Tuesday random thoughts

Little man, big focus. Somebody's getting pulled back...

Phil Gil's BMC. Sorta tight...

Eddy can still pull 'em. ''Hello ladies. Would you like to see why they call me The Greatest of All Time?"

So yesterday, Campagnolo finally released pricing for their new EPS (electronic) groups. Sit down before reading the pricing...I'll wait...

Retail pricing is as follows: (using currency rates as of 31 January 2012)

Record : 3140GBP = $4900(ish) USD
Super Record : 3800GBP = $5950-6000 USD

Add an SRM, carbon wheels, and a big name carbon frameset, and you'll quickly find yourself damaging your children's college fund.

Call me whatever you like, as I've likely heard it before, but this is just fucking stupid! Campag said the group pricing would be 'on par' with D/A Di2. They missed the mark by a LARGE margin, especially when you take Ultegra Di2 into consideration.
It just follows the idea that certain manufacturers are simply pricing things in such a way that is killing the industry.
$6000 groups? $600 shoes? $600 jackets? $400+ bibshorts?
Unless you just have 'fuck you' money, these prices are asinine, at best! Sure, some people DO have 'F you' cash, but they are the same people buy a Viking stove to heat their tea kettle.

And please don't think this is me being a hater, because it's not. Spending money on bike stuff is a hobby of mine. Spending too much money on bike stuff is just _____________ . You can fill in the blank.

Blue sky...

Saturday met the group with warm temps, and little wind. It was a one of the better rides we've had for a long while. It's truly amazing how simple, easy, and quick a group can knock down 80km is everyone works together and keeps the swords sheathed. No one worked terribly hard, nor suffered. We positively crawled out of the Fort, and still came home with a faster average speed than if the normal 'attacks' had occurred.

This morning, we headed out into LexCo and did a bit of a new variation loop. Again, great roads, little traffic, and big blue skies. 90km knocked down without drama.


Yeah, riding in Fort Jackson is better...(did you sense the eye-roll?)

And I tried out my new DeFeet gloves this morning. Toasty mitts in the 40s! The color? Yeah, they're a bit garish, but if I get popped while wearing these, the cager was TRYING to hit me. DeFeet makes shoecovers this color too...


Hope your rides were as good as mine! It's doubtful, but, you know...

Now on to happy things...

And as many problems as I have with the way specialized does business, or steals ideas...however you want to frame it, sometimes they pull off a completely badass bicycle.
Stybar's Crux being one...
How about the whitewall Dugasts? Play on playa...

The second example is this Shiv set up as a road unit.

Specialized claims that this is a one-off for an engineer, which only begs more questions...
What is the geometry? TT or road? The TT geo would make for a fast road unit on flat to rolling ground, but when the road tips up, forget about it!
Tube lengths and angles?
Regardless of what the answers may, or may not be, I think the general consensus is that it would likely ride like complete shit. Sure...super fast, but anything more than 2 hours would likely cause one to have traces of blood in their urine.

CX WC Course preview courtesy of JPow:

Koksijde World Championships Bar Cam Footage from Behind The Barriers on Vimeo.

Look like the Worlds course break extract the souls from some racers. Lightning fast on the 'normal' sections, and just brutal in the sand. Gonna be interesting!

Good ride last night. It got quick in a few sections, which was quite enjoyable. It's really funny how the trails are polluted with people when it's 70 degrees, but empty when it's 40.
We did a variation of the loop last night for this very reason. It was a welcome change.


>>> Our favorite felon bonded out yesterday around 2pm. Wonder who did it? Wonder if he'll stick around for Court?

Breaking News

It seems our favorite thief/sociopath/all-around douchenozzle was arrested (again) for his transgressions against Cycle Center.
He was arrested and booked into the Richland County Detention Center for :

Receiving stolen goods between $1000 and $5000 (felony)*** AND
Hindering arrest (which means he resisted) (misdemeanor). Fines are between $500 and $1000 for first offense, and not more than 1 year in jail. Probation varies.

