Well...that's that...

Last ride of 2013 is tomorrow, and I will use it to ride with Junior Management on their new whips.
See, unlike some people...Dave LeDuc...I have my priorities in perspective.
Seriously, a 62 year old man, doping his old balls off.  I mean REALLY?  EPO, Steroids, AND amphetamines?  One could say he was jacked up, jacked up, and jacked up...all different contexts.
Douchebag.
And two years?  Fuck you!  That guy has been kicking everyone's collective ass all over the Southeast for YEARS.  This isn't his first time at the rodeo.  Ban his ass, period!
And as was asked on the Twitters early today,  What's worse, getting caught doping, or explaining it to your peer group at work? 
A lot of guys are pissed off right now.  A lot of other guys in the Southeast Masters ranks are likely shitting kittens.  And they should be!
I'm not naming names, but there are guys around these parts that are to doping as Michael Jackson was to babysitting.  (It's a thinker...)

If anyone, and I mean ANYONE reading this takes umbrage with anything I've said above, feel free to prove me wrong.  I'll wait...

Moving on...

Diegem Euro CX (full coverage)



It was the last race for Sven Nys on a Colnago, and he took Colnago out in style.  It was a clinic.  No one had anything for #svenness.  Folks on Twitter moaned that the race was boring.  If one thought Diegem was boring, one truly doesn't understand CX, bike racing, or athletics in general.
Yesterday was like watching Michael Jordan in the 1986 NBA Playoffs when he hung 63 on the Celtics.  It was athletics at it's highest level, period.
And let's be perfectly honest, Sven Nys is class.  The guys wins, gives back to his sport, and is, by all accounts, a nice guy. Prima Donna?  Not Nys!

Think you'll see Cavendish do this?  Ever? 

He gave Ernesto a BIG W in his last race on a Colnago, and finished it like this...

Dude is the best.  Pure Class.

Stuff to read/look at/whatever :

Craddock UK custom carbon.  Very nice...

Cedric Gracia's seemingly innocuous crash...wasn't...

Bloody CG

Yeah...a little crash almost cost the guy his life.  Learn some First Aid folks.  It could make a big difference to someone!

OH.  MY.  DOG. (Diadora content)

Nice group ride on Saturday.  Beautiful Day for a spin through LexCo.  Big blue sky.  Good folks.  Big Fun. 

Sunday was Han Solo, as I didn't want to wait until the afternoon for the weather to clear.  CX bike.  2 hours.  Vitamin D...or M as the case may be...

 I'm not sure, but does Rule #5 apply to flowing water crossings of unknown depth?

 Notice the red mud in the upper left?  Yeah, it's washed out.  I turned around.  No sense in drowning...

I was rewarded with this view...

Roxy and I met this morning for a nice 2 hour spin.  No pictures.  Sorry.  Just some miles and some smiles.

New Years Day Ride @ 0900 from The Colonial Center.  3 hours out thru Lower Richland and back home.  The USC game is on @ 1pm, so everyone should have enough time to do the ride, and get home for kickoff.
Come on out!  Start the year off right!

And with that, I bid you, and 2013, adieu! 

Is it over?

Why does family suck the joy out of Christmas?  Well, not so much mine, as the in-law side of the roster.
Nothing like chasing them around for three days so they can see Junior Management.  Nevermind the fact that we have the most kids, and the farthest to drive. 
And being in the same room with this supposedly "close" family is like being in an arbitration hearing.  Lots of disdain, cutting of eyes, snark, and some just downright open hostility towards one another.  Yeah, you guys are close....
And for what?  So they can see the kids?  Here's an idea, take some time out of YOUR day to chase us around once in a great while. 
There are 12 months in a year.  My in-laws have seen their grand-kids 7 times this year!  Not hard math to do, is it?
Did I mention that they didn't even bother to show up for #2 son's birthday party? 
Yep, grandparents of the year!
I can say, with a large degree of certainty, that this was the last time/Christmas/year we're chasing them around.  I just do not have the time, nor the compunction to do it anymore. 

Ok...enough of that...

I haven't ridden since the 24th.  Roxy and I did a long, lazy loop on the CX bikes.  We had an initial plan, but old man river changed it for us...

