Memorial Day Weekend Update

Being sick over Memorial Day weekend was not exactly in the weekend planner.  It's 4am and I am wide awake from prednisone induced insomnia for some sort of respiratory infection that will not clear up.  Felt bad a week ago today and got progressively worse with chest congestion rivaling the worst I have ever experienced.  While I wish I knew where I picked up this bug, I know part of it was probably due to riding too hard on two consecutive group rides.  When I went to my physician this past week, I took my heart rate stats from my rides and RPM (spinning) classes with me.  On the group rides and solo road trips the doc says I am way over on my max HR and keeping my average too high as well.  So whenever I can get back on the bike, I guess I will set my Max HR alarm for something a little lower and watch the zone display and keep an average on the screen as well.  My Les Mills RPM class HR averages were not too bad.  This brings me to another conclusion, I think the short duration, 44 to 50 minutes, of RPM may be part of my problem on the road.  Looking at my heart rate over the longer rides, I see my HR stay pretty close to RPM levels for the first 45 minutes to an hour before starting to creep up after that until the end of the ride.  I have to think that some of that is from the conditioning I am getting accustomed to with RPM.  While there are some RPM+ (60 minutes) and RPM 75 classes available, they are not at times I can schedule.

I am enjoying my new wheel set from Performance Bicycles.  The wheels are their new Forte Apollo models with 30mm aero rims and straight pull 2x spoke design.  It took a while to figure out the supplier, but someone over in the forums at RoadbikeReview.com had a good eye and noticed the Novatech rim tape in the Performance product photo.  Based on the specs of the Novatech Speedy model, the Apollo's match the Speedy version 1 set.  The specs are 20/24 on the spoke count with 2x lacing pattern on the front and rear.  The spokes are round Sapim double butted Lasers with brass nipples.  The hubs have sealed cartridge bearings and the rear has needle bearing as well.  The rims are a 30mm aero shape with a sleeve at the junction.  Previous to this set of wheels, I was running Neuvation M28SL's with ceramic bearings.  The weight on the Apollo's is almost the same as the Neuvations at 1650g.  The Neuvations were fine for the first year I had them until I broke a spoke on the rear.  A week later the spoke opposite the first broken one snapped at the nipple as had the first.  About two months ago, I had a pinch flat blow out that threw the rear wheel out true and it seemed like I was having to check the true before each ride so I started looking for something else and the Apollo's seemed to be nice price point ($250) for a wheel that looks like it will last many years.  I put some new Forte Road Pro+ 23mm tires on the rims and the ride is noticeably smoother than the M28SL's.  I am not sure if this is due to the spoke design, rim or tires.  The one concern I have about these wheels are the straight pull spokes.  Sheldon Brown was never a fan of these, but they seem pretty standard on a lot of the Mavic's I see on group rides.  As with any new design, time will tell.

Speaking of Performance, a new store will be opening in Raleigh at Sutton Square Shopping Center (Falls of the Neuse at Spring Forest Road on June 4th according to the Performance web site.  Hopefully they will be doing grand opening specials at the other local stores as well.  I spun the wheel and won a case of ProLink Gold at the last grand opening event.

If anyone is riding the Triangle Tour de Cure next weekend, I will be the official volunteer photographer again for this year's ride.  This year there is a ride on Sunday that stays in the Southern Pines area in addition to the ride back to Cary for the folks who ride down on Saturday.  Once the weekend is done, the photos will be up on performancepixel.com.