A recent poll conducted on the ECC Facebook group found that the top three reasons folks join ECC are:
1. Meet New People
2. Motivation To Ride
3. Learn New Cycling Skills

So, with this in mind what can the club do to satisfy these reasons for the members? If you’ve got ideas on ways we can improve please reply to the weekly club email.

Posted in ECC

Tour d’ecc 2020.

Wow. That’s really all we need to say about the inaugural Tour d’ECC. But we’ll say a bit more. And we’ll share some of the things that the participants had to say.

That was an amazing month of riding. And the competition was fierce, being literally decided on the last day with the bonus points being the difference. Congratulations Impending Quinoas on riding a superb Tour. Psionic Blasters gave it their all, as did all of the riders on all of the teams, but having all four team members finish all 15 stages, and two of them doing it in sequence, you were just too good. We hope to have all four of you back in the Spring for our ECC Spring Classics challenge.

During the Tour, ECC riders completed more than 27,000 kilometres of in-stage riding. When we add on the extra distance to the start and home from the finish it’s safe to say we passed the 30,000 mark. That means each rider averaged about 600 km this month – WAY TO GO FOLKS! That’s amazing.

 

final 2020 tour d’ecc standingS

What The Riders Said

That was a fantastic idea, Chris. And you put it together beautifully.  It gave people an excuse to go out on ECC rides in small groups, relatively safely. Your website was engaging and informative.  As an added bonus I met a few new people I didn’t know before!

Grande Kudos pour vous!

Greg

Frustrating at times, but overall so much fun, and so much riding. It was great. 

 

Bjug

Thanks again Chris it was wicked fun doing this!

Look forward to the Spring Challenge!!!

 

alessandro

Posted in ECC

COVID MASKS: $10 each

A fun part of pretty much every ride is the café stop – and to get into a café you need a mask. This is an easy way to get one. If you are interested in getting one (or more than one) please reply to the weekly email. Supplies are limited.


  • Outer Layer: Smooth, polyester stretch material 200gsm. Lightweight yet durable, double knit fabric for 2x the protection from droplets.
  • Inner Layer: 100% cotton 135gsm. Hypoallergenic and comfortable inner layer with a built-in pouch for mask filters.
  • Moldable metal nose clip to improve seal.
  • One size fits most.
  • Reusable and machine washable (up to 90 degrees).
  • No manufacturer’s logo on mask.
  • All sales are final.
Posted in ECC

Despite it being dark, and cold, at 5:40 am there were a dozen riders out for the first morning ride of 2019. First timers along with returning riders quickly fell into the rhythm of riding, chatting and laughing that define our rides. Our laps of Explorer were quick but not punishing, and only a few stuck around for post-ride treats at the café. The season is here, but much like the weather, we all need some warming up.

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We had grand plans for Good Friday to be our inaugural Fritter Friday for 2019 but Mother Nature had a different idea. She rained us out. But that didn’t stop 10 of us from gathering at Sanremo Bakery for laughs, conversation, Fritters, and coffee. And it didn’t stop one of us from riding more than 30 km! Here’s to many more great Fritter Fridays!

Posted in ECC

As compiled by Mark Douglas:
The Friday ride originated as Streetsville Loop in 2015 but we were still riding Explorer Loop on Fridays. Then Dean and one other (I think Brian) coined the term Port Credit Loop when we started riding out along Bristol but it quickly reverted to Streetsville Loop. Back in those days, we were lucky to see 5 riders on a Friday and often it was just two of us. In September 2015, Gary and I started riding the Port Credit Route regularly on Fridays with a very civilized start time of 6:15 but still no stop at San Remo’s. Back then, we respected our bodies.

Then, on July 15, 2016, we made our first stop at San Remo Bakery. Brian, Chris, Ian G, and Manny joined us. Still calling it Streetsville loop as were seriously focused on cycling.
September 16, 2016, we were all still calling it Streetsville loop, but the term Fritter started making its way into ride titles. It was becoming clear that the Fritters were making a serious impression on us — twelve riders were now getting up to make the pilgrimage. Speeds were increasing. Brian would talk about fritters for the entire ride.

September 23, 2016, Gary was the only one to name his Ride ECC Fritter Friday. Brian was also close with “ECC Fritter Friday Morning Ride”. Bjug also used the term Fritter Friday, but with a long description about being dropped and blaming the fritters. Fritter photos are becoming commonplace.