 The PowerStation was in good shape...until...

Yeah...it's deep-ish in the middle...and it was flowing.  The river is on the left, and the water was flowing left to right, meaning in was flowing in, thus, getting deeper as each second passed.
Ride through it?  Nope...not in 48 degrees, with a small current, and neither life, nor money on the line.  We turned around...
Some area adjustment, and a new loop was quickly calculated.
It took us to the diversion dam, which wasn't diverting much...

High and angry are words best used to describe the flow of water. 
A loop of the 'hood, thru downtown and home.  It was quite a good ride.  No real plan.  No real "training" benefit.  Just fresh air, and smiles.

Zolder was a good race yesterday.  I got to watch all but the last 1/2 lap, as the Boss was pressuring me to get in the car to chase her family.  We were already 30 minutes late.  What's another 6 or 7 minutes?  That argument held no water...so here's the last lap...



My question is, where's the women's race?  I'd actually like to see Katie Compton kicking the Euros collective ass.

I'll post the whole race when it hits the YouTubes.  Loenhout goes off in about 45 minutes.  I trust you all can find a feed.

No ridey today either, as I have to run around and do the things that got pushed back from yesterday's fiasco. 
A group is meeting Saturday morning @ 0900 at the Colonial Center.  All are welcome to join.  It will be a conversational pace ride out to Swansea and back. 

I also feel a disturbance in The Force...

Pro-Tips

Let's start this off with a Pro-Tip/PSA...
Concrete, post rain, or when subject to high humidity, and when under a canopy of trees so it cannot dry properly, is slicker than whale shit on an ice floe.  (Yeah...that's spelled correctly...feel free to look it up...)
Not 15 minutes into our multi-surface ride this morning, one of the group touched his front brake in a corner, and low-sided it into the ground.  Somehow, he landed directly on his thumb.  No, that's not a typo!  He landed on his thumb, and just about tore the poor little piggy off.  We made sure he was ok, and he could get back to his car...and we continued on. 
2 hours passed without drama, until we hit the very last section of concrete.  I think you know where this is going.  Mr. Daniel took off, hit a damp, off-camber section at a rate of speed that was somewhere North of advisable, and went down...sliding like he was trying to break up a double play at second. 
Nothing broken...body, nor bike, but as my Grand-dad used to say, he was "skint".  After a few minutes of assessing injuries, and getting everyone's wits in check, we rolled on. 
I split in the 'hood, to get back to the 'wood.
Good 3 hours on the CX bike this morning...

There may have been some #sockdoping as well...


Yesterday, Il Prof and Roxy came out for a trip out thru the Swamp and back.  55 miles fell under wheels pretty easily, even though I seemed to have inadvertently embro'd my undercarriage.
Yeah, that shit happened. 
I was dressed, pockets full, and sat down on a dining room chair to put on my shoes.  Dookie decided it was a good idea to pour some juice on the chair pad. 
I sat dead in some of finest apple juice available from Publix.  FUCK! 
Ran in, stripped, and changed out bibs.  I thought I was being careful.  Wrong. 
Mad Alchemy medium ended up where it was not designed to be. 
The first 90 minutes of the ride was less than comfortable. 
Pro-Tip/PSA #2 : Do I really need to spell it out?

Two days...two good rides...and a total of 12 hours on the bike for the week.  I'll take it.

How many fucks does that guy give? 

Essen CX (full coverage)



Namur CX (full coverage)



2014 Diadora road Vortex Pro.... the want is strong...

Christmas ideas...yeah...I know it's in two days...
I'll take the Merckx 525 book, the Molteni cups, and the Christmas lights...if anyone is buying...

Time to move The Elf on The Shelf, and hit the rack. 

Poppin' Fresh

 Trying to put my finger on....what a second...

Good gravy!  Cav has been spending some QT at the pie cart during the off-season!! 
Good thing he says he's not doing Milan-San Remo this year! 

