Day 31: Lander

Distance: 75 avg: 13.6

Today was a great downhill day. The day went by very quickly, and before I knew it I was in Lander. Tomorrow is a rest day, so I pushed it a couple times pretty hard. I was able to attack longer than I thought I could up a hill.

Cycling glossary:
Attacking- spinning standing up, to gain more leverage and more speed. Good for short bursts of speed.

On the bars- the top bar of a road-style handlebar. Upright and comfortable position but with slower speed.

On the hoods- the brake levers have places to rest your hands, these are hoods. Comfortable middle of the road riding stance.

Down in the drops- also called ‘hooks’. The lower part of the handlebar. Best leverage for sustained sprints.

I have been trying a new method: hold a riding stance for 5 minutes, then attack, then change stance. I’ve been alternating between up on the bars, on the hoods, then down in the drops.

My stamina has always been low when attacking, but this new method has dramatically improved it. I’m curious to see how over time this may improve my speed uphill. I may be able to attack up the entire hill. When I’m touring the extra weight makes my uphill speed abysmal. This could have a major impact on my overall speed. Every little bit helps!