A simple request

I just cannot understand why some people feel the need to make riding a bicycle harder than it needs to be. It's simple. There are two ways to go on a bicycle ride.
1) Get your bike. Get dressed. Go ride by yourself.
2) Get your bike. Get dressed. Meet at a pre-determined time, at a pre-determined spot, and ride with a group of like-minded individuals.

Not hard. So here's my request...
If you do not do the ride(s), or do not participate in the main body of the ride(s), please do not take it upon yourself to make the effort to control the ride(s). Please do not send out emails concerning the ride(s), especially when the email concerns changing the ride time. And not everyone is on the 'double secret' email list.
The folks who actually DO the ride(s) will talk amongst themselves, and get it figured out. Last I checked, the vast majority of the group in question are fully grown adults.
Treating people like small, dull children only serves to piss them off.

That being said, after the confusion of yesterday, the Urban Rides will now leave @ 6pm. It's being done in an effort to be able to do a full loop, and not get back to the parking lot @ 9pm.

Thanks!

Now...
The ride last night was pretty good. No lolly-gagging. We rode, stayed together, and had a good time.
And the first chill in the air was felt.
2 good hours in the dark.
Except for when I got back into the neighborhood, and got pinched by some moron in a Lexus SUV on Wheat St. Dog forbid she wait until I get past the parked car before she passed.
Thankfully, I sensed it coming, so I slowed down, and waited on her to pass. And it was a parent from Junior Management's school.
I'll see them again...

A while ago, Peloton did a good mini-doc on Keith Bontrager...





And speaking of current/former Trek partners, it seems LeMond has introduced a want-worthy steel frameset...

The 'Washoe'. Yeah, the name is questionable, but the frame is swank. 853 tubing. 44mm headtube. Over-sized front triangle. Enve fork. Old school LeMond/Euro geometry.
$1799! Yes...$1799. Buy a similar frame from IF, Donhou, or whoever, and it'll be 2x that money.
Not a big fan of the paint/graphics, but I could probably live with it.

And Jens Voigt's one month Hour Record fell yesterday...



Can't wait to see what the big dogs can do with the Hour. Cancellara, Wiggo, Martin...

Weather is gonna be shit tomorrow...be prepared...

Not gonna say it...

There are times, shockingly enough, when I'm right. I know this pains many of you, but it's accurate.

Point one- Ft. Jackson is now closed to visitors, including cyclists. Yeah, I know you pay your taxes, and think that entitles you to have free reign of the Army's largest training facility, but it doesn't.
Military installations are, ostensibly, sovereign nations. They operate under their own set of rules, and within their own confines. Regardless of what you think, letting visitors onto a military base, with little more than a driver's license check, is a HUGE security risk. I could go through a half dozen scenarios of exactly WHY, but you guys watch Homeland, so...
Be glad that we have been allowed to use their base for the last three decades. And please don't whinge that there are no places to ride. Or that roads have cars on them. As Bristol pointed out to someone last night, roads have cars, and the ocean has sharks...
Funny that I've put down 11k+ kms this year so far, and none have been on Fort Jackson. No place to ride...

Point Two- When I speak, and tell other riders things, it's not always to hear my own voice. Case in point?
We had a good ride going last night. Yeah, I broke a spoke going out 12th. Street, but a quick wraparound of the spoke, and opening of rear brakes, and we were on our way.
At the K-Rail on the PowerStation, I yelled, "Soft Sand". Someone crashed anyway...
Then, I was leading down the trail, at a good clip, and imparted upon everyone that they follow my lines. Well, a couple didn't, went on ahead, and at the mudhole, they over-rode their lights, and got to see first hand just how deep the hole is in the middle. (It's deep)

Back to the ride...
Because of the broken spoke, my rear wheel had some character, thus I was forced to open the brake. I can say, will some authority, running front brake only back in the trails really sucks. Crampy hand? Sure. Trail braking? Nope. Brake sounds akin to violating a goose? Most definitely.
And honestly, I was a bit shocked that the wheel didn't get worse as the ride progressed, especially considering it started the evening with 24 spokes, and ended with 23.