Go HERE Then type "Barnett" in the "Last Name" field.

He's still detained as of this entry with a $15k surety bond.



The victims here are numerous. Those who befriended him, and those whom he committed theft against, but the biggest victim may be his wife. She knew NOTHING of what has been going on for months. The fact that she didn't bond him out speaks volumes...

Good riddance Ted. It wasn't nice knowing you!


*** RSG Law :

Receiving Stolen Goods
S. C. Code § 16-13-180

Receiving Stolen Goods is either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the value of the goods involved. Misdemeanor Receiving Stolen Goods involves goods under $1,000 and is prosecuted in the Magistrate Court usually by the arresting officer. Felony Receiving Stolen Goods involves goods valued at more than $1,000 and is prosecuted in the Court of General Sessions by the Solicitor's Office. Misdemeanor Receiving Stolen Goods is punishable by up to thirty days imprisonment, and Felony Receiving Stolen Goods is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.

Do the news Lou...

A lot of interesting stuff going on in the World of Cycling...

Roubaix w/o Arenberg? It's like Hooters without the...well, you know. Just more proof that pros of today are a bunch of poofs. There are no 'old cloth' riders left it seems...
no
The UCI has decided that no action will take place against Vino. I guess they are afraid they're gonna wake up in the trunk of a large, black, Russian sedan.

Emma Johannson? Yeah, she's fucking hard!

GO. AWAY. YOU!

Remember this name...Zach McDonald

40k tickets already sold for CX Worlds? Wonder if people will show up in Kentucky next year?

LOCAL NEWS:

MDro gets some love in the intarwebs...

And our favorite thief/felon/all-around snot bubble found a team to ride for...all the way up in Nashville! Wonder how long it'll be before he screws those guys? Should we take bets?
And THIS is hilarious! I think the word 'felon' was inadvertently omitted in the descriptor. And the Bible verse? Really? How about the 7th, 8th and 10th Commandments? #douche

Other stuff:

Good two hours of spinning around last night. The legs were a bit angry with me after Monday's plyo session. It was wet Monday night, so extra care had to be taken in regards to actual FORM. No faking it when tumbling down granite steps is the logical conclusion to an accidental slip.

Okay, time to go be a productive member of society...

Namaste!

Happy Monday...meh...

Man, I bet Levi is pissed he left RadioShack/Leopard/Nissan or whatever the heck they're called now! They finally made a TT bike to fit him!

I told you guys it was damp yesterday. The dirt road was a bit heavy under wheels.

And here's a leaked picture of the new SRAM Red shifter. Look a bit more Shimano-esque, eh? Definitely has a longer reach and a more prominent knob on the front. I'm looking for new parts, and my only real complaint about my old SRAM stuff was the size of the levers (too small) in my meathooks. I'll need to handle it before dropping the stacks though...

Nothing else going on today. The weather was worse this morning, if that's possible. It's a bit like Portland out there today...or a Scooby Doo cartoon. Hell, we live three blocks from #1's school, and we DROVE this morning. Between the rain, fog, and darkness, visibility was about 100 yards. Couple that with the completely inept drivers/parents who are always in such a hurry to drop off their little lintheads, walking to school was a dangerous proposition this morning.

And in actual news that may affect people, Charleston, in their finite wisdom, has decided to BAN bicycles from the Connector. Ergo, there is no longer a way to get from West Ashley into Charleston. Good job guys, way to take two (or twenty steps backwards). If you remember, a cyclist was hit and killed on the bridge not too long ago. The driver got a ticket for a lane violation.
Let's do the math...

Guy gets hit killed + driver gets off with ticket = Charleston punishing cyclists for doing something that is perfectly legal. Sounds like it's time for a Critical Mass ride of epic proportions...

Plyos will be happening tonight at the Statehouse. Feel free to swing by and jump around.

Wow, the WXman really screwed the pooch...

