Two in a row?

Yeah...two days in a row...outside...in the sunshine...
Yesterday was a pre-Turkey Day, multi-surface affair. No plan but to enjoy the ride. And I did. The ride...in pictures...

 PowerStation. (It was HEAVY!)

 Parking garages

 Cobbles

Singletrack
2:15 later, I was back at Service Course, and watching Futbol. Rough morning...

KL and I met this morning for roughly the same ride. We added a little onto the dirt road section, and skipped the garages. No matter. Another good 2.5 hour ride with good company. And it was BEAUTIFUL this morning. 45 degrees. No wind. Big sun. If you didn't ride, you missed out...

Riding from Rosewood @ 9am tomorrow. Road bikes. Come join us. You may have a good time...
And The Heathen Ride is on for Sunday. 9am @ Colonial Center.

MTN Quebeka's new kits. Dig the shorts. The jersey...well...it's a little Newcastle United...

And I neglected to mention Lotto NL/Jumbo's new kit a few weeks ago...

Only the finest MSPaint design and font for the former Team Belkin...

And KL...keep your mouth closed about the double secret stuff you saw today. Remember, those places are also good spots to hide a body...

Hellloooo Portland...

Looks like the rain of the last three days is blowing out. Finally...
Yeah, I know it was only a few days, but this is South Carolina FFS!

No ridey outside last night. I'll do wet. I'll do night. I don;t do night...in the wet. It's a recipe for seeing your collarbone protruding through your skin. Water-filled holes and wet leaves will reach up and drag you to the ground...
Instead, I rode the trainer...again...
I know... twice in a week.
This is what the floor looks like after 75 minutes, including 3x10 at 85-90%. May as well channel the hate into something productive...

A photo posted by MM (@mminsc) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:20pm PST

And thanks to Fabi for driving me on towards the end. I was struggling...

A photo posted by MM (@mminsc) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:24pm PST

I'm riding outside each of the next four days. I don't care if it's raining blood!

Svenness 3.6
SVENNESS 3.6 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

And sometimes, four wheels VERY good...


Who do I need to kill? And when do they need killin'?

And there's some sad news to pass along today.

Steve Hed died this morning. If you don't know who he is, you really should. He's the reason we all ride the wheel/aero technology we're on today. He figured it out first...and I mean FIRST.
I don't care to whom you pray, but take a moment today to say a word for Steve.
He was a leader, a genius, and an all around mensch.
Cycling has lost a son today.

OK...break's over....

The last week was one of utter lack of motivation. I just didn't want to ride. I felt tired, and a little dinged up. So, I rode when I wanted to, which amounted to exactly three hours on the bike.
This week will be a little different...
The time to ride is there, and the want to ride is returning. These Holiday weeks are always good to get outside and ride a bit.

No ridey on Saturday, as nice as it was. The Boss had a funeral service to go to @ 11, and seeing as I'm lazy, I didn't get up before the rooster. I slept in, had brekkie, and watched the CX races from Koksijde.
After the races ended, Junior Management and I got dressed, and went outside to clear leaves.
That was my workout. Go hard clearing leaves for 2 hours.
And really, there's not much better than watching kids jump into a leaf pile the size of a VW Beetle.
I even got a nap. What the wha....

The plan Sunday was to get up, and get on the bike before the rain started. Unfortunately, the rain started about 5am.
Again, I watched some Euro CX, and then did the unthinkable. I went down to Service Course, and rode the trainer. As much as the trainer just absolutely sucks, I had limited time, and it was reasonably effective. A solid hour passed pretty quickly. I credit the fact I was watching the '03 edition of Flanders.

A photo posted by MM (@mminsc) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:43am PST

VdV beaten by PvP. Don't know those guys? #shhhhhhh

After the turbo, I went to an 8 year old's birthday party. If someone had stopped by the house and falcon-punched me, the trifecta would have been complete.

 FDJ introduced their new kits. I feel like I've seen the design somewhere before...

 And I sort of eschew watching ball and stick sports, but Sunday evening TV is lacking, so I watched the American Throwball game.
I watched this infernal sport for most of my life, and I can say, without equivocation, that Odell Beckham Jr. may have made the greatest catch EVER. That was some next-level, caught in The Matrix, I forgot about physics stuff right there...

As an aside, the allowed use of PEDs in football is a joke. Tony Romo has a bad back. He rarely practices, and before games, gets painkiller AND cortisone shots IN HIS BACK. The NFL is cool with this. The American people are cool with this. He's "tough" for gutting it out.
Yet cyclists are dopers...
Mmmmkaaaayyyyy...

