Beyond Strava Cycling Club

[phreezee]

Here's the link if anyone wants to join: http://app.strava.com/clubs/beyond-ca

The purpose is to check out what other Beyonders are riding, give kudos and encouragement.

Talk about commuting, plan rides, what segments you're trying for this week, who stole your KOM, who your nemesis is :rofl:, wind condition alerts (favourable or not) etc.

Edit: Weekly Activity Summary for the club: http://app.strava.com/clubs/beyond-ca/latest-rides/c40f08247b3acba430bca55e6e9ed52eb07261b1?show_rides=false

[phreezee]

e.g.
One of the toughest segments to get due to the constant west wind along the river: http://app.strava.com/segments/1508349

My nemesis, Kevin Rosmanitz.... tried to take that KOM for 2 weeks and finally beat me by 1sec the Friday I had off.
:rofl:

So I'd appreciate a heads up next time we get a >20km E wind around 5pm .:thumbsup: haha

FYI, I don't take things seriously, just having fun out there and always stay safe, respectful and share the paths/roads.

[msommers]

The commuter olympics! Joined up, gonna try to get out tomorrow or the day after before work starts ie: cycling outside is over

[phreezee]

Beyond.ca
Week of Sep 03 - Sep 09

22 RIDES
293.0km DISTANCE
11hr TIME
2,896m ELEVATION

Good job guys! Keep going!

I notice a few of you guys ride the "Edworthy to Crowchild south side of Bow" segment, so lets make that next week's challenge: break your PR!

http://app.strava.com/segments/1284375

I did my PR on it this morning after doing a couple Edworthy climbs, good conditioning for rollers.

[rc2002]

I think I need to get a new bike to be competitive. My Canadian Tire special doesn't work that well. Sticking brake pads are killing me.

[kenny]

Hah, recorded my first 2 rides tonight. On the only segment I cared about (climbing COP hill) a deer stood on the path and didn't move at all and I got uncomfortable when I was about 3-4 bike lengths away :rofl: ended up riding back down the path part way because I didn't think the bastard would ever move.

Anyway, my time was horrible! Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow to tackle that again.

[forkdork]

in on this. will report back tomorrow am

[forkdork]

70.3km this am. avg speed 22.2 (really windy) max was 41.

not bad

[phreezee]

Originally posted by richardchan2002
I think I need to get a new bike to be competitive. My Canadian Tire special doesn't work that well. Sticking brake pads are killing me.

Doesn't look like you need any help! Good job this morning on ""Edworthy to Crowchild south side of Bow"":thumbsup:
I set a new PR today too :D. Happy I beat Rick Courtney, he's my hero!

Cool that we've got non-Calgarians on board too. I need to get out on weekends like you guys but can never find the time.

[phreezee]

Fack!! I can't even imagine riding home in this....


http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/ab-52_metric_e.html

Wind warning in effect.

Today
Showers with risk of a thunderstorm. Wind west 70 km/h gusting to 90. Temperature falling to 10 this afternoon.

Tonight
A few showers ending this evening then clearing. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind west 70 km/h gusting to 90 diminishing to 30 gusting to 50 this evening. Low plus 5.

[benyl]

i'll let you know! haha

[megavolt]

Wheee... tailwind! :D

[benyl]

dropped my average speed 1 km/h but only took 1 minute longer to get home.:dunno:

I think the strava iphone app is bogus

[phreezee]

Wasn't that bad actually, I turned back toward downtown to go for some KOMs and faced the headwind twice.

I think the wind was stronger earlier because there were downed trees on the north side. Sean Crooks crushed all the segments along the North side of the river, and I didn't even break my own previous PRs :(

[phreezee]

The wind going home was more consistent and tougher than yesterday.

[benyl]

Yes, 5 minutes added to my commute. And alot more small chain ring time today.

[phreezee]

Gas prices up nationwide today: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/09/12/gasoline-prices.html

Yay cyclo-commuting!:thumbsup:
I fill up once every 4-5 weeks :D

[TYMSMNY]

Interesting application.

