Mid-week shuffle

 Know this guy?  Know where this is just by sight?  No?  Better ask somebody...
 On the Twitters, people have been throwing around statements like, "I wonder how many Americans will bring their Flanders flags to CX Worlds...?"
Well, F you...If I was going, I'd be taking my Flanders flag!!!

Ned Van Vlaanderen!!!

I'll give you a moment to savor this bike.  There is little wrong here, other than it's too small for me...

Phil Gil's WC BMC from the TdU.  His seat is an old school Flite, but obviously a custom job, as none of the Flites I've ridden/owned in the past 20 years have been that fat. 

And you gotten love the Big S.  Oh, Topkey made that fork for us?  Let's recall it...
Specialized is playing it off by saying it's 2 failures out of 12k+, but let's be honest...if they weren't quietly shitting themselves, there wouldn't be a recall now, would there? 

It's what happens when your marketing budget outstrips that of R&D.

And Jonathan Page signs with Fuji for CX Worlds, and beyond.  Good for Fuji.  They are making damn nice bikes these days.  I've helped more than a few folks with bike choices/purchases in the last year or so, and quite a few have picked up Fujis. 
I've been impressed with the fit and finish, as well as the spec that Fuji delivers.  I'd rock one, and we all know that I'm a bike snob.  Well, not completely...I'd just never ride a Big S, or a bike from the Evil Empire.

Good night ride last night.  Left the house in 70+ temps, did a nice 2.5 hour ride that included some laughs, some shit talk, more than a few good/hard-ish efforts, some Vitamin D, and the distinct possibility that we may have forced a pathlete to poo himself.  It was a full night! 
Riding in bibs and short sleeves, at night...in January, doesn't exactly suck.  Beats the hell out of the turbo, that's fo damn sho! 

Got a good Renick-ing this morning, that, upon a certain manipulation, included a click in my spine that was felt...and audible.  I am about an inch taller now however...

And finally, LeMond was in a car accident over the weekend.  Anyone know where Lance was?

Ok...we're halfway to the weekend.  Those going to Louisville, be safe! 

Namaste...

It was a ... weekend...

Nothing of note happened...

I woke up, rode my bike, came home, and single-parented.  Big ups to my wonderful Mother for watching Junior Management while I played with my friends for a few hours.

Good Ride Saturday.  We switched up the loop, and did a few roads I haven't been on in (literally) years.  I've forgotten how much of a drag going up the backside of Elon is from Bunky's.  Good, long, steady drag, but a drag nonetheless. 
Then we came in thru the Fort.  Talk about PTSD.  That 30-ish minutes will tide me over for the next 6-9 months.  A nice 90km on a Saturday.

We even included the dirt climb out on Old Leesburg.  It was in really good knick.  Oh, and for those who doubt, the section averages right @ 5.5% for the length. 


Sunday was a bit brisk.  35 (maybe) at roll off, with a pretty stout North wind.  Yeah, the weatherman, who wouldn't know shit from apple butter, said it was a 5-10mph wind, but as usually happens, he was incorrectly by a W-I-D-E margin.  The turn onto 302 out below South Congaree was a cold-wind-slicing-through-you wake up call.  The entire trip home was a block headwind.  As HWC and I discussed, it was just fecking relentless.  I came home with 70km, and it was just about all I wanted. 

 Never seen so many turkey vultures just chilling on the side of the road...with NO carcass to gnaw on...

 Gotta love rural Lexington County!  Wonder if the Mormons knock on his door?

Gotta know where you've been to know where you're going...or something like that...

Got home, ran around, then replaced my F/D cable and housing (poor shifting for the last few weeks), wrapped the bars, and wiped down the Helium.
 I know, how do I contain myself while surrounded by such excitement?  

Oh, those nutty Belgians...



It's gonna be 70+ tomorrow (here), so get yourselves on the bicycle! 

Another Monday of errands...because, you know, I don't do shit around here...

