Spring Green to Madison...leading to rest day. 55 miles w/ 2800' climbing

Mr. Rogers says…It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…

 Today dawned with a misty haze spread over the rolling hills and valleys around the Wisconsin River valley. It was lovely. Soon after 9am the sun burned off the haze and we were greeted with blue skies and scudding clouds with a gentle northerly breeze. Though all of us were somewhat spent from riding a bit over 900 miles over the past 9 days, we pedaled enthusiastically toward Madison with the promise of a rest day upcoming. That, along with the pleasant cycling conditions, the bucolic country roads, and relatively short distance to cover made for a good day to ride a bicycle. And to top it off, from a personal viewpoint, I knew Amy would be waiting for me in Madison…best day ever! The past 30 days is the longest I’ve been apart from Amy, and if I have any say in the matter, it’ll be the last time I’m apart from her for such an extended period of time. My friend, Mark Johnson, an accomplished blue water sailor, asked me to assist in crewing his 52’ catamaran from South Africa to Fortaleza in late summer. It’s a 45-day passage. I love sailing, but I think I’ll pass on that adventure for now.

Let’s discuss a bit about my equipment and asset management required for a long-distance endurance ride (you can drop the ‘et’ to get the drift of what I’m referring to with asset management). I’m riding a carbon fiber frame made to my specifications by Allied Cycle Works located in Rogers, Arkansas. It’s a 61+ cm frame. It’s incredibly stiff in the bottom bracket (for non-cyclists, that’s the area of the crankset), yet it’s supple through the headset (that’s the area that supports the handlebars) allowing for a ride that absorbs the punishing blows of a rough road. The carbon fiber frame is further reinforced through Allied’s proprietary use of Innegra, a material that’s blended with the carbon fiber sheets to enhance impact resistance and prevent catastrophic frame failure in the event of a mishap…bottom line, it makes the bike more durable without sacrificing weight or performance. My bike at 61+ cm is considered large. However, it has a short wheelbase, which allows it to corner like it’s on rails. This is very important on long descents with tight turns, enabling you to lean the bike over at a radical angle while maintaining speed and your line. This is particularly important if you’re descending at 35 mph with cyclists around you, all of whom are trusting that you will hold your line, not drifting to the outside of the turn. As previously noted, being a competent and predictable cyclist makes you a good cycling mate.

 As to asset management, my experience is that you start with a bike that’s properly set up for you. That means a frame that fits you and is appropriate for the type of riding you want to engage in. A saddle that fits your sit bones, and is set at the right height, tilt, and fore and aft setting, and handlebars that are at the right height and reach. After having the bike properly fit, you need to have the proper cycling clothing. Of utmost importance are cycling shorts. Cycling shorts are made with a cushioned crotch area called a chamois. Regardless of the style of shorts you use, you should always use shorts with a padded chamois. Your nether regions will thank you. For long distance endurance cycling, it’s also advisable to use a chamois cream, such as Chamois Butter or Assos Cream. This will help reduce skin irritation due to the constant friction created through the pedaling motion. I find that it’s also helpful to frequently change my position on the saddle and on the handlebars in order to prevent pressure points from developing. Following a ride, you should change from your cycling shorts and shower as soon as possible. After a long ride I also find it very useful to apply Desitin (yes, the diaper rash stuff…) prophylactically to prevent chaffing sores. The stuff really works. Some of this may seem to fall into the category of TMI, but I believe you’re better off informed and prepared regardless of the level of cycling you aspire to enjoy. In any event, I hope you find it useful…and ride on!

Until next time…sleep tight!

La Crosse, WI to Spring Green, WI 103 mile, 5010' climbing

La Crosse, WI to Spring Green, WI

Today’s ride was a good precursor to what we can expect to encounter as we proceed through the eastern states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The farm to market roads are quaint, dotted with well kept farm homes and tidy barns. The roads also have more of a tendency to follow the lay of the land when going up and over bluffs, ridges, and hills. While out west, with the significant amount of snow that impedes winter travel, the grade of roads rarely exceeds 8%. East of the Mississippi, however, the road engineers establishing a road centerline basically aimed their theodolites straight up a hill, figuring the closest distance between two points is a straight line. That said, we encountered a few climbs today with grades of 10% to 15%. Of course, they aren’t as long as the western roads going over Rocky Mountain passes, but at a length of 1 mile they certainly get your attention. Personally, I like the lay of the land we will be in for the next few weeks. It reminds me of home in Middle Tennessee.

We rode by a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home, Taliesin, named in honor of the medieval Welsh bard. However, the upright and conservative civic leaders of Spring Green, WI dubbed it the ‘Love Cottage’, as Wright built it as a getaway for assignations with his mistress, Martha ‘Mamah’ Borthwick Cheney, the wife of one of his clients. It was scandalous. So much so that the offended local citizens call upon the high sheriff to arrest Wright for indecency. That did not come to pass. However, tragedy did strike the relationship, for one hot August day, Mamah, along with her two children and 3 of the construction staff were brutally murdered by a deranged cook. To cover the horror of his crime, he set the house on fire, burning it to the ground. Wright was reportedly somewhat distraught, more so about the house. In short order he established a relationship with another woman that had written him letters of condolences. After finally convincing his wife to give him a divorce, he married the woman. A fickle man. Of note, Wright rebuilt Taliesin, however it burned down a 2nd time due to faulty wiring. So, with the 3rd time being the charm, he tried again, and that is the home we see today, preserved for posterity.

Until tomorrow…sleep tight!