The wheel is going to the shop shortly for a new 282mm n/d spoke.

Saw this picture yesterday, and it made me snicker. No, not at the rider. He's out doing his thing. Respect.
It was the caption from the #fauxtographer. "BIG AIR". Really? I think the photog is very easily impressed...

THIS, on the other hand, is BIG AIR...

Mr. Stybar likes to BRAAAAAP.

Two wheels good :

Custom BMW Scrambler. Um, yes please...

And speaking of yes please...
Someone gave Hennessey their new Jag F-Type...



I will be stopping to pick up a few PowerBall tickets while out running errands this morning.

And so ends today's babbling...

Weekends should really be three days...

Two is just not enough to pack in all of the crap one wants to do. Of course, if one is a lazy sot, then it might be too many...
Saturday was a day of soccer. It began early with team pictures, then progressed into games. I was at the soccer fields from 10:30 until after 2. Doesn't sound like a long time to you? See you next Saturday. I'll ask you the same question...
#1 played well. He's starting to figure it out. It's his first season on the pitch, so the finer points are taking time.
#2 played like scouts from Real Madrid were there watching. 12 saves on 13 shots...one was a ricochet straight of his dome. AND he showed some real aggression, and initiative. For this, he received high praise...and a yellow card.
A player from the other side was on a break. No defense. Just attacker and #2 in goal. The boy came out of goal, rushed the kid on the break, and knowing he couldn't use his hands, as he was out of the box, executed a text book slide tackle.
We're not talking about a normal, kid's soccer tackle either. It was a tackle taken straight from Premier League play.
The kid on the break flew about 10 feet before hitting the ground...in a pile...not moving.
Rarely do cards come out in youth soccer, but #2 got a yellow. Sure, he got the ball, but he definitely got the kid too.
I asked where he learned it, and he said from watching BPL on TV. A sponge, that one...
I told him it was okay. Sometimes, you need to take the man, and the card.

Once home, and Junior Management had left for the Lexington office, I got one the CX bike for a short spin to get the legs going around.
Perfect afternoon, and the PowerStation couldn't be much better right now. 90 easy minutes, and I was back. It was plenty.
Sunday was a fantastic ride, on a Chamber of Commerce day. Big loop out through LexCal, including going UP Big Beaver Creek. And honestly, it's really not a big deal. I sort of liked it in that direction. Then across to Swansea, and back in.
110km for the day...AND tightened up the tanlines...at the end of October. Tell me again how nice it is to ride up North...
Roxy said she hated me for dragging her out that far. Sorry. You buy the ticket, you ride the ride.

 Gotta be a certain age to get the funny in this one...

 The organizers of the Tour really missed it this time.  Can you see it?

 Oh Mario, when do you tease so?

Is it bad that I want the attractive female to get the hell out of the way, so I can see the road?

As an aside, Outspokin' is looking good inside. The remodel is still on going, but the extra space, and the glassed-in fitting area will complete the shop. Good effort guys/gals!

And the word for the the day? #blackfish

Cramping my style

This "parenting" thing is beginning to cut into my ride time.
Haven't been on the bike since Tuesday due to varying responsibilities. I'm getting itchy.
Between The Boss working a couple of events, and a week that has been filled with U8 and U10 futbol, the bike has been lonely...
I might be able to sneak in a ride this afternoon, as Junior Management is going to the Lexington County office for the evening, and into Sunday. It'll likely be little more than a short spin out through the PowerStation to get the legs going around.
I'll be out in the morning though...

Quick hit on the whole Armstrong/Hincapie Fondo thing...
The fact that Lance doped and lied...yeah...I get that. Do I really give a shit anymore? Nope.

