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The Greatest Cyclist Ever

A bit ago I wrote about the greatest male cyclists, Lance and Eddy.  I wanted to save my blog about the greatest cyclist ever till now, since she deserves her own space.  That's right, it's a she -- crazy that bike racing is such a male dominated, but there can be no question that the greatest professional cyclist of all time is Jeanine Longo

Let's just do the stats first.  She's been to 7 Olympic games, starting in 1984.  She's won the Olympic Road Race once, finished second once, won a silver and bronze in the time trial, and in 2008, at the age of 50, finished 4th in the time trial -- just two seconds off the podium.

She's won 5 road race world championships, 4 time trial world championships, 4 track world championships, and finished second at the world mountain bike championships once.  She set the hour record in 2000 at age 42, won the woman's Tour de France 3 consecutive times, and has a total of 56 French national championships.

Jeanine Longo is literally someone who has been competing, and winning, for over 30 years.  She's stayed at the highest level of her sport longer than most of the elites in her sport have been alive. 

And in her spare time she's received a bachelors in Math, an MBA, and a doctorate degree.

If all that doesn't make you wonder what you've been doing with your life, you're not a true cyclist.

Now I love watching the guys, and they certainly get a lot more publicity than the women riders.  But there really be be no question that anyone has been better than Longo. 

Btw, this was taken 6 months ago, when she won her most recent French national title in the time trial.  With her asshat husband who decided to train a younger cyclist, who Jeanine went out and smoked on the course.  Wow is all I've got to say about her.

Beginner's Check List

Our cycling community welcomed another new member last weekend! 

Ben's high school friend Brad just bought his first road bike.  I think he's excited, happy and maybe a little worried.  As Ben walked through what gear to get other than the bike, I think we made his brain to explode with too much information...  Cycling could be a bit scary and intimidating at first.  I know.  I've been there. 

After he picked up his bike, Brad, Ben, Oli and I went to celebrate.  There, Brad asked us, "Do you guys have a check list so you don't forget what you need or what you need to bring on your ride?" 

Great question. 
So here we are. 

What to buy to get started.

Bike

Bottles and Bottle Cages

Lamps - white for front and red for rear (if you plan on riding at night)

Floor Pump

Saddle Bag (A little pouch that goes under the saddle to hold inner tube etc.) 

Extra Tubes

Flat Repair Kit (Patch, CO2 Cartridge etc.)

Jersey (and Baselayer, if you are into that.) 

Bike Shorts  (THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR $$$!  High quality shorts will literally save your ass.) 

Shoes/Socks

Arm/Leg warmers

Gloves

Helmet

Sunglasses

Bike Computer (Very helpful later on) 

Chain Lube/Maintenance Stuff

What to bring to your typical group ride.

Bike/Helmet/Shoes/Jersey/Shorts/Sunglasses/Arm and or Leg Warmers/glove

Cell Phone

Money

Credit/Debit Card

Proof of Health Insurance

Riding Food (Energy Bar etc.)

Sports Drink in the Bottles (I like Heed, Nuun and flat Coke!) 

Flat Repair Kit and Simple Bike Repair Tools in the Saddle Bag 

Baby Wipes (to wipe your hands clean after having to fix a flat or something.) 

Any Meds etc. You Need (I have a little thing of Aleve and spare contact lenses.  I always lose my contacts going down hill.) 

Lip Balm/Sunscreen (You don't want to be wrinkly just because you are active, you know?) 

What's not on me while riding...  I have in my car.  I have all my cycling gear in a HUGE gear bag and bring the whole thing in my car at all times.  In there, I have spare gloves, clean socks, comfy shoes to change into after the ride, a brush to fix my horrible helmet hair, more food, more electrolytes tablets, recovery drink (to help your body recover faster and better)...  basically I'm a one-person SAG vehicle. 

Ah, I feel like I'm forgetting something.  You know that feeling when you leave the house in the morning...  You know you forgot something but don't know what. 

Please leave a comment if you see something missing. 

I also appreciate your comment here since, I dunno, you bring something really cool to the ride that I've never thought of!  So, please share!

