Thought I’d provide a review of these as we’re now into the winter weather. This is my first insulated cycling shoe so I can’t say how they compare to the Lake or Sidi winter boots, but these are also much less $$$.

Specialized Defroster MTB Shoe:

Product link:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=64229

Just a quick review of some cold weather shoes. I picked these up from the Peloton about a week ago and gotta say they’re awesome! Even with temperatures in the low 30’s and upper 20′s the feet were plenty warm with a single pair of sox. The shoe definitely blocks the wind and the insulation in the foot bed is a far warmer option than summer shoes with booties. One of the other benefits of winter shoes is not needing to mess with booties. Just throw on the winter shoes and go! If you’re planning to do much riding this winter these are definitely worth a look. Below are a few more detailed thots on the shoes…

The fit was similar to the Pro MTB shoe. The Defroster is a bit narrower in the toe box but a bit more volume provides sufficient room for a heavier weight winter sock. For comparison, the Defroster’s are a 47 which is the same size as my Pro MTB shoes. If you’re riding Sidis, my old Sidi Dominators are 48′s. There’s sufficient room in the Defrosters for one pair of medium or heavy weight winter socks. To fit a second pair of socks I’d need a larger size or the shoes would need to be stretched.

The soles of the shoes, while not a rigid as the Pro’s, are plenty stiff. After 50 miles on the road with Egg Beater pedals there wasn’t any sign of a pressure point. The shoe did a nice job of distributing the pressure. There are markings on the soles for where the toe spikes would be mounted, but it there are no threaded mounting holes. Walking in the shoes is typical of other stiff MTB shoes.

Entry and exit was relatively easy. Unlike some of the other shoes which use Velcro straps, the primary tensioning system is a rotary closure system similar to that found on the S-Works shoes. The rotary closure was new to me but is intuitive and worked well: easy to adjust and no pressure points. I had no difficulty adjusting the tension while riding and without removing my ski gloves.

Con’s? I can’t say there are any real “con’s” but there are a couple things to consider:

• Moisture will build up inside the shoe. The waterproofing Specialized lists as a “feature” also means that the moisture will not be getting out. Good socks are a must for a long ride. Also plan on airing out the shoe for a while between rides to give them time to dry. The buildup of moisture is neither better nor worse than what I’ve experienced with booties and summer shoes. If they insulate and are waterproof you’ll have wet socks after a long ride.
• Size – as previously mentioned these shoes are a bit narrower than the standard width Pro shoe. If you’ve got wide feet you may need to order a size larger.

Greg

Greg Kuchta

Chris kinneer rippin' up the course at USGP

Chris Kinneer shares his cyclocross odyssey this season AND throws in a product  review of his new Easton wheels.  Well done, Chris – see you next time on the podium!

I can’t speak for anybody else, but I’m going to plant my feet firmly, and declare without equivocation that CX season is officially awesome!  I’ve been lucky to make it for 4 days of cross racing already this year.

See how easy?  Thanks Kurt!

Bar Mitts rule! Warm hands in the 20’s with light weight glove and Bar Mitts! No bulky feel on the brake leavers or shifters either!!!

kurt

Steve doesn’t skate ski so he tried a summer biathlon.

Race – Colorado Biathlon Club Summer Biathlon

Location – Nordic Center

Date – Sunday 9/18/2011

Race description – Mountain Bike 5 laps 1.5 miles shortened due to rain

Shooting .22 cal 4 stages 2 prone, 2 standing

30 sec interval individual starts

Racer – Steve Lacey #533

Class – Sport 40-49

Bike – Specialized rigid Stumpjumper 29er Single Speed 32/18 gearing

Clothing – Team Peloton team kit

Rifle – Club loaner

The Colorado Biathlon Club, coloradobiathlon.org, hosts one summer biathlon per year. For those like me who have never participated in such an event, they provided club rifles, training and practice time.

The day started with safety training, rules review and shooting instruction for the newbies followed by a practice session to get acquainted with the rifles and the range.  The biathlon was to consist of 5 riding laps and four shooting stages of 5 targets each, 2 prone and 2 standing stages with a penalty loop imposed for each target missed.   Rider’s race number determined their starting position on 30 second intervals.  Due to the recent rains the course had to be rerouted and shortened to a 1.5 mile sprint per lap.

My number allowed me to be the first of the guys off the starting line which can be a blessing or a curse.  I would be the rabbit for the duration….hopefully!

