In the Crucible: The Pleasure and Pain of a Hard Group Ride

Last year I regularly rode the Flanders Bros. Saturday "Coffee Ride" -- roughly 40 miles at a respectable pace of 18-20 mph. That's pretty fast for a so-called "social ride." When my wife began road biking earlier this year, she joined a club that rode on Saturdays, so I had change my routine. The Flanders Sunday ride is a longer, harder ride that typically covers 60-120 miles at a faster pace (20-24 mph average). It was a big step up for me to try to keep up with these guys, but it's been a lot of fun trying.

As you'll recall from previous posts, my wife had a major accident on her bike this spring, which limited my availability to ride on the weekends for a while. Fortunately her recovery has proceeded well ahead of her doctors' expectations, allowing both of us to ride quite a bit lately.

Up until yesterday I'd taken the mid-length option (about 100 miles) during the half dozen or so Sunday rides I've joined. There's a turn-off point midway into the Sunday ride that roughly half the group takes, which makes for about a 65-mile route. Then there's the "La Sueur" loop -- 120 miles of pain and suffering (at least for the mortals in the group like me). I hadn't had an opportunity to try it until yesterday.

The ride started fairly innocently, with a moderately fast pace around 20 mph as we headed out. One of the riders was having trouble with a bad bearing in the rear wheel hub so we got a bit of a slow start, actually stopping at another rider's house to pick up a spare wheel. It was then that the ride began in earnest. I think some in the group were frustrated with the slow start and wanted to make up for lost time. In any event, the screws began tightening.

Pacelining
I was feeling pretty good during the initial series of pacelines. For those new to the sport, pacelines are single or double-file lines where the lead rider(s) take a few minutes "pulling" up front before peeling off to the rear to rest (riders up front expend roughly 20-40% more energy compared to those behind; thus the benefits of drafting).

Then I got caught up front during a fast stretch with "Alex" -- a big and very strong German chap who probably eats little guys like me for lunch (actually, he's a pretty nice fellow but he's not afraid to drop weaker riders). I kept up pretty well for the first few minutes, as we powered along a gradual descent at 30 mph. But he clearly didn't want to go to the back until I asked for mercy. Fortunately one of the other power riders sprinted up to the front and took over before slowing the group to let a rider who'd experienced a mechanical issue hook back on.

Reverse-Pacelining
I realize now that I should have swallowed my pride and moved to the back sooner. I burned through a lot of energy in just a few minutes trying to power through this section. Over the course of our 6 hour-ride, I took my fair share of time in front, and sat in on a little over half of the reverse-paceline rotations (during reverse pacelining, the last rider pulls out and rides alongside the single file group to take the lead position). Moreover, I felt quite good during the last third of the ride, even sitting in on some fast rotations that involved three of the strongest riders (the rest of the group opted out and sat on on the back as we drove the pace).

One thing that really helped me during this long ride was forcing myself to eat enough. I have my wife to thank for this. She's much more disciplined than I am and actually reads books about cycling (with big words and not a lot of pictures) whereas I tend to read books about politics and history (which haven't seemed to help my bike skills much).

Fueling
Since I'd been able to keep up on the 100-mile training rides I felt that whatever I was doing was working. Fortunately, about a week or so ago she calculated how much food I should be consuming during my rides and determined I was eating less than half of what I really needed. I always seemed to carry enough food with me (energy bars and gels) but often returned with most of it uneaten. So, after a few hard pulls up front (and at least once every hour) I'd eat a bar and/or a gel. As a result, I felt much stronger at the end of the ride than I have in the past.

When I looked down at my bike computer near the end of the ride I could hardly believe it. Even though we'd had to slow down and briefly stop several times due to mechanical problems our average was 21.5 mph. Without these stoppages we probably would have averaged 22+. And amazingly I felt strong at the end.

But here's the real high point: Near the end of the ride, about 115 miles in, two riders, independent of one another, rode up next to me and told me I rode well. One rider in particular, who kind of took me under his wing early in the season, said it was probably the hardest training ride of the year. "You looked real good today, Fred," he said. "Real good."

