If you listened to the weather guys on the news, you'd think that a mass purchase of bread, milk, batteries and shotgun shells was in order to ride out TS Ernesto. Granted, we don't live at the beach, but it really didn't do diddly here today. Hell, we rode 45 miles tonight and had a monster tailwind on the way home. Nothing says lovin' like a 28+ mph paceline and not having to kill yourself to do it.
This is the first time something named Ernesto has come from Cuba and not been floating on a homemade raft...
31 August 2006
Actually did get a ride in last night
I went to Caughman Rd. park to ride with the group there. Overall, it was a good ride. Not too fast, but steady and different folks to chat with on the ride.
I had planned on riding the cross bike in the woods, but couldn't find the flat kit fot it. I figured it must be some sort of sign not to ride alone in the woods. I think I may have used up all of my phone calls home for emergency pickups after mechanicals.
Ernesto has likely forced me into the bike building tonight for a roller session...blech!
I had planned on riding the cross bike in the woods, but couldn't find the flat kit fot it. I figured it must be some sort of sign not to ride alone in the woods. I think I may have used up all of my phone calls home for emergency pickups after mechanicals.
Ernesto has likely forced me into the bike building tonight for a roller session...blech!
30 August 2006
Ernesto, you're killing me...
Go away you minimal, piss ant, tropical storm. You are killing my riding this week. And you are polluting the airwaves with panicked weather reports. I hate riding the rollers in the middle of summer...
If it's not raining tonight, I'm riding the cross bike...
If it's not raining tonight, I'm riding the cross bike...
27 August 2006
Ah, the beer ride
So I'm leaving dinner Friday night and the beer ride is rolling by the exit of the burrito stand. There are about 40 riders and they are spread out all over the road, at times even going into the oncoming lane of traffic. At the light, they just dawdled out into cross traffic and rode around the truck on both sides, as if I was supposed to wait for them. I just pulled forward when the light turned green and left them hanging out in the wrong lane. Some obese gaper looked at me as if to say that he was riding there and had the right of way.
I followed them through the neighborhood and the behavior stayed the same the entire time. They rode 5 or 6 wide and basically snarled traffic and had no regard for vehicles, lights or their surroundings. And I wonder why I get yelled out when I'm out for a training ride... The thing that really kills me is the fact that once they hit the Fort, it's the Friday night World Championships. The beer ride should be a fun, social ride. Two weeks ago there were 4 crashes during the ride. That's right...4! That's no typo and has been independently confirmed.
If you fat gapers want to go fast, or to be more succinct, get dropped by the actual fast group, then by all means show up to the Crit or to the Thursday ride.
Saturday's ride was quick. Corbett and Karl decided that wanted to get all of their fitness back in one ride. Only five showed but we had a good, quick paceline ride.
Sunday was the biggest group in a long time. It was quick and had a few bursts of 28+. I switched wheels before the ride and obviously didn't tighten my rear skewer enough. We hit some tracks at about 28 and my wheel dropped over against the non-drive stay. I wondered why my legs got heavy all of the sudden. No damage and I got back in the group at the G Mart.
This is the first weekend in a long time that I've put two long, hard days back to back. I'm tired. The form isn't back yet, but I can feel bits and pieces.
I should be fit again just about the time daylight savings ends...
I followed them through the neighborhood and the behavior stayed the same the entire time. They rode 5 or 6 wide and basically snarled traffic and had no regard for vehicles, lights or their surroundings. And I wonder why I get yelled out when I'm out for a training ride... The thing that really kills me is the fact that once they hit the Fort, it's the Friday night World Championships. The beer ride should be a fun, social ride. Two weeks ago there were 4 crashes during the ride. That's right...4! That's no typo and has been independently confirmed.
If you fat gapers want to go fast, or to be more succinct, get dropped by the actual fast group, then by all means show up to the Crit or to the Thursday ride.
Saturday's ride was quick. Corbett and Karl decided that wanted to get all of their fitness back in one ride. Only five showed but we had a good, quick paceline ride.