At the end of the first lap I found myself entering the range first and glad to have made the choice of gears for the SS but wishing I had a bit of suspension to calm my arms as well as my heart before sending the first round down range……miss, hit, miss, hit, hit.  Two penalty loops for me five penalty loops for my nearest rival.  He and I would battle lap after lap with me leaving the penalty loop just ahead of him.  The last lap proved to be the same as the previous four, him leaving the range first but off the mark and me spending a bit less time in the penalty loop and out on course first.  In the end I was able to hold him off and cross the finish line first but only by ten seconds instead of the 30 imposed at the start.

Overall the race was a great experience and provided many races within the race which made it exciting for the racers and the fans.  The shooting demands challenged the mind as well as the body to stay on target.

Finish – 1^st in age group, 2^nd in class, 6^th overall.

In fairness to Kurt, for him this “endurance” race is more like a sprint.  If he’s not on the bike for at least 24 hours it barely registers on Kurt’s demented radar.  Thanks for the write-up, Kurt!

Dawn till Dusk endurance MTB race – April 9^th, 2011 – Gallup, New Mexico

Temp – between 30-60F

Weather – Partly cloudy, windy and snow flurries late in the day

Course– 13.5 mile loop, ~1200 ft of gain per lap on single track.

Bike – 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29er.

Clothes – Team kit, knee/arm warmers.

7AM, 180 rides and 3 miles of dirt road between us and single track…..let’s go RACING!! The beginning and middle of the race went rather uneventful. I settled in about 60 people back of the leaders and by the midpoint had netted 11 more spots at the end of lap 5. The first (and turns out only) scheduled stop for food was at just over 6 1/2 into the 12hr race.

I noticed towards the end of  lap 5 the wind picked up and the weather took a turn for the worse…like low 40s and overcast….bummer! I hopped into the VeeDub van and kick the heat on!! I was freezing! Pulled the down sleeping bag over the legs and started jamming copious amounts of food and fluids into the system. I also felt like a nap was in order…..20mins later I woke up to snow flurries….dude bummer! I pulled the winter gear out and prepared to brave the cold weather.

Now, re-started with a little over 4hrs left in the event…..enough for 3 laps more…..my goal was 9….cool I’m still on track. At the end of lap 6 there were some folks at the start/finish line saying “Last lap in by 5″. I took this to mean I needed to be back by 5pm to start my last lap……”No Problem…..it’s just 4 now”.

I continued to brave the nasty weather as other folks were hitting the beer tent at the finish. About 1/2 way through that lap a gal riding behind me asked if we could make it back to the start/finish before 5PM……I said….”No Way”. She replied “Why are you still out here?” I said “What do you mean??” She replied “If we don’t get to the finish line before 5PM this lap doesn’t count!” I said…”NO WAY…this is a 12hr race….not a 10hr race”….I was a bit upset to say the least. I then realized why all the folks were drinking beer and partying at the finish line. Oh well….pull it together and finished up the finish lap. I was glad to get that beast completed.

I still managed to ride 97.5 miles and pull out a 7th out of 18 in my age group…..7 laps in 10.5hrs. Not great, but it’s still early in the race season.

Kurt Ireland

Race report for the FCCF Criterium

Bike: Specialized SL3 with Zipp 404 wheels

Team kit, S-works road shoes

I had been hesitant to sign up for the race since the start was at 8:15PM when it’s pretty much dark already and it’s a 45 minute race — crits are dangerous enough already.  But I figured this would disadvantage others as much as me, and the cooler conditions would be nice.  Plus, I needed to be there to represent Team Peloton since everyone else was doing the Rist race next day.  Earlier in the day, I pulled out my Zipp 404 wheels, cleaned the chain and cassette and changed the front tire which had a tear in it.  I took my freshly cleaned and tuned bike out for a quick spin, and noticed that when I got up for a test sprint, the handle bars felt squishy … I tried again and realized the left bar was exhibiting a lot of flex, and was actually broken!

Fortunately it was about 2PM and I had time to take it over to Peloton.  Mike (who knew I was racing later) immediately came out and asked what’s wrong.  I showed him the bar, and he said they’d do a warranty replacement and take care of it immediately.  Two hours later I picked it up, and this time my test ride went great — love that bike — light and stiff.

I headed over to the race with the family, and set my trainer up by the side as the 35+ race wrapped up.  Weather was hot and humid and I had no trouble working up a sweat as I got my heart rate up to 85% of max for a few minutes.  The announcer stated that they were going to shorten the course for our race from the 1 mile figure 8, to a 1/2 mile rectangle with the racing in a counter-clockwise direction (all left turns).  I think this was a late decision based on lighting.  The field was 24 racers with 10 of them from the Real-D/Amgen team from Boulder, the rest a mix of teams with only one other racer from Fort Collins, from Velo-One.

