Evondo's Group - CLOSED! (Page 198)

Sorry i haven't been involved too much the last month..  The last month has been super busy for me and my training has taken a major hit.  Went to Asia for 2 wks again and had to entertain and schmooze a lot.  In Asia it basically means drinking and eating a lot.  In Singapore business is hard core, all day meetings and then eating and drinking at a popular bar but not at the fun part of the bar but in a private room with meeting tables and white boards and bottles of johnny black.  Never did this before but drinking while drawing structure/deal charts until 4am is not my cup of tea and then we would be back into the office at 9:30am for more meetings with the same people, did this for 4 days straight..  Last Wed we finally moved into our new apt.  Over 7 months of renovation and it's still going on.  The contractor is wrapping up but still has his crew in and out.  The good thing is we're closing on the sale of our old place tomorrow!  It's nice to live so close to Central Park.  Since last Wed I already ran 4 times and biked once in the park.  My new gym is pretty nice too so no excuses, i need to do 2 a days to get in shape for my next tri in Sept or else I'm in big trouble.  All the running, swimming and biking progress went out the door this month.  Also not having internet, cable or phone for a week sucks.  I didn't realize how dependent I am on internet until I didn't have it for 6 days.  Any who, off to work and then train..

I don't seem to be able to talk any of my friends into the Mt. Lemmon marathon.  I don't get it.  Not even my best bud that I mountain climb with all the time who can qualify for Boston with his hands behind his back.  My friends are sooooo lazy. 

That is a shame. I would so be in for it but I already have plans for that day. I would have even made a shirt for the occasion.

Funny, that is the exact excuse I am getting.  Except for those that are just straight out saying "hell no"

So I was thinking what is the proper way to shift from big ring to small ring. Do you shift both FD and RD at the same time or front first then rears or rears first then front?

I am lusting over a 2011 Felt B14.  I get fit / ride the thing tomorrow.  They have a 54 & 56 so I will "fit" on one of them.    I am really happy with the components and price point on this bike.  I don't hate the way it looks, in fact I like it and IT's NOT A P2.  I will never find my P2 in T1, only a million of them in there.

I am trying to set up a ride on Kuota Kalibur and the P2 for comparison (I wouldn't sleep if I didn't ride the dang thing).  A good percentage of the 2010 54cm / 56cm are gone waiting on 2011 now.

I picked the Felt really early on as my next bike and it's starting to look like the front runner right now.

Depends on where my RD is.  If it is near the middle I don't touch it.  If it is at a point where I might drop my chain I'll shift it or I'll shift with no tension on the chain at all, then slowly start applying the pressure and it tends to not drop.  When in doubt though shift the RD.

Or, HTFU and get some power in your legs and stay in big ring.  HA! 

This from the person who runs marathons and rides STRAIGHT UP!!! 

Awesome!  We don't change gears all that often here in Houston-certainly no experts at these matters.  

My 2C--- becoming a master expert at dropping the chain requires skill and attention to detail.
Nothing I hate the most is flying into a climb/hill carrying momentum and then switching to the FD, give it a crank and find myself pedaling to the air.
My drops usually happen changing from the big ring to the smaller one (54/39) and all while trying to change both quickly. I've gotten to the point that I set up the RD to the cog that will fit the speed and then change the FD to keep momentum and cadence.

Like I said, I've become a master at dropping the chain and usually on command. You can actually do front then back but for me the key is to place the chain in the rear cog then switch the front chain ring. My 2c.

Definitely a bike I looked at- Nice bike!

http://www.racycles.com/product.aspx?catid=3,461,721

I shift FD slightly before RD. The goal of shifting to the small chain ring is to get into an easier gear ratio. Depending on your cassette/chain ring this can mean different things.  For a 53/39 11-23 setup the 53-19 combination is the same as 39-14 (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/). So once I'm in the 53-19 gear I shift FD then RD 3-4 cogs immediately to put me either equal to 53-19 or one gear easier.

So this was me if ya couldn't tell

That just wrong, trying to steal BvDs thunder like that.

When you shift FD first going to small ring do you "spin out" for a second then get the RD into the right spot. Or do you just pedal smothly and not engaging till you get the RD shifted? When I am entering an uphill and in the 53 and I need to switch to the 39 when i do the FD first I would have that second while I am moving the RD 3 gears and spinning the pedals but cant spin fast enough and  loose momentum before the gers got to a ratio I can pedal.  I know its only a second but gravity pulls my arse downhill in a hurry. If I shift the RD first I work harder for that second but still putting force on the chain to move forward but I do work harder for that second to pedal in a hard gear before I get the FD moved.

