As a cyclist, data junkie and all-around gadget guy, it doesn’t get much better than this.  Some people think this cycling computer is overkill, but my guess is that they’re the same kinda people who haven’t yet moved from VHS to DVDs.

Like most cycling computers, the Edge 705 collects data on cadence and speed.  It also determines heart rate, GPS position, altitude and a huge amount of other information that can derived from this data (e.g. distance, grade, calories, ascent/decent, pace, etc.).  Additionally, using Garmin’s de facto standard ANT+Sport network, the 705 can collect data from power meters made by other manufacturers, wirelessly, of course.  Being able to include power with all the other data collected makes this device incredibly powerful as a training tool.

Coming from Garmin, you’d expect the GPS functionality to be good, and it is.  Not only does the 705 track your location like it’s predecessors, but it displays your position on a color road map.  Garmin has basemaps available in micro SD format that slide into the device providing road and trail maps around the world.  While even I thought this type of mapping might be over the top for road biking, it has saved my ass a couple of times when I’ve been lost.  Take me home, 705, and avoid highways and dirt roads while you’re at it . . .

If you have a Garmin Edge 205 or 305, the first thing you’ll notice about the 705 is its size.  When I opened the box, I was amazed at how big the thing is.  Everything about it is bigger.  At first, I found the larger unit a bit of a turn-off, but after using it for a couple of months, I don’t even notice it and I really appreciate the advantages of its larger size - bigger screen, bigger battery, bigger buttons, etc.  I’m American.  Bigger is almost always better, right? 

As you poke through the menus, you’ll be blown away by how flexible the thing is.  Not only do you have choices of dozens of pieces of data to display, you can configure almost every screen to show the data you want where you want it.  The map display can stand alone or also show you data about your current ride.  The map is also easy to get around while riding, although gloves (the full finger kind) do make it a bit more challenging.

If you are a current 205/305 owner, you’ll immediately appreciate how fast the 705 latches onto and holds a GPS sat signal.  I used to have to turn my 305 on, leave it in my driveway for several minutes free and clear of any obstructions for it to get sat reception.  With the 705, I turn it on and start to ride.  Also, owners of previous models will appreciate the additional memory and battery power in the device.  With my old 305, the data from a century ate all the memory in the device up.  Recently, I had two centuries in the memory of the 705 and I still had loads-o-memory left.  There is also more memory for courses.  Since I often ride alone, I like to compete against my previous times on designated routes.  With the 705, I can carry 20 or more rides with me and select which one I’m going to do along the way, instead of having to plan ahead.

In terms of battery power, I wish I could tell you how long it lasts, but I’ve never come close to running it down.  After back-to-back 6+ hour rides a few weeks ago, I still had loads of power.  The manual says 15 hours, which is quite a bit longer than the 205/305.  My guess is that it’s pretty close, if not even conservative.

As with all gadgets, even the coolest ones, there are certainly areas that need improvement.  First, there is a little joystick that is used to navigate between multiple screens of similar information.  This works great even when you’re riding.  For some reason, though, Garmin chose to make the user push the joystick in like a button to navigate between the screens when in Courses mode (when you race against previously stored performance data).  While you’re bouncing around on the bike, this is difficult, and I almost always screw it up.  Instead of pushing the joystick in, I push it up or down.  This changes the mode of the map and all of the buttons on the device.  VERY annoying.

Secondly, for some reason, I am consistently getting errant zeros in my speed data.  As you can see from the chart below, there are a load of 0mph data points between 20mph data points that last for seconds (note the X-axis is time, not distance).  Unless I’ve become superhuman and can go 20-0-20 in a matter of seconds on a bicycle, I believe this is a problem with the device or rear-wheel sensor (yes, I tried new batteries in the sensor).

Finally, and not a killer for me, the Calories Burned numbers are significantly higher than on any other trainer that I’ve ever used - higher by about 2X.  It could be that the 705 is right and every other trainer I’ve ever used is wrong, but I sorta doubt it.

The bottom line for me is that the 705 has met or exceeded all my expectations and it’s really been fun to have along for rides.  If you’re a data junkie like me, there is really no better device out there for analyzing and comparing ride data and routes.  Also, since I ride on a Computrainer all winter, I can also take my routes from the 705 and convert them to work with the Computrainer.  That way, I get to ride the same routes virtually during the winter, doubling my fun with the device.