Fun 2.5 hours in the dark last night.  It was a weird ride for a couple of reasons.
I felt pretty poorly for most of the day yesterday.  Not sick, but just fatigued.  Likely because my oddball dietary issues prevented me from partaking in the company Christmas dinner.  I had a single chicken breast before leaving HQ...at 5pm. 
As the day progressed, I felt better.  Took a catnap.  Better.  Ate a little more than usual.  Better.
Once on the bike, everything was A-OK. 
The ride itself was fun.  Just rolled around, had some laughs, got some miles. 
The truly odd thing was the huge fluctuations in temperature depending on where we were in town.  I don't mean just a couple of degrees...only noticeable on a thermometer, but huge variations.  It was probably 10+ degrees warmer on Main St. than it was near The Strom.  The two are MAYBE a mile from one another....
Then coming home through the 'Wood, it was freezing cold. 
Fortunately, the Mad Alchemy kept me toasty-ish. 
No matter.  2.5 hours beats riding the trainer.  All day...every day...

If anyone is looking for a ride, 0900 tomorrow @ Rosewood School.  55-ish miles out thru The Swamp and Lower Richland. Come on out.  Who knows...you may enjoy it.

The want is strong for this one...

Looks like some of those dudes needed better agents.  Poor Eki...

 as we know, I'm no fan of the single speed anything, but throw a R/D on this Stoemper, and we have a deal.  So fresh.  So clean.

No...no...I wasn't using my chin/neck/sternum anyway.  Stupids...

You do a townie bike your way, I'll do one mine.  Plain, clean, simple...

Seeing as Christmas is 5 days away, I should probably wrap some gifts... 

Hope to see some folks in the morning....

Tell me again...

Please, tell me again how great it is to live up North.  Philly...Boston...Minneapolis.  Oh, you all have snow?  And more is expected today?  Oh, you say it's going to warm up for you this weekend?  Into the 40s?



Yes, SC has it's own issues, but take one thing away from this...
We'll be riding in jerseys and bibs this weekend!! 

Speaking  of,  I rode in shorts last night.  A light coating of Mad Alchemy, and all was good.  Just sort of rolled around, but two hours is two hours.  And it was a good time. 
Got honked at...in my neighborhood...on my street...by a parent up at the kid's school.  We'll talk about it this afternoon.  The guy is a particularly sour person, and coming from me, that's saying something.  I'll explain his mistake, and why he shouldn't make it again...

 Is it me, or does a young Abdu look a little like Cancellara?

 Come to training camp they said...it'll be fun they said...

 Fabian on Miguel's Espada?  Ok...

 It's a thinker...

 What ring shall I ride today? 

 Tell me again how hard ball and stick 'athletes' are...

Think you're smooth on the bike?  Tony Martin begs to differ...

No ridey tonight.  Work related Christmas dinner takes precedence.  I really like how the restaurant that was chosen has NOTHING I can eat on the menu, and doesn't allow substitutions.  Guess I'll eat before I leave the house, huh? 

Time to do a little Christmas shopping. 

Success!

Gamecock Roubaix went off Saturday morning with nary a hitch.  Sure, the weather was iffy, but we knew that going in.
20 intrepid souls set out for LexCo @ 0900.  It was overcast, and 50 degrees.  Pretty good IMO.
The decision was made to keep the group together, and gather at the end of certain sections.  It was the proper thing to do, and a good decision.
All of the dirt sections, save for one (more on that in a moment) were in really good shape.  All riders traversed them without issue...well...