BTW, this one is for you, Brad.  Congrats!  And, welcome!  

Dear Mr. A$$hole at the Bridge

I don't understand a cyclist who's rude to a fellow cyclist. 

I mean, we are already unfairly hated by drivers.  Why can't we unite and stand in solidarity with one another? 

On our ride today, we were slowing down to get through this area where you can only go one by one.  And, this dude came up behind us and bitched about how slow we were.  "Some people are a bit faster than you guys are."  Wow.  Really?  Are you in that much of a hurry?  He rode past us and sprinted away.  I was in a shock for a minute thinking, "Why would he say that?"  He thinks he won't ever see us again.  That's why he could be so rude.  So, I decided to catch him just to make a point and make him uncomfortable.  I charged after him and came within earshot. 

But then I had a second thought.  Even though I wasn't particularly angry or anything, and the point I was going to make was valid and fair, (at least I think so), depending on what the douchebag might say, I had a slight chance of turning into a raging bitch.  I didn't see anybody behind me to back me up (or break up the fight).  So, I sent the douchebag a lot of bad karma and let it go.  I'm so proud...  I just know that the universe will take care of the rest.  To be more specific, I wish for the universe to break his femur.  Both of them.  In multiple places.  Into million pieces.  :) 

I still don't know...  Maybe I should have said something?  But if he's the kinda guy who is reasonable and safe to begin with, he wouldn't have said those stupid things and ridden like an idiot.  I guess I can't win.

Well.  Let this be a lesson for me!  I'll always be nice to my fellow riders.  I love this sport, and I know I have no right to ruin other people's ride.  So, thank you, Mr. A$$hole on MTB at the Bridge, for teaching me such a valuable lesson today.  I hope you have a wonderful day.   

Cynergy - Westchester Loop Ride

The storm is coming! 
And, I had a new saddle and shoes I was excited about.  So, I had to put in a good ride today. 

Here's the route.

I met a rude cyclist on this ride.  My next post is about that unpleasant man. 

Pepperdine - Big Rock out n back

Can I say it again?  It was a gorgeous day for a bike ride.

Jenn and I drove out to Pepperdine and rode to the Big Rock and back. 

Here's the route.

45 miles of rollers. So nice.  No photos today.  I was too happy.  I didn't even think of taking pictures. 

More tomorrow with the report on our Sunday ride. 

Ride safe.

Lance vs. Eddy

When you're talking about the best male cyclist ever, there's really only two names in the discussion -- Lance Armstrong and Eddy Mercxx (sorry France and Italy, your guys just don't cut it).  

  

These are very different riders from very different times, but both were dominant.  Eddy won everything -- the classics like Sanremo and Roubaix, the grand tours (both the Giro and the Tour), and the world championships.  He even set the hour record (where you go around in circles for an hour, and see how far you can go).  And he did it with style -- he was always at the front, always the favorite, and yet he always won.  Sanremo was crazy that way -- everyone knew exactly where he would attack every year.  But he did it 7 times, by far the most anyone has won any classic.  Eddy was good from the beginning of the year till the end, and literally inspired fear in his fellow rider.

Lance, on the other hand, is a specialist.  Pre-cancer her won a lot of different things, but post-cancer he only cared about one thing -- the Tour de France.  He realized that Americans, with our short attention spans, won't follow cycling for the entire year.  They just want to know who won the biggest race, and the biggest is the Tour.  So his entire focus became about those three weeks.  His racing before the Tour was not to win -- he just wanted to get his legs right, and get used to being the pack.  He rode every stage before the Tour started, so he knew absolutely everything that could happen during the year.  And he developed a team that was just about him winning that one race.  And clearly he did -- 7 is a pretty amazing accomplishment.

But he always left a bad taste in my mouth -- partly because of his arrogance, which I can understand, but mostly because he wasn't an all around champion.  Bernard Hinault was famous for hating Paris Roubaix, but he knew he had to win it.  And he did -- and after that he never came back.  But at least he gave it a go.  Lance has never even raced Roubaix, the Queen of the Classics.  Because he is part of, and really started, the real specialization of cycling.  You're either a grand tour rider or a classics man.  You're either a sprinter or an all-around rider.  But you can't be both.