The start was fast.  I made sure to quickly work my way up to the top 5-6, but my heart rate was immediately in the 150′s.  After the first several laps, things calmed down a bit and I slipped back to 10-12th position.  I quickly decided I needed to move up and went to the inside.  As I did so, another guy was moving up to my right, directly in the middle of the group at a high relative speed.  He bumped someone on his right, cut him off and sent that guy down cursing.  I was looking over to mark the guy who caused the crash so I could stay the heck away from him as we were turning left again when he wobbled, turned hard and then went down himself … poetic justice I guess.

Things continued in a controlled fashion, and after about 20 minutes I was feeling good enough to move to the front and lead out a lap.  It was good to hear the announcer call out my name as the new guy at the front.  That got my heart rate above 160 (94%), and I needed a couple laps in 3rd – 5th position to recover. 5-10 minutes later I took another pull at the front, but then we were getting down to the final 10 laps, so I settled down in 3rd position.  There were a couple Real-D guys who were looking strong and doing a lot of work.  I didn’t think I’d have a chance at a win, but might get 5th or 6th if I rode smart.  There had been a couple breaks off the front, I chased one down, but let others do the work on the rest since they didn’t look that threatening.  As it came down toward the final laps, the pace picked way up and I was laser focused on not missing the key break.  Approaching the start of the final lap a big BRC racing guy who I’d never seen at the front before, came up fast on the outside.  I immediately jumped on his wheel and he pulled super hard into the first left turn, and continued into the next.  I was delighted to have his wheel, and by how strong he was pulling since that meant no one would be able to come around.  I was worried that he’d run out of gas on the back stretch (between 2nd and 3rd turns), leaving me out in front and needing to try and hold the field off for an impossibly long stretch.  However he kept cranking and we went through the 3rd turn in 1/2 position.  In that stretch (where the crash had occurred), I noticed a bit of weakness in his efforts.  I knew that if we slowed down, the Real-D guys would make a move.  The final turn was up ahead, and I couldn’t believe I still had some fuel left, so without hesitating I jumped to his left, and flew through the final corner on the inside.  I was incredulous that I was actually in the lead coming around the final corner with only about 100 yards to go!  I was sure one of the stronger guys would out-sprint me and come flying by, but I was going to give this absolutely everything I had right up to the line.  No backing off … I sensed someone on my right, but stayed maxed out and to my amazement, crossed the finish line alone!

from theRUDYexperience:

Rudy Schuster and Matt Gough summiting Monster Hill

Thanks for the awesome report and pics Rudy.  Congrats to all who raced – you represented Team Peloton well.

the RUDY experience

Fort Collins Cycling Festival

Men’s Cat 4/5

There were five Peloton riders in cat 4/5. Our group start was rather erratic. We should been starting in five minute waves. The group in front of us went and the official kept waving us. The other official called us back, but half the group kept going. They launched us all and we regrouped in the first 200 meters. We had a brief conversation about trying to get over the top of Rist together. With the recognition that things will probably split up and every man may eventually fend for himself…which is what happened.

The tempo to the base of Rist was moderate. As expected, the pace picked up quickly on the climb. The Peloton Cycles group made the first selections that happened before Whale Rock. After Whale Rock, I knew that Brad was in front of me and everybody else was behind me. However, I have no idea how close or far they were behind me. I was assuming everybody was close. I am not familiar with Brad’s riding, so I had no idea what he was capable of. I know that Matt is able to match and exceed my efforts. Chris, Justin and I have all been close in race times the past year. I know that I usually pull away from Chris on moderate climbs and he typically catches and passes me on the steeper sections of climbs. I have not ridden consistently with Justin. This is as far as I was able to keep track of what was happening around me. I am not good enough to keep my head straight when under extreme physical stress.

