BBC Metric Solo

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Ride Data

Overall Ride Metrics:

Distance (miles): 68
Avg. Moving Speed (mph): 17
Moving Time: 4:03:38
Total Time: 4:06:02
Ride Total TSS and IF: 227 / 0.75

Group or Solo:

Solo

Goal:

Endurance Type Ride

Ride Description:

Not sure what to say on this one. The start was frustrating and I felt like crap as if I had not trained in months, but maybe it was fatigue and some other things going on. My blood pressure was higher this morning before the ride and there was a little tremor in my hands. I think it was part caffeine, part hunger and part dehydration. (My BP test this morning below)

The second part was not being decisive as to my training/ride plan. Between what my mind was tossing around for routes and then arguing with itself about distance I ended going for the BBC Metric route. 68 miles in four hours was not that great, but I will take it considering how I felt at the start. The victory was overcoming that part of mind and legs that would have been lazy enough to stick with a 30 mile route.

No doubt I need to get into the consistent groove with solid weekday intervals (those have been going well) and get in the longer endurance rides on the weekends to get my fitness up.

My BP is not that great anyway, but this morning especially not

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 39
Temperature Finish (F): 55
Wind: calm
Sky: Partly cloudy

Nutrition Intake During and After:

22 oz from Bottle #1 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
8 oz from Bottle #2 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
Hammer gel @ mile 20
Hammer gel @ mile 47
Post Ride | 30 gram protein drink
Home |

Bike:

LOOK 585,  Garmin 800, Powertap G3, HED Belgium/Conti 4000s @ 95 psi

Overall Power Data (from WKO+):

Entire workout (138 watts):
Duration: 4:03:38 (4:06:02)
Work: 2015 kJ
TSS: 227.1 (intensity factor 0.749)
Norm Power: 157
VI: 1.14
Distance: 68.383 mi
Elevation Gain: 2586 ft
Elevation Loss: 2612 ft
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 628 138 watts
Cadence: 3 254 74 rpm
Speed: 0 34.9 16.9 mph
Pace 1:43 0:00 3:33 min/mi
Altitude: 623 921 757 ft
Crank Torque: 0 1774 160 lb-in
  

Comet - Out and Back

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Ride Data

Overall Ride Metrics:

Distance (miles): 40
Avg. Moving Speed (mph): 17.8
Moving Time: 2:15:35
Total Time: 2:18:37
Ride Total TSS and IF: 130.6 / 0.762

Group or Solo:

Solo

Goal:

Endurance Type Ride

Ride Description:

Lots of people to maneuver around, which made it hard to keep the speed and intensity where I wanted. That's what I get for going to a popular fitness path. It won't be long before I start doing all my training out at the brewery.

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 55
Temperature Finish (F): 61
Wind: 6 mph S
Sky: Sunny

Nutrition Intake During and After:

24 oz from Bottle #1 water, BCAA, Glutamine
Post Ride | 30 gram protein drink, LaraBar 

Bike:

LOOK 585,  Garmin 800, Powertap G3, HED Belgium/Conti 4000s @ 95 psi

Overall Power Data (from WKO+):

Entire workout (145 watts):
Duration: 2:15:35 (2:18:37)
Work: 1182 kJ
TSS: 130.6 (intensity factor 0.762)
Norm Power: 158
VI: 1.09
Distance: 40.166 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 639 145 watts
Cadence: 1 254 76 rpm
Speed: 0 24.6 17.8 mph
Pace 2:26 0:00 3:22 min/mi
Altitude: 818 1190 1037 ft
Crank Torque: 0 1574 165 lb-in

Comet - Easy Spin

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Ride Data

Overall Ride Metrics:

Distance (miles): 34
Avg. Moving Speed (mph): 17.9
Moving Time: 1:54:37
Total Time: 1:54:37
Ride Total TSS and IF: 112.3 / 0.769

Group or Solo:

Solo

Goal:

Endurance Type Ride

Ride Description:

Another day of beat down from wind. At least this time I got it on the way out and had the tailwind on the return. Great to be out on the bike and build fitness.

