go with a lighter tube make sure the tube is the proper size. If you read the Sheldon Brown article you will have found that the latex tube is much lighter than butyl but also loses air pressure faster. A lot of people swear by the ride quality of the latex as it has less mechanical resistance to road imperfections and reduces the weight by a few ounces. My next tire/tube combo (October) will include the latex and I will report on it next spring.

And when it comes to the relationship between inflation, tube/tire, and rolling resistance I hope you were paying attention at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#rolling.

Here’s a nice calculator for “optimum” tire pressures http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html which is based on this guy’s research and report: http://adventurecycling.org/resources/200903_PSIRX_Heine.pdf . I choose to follow the 45-55 principle and can only say that it makes my style of riding more enjoyable as I look at the pain on the other riders’ faces that obviously don’t like my road choices. I have tried the 40%/60% and it puts way too much pressure in the rear causing the rear to lift off the road surface and the much lower pressure in the front creates a squishy tire when I stand up adding weight to my front end.
My last bit of advice is for you to learn how to put your tires and tubes on by hand without a tire lever as it reduces the risk of damaging the tube.

7/29/2010 I have 3 new reviews coming out within the couple of days.

My latest Country Story Report
Had some business in Noxubee county and stopped at the Preston Country Store at the intersection of Hwy 21 and Hwy 397 and here's what I found besides the usual fried chicken which was so-so but fresh out of the cooker. They cook their stuff in small batches to keep it fresh. They had Chicken O Sticks if you liked your chicken with a permanent shelf life. And an interesting sign on the bathroom door.

Light Review:Planet Bike Super Flash and Blackburn 4.0

Having been hit, I am more than ever concerned about my visibility on the bike. Technology has improved so it was time for my bikes to have new lights. I have read some good things about the PB Super Flash so I ordered it online and it cost $15. I highly recomend this light. It has a 1/2 watt led along with 2 smaller leds for when it is in the strobe mode. It is visible from a mile away. The best thing about this light is the unique blinking pattern that is eye catching. The eye just gets pulled to it.

The competition to the Super Flash is the Blackburn 4.0 with an eye searing, full 1 watt. This is strongest light that you can buy. The blink pattern is a steady blink. The 4.0 does have side leds for 180 visibility.

The Blackburn 3.0 was pretty much the standard until these two lights came out. The Blackburn 4.0 is sold locally at the bike shops. The Blackburn is around $30. For me the Planet Bike won out because of the price but mainly because the seat post attaching collar is very minimal as my thunderous thighs do rub the seatpost.

Both lights are great and you should own either one as they are the top two rear lights you can buy.

SIX BARRIERS TO HAPPINESS

1.) Complexity. We often conflate quality of life with standard of life, but after a point, the connection between the two disappears. Buddhist monks shave their heads because it makes one aspect of their life simpler. Simplify life and we create more space in which to reflect on life.

2.) Pace. The same culture that entangles us in a web of complexity may also have us on the constant chase. That kind of tension takes a toll on our souls and our psyches. Whether you call it meditation, silence, or prayer, taking a pause just a few minutes a day can help us recharge and feel happier.

3.) Negativity. The prison of attachment, the prison of anger, the prison of depression, the prison of pride--if we blame someone else for our problems, we have imprisoned ourselves with toxic thought. Take charge of our thoughts and practice gratitude.

4.) Despair. Hope isn't hurtful; it can make one happy. Daydream; set goals and take steps toward them. Hopeful people perform better in sports and school, have a greater tolerance for pain and a lower risk for depression, anxiety, and heart disease. If hope falters, ask yourself, is it with the plan or the motivation?

5.) Suppressing Sadness. Happiness is not the absence of sadness. Some suffering makes you a whole person and allows you to acclimate and move forward in your life. By suppressing sadness, you suppress other, more positive emotions, as well, so people who try to suppress emotions actually become more anxious and depressed. Instead, find outlets, and you'll gain control over these emotions. Use others as a sounding board (not a toxic dumping ground), and you can help convert generalized anxiety and depression into targeted feelings you can address with specific solutions.

