commuterDude: Is that the biggest state in the Union, or are you just happy to see me?

February 2, 2008

Is that the biggest state in the Union, or are you just happy to see me?

Welp, this year I'm shaking things up a bit by heading south for the winter.... well, for the weekend, anyways; getting a jump on Bob's regular brevet series, by heading south to Texas.

Land of the big stuff.

Land of LSR.

Land of too many brevets and permanents to count.

Land of opportunity.

Yup, pack a lunch, because we're headed to Italy. Texas, that is. Yes, Italy, TX., home of the Italy Texas 200km permanent bike ride (that's RUSA Permanent, for those joining us late - http://www.rusa.org/)

Time to get to base building in a serious way, and beat the local brevets by about one month.

The first 200K up here starting on March 8th, so this will be a great opportunity to break in the freshly built Trek, and fine tune the body a little before another punishing SR series begins. It's better than nothing, considering that I haven't (pauses to look at BikeJournal.com) ridden much at ALL since probably October, and even then it wasn't anything more than 40 miles or so. That scares me a LITTLE BIT, but, it should be okay - because it's just base building, and I'll have plenty of time to recover.

Plus, it's not like I haven't been active at all -- I just don't have any "road" time. Some careful hours with the tape measure should put to rest any growing pains between the new steed and the Kogswell, so I'm not too concerned there -- but I'm hoping the last eight weeks or so of hard training in the fitness center will translate to a descent ability to hold pace with those that don't HAVE an "off" season. I'll be riding with people that have continued enjoying nicer weather ever since Tejas and PBP, so it'll be interesting!

Anyways, wish me luck, and talk to you on the other side!

Lone Star!

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What is bicycle commuting?

Simply put, bicycle commuting is the act of travelling to a place of work or education by bicycle. In many areas it is common to combine bicycle commuting with public transport. Worldwide, the bicycle remains the most common commuter vehicle, and bicycle riding the second most common form of commuting, second only to walking. While the absolute number of bicycles in existence globally is unknown, it is clear that significantly more bicycles are manufactured than automobiles. In the United States about 40% of automobile trips are two miles or less; using a bicycle for these short trips can reduce your emissions and expenses. If you live within ten miles of work, you could save thousands of dollars in fuel, insurance and automotive maintenance costs each year. This webpage seeks to highlight bicycling as a viable transportation platform and a fun, exciting, healthful way to improve your life! Visit the commuting links below and get started today!

What is Randonneuring?

The French term "randonnée" loosely translates as a long tour or ramble along a defined route, and persons embarking as such are dubbed "randonneurs". In cycling, the term defines a hard-riding enthusiast attempting a long-distance randonnée (called a "brevet", usually 200 kilometers or greater) within a certain time allotment. Non-competitive by design, randonneuring encourages camaraderie: riders test themselves against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route - but not each other. Randonneuring's ethos embodies self-sufficiency and mental toughness; support vehicles are not allowed and brevets are held regardless of weather. Randonneurs USA (RUSA) organizes brevets in the United States under the auspices of the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and the Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM), and rider's results are recognized world-wide. This website seeks to highlight the excitement and challenge of long-distance bicycle riding by sharing personal ride accounts, with the hope of growing the sport. If this type of bicycle riding interests you and you'd like to find out more, visit the RUSA webpage to find rides in your area!

For ride announcements and discussions on randonneuring in the greater Kansas City area, visit KC Ultra Cycling, and join the KC Ultra-Cycling Email List:

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Courtesy Randonneurs USA

What is Ultra-Marathon Cycling?

Just as the 26.2-mile marathon represents a benchmark for runners, bicyclists generally consider the "century", riding 100-miles, a worthy endurance challenge. Ultra-marathon cycling involves exceeding that benchmark, often several times over, offering the long-distance challenge of randonnuering with a more competitive flavor. This is the world of 24-hour races, double-centuries, and beyond. Where randonneuring rewards all finishers equally and emphasizes self-sufficiency, ultra-racers compete for time and placing, maximizing speed by utilizing support crews for hand-ups and fast repairs. Event courses can be long and scenic, but may take the form of many laps of a looped course. Winning ultra-distance events requires the rare combination of endurance and a high average speed. Randonneuring and Ultra-Marathon often complement one another: brevets can offer base-training to prepare for racing, and fast randonneurs often enter ultra events for a new challenge. Visit the World Ultra Cycling Association's website for more information.

Courtesy World Ultra Cycling Association

February 2, 2008

Is that the biggest state in the Union, or are you just happy to see me?

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