Strava has a new heatmap for your rides. So I took a screenshot and annotated some of the rides around Texas I’ve done. I did not label them all - but it is kind of a walk down memory lane .
Apparently there are some roads around here I haven’t yet ridden on.
Started out the first nine miles pretty easy averaging 18.6 mph. Once I reached Ronald Reagan Blvd I knew I was feeling strong. I had the video camera mounted on my helmet and turned it on just before rounding the corner to head north on Ronald Reagan. I had seen an upright bike cross the intersection about 1/2 mile in front of me so I started pouring it on to see if I could catch them.
I’m starting to acclimate and really understand how to ride the F-40.
Once I got the bike speed up to 27 mph I put the front chainring into the big 60 tooth gear and just kept mashing those big 175 mm cranks at 80 to 90 rpm for all I was worth. A little bit of coasting once the speed got about 35 mph to catch my breath - but it was pretty much an all out effort most of the way.
11 minutes and one second for the KOM. A full 30 seconds faster than the last time I tried it and a full minute faster than the 2nd place professional triathlete! The best I ever did on this segment with the Musashi with fresh legs and wind at my back was 21.1 mph giving me 49th place on the KOM.
Today was a very fast day!
Two days of rest combined with a small amount of time to ride (work commitments) makes for a very fast ride.
Four KOMS and two 2nd place finishes!
http://app.strava.com/activities/87060471
Here is the Strav KOM of the 5.2 miles segment that I average 28.1 mph.
http://app.strava.com/activities/87060471#1799414316
The next KOM was a little shorter at 2.2 miles.
http://app.strava.com/activities/87060471#1799414306
This is also my first time having a garmin one mile lap split averaging 33.1 mph.
To the garmin split lap info
F-40 is wicked fast!
The ride this morning was 30 miles @ 21.6 mph and a Strava KOM on a 5.2 mile segment of 26.6 mph.
Last night I put the fairing back on the F-40 and was ready to roll a little before 8am this morning.
I have lightened the F-40 up since riding the last time. Replaced the AeroSpoke front wheel with a deep-v carbon rim clincher (minus a pound at least). Replaced the stainless steel growler with a 100 oz camelbak unbottle (minus a pound at least). Took a few pounds off the engine.
I also have become very comfortable with the speed so I replaced the Marathon Plus tires with Schwable Kojak tires. The Kojak’s are 35 mm and great for Texas chip-seal. They also have pretty low rolling resistance and I’ve found them much faster than the Marathon Pluses.
I felt really good at the beginning of the ride. I had noticed that Justin (the young triathlete in my neighborhood I can never catch) rode by my driveway about 10 minutes before I started my ride. I briefly thought about trying to catch him but quickly dismissed the thought.
About 2 miles into the ride I’m noticing that the Kojaks are making a huge difference and I decide to go for a fast 30 mile ride to see how the bike is doing with all the changes. Remember, I had not ridden the F-40 since getting the heat treatment at Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred.
This morning it was a nice cool 72 degrees and I was wearing my lightweight running clothes. After the two mile mark I was loosened up enough that I took my heart rate up to 140 and tried to keep it there. This resulted in some pretty decent speeds on the F-40.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/371893825
About the 8.5 mile mark I caught a large group of riders that I think were the Georgetown Triathlon team because Kat and Justin were at the front of the group. I had just finished coming down the large hill at Williams and CR245 and was carrying some decent speed so I think I passed the group doing around 30 mph. Kat and Justin recognized me but I was going too fast have any kind of conversation going on.
I was getting close to the start of a Strava KOM that I’m second place. The first place guy was only ahead of me by 3 seconds. Since I was feeling so good and the bike was riding really well I thought I’d go all out to see if I could make up the 3 seconds.
I kept my heart rate above 150, kept the legs really loose and spinning. No hint of cramps, definitely out of breath but not gasping. Boom! Eleven and a half minutes later the KOM is mine. Crushed it - 5.2 miles at 26.6 mph.
http://app.strava.com/activities/80705405#1642303890
While going for the KOM I passed lots of uprights. Lots of uprights! It was early Saturday morning and everybody was out. Many of the young fit guys on really nice time trial bikes would see me coming and speed up to try and keep in front of me. That was not happening today. I blew by many of them doing 35 to 37 mph. A lot of them yelled out some kind of encouraging phrase: “Yow!”, “Ka-Boom!”, “Get after it!”
After the turn around point (15 miles) I slowed down and headed back home. Interesting enough Kat and Justin had actually tried to keep up with me. They had passed all of the other very fit riders behind me and were only about 1 and a half miles behind me. That is impressive.
Well looks like the F-40 is a keeper.