Man, I should have gone to a school that had meteorology as a Major. Being a weatherman must be the tits. Roll into work, look at what the NWS and Weather Channel have to say, formulate some sort forecast for the area, and roll back out. Did I mention that it really doesn't matter if you're right or not?!?
What a freaking gig!
Now, in the local dipshits' defense, they DID say it was going to rain this weekend. However, they missed the temps by a WIDE margin. Reminds me of the Crash Davis quote from 'Bull Durham'. These guys couldn't hit water if they fell out of a fucking boat!

So Saturday, it was supposed to be in the mid-60s with 50% chance of rain. Bzzzt! Missed it.
I rolled out @ 0900 in 52 degrees and clouds. 45 minutes into the ride, the sky opened up. It only got stronger as the ride progressed. When I hit Service Course, I had 2:05 ride time, and was wet, cold and filthy. It was 50 degrees and still raining.
The Corporation then loaded up and headed to Charlotte for an Ikea run. Rained the whole way up, the entire time there, and the length of the return trip.

Today, it was supposed to be in the mid-60s again. Bzzzt! Still your turn weatherdork! I rolled out in 44 degrees, stiff North winds, and a low cloud deck. It didn't rain, thankfully, but the ride was two hours of sheer bliss. Did I Mention that the temp DROPPED 4 degrees in the time I was out? Yeah, it was 40 when I hit the door.

I hope the weatherguys are listening to Phil Collins today! On a loop!

The weather was nicer in Belgium today! Pauwels wins with a gap, and the favorites were spread all over creation.
Laatste Ronde from Hoogerheide

Time to go to the Manhole(tm) and give the CX bike some love. The rain yesterday was not kind to the drivetrain!

That's 'MISTER Griepel" to you...

Jesu Christo! If this picture doesn't scare you, just a little, then you aren't paying attention. I think I felt a drop of pee...
While Cavendish is tweeting pictures from Mallorca, El Chongo Blanco is crushing skulls in Oz.
Rumour has it, that Griepel's max in the sprint of Stage 1 of the TDU was 1940w!!! Hey Andre...how you gonna kick it?



Good 2.5 hours of rolling around last night. I felt like riding, but not like 'riding'...know what I'm sayin'? Although, I had to give a little stick to get home. I was enjoying the ride, and company, last night, then I looked at my watch. It was 8pm, and my agreed upon return to Service Course is 8pm, so I hit the gas to get home. It was possibly the ONLY time I was warm last night.

Weekend rides:

Saturday - 0900 from Brennan. 70-ish km 32-35kmh avg. pace
Sunday - 0900 from Greene and Laurens Route and length TBD, but options for 50km to 150km 30kmh avg.

Hi Hi ... LoLo...

So in the new issue of Outside, there's an interesting article about Lance, Livestrong, and how the two have morphed into one being. Blah, blah, blah...

What piqued my interest when I opened the mailbox was the cover. Lolo Jones!! From now on, when I find something exciting, or incredible, I'm just going to scream, "LOLO JONES!!!"
I remember the hype surrounding her coming into Beijing in 2008, and her ultimate failure, if you want to go that far. I also remember her striking beauty. Well, as the cover of the new Outside shows us, she hasn't exactly gotten ugly over the past 4 years!

If we somehow trip over the technology to clone humans anytime soon, I'll take two!



You read the mag for your reasons, I'll read it for mine...

Weights last night...ride tonight...yoga tomorrow...HOORAY!

The more you know...

Today's post will be slightly educational...


So let's begin...

Voeckler is a fucking grinder. Have you pulled on the bars so hard that you rode a wheelie? In the Tour? While in the Maillot Jaune? Gotta love that guy! More heart and balls than natural talent!

Think you make a lot of power. Think your powermeter will allow you to breed watts like so many horny bunnies? Well, please allow me to kick a hole in your sky.
Ryan Trebon raced in Lieven last weekend. Here's his Garmin/Power file from the race...