Namaste...

Quien es mas macho?

El Chongo es mas macho...



QPQS and Cav should be afraid...very afraid...

Chongo!!!!!!

Again...Lotto makes it look easy.  Hendy and Chongo look hard to beat...

And Farrar hit the ground...again?  I'm shocked...shocked I say...

And I really like how Ty-Ty is standing there, glaring at the Bleeding Carrots on the ground.
I make zero claims to know much about what goes on in the last kms of a sprint finish, but ONE thing I do know is that if you are around 3 or 4 Euskatel guys coming to the line...

YOU ARE IN THE WRONG FECKING SPOT!!!  Stop making excuses for Farrar...and stop calling him a sprinter!!!

Good night rides this week.  Nice groups and good pace. 
I went pretty easy this week.  Just tired...
Last night was a test.  The temps DROPPED between the time I rolled out of Service Course (@ 17:30) and when I got home (20:00).  52 when I left...42 when I hit the door!  And the wind...ooof!  What was light Northerly breeze turned into a BLOCK N/NE headwind for the run home. 
Leaves and sticks and all other manners of detritus where blowing around.  I took a stick to the head on Heyward.  THAT will wake a person up!
And I lost a contact somewhere along the way.  I want to say it was on the bridge crossing, as the wind was swirling in a big, bad, legally binding way. 
Even considering I always wear glasses when I ride, I'm blinking crap out of my eyes this morning! 

Time to hit Target and Earthfare.  I'm single parenting until tomorrow afternoon, as The Boss has duties in Charleston and HHI. 

Enjoy your weekend!  Go outside and ride! 

Namaste...

To the Victor go the spoils...

USPS hit the door yesterday with my ProBikeKit UK caption contest winnings...

...a shiny, new, and VERY flouro Sportful UK Rain Jacket.

 Pretty swank, eh?  Let's call this a pre-full review review... (yeah, I could have called it a preview...shut up...!)
Anyway, fresh out of the package, I could tell that it was a damn fine piece of kit.  The sort of thing I would probably NEVER buy for myself, unless The Corporation relocated to a much damper location.
The fit :  Damn near perfect.  It's a large, and fits my 40-41" torso well.  And it FITS like a cycling jacket should fit.  A bit tighter across the shoulders and chest to prevent the incessant flapping of other wet weather clothing.  It's also a bit shorter along the front, which was disconcerting at first, but once bent over into the proper cycling position, it was just right.  No bunching along the full zipper.
The arms are long-ish, but again, once in the riding hunch, the length was exactly correct.  The openings are adjustable, with a nice little piece of rubberized velcro.  And that velcro is designed and sewn so it can be opened, or closed, easily.
The black material is the same as the "Oh-God-My-Eyes" flouro yellow, and if one looks closely, zippers are visible between the yellow and black panels.  Nope, not pockets!  Vent zippers!  Placed right where they should be...shocking, I know...
It's also longer in the back, to keep one's largess from getting wet and dirty while out practicing Rule 5 and Rule 9.  I normally ride with a fender in the wet, but still come home with "The Stripe".
The rear flap can also be folded up inside the jacket...out of the way.
The hood...removable.

 The aforementioned vent.  Same on the other side...

Definitely a waterproof affair, as the material has an old-school GoreTex feel to it.  The seams are also full welded.  No seepage!  And if you look closely, the outside of the zipper itself has the very same welding material.

I also like the reflective bits on the back and arms.  It's not much, but then again, who wants to wear an airport baggage handler's jacket on a ride?

As I said, I haven't ridden in it, but from the fit, materials, and construction, I would hazard to say that's it likely damn warm, and windproof, as well.  The requisite layering may not be necessary here, lest one bursts into flames.

As the Brits would say...I'm completely chuffed...for now.  I'll get back to you the next time it's 46 degrees and pissing rain!  The fine line between Hard and Stupid just got a bit blurrier!

