Today was a beautiful, warm, calm, blue-sky, early February day. FOX@1:35: 70deg; calm. After starting the ride, I could tell my legs were tired after yesterday’s strongest ride on PCs followed by lifting weights. On Ave L, west of 35W, I noticed a cyclist behind me by about 100 yards. I couldn’t tell if he was gaining on me or not. The light at 40W turned red so he caught me – it was my good friend Ed Teets getting out for a ride on the “off-work” Friday. We rode together for only 1/2 mile before he got a flat. After fixing the flat he decided to go home and replace the tire, so the rest of my ride was solo.
I did the usual 2-mile “interval” between 70W and 90W. My legs were tired. I managed to average 205 Watts of power with a max power of 545W. I was able to stand out of the saddle and pedal 12 rotations. I recovered on the descent down 90W. I did pedal the PCs downhill for a longer time than previously.
On each of the little roller climbs, I was able to stand and pedal out of the saddle. The best part of today’s ride, performance-wise, was on the climb before the Poppy Park (PP), I pedaled 34 complete revolutions while out of the saddle. I had it in the right gear for the uphill grade. I got in a good rythym climbing out of the saddle. That felt really good. It’s been since 2012/2013, before my Litespeed got stolen out of my BMW that I’ve been able to pedal the PCs standing out of the saddle. I stopped at the PP to use the facilities. The flag at the PP was waving out of the ENE. I estimate the wind to be between 5 and 10 mph. I noticed the headwind returning from the PP, but later in the ride, riding east on G, the wind seemed calm based on my speed. As with previous recent rides using the PCs, I rode stronger towards the end of the ride, especially the last 3.5 miles heading south on 30W. I was actually feeling very warm at the end of the ride when I got home. FOX@3:56: 73deg; calm.