Tips: Riding in the Frigging Cold

Slow your roll...

One way to beat winters chill and avoid indoor cycling is to slow the bike down. Mountain biking is the only way to roll on sub freezing days. I do this by putting a super heavy wheel/tire combo on and running ultra low air pressure. Trust me, you won't spend much time over 15 mph. There is a HUGE difference in windchill between a 11mph average and 19mph average on über cold days. Plus the 'dar' woods gives additional protection from wind. I gotta believe the extra resistance is good for building leg strength. It's a win-win albeit a chilly win-win. If you despise indoor cycling like I do this is a great option. I went for the double crown last Sunday. The triple crown is riding Mt. Kessler, Mt. Sequoyah and Lake Fayetteville. The double is any two of the three. Ended up with almost 3 hours inside the city limits. Fayettevillians you have it so good when it comes to mountain biking. Three trail systems and little to no driving.

Get out! Enjoy these great trails. Don't let winter slow you down!

The Saturday Ride 11/23

Three Happy Cows Team Ride

First team ride of the winter training season. New sponsors, new members and new equipment on tap. Even the cold temps couldn't stop us from enjoying this ride. Getting together once a month to ride and break bread keeps the guys connected and builds camaraderie. I planned the route and put in as many city limit signs as possible. We had a friendly competition old heads vs young bloods. Good times.

I'm sure I will thank our sponsors a ton throughout the racing season but let this be the first. Three Happy Cows makes delicious yogurt! They are based out of Dallas, TX and we are super excited to partner with them. Check them out on Facebook and look for them on the shelves!

https://www.facebook.com/ThreeHappyCows

We all know what falling on the bike means. Broken collarbone, elbow or wrist. I've broken my collarbone three times (oddly enough not on the bike). Shoulder Center of Arkansas has us covered when it comes to shoulders and other sports related injuries. I know they would love to take care of you to! Check out the link below to see what services they provide.

http://www.shouldercenterofarkansas.com/

Needless to say I am excited to represent these companies next year on the bike. They make it possible for someone like me to participate in this great sport. I am convinced that racing on the local/regional level is the true heart of the sport. Amateur cyclists are the life blood of the industry. It makes perfect sense for many companies to get involved with the people that actually purchase the products and services they produce.

Lean properly. New bikes have started to arrive. Thanks TBR!

Fuel for the ride. Thanks CLIF BAR!

Cold start.

White bull is a famous landmark in the NWA cycling community.

Lean properly...eerr ahhh. Yeeesss..that is a Cervelo...

Let's Eat! PCG and I had a pleasant surprise at Mezza Luna the other night. It takes a lot to get us away from downtown Fayetteville for dinner. But we had a coupon and decided to give them a try. The food was delicious and priced noticeably less then competitors. They start you off with fresh warm rosemary bread! Which on a cold night hit the spot. Give them a try, next time your wanting to avoid the parking woes and crowds of Dickson St. I know we'll be back. http://www.mezzalunanwa.com/

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

WHF is grateful for the following and The Bike Route is pumped to keep you warm on the bike this winter.

The randomly selected winner is! Christopher Collins 

You will need to scroll down to my profile (bottom) click on my name then click email. You can reach out to me via email to collect your prize!

My personal favorites from the comments are....
-thick Yankee blood
-beard (good luck with that one ladies)
-whiskey
-love of the sport
-commitment
-friends
-cup of tea
-polar bear suit (hard to shed come spring though)

Stay tuned for more cool giveaways and head on over to TBR to start your Christmas shopping today! Tell them Wheels Hot Fayetteville sent ya!

You can friend me on Facebook for updates on future posts.

Ride fast, be safe & steer clear of hypothermia,
WHF

The Bike Route Giveaway! ENDED

Be ready when the old man from the north comes a knockin'! Don't let winters chill stop you from riding outside.

What can I win? 

DeFeet Cannondale Classico wool socks     $20

DeFeet shoe covers                                       $20

DeFeet Dura glove wool                               $20

Cannondale Skull Cap                                   $20

Blackburn Click rear/front lights                   $25

DeFeet Un’D’wool base layer                        $65

That's right! All this is yours...wait for it...for FREE!

How do I enter?
Easy! Answer this question. What is your favorite fall/winter riding accessory?

How do I leave a comment? 
If you are using a smart phone the link via Facebook is not allowing some comments to go through. Google/Safari search Wheels Hot Fayetteville with your phone/computer and follow the steps  below to enter. Thanks!!!

