CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN!

What did renowned cycling authority Fred 'Coach Fred' Matheny of RoadBikeRider.com ride in the Hotter'n Hell Hundred, 115-mile El Tour de Tucson, and 600+ miles/week at Lon Haldeman's Endurance Cycling Camps?

His red hot custom Pocket Rocket Pro.

Here's what Coach Fred had to say about his Friday on RoadBikeRider.com

ED & FRED'S TRAINING LOGS: April 16-22 Here's the weekly update on how RBR's Ed Pavelka and Fred Matheny are preparing for PAC Tour's 166-mile-per-day Elite Tour across the U.S. on June 10-26.

Ed, 60, is an endurance guy who lives in eastern Pennsylvania. Fred, 61, favors shorter, faster rides and crosstraining. He's in western Colorado. They hope their training recaps and comments will help you prepare for your own long-distance rides and tours.

Ed's week: Monday, weights. Tuesday, rest day. Wednesday, 93-mile ride. Thursday, 44-mile ride. Friday, weights. Saturday, 300K brevet (189 miles). Sunday, 35 miles on tandem. Total: 24.25 hours

Comment: Saturday's 300K was longer than all but one day of the upcoming Elite Tour, which averages 267K for 17 straight days. Still, I had to ask myself on Sunday if I felt like riding another 12 hours. Not hardly! With just 44 days remaining till we head east from San Diego, it's intimidating to think about all those crack-of-dawn departures on routes ranging from 206K to 333K (128 to 207 miles). It sounds like several other riders in the ET e-mail group are nervous about it too.

The good news is that we've built solid foundations and still have six weeks to go. My schedule includes three more 300K's, a 400K (248 miles), a 600K (372miles) and maybe even a 1,000K (620 miles). The last two would give me the back-to-back long days crucial for physical and mental ET preparation.

These rides will also qualify me for Paris-Brest-Paris, which, at 1,200K (745 miles) doesn't sound too difficult -- until you remember that my group must complete the distance in less than 80 hours, including control stops and sleep breaks. It's a tough job . . . and I'm glad I get to do it.

Fred's week: Monday, 55 miles on tandem. Tuesday, 15-mile ride, weights. Wednesday, 2:00 hike. Thursday, travel day. Friday, 149-mile ride. Saturday, 120-mile ride. Sunday, 53-mile ride. Total: 25.75 hours.

Comment: A trip can wreak havoc with the best training plan. So when we headed to Ohio to visit relatives, I was happy to unveil my secret weapon for combining travel and training -- my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro. It fit neatly in a suitcase, checked as regular luggage and took me only 15 minutes to put together, ride-ready.

It was comfortable and well-behaved for riding 322 miles in 3 days on flat but scenic (and windy) western Ohio roads. Tip: Set up your travel bike with the same saddle, handlebar and pedals as your regular bike. Duplicate your position and you'll make a seamless transition from bike to bike without risking injury.