For someone who just started riding with the "A team" this year, those words meant a lot. Sure, they might be simply trying to encourage me along as a newer member, and they did give me some good ribbing for overdressing for the weather, but I'll take it at face value. When you're riding with guys with as much race experience as these, you need to take every compliment you get.

Why I Ride on the Road

The latest installment in my Shifting Gears column in the Southwest Journal just hit the streets and I wanted to provide some substantiation for a few statistics I cite in the piece. As soon as the story is posted on the Journal's web site I'll provide a link, but in a nutshell I explain why I feel safe riding my bike on the road, with traffic. I've actually come to prefer riding on the road rather than on dedicated trails and paths

The figure I cite regarding the average number of cyclists killed in car-bike crashes in Minneapolis (1-2 per year) was taken from a conversation I had with Don Pflaum, city of Minneapolis Bicycle Coordinator.

The observation that "about half of all car-bike crashes are caused by dangerous behavior on the part of cyclists, such as riding on the wrong (left) side of the road, turning left in front of passing vehicles, running through red lights and stop signs or riding at night without lights" was drawn from Robert Hurst's excellent book The Art of Cycling: A Guide to Bicycling in 21st Century America (p. 161).

The estimate that "a decade of experience will reduce a cyclist’s accident rate by roughly 80 percent" originally comes from John Forester's Bicycle Transportation: A Handbook for Cycling Transportation Engineers, published first in the early 80s but updated in a second edition in 1994. I first noticed this claim on Ken Kifer's web site (www.kenkifer.com).

The general observations regarding the relative safety of biking versus driving were drawn from Ken Kifer's research. Sadly, Kifer (a writer and dedicated cyclist) was tragically killed by a drunk driver in September 2003 while riding his bicycle near his home near Scottsboro, Alabama. His web site, referenced above, contains a remarkable amount of practical information for cyclists.

Interview with Liza Stoner and Family

Note: The following interview appeared in partial form in the first August issue of the Southwest Journal. I've re-posted the interview here in its entirety.

Recently I had an opportunity to sit down with Liza Stoner and her family following their their month-long summer adventure, which saw the 14-year-old bike nearly 1,600 miles from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C. to promote electric vehicle legislation. Liza’s mother (Amy) biked with her while her father (Jeff) and 8-year-old brother (Christopher) drove the support vehicle. 16-year-old sister Corriell was at summer camp during most of their trip but joined the family a couple days before they reached the capital (July 21). At the end of Liza’s “Ride for Renewal” she had a personal meeting with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) during which she shared her passion for environmental issues and her petition, which then included about 1,200 names. Here are a few excerpts from our conversation . . .

FM: First, welcome back, and congratulations. Maybe we can start at the end of the trip. What was is like meeting with Senator Klobuchar? Were you nervous?

Liza: Not really. She was so nice! It wasn’t really scary at all. I spoke with her for about a half an hour. She even shared some of her stories about biking with her dad across the country when she was in college.

FM: Pretty impressive, having a private meeting with your Senator at age 14.

Amy: Actually there was a Nickolodean crew filming it all, a Senate videographer, several other photographers and Senate staff. We attracted quite a crowd, mostly tourists, who started gathering to see what was going on. Some even asked for her autograph. There was even this 10-year-old kid who started debating Liza and Senator Klobuchar!

FM: Sounds like democracy in action. What would you say was the biggest highlight of the trip?

Christopher: We saw lots of animals. Some bears. Deer. Snapping turtles!

Liza: But I think Christopher’s favorite part was the hotels. Swimming in the pools. (Christopher smiles.)

Jeff: Christopher and I would often drive the vehicle 20 or 30 miles ahead and wait at the next major intersection. We’d get out of the car and find a park. We even played some baseball.

Liza: We met some really interesting people, too. A lot of bikers riding coast-to-coast. There was a father and son biking 100 miles a day with no rest days. A couple in their 60s riding across the country. Five guys in college riding from Pittsburgh to D.C. for AIDS orphans in Uganda. It was fun to share stories.