Lance got invited to do the Hincapie Fondo. It's been public knowledge for weeks. Only a few short days ago did USAC and USADA decide to hike up their man pants, and decide to enforce Lance's ban from sanctioned events.
A few things...
IT'S A FUCKING COOKIE RIDE! The only reason it's "sanctioned" under USAC is for the insurance. Period.
The "ban" from the ride has more to do with Travis Tygart's ego than it does Lance, and that's sad.
If USAC is banning Lance from riding, then under USAC's own rules, everyone participating this weekend should be required to by a USAC racing license. What's good for the goose, and all that...
And how, exactly, would they stop him from riding. Free country...open roads.
If I was Lance, I'd have a car take me out of the hotel grounds, to the base of the Watershed. And I'd wait...
When the group came over the last crest before the climb, I'd blend in seemlessly.
Just a dude out for a ride, who met up with some other dudes out on the road.
What's USAC gonna do, hire mercenaries to stop him? Or will Tygart and Betsy link arms, start singing "We Shall Overcome", and block the road?
Bandit the ride Lance. It's cool with me...and most other folks. Or Hincapie, and the organizers of the ride could just tell Tygart to GFY, and ride anyway. That would be even cooler with me.
Maybe USAC and USADA would get the point that they are both ineffectual governing bodies.
And let's be clear about USAC and USADA, they were complicit in all of the doping in the late 90's/early 2000s. They knew. They supported it.
If you doubt this, just use the Google search tab in your browser, and get some education.

And FWIW, I know LA follows me on Twitter, and I've seen some traffic from both Austin, and Aspen, so maybe he visits this little dog-and-pony show.
If that's the case, I throw this out there...
We ride @ 9 on Sunday mornings. Usually 100km or so. You're always welcome to ride with us, and enjoy some SC countryside.

#LetLanceRide

As an aside, how about USAC, USADA, and WADA worry about the guys that are doping NOW, instead of the guys who are retired?
I've said it before, and I'll bang the drum forever...
Cycling is the only sport that will dig up it's dead, and re-hang them in the town square.

Here endeth the rant...

Le Tour 2015

So the Tour route for next year was announced this morning.
Tourmalet. Alpe d'Huez on the next to last day. Mur de Huy. And cobbles again...
Stage 4 is the longest at 221km, including 7 sections of cobbles, with 6 of them coming in the last 45km.
Froome has already balked. Took about 17 seconds.

And I keep hearing a high-pitched whine. It may be a frequency variance, or it may be Tejay.

Here's an idea for the contenders...
This Winter/Spring, go to the very places the Tour will visit come July. Hell, they gave you a MAP!
Ride the cobbles. A Lot.
Go here :

Not here:

Yes...Mallorca DOES have it's particular advantages...

...but these do not serve to help one win Le Tour.

Fun Night Ride last night. I won't say "Urban" this time, as it wasn't.
A trip out 12th to the PowerStation was the call. The group all rolled as a unit until the trip back in. I was called on to lead, as I know the proper lines to prevent riding into big holes (Charlie), or straight into a mud pit.
And it was a good thing this knowledge somehow remains in my concussion-addled, little, squirrel brain.
About halfway down the road, I felt what I thought was a bead of sweat roll into my eye. I blinked hard a few times, only to blink out the contact lens that had been correcting the vision in my right eye.
Know what makes a ride in the dark fun? Compromised depth perception. I surrendered the lead once on the paved trail. The one-eyed man was not King...
And then about half of the group got separated/lost/whatever. We sat and waited for a while, then it became time to push on. I had to get home...
A quick trip up the hill into Shandon, and that was that...

Time to get the day started...Publix and the shop await...

Serious time...

I know how not serious this little dirt road off the Information SuperHighway can be. It's by design. Cycling is, and should be, fun.
That's not to say that the data dorks don't have their place. To each his own.
Herein lies the beauty of cycling. There's something for everyone.

One common thread that runs through all of it, however, is the fact that we are all doing the same thing, and all place our very lives in the hands of people in two-ton metal cages every time we roll out of our houses.

It's dangerous stuff, this cycling life.

Two brothers were struck in Charlotte last week. Both are still in the hospital. One is expected to recover. The other is still unconscious, and unresponsive.
The driver simply turned in front of them.