6.) Self-absorption. Social networks are important to happiness. The more self-absorbed you are, the more your world closes in, and the less realistic you become, all of which produces a vicious circle: You become oblivious to the needs of others, and the world shrinks still more, making you less able to see outside yourself. If you have such a huge ego, you’re setting yourself up as a huge target, which can easily get hit. So try to make other people happy; it's contagious.

wow, I haven't blogged since getting hit by a car in March

Shockaloe Trail Report

I rode this trail in 1990. It was on a Sunday after a Sat night of excess youthful exuberance at all the favorite night spots in town and all I could remember about it was how muddy it was and how tired I was. It could have been oxygen debt from trying to keep up with Roy Martin on that day. But I can hardly remember that ride. Well today, it was a different story, there was no excess, no mud(hardly), and I got to get to know my crank very well on my mtb.

Everyone tried to warn me off the trail after I posted that I was going and their concerns were unwarranted. I was told it was too rough, too flat, too smelly, too many hunters. The only thing they were right about was that it was flat. A hammer head who likes to crank will love 95% of this trail.

The trail is maintained to some degree by an annual bushhog and there were only 2 places blocked by fallen trees which I was able to ride around with no prob. You can see in the photo that the trail is built up. The trail even has a feature with a substantial bridge over this creek in the photo. There are plenty of bail out spots as you cross the forest service roads(photo below) which also would be good for exploring.

This trail is also a horse trail and thankfully only about 4 miles of the 23 total miles do the horse riders use much. It's the first 2 miles and last 2 miles that you can tell that the horses use on a regular basis. Apparently they haven't used it in quite a while as there wasn't any sign of horse manure. You will notice in the low areas where the horses have bogged down in areas only a few feet in width and I was able to ride around or over these spots with no problem. There was a little bit of chatter on some sections with hoof idents but it was no problem for me on my hardtail and that was mainly on the first 2 miles and last 2 miles. The rest was ok. You can see these little ponds(below) all along the trail, I guess to serve as a watering hole for the horses and maybe for dirt to build up the trail with.

The ride time was 2 hours 15 mins and in that I took a wrong turn and rode an extra mile, stopped to take some photos and a slight bonk at the end as I didn't carry any fuel and didn't eat right prior to the ride. At one point after Base Camp 2, I got into an aero tuck as the speed got fast in that section. Did I say that you gotta love to crank on this trail? There is NO free wheeling on this trail.

I made my final stop due to what I believe was a cougar. I have been in the woods all my life and what I saw was not a bobcat or canine. The build of this animal was just slightly taller than a big bobcat, longer than a bobcat, a thick neck, a round head, a more powerful and muscled body, a long tail, rounded ears. It's coat was really dark brown, darkest along it's spine, that got lighter as it went down to it's underside. The tips of it's ears were ringed in black and lighter in the center of the backs of them. I got a good look from 30-40 feet away as he was in the trail when I rounded a turn and it leapt to my left over a fallen tree top and he was gone. I will follow up with the wild life dept tomorrow and offer to take them to the exact spot to see if they can get a print.

There is some potential for thorn flats as there are briars next to the trail in some spots but I didn't flat. Take a tube and air with you on this ride. It could be quite a walk back. If you are going to leave the main trail, take a gps with you as you can easily get lost. Just remember that the horses only use the first and last couple miles. I guess those horses aren't in that good of shape for more mileage than that.

This trail is recomended for a good endurance workout and it is suitable for beginners as there are plenty of places to make the trail shorter. A beginner will find the total distance difficult.

It was a good ride and I will do it again.

There is no mercy in a peloton(of racers). It's only goal is to rip people's legs off, collapse lungs, blow out blood vessels, explode hearts, and to leave in its wake the weak in piles of exhausted debris along the side of the road to muster any remaining strength to make it home with a flicker of hope and the mental mantra that ...."next Tuesday will be different".