Happy Thursday!  Go outside and ride, 'cause tomorrow is likely going to SUCK if you live East of the Mississippi!

Oh, and Serfas...
Maybe you guys should have kept sending me stuff to test, because then I could have told you that your bottle cages are really poorly constructed.  I broke one on the CX bike Tuesday night.  They're too tight for a standard bottle, and the plastic is far too brittle.  The cage is less than 6 months old...and it's not even on my primary bike!  Both will be removed this afternoon, and likely travel to the Land of Misfit Toys.

Edit : As much as I hate the Big S, a pair of their cages are now on the Salsa.  It is my ONLY concession to the company from Morgan Hill...

El chongo...

Griepel crushes the field again...

Not even close...

Omega Pharma-Quick Step-Joe's Crab Shack-AMF Family Bowling better get their leadout train figured out...

Sure, Cav won...but...

The duel is shaping up in February...


Didn't ride yesterday, even though it was perfect.  We went out to The Swamp instead.  It was damp...

 No...no...the boardwalk goes on that way...I'll be right behind you!

 The Ranger, who was a cutie-pie BTW, kayaked down to Weston Lake THROUGH the woods!!! 

Weston Lake is, as of 5pm yesterday, approximately 8-9 feet higher than normal!!  Pretty crazy!

I've been out there dozens of times, and NEVER seen the water this high.  Kind of cool to see just how the water plays such a major role in the life cycle of the forest.

#1 and #2 had a great time!  #3 just enjoyed his Cheesy Poofs!

Riding tonight in the dark...

Monday dump

Since most folks have the day off for one reason, or another, here's a bunch o' stuff...

2013 TdU opening crit...final kilometers...



Lotto shows how it's done.  OPQS should watch this clip, and take notes, if they plan on leading out Cav.  Favorite part?  Lotto is going so fast, they gapped the field!  And Hendy rolled across 3rd...after leading out Griepel!

Last lap @ Hoogerheide CX...the weather looked great...



Wonder what pressures these guys were riding?  Betting they were LOOOOOOW!

 Sure, everyone knows who this guy is...but he didn't invent riding a wheelie...

 Know this guy?  No...then you aren't allowed to say back in the day!

 I heard Liz Hatch is coming back to the women's peloton.  Meh...!  I'll take Rochelle Gilmore over Liz "my talent is in my jersey" Hatch, any day!

 Did someone say lo-pro?  Naked Cycles new TT rig...pretty sexy...if you're into hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind bicycles...

And whoever the hipster is that bastardized this Art Decor Colnago should be beaten about the head and neck with their own U-Lock!  This offends 99.7% of the fiber in my being!

Good rides this weekend!  Nice weather, good company, and a tailwind home on Sunday.  Hard to complain about that! 
Last week was also my first double digit (hours) riding week since getting whatever illness my children infected me with back in December.  Felt sort of good.  The riding...not the sickness!  That part sucked!!

 Uh...the river is up...

 One of the nicest roads in Calhoun County...and no, I'm not telling you how to get there...

Just rolling along on a perfect Sunday.

 Such terrible vistas out there.  Fort Jackson is so much prettier...!  This was right before the tailwind went to good use.  We had joy, we had fun, we had a tailwind in the sun! 

Hope everyone got some riding in, and enjoyed their weekend.  Remember, you could be living in Minneapolis!  (BTW- the high there today is forecat to be -5 F.  No, that isn't a typo!)  Now go outside and play!

Time to get the day going...

Damn allergies...

F Lance Armstrong...

Oh damn...

Someone kick on the fan, because the SHIT is inbound...

US Gub'ment v. Lance, Weisel, Tailwind, et al.

Oh, and it came out late last night/early this morning that Weisel hired Ochowicz as a broker, and Och was managing Hein Verbruggen's money . 
This pile o' crap is getting stinkier by the minute...

One couldn't make this up....