Jeff: Amish country was a real highlight, too. Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania. Especially Indiana.

Christopher: I liked their hats!

Jeff: And the landscape. Rolling hills and farmland. You see the country a whole different way when you’re not on the Interstate, where everything is the same mile after mile.

FM: What was the biggest surprise? Was the experience just like you expected?

Liza: It was a lot more fun than I expected. I thought I might get bored riding so much every day, but it was interesting the whole time.

Amy: Definitely not boring, though did make up a few silly songs to pass the time in a few spots.

FM: Were there any really low points during the trip?

Jeff: Ohio was tough. It was really flat, especially the western part of the state.

Amy: The roads were bad, too, and the drivers.

Liza: Even the maps were bad in Ohio. They [Jeff and Christopher] had everything — On-Star, GPS, Adventure Cycling maps.

Jeff: When we got near Cleveland we had to check four different maps to make sense of the route.

FM: Was it hard to return to your regular lives after a month of such unique experiences? Was there a sense of letdown when you finished?

Liza: Kind of. I really wanted to bike back home. I’ve been biking everywhere since we got back, but I take the bus sometimes, too.

Jeff: I had to go from being an 8-year-old to being an adult again. Deluxe (his employer) was really great. I took some PTO and they gave me a leave of absence to do the trip. Actually, it was probably most difficult for Amy to reintegrate.

Amy: (Laughing.) Yes, it’s probably been hardest for me. I was so pampered! All I had to do was ride the bike. That was my job. I’m really itching to get out again. I actually think I’m kind of a flight risk right now. You guys might come home and find my bike gone and I’ll be nowhere to be found!

FM: Is there anything you’d do differently if you had it to do all over again?

Liza: I’d like to train a little more and ride more each day. Closer to 100 miles. But I’d have to get up earlier. [Everyone laughs.] I also really wish we could have had an electric vehicle for our support car.

Jeff: Yes, we came so close. If we’d started a few weeks earlier we could have made it happen. Honda and Toyota both tried, but it was GM that really tried. It would have made a great story. [Watching the destruction of General Motors’ EV1 battery-powered cars in the 2006 documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” motivated Liza to plan her bike trip and petition.]

Amy: I agree. That was really our only regret.

Jeff: Oh, and I’d probably pack a little lighter. After all, we did laundry just about every day!

FM: Obviously you were successful with the biking portion of the trip, but did you accomplish what you had hoped to?

Liza: I feel like I did. I think we will get electric cars. Later the same day I met Senator Klobuchar, she brought us to a press conference about oil speculation. (Klobuchar acknowledged Liza before the press and audience.) There are a lot of people who really want things to change.

Amy: Yes, we didn’t meet anyone who didn’t agree with the goal of making electric vehicles more available, regardless of their politic background.

FM: Do you plan to stay involved with the electric vehicle movement or are there other issues you want to get involved with?

Liza: I think I’ll continue to be interested in electric vehicles but I’m interested in other environmental issues, too.

Amy: Some people from Project Better Place will be in Minneapolis and want to meet with Liza. The director of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” sent a personal message to her, and so did Chelsea Sexton (executive director of Plug In America).

Jeff: I think it goes to show that one person, and particularly young people, can make a real impact. Liza had a vision, worked her tail off and with the help of a lot of people accomplished her goal. And I haven’t even had a chance to tell Liza this yet, but our Board of Directors [at Deluxe Corp.] wants her to come meet with them.

Liza: What?! Dad!

FM: So, what’s next for the Stoner family? Do you have any more exciting adventures planned?

Amy: Well, Liza’s already hatching a plan for a European bike tour—on her own dime, of course!

Jeff: And Christopher said he wants to ride coast to coast when he gets 8th grade.

Amy: Yes, and I think it’s Jeff’s turn to do the riding this time. It’ll be a boys’ ride. Plus I really have to pay them back for sagging us the whole way!

Nickolodean News has tentatively scheduled September 21 to air their story on Liza’s trip.