Tuesdays Holmes Ride makes no exception. It's remarkable that it's the same all over the world on Tuesday evenings as most cycling communities do the same thing.

You gotta love it. You gotta experience it.

Ok..Last video is indicative of Steve Steven's talent but this one is

Billy Idol with Steve Stevens my favorite guitarist.

My First Time as a First Place!

Butts Park Revenge MTB Race. Flat and fast.

GrandGulf Hill Fest

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

My 3state3mountain report.

May5, I walked out of my hotel at 7:45(ride starts at 8:00) and realized that I left my tire pump at home. Luckily the last guy in the parking lot had one. That was a close one. It had begun raining lightly on my way to the start where I met up with Guy and Kevin at the front. The ride began and the rollout of town was a bit scary with the slick streets and painted lines at the intersections and somehow in the confusion rode off without Guy and Kevin so I just rode my own pace waiting on a compatible group to come by. A couple of groups did come by but they all definitely looked like climbers and cat 1,2,3 types so I just let them roll on. My computer quit working except for my heart rate which is what I felt that I needed. I will not be able to give you distances or mph as a result. The scenery was ok...but it was raining and foggy with the low clouds obscuring the upcoming Suck Mountain. After riding along Suck Creek we turned right and I heard the sound of water flowing over rocks and the first climb began.

My goal for the climbs was to settle down in some kind of rhythm and keep my heart rate low and manageable. It was very difficult for me to get any kind of rhythm at the start because I was suprised at how low my cadence was. I was riding a compact with a 12-25. My weight was 209lbs on Friday. I got concerned on whether I would be able to make the entire ride as I had thought that the climb was 6 miles, It was 4.5m. Very soon I was being passed by alot of riders and one of them decided to pull up along me and carried on a oneway conversation. I can't remember what he was saying because I was just trying to focus on my effort. I am also quite sure that the creek we were climbing along on our right was beautiful, but I wasn't able to enjoy it with the work I was having to do. After about a mile a group came by and pulled in front of me and the guy directly in front of me had a big tear in the back of his shorts showing alot of his hairy ass and I was thinking..."dude...no way...why me". I was disgusted that I didn't have the energy to jump and pass them and I didn't want to fall back and lose any time so all I could do was just keep my head down. Finally as I on the verge of being rude the very talkative guy either went on up the mountain or I passed him. Finally with a short break in the grade I summoned up some energy and passed the guy with the torn shorts.

About halfway Guy passed me, with a high cadence and moving at a good speed. I thought about going with him but he was breathing pretty hard and I wasn't going to go deep that soon. At a false flat and thinking the climbing was over I punched it up into my big ring to make up the lost time and soon found there was another half mile of uphill. Finally at the top and beginning the descent, I hit it hard again. My first mountain descent. Let me say..Nobody passed me on any of the descents. I went faster than my experience should have allowed but I was able to catch alot of people who passed and caught Guy at the bottom. We stopped to reload water and got out on the road again.