And from the "If you don't know..." files...

 Don't know either of these two guys, or the races during which these photos were taken?  You know what I'm gonna say next...

 Roubaix is coming.  Can we all do a little rain dance?

Wonder if they can cobble together a road version of these shoes for TVH?  So fresh...

Supposed to rain tonight.  Guess I'll go out solo and get wet.  Too bad my Sportful rain jacket isn't here...

Enjoy your Thursday!

Namaste

Mid-week stuff

Nice ride last night.  The Boss got home early, so I got on the bike early.  No point in riding over to WeCola @ 5:30, so I did a little loop, then headed to the Urban Ride.  Felt better than I did over the weekend.  I guess the disturbance in The Force has moved on...thankfully...
Anyway, I just sort of rode, and had fun.  You know, like a bike ride is supposed to be?  Still got a pretty good effort in at one point though.

Once we hit Saluda, the group turned for Five Points, and I stayed on Wheat, and headed back to Service Course.  2.5 hours in the dark ain't bad.  Oh, and it was 72 when I left.  Tell me again about Portland, Minneapolis, and Boulder...

Lance is on Oprah tomorrow, and Friday, night.  Here's something you can do while watching the "interview".  

As I said on the Twitters a little while ago, one must remember a few things...
Hate Lance all you want.  Hate cycling all you want.  Complain, bitch, stomp your feet.  Know these things though...
1) Drugs don't make a jackass into a racehorse.  LA still trained, suffered, and sacrificed for the sport.
2) YOU watched it.  YOU loved it.  YOU jumped up and down and shouted at the TV.  YOU felt a small sense of jingoistic nationalist pride because Lance won.
3) Doping has ALWAYS been a part of the sport.  It WILL always be a part of the sport.

Vaughters want "Truth and Reconciliation" in cycling. 
Truth :  Hey JV, want people to stop saying you're a dandy?  Stop dressing like this!  You make Cam on "Modern Family" seem like Russell Crowe.
Reconciliation : Want cycling to move forward?  Get rid of the former dopers who are still directing teams.  That should clear out about 40% of them, and make cycling better, eh?

 Yes, Peter Sagan IS a better bike handler than you!

 When keeping it real goes wrong!  I'm no expert in the ways of the downhill, but I don't think the brake disc is supposed to actually touch the ground.

Two things : 1) Sexy bike is sexy!  2) That saddle to bar drop is making my junk hurt, and I'm sitting at my dining room table!

And in more ME news, I won the PBK photo caption contest on the Facebooks.  Sweeeet!

"No, seriously guys, don't laugh...I can lead us to Paris!"

What'd I win?  A $125 Sportful UK Rain Jacket!  See, being a wiseass DOES sometimes pay off!!

Belgium 2013 CX Nat champs race...it's long...but the quality is top notch!




 That's about it for me today.  Peace and ceramic bearing grease...

A decent weekend...

I didn't feel too chipper this weekend, but since the weather was spec-fucking-tacular, I went outside to play in it anyway.

Saturday, I went to Charlotte for some QCC business, then we did a really nice, mellow ride down into SC, back up thru Waxhaw, and into the Queen City.  It was nice to ride somewhere else, and see some new stuff.  The riding is great up there, and as always, the company was even better.

I didn't take many pictures, simply because we were rolling along, just having a good ride.  I just never reached for the camera.
Post-ride, the VIPS went to lunch, BS'ed, laughed, and just generally had a good time.  My trips to Charlotte are too few, and too far between, especially considering it's closer than Greenville or Charleston.

Sunday we did a bit shorter ride, but it was still a good time.  There was a Crusty sighting, which very well could have been a sasquatch if the amount of facial hair were taken into account.
Like I told the old boy on Gator, make it to the goats, and you're okay!

Post-ride Sunday was markedly different than Saturday.
I installed new prison-yard lights on the house, removed nails from the front overhangs, filled all of the holes that accompany nail removal, and did a punch list for my ''to-do'' list.  Time to get this 30s bungalow in shape so we can get the hell out of here...