Sunday was the biggest group in a long time. It was quick and had a few bursts of 28+. I switched wheels before the ride and obviously didn't tighten my rear skewer enough. We hit some tracks at about 28 and my wheel dropped over against the non-drive stay. I wondered why my legs got heavy all of the sudden. No damage and I got back in the group at the G Mart.
This is the first weekend in a long time that I've put two long, hard days back to back. I'm tired. The form isn't back yet, but I can feel bits and pieces.
I should be fit again just about the time daylight savings ends...
25 August 2006
Out on parole
Paul got out of the hospital a little while ago. He ended up with a femoral rod, a plate and a myriad of screws in his right femur. The break was high, near the femoral head, but did not affect the ball of the femur nor the hip socket itself. He seems to be in good spirits and is staying with his folks while he mends. His prognosis is 100% recovery within 6 months.
The ride is 9am at the Fort in the morning. 50 miles or so at easy tempo.
The ride is 9am at the Fort in the morning. 50 miles or so at easy tempo.
24 August 2006
Hit by a car...
Our buddy Paul Pole...Poli...oh hell, it's something Polish, got hit by a car in the Fort on Tuesday night. Destroyed his Giant carbon bike, Reynolds carbon wheels and the femur in his left leg. He got the old femoral rod put in and is in good spirits.
Of course, with an IV drip of the really good stuff, who wouldn't be?
He's in room 611 at Richland. He's supposed to get out Sunday at some point.
The worst part is that was actually his fault. He blew the stop sign and ran into the car.
I'm going up tomorrow morning if anyone wants to go...
PS- The Cannondale is still for sale...
Of course, with an IV drip of the really good stuff, who wouldn't be?
He's in room 611 at Richland. He's supposed to get out Sunday at some point.
The worst part is that was actually his fault. He blew the stop sign and ran into the car.
I'm going up tomorrow morning if anyone wants to go...
PS- The Cannondale is still for sale...
23 August 2006
Big Jonny...
Everyone's good internet pal, Big Jonny of drunkcyclist, is out of the hospital and on his way to recovery. He was hit from behind by a drunk driver a couple of weeks ago. El Grande Juan suffered two broken vertabrae and looks like he got attacked with a large veggie peeler. He'll be back to normal in due time. Of course with Jonny, who could tell what the baseline was before the accident...
Fight the fight brother!
Fight the fight brother!
George hooked...
Local hero George Hincapie was hooked today in the last stage sprint of the Eneco Tour...while in the lead...by the second place rider on GC...
He lost the race by one freaking second. A complaint was filed with race organizers, but was denied. If you ask me, the Euros have it in for Amercian cyclists. If GH would have hooked Shumacher, I feel confident in saying that they would have relegated him.
George should have punched the guy and taken the fine.
If the Euros want to win so badly, they need to train harder, not resort to BS tactics like hooking someone or claiming that every American rider is a dope fiend.
When the whole Floyd Landis debacle shakes out, and it will, I'll be here saying I told you so.
Check this site: www.supportfloyd.com
Brings up some interesting points, huh?
He lost the race by one freaking second. A complaint was filed with race organizers, but was denied. If you ask me, the Euros have it in for Amercian cyclists. If GH would have hooked Shumacher, I feel confident in saying that they would have relegated him.
George should have punched the guy and taken the fine.
If the Euros want to win so badly, they need to train harder, not resort to BS tactics like hooking someone or claiming that every American rider is a dope fiend.
When the whole Floyd Landis debacle shakes out, and it will, I'll be here saying I told you so.
Check this site: www.supportfloyd.com
Brings up some interesting points, huh?
22 August 2006
Time trial?
Does someone care to explain to me why we are doing a time trial rather than a fast group ride? Who exactly does this benefit? Are there any TTs coming up? Why do it around the loop in the Fort? Is this just an ego stroke for the person whose idea it was?
We should just do the old Tuesday ride out through Hopkins...
Of course, someone would bitch about that too. Or maybe people are afraid of getting shelled way out in the country and having to ride home alone.
We should just do the old Tuesday ride out through Hopkins...
Of course, someone would bitch about that too. Or maybe people are afraid of getting shelled way out in the country and having to ride home alone.
20 August 2006
It's good to be home...