The Edge 705 ain’t cheap, but my experience is that it’s durable and should last a long time.  If you’re a frequent rider and enjoy seeing yourself improve, the smiles/mile can make it totally worthwhile.

Popularity: 11% [?]

This past weekend, I rode in my fifth Pan-Mass Challenge, a 2-day cycling event across Massachusetts benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.  I was a bit apprehensive this year since I had fallen off my bike only two weeks before the ride and fractured two ribs.  As it turned out, though, the event turned out to be a huge success for the charity and for me personally.  As of August 5 the stats for the PMC were:

• 5,200 riders
• 2,758 volunteers
• 157,000 contributors
• 800,000 miles cycled
• 13 emergency room visits (with 5K riders, someone’s going to crash)
• 10,000,000 people cheering along the route (it seemed that way – the number of people who come out to support the riders is incredible)
• $21,650,000 in funds raised (the goal is $32,000,000 by October)

These numbers are great and, of course, represent real money being raised for an incredible cause.

Personally, I had a great ride as well.  My ribs bothered me a bit, but did not hinder me nearly as much as I had feared.  I finished the first day averaging 19.3MPH and the second, 19.1MPH.  These speeds are significantly up from my previous bests at these long distances set last year during the PMC - 18.3MPH and 17.3MPH, respectively.  I really don’t know what to attribute the increases to - more training, better nutrition, improved technique?  Maybe a little of all of these plus loads of luck?

I was really fortunate to latch onto a small paceline (a line of riders who take turns “pulling” in front, then drafting behind other riders) that ran unbroken for 40 miles on day 1.  That had a huge positive impact on my time.

The weather sorta sucked on day 2, but it never rained.  I also never got a flat.  Rain and flats can ruin your whole day.

Thanks to all who sponsored me with donations and to the large group who offered their support and encouragement along the way.

Popularity: 11% [?]

This will be my fifth year riding the Pan-Mass Challenge, a charity ride benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.  It’s a great ride that raises gobs of money for a fabulous charity and a truly worthy cause.

The ride is a two-day event that takes cyclists across most of Massachusetts.  While there aren’t many huge climbs on the ride - it is Massachusetts after all - the challenge is in riding back-to-back very long days.  For most, it’s about just finishing, but for some, with more testosterone than brains - like me - it’s about finishing fast.  Which, of course, makes it a bit more challenging.

My training hasn’t been going great.  Having been in Europe for a couple of weeks didn’t help.  It’s also been raining almost every day for the last week.  Serious bummer.  So, I’ve pushed myself harder than normal to get ready.  So hard, in fact, that I fell off my bike the other day and cracked a couple of ribs.  Ouch!

I was told (or, I wanted to hear) that I can still ride by people with medical degrees - “yeah, it’ll hurt and it will take longer to heal, but you can still ride.”  At least that’s what I heard.  So, I’m going for it.  It was getting too easy anyway . . . yeah, right.

If you’ve read this far and are asking yourself, “how can I contribute to this noble effort,” or, “I’ve been looking for a cool way to donate to cancer research and care,” here’s your chance (any amount helps – there is no donation too small).  Direct your browser to this web page (https://www.pmc.org/egifts/ - for those who like to cut and paste).  Click on “Sponsor a Rider with one donation” then “Select a person by eGift ID”.  My PMC Gift ID is: wh0028 if you choose to “sponsor” me.  Of course, you can make the donation anonymously or directly to Dana Farber, bypassing the sponsorship part, if you prefer.

Wish me luck . . .

Popularity: 11% [?]

Who knew, right?  One of the biggest sporting events in the world and, potentially, the most grueling, and I can’t even watch it on TV.  My local cable provider has opted out.  Such a shame, it really is a terrific event, even if you’re not a cyclist.

Of course, the economics of carrying the event probably make no sense.  It’s long - 21 stages over 23 days, each day taking many hours - and there probably aren’t enough sponsors in the US to even fill all the available slots, let alone make money at it.  Finally, if you’re in the US, there are only 4 American riders in the race - 3 of them with one team, the new Garmin-Chipotle team.  Even though Americans have won 10 of the last 22 races (not Including Floyd Landis’ doping-enhanced “victory”), four contenders from the country is hardly enough to build any fan base of cycling outsiders or noobs.

In any event, Americans do have something to be excited about.  Christian Vande Velde of the Garmin-Chipotle team (an American on an US-based team) is currently in 5th place, only 39 seconds behind the leader.  Only 49 seconds separate the leader (wearing the Yellow Jersey) from the 6th place rider.  Danny Pate, also of the Garmin-Chipotle team and another American came in third today, 10 seconds behind today’s stage winner.