And this hit me, and many others, like a ton of bricks yesterday. I implore you to sit down, and take the time to read it fully.
Then, take the time to pass it along to family, friends, and colleagues. Please remind those who are not cyclists to be vigilant, attentive, and PATIENT when driving. That call or text can wait. The perceived time savings gained by forcing themselves past a cyclist, or group of cyclists, just is not worth the risk to the cyclists, nor themselves.
And remind them to PLEASE not pull out in front of someone on a bike. Cyclists travel at speeds that are low, as compared to a motor vehicle, but easily high enough to strip flesh from bone, and/or kill the cyclist.

I do not know Kennett, nor Adelaide, but Kennett's story that follows is raw, gripping, and truly emotional. What occurred last Saturday in Boulder, could happen to any of us.

Keep your heads on a swivel. Look out for one another.

ADELAIDE

Been a few days...

Sorry...but the whole "trying to ride" thing, coupled with family time, sometimes makes pecking at the keyboard like a over-caffeinated chicken, hit or miss.
Fun Urban Ride Thursday. Nice easy spin in the dark. 2 hours...no big efforts.
Friday was spent chasing children, and getting my crap together to head to the mountains Saturday morning.
And speaking of, 0430 is WAY too early to wake up unless I'm going on vacation, or the house is on fire. But as I was channeling my inner John Muir, the mountains were calling, so I had to go.
Plus, I was driving, so even if I had felt like it, bailing wasn't an option.
I picked up the crew, and we headed to Tryon to do the Tour de Leaves. I will say though, getting there about an hour early was nice. No rushing around. Plenty of time to get dressed, embro'd up, and on the bike.
110km, 6000+ feet of climbing, and 4 hours later, we were all back at the car. Well, Dean got back first, as one of his aged Michelins decided to fail in a fairly spectacular manner on the decent that leads to Green Cove Springs.
Thankfully, he whoa'd it down, fixed the rupture, and gingerly pedaled himself back to the car.
And yes, it took 4 hours. Seeing that it's October, and there's no podium back at the parking lot, we decided to just ride, and enjoy it. And don't get confused, the loop for the ride is no bullshit. Yeah, I/we could have gone faster/harder, but A) there was no point, and B) it's a harder ride than people think. There are few places that are LONELY, and not the spot to come apart.
There are ups, and downs...no in between.
And why people freak out over Green Cove Springs is a little baffling. Yeah, it's hard. Yeah, it's steep in places. It's short though, and if one has the correct gearing on the bike, or doesn't fuck with the rear derailleur the night before (Taylor), it's really not bad.
If I can drag my big ass up it in a 39/24-28, most can do it. I will say though, a couple of guys passed me on the climb, spinning circus monkey gears, and it looked wonderful. I may pick up a 38 chainring, just for occasions like this...
No compact yet, or "mid-compact" as TVH kept reminding us. Still 110bcd and a 36 chainring my friend...
Honestly, I thought the climb out from the valley, back up to 176, was the hardest climb. It's long, and hits you @ mile 50, right when climbing isn't high on the old "To-Do List".
The descent back into Tryon is getting fun too. Some of the frost heaves are sphincter-tightening when traveling at speed that will strip flesh from bone. Nothing like the bike jumping sideways at 70kmh.
If one hasn't done the Tour de Leaves, put it one of the list. Fun ride...easy to get to...well organized...and beautiful scenery.
A good group met Sunday morning, and spun out into Lower Richland (no hills, thank you very much!), on a Chamber of Commerce day.
Another 80km fell under wheels, and I think that those of us who rode in the mountains the day before felt better than expected.
Bristol and I even hit a dirt road. A really GOOD dirt road. No, I'm not telling you where it is, but you've all likely passed it, and scoffed. I'm sure someone will "discover" it soon enough. #Columbus
Back to Service Course, and quick turnaround, and The Boss and I took Junior Management to The Fair.
Nothing to really report, other than some "Gamecock" roosters truly are ill-tempered fowl. I got too close to one of the cages, and the damn thing came after me. He had ZERO fear.

