@ Gary...welcome back. Just don't try to make up ground by over doing it. Just look at your plan, follow it and do no more.
@ Clark...sorry to hear of your fall. I'm no MD but I've had good success healing road rash with stuff called Tagaderm. You can get it Walgreens or CVS. Its a clear waterproof film that you put over the wound. Made by 3M and they make all kinds of versions of it for hospitals for wound care. Looks like your getting good advice about RICE. Listen to Betsy.
Rode fat bikes yesterday for 2 hours with my brother ENer JT. We rode on trails thru the forest...warm, sunny day and so beautiful as the leaves were turning yellow and red. A fun way to get some bike miles in without feeling bored. And of course it turned into a hammerfest (sibling rivalry at its best) after the turnaround. We had no power meters on the bikes so I've got no clue how hard we really rode, but it felt hard. Then we ran 4 miles and JT reminded me that he is the younger brother. He kicked my butt (my story was I'm saving it for IMAZ...at least it sounded like a good excuse. Haha!).
Stay healthy and focused this week. Just one more hard week then taper time.
@DS-the beeline course on race day is the entire west road of the divided highway. They make it two way traffic on the east road. It is swept and clean. The streets to and from beeline are clean. In four AZIMs I have not had a flat. That being said, I know there are flats out there.
I have always used Continental 4000s. That was Al Truscotts tire too. I don't use special tubes. I intend to do the same this year.
@ DS...My luck on the Beeline highway isn't as good as Betsy's. Must be her home field advantage. I've ridden on that road exactly twice in my life (the Friday before 2014 IMAZ and during the 2014 IMAZ race) and got a flat both times. So I'm batting 1000%, or 0% depending on how you want to look at it. UGH!! And I was riding Continental GP 4000s too. Both times a tiny cactus needle (to small to see and avoid when you're riding along at 20 mph) punctured the tire. It was windy for the 2014 race and I recall hearing that caused more cactus needles to be blown around, resulting in more flats that year. I'll be riding Conti GP4000s again in the race this year, and I hope my luck changes. But I've been practicing changing a flat just in case.
I have some two month old Michelin ProComp tires on my bike. I put latex in them when I first got them, but have a butyl in the rear from flats at different locations. I will put a new latex tube in the back prior with butyl backup on bike and old patched butyl in special needs, just in case.
When we rode the Beeline a few weeks ago, it had quite a bit of old debris that should be cleaned up prior to the race. We were also riding on the shoulder. I'll be prepared, but I don't think there is an unusual high chance of flats.
Wow BT, that was bad luck Flats on the beeline always seem to come in clusters. I don't mean to say I've never had flats there, just never in a race. The flats usually come from these slivers of metal that look straightened staples that apparently wear off of radial tires; or cactus thorns. There was an unusually higher number of flats 2014 because of the 25MPH winds.
Good news is weather forecast is for high in mid 70s, no chance precipitation and mild winds about 5MPH. ITs going to be fabulous weather! I'm bummed they have closed down the Tempe town lake monitor website, can't track its cooling. With this La Niña it probably won't cool much below 63 is my guess (that's 17C for FPhelpsP)
I have this little mantra I like to chant: 'my tires will be full and happy'-better to focus on what you want than what you don't want
I've run tubular tires the last two times, so this will. Be my first time on clinchers. I'll have to check what they are but my tires are new so that's what I'm using this year. I don't think tire choice matters much for the AZ flats. Just practice changing your tires and keep your fingers crossed.
Comments
@ Gary...welcome back. Just don't try to make up ground by over doing it. Just look at your plan, follow it and do no more.
@ Clark...sorry to hear of your fall. I'm no MD but I've had good success healing road rash with stuff called Tagaderm. You can get it Walgreens or CVS. Its a clear waterproof film that you put over the wound. Made by 3M and they make all kinds of versions of it for hospitals for wound care. Looks like your getting good advice about RICE. Listen to Betsy.
Rode fat bikes yesterday for 2 hours with my brother ENer JT. We rode on trails thru the forest...warm, sunny day and so beautiful as the leaves were turning yellow and red. A fun way to get some bike miles in without feeling bored. And of course it turned into a hammerfest (sibling rivalry at its best) after the turnaround. We had no power meters on the bikes so I've got no clue how hard we really rode, but it felt hard. Then we ran 4 miles and JT reminded me that he is the younger brother. He kicked my butt (my story was I'm saving it for IMAZ...at least it sounded like a good excuse. Haha!).
Stay healthy and focused this week. Just one more hard week then taper time.
I have always used Continental 4000s. That was Al Truscotts tire too. I don't use special tubes. I intend to do the same this year.
CM-what did you ride last year?
When we rode the Beeline a few weeks ago, it had quite a bit of old debris that should be cleaned up prior to the race. We were also riding on the shoulder. I'll be prepared, but I don't think there is an unusual high chance of flats.
Flats on the beeline always seem to come in clusters. I don't mean to say I've never had flats there, just never in a race.
The flats usually come from these slivers of metal that look straightened staples that apparently wear off of radial tires; or cactus thorns. There was an unusually higher number of flats 2014 because of the 25MPH winds.
Good news is weather forecast is for high in mid 70s, no chance precipitation and mild winds about 5MPH. ITs going to be fabulous weather! I'm bummed they have closed down the Tempe town lake monitor website, can't track its cooling. With this La Niña it probably won't cool much below 63 is my guess (that's 17C for FPhelpsP)
I have this little mantra I like to chant: 'my tires will be full and happy'-better to focus on what you want than what you don't want