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 59
Temperature Finish (F): 59
Wind: 20 mph W (not sustained thank goodness)
Sky: Sunny

Nutrition Intake During and After:

24 oz from Bottle #1 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
Hammer gel @ mile 20
Post Ride | 30 gram protein drink, LaraBar
Home | Chicken and green salad, skim milk

Bike:

LOOK 585,  Garmin 800, Powertap G3, HED Belgium/Conti 4000s @ 95 psi

Overall Power Data (from WKO+):

 Entire workout (146 watts):
Duration: 1:54:37
Work: 1002 kJ
TSS: 112.3 (intensity factor 0.769)
Norm Power: 160
VI: 1.1
Distance: 34.135 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 713 146 watts
Cadence: 1 178 76 rpm
Speed: 0 30.3 17.9 mph
Pace 1:59 0:00 3:21 min/mi
Altitude: 907 1136 1045 ft
Crank Torque: 0 1613 166 lb-in

Sosebee 54

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Ride Data

Overall Ride Metrics:

Distance (miles): 55
Avg. Moving Speed (mph): 16.5
Moving Time: 3:20:15
Total Time: 3:23:49
Ride Total TSS and IF: 195.5 / 0.76

Group or Solo:

With Peter and Mike for the first half. Solo the second half.

Goal:

Endurance Type Ride

Ride Description:

With limited time I had to get out and back fairly fast, but unfortunately we had a very stiff wind on the return. Also unfortunate that I had to split from riding with Peter and Mike.

Wow!......the headwind on the return gave a good beat down.

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 40
Temperature Finish (F): 58
Wind: 10+ mph SW
Sky: Sunny

Nutrition Intake During and After:

24 oz from Bottle #1 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
10 oz from Bottle #2 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
Hammer gel @ mile 20
Post Ride | 30 gram protein drink, LaraBar
Home | Turkey wrap skim milk

Bike:

LOOK 585,  Garmin 800, Powertap G3, HED Belgium/Conti 4000s @ 95 psi

Overall Power Data (from WKO+):

Entire workout (133 watts):
Duration: 3:20:15 (3:23:49)
Work: 1592 kJ
TSS: 195.5 (intensity factor 0.766)
Norm Power: 159
VI: 1.2
Distance: 54.93 mi Min Max Avg
Power: 0 449 133 watts
Cadence: 1 254 74 rpm
Speed: 0 32.1 16.5 mph
Pace 1:52 0:00 3:38 min/mi
Crank Torque: 0 1718 151 lb-in
  

Kickr - Control By Power Meter

EDIT: I've removed previous tips on setting up control through the Wahoo applications and firmware updates since those do not seem to work for everyone. You can find more information and discussion on this topic at SLOWTWITCH

Update 3/26/2015

PerfPRO announced last week that they now have power meter control over the Kickr built into their latest public beta download. You can find the beta download at this link
https://perfprostudio.com/Download.aspx

It seems like the only viable option at this time is in PerfPro.
If you want power meter control right now for Kickr ERG my thought is Get PerfPro.

Update 4/1/2015

TrainerRoad has the option available now and can be downloaded to a PC or Mac. I will give it a try this evening. A couple have stated that it works well.

PC
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sg6yp9xnq8nwmgc/TrainerRoad.2.6.998.exe?dl=0

Mac
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fk4qsljghyr1oul/TrainerRoad.2.6.33.dmg?dl=0

The image below is a 20 minute interval segment comparing the Quarq data recorded on a Garmin Edge (yellow) and the data recorded in TrainerRoad (red) with the Quarq controlling the Kickr in ERG mode. All metrics totals for the workout session were the same at the end.

What is the solution for those who have either a hub based power meter or no power meter? I am not really sure and I have not heard or seen any discussion from Wahoo on how to improve the Kickr.

The Kickr is a pretty good trainer for wireless connection and for workout control from a program like TrainerRoad, PerfPro or others. It has a great feel and is of a good build quality structurally speaking. I am not an official reviewer that has thoroughly tested the data other than my own training data, which was about 15+ watts too high compared to two Quarqs and my Powertap G3 is within 4 watts of the Quarqs. I am confident when comparing my data that the Kickr's wattage was not correct and in my opinion not in an acceptable percentage range to those power meters. There have been a multitude of Kickr users that had the same experience with various brands of power meters being about 20 watts different. In a few rare cases some Kickrs have been below, but most have reported too high. There have been a few report that the Kickr was right on the money with the power meter from the start. So it seems to be a bit all over the place and I would feel it would be bad on my part to make good comments about a trainer and leave out something that a potential buyer regret later.

