Short, easy ride today to work out last minute issues with riding in HHH100 next Saturday.

Cannot use the Keen sandals - too big - my feet tops either hit the front top sides or the bottom heel hits.

64 oz beer growler is better than the camelbak. When it is really hot the ice cold liquid from the stainless steel insulated growler is fantastic.

Got a lot of bugs on the outside of the Quest from the Cove House Classic ride - I’m going to have to wash and wax the Quest again tomorrow.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/181573777

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/567407816

Saturday morning Robyn and I got up early and drove to Copperas Cove for the Cove House Classic.

Robyn did the modified 10 mile ride and I started out doing the 100k but quickly switched to the 50 mile route.

It was pretty hot already at the start of the ride - about 80 degrees. Before the ride was over the temperatures where just over a 100 degrees.

Lots of people asking questions about the Quest. Under 13 year old - “I want to ride the banana bike!”

Still trying to work out the kinks before HHH100.

Just before the ride start Robyn and I looking really fresh. Everything is all loaded up and ready to roll.

Start of the ride. Earlier in the week they had just chip-sealed the road. I mean really big stuff, newly laid down, with lots of loose gravel.

They modified all the routes to get off of the chip seal as quickly as possible (3 miles later).

Last year this was my first organized ride on the F-40. I made the mistake of lining up at the front of the pack. Everyone else lined up 20 yards behind me! I spent the first 5 miles riding the brakes because the motorcycle police escort did not want to leave everyone behind.

This year I was smarter. I lined up at the very back of the starting area. Again everyone lined up behind me - outside of the starting area! Finally the announcer said for everyone to move up to the beginning of the start area. I just sat there and waited for everyone to move past me.

I was almost the last one out of the starting area and got some good video of coasting by most of the slower riders.

The rough chip seal made really loud rumbling of the Quest. However, the Quest suspension on all three wheels made for a really smooth ride.

You’ll see me quickly take the middle lane and ride by most other riders in the first three miles.

Except for hills, this is what it is like riding the Quest with other uprights.

Pulling out of the parking lot you’ll see Robyn on her green Expedition on the right and a guy on a hand-cycle on the left.

About three miles in only the really fast riders are still in front of me. We turn right off of the chip seal and on to a really smooth road.

I quickly accelerate up to 30 to 40 mph and start passing even the really fast riders.

Around 9:30 am the temperatures get up the the high 90s. It is pretty tough climbing some of the longer, steeper hills. The Quest has a pretty low gear. After the ride, some of the riders mentioned getting off and walking up some of the steeper sections. For once, with the Quest, I did not have to get off and walk, I was able to crawl slowly up the hill at about 5 mph, spinning 70 rpm (because I did not have enough strength to spin any faster).

Outside of the heat the country side was beautiful!.

This picture is about 30 miles into the ride out in the middle of nowhere. Very pretty.

Because of the heat, and hills, I realized about the 25 mile mark that I was not going to be able to do the full 100k. Modify the plan - 50 mile route it is!

Even then, less than a mile from the end of the ride, I’m so tired I miss shift really badly and drop the chain. So I get out, put the Quest on its side, and put the chain back on the front chainring. Put the Quest upright, get back in, helmet back on, everything adjusted just right. The peddles just spin again! Bummer, the chain as also thrown off the back cassette also.

Ok, out of the Quest again, put the Quest on the side. Take the cover off the rear cassette area, put the chain back on the rear cassette.

Hey, I got an idea - lets spin the front peddles and make sure everything is working correctly before we upright the Quest and get back in!

I’m so tired now that I just slow peddle the last 8 tens of a mile to the finish.

Robyn has already finished awhile ago. Time to sit, gab about the ride and have a beer.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/181054838

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/566853483

An easy out and back ride today. 391 miles so far on the Quest this month.

Probably tomorrow Robyn and I will do the Cove House Classic in Copperas Cove.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/180549889

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/565597508

Another beautiful ride today. 65 miles @ 17.9 mph. A little hot towards the end, last hour and a half was over 100 degrees.

Looks like I’m ready for HHH100 this year. Although, I’m probably only going to do the 100K this year.

Stopped for some Gatorade at the Food Court strip center just south of Jarrell. Lots of people taking pictures of the Quest.

Never get tired of this view. Top of the hill at the junction of Ronald Reagan and IH35 looking back south on RR.

Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/179210075

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/564231726

Another nice ride with Greg and Alexis.

Greg decided to push things some. It was a lot of fun but now my legs are pretty sore.

The last 10 miles are mostly slightly downhill with just two medium climbs. I never could drop him. Every time I looked in my rear view mirror he was still there.