How does one lets say... add the stairs segment when you're at the site? and on the same note, what would loading a segment be any different than just pressing start/stop?

[kenny]

Existing segments are automatic. If you complete a segment in your route it'll automatically calculate the stats for it. You can also create a segment out of your entire route after its tracked (no need to start/stop) to isolate the segment when tracking.

[phreezee]

Yup, kenny nailed it. After you do your route, you create the segment by moving the start/stop slider to the section you want, very easy.

Then it will do a historical search on that segment and your leader board is created... not automatically KOM for you :p

I gave'er this morning on "Edworthy to Crowchild south side of Bow" segment! Thought I had KOM for sure, but missed it by 2 seconds!

http://app.strava.com/segments/1284375

[TYMSMNY]

ah I see. awesome. I guess I'll see you all on the road... or.. the beyond strava page at least. :D

[megavolt]

Registered. Looks like none of you ride east from downtown.

[benyl]

Too scary to ride in the east side of the city. haha ;)

[megavolt]

Just gotta ride fast... crack/meth heads can't run very fast. If you really try hard might be able to outrun a bullet... :P

[HHURICANE1]

Just joined up.

[phreezee]

Lots of PRs broken yesterday, good job guys!:thumbsup:

I've extended my commute a bit this week to take advantage of the nicer weather.

[bigboom]

I hate to be the buzzkill around here because i'm definitely a cycling advocate but I just want to say that maybe we keep the strava segment competitions off the pathways...the last thing we need is pedestrians complaining about speeding cyclists and bringing out more bylaw enforcement.

I'm definitely not innocent of speeding on the pathways especially when i'm late for work but calgary has only recently become more cycling friendly and the last thing we need is to piss off pedestrians.

Doing laps up the edworthy hill and climbs would be awesome competition but for flat TT type stuff on MUP's lets not broadcast it to the world on here :)

flame away...

[phreezee]

As always, just use common sense. If there's traffic, slow down and be respectful of other users.

Those "segment competitions" are meaningless anyway, since there are so many variables. That's why I give kudos mainly for PRs.

Use it track your progress, and ignore the segment leader boards if you want. Use for just the social aspect. There's something in it for everyone.

[benyl]

I look at some of the KOM times and ask myself how it is possible given pedestrians and other traffic.

Last night was crazy busy on the paths.

[phreezee]

The following is an aside from Strava, and just a rant by me :)

I don't think the city has gained any acceptance for cycling, but infuriated the majority with experiments like 10th St. The city is only being more concious of cycling so they can deflect from the real problems of poor infrastructure, poor transit, and high parking fees. Just by some of the threads on this forum, I'd venture to say there's more opponents to cycling now. I have not seen any real changes in the past few years.

Last month I jogged by a By-law officer with radar at over 10kmh and watched him pull over average middle aged people on cruiser bikes. Of course there was a camera crew there also, and when the wife saw it on the evening news that night, she laughed and asked "why are those people being pulled over?" It's ridiculous.

I think an honest discussion is needed regarding speed.
Most cyclists I encounter are travelling 25-35kmh on the pathways and it would be far better to accept the norm and educate the public so they are aware rather than hide it.

I fully understand wanting public acceptance and not creating negative views, but we need an honest starting point. 10-20kmh limits are not reasonable. Real solutions would be to up the limit and educate the public, or dedicated pathways.

/end rant

[benyl]

I posted this to my facebook yesterday:

"At the start of my commute home, I have to ride about 500m on the road before reaching the path on the bow river.

Today, a motorist was kind enough to point out that "you're not a car!" I was completely caught off guard by this comment as no one has said anything to me in the last 10 weeks of riding.

He was correct as neither I nor my bicycle is a car. Captain obvious. And well, a complete douche canoe."

Fuck him and where he comes from. I have lost 10 lbs and take 1 car off the road and that helps with traffic.

I do agree that we should have dedicated bike lanes where the limit is 30+

[bigboom]

I agree that yes there is still a lot of public education to be done but I started commuting about 5 years ago. When I first started there was very little in the way of cycling acceptance/infrastructure/popularity.

