April 18th, 2013

Or in my case, the best laid plans go to waste.

As I type this I had hoped to be packing for the Tour of Walla Walla in the far south east of Washington state.  But instead I am on the mend from a stomach issue that I am told happens to all racers at some point in their lives.  So basically I chalk that up to me being some what pro!  If stomach issues can sideline seasoned pro’s like Tom Boonen, then obviously that puts me up in their ranks.

All joking aside, I had to take the month of April off racing so that I could properly recover after each race.  To some this would be an easy feat, but ask my girlfriend and she will definitely tell you otherwise.  It wasn’t supposed to be like this, I … Read More »

May 6, 2013

Hello road cycling enthusiasts!

Road riding is an excellent way to get outdoors and have fun. Rides can vary from a Sunday afternoon ‘noodle’ around the local park, to an all day effort in preparation for a Gran Fondo. In every instance, we think it’s always better with friends! 2013 will mark the second year of the Steed Cycles Ride Club, and we’d be thrilled if you joined us.

Club Benefits:

As a member of the club, we will have planned semiweekly group rides (Wednesday evening and Sunday morning) led by a dedicated Steed Cycles Ride Leader. Three groups are planned, ‘Novice’ for those averaging close to 20 km/h, ‘Intermediate’ for those who average in the mid 20’s, and ‘Advanced’ for the guys and gals that average around 30 km/h and just want to hammer. These rides offer a great opportunity … Read More »

March 5, 2013

Road racing is like chess at 38 km/hr. And I don’t know how to play chess.

This past Sunday ushered in the start of Escape Velocity’s Annual Spring Series Race Season with the Aldergrove RR in the sticks of the Lower Mainland.

It is still early in the season so only many of the other Steed Cycles Team were still hibernating, washing their hair or getting one of the last fixes of the white stuff. For those that attended, Eric Hung, Kelly Jones (in a supporting role) and I, the sun gods gave the racers an early season gift with nothing but sun. Okay, it wasn’t all perfect solar goodness as there was a stiff side wind blowing from the America’s to the south that left all the racers scrambling for the coveted slipstream.

The course was basically a square with … Read More »

January 27, 2013

In Vancouver I don’t know that you can claim that winter is in full effect. If people were to ask you, “so how much snow is on the ground?”, or “how many layers of down do you have on?” answering its 5 degrees, I am wearing a T-shirt, and do you mean is there snow on the mountains would probably not contribute to their thoughts of winter. But, as Vancouverites we are still in what we call winter. This means any possible mix of weather situations, the worst of all being between 2 and 5 degrees and raining. This weather is worse than you’re -20 in Edmonton because the cold literally is felt through to your bones!

Yesterday I went out for a winter road ride. One of my friend’s that I often mountain bike with was getting his … Read More »

November 9, 2012

Video: 2013 Specialized S-works Venge
Specialized’s Chris Riekert walks us through the 2013 S-Works Venge aero race bike.

Flyers off the front. Monster pulls. All-out sprints to the line. Venge riders absolutely live for this stuff—that’s why they demand complete performance: the winning formula of weight, stiffness, and aerodynamics. The Venge’s competition-crushing combo of Tarmac-inspired stiffness and light weight with Shiv-inspired aerodynamics keeps them ahead of the competition. The Venge truly is your race day weapon.

Want to know what makes the bike so different? Check out the Facts and Features here: specialized.com/ca/en/bikes/road/venge#tech-design

For more information on the Specialized Venge family of Bikes, including the full line, visit specialized.com/ca/en/bikes/road/venge.

Read more:
http://www.bicycling.com/specialized-s-works-venge#/video/all/created/d/1 

Posted by Chris B

In an impressive update to the Tour de France-winning Tarmac line, Specialized has moved away from the uncompromising rigidity of the previous version, the SL3. The new frame maintains the Tarmac line’s traditionally precise handling and drag-racer accelerations—courtesy of a rock-solid bottom bracket and rear end. But after listening to riders on the HTC-Highroad ProTeam, the engineers decided to soften the ride, just a touch. The result is a bike that’s as fast as any we’ve ridden, and lets you feel the road’s surface, but doesn’t overly punish you on rough pavement.

Much of the Tarmac’s compliance is the result of a redesigned head tube; it now has a smaller lower bearing (1 3/8, down from 1 1/2 inches) and a shape cribbed from the popular Roubaix line. The down and top tubes wrap around the head tube, giving it an … Read More »

OK! I got the plan! Cruise down from Courchevael in the pack, hit the Madelaine, and keep it steady at 240W all the way to the top.

No spikes, no chasing, really, really steady. Eat, drink, eat, drink, bank everything you can, it’s going to be a long day.

Top of the Madelaine, 26km in, seems OK. Stop, drink more water, eat, and fill all bottles. Blast down the backside. Cruise through the valley, hit the Glandon.

Plan seems OK. Holy S…. is it ever hot! Head up the Glandon, steady, steady. Why can’t I maintain 240??? Cripes I feel like death warmed over. Mind goes like this. Hot spot in the bottom of left foot is killing me, alter weight distribution, eat, stomach is turning over, can’t face another gel, think I might puke. Clif bar? No saliva. OK drink. Bottles are … Read More »

Not too many pictures today. Head down, survival mode. This is one really tough race! No rest, no respite, full on, period. The last climb to Courcheval was pure survival. Full sun, 30+ degrees, 26 km, up and up with no flat spots anywhere.

I swear I thought I might die. Tomorrow is even worse, two HC cat climbs followed by the climb to Alpe D’Huez. I probably will die. The only positive I can see in the equation is that everyone else has to do it too and they must be feeling just as bad.

Tomorrow is going to provide some real entertainment. I just hope I do not have the starring role! Results at http://www.cimalp.com/Live_Res/HauteRoute2012_AN/resultat_officiel.htm. Workout at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/212966934

Well that was quite the day! This is one tough race. A very early morning (breakfast 0515hr) after very poor jet lagged sleep started it all off.

The start was uneventful, but the 23 km neutral spin to the border with France created some havoc.

The average speed was quite slow, so there was quite a bit of the acceleration, deceleration thing. Throw in a bit of traffic furniture and it is a sure recipe for disaster. The big crash happened in my general vicinity and it sounded pretty intense. Not sure if everyone walked away unscathed. The climbing is pretty intense in this race. Today we did 3 big climbs; the first two were pretty significant. It was smoking hot, up to 36 degrees and hydration was key. Understanding that we have 6 more big days was also pretty important and … Read More »

Registration day at the Haute Route 2012. 800 km from Geneva to Nice with 20,000m of elevation gain along the way.

What an outstanding backdrop for bike building. That’s the big mountains in the background that we climb tomorrow.

These races always come with little challenges. I finally found my hotel and after checking in headed up to the room. Check out what I found.

Turns out my roomate has a girlfriend along for the ride. Somehow I don’t think this is going to work for a week.

A little manipulating and voila much better room.

Off racing tomorrow. 120km and 3 big climbs.

Check out www.hauteroute.org and follow number 556