I used to shift both at the same time but one of my races this year I dropped twice. It was a rough road though.

And here I thought you were just trying to avoid dropping the chain.  I base what I am going to shift first on what is coming up.  I ride either rolling hills here or UP.  If it is rolling hills I rarely get out of big ring actually.  If that rolling hill gets to steep I'll stand and crank instead assuming the distance is short enough.  If I am coming up to a big long hill I shift rear until the hill is affecting my cadance then I shift the rear back to about the middle and then shift the front.  Then I'll adjust the rear as needed.  Nothing wrong with standind and cranking for short durations to keep the speed up.

I have been really dreading this time of the year because I was thinking I would have to miss swims for the next 3 weeks. HS Band has started so the wife is taking #1 in the am which means every morning I have to take #4 to daycare. That means no am swims. I can ows on the weekend but thats not enough. I think I have found a solution. I went by my old college and they have an outdoor 50 meter pool that opens at 12:00. $5 drop in fee so not too bad for 3 weeks. Something for me to do at lunch. 1st test comes today

Issue #2 after many calls e-mails with Saris and tinkering I think my receiver for my Poertap is what is bad. So I am going to get another one to test and if not I will have to send the wheel back to Saris. I got it off eBay from a local and it worked for the first week. Now I lose connection during rides. Just get dashed lines. With all the PT people here anyone have a spare receiver to sell?

Oh thank God.  I seriously died a little inside when I thought that was Betsy.  I get that you're all numbers-y and stuff but if she started talking like that I would feel the need to separate the two of you for a bit until her brain went back to normal.

Haha.

My eyes completely gloss over when I read stuff like this.  I know that it's probably important, but I can't get past the first sentance.

How did I not know you have 4 kids???  I guess I need to go back to page 1 and read about everybody.  Our #2 started back to band this week and #1 is in driving school which has put a bit of a wrench in my training.  Not too bad but I can't do bike & swim before I need to start transporting, it has to be one or the other and then I have to make it up in the afternoon.

Can't help you on the PT.  Honestly, those things seem like more trouble than they are worth.  I know Ken has had issues with his, JC had issues.  Everybody I know who has one has issues.  And since electronic gadgets and I don't generally get along (I still can't figure out how to take pics with my phone) I will steer clear for sure.

I know it is a little early but..... Who is racing this weekend???  I know everybody in H town and surrounding area will be at Bridgeland.  Anybody else have something going on?

KK #1 is 15 yo step son#2 and #3 are my 13 yo twins boys#4 is 2.5 yo girlYeah we were almost had a house to ourselfs but the wife decided she wanted a little girl.

LOL that sounds a little familiar though my girls were younger when I convinced Ken we were supposed to have another, I wanted a BOY - his name is Lilia :-)  But she's so damn cute! 

You really did start all over again!  A lot changed during that time I would imagine!  I know a lot changed between the boys 17 & 15 and th girls 8,6,3.

We had 2 boys 2 girls and everyone (including Ken) was sure we were done! 
What does your 15 yo play?  Our 15 yo plays French Horn, he LOVES marching!  Our oldest played the trombone but has picked up the guitar and has gotten quite good. 

So with all those kids how are you going to manage a weekend float?  We don't have the luxury of grandparents in TX.  We are so bummed we are missing the float trip, maybe next year.

My friend in Dallas was just complaining about how all public lap pools have just closed for the year (i believe bc of lack of funding/budget cuts).

What pool is this?  I wonder if it would work for her.

I like this option best

What?  There's a birthday and we didn't know until now?  Happy Birthday Eric.  I will celebrate by having a piece of cake.

Happy Birthday Eric!!  

He plays trumpet and got to march last year as a freshman and likes it as well.

The twins live with thier mother in OK. Usual visitation weekends and summer but with them getting older and more stuff going on and them wanting to hang with thier friends sometimes dad loses out.

We ship the 15 yo to his dads and grandma aka to the baby as "mimi" LOVES to have the baby over. We then have the weekend to run wild. So we only have to plan around a 2nd or 4th weekend and then ship off 2. I couldnt only imagine 5.