So, I put my head up, pushed back in my saddle, rotated my hips back, straightened my back, and focused on a consistent-hard cadence; and made sure I was on the wheel in-front of me and not letting a gap open. The pace picked up and I became chase one. Shortly before the “mailboxes” I was setting pace. I do not know if I was setting for others or just myself. Riders quickly began choosing their own pace and the groups fragmented with the increasing grade. Every wheel in front of me was a target. I would catch one, determine if the pace was fast enough for me to stay, or if I should to pass. The steep section between the mailboxes and the firehouse was to be my first test. I was still passing people on the first half of it. I caught a rider in a Washington State University (WSU) kit about 1/2 of the way up that section. He picked up his pace when I caught him and he paced me for a while. When I passed and started setting pace he thanked me for taking a turn pulling. I took this has a good sign of somebody who would cooperate to achieve a common goal. After the firehouse, the WSu rider and I agreed that we should work together and needed each other for the trip to Masonville.

Matt caught the WSU guy and me right after Stove Prairie. A fourth rider with a Primal kit caught us too. The trip down to Glade Road was fast and fun with the four of us sharing the work. We had a good agreement to work together and keep the group intact. I had a few minor pains in my legs on Rist and Buckhorn Road. On Glade it developed to full-on cramping in my right groin and left quad. I knew that if I was dropped by the group I would be dead in the water.  My only choice was to keep pedaling until recovery or total failure.

Now for a quick side trip…my eating plan was working perfectly. I knew I would burn about 3000 calories and had a plan to take in about 600. I was eating gel packs on regular intervals. My plan was to drink a bottle of Hammer Perpetuem between Stove Prairie and Glade. I felt good about all of this. I will need to find a way to take in more calories and electrolytes on future efforts of this size. I also nailed the pre-race meal with a good breakfast and took the right number of stomach acid reducing pills to prevent me from puking in my own mouth when my heart rate spiked. I think the correct term for my problem is acid reflux.

On Glade, I thought I was done due to the cramping. I continued contributing during the pulls and mastered the art of relaxing all leg muscles and shaking them out while drafting. I was amazed at how much this helped; although I am not sure if it was psychological or physical. My legs recovered by the time we got to the end of Glade; at least the cramping was gone. Matt and I knew the hills that were coming up and took the lead. I set the pace up to Horsetooth Park. Matt pulled us up to the turnaround and down to South Bay. Some other guy in a blue kit caught us as we pulled out of South Bay. He was tired from the chase and hung on the back.

After the merge onto Centennial it was time to pay the piper again and climb Suicide Hill. My legs started fighting back. The Primal rider attacked and pulled away. Matt started to pull away on the steepest section. I fought to keep his wheel and stuck it. We topped out together along with the WSU and Blue riders. I have the descent and left turn where Centennial meets Stadium Hill wired: 53×14 and 40mph. I took the lead on the descent and slingshot over the riser to cross the second dam. Matt took the lead to start Monster Hill and I took over someplace around the middle to finish it off. My wife and twins were at the top with cow bells and cheering for us (see the picture). The WSU and Blue riders, Matt and I worked across the Dams. Matt had a mechanical issue on the summit of Bingham Hill. He stopped. The WSU guy, Blue guy and I kept going.

There was a headwind from the south when we turned onto Overland. WSU guy and I were swapping leads. Then I popped like a balloon! I was done. My speed dropped and legs turned to rubber. I got hung out in the wind and started to drop off. WSU turned to look for me; I nodded my head to let him know I was done. The Blue guy must have still been on my wheel. I was having visions of making the turn onto Laport and getting out of the wind. The Blue guy took a pull when I really needed it. Finally I made it to Laport and picked up my pace. The Blue guy dropped off and I caught somebody else. Matt caught me right before we made the right onto Howes to do the final lap around the block to the finish line. I was glad to see him. We caught a fourth person. At about 50 meters Matt launched and crossed the line first of us four; the four of us were given a group finish time. The WSU guy finished about 40 seconds ahead of me.

My winter and spring seasons were plagued by personal sickness and sick children (remember toddler twins). I was in better shape in January than I was in June. My races were my training for the first half of the summer. I hit the tarmac and training hard in July—and it paid off. This was a great race for me. I am very happy with my result. I nailed the eating; albeit a little shy on the number of calories en route. We worked together as a group and it was successful. I got to work and finish with a teammate and friend. I pushed my physical limits, recovered, and kept going. The good thing is that I pushed my limits and did not hit total failure. That limit is still out there; which means I can do better and go harder. Looking back now I can pick out a few places where I could have made up time; and that is good because it means that there is room for improvement at my current fitness level and I know I can achieve a better fitness level. This race set a new bar for me. Obviously it is disappointing that it is the last road race of the season.

Rudy SChuster, Matt Gough and Chris Kinneer at the start

Rudy with his biggest fan

Rudy's other biggest fan

This concludes the RUDY experience.