Take a look at the new finger trap bridge if that bridge was built and completed a few years back there is no way there would have been a dedicated bike lane.

Another change that has been made on my commute is on 3rd ave west. It leads directly onto the pathway with priority given to bike traffic.

Even with the 10st bike lanes at least they are trying...in terms of volumes of people cycling it has exponentially grown over the last 1-2 years, the number of commuters i see now is way higher even in the winter months.

Earlier this year I rode and chatted with 2 bylaw officers on the pathway after catching up to them (obviously i was going a bit faster then 20km/h) he said their main intent is not to slow down cyclists but to ensure that the pathways are being shared properly and safely.

I'll make an analogy to road cycling...as a roadie i'm always upset when a car bullies me because they have the power to kill me/injure me with very little effort. I liken cyclists on the pathway to cars and pedestraisn to roadies...we can seriously hurt pedestrians so we need to be a little more aware and cautious of what we are doing.

I have seen way to many ignorant cyclists cutting it too close when dealing with pedestrians...i can probably blow through the pathways at 40+km/h if i wanted but all it takes is a ring of a bell/pass and a pedestrian turns left instead of staying on the right and i seriously hurt someone.

I think the only real way to co-exist properly is to have dedicated cycling infrastructure and i'm not sure if any of you have heard of Bike Calgary but they are an organization trying to support cyclists...
http://bikecalgary.org/ join the organization and you'll be updated on all of the intiatives they have.

Oh and in no way shape or form am I saying anyone here is ignorant I'm jsut saying there are idiots out there that ruin it for everybody. :(

[phreezee]

I fully agree with your message of staying safe out there.

There are idiot cyclists, drivers, pedestrians, dog owners, etc. Minimize your risks and those immediately around you. As Beyond says, "govern yourself accordingly" LOL

I once had a cyclist tailgate me, call me an asshole while blowing by me as I slowed down for a pedestrian and then proceed to almost run into the pedestrian.

I've also had cars cut me off turning right inches in front of me. I've had a driver yell "fuck you, bike boy" for absolutely no reason coming out of Tuscany.

It's the world we live in and all you can control is yourself.

[benyl]

hahaha:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a70_1348113498

[lilmira]

I don't understand why people walk on a dedicated bike path when there is a big wide walking path right next to it.
Then you stare at them, the dotted line on the ground and they give you a confused look lol.

At one of those charity walks, everybody walked on the bike path. I had no other choice but to use the bigger walking path, works for me.

[msommers]

Captain of the douche canoes :rofl: :rofl: You can't even get off your bike and attempt to rip the guy out of his car because he'll probably just run you over!

Regarding safety, it's just a fact that common sense and common courtesy doesn't exist in the average citizen, and thus have to protect your own interests at all costs even if that means slowing down for people or completely being in the right but swallowing it. Plenty of my friends that also commute to work in the core have their share of stories with idiot drivers and just randoms calling them out like, "Get a car you poor ass", while she responded, "I have one but thanks!" I've only biked through the core a few times to go pick up my car from the night before and even then it's past rush hour and I still feel on edge. I don't know how you guys put up with it.

[phreezee]

Lots of people at the office saying this week is their last week for the year. Weather has been pretty nice, but it will suck when it's dark for both rides in and out. You guys have all your lights in order?

[benyl]

go in late, leave early? haha

[phreezee]

For the first time in ages, the forecast was spot on about the rain! Brought my rain gear :)

[phreezee]

I'm taking Friday off, looks like everyone is slacking this week :D

Beyond.ca
Week of Sep 24 - Sep 30
17 RIDES
187.1km DISTANCE
7hr TIME
1,200m ELEVATION

[HHURICANE1]

I haven't been able to ride since Friday. Sinus cold moving to a chest cold now. Looks like I'll be out of it for awhile. :banghead:

[bigboom]

Originally posted by phreezee
I'm taking Friday off, looks like everyone is slacking this week :D

Beyond.ca
Week of Sep 24 - Sep 30
17 RIDES
187.1km DISTANCE
7hr TIME
1,200m ELEVATION

Hah most of the time I forget my Garmin on my commutes...so add another 60ish k for me :)

[phreezee]

Got the knobbies on last night, come at me snow :burnout:

[bigboom]

Pulled my winter commuter out last night and tuned it getting ready for the inclement weather over the next couple days :)

Not looking forward to riding the shitty bikes though although it makes getting back on the nice bikes so much nicer in the spring.