Thanks to PerfPro and TrainerRoad for stepping up to provide a means for those using power meters (non hub based meters) to control the Kickr and record the power meter data for historical training records.

Update 4/8/15

Wahoo announces on Slowtwitch a new beta firmware release.
Here is the post. http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=5500153#5500153
A public firmware will be released soon.

Update 2/5/16

Here are a few screen shots from an active recovery session last night using the combination of the Kickr (latest Wahoo firmware update v1.4.39), Quarq ELSA, PerfPro (latest edition using the power meter control option). I've had about a 15 watt difference between my power meters and the Kickr for the total training session since purchase and it is still about the same, but it does seem that the application and firmware updates have improved the overall feel of the Kickr. It seems be a little less erratic in power meter control than previously. 

The above image reflects the difference between the Kickr (purple) and the Quarq (blue) although it just happened that the point I did the screen shot shows a very close match. It is better to look at the overall power average in the Power Statistics.

Giro Prolight SLX II

Vented shoe bag is a nice addition

Extra inserts with arch adjustments

Common three bolt pattern and replaceable heels

The Easton EC90 carbon sole is thin and provides low stack

The tongue has a slight amount of padding where it counts

Light (weighed without cleats)

Both shoes are lighter than just one of my current shoe

 

Giro Prolight SLX II:

The difference between the original SLX and the new SLX II based on research before this purchase is they expanded the carbon sole a bit more, removed the mesh material and listened to customers that complained about the Velcro straps being too short. The upper shoe material is now all a "breathable" Evofiber™ ultralight, breathable microfiber; Titanium offset strap “D-rings”; Updated patterning with low-profile straps . Easton® EC90 SLX ACC high-modulus carbon; Titanium hardware; Replaceable heel pads.                           

Sizing:

I purchased these shoes using ship to store at Performance Bike so that I could try them on at the store with potential to get a refund before taking these puppies home. None of my local shops had these in stock and this is my first purchase of a shoe in the $300+ dollar range ($350 in my case). After reading some reviews on the internet and finding a shoe comparison tool at Art's Cyclery, I was able to determine that I needed to go up a little in size compared to my current Specialized Extreme, which is a 44. So I went with the 44.5 and it fits just as good as the current shoe.

One of my biggest concerns was the toe box. I have a neuroma in my right foot that flared up years ago. I had treatment a couple of times and as long as my foot does not get squeezed, even the slightest, the discomfort will not flare up. Even tight socks can cause me issues. After an hour spin last night on the trainer the shoe felt great and upper material is not too stiff either. I can press down really hard and see the upper material expand without sensation to my foot being squeezed. The other problem I have with this neuroma when I get a wide toe box sometimes the heel is too loose, but in the short test there was no slip.

Function:

I will have to come back for update once I get in a five hour ride, but for now the sole is stiff enough and the Velcro straps and heel shape are good. I have to admit the Velcro straps did not feel like the shoe was as snug at the boa system on the Specialized, but this was just barely a difference. I could have pulled the straps a little tighter, but that may have a negative impact on the neuroma and I did not want to take that risk. What I do like about going back to simplistic Velcro straps are some of the issues I had in the past with a ratcheting buckle. On my former shoe that had a ratchet was often extremely frustrating. At the finish of an exhausting ride there were times where I could not get the buckle to release and struggled to get the shoe off. This is not the case with the boa system and certainly will not be the case with simple straps.

When I really focused in on the feel during the ride there were some edges up near the tongue that I could feel a little on the ankle, but when focused on training it quickly melted from my thought. I can imagine some of those edges will soften up a little after getting more time in them.

The sole is plenty stiff and I felt it had a good connection between me and the bike when sustaining power output at higher intensities.

