The Big Fix 06

What has Dr. McClain been doing?

2006-06-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

In short, having a great time! This ride has been a blast from the first day. Great companions, fantastic scenery, wonderful support people. I could go on and on about all the postives. Check out Eric Norris' blog site for some of our current pictures. The ride was hard form day one with over 7250 feet of climbing that day and the next. Every day seems to end with several thousand feet of climbing and tomorrow will be one of the highest, up to 10,500 feet!!, Then I am supposed to give a lecture in Montrose, CO. Today one of my patients rode with us. That was a big boost for all the riders to see a success story. Two of our support staff have lost family members to HLH/LCH to there is a very close attachment to the cause.
Fortunately I remain well with only a minor strain of my left thigh muscles from some horrendous climbs two days ago (>15% pitch). Others have not been so lucky. We have had altitude sickness in a 26 yr. old, a separated shoulder, and chronic achilles problems in another. Most of us remain well and all are extremely enthusiastic!
Sincerely,
Ken

More photos from Day 1 - Enjoy!!

2006-06-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Big Fix is rolling!!

2006-06-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

The Big Fix 06 3,300 mile cross-country bike ride rolled out of Davis California this morning following a relaxing start to the day at the Davis Farmers Market. Coffee was kindly donated by Ciocolat, a few words were said at the start and without too much fanfare the bikes were ready to roll. There were a couple of traditions at the start line, each rider was introduced to the audience of supporters, including a sizeable contingent of Davis cyclists. Geoff Toughill from the Histiocytosis Association of America reminded us what this ride is all about then there was the baptism. Each bike has both it’s front wheel and back wheel dunked in a tub of Pacific seawater for the start of the ride. No doubt, the next time these wheels touch saltwater will be in Boston harbor.

One by one the riders rolled from the Farmers Market with the Davis locals leading the way. A local rider, Jeff from Woodland rode part of the way in support of his Niece who has Histio. He donated a dollar for every mile he rode today with rider Jill Nepomnick being his designated rider.

Soon it was over the Yolo Causeway and into Discovery Park in Sacramento for the first rest-stop. A few Cyto’s and cookies later it was a pleasant roll through the beautiful American River Parkway (all bike trail - no roads, no cars) to the second stop at Nimbus Fish hatchery. The weather was perfect and all riders were absolutely loving it. This is where I parted company with the riders and pedaled back to Davis. It is and pleasure and truly an honor to ride with you my Big Fix friends. Live the adventure.

- Paul Charteris

starting will be heaven

2006-06-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Notice the monkey at left is on a fixie. And pedalling with just one leg ! I knew I forgot to pack something, my bird! After a few days of coping with last minute problems in planning the ride, I am a bit delirious, sorry.
But I am sure that riding will be far less taxing--to my brain, anyway, than my anxiety about forgetting something, someone, or not putting in enough planning.
I have become superstitious of late, trying to ward off evil, unforseen influences. But if unforseen, how could I know?

But I have 95% of the supplies, a great support crew established, thanks to my wife, friends, and Jeff Toughill, President of the Histiocytosis Association.

I have been ready to start the ride for about 3 weeks now.
I am overjoyed to be meeting riders and histio families--like a new family, but famliar from so much contact over the last 15 months.
Just over a week to go...
mOjO

Ready to roll?

2006-06-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

In 6 weeks or less, some of us may feel like hurling our bikes, or just hurling.

With the ride just 15 days away, my excitement is barely contained. I know of several others who share the anticipatory buzz.

We passed the quarter-million dollar mark for fundraising today, and our new goal is $300K. We of course hope to raise some funds during the ride. I personally hope to explain histio and fixed-gear cycling to some reclusive billionaire (a la Howard hughes in Melvin and Howard film) and score BIG.

My last long, hard ride before June 17th is tomorrow's Sierra Century/200K, and I will ride with another "partial" BF rider, Dr. Sandy Borowsky, the designer of one of our logos--the electron microgaph of two histiocytes encircled by a chainring. Time to taper from 400 mile weeks to 200-300! Our shortest mileage week on the BF will be about 750...