[megavolt]

omg... forgot how much work riding my other bike with knobby tires is.

Edit: turns out my tire pressure was at 20psi... :P

[msommers]

Put the trainer tire on today. I think I worked hard enough to not bother biking for the next month! Any tips on getting these on? I have a Continental Hometrainer and this thing is nearly impossible without tools. I did it, but fuck was it a slow painful process. I was thinking that maybe a hair dryer would make the bead stretch a little more?

[HHURICANE1]

They are a bitch to put on but don't use a hair dryer, you may end up ruining the tire. A little smear of dish soap as a lube and tire levers will get the job done.

[phreezee]

I took the tri bike back out today :rofl:

[phreezee]

That head wind made it quite unpleasant this morning. Had on shoe covers, good gloves and face protection so it wasn't too bad. Supposed to be 30km West wind in the afternoon. :thumbsdow

How'd you guys make out this morning?

[bigboom]

Working from home this morning :)

Usually breaking into winter cycling mode hasnt been as bad as this year, i think the sudden cold snap has left my body a little unprepared

[benyl]

Holy shit was there a lot of ice by my house!

I'm a ninja!
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/bwinkelm/95AD01B9-F26A-44BB-BEF7-6833E0147801-2011-0000019E1769DA4F.jpg

My driveway:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/bwinkelm/DB322A19-01BE-4B93-8534-0333C2030EF6-2011-0000019E21D8E8CF.jpg

Zero clearance... haha

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/bwinkelm/90EAD9DF-E7B0-48E9-AABA-8575E2A8DC52-2011-0000019E42A65C50.jpg

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/bwinkelm/E3F36E98-7426-4C2D-9788-F68FAF216315-2011-0000019E2B721BC5.jpg

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/bwinkelm/2B5B085A-BC2E-4B08-BD1D-70DB026D6204-2011-0000019E8633B20C.jpg

[phreezee]

^^^ gonna need lights soon.

I got radared on the way home at Ed Worthy but they were giving warnings.:thumbsup:

[benyl]

Cops were on the south side just after the finger trap bridge heading west. I was lucky that they were too busy talking so I saw them before I they could shoot me.

[phreezee]

Originally posted by benyl
Cops were on the south side just after the finger trap bridge heading west. I was lucky that they were too busy talking so I saw them before I they could shoot me.

Same spot and same story today for me! I guess this is an official crackdown.
Weren't at Edworthy though.

[phreezee]

Pretty slow go this morning at 18.5kph and tricky at times, but made it safely.:D

[benyl]

Looked outside and said... Fuck no.

haha. I don't care about the cold. I do care about bailing and getting hurt. When this clears a little, I'll be back on the bike.

[phreezee]

I wasn't cold because I made the mistake of over dressing and ended up being too hot.

Way icier on the way home. I just finished swapping the 2.125 studded tires from the 1.95 knobbies on my rims. All set for tomorrow.

[phreezee]

Studs gave me more confidence this morning which showed in my average speed.... up to 21kph. :thumbsup:

[Moonracer]

The ride in this morning was pretty icy :hitit: the ground that is, but I didn't lol

[phreezee]

The pathway has become a big long, smooth, slick sheet of ice after they plowed yesterday. I almost fell last night, and this morning but managed to plant a foot down before going horizontal.

Had a flat this morning which made it even worse. :thumbsdow It officially took me to double the time to get to work.