Thibaut Nys riding a fat bike? Things are upside down.

Time to get my day going. Places to go...people to see...

Close enough

 Like the new Canyon? Only $2500 retail...

 Or you can get an oddly similar frame from Hong Fu...for $ <$600

Or an aero version from VeloBuild....for $499

Hmmm...curious...

Odd Urban Ride last night. No one seemed to want to be there. I wanted to ride, but just spin. My trip to Renick sort of snapped my back and legs for a couple of days, so there would be no shenanigans.
And I'm still a little dumbfounded why the ride is fracturing into several groups. What's the point of having a group ride?
The point is to be together. I can go ride by myself in the dark. Everyone has their own agenda. Just another example of the dysfunction that IS the Columbia scene.

I'm gonna need a moment...
Just put some white look Keos on it, and ship it South.
And if you're into such pornographic things, head over to Firefly's Tumblr page. All the photos are large format, and will eat time out of your day.

Oh my....

Doesn't look like a ride is going to happen for me tomorrow, as The Boss "forgot" that she has something to do @ 11am. Funny that she "forgets", then always recollects on Friday.
If anyone wants to see what Rule 9 actually looks like, I'll be out Sunday...in the rain...

My name is Inigo Montoya...

There seems to be some confusion around here about "The Rules". Please read them again, and then use them. If you have questions about certain Rules, contact Velominati. They will be glad to guide you on the path to the V.
Pssst...Rule 9 doesn't apply when it's 37 degrees, clear, and dry. Just sayin'...

Rule 9

Not Rule 9
I refer you to Inigo...
You will be reminded of these transgressions in the near future, when it's cold, gray, and pissing rain.
Instead of riding last night, as I just didn't have the want to get dressed, and leave the house, I built this...

...then sat in front of it for a few hours. It was quite pleasant, thank you!

 I'm largely ambivalent about fat bikes, as I live in SC, but if you're gonna be a bear...be a grizzly...

 Emily Batty knows...

 Know this guy? (his name is on his bike...)

 Know this guy? (he won Roubaix twice)

And you'd BETTER know this guy!

And after 20+ years of doing this cycling thing, these pedals look like :
A) An answer to a question not asked...
B) An injury-inducing pedal failure waiting to happen...
C) A pedal-related back/hip/knee/ankle/foot injury waiting to happen...
D) All of the above

A video posted by peloton magazine (@pelotonmagazine) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:19pm PST

Enjoy your Wednesday. It's cold, but the sky is blue. You could be in Buffalo.

Monday

And look outside your window...
If Monday had an assigned weather pattern, this would be it...
Foggy...rainy...thunder...a bit cold...it sure is Monday out there today...

Good CX from Gavere yesterday...


If you have a child/friend/acquaintance that wants to go to Europe to be a pro CXer...have them watch that race.  18kmh avg. That's 11mph in old money! Sounds like a ripping good time, eh?

A few of us met on a cold Saturday morning for a little spin out through LR. Even though it was about 35, the sun was big and bright, and felt quite warm. Now, in the canopy of trees on some sections, it was nippley. No matter. It was a good 2:30 on the bike. Gotta get on the road bike a bit more, as it felt weird. Too much time spent on the CX bike these days...

Sunday was a cold, gray, dreary start. The Heathen Ride was canceled. Instead, I watched Gavere, and then went out on the CX bike. Felt oddly good, so I decided to make a little effort. 45 minutes later, I really didn't feel all that good anymore. Funny how that works, huh?
Today's moisture is much needed out on The PowerStation. Parts are pretty soft and loose. But then, that sort of thing DOES breed handling skills.
I also got to see the big buck that roams the woods out there. Easily 12 points and 250+ pounds. Big boy...

 Parts of rural SC almost look Euro when shot in B&W. Searching for a name for this section. So far "Black Forest" is the clear leader...

 The only color yesterday was the trees.
All in all, it was a pretty fair day to ride. 45 and cloudy. All things considered, not bad. You could be in Wisconsin...

 Ah...being a pro in the 80s was so glorious...

 A different take on the single speed I suppose...

And I know I've said my next bike would be metal, but the 2015 Fuji Transonic is kinda doing it for me...

Stay inside today...get some work done. That's my plan...except for the whole "work" thing...
Oh, and watch this...you have a spare 12 minutes...

Not helping...