Ride by the numbers Strava:

http://www.strava.com/activities/179210075

Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/563707492

Nice ride today with Alexis and Greg Gross who are here for a couple of days from Fort Worth.

Greg is faster than all get out, rides an M5, and has been encouraging me to try and retake the KOM I lost recently. Alexis is on a new Bacchetta CA 2 and is no slouch herself.

The Strava KOM Retake

So this morning (Sunday) we get up before sunrise and get the bikes ready to roll just as the sun comes up. The KOM segment is about 10 miles away which gives us a little over 30 minutes to warm up.

Temperatures started in the high 70s and before the ride was over we’d reach 113 on the black pavement.

At a decent pace we accomplish the 10 mile warm up and upon arriving at the start of the KOM segment Greg and I pull over to get everything ready to start the segment.

I get the Contour camera out and mount it to the side of my Giro Air Attach helmet. After the ride I find out the Contour camera’s storage card was full and I was not actually recording any video from the ride (bummer). I also put the Kayak style cockpit cover on for the first time while I’m in the Quest.

The Kayak style cockpit cover completely covers the hole in top of the Quest leaving just enough space for your head to stick out. The top of the cover overlapped the bottom of the shield on the Giro Air Attack helmet by about 1/2 inch. There is also about 1/2 inch of space all around the sides my helmet. Immediately after I start peddling the temps inside the Quest increase tremendously causing the shield to fog up. I'm constantly tilting my head back and peeking out the bottom of shield so that I can at least see something ahead.

We start the segment and Greg is right on my butt. I’m peddling for all I’m worth trying not to get embarrassed by Greg and his M5. The Kayak cover obscures the view of my garmin and I have no idea what speed I am going, what my cadence is, or even how much my heart rate is zooming through the roof. Through the fogged up helmet shield I can see Greg hanging right on my butt and I’m wondering why I’m having such a hard time breathing.

Although I don’t know it at the time, I find out later looking at Strava that the first 1.7 miles of the segment I average 30.4 miles per hour and I am behind the KOM leader (Ryan Coover) by 6 seconds.

The next part of the segment is the best downhill section with a couple of small hills. I’m able to get the speed of the Quest up over 40 mph and rollerize the small hills never dropping below 20 mph. My max speed on the segment is 43.2 mph. I absolutely crush this 2.2 mile segment averaging 31.6 mph - about 17 seconds faster than Coover. I also achieve my fastest ever one mile split on this segment with a one mile 36.4 mph average covering the mile in 1 minute and 39 seconds.

Now comes the last 4 percent grade hill and my lungs are bursting and the legs are feeling like lead. I reach up and pull the lip of the kayak cover down to just below my chin. I no longer care about the aerodynamics, I need to breath some fresh (80 degree) air while climbing the hill. I’m getting slower and slower and thinking the game is over, at this speed I don’t stand a chance of getting the KOM back.

I’m a little disappointed with my performance climbing that last hill. At the end of the Strava segment I immediately pull over, rip the kayak cover off and start trying to take some deep breaths. Is my heart ever going to stop pounding? I won’t know how I did on the Strave segment until much later in the afternoon with I upload the data to the Strava website.

BOOM! I take the KOM from Ryan by one second!

This is list of things I need to do to the Quest to improve the aerodynamics.

This list has been gathered from several others on FB and BROL.

I’ll up date this list from time to time as I gather more information.

From Charles Snyder (Portland Oregon)

Too bad you don’t have a hood yet… : ) Cruising 40+ would be easy in the first half of the stretch. You should have your black rain cap, use it, it will be a bit warm, but results are comparable to a a hood. Seriously though…

I pedal out at about 45 mph, doing 120 rpms, so you have plenty of power available.

Your first challenge will be to accelerate to 30+ before hitting 2238 Street, or Williams drive. You have a climb, then a very short lead of a hill before you HAVE to be doing 30+. Maintain 35+ going downhill, this will allow you a little leeway when climbing back up the first hill. Second hill is a 4% grade or so, bang on that speed as much as you can and hold it as long as you can while climbing that second hill. If you can hit 45-50 mph, you’re golden. If at any time you do pedal out, tuck your head in as much as you can and coast. Get your feet and pedals inside the velo. This should help you get the speed you need to climb the last hill.

Be sure to wash and wax the velo. Wash in the insides of the wheel wells too. Even a little dirt will slow down a velo. If you can, lighten your load as much as possible. A follow van that can carry your extra water and tools would help. Don’t know your fueling plan, I generally use gel packets etc, and be sure to consume 2 while your climbing up the hill to the start point.