Belgian NC was yesterday.  No video has hit the YouTubes yet, but here's the link to Sporza for the last lap.  Good stuff...

And Jonathan Page won the US CX NC yesterday for the umpteenth time.  Here's the USAC Youtube link.  Can't embed...sorry, but then again, what can one expect from USA Cycling.  Nothing they've done lately makes much sense...
Weather looks great in Madison, eh?  Enjoy that shit...


Hope everyone had a good weekend!

End o' the week...

I know I've posted this in the past, but it bears re-posting...
It kind of goes with the "If you don't know..." theme. 
As an aside, it also shows how it's done, in more than one way...

National teamwork.  Olano goes.  Indurain stays, and marks the chase group.  Country over individual goals.
Oh, and speaking of Indurain...THAT'S how you shut down a chase.  "Oh, you're going to chase Olano?  No...no you aren't!"
And Olano...pure class.  In today's day of, "Oh, I got a flat, I'm going to have a hissy fit, and toss my bike over the barriers...", Olano had a rear flat, and never stopped crushing the big ring.  Stopping meant losing the WC!

Good ride last night.  It's fun rolling around with Ricky and those guys, even though a few of them take it WAAAY too seriously.  It's a fun bike ride guys, lighten up!
Door to door was a tick over 2 hours, which is plenty for a night ride. 
Speaking of Mr. Sox, he's headed to Haiti today on a mission trip to help out with some construction projects.  No matter who, or what, you speak to when you hit your knees at night, say a word for Ricky to have safe travels.  He's a quality guy, who's doing something to make the World a better place!

I'm headed to Char tomorrow for a ride, and some QCC bidness.  It's supposed to be spectacular weather this weekend...get on your bike and ride!

Humpday filler

"Here's the deal...you finish Roubaix, and I'll lead you out!"

 That's SIR Hoy to you!

 Another argument for the Giro being better than the Tour...

And a request/continuation of the series "If you don't know..."
If you don't know who the guy driving it on the front is, then keep your expertise to yourself!

Good solo night ride last night.  I didn't feel like doing someone else's ride, so I went out alone.  It was the standard HoP night/winter loop, with some ancillary meat thrown in.  I may, or may not, have been a little pukey after this photo was taken.  I felt like seeing where I stand right now, so I did a small (15 minute) effort from the top of River Dr. to the end of the Canal.  It stung a bit, but I felt better than expected, considering the fact that December was a running joke of illness, and scheduling issues. 
Apologies to the few joggers that had to deviate off the dirt path last night.  It's easier for you to move than it is for a bicycle to hop up the lip, onto the pavement, at 35-40kmh. 

The rest of the ride was just tooling around downtown, enjoying the pleasant SC evening.  Found some cool stuff too.  It seems the City it trying to make the Riverfront just a little more inviting...

 There's a lot of wood, iron, and engineering in this section...

Art, or just graffiti?  The City has left it alone...for now.  Wonder if they'll leave it alone.  It's kinda cool under the lights in the arch.

Ok, that's it for me!  Enjoy the rest of your week!

Namaste!

well, I rarely say this, but...

I'm glad it's Monday...

The weekend started off great.  It was cold Saturday morning, but the sun was out, so our little band of merry men rolled out into WeCola for a nice loop.  No drama, no primate-esque displays of testosterone-fueled aggression...just 2.5 hours of rolling and chatting on a fine January morning.

Upon my return to Service Course, I turned it around in less than 20 minutes, including lunch, and the entire corporation loaded into The Beast, and headed to Ikea in Charlotte.  Man...I love that place!
We went, looking for a dresser for #3's room.  Unfortunately, all of the ones that The Boss wanted were out of stock, even though the website said there were plenty in the warehouse.
Pro-tip : Don't trust Ikea's online inventory levels!