Overall, a pretty good showing for the new American team and two American riders so far.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Yesterday, I rode in the annual 50 mile Positive Spin for ALS ride in Massachusetts.  Like most charity rides, this one had a variety of cyclists participating.  Some strong and some, well . . . not so strong.  I generally fall somewhere in the middle.

As I’ve mentioned before, officially, charity rides are not “races.”  Most people riding in them participate to challenge themselves and raise money for a good cause.  While the latter reason is certainly a big part of why I do them, I also like the fact that a reasonable percentage of the people who show up are doing it to test themselves against other riders.  In this sense, they are races.  Needless to say, though, really good riders don’t show up for such amateur events.   Nevertheless, my goal was to finish among the top riders who did show up, which I succeeded in doing.

I was riding alone so I didn’t have a wind-breaking partner to draft.  Luckily, I was able to jump out with the lead group at the beginning of the ride and leech off of two strong riders who didn’t mind pulling me (aerodynamically)for long distances.  I lost my two protectors at mile 35, though, and had to cut my own path through the wind for the final 15.

I ended up averaging 18.2 mph which, while not my personal best for a 50 miler, is pretty good for me.  I also did it without any stops.  The best news is that while I certainly didn’t feel I could have done another 50 at that pace after the ride, I was able to go out with friends doing my usual over consumption of food and alcohol thing last night.  I guess the training is paying off.

Popularity: 14% [?]

In the suburbs around Boston, one frequently runs across strange symbols painted on the road.  Most of these are geometric shapes, arrows, directions and short descriptions to guide those responsible for fixing, destroying, burying or replacing parts of the local infrastructure.  Some of the road graffiti has a more subtle meaning, though - gently acting as a guiding hand for cyclists.

While these navigational beacons are hardly unique to the Boston area, we have more than our fair share of them around here.  They’re placed here by the boatload of cycling clubs in the area to mark predefined routes, race courses and cycling events.  Big rides, like the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, even have permanent signs posted and maintained by the state. 

Each club has their own symbol, which is rotated when painted on the road so that it’s pointy side faces the direction that should be followed (check out the picture).  Usually, there is a symbol painted before the turn, one right at the turn and then another after the turn to confirm that the rider didn’t screw it up.  Since it’s often the only guidance that a rider will get, missing one of these signs can be costly, at best adding miles to the ride and, at worst, getting the rider hopelessly lost.

These signs are more than just a convenience.  You can imagine that it’s fairly difficult and dangerous to read a map while moving at 25mph and, since the roads around here meander without sense or purpose, stopping to figure out where you are every few miles, which exit you should take from a rotary or which direction you should go at the 12-way intersection gets a bit impractical and, obviously, takes a lot of fun out of the riding. 

So, if you find yourself tooling along some back road in your Chevy Suburban some day and see some alien looking symbols spray painted on the road, keep an eye out for the cyclists that are likely ahead.  You may also want to cut them a little slack since they may have just discovered they were following the symbol for the Department of Transportation instead of the one for their bike club.

Popularity: 28% [?]

This past weekend I rode in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a two-day charity cycling event through Massachusetts with donations supporting the riders and benefiting the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  I covered the ride and the cause in an earlier post, so I won’t bore you with the details here.  What I will add, though, is that the weekend was a huge success.  5,100 riders, 2,500 volunteers, donations of food and services from dozens of companies and countless supporters along the routes of the ride.  The projected total contribution to Dana-Farber’s cancer research and therapy is $27M dollars.  This is no small event.

To me, one of the most important aspects of the PMC is the recognition by all involved of just how many people’s lives are touched by cancer.  I don’t know what the percentages are in the general population, but it seems that virtually everyone is within a degree or two of separation from someone whose life has been changed radically by the disease.  The many forms of cancer have a truly astounding impact on society as a whole, which is sometimes difficult to see in day-to-day life.