After a few hours, we were all DONE, and came home for our Silkwood scrubdowns.
Busy weekends seem to be de rigeur lately...

Svenness 3.2

SVENNESS 3.2 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Valkenburg CX



VanderHoleShot...

 Women's race. Katie Compton crashed on lap one, fell behind, fought back, and won alone. She's badass...period...I hear she bakes a hell of a GF cookie too!



Sorry again...I took NO pictures this weekend. I've gotten out of the habit. Need to start carrying the camera again...

Hope everyone had as good of a weekend as I. Guess I should get my Monday started...

pequeno

Nice little spin with Bristol last night. Needed to work out the residual stiffness from Tuesday's physio session. Definitely felt better as the ride progressed, and after I hit Service Course. 
The PowerStation was heavy from all of the rain, and one of the washouts is covered with leaves, so I'm fairly confident it will reach up and drag someone to the ground in the very near future.
Got to see the Cola PD hassle a homeless guy who was minding his own damn business, walking up Gervais St. Way to go Barney Fife...you showed him!
I've had two interactions with Columbia PD in the past 72 hours, and the Officers in both instances were complete asshats. These interactions were nothing more than me asking a simple question. Seems the new Chief may not be handling his business like he promised. Either that, or Columbia PD is hiring descendants of Napoleon.
Anywho...I'll probably do the 90 minutes of power tonight. Let the dark chase me a little bit. If I was a smart man, I'd go make sure the road bike shifts properly before heading to the mountains on Saturday. As we know, I've never been accused of being overtly intelligent, so...

CX can be FAB-U-LOUS...

...Crash...2...3...4...and Step...2...3...4...Now JAZZHANDS....

Wiggo got him a motorhome...and I'm in serious WANT...

And cyclists are the problem?


And the running the red thing...
I may have to set up one of my helmets with the camera for a night ride. The sheer number of folks that jump/run lights in Columbia after dark is mind-boggling. But you know, I'm the bigger problem for riding in the dark...

And don't forget about this...

If you can't race, at least come out and support the race. That's what I'ma do...

Nope

I'll ride in all manners of weather. I'll ride in the dark. I will not ride in the dark and rain. Sorry. I value my collarbones, and have had too many concussions in my 44 years. No ridey last night.
Instead, the 12/28 went on the Williams WS28s. The plan is to venture up to Tryon this weekend for a little fun. I'm not fighting the 12/23. Not happenin'.

And it seems the driver of the white truck that harassed us on Sunday got a little visit from Law Enforcement yesterday morning. Rumor has it that he was VERY apologetic about his behavior. Thank you those involved with making his little "visit" happen. Wish I could have been there!

Kona was last weekend, and the Wattie Ink ladies were all there. Maybe this triathlon thing isn't all bad. Our very own Greg Howell races for Wattie Ink. Thankfully, he is NOT in the above photo.

 Festka. Yes please. Custom made in the Czech Repblic. I talked to the guys from Festka at the NAHBS in Charlotte last Winter. Very cool guys who know what they're doing.

Sven. No discs. Let the hand-wringing commence...

Bristol...looking Profi as FUCK!

WWATD? <<<< Click the link. If you're out on the Left Coast, you should really go do the ride. Really...

Trying to decide if I want to ride tonight...probably will...

Get back to work...

Monday...AGAIN?

Another weekend blows by without so much as a hello...