Eddy was though -- he won absolutely everything, and won them all from the front, when everyone knew what he was doing but no one was strong enough to stop him.  While Lance has his great moments like the look-back on Jens or the Alpe de Huez time trial, and he clearly dominated the tours he won -- it just wasn't the same.  At least for me.  

 

MY FAVORITE THINGS 1 - Assos T FI.Lady S5 Bib Shorts Review

I got over the sticker shock really fast after I finished a long ride in my Assos bibs. 

Who in the right mind would pay over 350 dollars for a bike shorts?! 
My friends, Olivia and Ben both vouched for these bibs.  Even though I like my friends, and I trust them (most of the time) I wasn't sure about these shorts...  I mean, bike shorts are bike shorts.  They won't make me go faster or anything.

I wanted to try them... but for a bit cheaper than 350 dollars!  Ben had told me about this UK site http://wiggle.co.uk , so I went there.  Luckily, they were having a pre-holiday sale!  I got 30 dollars off from their already cheaper price.  I ended up paying about 270 for the pair.  (No TAX.  No shipping!!  Love Wiggle.  Highly recommend them.)

I'm not saying 270 for a pair of shorts is cheap...  but much better than 350.  And, it is THE CHEAPEST you can find online.  I've looked.  Trust me on this one. 

My first impressions...

1) They are very snug.  Not too tight, but just snug feeling.  I like. 

2) The chamois is thin...  so thin that I'm worried it wouldn't be enough! (Turns out it's the right amount in the right place.  It's just enough so you don't look like you are wearing a diaper.) 

3) The band around the legs doesn't make my thighs look like over-sized sausages. 

I went for a ride for a few hours. 

When I need that extra oomph, I can scoot forward on the saddle to give a real go without my chamois moving around under my butt.  So I like that. 
When I climbed, my bibs just stayed put and snug so I could focus on the task at hand (i.e. hill) and forget about how much pain my butt was in.  

Overall, I give these bibs A+.  Getting in and out of the bibs is a pain, yes.  But if you want to own one really good pair of bibs for that special century you are riding...  this pair is it.  

Besides, they come in a nifty package with a trial size of chamois cream and a special laundry detergent.  I love the chamois cream...  I can say I'm addicted to it.  When I first opened the jar, I wondered why it was this light blue color.  I figured it was a branding thing.  The detergent is blue as well.  But, oh no.  I was wrong about that!  Seconds after I put on the chamois cream on, I was, well...  MINTY FRESH! 

I had to text Olivia saying, "Nobody told me Assos Chamois Cream was...  minty fresh!" 

Aaaaah, it feels gooooood.  

 

Hot Quote from VeloNews

"The cuts were deep, with a lot of blood. The cut to the gluteus was so deep you could see the fat."

-Joaquim Rodríguez,
on his recent crash during the Katusha training camp

All Over West Side - Sunday Group Ride

Ah!  What a perfect day to ride.  (I know, I say this every time I ride.  But it's true.)  Today's route is a very easy scenic route all over the West Side. 

Up on San Vicente to Sunset down to the ocean.  On PCH for a little bit and back on SV and back in Santa Monica.  This one is going to be our favorite because it's easy to add Amalfi or Bundi or Mandeville to make it a bit more challenging depending on who's on the ride. 

Here's the route.

Have a good week! 
The weather's nice.  Keep riding.  And, ride safe.  :)

The Ugliest Jersey in the History of Pro Cycling

1.  Cycling jersey should not be the color of your naked body. With the strechy-strech of fantastic synthetic fiber Lycra, you already see more than you want to...  Making the jersey AND the shorts nude color just doesn't make any sense.  I'm just sayin'. 

2. There shouldn't be a body part (i.e. foot) printed on your jersey.  The foot print makes it look like you've been freshly stepped on.  That can't be good for the morale of the team.  Again, I'm just sayin'. 

3. 3 national champs don't look like a part of the team cause their jerseys look so different.  WTF.  

I can't wait to hear what Paul and Phil have to say about this...