So we've discussed the new LeMond Washoe on here previously. O/S 853. 44mm headtube. Breezer drops. LeMond/Euro geos. Enve fork. $1799 for the frameset. Sweet deal, right?
Well, these hit the inbox, and just are not helping lessen my want...

The full bike shown, with Ultegra Di2...minus the carbon wheels...is $3999! One could likely build it for considerably less. The third colorway is black with Carolina blue and white accents. That's probably the way I'd go...
Oh, and if anyone is feeling giving here prior to the upcoming holidays, I ride a 55cm in LeMond geo.

I can't...it's just that...how does the...I mean who thought of...
Nevermind...this says it all...

Two wheels good...

 Started life as a 90s Ducati 750. Looks better now, eh?

And this is a full custom job Scrambler. (photo courtesy of Marc Seeh) Doesn't look fun...at all! Again...not helping...

Fun ride last night. I got a late start from #2's last Futbol match, so I rode the loop backwards, figuring I'd meet the group up near the Botanical Gardens. Worked out perfectly.
I will say though...
There a couple of sketchy parts of the 'hood back there. They go wholly unnoticed when one is riding with 15-20 other folks. When traversing them alone...in the quiet darkness, one tends to find a bit bigger gear, and push the pedals a bit harder.
And I switched out the 23 for a 27. Amazing how much easier it makes the two big ass hills that come towards the end of the Thursday night ride.
And it actually rained on us...just for a few minutes. Ricky said he didn't think it would last. My mind immediately went here...



Fortunately, Ricky was right. I hit Service Course with a solid 2 hours, a little effort, and some laughs. Got back as the temps were starting to drop as well. Thanks Mad Alchemy for keeping the guns warm.

Time to get the day started. The Target list isn't going to shop for itself...

3.5

SVENNESS 3.5 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Big Fun

Sagan highlights...


Euro CX from yesterday...


A clinic by Sven...

And who gets across town faster?


Oh, the bike...who knew? Everyone! That's who...

Fun ride last night, even with the confusion over the departure time. It's 6:15 people. 6:15!! And if you don't do the ride, don't send out emails about the ride, especially if the emails are erroneous.
A big group stayed together, and had some fun out on the PowerStation. Handling skills were tested when a rather large Possum decided he wanted to run TO the lights, instead of away. A few folks got to test their brakes...
Little bastard ran right through the group. No one crashed. Laughs were had.
After two hours of frivolity, I was home. Hard to complain about a night ride...in 65 degree weather...in November.
The Polar Invasion is heading this way though. Highs in the 50s for the next week or so. Brrrrrr.....

And with that, kind reader, I'm out. Need to head to Publix. It's Wednesday though...senior citizens day. Spare a thought for me...

Half and half

Ruddervoorde was yesterday. Good race. No one got rad though...

Outstanding photo of Sven from the sandpit..

 Speaking of rad...

Longsleeve, thermal Christmas bike jersey.

I'm a bit gutted that I had to miss Bristol's Inaugural Gamecock CX race on Saturday. I feel like a bad friend for not being there. Parental responsibilities reared their ugly head, and I was at soccer from 8:45am until after 1pm. Yeah...that shit was fun.
But I am nothing if not a good parent, so...
#1's scored a goal in his game, and #2's team got the W, and he made a couple of circus saves in goal.
To add manual labor to the mix, I came home and cleared leaves for what seemed like the entire afternoon. I love these big, mature trees, but sometimes have delusions of Bunyan.
Long day...

The Heathens met on Sunday, and did an old school, "we haven't done this road for years" loop out through Lower Richland. Included were some climbs, a lot of dogs, and some road surfaces that Eastern Europeans would call poor. The very surfaces that make one appreciate the wider rim/fatter tire/lower pressures combo. I tried to incorporate a couple of dirt sections, but no one was having it.
Hell, a couple of the dogs were even friendly, especially a little brindle/white pitbull, who was just happy to see us. Not a mean bone in that dog's body...
Kevin had a tire that began to come apart with about an hour to go, and finally failed about 10 minutes from home.
Even with that, it was good, fun ride, on a pretty nice morning.

It's terrible out there...
 If you missed it, you missed it....

Time to go to Whole Foods. Nothing like spending $30 on 4 things...

It's amazing...

I made it through the ride last night w/o losing a contact. Shocking, considering there was a 45mph descent.
Perfect night to ride. Warm, and Cola was largely empty. We even tested a new route to get across the river.
Safer. AND more fun. Again, shocking! You're welcome...
Another two hours outside.
I do need some new cleats on the CX shoes though. Things are getting a bit sloppy...

