Was advised not to join the long ride this coming month end, to Quezon

Wheels of Happiness

This post has been furiously practicing for the long ride this month end to Quezon.  The journey will take 2 days and will cover 300 km  approximately.   However, a kapadyak who recently had a heart attack and was hospitalized advised me when he met, not to go with the ride  -  considering my age and the heat wave that is now raging.  The guy and I were DNF for the same trip - 5 years ago.  I banged my head after the bike oscillated going back from the  bitukang Manok back to Lucena;   he was simply poofed up -  (lack of practice) (We had about 20 chicks which died yesterday due to extreme heat exposure).

All my efforts seem to have gone to waste?   May be not.  Because I brought back the bike up to standards.   And my health too

If you were 75, your bike has been prepped, you practiced hard, and yet the external conditions are risky, would you go ahead or quit the plan?

How come a foreigner topped TOL; where did our teams fail?

Wheels of Happiness

A foreigner, a Korean topped the  TOL first stage, quite surprising considering that this is our home territory.   The Korean ran the first stage at World Tour speed of 45 kph.   Did our teams prepare hard enough for the TOL.  Was it equipment,  (we have world class bikes available), physiology, motivation or training.

We could do better in the next laps.   

Also the media commentators:    kept repeating Chinese rider (eh Korean iyon)   Morales ang Morales eh si Oranza).   they should know the names of riders.   

Tadej Pogacar at 111th TDF could be the greatest professional cyclists of all time

Wheels of Happiness

From Velo Power analysis: Tadej Pogacar

The article analyzed the climb at Stage 15, Plateu de Beille.   It was an impressive 7 watts /kg.  It was compared to another rider with a little over 5.8 watts/kg.   And the difference in time was 6 minutes.  That was how massive the output of Tadej was.  He could be out of this world.

And when you are noticed like that, and its that outstanding, people ask about doping. 

Training for  TDF

  

Fast cadence riding and use of cadence counter

Wheels of Happiness

Angono, Rizal Philippines
August 18, 2015

When we were riding to Luisiana, Ed "Ido" told me as we were going up Kalayaan that he favors fast cadence riding. ie that the most economical ride pedalling rate is between 90 and 100 rpm. It is possible to know that if you have cyclometer with cadence counter.

For him, with a 12 to 34 cogs, this means having his gears at 53 x 26.  (For about 51 gear inches).  Will he be left behind by guys using say 53 x 14.  He said that the pedaling rate will eventually catch up with speed. This is the training for champs

I tried using this technique and  by the time we were at Luisiana, it was game over for me.  I have to get used to this technique

Ed texted me further that his training rides are either to Bugarin or Sierra Madre  6 to 10.  No rests in between.  He usually rides up with 53 x 26 and stands up for say up to 10 km.  With his lean body, and strong leg muscles, he can do that.  And that he is a Valdez, the family of great riders/bikers