I'm taking a break tomorrow. :rofl:

[phreezee]

Great deal on the Forerunner 410 with HRM! $160!

http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/garmin/forerunner410.html?utm_source=Black+Friday+Reminder+2012&utm_campaign=Black+Friday+Reminder&utm_medium=email

I bought one. :)

[phreezee]

Starting to see more activities being logged on the club page!

Super busy on the pathway this morning, must have passed 12 bikes.

Anyone planning on getting back on the saddle this week? Nice and dry out there.

[megavolt]

Heh... I started using Strava again... some were probably me. :P

[phreezee]

New bike, new KOM this morning! :)

The bike lane construction is ridiculous, had traffic down to one lane on 7th. I'll probably try 5th st tomorrow.

Debating starting from Bowness due to the killer wind going home. Feeling too lazy and out of shape to cope with it.

[msommers]

Everyone ready for another "season" ?!

Tried my new daily commute today -- a nice 8km mainly flat, aside from Bowness -> Foothills up 29th and on the way back Bowness -> 17th Ave (it's hella steep in the community http://goo.gl/maps/xvB3N). Low/no car & path traffic most of the way and I'm off the road most the entire time. The view from the back(?) of Foothills Hospital is gorgeous (http://goo.gl/maps/M45TE).

[lilmira]

I was ready for another season at the end of the last season lol.

Logged my first ride yesterday. Didn't want to push myself too much just yet but I'm glad to be able to keep my cadence and no more sweating like a pig on the bike. Still trying to complete the Apr Challenge of 130k in a day.

[benyl]

First ride to work, first flat. Fuck.

Did a test ride on Friday, it was wet and muddy.

This morning was icy. So annoyed about the flat. haha

[Moonracer]

My commute is hardly worth posting at a whole 3 km. But at least I don't have to gear up for my ride I can wear pretty much whatever. Have to get my exercise in after work :)

[lilmira]

http://labs.strava.com/flyby/

Real time position just like F1, now you can see who left you in the dust as long as he/she is a strava user lol.

[D'z Nutz]

Huh, I just noticed this thread. I've been tracking my rides on Sports Tracker up until now. I'll start adding my rides to the group.

Did my first ride of the year to work on Monday. Fucking scary as shit going down 29th at 45km/h and seeing all the gravel on the road. On the plus side, if I wipe out, I'm just a few minutes from the Foothills hospital hahaha

[ExtremeSi]

Just joined. Never used Strava before, so hope I use it correctly. I've been commuting for the past couple years off and on by bike so I figured I might as well join the club. Will probably start tomorrow though since I rode the (motor)bike today.

[lilmira]

GranFondo Highwood Pass just revised the course this yr to start and finish at the Nakoda Casino, no more transfer bus from Long View.

fondo 3 weeks in a row for me weeeeee

[megavolt]

Strava is a good app... just don't be a Stravasshole and ride dangerously to try to get KOMs.

[Moonracer]

I downloaded this app and the only info it gives for your ride is elapsed time, distance and average speed. This is the free version of it. I have been using Runtastics free version and it gives you a lot more info than the strava so I don't think I will be using strava. I'm using android but maybe it's different on an iphone :dunno:

[lilmira]

Almost all the apps give you route, speed and time, HR and cadence if you have the sensors hooked up. Strava gives you info from other users for comparison and it identifies existing segments made previous by users. Subscription gives you a bit more analysis for training. The big user base is what I like about it. Check out their side projects on strava lab, the heat map and the flyby are pretty cool.

You don't have to ride like asshole to get KOM, just go somewhere no one rides. ;)

[phreezee]

Pathway was crowded today, at least 80 bikes in the bike room in my building.

[lilmira]

http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer/#154293993

Penny! You are busted for taking a short cut. :rofl:

[msommers]

Woah how many km is that? How's the tragic and shoulder width?

[lilmira]

~85k with consistent headwind wherever facing south. I just made it before it started to rain.

[msommers]

Quite the slog, wow! Roundtrip I'm assuming?

[lilmira]

85k each way, the tour went up north on Saturday and came back south on Sunday. The distance is not too bad, the route is mostly flat. It was enjoyable on Saturday with nicer weather then Jun came back on Sunday.