September 30, 2016, Chris named his ride “Fritter Friday, sans Fritters”. Kevin called it ECC Streetsville Fritter Friday”. The term was beginning to make its way into common usage, but still not iconic as most are still using the term Streetsville except for Dean who was attempting to hijack the brand and call it “Fritter Run” — a term that would never catch on.

October 7, 2017. Fritter Friday now appears in almost everyone’s ride name except for Dean who is now trying “Fritter Frivolity. Paul is still stuck with Streetsville and Joe prefers “Morning Ride”.

I cannot tell you who it was that first uttered the words “Fritter Friday” during the ride but based on this, I would have to give credit to Gary for being the first to use the term in its purest form as a ride title.

Posted in ECC

Here’s a fairly quick way to do it (you’ll need a newer generation Connect IQ compatible Garmin):
1. Stop/Save recording if you’re recording an activity temporarily.
2. Open Garmin Connect Mobile on your phone.
3. Install the Strava Routes app. Go to the Connect IQ store, search for Strava and tap to download/install the app. Be sure to select your Garmin.
4. On your phone, using your email or web browser, open the Strava route you wish to load. For me, I simply tapped the link to the route Chris sent me yesterday: The Coffee Chase To Streetsville that was in my email.
5. Make the Strava route a favourite, i.e. click on the star.
6. Back on your Garmin, run the Strava Routes app.
7. Log in to your Strava account on your mobile by tapping the notification (the only tricky bit here) and tap Authorize. Only need to do this once.
8. You will then get a screen with all the routes on your phone including the one you just favourited. Tap and navigate.
9. The rest is standard Garmin navigation stuff.

Once you’ve done this once, the next time will be 10x faster. Just favourite the route and run the Strava Routes app. It will then show up.

Until next time…

Posted in ECC

Days 1 and 2 were travel days. Getting from Toronto to Tirano took roughly 14 hours. Flight to Milan, train into the city and then another train into the mountains to Tirano. Here are some notes from the road:

First frustration of the trip; I bought a train ticket at the ticket desk. The girl told me where to go to board the train. Once on the train the security agent told me the ticket was not valid so he wants me to pay an additional 9€ for another ticket!! Apparently the ticket needed to be validated before boarding.

Feels very much like a shakedown as almost every person on this train car is in the same situation as me – unless they speak Italian. Strange that the folks selling the tickets don’t tell you to validate the tickets. And also strange that the security guy only takes cash…

I said I only had VISA and he said he’d be back. He never came back.

————

Milan Stazione Centrale is a busy station where everyone smokes. And no one seems to give a damn about anyone else.

I managed to get my ticket to Tirano, an awesome pizza, an average espresso and some sparkling water, and then get on the train all in under 20 minutes and for less than 20 €. Woo hoo.

———-

The train ride from Milan to Tirano is pleasant with great views of the mountains and Lake Como. And as my wife reminded me, this is Clooney-country. He has a villa along the western shore. I should’ve have asked him if I could stay there seeing as he’s currently in Toronto at TIFF.

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I was listening to CBC Radio last week. They were interviewing an ASMRtist. Someone who creates art that gives you that tingling feeling of being relaxed. Check out some of the videos on YouTube to better understand it… For me that happens every time I’m lying in the dentists chair but that’s about it. But sitting on the train, reading a great book, going on this adventure that’s going to be filled with physical and mental struggles, I’m feeling it.

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Settled in to my hotel and out on the town looking for dinner. It’s 5:15pm. Saturday night. There’s a wine festival happening. And dinner time doesn’t start until after 7. So it’s an espresso and then some vino. And then dinner.

I’m worried that once the sun goes down the temperature plummets. The local are all in fall jackets with scarves. I’m in a golf shirt. Right now I’m overheating. But in about ten minutes the sunshine will be blocked by the mountains. More later.

———-

We met our tour guides – Tom and Valentino – along with the other travelers in the hotel lobby at 7. It’s fun to see each person trying to rank themselves relative to the other riders. Who’s faster than me? Who’s can I easily beat? Am I in over my head? Overall it appears that we’ve got riders spanning the spectrum from “this is well beyond my skill and strength” to “I do these kinds of rides every day”. I’m not sure where I fit at this point. Likely towards the faster end but I’m hoping to really soak in the sites, sounds, and tastes without contemplating Strava segments. We’ll see how strong my resolve is once we clip in!

Posted in ECC

ECC member Greg wrote this great article. Have a read and post your comments below.