TreeFarm makes Watts

Yeah, that's no typo. 485w avg. for 1 hour and 6 minutes. Did I mention he finished 22nd? What was Stybar putting down?

And finally, Michael Barry gives us all a bit of perspective. Much could be learned from this article.

The Group Ride

Pros get it, why can juggleheaded Cat 4s?

Have a good Hump Day!

Tuesday picture post...

I've batted around the idea of selling the road and CX bikes, and just having ONE bike that can do everything. This Moots is not helping the dilemma. Nothing quite like having a $10,000+ cyclocross bike....


For you "back in the day" guys. Maybe you'll learn something...


Hipsters would buy this by the thousands...and likely pay the same.


Somebody got creative, and I like it! Wonder if there's an under saddle mount for triathletes?

Day 17 of "F you 42" yesterday. Went for a nice walk in the woods with the family, then dropped them at the house, went to the Statehouse and did plyos for an hour. CX night ride tonight.

Namaste!

Something stinks at the OP-QS launch...

Everything's good...everyone's happy...then...

Chav breaks wind...

...to which Boonen responds in kind. Well played BoomBoom! Check and Mate...

Brrrr...(whatevs)

I love unused double track through the woods...

I hate this flyover...but it makes for good pictures.

Nothing needs to be said about this pic...

Rolling along in the sunshine...

Big blue sky out there this weekend. If you didn't go out because it was cold, well... (Rule #5) !

The CX bike was called on both days. I knew no one would show up for the morning rides because it was below 40-ish degrees, and riding the road bike solo holds little romance for me these days.
I did different loops both days, but 2.5 hours got knocked down in each instance. Every possible surface and condition was traversed over the course of each day's ride. All sorts of tarmac, gravel, dirt, singletrack, some bricks, treated wood, and some grass so soft that baby lambs would think twice about eating it.
I also had a little run in with a gentleman of Napoleonic stature (short guy in a big truck) on Saturday. Some honking, yelling, swerving on his behalf was met with me catching him in traffic on Gervais, and attempting to drag him out through the window. My hand and wrist are still a bit sore from punching his window as he rolled it up to prevent his own forced egress from the vehicle.

(Rant)

I truly hate these sorts of confrontations, but there comes a point when asshats in their steel cages have to learn that a guy on a bike is not there to harass. Laws are fine and well, but they aren't working. Letters to Government are pissing into the breeze. Letters to the editor are little more than wasted thoughts and keystrokes. Maybe a few summary beatings will get the message out there...
And I flatly refuse to be confined to riding on Ft. Jackson. That's just giving up...

(End rant)

Okay...enough from me. Time to do a little shopping for bike stuff...

Have a good weekend...

Courtesy of Dr. JB. Who knew?

And yes, it's supposed to be colder this weekend. The sky will still be blue, the sun will be out, and the roads will stretch out before you. Go outside and ride!
Use the picture below as inspriation...

When in doubt, RAIL IT!

And a video...

Interesting and absolutely correct

Read THIS....then read it again...

Methinks some people around here would find benefit in the above article.

And it seems Specialized may not have actually ever SEEN a Volagi...

Closing arguments have begun...

Specialized is playing to win...

...but may lose if they do.

Read this article. It seems that Specialized, and their dealers, who seem to have a retail form of Stockholm Syndrome, are the only ones who think that Specialized has any sort of case.

Good, legitimate points are brought up in the Bohemian article.

The cold, hard truth is that Specialized has always "borrowed" ideas and technology. Sinyard ripped off Tom Ritchey with the first Stumpjumper, and it seems to have snowballed from there, bringing us to today. The problem with the snowball effect is that, like in cartoons, the snowball grows so large that it simply runs downs whoever gets in it's way. It's sad, and it's wrong. It runs the gamut from small business, like Mountain Cycle and Volagi, all the way down to dealers and customers.