We got back from a week at the beach yesterday. I've rarely been so glad to walk into our little house. It was nice to have peace and quiet after a week with Frankenstein's little brother, Timenstein (think Phil Hartman playing Frankenstein on SNL). I swear, my sister-in-law's fiance should have bolts in his neck. Now I realize I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but I have SOME common sense.
Case in point...
Edisto Island did a beach reclamation project and inadvertently created a sand bar about 400 yards off shore. This funnels the water down and creates a constant current that runs about 45 degrees to the beach. Out near the sand bar, it's almost a riptide. What does Timenstein decide to do? Yep, you guessed it, swim to the sand bar. He gets out there and starts waving his arms. Yep, you guessed it again, he can't get back!!! Am I going to swim out to save him? Hells no! I have a 1 year old sitting beside me on the beach. Did I mention that Edisto doesn't have lifeguards? Long story short, 911 gets called and they send a boat to pick up our bolt neck friend.
Between that and stomping up and down the stairs, dropping the toilet seat, slamming doors and tormenting my 14 year old dog with a laser pointer, he came close to getting smacked in the mouth.
But I digress...
I had a great time, Timenstein not withstanding. I took my cross bike and rode 5 mornings for between 90 minutes and 2 hours. The island is small, (maybe 1 km by 8km) but there a myriad of old country roads off island. 50% of them are groomed dirt. There are also a few miles of semi-groomed trails through the State park. I had a bunch of good rides, saw a bunch a wild animals (turkeys, fox squirrels, owls, redtail hawks and a water moccasin as big as my...arm), and destroyed a 10 speed Shimano chain in the process. It's so powdered with fine, silty dirt that I'm not even going to attempt to clean it.
Pushing around 700x40c knobbies will, in fact, make you strong. The road ride this morning felt very easy.
Jake wasn't too sure of the ocean at first, but by week's end, he was sitting in the surf getting hit by wave after wave and loving it.
If you are looking for a place to go on vacation that is inexpensive, very mellow and quiet and will allow you to just BE, Edisto might be the place. It's about 45 minutes south of Charleston, SC. There are also a bunch of pre-Civil War era plantation houses scattered around down there. It's pretty cool to see the grounds and imagine how brutally hard life must have been 150 years ago. And if you can't find something to do in Charleston, you just aren't trying...
Case in point...
Edisto Island did a beach reclamation project and inadvertently created a sand bar about 400 yards off shore. This funnels the water down and creates a constant current that runs about 45 degrees to the beach. Out near the sand bar, it's almost a riptide. What does Timenstein decide to do? Yep, you guessed it, swim to the sand bar. He gets out there and starts waving his arms. Yep, you guessed it again, he can't get back!!! Am I going to swim out to save him? Hells no! I have a 1 year old sitting beside me on the beach. Did I mention that Edisto doesn't have lifeguards? Long story short, 911 gets called and they send a boat to pick up our bolt neck friend.
Between that and stomping up and down the stairs, dropping the toilet seat, slamming doors and tormenting my 14 year old dog with a laser pointer, he came close to getting smacked in the mouth.
But I digress...
I had a great time, Timenstein not withstanding. I took my cross bike and rode 5 mornings for between 90 minutes and 2 hours. The island is small, (maybe 1 km by 8km) but there a myriad of old country roads off island. 50% of them are groomed dirt. There are also a few miles of semi-groomed trails through the State park. I had a bunch of good rides, saw a bunch a wild animals (turkeys, fox squirrels, owls, redtail hawks and a water moccasin as big as my...arm), and destroyed a 10 speed Shimano chain in the process. It's so powdered with fine, silty dirt that I'm not even going to attempt to clean it.
Pushing around 700x40c knobbies will, in fact, make you strong. The road ride this morning felt very easy.
Jake wasn't too sure of the ocean at first, but by week's end, he was sitting in the surf getting hit by wave after wave and loving it.
If you are looking for a place to go on vacation that is inexpensive, very mellow and quiet and will allow you to just BE, Edisto might be the place. It's about 45 minutes south of Charleston, SC. There are also a bunch of pre-Civil War era plantation houses scattered around down there. It's pretty cool to see the grounds and imagine how brutally hard life must have been 150 years ago. And if you can't find something to do in Charleston, you just aren't trying...
