Cycling Thread

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by cracher

Man, that's brutal. What's the source of your PE if I may ask? Somewhere above the popliteal vein? Mad respect. It must have taken some work to get your breathing back to rip that prolonged nosecreek uphill. You need a full set of DH armor for your commute haha.

The first one was July 2013. The doc figured a long flight from Europe was a contributing factor.

*Edit: Googled popliteal vein. No idea. I didn't have any symptoms. Nothing. I just woke up in the middle of the night with a very sharp pain in the side of my chest.

It took several months to recover but the biggest problem was my body's reaction to the warfarin. Most days I felt like crap and I really didn't want to get out of bed, nevermind do any sports. I just had a constant brain fog/light-headedness.

In June 2015 I rode north on the same Nose Creek pathway and didn't have anything in the engine room. My legs were willing but I had a hard time breathing. I struggled to get home and was dizzy and short of breath just going up the stairs at home. After Canada Day, I saw the doctor and there wasn't much she could do except book pulmonary function test and CT scan. The PFT was normal and the CT picked up something, but not conclusive enough to determine a clot.

By end-Aug15, I was doing better. The doc finally got my blood work back and they found I have a genetic disorder for hypercoagulation. I saw the Hematologist and based on the genetic disorder, the CT scan and my symptoms at the time, he believed I had a second clot.

Because of my fitness in 2013, my heart managed. After the second clot, though, I developed some hyper tension. By January 2016, the hyper tension cleared up.

So that's that; I'm on Xarelto now and it is better than warfarin in many regards, but I still get some brain fog and headaches. I also noticed my joints are stiffer. Coincidentally, my left achilles has been sore almost to the day I started taking Xarelto. I have skin rashes, too. As they say, it could be worse.

My father passed away suddenly at the age of 71. We didn't do an autopsy and my mother doesn't have the genetic disorder, so my dad had it. I assume he had a clot in his heart.

This morning's ride will be really easy as I lead the work gang around Glenmore Reservoir. There will be a lot of coasting.

[habernac]

Damn, never even thought of watching out for golf balls there. I've ridden past that same spot a million times. Yesterday was bloody glorious with the tailwind, felt like Greg Lemond.

Be careful and stay well, Baron!

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

While the early mornings are still dark thought I'd mention this product I got a couple of cans of for Christmas, Volvo Life Paint:

http://www.volvocars.com/uk/about/ou...ions/lifepaint

Pretty neat stuff, spray it on and it glows brightly under headlights. You can get it at the Volvo dealership here in town (Valentine Volvo), not sure what the retail is.

My commute only has a bit of road riding (8th avenue from 1st Street NW eastbound to Nose Creek), but I figure any extra stuff to be more visible to cars can't hurt. I know some of the more hardcore bike folks around town hate stuff like this, as in their opinion it shifts responsibility fully to the cyclist instead of the drivers.

It's $25 a can. Thanks for the tip!

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by habernac

Damn, never even thought of watching out for golf balls there. I've ridden past that same spot a million times. Yesterday was bloody glorious with the tailwind, felt like Greg Lemond.

Be careful and stay well, Baron!

It was a bit of a stiff wind in the AM but, yes, it was great in the PM and I went into a couple of curves a little hot. It seems rare to get a tail wind in the PM on that path, though.

I was looking forward to looking at Strava hahaha but the darn thing didn't record!

[habernac]

damn, that's the worst! Happened to me last Monday, stupid Garmin malfunction.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

doesn't it upload into Strava?

I signed up for Strava, connected my Garmin, and followed the instructions, but my activists won't upload to Strava. Strava stuff shows up in my Garmin dashboard, like routes and things like that, but not the other way around. Has anyone else had this issue?

[Tacopuck]

Has anyone compared using a dedicated gps tracker versus the Strava app on your phone tracking? Im curious if the app is semi accurate for elevation gained specifically

[flamesfan1297]

^I've also wondered this, and I've wondered how accurate the speed is

[troutman]

Baron I was interested in your story.

Before Xmas I think I injured my leg skiing or at hockey. I then flew to Germany for Xmas. I had pain on and off in my calf after that, but did not think much of it.