Saturday, between 8:30am and 3:00pm was full on.
Soccer @ 9. Blew home at 10. On the bike @ 10:20. Did the full HoP loop at max effort in 57 minutes. Quick shower. Back to the fields for another soccer match @ Noon. Home @ 1:15. Lunch. Then 90 minutes of yardwork. 
A full day.
As for the ride portion, it was okay, except for nearly getting killed twice.
I'm nothing if not a bit self-deprecating, so I'll take the piss for the first incident.
The State Fair is going on, and I just wasn't thinking by riding into the teeth of the Inbred Family Reunion. I should have thought about it before leaving, but I was rushed, and just didn't.
Coming past Williams-Brice, and the first entrance to the Fairgrounds, a family in a clapped out Escalade decided to turn right in front of me. Fortunately, through years of riding in traffic, I saw it coming.
He stopped in the middle of MY lane, and waved me forward. Gee, thanks man, not like I had the fucking right of way!
Only 10 short minutes later, a woman in a VW wagon with a roof rack and a baby seat decided she had to make the turn at Liberty in The Vista before I could get across the intersection. Did I mention I was IN the intersection?
Again, I saw it coming, and locked down the brakes. I wasn't the only one who thought it was a daft maneuver, as the guy standing on the corner looked at me, shook his head, and called her a four-letter word I shall not repeat here.
Thankfully, the rest of the ride was uneventful...
Sunday was a pretty good ride. The group was thin, as folks are evidently afraid of mist.
We rolled out, did the "normal" Swansea loop, and headed back in.
On the way in, we got buzzed and harassed by two dipshits in a pickup truck. Must have been on the way to The Fair.
I got this...

SC Tag # : CZC833
Yeah...it's being sent thru the proper channels in the Lexington County Solicitor's Office as I type this...
Other than that 3 minutes of utter retardation, it was a damn fine ride. 90km fell pretty quickly. It was nice to get back a little earlier than usual too...not that I had anything to do...

Some good Euro action yesterday too :





And the Tour of Beijing is going on too...

I think those are the pros. Hard to tell...

Time to get my Monday going...

Finally...

Last weekend flew by...
The week? Not so much...
I know it's perception, but DAMN!

The first Svenness of the season has dropped...

SVENNESS 3.1 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

And from the "I'll take one in a 56cm" File

Lapierre is being distributed in the US by Raleigh now, so...

Uh...I guess we're running Moonshine in this one...426 Hemi with a 4spd and tall gears. The words "Stabbed Rat" come to mind...

Fun ride last night.
I'm out of contacts, as I have "special eyes", I was forced to order new ones. 3 to 5 days. Perfect.
I got out of Service Course @ 5:30, and busted ass to get home before dark. I hit the door, after doing the normal PowerStation loop, @ 7:00. It was dark.
The Darkness is motivation though. Normally, the trip from the front door to the stop sign at the end of The Powerstation takes 55-ish minutes. As I rode though the canopy, through which very little sunlight passes, the pace quickened, and I hit the end of the road in 53 minutes.
If I participated in Strava shenanigans, the KoM would now be far, far out of reach.
A quick trip through Cayce, and up Gervais, then through Five Points and Shandon, brought me back to SC at the very cusp of darkness, and blindness.
And thanks to the asshole who honked at me in Five Points, for riding the speed limit (which is 25mph btw).
And I saw Chief Justice Toal headed to her house on Wheat St. Needless to say, I took another route to avoid getting run down.

Full day of Futbol tomorrow with one match at 9 and another at noon. Probably only do the HoP Loop in between.  Then my afternoon will be filled with clearing the yard of leaves for the first time of the season. I feel a bit like Sisyphus until about Christmas.
Normal ride Sunday morning. 90-100km. No 140km craziness like last weekend. Colonial Center @ 9.

A Target run is on the horizon. Oh joy!  And Happy Birthday to Bond!

The storms are over, and El Sol is out. Go get some sun on your face today!

Risk/Reward

It seems the the Risk/Reward graph needs another axis that includes the size of cojones.