Our Tifosi Roubaix glasses winner, who drove down from North of Charlotte, was on his road bike, and suffered a series of punctures just shy of the halfway point.  To be honest, I don't think it was the fault of the dirt road.  Something was in the rim...bad rim tape...something.
Fortunately, JBrstl's mom and step-dad were out roaming in the follow vehicle, and picked him up.
It was a push for the poor guy.  Sure, he flatted, and had to climb in the car, but he did get a pretty cool door prize out of the deal!  Thanks to Tim and Henry @ Summit Cycles for the glasses!!
Once past the halfway point, and out of the biggest section(s) of dirt, liquid began falling from the sky.  At that point, we had a choice.  Go the quicker way home, and get out of the rain, or suffer through.
The quicker way was chosen.  Here we come to the piece of "road" I said would be mentioned above.
When JBrstl and I reconned the loop, this section was pretty good.  This time, not so much.  We've all seen the sand pits in Euro CX races, right?  Now imagine one of these pits...got it in your head?
Ok.  This one was about a mile long, downhill, in the rain.  Pretty brutal.
I apologized to everyone at the bottom, as I just didn't know that the condition of the road would be that poor.  And to the man, everyone said the mile-long sandpit was their favorite part!
Shows that I know exactly shit...
Oh, and Scott Nuelken gets the "Dismount of the Day/Geologist" Award for his Superman-style get off at the end of the sandpit.  He thought he'd found the Sven Line, up on the bank.  Unfortunately (for him), and fortunately (for us), he didn't take the 5 foot drop off into account.  I'll give him credit.  He tried to ride it.  The rest of us knew how it was going to end though.
The front wheel went nearly hub deep into the sand, and he took on the role of Geologist.  Soil sample anyone?

He actually had some sand compacted in his ear.  Go hard my brother!!  If you look in the photo, the bank he attempted to ride down is visible on the left.

We all rolled in more or together from that point.  We had a couple of guys who cracked pretty hard.

Everyone finished, and to the man, said they enjoyed it, which is all I really wanted.  20 guys...for a dirt ride...and a borderline crap December day...whodathunkit?
Big ups the guys who came from out of town too.  We had Charleston, Charlotte, Augusta, and Columbia folks in attendance.
If you missed it, well, you missed it!!

The lead group that finished the 54 miles of fun together.

Totals for the day :
Crashes : 2 (3 people went down)  Junk and Drogalis went down on the boards along the RiverFront.  They were deathly slick.  No injuries, thankfully!!
Failures :  Flat tubes for our road bike friend, and a disc brake failure (Go figure...)
Money raised :  Not going to give out totals, but it now seems that Mr. Bristol is going to CX Nationals in Colorado!!  And that was exactly the impetus for the ride.
The ride also fostered a really nice, really needed feeling of community.  We all stuck together, helped each other along, and had a good time!
And let's be honest, JBrstl is deserving of the time, effort, and money raised.  He's a good kid.  He busts his ass everyday.  Work, School, riding, racing, helping out his folks, and being an altogether good mensch.
I'm proud to call him my friend.
Thanks for coming out everyone!  I truly appreciate it!!
Also thanks to Farm Bureau Insurance, Swobo, and GlobalBike Wipes for their support of our little adventure!

Enough of the feels...

We had a nice little group Sunday too.  We rolled out into LexCo, did a big loop, and ran back in.  Another 55 miles on would could be considered hollow meat sticks.
Still felt better than lazing around the house.

Kalmthout was yesterday.  Racing under the lights.  So cool...



OK...I've burned enough of your time today.  And I need to go help my momma this morning.  Time to get rolling...

So, that was a fun week...

Specialized got slapped down...probably lost quite a few customers over their general douchey mentality as well.  I know that I'll never buy another product with the Big S on it.  Hell, I just bought a Trek instead...
Yeah, pick yourself up off the floor.  You read that correctly! 

Fun ride last night.  Different loop through West Columbia...plenty of hills...and plenty of laughs.  Mr. Soxl said he didn't want to do much descending last night, as it was cold.  Yeah, we climbed, but I think the whole "with the up, comes the down..." thing was lost on him. 
Nothing like bombing a hill @ 35-40mph...in the dark...in 39 degrees. 
I peeled off @ 8:15, and headed up Gervais, across Campus...and back to Service Course. 
Almost 3 hours in the saddle last night.  Good stuff...

I'm sorry...what were you saying?  Something broke my train of thought...

The guys at ROL wheels are selling a set of pretty swanky CX/Road wheels on EBay.  All proceeds go to the Amy D. Foundation.  Go there.  Bid.  Do some good, and get some super nice wheels!!

How to show up at a CX race in style...

And speaking of style.  This photo should be in the dictionary next to the definition!

Like a boss?  Nope.  Like a Vos.

Yeah...you laughed...it's okay...