PERFORMANCE ENGINES FOR CYCLISTS

Introduction
You often hear athletes talk about their bodies as though they were machines. They warm up, they push themselves to the limit, sometimes they break down. Athletes also take on fuel to generate energy.  It is all very bio-mechanical. This has led to an even more nuanced metaphor used among cyclists to further describe the size of their engine. Some are described as “diesels”, for instance. Others may have a “turbo-charger” to give them an added burst of speed.

What does it all really mean? What are the principles at play that allow the engine metaphor to work? This brief summary will will explain how an engine works, the technical attributes of different types of engines, and what it means to you as a cyclist.

How does an engine work?
Engines use compression, air and fuel to cause combustion and create power. Many things factor into just how much power can be created. Generally, the more air and fuel you can combine, the more power you get. Large displacement engines use more air and fuel than smaller displacement engines and therefor are more powerful.

Another important factor is that air and fuel have to be mixed. Air on its own won’t burn and fuel on its own won’t burn. They need each other. In fact there is an optimum ratio where by all the oxygen and fuel burns so nothing extra is left over after combustion takes place. The ratio of air to fuel is 14.7 : 1 and has the technical term “stoichiometric”.

This leads to the next question… how does the air and fuel get mixed? In engines you have a carburetor. It is a mechanical device that feeds air and fuel into the engine at the proper ratio. Carburetors have been replaced by fuel injection in modern day cars, but the purpose is the same.

In humans, the fuel is mixed by the cardio-pulmonary system. Lungs take in the air and carry it to muscles by way of hemoglobin in the blood.  The oxygen in the blood combines with the fuel, either fat or sugar, to power the muscles. The factors at play here are not just the size of your lungs, but how much oxygen can you carry in your blood and how much fuel you have ready for your muscles to burn.

So this is how an engine creates power and this is how your body creates power. As you can see, they have a lot of similarities.

Common Engine Types
There are many different types of engines that have been designed. Some are primitive, like steam engines. Some are exotic, like turbine engines. Engines used by the present day auto industry have evolved over time to include those with the best combination of practicality, efficiency and power.

You could group the engines into four types. Naturally aspirated engines, diesel engines and forced air induction engines that use super-chargers and turbo chargers.

Engine 1: Naturally Aspirated V-8, V-6 or Flat 6
The naturally aspirated V-8 may not sound exceptional, but it is all most of us will ever need. For the longest time the most popular engine was the naturally aspirated V-8. Naturally aspirated means that the carburetor sucked in the air around it, naturally, without assistance. V-8 means it had eight cylinders arranged in a “V” configuration, slanted outward. It was reliable, it was powerful, it was versatile enough to handle any driving situation. Because of the size, the V-8 can accelerate quickly, has a high top speed, and it can tow a heavy load. The V-8 can do it all.

Porsche uses a more sporty naturally aspirated engine called a Flat Six, where the cylinders are laid down horizontally, opposing one another. It is still naturally aspirated, but the weight in a better place and the engine itself is tuned for a little more performance.

Engine 2: Super-Charged
In an attempt to get some of the same attributes of a V-8, but using a smaller, less powerful engine, the automotive industry introduced forced air induction. This is an enhancement to the carburetion system, using “super-chargers” and “turbo-chargers” to add more air to the carburetor, so more fuel can be combined and more power created by a smaller engine.

Super-chargers are adding air all the time. They are a fan, attached to the engine, that blows additional air into the carburettor. As the engine revs higher the fan blows more air, so more fuel can be mixed.  The end result is a smaller engine that has the same power as a V-8.

Engine 3: Turbo-Charged
The other device that was mentioned is a “Turbo-charger’. Typically used in combination with smaller, less powerful engines, the turbo-charger is a way to provide short bursts of power. The turbo-charger uses a turbine that is driven by the exhaust gases from the engine. As the exhaust gases power the turbine, it blows more air into the carburetor. Exhaust gases must have a certain velocity in order to power the turbo-charger, so the turbo-charger is only in use during hard acceleration. Once again, this form of forced air induction allows a small engine to at least temporarily, have the acceleration of a larger V-8.

Engine 4: Diesel
There is another type of engine that is widely used, and it does not run on gasoline. It uses a fuel that is similar, called diesel. One of the interesting factors about diesel fuel is that it does not actually burn. You can’t light it and watch it catch fire. Diesel fuel only combusts under intense pressure. When diesel fuel is highly compressed with oxygen, it combusts with a great deal of force. This is why a diesel engine has typically more power than a standard gasoline engine. The extra power produced by a diesel engine makes it suitable for heavy jobs, like towing. But because the extra compression takes time, the diesel’s maximum speed is limited. Once a diesel gets going, it can go for hours, generating immense power.