This is my third time doing the ride and by far my best effort - both as a fundraiser and as a rider.  I had a very good ride, beating my personal best previous efforts at the first day’s distance (86 miles) by a long shot.  While the event is certainly not a race, many riders keep statistics on how they do during the ride.  I had the additional advantage, in this light, of having my wife, at the finish line volunteering at the event and counting where I stood in relation to other riders.  Apparently, I came in within the first 200 of the 5,100 riders to arrive in Bourne on the first day.  I did the first leg at an average of 18.3mph.  While many did MUCH better than I did, I held my own and beat my goals.  On the second day, I was slower at 17.3mph.  Riding from Bourne to Provincetown (the length of Cape Cod), we had a stiff headwind for about 30 miles of the ride.  I also planned my effort poorly and expended too much energy early in the ride.  Nonetheless, I still came in among the early riders to finish and I’m very happy with my effort and results. 

My body now feels like I’ve been in a street brawl, but it’s a minor sacrifice for a great cause.  Getting old sucks, but it’s a whole lot better than fighting cancer.

Thanks to all those who supported me in my ride by contributing to the Jimmy Fund.  I really appreciate your support of a very worthy cause and of yours truly.

Popularity: 23% [?]

There are some that are calling for this year’s Tour de France to conclude without crowning a winner.  That seems patently absurd to me.  To punish those who are clean because some used drugs or doping to compete makes no sense.  It’s like calling off the World Series because some players were found to be taking steroids.  Geesh.  Take the cheaters out back and shoot ‘em.  Let the honest ones have their glory.

If there is any good news to come out of the Tour, at least for Americans, it’s that the US-based Discovery Channel team will take first and third in the race.  While there is one more leg to go tomorrow, traditionally, riders do not try to jockey for position during the stage.  It’s more ceremonial.

The Discovery Channel Team’s 24-year-old Spanish rider, Alberto Contador, will be wearing the Yellow Jersey for the final stage and will be crowned this year’s TDF winner.  34-year-old American Levi Leipheimer, also of Discovery Channel, will share the podium in third place, having completed today’s final time trial with the fastest time.  Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto team) of Australia will take second place.  One more Discovery Channel rider, Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) also finished in the top ten of the race with eighth place.

I’m sure the irony of the fact that the only team, Discovery Channel, from the country with the absolute least interest in the sport in the world, the US, takes first and third positions in the race is not lost on some disgruntled competitors.  Additionally, Americans will take four of the top 25 positions in the race.  Maybe that doesn’t seem earth-shattering, but again, how many kids grow up in the US thinking their going to be professional cyclists?  Not such a bad showing after all.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Holy crow!  What a disaster.  So, the Tour de France started with several top riders accused of doping being banned from the race.  Then, during the Tour, a few other riders were kicked out for failing blood tests or illegal blood transfusions, including Alexandre Vinokourov, who was favored to win.  In fact, the manager of Vinokourov’s team pulled his Astana Cycling Team from the race entirely.    Following that, the Confidis Team pulled out of the Tour after its lead rider, Cristian Moreni, failed a drug test.

Now, Michael Rasmussen, the clear leader of this year’s Tour de France, holding the Yellow Jersey (worn by the current overall leader) for most of the race, has been fired by his own team, Robobank, for lying to the team and missing several scheduled drug tests.  This move takes him and the team out of contention.

As of now, Alberto Contador, of the US Discovery Team has the Yellow Jersey.  The Discovery Channel Team has three riders in the top ten.

So, is Contador the last man standing?  Is anyone clean?  Professional cycling is a sport for the elite of the elite.  It requires a combination of superhuman genetics, non-stop training and a will to win that overcomes the agony of climbing 100+ mile hills for 26 straight days.  It appears that the self-selecting group of top riders in the world have found that there is no way to differentiate between themselves other than to push their bodies beyond their already distorted genetics.

These guys get tested for drug use constantly.  The top riders even get tested frequently enough to see if they’re getting transfusions of their own oxygenated blood.  Can more be done?  Can the sport be cleaned up?  I dunno.  It would be very sad if young cyclists come to believe that they can only win by following their now banned brethren.

Popularity: 25% [?]

While looking for some information about the Tour yesterday (other than controversy about doping, it’s really difficult to get decent information about the Tour de France in English), I stumbled across this great website.  It’s a mashup that superimposes today’s TDF stage on a Google map, adds a chart of the elevation of the stage, then, and this is the cool part, shows various riders on the route with their live heart rate, speed, power output and cadence.  Apparently, some riders/teams are broadcasting their GPS coordinates with their ride data for the world to consume.

There aren’t loads of riders involved, but it’s cool to see the data for the ones that are.  Their low heart rates at any speed make me feel even less significant as a bike rider.

The data is only live, so once the day’s stage is over, the site just shows the route.  Worth checking out . . .

Popularity: 20% [?]