This may be a bit ghetto, but you can attain another mph or two by taping a piece of cardboard the length of rear well, closing in as much as you can without touching the wheel.

Willie Hunt I use a 100 watt hour LiIon pack 3s4p 12.6 volt fully charged.

Willie Hunt I’m using old SureFire Beast batteries that were taken out of service. However, you can buy ready made packs of all AmpHour ratings. I’d recommend www.hobbyking.com or www.batteryspace.com

Just ordered battery pack from https://www.batteryspace.com Order Number: 368065

Willie Hunt I used a “Unibit” to drill the holes: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=unibit

Had a good ride today. After a day of rest the legs were definitely humming.

Got the new garmin cadence sensor install on the Quest. No magnets! Completely eliminated all cadence spikes.

However my cadence is about 5 rpm lower - probably because it takes so long for me to accelerate and I spend significant time at lower rpms. I’ll have to try shifting only when the rpms go over 95 and see how that works.

I did a test of the climbing section of the Strave KOM I lost to the Cat 3 racer when he had a 21 mph tailwind gusting to 30 mph.

With no wind, up the climb, I came within 3 seconds of his time.

If I can keep up with him on the climbing section then I should be able to beat him on the downhills.

Greg Gross with his wicked fast M5 is coming over and early Sunday morning before it gets hot we are going to try and get the KOM back.

This is a 0.9 mile segment mostly uphill - but you get to accelerate up to max speed just before it starts. By the time I’m hitting the end I’m “crawling” along at 21 mph.

http://www.strava.com/segments/3453944?filter=overall

http://www.strava.com/activities/177281561

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/559992112

Less than a week and already pulled over by the motorcycle sheriffs department - after I had to pull out into the traffic lanes to avoid hitting them and all the cars they had pulled over for speeding.

Officer: You do not need to get your license out. Do you know why we pulled you over? Me: No

Officer: The law in Texas requires bicyclists to ride on the shoulder of the road. Me: You were in the way and I did not want to hit you.

Officer: Stay in the shoulder when possible. Have a nice day.

Then we chatted a bunch about the Quest.

Ask him if I could take his picture with his motorcycle - no problem.

Beautiful day for a ride! Although, it is starting to get a little hot with temps in the mid-to-high nineties. The quest has a headlight, I’m going to have to try riding early in the morning before the sun comes up.

Here is a picture of the half way point just as I turned around to head back down the hill.

Bike Changes

Finally the chain is adjusted correctly. Good shifting all gears.

Hung the camelbak over the rear seat hanger. Works great.

http://www.strava.com/activities/176337554

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/558613952

Took four links out of the chain. Ooops, too many, cannot do large front ring and large rear ring anymore. Discovered that you cannot determine chain length by looking at the rear derailleur without rider weight in the seat of the Quest.

Putting 220 pounds of rider weight in the seat causes the rear swing arm to pivot more horizontal such that it acts as lengthening the frame and hence making the chain too short.

I now know that when looking at the rear derailleur I have have to add what looks like a little too much chain.

Now I need to add back in a couple of more links. Glad my LBS made me buy a whole chain - maybe I’ll have some left before I’m all done with this chain adjusting business.

UPDATE: - Added the links back in - will test in the morning.

Put a dab of liquid nails on the cable that goes to the front headlight height adjustment. The cable had come loose and I was kicking it around when entering and existing the Quest.

Examined all the tires. One of the front Kojak tires has been slashed and is slightly bulging out on the inside wall. Well, no more riding until I replace that tire.

Ordered two more Kojaks with presta tubes and will do the Stan’s sealant treatment when they arrive later this week.

UPDATE: - I had a new Kojak 406-35 folding bead in the garage. Put it on the front right replacing the bulging tire. Left the existing schrader value tube in the tire. When my order comes in from Amazon I’ll do the Stan’s sealant treatment.

Ordered the new Garmin magnet-less Speed and Cadence sensors.

Charles Snyder suggested that I hang the camelbak from the hanger behind the seat. Sound like a great idea. I’m going to make another sleeve from Reflectix to keep it colder longer.

Also, since weight doesn’t seem to matter anymore I’m moving to the 100 oz camelbak so that I don’t need to stop as often.

Still trying to figure out what the ratcheting noise is in the rear end. Asked BROL members for help.

UPDATE: - Dropped the rear end and examined everything. Everything looks good. The new ratcheting sound is the wheel hub. Must be like a Chris King hub and the paws finally loosened up enough where you can hear them now.