The majority of the industry is behind Volagi in this instance whether they will admit it or not. Most cycling rags won't so much as write an article concerning this case. If they DO choose to write something, it will be ambiguous, at best. It seems ad revenue rules the day at magazines these days. I can hear the editors now, "Sure, write about the case, but don't piss off Specialized!"
If you doubt this happens, go pick up the latest Road Bike Action, Mountain Bike Action, Bicycling, or Velosnooze. You think all of those pictures and glowing reviews of the Big S are written out of the kindness of their hearts? I'll give Paved and Peloton a pass, as they are a bit more content driven.



So I just knocked down Day 12 of "F*ck You 42". Only 100-ish days to go. I am doing stuff that I normally do, plus adding things I haven't done for a long time on the days I would normally sit on my ass. I'm stiff, sore and tired, but for some reason, I'm starting to feel better already. Sleep comes easy at night...or mid-afternoon...

After Plyos on Monday night (for the first time in about 2 years), I did the CXHoP last night. Nothing like laying down a 1x20, in the dark, on legs that are SORE from hopping up a bunch of damn steps like a crack-addled rabbit. 90 minutes solo on the CX bike will, in fact, clear your mind.

Speaking of easy sleep...

Namaste

CX Nats

I suddenly feel like eating a burrito, and going to ride the CX bike...

Weekend Update

Sat : 80km
Sun : 100km
Both days were warm and sunny. Good rides...
A little bird told me that 75 folks showed up for the WBL ride in Charlotte! 75!!! I'm loading up and going up there for a WBL ride very soon. Or to Charleston for their WBL...

It's a shame that the "community" in Columbia can't set aside all of their "training plans" and bullshit for 3 or 4 hours once in a while to have a ride that's 50+ people. Not EVERY ride must adhere to what your "coach" has on the plan for you, nor must a swordfight ensue. Your powermeter shouldn't dictate every ride you do. Remember what BSNYC said, ...if you aren't a pro, or have plans to be one, owning a powermeter is like hiring an accountant to tell you how poor you are..."
A 100km ride with 40-50 people would be sublime, and as much as people poo-poo stuff like this, everyone always enjoys themselves. Remember the Toby Porter NYD Lake loops? Yeah? 50+ people, riding together, and having a fun. I think that's why we all starting riding bike, isn't it?
We have better terrain, and roads, than Charlotte or Charleston...



Congrats to Jeremy Powers for winning the US CX Nats today. It was a 5 man battle for 1/2 the race until J-Pow turned on the style. And mad props to Zach McDonald. Wins the U23 race by 2:20, then finishes 4th in the Elites. Good show Zach!
Congrats to Katie F'n Compton for the W in the womens race too! She's a badass, no two ways about it!

Cool...and not so much...

Cipo? Yes...cool. Doesn't matter what he's doing...


Quick-Step Omega Pharma p/b The Human Centipede? I always knew the angry bald midget was a pillow biter. This wasn't a good idea a couple of years ago, and it's still not...



I've been doing a lot of core work. I have NO idea how this girl got in the foreground of my picture!!

Good two hours on the CX bike last night. The H.O. got home late, so I had to haul two kinds of ass to make the parking lot on time. I left Service Course @ 1816, and got to the parking lot at exactly 1830. 14 minutes from door to door, including lights and traffic. That pretty much burned any matches I may, or may not, have had before the ride even began. Ergo, I just sort of spun around for two hours.
I also found out that the Jericho is in dire need of some new brake pads. There was much howling coming from the area of the cantis, but not a whole lot of stopping power. I think I heard geese following me at one point. Kool Stops were ordered about 7 minutes after I hit the door.

The SpecialEd v. Volagi saga continues...
The gag order was lifted yesterday, and the guys at Volagi put some interesting info out there.

More info from Volagi's site...

The common, and agreed upon, opinion is that SpecialEd is little more than butt-hurt over this entire thing, and simply trying to run Volagi out of business, much like they tried to do with Mountain Cycle.
Refresher? Mountain cycle had a badass CX bike called the Stumptown. SpecialEd sued them over the word "Stump"!!
They've also sued myriad people, even a shop owner, for use of the word "Epic".