Laura's Comeback

After nearly three months of hard work, my wife Laura did it. She got back on her bike today for her first outdoor ride since her accident. And just as I expected, she did more than just gingerly spin around the block, she rode 20 miles -- and loved it!

I have to admit I was relieved to see her pedal back home safely, and not because she made it back without incident. Rather, she returned on her road bike, clipped into her pedals, with an enormous smile on her face.

You see, she headed out on her hybrid, thinking she'd be nervous about clipping in to her much more responsive road bike. I left to take the kids to their swimming lessons and didn't notice when I got back that she'd switched bikes. She told me her hybrid just didn't feel right -- her feet kept sliding off the pedals and the bike felt sluggish. So, after riding around Lake Calhoun she headed back to change bikes (and shoes).

We both love the look of her blue and black carbon Fuji road bike. Even after her accident she was thrilled to have it back in the house. As soon as she was able she was back up on it on the bike trainer. But I was probably more fearful than she that taking the bike back outside would bring back memories of her accident.

I really do have visions of us riding off into the sunset on our road bikes together. Sunsets here in the Twin Cities (like those we watched last year coming home from our "bike dates"). Sunsets after long full-day rides together. Sunsets while riding across Europe when the kids are grown.

So I was relieved to see her riding confidently again. And so happy for her. Cycling had quickly become such a positive thing in her life, and it still is.

And being positive is what has most amazed me about Laura during this entire experience. I've been around a lot of people recovering from sports injuries, and I've experienced some pretty serious ones myself. I have honestly never seen someone so focused on the positive every day.

When she could get up and down the stairs by herself, sitting and resting on every step, she didn't complain about how long it took. She was simply happy to be able to get out of the bedroom and downstairs. When she found a rolling cart at Target she could push around the kitchen so she could make herself lunch (with one hand) and push it to the table, she felt so independent!

Just about every night she'd show me the incremental progress she'd made. One or two more degrees in the range of motion in her wrist was cause for celebration. Being able to go from two crutches to one, or one crutch to her cane, produced true jubilation.

I, on the other hand, would have been insufferable. Actually, I'm sure I was insufferable during my last major sports injury. I broke my leg a little over five years ago playing soccer and it took over a year to fully heal. Fortunately the experience led me to take up cycling, which has really changed my life for the better in so many ways. At the time, though, I'm sure I was a real downer.

Ultimately I have to think Laura's positive attitude sped up her recovery considerably. Sure, she was also a model patient with her physical therapy, and this may be the largest single factor (aside from her general health and fitness level before the accident). But I do believe, unprovable though it may be, that a positive attitude can create a positive feedback loop that literally speeds up healing.

Regardless what made it possible, though, I'm just thrilled Laura is back on her bike, enjoying something she has come to love as much as I do, just 11 weeks after an enormous setback. We're even planning a "bike date" for tomorrow night to celebrate. (Ain't love grand?)

My Addiction -- Carbonated Water

Be forewarned: This post is going to come off as a product endorsement, and maybe it is, but I'm thrilled with a new home soda maker I purchased a few weeks ago and think it's worth knowing about if you're paying for high-priced mineral water.

If you've visited this blog before you may have read the entry on water (see 8 Glasses a Day Advice Doesn't Hold Water, posted May 1, 2008). My wife and I started drinking juice diluted with water a few years ago, shifting to sparkling mineral water to make it a little more interesting. Recently, while taking all of our recycling bins to the curb, I reflected on the massive bin of mineral water bottles, most of which had traveled half-way around the world (Gerolsteiner and San Pelligrino being our two favorites).

So much for reducing my carbon footprint by biking!

Following a little research on the web I came across a company called Soda Club (www.sodaclubusa.com). They make home carbonation machines, and there are remarkably few companies that seem to compete with them. Because I'm concerned about the petrochemicals associated with plastic bottles I had to suck it up and pay for the more expensive glass bottle carbonator.

When it first arrived, Ethan (our 8-year old pre-engineering student) wanted to assemble it. Fortunately it's quite a simple unit. It's all mechanical (no electricity required) and consists essentially of a large CO2 cartridge which screws into the base. A bottle of regular tap water (or filtered water if you prefer) is simply placed inside the unit, and the carbonation jet is brought down on top of it. You pump a lever a few times, and voila! Soda water!