19 August 2006
I'm back from the beach...
I'm back, I'm tired and I'm really cranky...
I'll post my adventures tomorrow...
M
I'll post my adventures tomorrow...
M
12 August 2006
Ah, rain....
Woke up to go ride this morning and it raining. It's not rain that just blows through or that you can ride out of either. This, my friends, is an all day, stay in this house and nap kind of rain. I feel kind of melacholy about it though...
I really wanted to ride, but absolutely don't want to get wet and mess up the bike.
We're leaving for vacation this afternoon. It really won't be a vacation. My schedule of childcare and will likely be the same, just in a different location. I am taking the cross bike though. If nothing else, I can go ride for a bit each day. It will keep me from becoming homocidal (notice I didn't say suicidal), since we are going with my sister in law and her fiance. His voice is a hybrid of Hank Hill and Forrest Gump...only with less personality. Sometimes I wish I hadn't stopped drinking...:)
See you guys next Saturday...
I really wanted to ride, but absolutely don't want to get wet and mess up the bike.
We're leaving for vacation this afternoon. It really won't be a vacation. My schedule of childcare and will likely be the same, just in a different location. I am taking the cross bike though. If nothing else, I can go ride for a bit each day. It will keep me from becoming homocidal (notice I didn't say suicidal), since we are going with my sister in law and her fiance. His voice is a hybrid of Hank Hill and Forrest Gump...only with less personality. Sometimes I wish I hadn't stopped drinking...:)
See you guys next Saturday...
10 August 2006
A new training plan
It seems that taking four days off the bike has given me some sort of fitness. I haven't ridden since last Sunday and for some reason felt really good tonight. Well, as good as one can feel in a 28 mph paceline...
Oh, and thanks to the group for turning in front of that minivan and hanging me out to dry! Nothing like closing a 250 meter gap, by yourself, 2km from the last sprint to deaden the legs.
Hopefully Robert got home okay after flatting. The Brady Bunch moral here is to quit riding shitty tires. Spend the cash for Vittorias or Dedas. Sure they are expensive and wear out quick, but they don't flat.
Oh, and thanks to the group for turning in front of that minivan and hanging me out to dry! Nothing like closing a 250 meter gap, by yourself, 2km from the last sprint to deaden the legs.
Hopefully Robert got home okay after flatting. The Brady Bunch moral here is to quit riding shitty tires. Spend the cash for Vittorias or Dedas. Sure they are expensive and wear out quick, but they don't flat.
A request from a friend...
If you see this man, please do as the caption in the photo says and knock the chips away from him. When doing so, please make sure that the chips are either confiscated or knocked a sufficient distance away from him.
Love ya Derek...:)
09 August 2006
Cannondale fo' sale
Caad7
SI Integrated 175mm crankset
Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork
Campagnolo integrated headset
or available with 10 speed Ultegra drivetrain
Sadly, the Ksyriums, Flite saddle, Thomson stem and pedals stay with me.
I'll replace the stem with a Ritchey WCS and sell it without wheels or with a set of Mavic Cosmic Equipes.
Rides
Thursday night- 6:00 pm at Fort Jackson.
Saturday AM - 8 or 9 am. Does anyone have any opinions? I can do either...
Rides can also be posted at www.skinnyagent.com
Shoot an email to them and they will cross post under the "News" tab on their site.
Saturday AM - 8 or 9 am. Does anyone have any opinions? I can do either...
Rides can also be posted at www.skinnyagent.com
Shoot an email to them and they will cross post under the "News" tab on their site.
Hello Hello
colabike.blogspot.com is now live. This will be an online community for cycling news and events in Columbia, SC and the surrounding areas.
This will be a place to post rides, talk and/or bitch about rides, rant if needed and just maybe find something interesting. Feel free to post anything in the comments section and I'll either cut and paste it into the blog, or link it.
Now, go ride your bike............
This will be a place to post rides, talk and/or bitch about rides, rant if needed and just maybe find something interesting. Feel free to post anything in the comments section and I'll either cut and paste it into the blog, or link it.
Now, go ride your bike............
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