There's a lot right with this picture... (thx to RockyRoads for the use)

And with that, I bid you, dear reader, adieu.  Don't forget, Gamecock Roubaix is tomorrow.  We're likely going to get wet.  Dress accordingly. 
Also...
This is a self-supported ride.  Bring what you think you'll need with you.  Food, tubes, money, a phone, a helper monkey...whatever.  There will be a stop @ the BP in Swansea @ halfway.  If it's raining at this point, a decision will be made as to our route home.
Remember, the "epic" (I hate that word), rainy, wet, cold rides, that suck when you're stuck in the middle of them, always make for kickass stories later on! 

Big thanks to Farm Bureau Insurance, Summit Cycles, GlobalBike, and Swobo for providing schwag, and support for our little adventure.

See you folks in the morning!

Oh...Mike...Mike...Mike...Mike...

So Specialized got shut DOWN on the whole, "...sue the little guy thing..." AGAIN!  If you're keeping score, they're 0-2 in their last two at bats.
ASI/Fuji told them to get bent, and knowing that he would lose in Court, Mike Sinyard, President of Specialized/Dark Lord of The Sith, got on a jet, and high-tailed it to Canada to apologize to Cafe Roubaix personally.

Here's the issue with this, and the issue with his reasoning behind attempting to sue Cafe Roubaix.
Sinyard is full of shit.  Only when he knew he'd been beaten did he make the effort to contact Cafe Roubaix.  Not before the suit, in an effort to hash out an agreement, or even have a conversation.  He only got on the plane after his snout got whacked with a rolled up newspaper by both ASI/Fuji, AND the cycling community at large.  And let's face facts here, he got smacked HARD.
This 'visit' was nothing more than Sinyard's effort to save face.  It was his "look at me...I'm FOR the little guy..." moment.  Well Mike, I'm not buying it.  It comes across as hokey, and a bit dishonest.
And Sinyard's reasoning for the suit...to protect the brand from counterfeit products?  Yeah...good effort Bro.
Sure, Cafe Roubaix sells branded wheels...that they build ONSITE.  They are not sourcing counterfeit, open mold frames from China, badged with Specialized logos.
Richter sources parts, and builds his wheels by hand, just like Boyd, ROL, Williams, and myriad other wheelbuilders.  There's NO difference...except that Sinyard didn't like him using "Roubaix"...for his wheels...or his shop name.
I'm all for protecting your image/brand from counterfeit, low quality goods that may fail, and injure someone, but the two things just aren't comparable in this instance.
It's duplicitous of Sinyard to allude to this argument.

Instead of just admitting defeat, apologizing, and doing what's right, Sinyard has to make it about him, and create a photo op.  It's disingenuous, at best.
And let's be honest, it's not the first time he's sued someone over little more than a name.

I wonder if he's gonna stop by and say hello to the guys at Volagi?

What Specialized does next will speak volumes.  Instead of continuing on the path of the douchebag, Sinyard needs to up his game, and give something back.
Donate bikes to a junior program, or twelve.  Sponsor a few races that are going to die because of funding issues.  Show up personally at some small races, and personally give out schwag, or throw primes.
Generally, just go be a brand ambassador...and an ambassador for the sport.  Hopefully, the old leopard can, and will, change his spots.

As for me, I'm not buying ANYTHING branded with the Big S...ever again...

End Rant...

EDIT : Sinyard and his cronies are at it again.  Not even 24 hours has passed.  God, these guys are asshats.

Now they've sent a C&D letter to EPIXGear...the little clothing company that got it's start right here in town!
___________________________________________________________________________________

Two wheels good...very good...

BMW R90 Custom

Where is this...and when do we leave?

Don't forget....

Nice little 90 minute spin last night.  Good some blood flowing, and some fresh air.  Just a ride...nothing more.  Sometimes, that's what's needed.  Roll around.  Look at stuff.  Ride up to the top of a parking garage and look out over the town.

Two sunny days in a row?  What's happening around here?  Go outside and get some blue sky today!  It's good for you!

Just. Got. Real.

Yeah, last night, things got real for The Big S. 