Along this same vein, my ride last night was sort of the same.
Nice and easy, then decided to blow out some cobwebs. It seems the Cycling Gods wanted me to ride nice and easy, so they forced a small piece of wire thru my tire, and gave me a flat.
Of course, it didn't get flat enough to notice until I'd washed out in a corner, nearly eating poo.
Stop...let the group go.
Thankfully, I knew I could bust out a quick change, take a small shortcut, and catch back on.
Unfortunately, I forgot to change the tube in the saddlebag back to a CX tube, and only had a very skinny road tube. 18/23c tube in a 33c tire never works out for me. I know it does for some, but not this kid.
I put enough CO2 in to prevent pinch flats, and chased back on.
Two notes : If you flat somewhere out near The PowerStation, you will get eaten alive by mosquitoes in the 4-5 minutes spent changing the tube. I counted 17 bites when I hit Service Course. And those were the ones I could see.
These are the times weighing 185 isn't a bad thing. Some of you skinny folks would have been carried off. Something else much larger got me on the low back too. Hurt like a MFer. And iiiitched...

The remainder of my ride was on the back, with about 35psi in the rear Clement. It was plenty for riding around, and probably perfect for a race pressure. For bombing around the concrete twisties, is wasn't enough.
Oppo was applied a few times.

Either way, I still got in a nice spin, on a pretty damn nice evening! Reward.

YOU carry a lock. This guy has figured out bike security when he runs into Starbucks.

And the new 7900 lever came in. It'll be on the Ridley tonight.

Time to go take a little inventory down in Service Course. Some stuff needs to get Ebay'd...details to follow...
One thing is a Burley Solo kid trailer. I used it MAYBE 10 times. It's taking up space. I'll post pictures soon.

Enjoy!

Racing starts at 40:00
Unless you enjoy all of the pre-game...in Dutch...

Yeah...that was long...

Not the weekend...it flew by...
Thankfully, I didn't have to sit down at the soccer field for an entire afternoon on Saturday, so a few of us met and rolled out through Lower Richland on a loop that be considered heavily modified to avoid the wind as much as possible.
Until we got to the run in...
Nothing like working at 90+%, yet still only rolling at 32-35kmh. Love you headwind...mean it!
Didn't matter though as it was a great ride, on a Chamber of Commerce day.
An easy 75km fell under wheels...
And methinks a dirt road ride needs to happen out in LR very soon!  

Not telling you where this is...
You'll have to come ride one day, and find out.

We had a good, workman-like group on Sunday. Should have been bigger, but I think the chillier than usual temps (it was 50...brrrrr!) and the prospect of riding 140km scared some folks off.
Again, it was a Chamber day. Big blue sky, no wind, and 60 degrees. Yeah...perfect for a ride.
We rolled out thru Sandy Run, up 176, and took a left to head to Ft. Motte. If you've never done a ride out that far, on those particular roads, you're truly missing out on something great.
NO traffic. Good road surfaces, varied terrain, and kms that just roll by...

Just terrible...

BTW...these pictures have not been edited, nor modified in any way. It THAT nice out there yesterday.
Once through the metropolis that is Ft. Motte, we headed towards Eastover with a pretty nice little breeze at our backs.
A few turns, and some roads never ridden led us to the store stop...and a Snickers. Oh...so good.
90 minutes later, we were back in Cola with some serious kms in our legs.
I hit the 'hood with 137km, but looped the block a couple of times to even it out to 140. Damned OCD.
Good ride. Good group. And looking at the map, I just realized we were less than 5 miles from Lake Marion.
Once in the house, I ate a bit, and then climbed onto Clifford the Big Red Couch for a well-earned nap.
Still haven't cleaned up the bike...maybe later...
The plan is to do a long ride like this once a month thru the Winter. All are welcome. Just be prepared to have a good time...

For the "If you have to ask..." File :

A custom built, custom painted, Spectrum tandem. Boggles the mind...

Gieten Superprestige was going on while we were riding. Haven't found the complete upload yet, but here are the highlights from Vier.



Good to see Van Der Holeshot is at it again...

Heard a rumor that Mr. Bristol got a holeshot yesterday as well. Nice...

Nothing on the agenda for today until #1's futbol practice @ 5:30. I know...it's rough...I think I'm gonna go have a lie down...

October...already?

Time flies when you're having fun...or you have three children that speed up time past ludicrous, and go into plaid.
The days all sort of bleed into each other...