Instead, we bought a chair for the living room.

Here's where the train started to shimmy and shake.  After loading up, and putting it in the breeze for Cola, The Boss realized that she'd left her purse in the "family bathroom" @ Ikea.  Did I mention we were South of Rock Hill at this point?
And we're off the rails...
Back to Charlotte at a higher than legal rate of speed, while talking to Ikea customer service.  Fortunately, someone found her bag, and turned it into Lost and Found...and did NOT empty her wallet, nor liberate her Blackberry.  I know...I'm as shocked as you!

#3 was not happy about this detour, and wailed for probably 70 of the 90 minute drive home.  Super!

Once home, The Boss went into the Loo, and upon her exit, she informed me that the sink was clogged.  Change hats from chauffeur, to plumber.  After dis-assembling the pipes under the sink, I discovered a child's toothbrush, two AA batteries, and a clump of the Boss' hair that resembled a drowned rat.  Wonder why it was clogged?  It was now 8:15pm.  I had eaten only a Larabar and a Pepsi since leaving Service Course @ 1pm.

I'd had enough, and went to bed after eating a plate full of GF waffles.

Sunday greeted me with 45 degree temps, and rain.  I did not have a fuck to give, so I kitted up, met JBrstl @ 9, and we rolled out into the wet and cold WeCola wilderness.

Between Saturday's ride, sitting in the truck, walking around Ikea for hours, and lack of caloric intake, my legs were little more than hollow meat sticks.  Yeah, I rode 2.5 hours in that shit, but it wasn't fast, and the last 30-ish minutes were under protest.

Wet and dirty...oh joy!

Came home, ate whatever was GF in the kitchen, and went back outside to split wood for an hour.  Cross-training...Rocky-style!  When I finally sat down, the lights went OUT!  This was approx. 2:30pm...

@ 5:30, I was rousted from my slumber in order to build a fire so the MTs could roast marshmallows.  No rest for the weary/wicked I suppose...

While they tried to burn down the house, I watched this :



And this....



That was a World Cup course?  Looked like every local race ever held in the US...

Overall, the weekend was a push!  It's Monday...and quiet in the house.  A trip to Earthfare is on the horizon, and another nap when #3 lays down for his morning slumber.  I live on the ragged edge...

Enjoy your day!

(Insert title here)

 Basically what Clowney said to Michigan in the Outback Bowl...

 Argonaut's new carbon offering makes me feel kinda funny...
Carbon...seatmast...room for BIG tires...my little mind is all swirl-y...

Not the biggest fan of BMC frames, but this custom paint is hot!  I'd rock it...

JBrstl and I met for our own little Urban Ride last night.  It was good fun.  2 hours and we looped more than half of Columbia proper. 
We hit the tennis center out in WeCola, and once the pavement ended, so did the light posts.  It was like riding into a tunnel...that fell off the end of the Earth.  From light, to complete darkness in, literally, 10 feet. 
Saw more than a few deer out on Old State.  Big, mature does, that do damage when hit on a bicycle traveling 30-35kph.  The hooting and whistling started after the second set was seen making their way across the road.
And we got to climb a 6' tall fence/gate topped with barbed wire.  Fortunately, as J so eloquently said this morning, there were no Hoogerland-esque moments.  His foray up and over the fence was less than graceful though.  That being said, I probably looked like a drunken orangutan as I made my way over. 
Toe spikes on MTB shoes DO help climbing a fence though...so there's that...

Don't know what's going on this weekend.  Supposed to be nice Saturday, but who knows if anyone will show up @ Rosewood.  I'm gonna roll up there for giggles, but if no one is there by 9:05, I'm out.
As for Sunday, the WX is calling for the possibility of rain.  I'm still riding.  The WX will determine which arrow gets pulled from the quiver .

Hope everyone had a good first (short) week back work/school/whatever.  See you on the road...

Deuces...