It seems that Specialized doesn't even OWN the "Roubaix" name.  They license it from ASI, who is the parent company of Fuji.
ASI has contacted Cafe Roubaix, and told them that they are welcome to continue using the name. 
ASI has a history of playing fair with others who would like to use their Trademarks.  Class move by ASI/Fuji.  It's truly rare to see such corporate responsibility and maturity, as well as common/good sense these days. 
As for The Big S...crickets...
I'm willing to bet that heads are going to roll in Morgan Hill.  Hopefully, the PR/Social Media folks will be spared, as they aren't responsible for Shit Storm 2013 ! 
That blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Specialized management, both here, and in Canada, as well as the Lawyers involved. 

As for Richter, the chap who owns Cafe Roubaix, he's been told by ASI that he'll need to license the name.  If ASI/Fuji plays this right, and I'm betting they will, they'll charge him $1 for the licensing fee.
 If you're gonna support a Canadian enterprise, that's the one to support! 

Your bike handling skills?  Yeah, they suck!



Ashton was seriously injured while making this video, so he called Akrigg and Macaskill to help out.  They performed admirably. :)
There's a larger point that can be taken from this too.  If you think hitting a bump, or popping up/down a curb is going to ruin your road bike, it's won't.  I'm sure these guys tore up some equipment making this short film, but what they were doing was completely out of the ordinary.
What we do?  Ordinary...

When did this guy figure out this was a bad fucking idea?



I'm all for getting rad on a CX bike, but there is such a thing as going TOO big! 
My Insurance Exec wife said, after watching the video, "This is how you fulfill your deductible in one, easy step..."
She ain't wrong...

The 2013 version of the Bilenky Junkyard CX went off last weekend, so the video isn't up yet.  Here's 2012, so you have a point of reference...



Even if this sort of thing isn't your cup of tea, all involved looked like they were having a good time, and isn't that what this is all about? 

Don't forget, Gamecock Roubaix is Saturday morning.  0900 @ The Colonial Center fountain.  Weather looks iffy, so plan accordingly.  Plan is to ride, even if it's crappy...

Everyone is welcome,  Please remember though, this is a 50+ mile ride, across hill and dale, that will include dirt/muddy roads.  Though we will try to stay together, and ensure everyone's safety, this is a self-supported ride.  There is NO sag/broomwagon!!!
You are ultimately responsible for your own choices! 

Become familiar with this map :  Gamecock Roubaix 

Also, please make sure whatever bicycle you choose to ride is in good, working shape.  If you have a mechanical that cannot be quickly repaired with basic tool, you'll need a mobile phone...

OK...enjoy this lovely day.  Yeah, it's crappy here, but you could be in the Northeast...getting smashed by snow! 

Storms everywhere...

So there's a Winter storm battering the Northeast, and another kicking the crap out of the PNW.  Neither holds a candle to "Shit Storm - 2013"

So, as was mentioned in the last installment, Specialized is once again showing that there is no limit to their douchebaggery. 
The Intarwebs has EXPLODED with the news.
Facebook and Twitter are running amok.  It's not good for The Big S.

There have been a few things written, advising Special Ed on how to properly handle the situation.  To this point, they have fumbled the ball, or in the parlance of Southern folks, they have shit, and fallen back in it.

Riding Against the Grain had a good one...

So did Charles Pelkey over @ RKP...

Tom Demerly's take was spot on...

Like they all said, The Big S should own it.  Apologize.  Flagellate at the feet of the cycling Gods. 
I'm interested to see what happens...

If they think this will merely just pass, they are wrong.  This is the latest suit, in a long series, that has caused ill will towards themselves from the cycling World at large.  If there was ever a case on how NOT to handle something, this would be it.
Storms move on...this one will not...

Moving on...

40 and rain yesterday.  I hate the trainer so much that the thought of getting geared up and riding outside was an actual consideration for a little while.  Then I let the dog outside to do her business.  Pissing rain and a North wind made the decision.
I walked down to Service Course, and fired up the heat.  Trainer it is...
90 minutes...yes, 90 whole, soul-sucking minutes, were spent on the hamster wheel. 
The last 60km of Boonen's 2012 Roubaix escape kept me somewhat engaged/entertained. 
And as much as I revile the turbo, I cannot help but go harder than I initially plan.  15 minutes of spinning up was followed by a 1x60 @ 82-85%, then 15 minutes to wind down.  It sucked...
The puddle that formed under the bike was impressive though.
Hopefully that's the last trainer ride of 2013...