Fun ride last night. Another 2.5 hours in the dark.  A big loop thru the North side, and up some lovely hills. Twas a good time.
Pro-Tip: If your discs sound like a goose getting a proctology exam, take your bike in for service.

Road rides this weekend. Saturday and Sunday. Gonna be chilly both mornings. I guess it's time to locate the armwarmers and gilet. I think they're in a drawer somewhere...
And be prepared to go a bit longer on Sunday. The plan is to go out to Fort Motte and back. 

Rouge Roubaix...
One of the original "gravel" races...you know, before it was cool.

Argonaut Deep South Odyssey from Argonaut Cycles on Vimeo.

And before you scoff, remember this...
Only one person in this town has done it, and done it well, and that's Casey Gale. Yeah...she WON it in 2009. 4:53 for 105 miles thru Louisiana dirt. Stout...

It's March 15th next year. Start training now...

Two wheels good :
Ducati Scrambler is a go! Four versions. Minimal fettling needed.

Yes, please...

And a shout to Jason @ Outspokin' for getting my D/A lever warranty done. The new one should here shortly. I installed the Ultegra lever, and it works perfectly. It's definitely bulkier than D/A though. the ability to shift and brake far outweighs elegance at this point.

And speaking of shops, a trip to Bikestreet is in order if you want/need any bike stuff. I went out and picked up a few needed things. There's plenty to buy, if you are so inclined. There's also plenty of crap...

Time to get the day going...not that I have anything to do today.

I love it when a plan comes together...or not...

So remember when BikeStreet USA came onto the scene? An "investment" group, bent on taking over bike shops all over the country?
Well, they bought a couple of the underperforming shops here in town. Lo and behold, just a short 18 months later, both shops are closing down. And it's not just those shops.
BikeStreet USA is bankrupt. They are liquidating inventory at cost. That's right. There are deals to be had people.
I know several folks in town who have already gotten some crazy discounts on bikes. A $3200 Scott F/S for $1700? Sure, why not?
50% off accessories? Listen, I'm pretty loyal when it comes to the times I shop at the LBS, and yes, I DO spend $ at the shop. Am I too good to go pick at the bones of a bad business decision? Nope.
As a matter of fact, I'm headed to BikeStreet very shortly. THEN, to my LBS of choice.
Now to the business side of this...
I feel bad for the employees of BS USA. Those guys/gals did nothing, nd got hosed. I feel bad for the vendors who are probably going to take a hit b/c BS USA will be leaving many holding the bag. It's bad for the bike business.
Do I feel bad for the Venture Capital jerk-offs would thought they would waltz into all of these markets and shut down the shops that had been around for decades? Nope.
The bad part is that these DBags were using other people's money.
There are three shops in town now. Two are worthy of your business. One, well...my momma told me if I didn't have anything nice to say...

Decent first Urban Ride last night. Pretty good turnout. Some were conspicuous by their absence. Others were not missed.
The new trails out off The PowerStation are WAY different in the dark. Some hard turns caught some folks out, including me.
I will say, in my defense, I know the trails pretty well, as I've ridden them several times with Junior Management.
I also take the blame for two-wheel drifting through a hard right, and ending up in the trees. I went in too hot, and had too much pressure in the Clements. Fortunately, the LAS tires broke traction at the same time, and in a very progressive manner. I felt them going, had time to adjust, and saved it.
My superior skill kept me from eating shit. I'm also quietly confident that the vacuum created by my sphincter slamming shut probably played a part too.
Got 2 good hours in the dark last night. Beats the trainer 100x out of 100...maybe 102x.

Don't know exactly where these guys went to ride this terrain, but I know we should go there...

Roadtripping Tirol from Szymon Bike on Vimeo.

Speaking of mountains, there's banter about going up to do The Tour de Leaves next weekend.  Hmmm....

And from the "How not to build a Better Mousetrap" File : Full carbon Eastons. Tubular carbon spokes. Guess they didn't get the memo from Mavic on these?  And $3800?

Time to get going. Seems there are some dirt roads that need explorin', and some shops that needs visiting. Busy, productive morning...