tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84808415190322923682024-03-13T13:06:59.571-04:00The Daily Grind: A Cycling Nut's ChronicleTales From the Trails.Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-25274483282842518892010-09-26T15:28:00.002-04:002010-09-26T15:30:06.887-04:00Migrating:After a good run on Blogspot, I've decided to move this little shindig over to a new blog site over on Wordpress. Check it out and subscribe to that site instead!Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-9503106827914839852010-09-22T22:17:00.004-04:002010-09-22T22:52:07.974-04:00Training, riding, racing.And so it goes. About 10 days until the CX @ Brewery Ommegang. At this point, I'm expecting dry, dusty and (since it's been nearly 85 degrees here as of late) warm weather. That would actually be ok with me, since I really don't care much for cold weather riding, but I suppose since I'm pre-registered, I have to HTFU anyway. Strangely, since I've only got 10 days left, any significant Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-19320012211061026322010-09-12T18:30:00.002-04:002010-09-12T18:48:17.659-04:00Training daze, oh training daze.The days are growing shorter, the air is growing colder, and the season is winding down. Yeah, right.I just finally registered for my first 'cross race (CX @ Brewery Ommegang) and that means I'd better whip my butt back into shape. You see, since I've had a few things going on this summer (like a wedding, work being turned upside down, and of course the horrifically oppressive heat and humidityRob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-20334802647392355382010-09-05T14:27:00.009-04:002010-09-05T15:10:07.954-04:00Of beer and ('cross) bikes...The Labor Day weekend has been fantastic (so far anyway.) Since September actually heeded my previous request and has returned, bringing with it milder temperatures and a lack of humidity, it has been prime riding and training weather. After spending quite a while rebuilding and tweaking my 'cross bike for the upcoming season, I've got this to work with:Specs: Origin 8 Foxtrot frame (7005 Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-8172603289234400042010-09-01T13:26:00.002-04:002010-09-01T13:38:52.355-04:00Welcome to September.Hi, I'm the month of September, and I've decided that fall weather is a bunch of malarky and I'm inviting summer back for a repeat visit. I've given you 6 days of nice seasonal weather, and that's more than enough. Suffer with 93 degree heat and excessive humidity. HAHAHAHAHA!Yes, it's horrendously warm again here in the northeast, so that means sitting inside and relaxing with the Vuelta a Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-7843867256251071142010-08-22T20:28:00.003-04:002010-08-22T20:47:43.932-04:00An open letter to Bicycling MagazineDear Bicycling:Your magazine is...a standard cycling magazine. Every issue has an article on techniques for riding (currently cyclocross, which I'm obsessed with right now), clothing reviews, component reviews, bike reviews, fitness information, and of course, the smattering of feature articles. You even have occasional human interest stories, about guys who hang themselves after getting bustedRob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-28388565757793646132010-08-18T22:29:00.003-04:002010-08-22T21:12:12.763-04:00As summer winds down:The heat...oh the oppressive heat around the northeast in the past couple weeks has been unreal. Average temperatures of 85+ degrees paired with 70% or higher humidity have made riding conditions awful. In fact, there's been very little riding to be had.My mountain bikes have been hanging in the garage with the exception of the 65 miles that I put on them around the time of the wedding in the Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-74030424408290516882010-08-04T18:48:00.003-04:002010-08-04T18:52:34.682-04:00So I'm a married man now...The wedding was fantastic. No wonder I've not been updating this blog with any frequency at all.Things have changed mightily in the past season. I built a new road bike (a Look 585 Origin), rebuilt my cross bike with SRAM components (now the Origin 8 Foxtrot sports Force levers and Rival derailleurs), spent a bunch of time riding my mountain bike (right before the wedding) and have committed toRob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-8131385505353173252010-05-19T22:48:00.002-04:002010-05-19T22:49:57.907-04:00It's been a long time since an update.Unfortunately, I've been inundated with a lot of things. Planning a wedding, work and riding have been consuming me lately. I have not ridden my mountain bike this season. I've ridden 993 miles on my road bike, built a new Look 585 up, and have been working on building a good fitness base.In a week and a half, I'll be heading for Kingdom Trails to do a little trail riding. Maybe there will beRob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-89097294159575101082010-03-10T17:45:00.004-05:002010-03-10T17:54:41.686-05:00Hello Spring!Hello sunshine! It's been too long since your sparkling rays have warmed the dank and depressed earth here in NY. Amazingly, you've managed to show yourself after a record setting run of snow...good for you.Yes indeed, with the sunshine and 60 degree days comes the thrill of RIDING OUTSIDE! Mind you that the trails are still covered in snow and ice (thanks snowmobiles) but the roads are mostlyRob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-56105799901510724532010-01-31T22:23:00.003-05:002010-01-31T22:41:06.621-05:00January is down the tubes:Tonight is the Pro Bowl. Tomorrow is February. A week from today is the Superbowl. In 2 weeks Valentine's day is here. This year is moving right along, with 1/12 of it history already.I've been outside for two rides this new year, and with only two rides outside in January, it's been the horrifying spectre of trainer riding. As insane as that thought is, I'm actually happy to say that I've Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-29724446238504855442009-12-16T10:39:00.005-05:002009-12-16T11:34:20.427-05:00Happy holidays, I think...Almost two months since an update. Sad indeed, but there is a good reason for it.Insert real life here:I posted about my road bike crash that had taken me out of commission for a while. Fortunately, the wounds have healed, except for the obvious scars that will be with me for a while. Unfortunately, I did not post about the slip and fall that I experienced while walking on the rocky beach in Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-1793384415956569942009-10-27T09:57:00.005-04:002009-10-27T10:19:44.636-04:00And the bike bites back.Ah yes, it's that time of year where we're trying to get the last hurrah out of a quickly waning summer