Diet and Bill Clinton

I saw an interview with Bill Clinton on Yahoo news were he had adopted a vegetarian diet. He wanted to live longer and enjoy his grandchildren. If I were him, I eat what John McCain eats! I mean the guy spent 5 years in North Vietnamese prison came get every bone in his body broken and fed shit to eat and yet the guy looks great for being 80 something. I think we all should go on the McCain diet, whatever it is. Clinton won't go on it because he's a Democrat and McCain is a Republican, anything one party does the other party has to say it stinks no matter if it is good for you or the country for that matter.

I went riding across town yesterday in San Francisco, it's a workout, especially with the thick fog. How thick, I couldn't see the end of the block! Now that's thick fog. It was even foggy at the Giant's game and Pacbell Park is located in a sunny area of San Francisco.

New Crankset Controltech Carbon Compact

I installed a new Controltech Carbon Compact Crankset on my Bianchi Via Nirone 7. I haven't heard of Controltech before seeing them for sale on Ebay but they make mountain bike parts. My guess is they wanted to branch out into road biking aka SRAM, only they haven't got a full line of gear, mostly stems, seat posts and cranksets. So I think they are ignored by most road cyclist. I had never heard of them.

I was ready for a new bottom bracket so I after a little research I purchased the Shield model with 175mm crank length, along with a bottom bracket. Installation went smoothly, the bottom bracket cups came with spacers that I used and Crankset bolted right on and in line. Shifting  was smooth and precise. No problems with the Crankset. The Crankset is super light weight, stiff and cool looking. On the Shimano Ultegra I had on previously I'd get chain rub when I stood up to climb on the big ring. As soon as sat down the chain rub would stop so I knew I was getting some sort of flex. At 240 lbs I am not a lightweight hence the name of this blog, so when I stand up I get a lot of torque. These cranks are stiff.

Our Sunday ride, I've been riding with the Sports Basement for the last year or so, we took a ride from San Francisco to Lake Lagunitas in Marin. There are a couple of climbs one over Camino Alto which is pretty easy, then the climb up to Lake Lagunitas which starts off at 8% grade and increase to 13%. It's hard for me, try pedaling 240 lbs up a climb like that. I have to say coming down is a fun thing 40 mph + coming down verses 6 mph going up.

There was about 30 plus people on the ride and it is always a lot of fun, lots of conversation, a good pace and good weather.

Biked to work today

I have been trying to ride to work a couple of times a week. It keeps me in shape for long weekend rides and riding really calms me after a hard day of work. There is the added benefit at least to me for some alone time. I have a teenager and my mother-in-law at home. I love my home life but some time riding my bike really does me good.

Currently I ride a Bianchi Vigorelli, which I really like. It goes fast, absorbs the bruising from the streets of San Francisco with it's steel frame and 700x25 Continental Gatorskin tires and my Brooks leather saddle. It really is  joy to ride. I put a change a of clothes, along with  my shoes etc in my back pack and change when  I get to work. As long as I don't have client appointments I can get by with slacks, shirt and tie. Thank goodness for easy-care shirts and stay press pants (available at Costco) for that just pressed look. I'm lucky we have a change room at work. And there are a grand total of 3 of us that ride in from various locations to work. It's fun and San Francisco is bike friendly so there are lots of cyclist on Market Street in the early morning.

Why don't Iose any weight?

I have to say I am envious when I read about bicyclist that started riding 6 months ago and have dropped 25 pounds. I ride like crazy, I ride hard, have a light breakfast and have salads for lunch and occasional beer at dinner and I haven't lost a pound! Well some days I lose a pound but most days I don't. I ride about 500 miles a month in hilly San Francisco and Marin where the average elevation gain on 20 mile ride is 1500 feet. Here I am grinding away up those hills pulling all 240 pounds with me and do you think I would be rail thin? No, I just get in better shape.

There is a hill I ride up in the Presidio that at the start of the season I could barely make it to the top. Yesterday I cruised up. At the start of the season I said to myself, if I keep riding I'll lose 30 lbs and this hill will be easy. Yesterday I said to myself hey I've got to look for a steeper hill this one used to be hard now it's easy. What's up with that?

Well if I could live on one packet of instant oatmeal for breakfast I would, but it doesn't fill me up so I have two. Lunch is always a salad. I've eaten so much salad I don't like lettuce on my sandwiches anymore. Dinner is what ever my wife cooks which is usually very good well balanced etc. And to hear her talk she's of the opinion that I am eating way too much at work because if I just ate what she ate for dinner I'd be thin like her. URGHH!!!

Maybe it is because I concentrate too much on my weight that I don't lose any. Certainly  between a full time job, raising a teenager, having my mother-in-law living with us, taking care of the house, the car, the grocery shopping etc. Commuting to work on bike is my only free time.

Well the good news if I can call it that is I can still fit into my pants.