Reston Century of 2006

The entire week of flooring, which I did in my home prior to the ride, hardly was useful in preparing me for the century ride yesterday. Simply put: flooring and biking do not go together. Wondering how everything will work out, I was pleased to realize that I could ride at all. The first quarter of the ride was a breeze, life was nice and rosy. Then, the true nature of the Loudon County kicked in: rolling hills. Up and down, up and down, for miles and miles. Some of the “ups” were very steep and long and riding them was a true act of the Darwinian force: ride and survive (if you can). The weather was fairly favorable: it was cloudy earlier in the morning and sunny later on. The roads were occasionally wet. However, it was hard to figure out the source of the wetness, morning mist or bikers’ sweat! One hundred and two miles, 5044 kcal, and 5 hours 50 minutes later, it was all over for this time. The organizer deserves credit for making significant improvements to marking properly the path of the ride, and stuffing the rest stops with drinks and snacks (unlike last year).

My bicycle

Instead of updating the dry and boring statistics on my bicycle riding for this passed week, I am choosing to reflect on the machine that enables me to ride, my bicycle. It is Trek 5200, the same model Lance rode to achieve his first Tour victories. Never mind that my bicycle is rather slower than his! The bicycle is very light, fast, and sturdy. After having ridden it in excess of 6,000 miles over the course of last two years, the only parts that had to be replaced due to wear and tear were the tires. True, I have replaced the saddle too, but that was a personal choice. All in all, the tires and the saddle are the only non-original parts on the bicycle. For those who experience saddle sores, which can be caused by many factors including bad saddle, I would strongly recommend Fizik Arione saddle. Yes, it is pricey with the price tag between $100 and $150, but fewer painful moments on the trail will convince you that it was worth it. Speaking about costs, let me state the obvious: better the bike, better the components, higher the costs. In a typical bike store you will find road bicycles that cost as little as $300 - $400 to as much as ten times that amount. Which one is good for you? Any one of them could be good for you, depending primarily on your biking preferences (how fast, how far, what type of road…) and your budget. Regardless whether you spend $300 on your new bike or $2,500 as I did on mine, consider this as an (very smart) investment in your health. Ride safely.