Gearless, not cheerless,

mOjO

"Pre-Fixe" Viking Vacation weekend

2006-05-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Outside of Stonyford.
Eric's QB on Day 1
On Memorial Day weekend, Eric and Mojo (Felix and Oscar) took a 4 day fixed ride in the NoCal wild. Above photo is Eric's Quickbeam, loaded with luggage, shy of the first day's summit, at 6,000 ft., near Buck's lake. The route began in Oroville with day 1 measuring 78 miles with 8,000 ft. of climbing. Day 2 took us from Quincy to Corning, via a pass near Mt. Lassen at 5,750 ft. More climbing in gorgeous back country on Day 3, to Williams, via Paskenta, Elk Creek, Stonyford, and Leesville to Williams. Day 4 was short and flat, 59 miles back to Oroville. For more photos and wacky captions, see the world famous website: www.campyonly.com
A nice appetizer for the meal to come, the Big Fix.
Eric rode 40X15=72 gear inches the whole time.
I used "manual transmission and rode 63", 52" (briefly, Day 1 only), and 83" (Day 2, 140 miles, and Day 4)
If we're not ready now, we never will be.
Team captain, fixed and dilated,
mOjO

Hymenoptera power!

2006-05-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

As Ike will doubtless tell all of us on the ride, bees and wasps are fascinating critters. They are not, as widely assumed, all social insects that live in hives or nests. Vespa contains royal jelly, bee propolis, honey, and Asian wasp saliva/regurgitated by adult wasps, fed back to the larvae, and then fed back to the adults. It contains 25 amino acids, and no caffeine/methylxanthines.

Ricky Garcia, our Montrose, Colorado rider, was approached by Vespa to sponsor the Big Fix with their product. He felt it helped him on long rides to burn fat, and spare his glycogen stores.
During strenuous exercise, it is very difficult to consume and use more than about 250 kcal per hour. The rest of the fuel must come from 4 sources: first, usually, glycogen stored in the liver, next, muscle glycogen, then adipose tissue (fat stores), and finally muscle protein.
Vespa putatively works by shunting oxidative phosphorylation pathways towards the beta-lipase, or fat-burning option, thus sparing glycogen, using fat as a fuel at higher aerobic outputs, and sparing the precious glycogen. This reduces caloric intake needs while riding/exercising, and avoids glycogen depletion(the BONK)

I admit to huge skepticism, but gave it a try. First, a couple of times before the Davis Double century. I took a couple of 90" rides, bringing only water, and on an empty stomach. I felt some increase in smooth power production, but not a huge effect. Then came the test--May 20, the 37th annual Davis Double--204 miles, 8K ft of climbing. Rick and the product info said to take one pouch every 3 hours. I took one before the ride, and one 3 hours into it. Now, I was trained, and prepared for the ride, but not prepared for how great I felt: maybe the best day I have ever had on a bike, er, THE BIKE aka sex machine, concubine Phil "gives me a Woodie fixie. The first 6 hours flew by, I rode in 49X17=73.5 gear inches(thought I had flipped it over the night before to 73.5", oops) and was on fire. I ate almost nothing for 6 hours, and at about 6 hours (end of 2nd pouch) I did feel a dip in power and mental clarity. Call it coincidence, but I am a true believer. Visions of the Furnace Creek 508 fixie record danced in my head. (watch out Barley)

Since we each may need up to 4 pouches per day on the Big Fix, and Vespa has committed to 450 units, we may be fighting over the bug juice, in say, Missouri.
See: www.vespapower.com for testimonials, clinical trials, etc.

Welcome to the Big Fix Blog

2006-05-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Big Fix Participants, welcome to the DAILY FIX.

You should have already received instructions on how to post to this blog. If not, please let myself or Mojo and we'll get you started. Please feel free to use this blog to post your stories about training rides, advertise your fundraising activties, thank your supporters and share photos. Please let your friends and family know about this blog so they can post comments to it. We hope this blog will be well used during the course of the big ride beginning in little over three weeks time.

Keep on pedalling - as if you have a choice :-)

Cheers, Paul Charteris
(Big Fix 06 Webmaster)

Davis Double century

2006-05-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Six BF riders rode in the 37th annual Davis Double century, Saturday, May 20th.
Bo and Sandy left us in Winters, returning home to work on life--gets in the way of riding, eh?
That left Peter, Eric, Randy and me to ride the 204 mile course, with about 7,800 ft. of climbing.
Perfect, cool conditions led to some fast, and good times!
For more photos, see: www.campyonly.com
Great "pre-fixe" tune-up.

Big Fix is 30 days away

2006-05-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is the first post in the "Daily Fix" blog for our cross-country charity bike ride to "fix" histiocytosis.
We riders all have bikes on the brain, but with far less cranial capacity than our friend pictured here. I want to thank all of our generous donors, sponsors, histio families, and riders for making this process a joy. We have raised $233K for the Histiocytosis Association of America.
Thanks to my wife, Joan, and gorgeous daughters, Dakota and Zoe, for supporting my monomania for the past 14 months. Stay tuned for comments from other riders, on the road commentary in June, and photos/video from the ride!
Fixed and dilated,
mOjO