Shoulder is ok on the busier main roads then it is very little to non existent on the range roads but with very little traffic.

[lilmira]

Anyone tried uploading your data from strava to veloviewer? It can create a 3D profile of your ride, kinda neat.

[[GaGe]]

Just joined the club!

[lilmira]

Looks like there is another member at the canmore gran fondo. Good day, first time riding in a pace line. Too bad that I got dropped eventually haha. :nut:

Highwood is next!

[Penguin_Racecar]

Highwood is a fun event. The climb is a good grunt though, with the top of Highwood pass 1000m above the Longview starting point. Good luck!

[lilmira]

They change the route this year to start from Nakoda Casino to the peak and back, I assume that is due to some flood damage from last year still. I actually prefer the out and back route, I don't think I would enjoy the transit back.

I have to say right now between the two devils, I choose a few climbs over consistent headwind, unless we are talking about consistent climb over a significant distance. I really need to work on my stamina, my heart rate dropped significantly in the last two long rides. I don't understand how those guys could keep going without stopping much. I was pretty much ground down to empty by the wind near the end.

[Penguin_Racecar]

I greatly dislike riding with headwind for long periods of time. Once rode to Canmore in consistent 25km/hr headwind - never again.
Interesting that they did an out and back. From my garmin map it actually looks like the climb is steeper coming from the Nakoda Casino. The overall distance has been dialed back a few kms, but with about the same elevation gain. The nice thing is that the North side of the pass seems to be less windy. At least that's how I remember it from 2011 and 2012.
Logistically, out and back makes way more sense also.

Good luck next weekend! Pace yourself up the climb. It's a proper grunt :)

[lilmira]

That was a bit tougher than I thought, took me an hour to get up from the gate. Totally didn't eat enough again, had to stop once to eat a clif bar half way up otherwise I would have passed out, then stopped again to finished my energy drink. Legs were fine on the way up, just felt like my whole body was depleted then my legs started cramping up for a bit after the descent. :( Thought the descent would be a bit quicker, I blame a bit on a slight headwind. Took me just under 5hrs for the whole out and back trip, exactly what I was hoping. May be I should have brought my 12-30 instead of 11-28, almost granny geared all the way up. Love to do it again from the gate.

[phreezee]

Some stats from CoC:

Thread Link (http://forums.beyond.ca/st2/people-dont-bike-in-calgary/showthread.php?s=&postid=4320467#post4320467)

[Jackc]

I wish I saw this earlier, just joined up. Probably not going to snatch any KOM's (fixed gear) but I love the app!

[GreyFox]

Just got on the Strava wagon a few months ago. Not going to be setting any records, but joined the club for fun.

[Penguin_Racecar]

Just joined the Beyond strava group also.

[bigbadboss101]

See some nice rides (routes wise) on there. I did my first ride in 3+ years. Ride around my neighborhood. Not pretty but it's a start.

[Penguin_Racecar]

Not sure why it didn't work before but I'm actually showing up on the leaderboard now. Hooray!

[asp integra]

Joined!

[lilmira]

Some people made it to the top of Highwood last weekend. Some snow was reported at the top, likely all gone by now. Woohoo, can't wait to do it.

[Penguin_Racecar]

Originally posted by lilmira
Some people made it to the top of Highwood last weekend. Some snow was reported at the top, likely all gone by now. Woohoo, can't wait to do it.

You've been crushing it on the elevation gain and mileage this week!

[lilmira]

Big portion of it was done on zwift. The new mountain route is awesome. I can feel my legs getting stronger on climbs.

Everyone has been logging in decent mileage too.

[Penguin_Racecar]

Nice - do you have a computrainer of some sort? I couldn't bring myself to ride indoors as soon as it was above freezing.

[lilmira]

Yeah I have a Wahoo Kickr. I'm spending less time on the trainer now since its nice out. It's still nice to have the convenience to sneak in a session or two regardless of the condition outside or time of the day. With many users on any time of the day, there is no lack of motivation to push hard.