Now, some people prefer mineral water because it actually possesses minerals, and some because they prefer the flavor. Since I take my vitamins every day, and because I mix the water with juice any way, this machine is perfect.

Many others purchase these devices to save money on soda. Soda Club offers a wide variety of syrups and sends you a package of samples. I drink the water because I want a healthy alternative to soda so I don't typically purchase these, but simply mix soda water with a little fruit juice.

Of course, the company does require you to purchase their proprietary CO2 replacement cartridges through them, but that seems fair enough. It's still a lot cheaper (by my estimate, at least 75% less than bottled water) and much more environmentally friendly.

So, if you drink a lot of mineral water and want to a) reduce your carbon footprint and b) save money, you should consider buying a home carbonation system. Finally, if you know of other companies offering these products please tell me.

Meeting Miss Liza

A few weeks ago I received a message from a colleague who runs a neighborhood environmental organization doing great work in our community. She forwarded on an e-mail she'd received from the family of a 14-year-old planning an ambitious trip in support of a great cause. Liza Stoner, an 8th-grader at City of Lakes Waldorf School in Minneapolis, will be riding her bike nearly 1,600 miles to Washington, D.C. to deliver a petition to Congress urging passage of legislation regarding electric vehicles.

I dedicated the fourth issue of my Shifting Gears column to Liza and her trip. It gave me the opportunity to speak with Liza, her mother, her teacher and her cycling coach. I titled the story that resulted Miss Liza Goes To Washington, and it ran as a feature story in the Southwest Journal. Please click the link above to read it, then check out Liza's web site at www.rideforrenewal.org (and consider signing her petition).

You can also watch a video interview of Liza on KARE 11, a local Minneapolis television station. Finally, there will be a story soon in the Star Tribune. I'm pleased to be able to say, however, that I got the story first -- thanks to the tip from Felicity Britton at Linden Hills Power & Light!

Good luck Liza!

Rider Down

A month ago yesterday I had just arrived at work after a morning doctor's appointment and a quick stop at Office Depot on an errand for work. I had turned my cell phone off at my appointment and forgotten to turn it back on.

As I climbed the stairs from our building's basement parking garage I was met in the stairway by a panic-stricken co-worker.

I've known our company's dedicated and quite remarkable executive assistant for more than 10 years. Her calm demeanor under pressure is one of her greatest assets, especially in her role assisting an executive team that thrives on crisis and adrenaline.

But at this moment Michelle's eyes were wide. She gripped my forearm hard.

"Fred, Laura had a terrible accident on her bike! I've been trying to get a hold of you on your cell phone. She's at Methodist Hospital. Call Anna!"

My sister-in-law didn't pick up when I dialed her cell phone. Her home phone, too, went to voice mail.

Michelle told me that Laura had had an accident while riding by herself on a bike trail, so I knew there weren't any vehicles involved. But it was serious enough to require an ambulance.

Eventually I reached my sister-in-law and learned that Laura had fallen hard and probably broken her wrist as well as her hip. By the time I got to the hospital I'd had another conversation with Anna and learned that my wife had shattered her wrist and fractured her femur. Both would almost certainly require surgery.

* * *

On Friday, May 9, Laura was finishing a solo training ride on the Cedar Lake Trail at near 20 mph when she dropped her water bottle after taking a drink. It's possible she ran over the bottle with her front wheel or she might have inadvertently turned the handle bars when taking a quick look back. Either way, she went over on her left side, landing hard on her left wrist and hip. After one cyclist passed her, curled up half on and half off the path, three riders stopped to help. She had somehow come to a stop laying on her right side and couldn't reach for her phone with her left hand because of the shooting pain in her left arm.

The three riders stayed with her during the 30-minute wait for the ambulance. Apparently the ambulance couldn't find a good access point to the trail. They told her had her injuries been more serious they would have dispatched the fire department as first responders, since they apparently have more experience along the trail.

