Cycling

iPhone Friday

February 22, 2013 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

Howdy! The last week I’ve been primarily shooting iPhone images on my bike rides. You probably know by now, I do that quite a bit. However, because Strava recently began to offer Instagr.am integration, I can now display my IG images on my Strava rides. How cool is that? My two favorite social networks coming together. It’s cosmic!

If you don’t know about Strava, it’s basically a social network where you can share your activities like cycling, running, hiking, etc… On my rides I track location, heart rate, elevation, cadence, speed, temp, watts, etc…and now IG photos! Here is an example of a ride I did this weekend up in Boulder, CO. (Click To View)

I hope you all have a great weekend. We will see you back here on Monday. If I have good wifi access, I hope to share some ‘on location’ images. If not, I’ll still have something scheduled up for the week. Have a great one!

Filed Under: Cycling, iPhone Friday, iPhone Photography

Crazy Fans Of The USA Pro Challenge

September 20, 2012 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

Did I mention the fans of this year’s USA Pro Challenge were some of the craziest I have seen? I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous riding in a media car up Flagstaff mountain. Fans were banging on the hood, yelling in the windows, and trying to give you high-fives as you passed by. Note of caution…never give someone a high-five from a moving car. That is a surefire way to break your wrist. Thankfully, I learned that lesson the easy way, from someone who learned it the hard way.

Filed Under: Colorado, Cycling, Nikon D700, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2012

USA Pro Challenge – Stage 7

August 26, 2012 by Justin Balog 3 Comments

Well, it has been a long week and I hope you have enjoyed it. I shot a lot more photos than I shared on the site. Many of those photos will be making it into a story/book in the near future. I will keep you posted when it is all said and done. Today’s image was my favorite from the bunch. A fisheye lens, tall building, a little rear sync flash, and a super fast rider made for some magic.

#AskTedKing

This is the final round of the Ask Ted King project.Thanks for all your questions! There were many more than Ted had time to answer, however they will be answered in due time. We will keep you posted when the final story is published.

@iamtedking #asktedking As an American, how difficult was it for you to change from miles to kms? Do you convert or are you full metric?

I remember in my first years racing professionally still in the States, I would hear these young Americans come back from Europe speaking in metric and think that it was the dorkiest thing ever. It’s not so much Celsius versus Fahrenheit nor centimeters versus inches nor pounds versus kilos. It’s exclusively in meters or kilometers, which make sense since those are the distances in races – meters remaining or kilometers remaining. It didn’t take long before getting to Europe myself that I found myself doing the exact same thing. So call me a dork, but I speak in metric. I was a math minor in college so the conversions are pretty instant for me.

#asktedking – so do you wear orthotics in your cycling shoes? My plantar fasciitis wants to know! Thx

Yes, I wear insoles made my Bill Peterson. He recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. He is the foot guru to teach all foot gurus! I highly recommend finding a knowledgeable person in the area of cycling shoes, insoles, comfort, performance, and taking full advantage of what they offer. It makes a night and day difference to ride without any foot pain whatsoever.

@iamtedking #asktedking I have to ask about the cow bells, do you like them, hate them, or…meh?

I love the cowbell! Sure sure, we don’t want it being rung directly in our ear by a speedy fan who can keep pace on a climb, but in general I think it’s awesome. It’s funny that depending where you go around the world, you see and hear different signs of support. The cowbell is pretty unanimous, and the Swiss cowbells are downright excellent since they’re about 20lbs and the size of a gallon of milk. Oh, and those ones are LOUD.

Filed Under: Cycling, Nikon D700, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2012

USA Pro Challenge – Stage 2

August 21, 2012 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

Because of a mid 90′s internet connection here at the Western Motel in Gunnison, CO I could only share a very abbreviated post. I hear that high speed internet has made its way to Aspen, CO where we will be tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for a proper post!

Please Read & Help!
This entire week I’m providing a behind the scenes look at one of America’s greatest bike races to raise awareness for the Davis Phinney Foundation and its mission to help people living with Parkinson’s Disease. If you enjoy any or all of this coverage, PLEASE consider MAKING A DONATION to help those living with Parkinson’s Disease, ‘Live Well’. Click Here To Donate and then click the ‘General Donation’ button. It is safe and secure. You can find all my coverage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge here.