What do you have under your hood?
What kinds of rides do you enjoy? How do you compare to your fellow cyclists? What professional cyclists do you most identify with? These are some of the questions that will help you visualize what type of engine you have within yourself.

Remember each type of engine is designed a little differently and as a result each engine has its own characteristics. A particular engine is better suited for some situations and less so for others.

Naturally Aspirated
If you are average size, and find yourself riding with the pack, then chances are you have a V-8 (or V-6 depending on size) under your hood. You might not be the best climber or the fastest rider on the flats, but you can keep close. If it is not too steep or not too flat, you may occasionally finish first.

If you were a car, you’d be a an American icon like the Ford Mustang GT with a V-8, or the convertible version with the slightly smaller V-6. Maybe even a light weight, sporty Porsche Cayman.

Peter Sagan, Michael Kwiatkowski, Alejandro Valverde and Mariana Vos are examples of riders who have large, naturally aspirated V-8 engines that allow them to be competitive in most types of stages. Their V-8 engines can handle pretty much anything.

Super-Charged Engine
How about if you find yourself passing your fellow riders as the road heads upward? That is an indication you are able to mix a higher volume of oxygen and fuel than a typical rider your size. Pretty good chance you’ve got a super-charged engine beneath your hood.

If you were a car, you’d be a svelte and sleek Jaguar F-Type with a super-charged V-6.

Famous riders with super-charged engines would be Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome and Alberto Contador.

Turbo-Charged Engine
Smaller riders can’t sustain a high pace on the flats like some of the bigger riders. They just don’t have the muscle mass or the momentum. But you’ve noticed that if you conserve your energy, you can still put forth a good burst of acceleration and out-sprint the bunch. This would indicate that you likely have a turbo-charger feeding your engine.  You can’t run it constantly, but if you use it sparingly, you’ll blow past the pack when it counts.

If you were a car, you’d probably be the fun and zippy turbo-charged Mini Cooper.

Famous riders who have turbo-charged engines include, Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel and Caleb Ewen.

Diesel Engine
Find you can power on into the wind when your fellow riders are getting blown back? Can you ride a solid pace for long periods of time when others start to fade? Hills may be a problem, but hey, you are probably carrying a few more pounds than some of those light-weights who make it look easy. That steady, high power output is an indication that you have a diesel engine inside.

If you were a car, or in this case, more likely a truck, you’d be a Dodge Ram pick-up with a powerful diesel engine.

Some of the most celebrated riders who have diesel engines are Fabian Cancellara, Tony Martin, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas.

What’s the best engine to have?
Each engine is useful in different situations. This is why the professional peloton is filled with different types of riders. A given stage or race will favour one type over another depending on the route. Big climbs call for super-charged engines. Smaller climbs may allow for naturally aspirated V-8’s. Flat stages that finish in a sprint would favour riders with turbo-charged power plants. Of course it would be the riders with diesel engines who would be up front the entire distance, shielding the sprinters from the wind.

Some riders aren’t satisfied with the engine they have and they want a complete replacement. They turn to things like blood doping and taking performance enhancing drugs to try to transform themselves into something they are not. Drugs like EPO give everyone a supercharger, so they can use more oxygen and fuel for a period of time. Problem is, when a mechanic bolts on a supercharger to an engine that is not designed for it, the engine blows apart. You need super tough parts to withstand the higher compression and combustion forces that a super-charger creates. Similarly for cyclists,  drug modified engines sometimes blow up too and this can mean death. The boost is temporary anyway, because once the drugs are out of the rider’s system, the rider goes back to his/her original engine.

The reality is, you don’t have much choice… the engine you have is yours for life. As performance coach, Joe Friel likes to say, “choose your parents wisely if you want to be a high performance athlete”. Sure you can make some adjustments to try to achieve some incremental gains, but you can’t do a complete engine change.  When mechanics are working on car engines, they try to do things to improve efficiency. They focus on making the air flow more smoothly into the carburettor so it mixes better with the fuel. Or they reduce the weight of the internal parts so the engine is not wasting energy overcoming inertia with every turn. These things improve  efficiency and performance by small amounts.

Cyclists try to find incremental gains too. They focus on eating right so they have proper fuel available. Training hard helps improve not only the efficiency of the cardio-pulmonary system but also efficiency of motion, at the same time, building muscle. The result of all these efforts is that you end up maximizing the potential of the engine you’ve got.

In conclusion,  you only have one engine, so make the most of it. And remember… don’t do anything that would void your warranty.

Posted in ECC