In any event, she was taken to Methodist Hospital where they took x-rays and eventually called in an orthopedic specialist. Laura had shattered several bones in her wrist and fractured her hip. She went into surgery around 7 p.m. Four hours later they had inserted three massive screws in her femur (near her hip) and a plate with ten screws in her wrist. She was in the hospital for five days.

* * *

It's been painful to see Laura so incapacitated. Anyone who knows her knows she can't sit still. As the mother of our three children (8, 5 and 3) she's always been extremely busy -- moreso, I think than most parents of multiples. She's an amazingly active and engaged mom, taking the kids on outings to museums, parks and other points of interest (typically several each day) and refusing to stick them in front of the T.V.

Perhaps the saddest aspect of my wife's accident is that she had just recently fallen in love with cycling -- fallen in love with it the way I did five years ago (which is to say, completely). She and I had done some social rides together, including several truly thrilling "bike dates" last summer. These dates were, surprisingly at the time, her idea, and involved hiring a sitter to watch the kids after dinner so we could ride around town (20 miles or so) before stopping for coffee or a glass of wine and dessert. We'd ride home together as the sun was setting, matching bike lights illuminating the trail before us. These were enchanting evenings.

Early this spring Laura decided to stop by the Velo Bella's season-inaugurating team meeting. The "Bellas" as they're known are a group of women cyclists who encourage and support other women interested in learning more about and participating in cycling. The group started in California but has developed chapters in a number of states. The Twin Cities club is one of the strongest all-women clubs in the area.

She returned completely energized. Within three weeks she had joined the club, bought a new road bike and participated in her first group ride. I hadn't seen her so excited since the birth of the kids. Our conversations began to revolve around biking. I would periodically look over at her with a puzzled look on my face and ask "who are you and what did you do with my wife?" We both got a good laugh about how rapidly she was becoming a "roadie" but I was genuinely so happy for her.

Laura hadn't participated in group sports as a kid so she hadn't experienced being on a team -- the camaraderie or the tension, the anxiety or the cathartic release . . . the addictiveness of endorphins. I say without condescension that she had a childlike enthusiasm that was charming and infectious. I was experiencing the love of the sport all over again. Best of all, it was bringing us even closer together. It was exciting to share a new passion after 12 years of an already wonderful marriage. We were like grad school students in love with learning and with each other all over again.

* * *

Fortunately she's handling the experience, and navigating the recovery, remarkably well. Her positive attitude is really amazing to witness, and makes me ashamed at how grumpy I can get when facing much smaller hurdles (or more accurately, inconveniences).

I'll admit, it's been difficult for me to give up most of my own club rides. Last year I rode on the Flanders Bros. "Coffee Ride" (40-50 miles) most Saturdays. This year, with Laura riding on Saturday, I had the opportunity to ride the hard ride -- Flanders' Sunday training ride. 100 miles or more at a stiff pace -- 20+ mph average for five hours. It was really pushing me to the edge of my ability just to hang on with this group (though there's a pretty powerful incentive to keep up when you're 50 miles from home and have no idea how to get back!). I had joined this group for three rides before Laura's accident and was feeling as fit as ever.

I've also had to put off until next year my plans to try my first criterium race. I still hope to enter a road race or two near the end of the season, but it doesn't seem responsible to attempt my first crit this year. All this family needs is a Mom with a hip fracture and broken wrist and a Dad with a broken collarbone, or worse.

But I know I have years ahead of me to ride, health permitting, and so does Laura. And this is perhaps my biggest relief: That Laura's still excited about biking after her recovery. She admits to pangs of nervousness at the thought of riding fast again, but who wouldn't be anxious after a fall like the one she took?

It will probably take a while for her get comfortable again riding hard and fast, down in the drops with her chin to the stem. Who knows, maybe she won't want to race or even join any more hard group rides. But we both know she'll get back on her bike, and I can't wait for the day when she asks me out on our next "bike date." Even though we still argue about who asked out whom 15 years ago, we both know she asked me to bike with her first. And I still know we'll ride off into the sunset together some day.