Specialized is a little lot like this duck...

Oh hell...

#Svenness (Druivencross Overijse ... Full race)



Enough shenanigans...
There's Christmas shopping to be done.

Enjoy your day, and remember, although it's Monday, and you think your job may suck...
You could be the PR/Social Media Director @ Specialized!

Quick Saturday Hit

Fun ride this morning.
Yeah, it was raining.  Harden up.
It was 68 degrees when I left Service Course.  The rain came and went a few times.
Instead of lazing about, my grain-fed ass knocked out 2.5 hours.
The CX bike got the call, and it is now deeeer-tay. 
The PowerStation was HEAVY.
No matter, I got my ride...

 Twas foggy in the low lying areas...

Vitamin D is good for you! 

And now, a bit of a rant....

Let's start with this...
Brace Yourselves...

FUCK YOU Specialized!  Yeah, you heard me!
You fucktards have a history of suing good people for no good reason.  Many times, you just outlast them, and beat them with bags full of money. 
Sometimes, guys like Volagi stand up to you, and punch you right in your very deserving junk.
This Lawsuit you've just entered into only further cements the fact that I, as well as many others, hate you.  We hate your product.  We hate your business practices. 
Suing a guy over a name that you didn't even create?  Really?  What's next, suing France, and making an effort to change the name of the race...or the entire town?

Sinyard should really go seek out some professional help.  There's something wrong in his head.  No one, and I mean NO ONE, will confuse this poor chap's shop with your line of bicycles.  To think otherwise is over-estimating your own importance, but that's what you jerk-offs do, isn't it.

There is already Twitter banter of starting a Kickstarter campaign to collect money to help fight this legal battle.  I truly hope it happens.  I'll kick in a few Benjis.

If there was ever I time I wish I was a Lawyer, AND Canadian, this might be it.

My neighbor Jonathan is English.  He's from Liverpool.  He's very fond of calling certain people "daft pricks".
I do not think there is a more accurate descriptor...

I have Special Ed cages on all three of my bikes.  As soon as I wrap up these thoughts, I am headed to the NOT Special Ed dealer to buy SIX bottle cages.

Bad form Special E...bad form...

Friday? Really?

Long week has been long.  Single management will do that to a brother.
The Boss came back yesterday afternoon, so I got on the CX bike for a bit last night.  A nice 2 hour spin with MopeStar and a couple of others.
I guess the rain in the afternoon scared off pretty much everyone.  Nevermind the fact that it was 70 freaking degrees!
A trip out 12th, and back in on The Powerstation was good enough.  The 'station was wet, and a little heavy, but the rain has really smoothed out all off the choppy sections.  Coupled with the fact that the hillbillies can't get back there and hoon around, I'd say the road is in damn fine shape.
Mope went home with a flat, and I did an extra 30 minutes.  After most of the week off, I needed the time to get the legs going around.

It's going to be close to 80 today.  If you can get outside to play, I suggest doing it.  The weather looks to be iffy, at best, for the next week or so.

Wrenching in 1949...

As an aside, look at the legs on that guy.  Yeezus...

All.  Day.  Every.  Day.

Got a note from a friend in Florida last night, asking about the quality of Stradalli bikes.  Not sure about their quality, but they seem to have the marketing figured out.

Custom.  Ducati.  Two wheels good.

If you don't like the Orica boys, the issue is with you...



McLaren P1.  The 'Ring.




Ripley Road.  Sit down.  Click the link.  Read the article.  Learn something.  You're welcome.

Wanna know what's going on in Boulder?  Read 303News.

Plan is to ride Saturday morning @ 9 from Rosewood School.  Weather could go either way.  It will be warm-ish though.

Sunday?  40-ish and raining.  Riding outside will likely reside on the 'stupid' side of the hard/stupid fall line.

It's December 7th.  Don't know?  Google it.

Enjoy your day...and weekend!