1:Scroll down click comments, click down arrow next to comment as.
2:Select Name/URL, type your name, click continue.
3:Enter your comment & click publish!


The Rules
Please, one comment per person.
The winner will be randomly selected. 
The winner will be announced on Wednesday.
Must be in the continental US.

Remember folks, TBR has you covered.

The Saturday Ride 11/17

Whirlwind puts it mildly. Tasted our first real wind of the fall/winter riding season on Saturday. Blustery wind in fall and spring are telltale signs that the seasons are really changing. I didn't factor in the wind when deciding on what route and direction we would ride. We spent most of our time in the teeth of it. Another great group clipped in to toil with the elements. These are the days I prefer the bunch over the solo.

Starting temps 60's
Wind 15 SSW
Gusts 20-30
Rain looming

I went with a version of Round Mountain loop keeping us close to town if the weather turned.

Echelon skills put to the test.

Big tree.

Horizon line.

Round Mountain to the left.

Round Mountain is a deceptive climb. You really start going up once you turn off 45.

After the second pitch you have this scenic expanse. Still going up though. Today it was a wind tunnel.

second ramp + headwind = no man's land

In a race this would be a 'spot of bother.'

Three more stairs to step. Each one getting steeper & longer.

Ozarkia.

A day when you wish you could use the entire road.

Observations from the bunch.

Mambo italiano!

berserker green seat stays + berserker green accents on Sidi shoes = PRO

Finally the wind at our backs for the last few miles.

Had some guys from the Walmart team come down from B-ville. Good times and thanks for making the drive.

Another great Ozark morning.

New Trail Alert

Mt. Sequoyah...a Loop!

The OORC (Ozark Off Road Cyclists) completed the last bit of trail yesterday making Mt. Sequoyah a legit loop to ride. I gotta say the work they've done is impressive. The new section is easily the smoothest section on the entire 5.7 mile loop. Heath & Zach, a couple of the guys who have been working on this project are encouraging folks to get out and ride it. It will help with compressing the soil. Between Mt. Kessler, Lake Fayetteville & Mt. Sequoyah the city of Fayetteville has some great options for the MTB and you have no need to get in your car. For those living around the area be sure to bring the MTB the next time your in town and check out these fine trails.

What did it take to finish the trail?
"Lots and lots of man hours. We had 15-20 people working yesterday. So figure at least 120 man hours of work just doing bench cutting." ZM

For more information on the OORC click the link below.
http://www.ozarkoffroadcyclists.com/

One of the features.

Check out the compression on the front tire.

The Saturday Ride 11/9

Cool crisp morning, perfect fall weather. A great group showed up to tackle the Tripleberg Loop (3,000 feet of gain in 50 miles). The bunch was in a good mood and the ride had tons of spirit. It's just too nice outside to not ride this time of year.

One of the things I enjoy about cycling is socializing or not socializing. It's perfectly fine to keep to yourself in the bunch or you can chat it up.

Lots of places to hide from the wind today.

About 25 or so. We had a few Cat 5 moments. 

I love the four seasons.

First regroup after the Lincoln climb and city limit sprint.

One of my favorite stretches.

Rolling twisty terrain.

The view after this rise is spectacular.

Too fun.

Man...what a morning.

From the front.

Some brilliant colors at the top of four corners.

Looking back.

This descent always makes me smile. Someone said it was like a great ski run. Perfect description.

Ozarkia.

Next up, Hell's Kitchen.

The bunch is shredded. 

True top of HK.

Great morning. In good company.

Lo-vember. Grow leg hair in November. It could be the next great awareness movement. What should we make folks aware of?

Mountain Top Finish?

Hell's Kitchen 2014

For the last two years we moved the finish line of the Hell's Kitchen road race to the top of the HK climb. We did this to mix things up. It totally changed the dynamics of the race. Now we are considering moving it again for 2014. Here is your chance to weigh in. Mountain top finish or not? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

How do I leave a comment? Good question.

Step 1: Click on the down arrow button where it says "comment as."
Step 2: Select Name/URL & type your name, click continue.
Step 3: Enter your comment & click publish!

Curious about Hell's Kitchen? Click on the link below to see my post from this years race.
http://wheelshotfayetteville.blogspot.com/2013/03/hells-kitchen.html

Uphill finish line.

Up.....hill. 

Suffer.