Boycott Specialized...

Legspeed...he has it!

Another reason I won't buy a Specialized...ever!

Backstory: Two guys who worked for Specialized left the Big S. They liked a certain type of riding, and thus, a certain type of bike. They came up with a pretty nice design, and started Volagi.
They only sell this ONE bike.

Evidently, the Big S doesn't like the fact that these guys came up with a solid idea, and seem to be having a bit of success. So what does Sinyard do? He fucking SUES them.
Sure, I can see that the bike looks a bit like the Roubaix or Tarmac, but let's be honest...what company doesn't make a bike that has an archer's bow toptube/seatstay set-up?

Is Specialized gonna sue Wilier too? Maybe, as the new Zero7 looks a LOT like a Tarmac!

If I was Rick Vosper at Airborne, I'd be watching the driveway for a non-descript beige car, as that's what process servers usually drive.

I sincerely hope that the guys at Volagi fight the fight. One of two things is gonna happen...
1) Sinyard and his goons will run Volagi out of business, and then 'procure' the design.
OR
2) Volagi's sales will go thru the roof because of the backlash against Specialized.

I'm rooting for #2...

Edit: After talking to some industry friends, including one who used to work at Specialized, the specific complaint against Volagi hasn't even been mentioned by Specialized. In other words, the Big S is suing the little guy, and has yet to figure out a legitimate reason as to why.
The initial injunction against Volagi was throw out of court, yet Specialized is continuing with the suit.
"Yeah, we're suing you, but our attorneys are still trying to figure out grounds."

Oh, and here's the Volagi patent...

NYD 111k

So the NYD 111k rolled out the way we'd planned, then Dean had a plan to modify the loop. Once to Swansea, we turned and headed to Pelion. I can say with zero embellishment, I've rarely ridden roads THAT good, and been passed by THAT few vehicles on a ride that long.
About 5km from Pelion, the skies darkened, and a few drops of rain began to fall. Seeing as I was riding with 3 card holding AARP members, the grumbling was considerable.
Fortunately, the rain, and the grumbling, lasted all of 2 minutes.
Store stop....
Back on the bikes and a turn onto Fish Hatchery gave us our New Years Day gift...a solid 10-15mph tailwind...for the entire trip back to Service Course. We rolled down FH at 40-50kmh without a whole lot of effort. Pretty damn brilliant.
It was a good loop, with good people, on a beautiful day. You missed it...


Here's TVH, resplendent in his new Giordana gear. Looks SoPro...


This morning, on dead, hollow meat stick legs, I rolled out on the CX bike for a little exploratin'.
No plan other than to fool around, do a little urban searching, and enjoy to sunshine. I stuck to plan...
The return trip from the North Side (throw up your gang signs now, stack them if you wish) down the Canal. It was terrible to come home this way, what with the sun and a tailwind...

Don't know who this 'Klever' dude is, but he's more than deserving of an actual space to create his art, rather than under a train trestle!

If Phil and Paul can't figure out the new SaxoBank kit from above, they need to retire...

And Phil...really man? Please just talk to Big George and Have Hincapie make you some black shorts. The red ones make you look like you're wearing BMC Superhero pajamas. Does the kit have little feet too? Or a trap door?

Oh, I nearly forgot the Dumbass of 2011 Award. The award winner snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at the very end of 2011, and it only took one act.
The LBS sold a McLaren Venge, which by itself is an act of Pimpin' at the highest level. The McVenge comes stock with 303FC tubulars, and Dura-Ace Di2. Here comes the dumbass-ness...

The Di2 was removed...and replaced the SRAM Red. No, I did not have a stroke and float a massive typo right there...

Congrats to whomever purchased this bike for simultaneously getting a badass rig, and ruining it in one fell swoop!

Anyway...Happy New Year everyone!