In February I had chest pain and shortness of breath and thought I had an infection. They ruled out TB and pneumonia. A few days later I had severe leg pain if my foot was not raised. They immediately determined I had a leg clot and PE. I was put on Xarelto and started feeling a little better each day. I have no pain now and thought I could go off the blood thinners soon.

Now my foot is swollen again. They want to do an ultrasound to see if I have another clot. I feel no pain and I hope they just have to adjust my medicine.

It has been frustrating not being able to do sports.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

As of today, my ride for this summer.

[Fuzz]

Let me know when fall hits and you are ready to chuck her in the bin... I'll take it off your hands!

Ride for this summer....sheesh!

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by troutman

Baron I was interested in your story.

Before Xmas I think I injured my leg skiing or at hockey. I then flew to Germany for Xmas. I had pain on and off in my calf after that, but did not think much of it.

In February I had chest pain and shortness of breath and thought I had an infection. They ruled out TB and pneumonia. A few days later I had severe leg pain if my foot was not raised. They immediately determined I had a leg clot and PE. I was put on Xarelto and started feeling a little better each day. I have no pain now and thought I could go off the blood thinners soon.

Now my foot is swollen again. They want to do an ultrasound to see if I have another clot. I feel no pain and I hope they just have to adjust my medicine.

It has been frustrating not being able to do sports.

Sorry to hear that, but you're alive, and like I keep telling myself when I'm not having a good day, it could have been helluva lot worse. I thought I read PE kills a person every five minutes in the USA and that every year more people die from PE than breast cancer, AIDS and traffic accidents combined. Blood clots are common, but your body usually breaks up the clot. I don't mind telling people my story because I hope to make people aware.

The swelling could be Post-Thrombotic Syndrome, which is common with people who have had DVT, so definitely ask your Dr about it. Compression socks may help.

My doctors keep telling me that it is really rare to clot again while on Xarelto so take that for what it's worth, but I recommend if you have any concerns to get your GP to refer you to a hematologist.

Good luck and get well! If you have any questions, send me a message.

[Fuzz]

A nice ride in this morning felt comfortable in shorts. Other than the a-hole in the gray VW who though I didn't deserve my space, despite having an entirely empty lane for himself and passed extremely close and fast. WTF is wrong with people?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Tacopuck

Has anyone compared using a dedicated gps tracker versus the Strava app on your phone tracking? Im curious if the app is semi accurate for elevation gained specifically

I only started tracking my rides last year using the Strava app on the iPhone 6. Sometimes I notice the odd speed spike that was nowhere near what I was doing (I think I've only seen it about three times), but elevation seems to be very consistent when I look at my commutes.

Edit: Agreed Fuzz, a very comfortable ride this morning. Much warmer than Monday. Although I always feel like I get the headwind, winds out of the north in the am (riding into it) and then a switch to south for my pm ride.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

A nice ride in this morning felt comfortable in shorts. Other than the a-hole in the gray VW who though I didn't deserve my space, despite having an entirely empty lane for himself and passed extremely close and fast. WTF is wrong with people?

Some asshats are never happy. I was on 4st NW, the lane next to me was empty and some jackass was behind me for a block and a half honking. You have two lanes, dummy. Pass me. This was at 6am on empty roads.

[Fuzz]

Ha, mine was also on 4st NW, at 6:45. Road of a-holes?

[habernac]

I don't even react anymore. Just keep the rubber on the road and stare straight ahead.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

How do you resist the urge to flip those guys off? If someone was following me honking I probably would. Never happens though.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

How do you resist the urge to flip those guys off? If someone was following me honking I probably would. Never happens though.

I don't want to die. This angry clown is driving a huge vehicle. If they get out of the car...... things probably change.

[TSXCman]

Second ride to work this year and ALREADY ALMOST HIT BY A CAR....

I travel about 2 blocks from my home to the bike paths, then 2 blocks from the bike paths to my office lock up. I am keeping speed, signaling over to my turn off, first truck lets me in, then I have a lot of space for my final lane and a lady gasses it from behind the truck, changes lanes into mine, and flies by my left handle bar with her tongue out at me and giving me the finger (she was ~40 years old).

I had a lot of close calls last year too. People are messed up.