#AskTedKing

If you haven’t asked Ted yet, you can find out how to here. (http://HOSSedia.com/AskTedKing)

@iamtedking #asktedking How crucial is your road support crew to the success of your ride?

We really couldn’t do what we do without support out on the road. Stopping at gas stations every hour for drinks and food rather than visiting the feed zone is a bit too much of a throw back to racing a century ago than I’d prefer. Plus cyclists are pretty weak in the upper body, so the mere thought of pumping tires leaves us winded. And you don’t want to see a cyclist massaging another cyclist. Again, too much upper body work at play. Truly, staff is instrumental in support. Mechanics and soigneurs are two of the most underrated jobs in this business.

@iamtedking #asktedking When you are facing yet another tough climb, how do you keep yourself going strong?

A huge chunk of racing is mental. Staying in the game (ahem, keep on trucking when the pace is blitzingly fast) or checking out and hanging in the groupetto is often as much of a mental test as it is physical. Not always, but often. Anyway, one of the biggest things is breathing hard and often before the climb. Be sure you’ve eaten well ahead of the climb so you’re not going to see that recently consumed bar going up instead of down. Chug a few sips of whatever you’re drinking too. Position is half the battle and it’s often a big fight to get the best position. Fight before you’re at the base of the climb rather than the first few kilometers – cause that’s hard. In general the first quarter of the climb is the hardest, so suck it up and keep rolling. It’s (hopefully) going to get easier!

#AskTedKing How much latitude do you have in training and nutrition vs following what the team wants you to do?

Latitude, eh? We have roughly between the Equator and first parallel north and the Prime Meridian and 45 degrees east.

OR, this answer is often answered on a team-by-team basis. Keeping riders in a good mental state is as important as anything, and since riding, resting, eating, and repeating is the name of the game in cycling, having a good variety of delicious/healthy/err… fun food is crucial. Variety is the spice of life, folks! A similar story occurs with training. Some teams have a coach for all the riders while others allow more leeway for riders to work with whichever coach they choose. In general there’s a good amount of oversight from teams so that we riders are on the right path. At the same time, though, the sport is so self-motivating that we’re not the kind of folks to slack off. Eating right and training right is a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Filed Under: Cycling, USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2012

USA Pro Challenge – Stage 1

August 20, 2012 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

Today I rode in the Media 2 car. Second to riding a moto (photography motorcycle), it’s definitely a great way to capture the entire race. You get to listen race radio, which can be a bit confusing, but after a while you get the hang of it. It helps to have guys like Pat (there in the passenger’s seat), who writes for Cycling News, decipher what’s going on. If you have ever followed live updates on CyclingNews.com during a race, there is a good chance he was posting them from that seat. It was a great day of bike racing here in Colorado and it was a treat to share it with some serious cycling fans like Pat and Terry (our driver). Here is what we saw along the way.

#AskTedKing

You asked and Ted answered! Here are today’s selections from the #AskTedKing project. ( Read about it here.)

@IrvinPChaos – @iamtedking, #AskTedKing, Have you ever puked on the bike while in a race and kept on riding? Maybe pulled a DZ?

1. Hrmm, sure I’ve had a little upchuck if I cut the window of eating-to-riding too short. But only if it’s that in combination with serious go-time at the start of a race. In general, I like to keep my food down the digestive track.

@IrvinPChaos – @iamtedking #AskTedKing, what are your plans for when you eventually hang up your wheels? DS? Ted King branded bikes? Executive Chef?

2. Another fine question. I used to say that once I hung up the bike, I’d be one and done with the sport. The longer I’m in it, I recognize that cycling has given me a lot. A LOT. So for sure I’ll stay involved at some level, most likely as a mentor to a development team or coach or spandex model (err, not so much the last one). I’m enjoying writing quite a bit, so maybe stick with that – in cycling or in another venue. And for sure the culinary world speaks to me. Fun… at the end of the day, you gotta have fun. Dad taught me that; if you love your work, you’ll never work a day in your life.

@sac16 – #asktedking do you apply sunscreen before you ride? I’m worried about everyone’s skin. what’s the best kind for long rides. Thx good luck!

3. YES! I’m a huge advocate of sunscreen. The number of hours we bake in the sun is absurd. Sunny days, overcast days, cloudy days, yeah I’m a sunscreen kind of guy. Tan lines are cool and all but weathered, leathered nasty skin when you’re 45 is silly.

Filed Under: Cycling, USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2012