I saw a comparison on one web site talking about weight and I am not sure I will notice on a long ride or not, but it talked about less fatigue from lifting less weight over a long period of time. Makes sense on paper, but again I am not sure if I will notice or not. However, if you are a weight weenie the pair of the SLX shoes is lighter than just one of my current shoes.

Extras:

The shoes come with extra shoe inserts and arch supports for adjustment and a vented shoe travel bag. The available colors for the 2015 SLX is orange and black, Black and white or white.

Need more info:

http://www.giro.com/us_en/prolight-slx-ii-22530.html

Comet - Wet and Slow

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Ride Data

Overall Ride Metrics:

Distance (miles): 32.7
Avg. Moving Speed (mph): 17
Moving Time: 1:54:50
Total Time: 1:55:53
Ride Total TSS and IF: 92.7 / 0.697

Group or Solo:

Solo

Goal:

Endurance Type Ride

Ride Description:

I thought for sure that it would be another day on the trainer, but the storm front passed through early. Plus the temperature was very warm for January so there no way I was going to sit on the trainer again.

The path was very wet with standing water in places and a deep pool at about the 13 mile mark. The water was deep enough to top the crank and each pedal stroke was sure to scoop up a shoe full of water. I went through that twice or else I would have turned back early.

This Tuesday starts the slow ramp up and the beginning of the 2015 training structure.

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 64
Temperature Finish (F): 64
Wind: 15 mph W
Sky: Partly Cloudy
Pavement: Very wet to standing water in some places

Nutrition Intake During and After:

24 oz from Bottle #1 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
Post Ride | 30 gram protein drink
Home | Chicken salad, skim milk

Bike:

LOOK 585,  Garmin 800, Powertap G3, HED Belgium/Conti 4000s @ 95 psi

Overall Power Data (from WKO+):

Entire workout (136 watts):
Duration: 1:54:50 (1:55:53)
Work: 937 kJ
TSS: 92.7 (intensity factor 0.697)
Norm Power: 150
VI: 1.1
Distance: 32.73 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 463 136 watts
Cadence: 2 105 72 rpm
Speed: 0 26 17.1 mph
Pace 2:18 0:00 3:30 min/mi
Crank Torque: 0 1806 163 lb-in

Sosebee - Easy Out and Back

Hard to see the left front tip of the cleat broke off in the first mile

Fortunately I had some extra new Keo cleats at home

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Ride Data

Overall Ride Metrics:

Distance (miles): 36.7
Avg. Moving Speed (mph): 16
Moving Time: 2:18:06
Total Time: 2:18:28
Ride Total TSS and IF: 99.6 / 0.65

Group or Solo:

Solo

Goal:

Endurance Type Ride

Ride Description:

Well that was a frustrating start to the first year ride, but I am still grateful to get out and spin a few miles. Even if my cleat had not broken I was only planning about 40 miles so I was just a touch short of that goal. With the cleat broken it was a struggle to hold a decent pace and toward the end I was only able to get a few pedal strokes before the shoe unclipped.

Rain moves in tomorrow and hangs around for three days. I will be on the trainer and then ease back into my typical training structure next week when I also return to work. I am looking forward to getting back into the routine and see what I can do for 2015.

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 39
Temperature Finish (F): 48
Wind: 5 mph WNW
Sky: Sunny to partly cloudy

Nutrition Intake During and After:

24 oz from Bottle #1 water, BCAA, Glutamine, maltodextrin
Post Ride | 30 gram protein drink, LaraBar
Home | Peanut butter sandwich, skim milk

Bike:

Felt B10, Garmin 800, Quarq, Flo 60's/Michelin Pro 4's @ 98 psi

Overall Power Data (from WKO+):

Entire workout (116 watts):
Duration: 2:18:06 (2:18:28)
Work: 962 kJ
TSS: 99.6 (intensity factor 0.659)
Norm Power: 142
VI: 1.22
Distance: 36.74 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 352 116 watts
Cadence: 7 98 73 rpm
Speed: 0 28.6 16.0 mph
Pace 2:06 0:00 3:45 min/mi
Altitude: 695 969 817 ft
Crank Torque: 0 1309 138 lb-in