Jason Ward - The Clydesdale Triathlete: June 2013

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Is there a rider weight limit for Trek bikes?

Yes, they have the following weight limits on their bikes:

Max rider weight of 50lbs:
Trikester, in our Kids collection.

Max rider weight of 80lbs:
All other bikes in our Kids collection.

Max rider weight of 275lbs:
Road bikes, triathlon bikes, and cruisers. This includes all Madones and Domanes.

Max rider weight of 300lbs:
All other bikes, including hybrids, urban, commuter, fitness, Ride+ electric assist, cyclocross, and all mountain bikes. This includes the Trek FX series of bikes.

The Transport and Transport+ can also support an additional 220lbs of cargo, distributed as 20lbs on the front rack, 100lbs on the rear rack, and 50lbs on each side load rack.

Max combined rider weight of 550lbs:
Tandem bicycles.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Longest Ride of 2013 So Far

It was an amazing day for a ride. It was 77deg with a 9 mph South wind and 54% humidity for the ride. I missed out on the group ride leaving from my LBS GoodSpeed Cycles at 7am so I decided on a ride leaving at about 10am heading East from Homewood into Indiana. At the last moment I decided to make this a long ride and set the destination to Chesterton, Indiana which makes for a 72 mile round trip. There were primarily 3 trails ridden Prairie Duneland Trail, Oak Savannah Trail and Erie Lackwanna Trail.

The first 1/3 of the ride was primarily streets and the remainder was nicely paved trails. There was a dangerous spot on Main St. in Indiana. Basically there was no shoulder and quite a bit of traffic. There were several times drivers were within 2 feet of me cycling. I will try to find an alternate route but this is the most direct. The latter portion of the route including the Prairie Duneland Trail and Oak Savannah Trail included trees reaching high over the trail to provide an amazing canopy to ride under in spots. The Oak Savannah Trail lead into tunnels under busy streets. Bathrooms and water fountains were sprinkled along the Prairie Duneland Trail between Hobart and Chesterton, IN.

A the end of the Prairie Duneland Trail in Chesterton about 1 block East is a gas station where I purchased a gallon of cold water to refill my bottles and hydrate myself for the ride back. The gas station was also a fully stocked convenience store including a Godfathers Pizza in the corner.

I ended up taking a minor detour between Griffith and Hobart that proved to be interesting and not planned. Basically I took a wrong turn and ended up passing through part of Gary, In. Not too bad on a Sunday afternoon but I would not suggest this route. Stick to the path. Things get interesting quickly.

I did not ride alone. A new riding buddy joined me and made the trip more enjoyable. The pace was easy as I did not know what to expect. In the future I will feel comfortable picking up the pace on this trip now knowing there is food and water readily available at the end of the trail in Chesterton.

This route is part of a longer route I am exploring to eventually work up to a 110 mile round trip from Homewood, Il to New Buffalo, Mi. this summer.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Pre-Ride Nutrition

Jason Ward out for a run

These are some of my guidelines I currently use for training and events

Sip water throughout the day everyday. Get used to carrying a water bottle around.
When I drink alcohol I make sure to drink water in between drinks. I when I stop drinking I drink more water. Working out the next morning dehydrated is a horrible feeling and counterproductive.
I do not eat heavy or late on nights when I will have an early workout the next day. Doing so causes me to have restless sleep and a terrible morning workout/event.
For rides less than 90 minutes I will eat between 0 - 300 calories that includes low/no fiber, lean protein and carbs at least 1 hour prior to start of ride. These "shorter" rides are usually at Zone 3 to Zone 5. If the ride is first thing in the morning I usually eat nothing.
For rides over 90 minutes I will eat 300-600 calories 1-2 hours prior to start. These longer rides are usually Zone 1 - Zone 3.
Normal meals are about 300-500 calories 3-5 times daily.

This is part of my routine. I have lost many inches off my waist in the last year and become a stronger rider/runner/swimmer. Weight loss is my primary goal.

1,000 Mile Review of 2013 Trek Madone 4.5

2013 Trek Madone 4.5

I have over 1,000 miles on my 2013 Trek Madone 4.5 so I figured an update was due. I bought the bike in April this year and currently ride 120+ miles per week.

Issues

I have had 2 flats (700x23mm stock). One in the rear tire caused by an underinflated tire (snakebite) at less than 100 miles and one in the front tire at about 900 miles for reason unknown still. Always fill tires (especially the rear) to max psi (120 for me).
Creaking noises from both wheels after 900 miles. Fixed by having the LBS tension all the spokes.
At 1,000 miles I needed to replace the tires. The rear tire had worn flat and you could see the fabric lining in 2 spots that had worn through. My LBS replaced my tires with a previous customers new take-offs at a steep discount. The new tires were the same Bontrager R2 but 25mm instead of the stock 23mm. After a 34 mile ride I can say the 25mm tires are a bit more comfortable over the cracks and bumps. There was no noticeable speed difference even at 20+ mph. After these wear I will go back to 23mm tires though - it's just how I am.

Other random tidbits....

The white bar tape and saddle are not so shiny white anymore.

I wash the bike and clean/lube the chain myself every 2 weeks ish.

Also Posted at 290lbs on a Carbon Frame - 1,000 mile review on bikeforums.net

Related Posts
Photos of My 2013 Trek Madone 4.5
2013 Trek Madone 4.5 Specifications