It was still sprinkling and foggy with low clouds and I could tell that the scenery was great but wasn't able to see it nor enjoy it. A decent group formed and we began to make good time and we caught alot of riders. It stayed like that until we hit the river. The road had some good rollers and nothing substantial that slowed us down too much. At the river we stopped and I spent some wasted time trying to get thru the mud to reload water and watered down powerade. I was sweating alot but I was taking 2-3 ecaps every hour and drinking alot. Having lost my group I caught a couple of guys and we headed into a headwind across the bridge. We turned right after crossing and a big grade ascent began at Sapp Mountain that we skirted around. Again I lost some time going up it, but as soon as I crested I hit big ring and knocked it out on the descent and upcoming flat and eventually caught my old group. We rode into Alabama and the road became pretty rough. I began to wish I was back in Tennessee on smooth roads and then we hit Sand Mountain. I told the group I enjoyed riding with them and quickly fell off. This was tough as my cadence was very low but I just grinded my way up as I was passed again by alot of riders. After I hit the top I hit the big ring again went off in pursuit hoping to catch me old group. After a mile a triathlete with quite a good attitude came along flying and I jumped on his wheel and off we went and picked up a couple of riders but none of us were strong enough to take a pull and we lost him on the next big hill. A SAG stop soon came up and I jumped off the bike grabbed some undiluted powerade and jumped back onto the bike solo hoping I would catch another group and to not let my legs get cold. This portion headed east towards Brow Ridge Road had a headwind and luckily a group came by with a really strong guy pulling and couple of really squirrely riders drafting. Nobody was strong enough to pull to the strong guy's satisfaction so he stayed on the front and halfway up Brow Road I dropped off in anticipation to let my legs relax and rest up before Buckhalter which was coming up in 5-7 miles. I had a couple of cramps trying to form and this rest on the bike let me get rid of them. Another group came up and I caught on with them and there was a great decent down into the valley near I-59. Here I noticed that Velo Vixens were well represented. I made up some good time on the descent. After we crossed over Hwy11 a couple of guys in front of me threw their water bottles away on the first little but very steep climb thinking they were on Lookout. THat little section was so steep that when I stood up I spun my rear wheel on the slick road. They realized they were wrong as it was another 3-4 miles, and wished they had their water bottles. I coasted this section resting up for what I knew was coming. I had driven this section the day before. I stopped at the next SAG just to lose some water weight. I thought it was weird because it had been raining but they had a water sprinkler to let riders cool off?

Right before Buckhalter, I prayed. I looked for a priest but didn't see any, and I am not even catholic. I was too tired to think of Ghisallo, the patron saint of cycling. The kick up on Buckhalter is immediate. You can see way up the road and there were only 2 slight breaks in the grade. My cadence must have averaged only 20rpm. Every minute or 2 I would tack across the road just to take a couple seconds of rest and my heart rate stayed down. Alot of people passed but they sure were breathing hard. This climb is 2.5 miles and it is hard...very hard. Near the top the road turns right to a really steep grade and for .25 miles I switched back and forth all the way up the hill.

At the top I took my first long break maybe 15mins or so and enjoyed the potato chips. They were the best, salty and crunchy. The next 15 miles I knew weren't going to be easy, but I was going to try to knock it out. I was ready to get off the bike. You know..... if your driving down I59 and you look up at Lookout Mt., it looks like it's flat. It isn't. No longer with a group I pushed it as much as I could after the first 85miles had dealt me some hard efforts. The turn onto 157 gave a very fast descent and I hit it and was able to maintain my speed up the opposite side and kept my speed up pretty high, that was fun but I paid for it at the climbs that were waiting at the end of Lula Lake where I dropped my chain to the lowest gear and I just took it easy on this section as I was tired from the hammering for the last 5 miles and the next 5 miles weren't easy.

The last descent began on Red Riding Hood and though I had bombed and took chances on the prior descents I took this one easy, riding my brakes, wondering if I was going to melt a rim. At the bottom, the ride to the finish was just a fast roll in and I must have ridden the last 2 miles at 22+mph. I am definitely a rolleur, not a climber.

It's funny how a couple of people kept appearing along the way. One girl from Nashville passed me on every climb and somehow I would pass her sometimes and she would appear again as she passed on the next climb. I got to talk to a few of these people at the finish and it was interesting.

I have alot of respect for the people who have ever finished this century, whether they were faster or slower than I was. Buckhalter is NOT easy. It would be tough if it was after your first 5 miles, let alone after 82miles and 2.5 mountains. It takes a mentally tough person, the less fit the tougher minded they would have to be to get up it.

Finish time 6:25. A big difference from the 4:51 from the week before for the Natchez Trace Century. I will cut 30 minutes off next year with a better gear selection and the experience gained and hopefully pounds ungained. Think you might recognize me? Here is a pic of me on the ride.