Svenness 3.4
SVENNESS 3.4 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

And somehow, a rumor began that Sven is gay. 
Here's the thing about that...
WHO CARES?  Not my business what he does with his business. People just need to take the following to heart...

Got the O-Ring installed on the Rotor cranks. Surprisingly enough, the units from Lowe's worked perfectly. I would argue that it's actually a better fit than the stock unit from Rotor. It's the same diameter, but a little fatter, so it can crush more, and still not bind up the NDS bearing.  And I still have 9 of them, should they ever be needed.

And remember to head out to Ridgeway tomorrow for GameCock CX. Unfortunately, youth soccer has conspired against me, and I will be at the fields most of the day. If I get to ride, it will be an Hour of Power sort of thing.
Sunday is a go though. Same bat time. Same bat channel.

My life as a pirate...

So two out of the last three rides, I've blinked, and lost a contact. During the day, when El Sol is high in the sky, this is no big deal. At night, trying to navigate the trails through the woods, it's a bit maddening.
So this is for you Novartis...

Yes, you are the largest Pharma company on the planet, and you produce some truly life-saving medications, but your optics arm sucks. Next time I buy contacts, it'll be from J&J.

Last night started out pretty well. Felt good. Legs were just rolling over.
About 1/2 way out 12th., my left (bad eye) contact flaked dead off my eyeball. My vision went to shit.
It made The PowerStation and the trails a true joy.
Nothing like rolling around in the woods, with the shadows of other lights, and not being able to see.
I went to the back, as not to endanger anyone else. 
Still got home with a good two hours on the CX bike. Beats the hell out of the trainer...

I'll try some wetting drops on the next few rides, to see if it makes a difference. Arrrrggggh....

 Anna Sanchis shows the proper fitment of a skinsuit. One shouldn't look like #blackfish...

 Commit to the rut...or ruts...

Full custom cruiser from Keith Anderson...

Mr. Ghibli


Tell me again about your trackstand prowess...


Down to Service Course later to install a new O-Ring on the Rotor cranks. The old one came apart, and Rotor wanted $7 plus shipping. Huh...Lowe's had rubber O-Rings exactly the same size. $2.49 for 10.
Done...and done...

If they only had Phil Wood oil...

Rules 5 and 9? Not this weekend...

Yeah...I'm all for Rules 5 and 9, but not on Saturday. And not 36 hours after I rode in shorts.
There will be days that I will pull on the clothing commensurate with riding in 40 degree rain, but they will come later...
Instead, I did nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. It was pleasant. Well, I did watch Koppenbergcross...
The Heathens met Sunday morning in 45 degree sunshine...and a bit of a North-ish breeze. It's funny to me that on sunny Spring/Summer Sundays, the group will be thin...borderline anorexic, but on a day that could be considered a touch "Belgian", we had a fair-sized bunch.
And as it usually works, we had a tailwind out. Nothing says "you'll pay for this later" like ascending the first climb, wind at your back, having a chat...at 30+kmh.
How big was the wind, you ask? Well, we got to the turn 10 minutes faster than usual...and no effort was put forth.
Once out of Swansea, the real fun began...and the chatting largely stopped. Funny how headwinds have that effect.
I reminded T.G. that tailwinds build ego. Headwinds build character. He snickered...
After fighting head/head-cross for nearly two hours, I got back to Service Course with crust in my eyes, and an earache.
90km in the sun is still good stuff.

The bike got wiped down. The rear hub got some love (angry bees were returning), and the BB received a bit of ceramic grease. The rest of the day was to be consumed with raking leaves, but in 20+mph winds, it would have been wasted effort. Instead, I watched F1 and NASCAR, and napped.
It's rough sometimes...

Biertijd.com // Media » WATTS Zap 20/10/14 - Cycling Special

Svenness 3.3
SVENNESS 3.3 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Koppenbergcross (Full)


Bad form on the part of Van Aert's teammate...

Zonhoven (Full coverage from Vier)


The Ritte guys have it figured out...
  The Rider Diaries: A Chance Encounter from Ritte Bicycles on Vimeo.

Jamis has always had the CX bike thing figured out...

 Bad case of the "mud butt"?

Tell me about your little problems again. The guy's spirit animal is Godzilla!!

No-Shave November/Movember started this weekend. I've concluded that I will look decidedly homeless by the end of the month. That being said, however thick and multi-colored (gray) my beard may be, it will not be a glorious as HWF's beard. He has won the contest before it even has begun...

Gotta get my poop in a pile...things to do today...