When it's raining in Denver, ride in the Netherlands!

Today's Wheel's of Thunder/Pseudo Meade training ride was rained out...well at least it was pouring here, and as I started driving west on 6 towards the course, it was raining even harder. So, instead of risking it, I just decided to come home and hit the trainer. There are a few pieces of cycling equipment I own that I simply cherish...The first being my
SRM. I am a visual/numbers guy. I just gotta know! I've heard the phrase "paralysis by analysis", but, hell, I rode with it the last two years, and only got better. (NOTE: That does not include this year where I'm stinking it up!) It does affect some people, but I guess I'm used it now.




Anyway, the second piece is the Tacx Fortius I bought last x-mas due to the crap weather. This thing has NEVER let me down. I'll spare the details of what it does, but needless to say, today it proved its value yet again. One quick detail is that the video speed is driven by my cadence....I pedal slow, it goes slow, I go fast it goes fast. It's so freakin sweet.

I decided to ride something that would offer me some crit-substitute type workout...acceleration/effort with a rest and repeat. I rode Flanders LAST week when it freakin rained, so this week I did part of the Amstel Gold course. I've blogged about it previously, but had to revisit it. I took a few snapshots and they are subpar at showing the quality of the DVD, but EXCELLENT at showing how freakin' dirty my monitor is! Anyway, here's the gist of it...

There are a few options on the menu as to what you want to do...the whole course (it's abbreviated actually), or portions that they've broken up into short, medium, or long workouts. They even broke up a couple of the climbs into TT's which is neat. Anyway, some of the pitches in this thing are like 18%. The hills that are steep are STEEP and short. It's like riding from one end of San Francisco to the other I'd imagine. Apparently this video was shot in 2005 from a lead motorcycle so you are literally "in the race", and you feel like you're off the front. The weather is very very spring like and foggy...Here's a shot from early on (AGAIN, apologize on the dirty ass monitor!


You can see the cars lining the road, and, people are cheering as the camera passes them, so you totally feel like they're rooting for you.

More people & cars

As the race approaches the finish line, where, in real life, the racers do 2 laps, there are obviously more people and the climbs are freakin' STEEP!!! Here's a shot coming into the town of Vaulkenberg, and you ascend the Cauberg. It starts off somewhere around 8.9% and goes up to 12.8 in parts

It definitely gets creepy though with all of these people lookin' at you!

2 funny tidbits...at one point in the race/film, a cat goes SPRINTING in front of the motorcycle with the camera. He makes it, but you actually feel like you're gonna hit it, and I've caught myself swerving! At another point in the race one of the 2 lead motos in front of you takes off up the road. As you come into this beautiful green pasture, there he is...on the side of the road...taking a wizz! Hysterical....

Anyway, I'm pumped for the RM Omnium. I'm heading into PPC tomorrow to see the boys for a few little adjustments and a new chain...booya