season. The rain and cold has hit in the northeast, and things have gotten pretty sketchy pretty quickly.Trails are soggy from heavy fall rains, and are covered with wet leaves and deadfall, so in the interest of not ruining the hard work of many, we stick to the road on days following heavy Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-67892261066056585602009-10-05T14:44:00.002-04:002009-10-05T15:13:08.435-04:00And a month later...Here I am again. Forget updating ever couple of days, I can't even remember to check my bank balance that often. No, I'm kidding. Actually, the real difficulty in updating very often lies in the fact that life (which includes cycling, imagine that!?) has been interfering with...well, life.Here in the northeast we've become mired in that awful beast known as "fall" in which the sun drops below Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-67584436897540311032009-09-02T14:33:00.001-04:002009-09-02T14:36:44.775-04:00I was informed yesterday...That I forgot the link to the Livestrong Challenge photos.So, in the spirit of giving (which is a rare spirit for me) go to town. http://picasaweb.google.com/robdamanii/LivestrongChallenge#Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-14091002853652893552009-09-01T16:52:00.006-04:002009-09-02T14:38:01.815-04:00After a long hiatus...Here we are again. Yes, it's been nearly 2.5 months since my last update, but there has been good reason for such an issue. I have been very heavily training for the Philadelphia Livestrong Challenge for the past couple of months. This has meant that weekends have been spent consuming pasta, riding copious miles on my (new-to-me carbon) road bike, and practicing how to suffer mightily at the Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-12909417981326353162009-06-17T17:43:00.004-04:002009-06-18T19:17:01.109-04:00Yet more rain...It has been utterly disgusting how much water has condensed and fallen from the skies in the past few weeks. It seems like we've actually had maybe 2 sunny days per week here in the north east, and that seems to put a damper on the amount of riding one can do. Although the road miles are racking up pretty quickly (what with all the long training rides while waiting for the trails to dry out) Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-50201533916795724462009-06-03T13:24:00.003-04:002009-06-03T13:27:49.057-04:00Oh sure, it's been a LONG time......but what can I say? Nothing will absolve me of the sin of non-updates, but I can try.Work has been stifling. I've got a metric century and then a century to train for. I've not been sleeping well. The weather has been combative to say the least.On the other hand, I seem to be doing something right with my training, as I'm still improving, even when I've only managed about 6 hours per week Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-77644678754739801362009-04-10T08:02:00.003-04:002009-04-10T09:32:13.505-04:00TGIF...and Happy Easter.Another April Fool's day has come and gone, another Easter is now upon us. Since we as humans tend to look at holidays with a sense of amazement and we regard them as a milestone in the passing of time. How often do we hear "wow, it's Easter already?" or "Wow, how can it be 4th of July already? Where has the time gone?" So as the march of time wears on, we pass holiday after holiday and Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-75796128343868623692009-03-29T21:01:00.002-04:002009-03-29T21:15:22.704-04:00Oh, that farmer's tan.There's nothing better than that point in the season in which you get your first cycling sun burn. Here in the northeast, we've been stuck in the throes of a miserable winter for what seems like eternity. Recently, we've been lucky enough to get a couple warm days here and there which have allowed time on the road. Trails are too wet still, but a couple more days of sunshine should be all theyRob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-58160008087060904062009-03-12T10:12:00.002-04:002009-03-12T10:48:17.666-04:00Woo hah, daylight savings time.The first sign of the beginning of cycling season is the extension of daylight, courtesy of the federal gubbermint. Maybe it doesn't save a lot of energy, but it sure does help me expend a bit more. I love the fact that in the middle of March, I still have daylight on my drive home (although it IS usually about 6:30, and too late for a ride.)Of course, even if the after work ride isn't Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-31030244612673448392009-03-09T09:26:00.003-04:002009-03-09T09:40:55.993-04:00Yee HAW! Sunny days and rolling tires!FINALLY! A weekend with sunny skies, warmer temperatures and a lack of wind/rain/snow was in the cards. Yes, I could have posted a little earlier, but there's been absolutely nothing to post other than "trainer again, more snow, freezing cold" ad nauseum. The weekend was a gift of sun and mid 50s temperatures, and although trails are a swampy mess of runoff water and oily mud, the roads were Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-40944689118005733352009-02-26T08:46:00.002-05:002009-02-26T08:58:13.299-05:00Baby it's cold out side...Oh man is it. There's been only indoor riding recently since the temperatures here in the northeast have dipped yet again into the sub-freezing realm, and we've been subjected to a couple more ice storms. It's bad enough to wake up to ice on the car, but it's further demoralizing when you were hoping for some good weekend weather to get out and have a nice, relaxing (but brutally hard) road Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-43300196535890796042009-02-15T11:28:00.002-05:002009-02-15T11:46:26.287-05:00Happy post Valentine's DayWell folks, after nearly 2 weeks of blanking you all, I'm back to say happy V-Day. Riding has been non-existent in the past few weeks. There's just too much to do with moving into a new home and starting workk. I take solace in the fact that I get VS on DirecTV and can follow Velonews. In the world of cycling, there's loads of news: Valverde being questioned by CONI, the Tour of California Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480841519032292368.post-23659579576764586682009-02-05T13:19:00.003-05:002009-02-05T13:27:34.711-05:00After moving and all that funk......it's time to get back on the bike. I'll be starting work soon, I'll be getting a good schedule down soon, so I'll be able to actually ride my trainer on occasion. Actually, I'll have lots of time until I get TV and intarweb access in the new place, although those are coming soon.That being said, check out the Road Bike Rider E-bookstore and pick up some training info for the coming season. Rob Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796636594802265793noreply@blogger.com0