30 November 2015

Another Monday

One kid is home sick. I was up with him half the night. I'm tired.
Once the caffeine started to do it's thing, I looked up the Broncos/Patriots score, and my Monday got better.
Not only did Baby Hands Brady get beat, but Gronk got a boo boo.
Is everyone in Boston wearing black this morning? I know a watermelon-shaped person up there, and I'm sure she's apoplectic. Gotta snicker...

Still not riding. Thought about going out Saturday, but the lure of sleeping until 9am was too strong. I went outside and ran the leaf blower for 2 hours instead. If I can't get on the bike, my outlet will be irritating my hungover neighbors. It's good fun!
Yesterday, I strapped up the bad wheel, and took Corpo on a little adventure.

 The Palmetto Trail is a great resource for folks here in SC. It cuts from the Upstate, all the way to the beach. Most of it is open, and most of it has some historical significance.
We went up to Peak, and wandered on the old rail line.
The bridge is 1100' long, and was built in 1904. The entire section is 11 miles, and is open to hikers, and cyclists. It would be big fun to ride on the CX bikes. Just sayin'...
Back to a little history...
This bridge replaces a wooden RR bridge that was burned by retreating Confederates in Feb. 1865., in an effort to hinder Sherman's progress North, out of Columbia. When the water level is low, the bases of the old bridge are still visible.
This section was a stop in Peak, SC, on the trip from Greenville to Columbia roundtrip.
Gotta say, it was a nice walk in the woods. And we saw a beaver swimming in the river...

 How I've been getting in bed lately...
Don't know what this is? Then SHHHHHHH....

Fun race in Hamme yesterday. Muddy and tres Belgique...


Sven got a bad start, nailed in back, but just couldn't get there.

Appointment with the Surgeon on Thursday afternoon to figure out the plan for the knee. Ready to do SOMETHING...

Although, I did get some TRX straps. People say you can't get a good workout on them. Those people are wrong. Done correctly, it kicks your ass.
Just because I'm hurt doesn't mean I can't do work. #WUKAR

Time to get ready for a good crack and stretch. Enjoy your Monday.



25 November 2015

This and That

I'm riding tomorrow. If it hurts...it hurts. I need to get outside and get some sunshine on me. It'll probably be a short ride, and definitely won't be very hard, but I'll be on the bike.

Going back to the disc brake discussion...
There's are pluses and minuses.
Yes, there is a lot of stopping power. Yes, they'd be better with carbon wheels, as the chances of de-lamming a wheel would fall to zero.
That's about it for me.
In my eyes, it's marketing, and planned obsolescence.
Sorry, but they just aren't needed. One can see that a LOT of pro CXers are back on cantis this year...even in the mud/wet.
Here's why WE, as weekend warriors don't need them...
The VAST majority of riders could change caliper/canti pads. It's not hard to figure it out. Most can also adjust them if necessary.
Hydros? I'd be willing to wager a sizeable roll of bank notes that 90% of those with discs can't change the pads, adjust the calipers, nor bleed the lines.
If a person shows up to a ride and tells me that they just bled their brake lines before the ride, I'm going home.
A fair number of people don't take care of their bikes as it is. Discs are not something that one can say, "Oh, I'll do it next week...after this mountain ride..."
The other thing is ability. Disc brakes do not impart knowledge, nor ability. They do not allow you to do things that properly set-up calipers/cantis will do.
Someone in town stated that they're going to get discs because they will allow for later braking on descents.
That's REALLY not how descending works...
You just cannot stab the brakes right at corner entry. One must brake BEFORE corner entry, and roll the apex. Grabbing brakes, and scrubbing get handfuls of speed will cause crashes. The rider will eat it from too much brake, or get run over from behind by riders who are faster.
Modulation, and the learning thereof, is the key.
And road discs are failing. You won't read about it in the magazines because the rags are betrothed to their advertisers, many of whom make/market/use the brakes. Money talks.
I can tell you though, guys who are using them out in Colorado have had failures. Disc, caliper, and line failures from overheating.
One guy had a failure on a gravel/road ride...on a descent...and had to Fred Flintsone it across a T-junction intersection, and ended up in the woods on the other side. Not hurt, but his sphincter didn't un-pucker for a solid hour. Thankfully, there were no cars...
These instances are not rare, nor anecdotal.
My friends who ride out there? Calipers.
Will I get discs? Maybe. For now, I have too many wheelsets to warrant going to a different standard.
That being, if I go, it'll be on the CX bike first.
I'm not against them. Just do your due diligence, and ask yourself the hard questions before throwing down Benjamins.

Townie bike by Primate. Yeah, it has discs. I can see them being useful on a townie, when one MIGHT have to stop quickly to avoid getting flattened by a sorority girl.

How about an Alu race rig?
The guys at VYNL are channeling the old school. I like aluminum bikes. I like feeling what's going on...
Or how about a LUGGED stainless rig?
Hand-cut lugs, and a MAX fork from DEMON. Enough said...

And if you like/appreciate handbuilt things, check out the "Jet-Hot Double Down" from Bryan Fuller @ FullerMoto
Custom. Handbuilt. Fully engineered. Beautiful. Crazy.
835hp and < 1000kg.
Better have it pointed in the desired direction of travel...

And with that, I need to go outside and gather leaves.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

24 November 2015

Hurry up and wait...

Second MRI was last night. To be honest, the tube doesn't bother me. I know people flip out when inside of the machine. I like it.
Probably says more about me than others...
Two words though : Satellite Radio.
Listening to shitty country music for 45 minutes without the ability to get away from it is far more mentally taxing than ANY claustrophobia.
Appt. at the Surgeon is early next week. Joy...

I'm getting even harder to get along with after 4 weeks of NO riding.
I'm gonna need a project if knee surgery happens. I think I'm going to tear down the Noah, and paint it. I'v gone thru several schemes in my little squirrel brain. Thinking the main color will be Lamborghini Grigio Titans...
Silver decals and some other graphics...

Koksijde CX


Masterclass taught by the Professor. Just watch the race. It was like watching a fight between an experienced fighter, and a young buck. And Sven showed EXACTLY how to win a race before it comes to the sprint.
Brilliant...
Here's how ONE of his bikes finished...
Betting the sounds coming from drivetrains was heartbreaking.
Ritte shop car...yes please...
Roger had style. Period.

As an aside, it looks like the UCI is going to allow discs in road competitions in 2017. They can yap all they want about safety, but it's about marketing, and selling bikes. Just more planned obsolescence.
Calipers have worked just fine for a century.
Cannot WAIT to see the carnage caused in a high-speed, 50 rider pileup during a Grand Tour.
Wheel changes will be REALLY fun for neutral support...

Have a good Thanksgiving kids! Go outside and ride, for those of us who can't...





16 November 2015

And so it begins...

So the knee is obviously injured worse than previously thought. A visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon is on the docket this afternoon. Wonderful...
As my relative inactivity has done little to alleviate pain, or leaven any sort of healing, the thought is that I've torn my ACL. Lots of clicking, popping, and instability.
It's great! Please don't ever try it...
If the ugly spectre of knee surgery DOES raise it's head, I think I may tear down the Noah, and send it of for a repaint. Time to break out the crayons....

Monday time suck...

Asper-Gavere CX (Women)



(Men)



And as we know, politics are verboten on this dumb-assed little page. I'd rather think of Paris like this :



Or '09 when HTC delivered Cav to the line...



 Remember, Aero has been around for decades. How about this Mercury train in Chicago? 1938...
Rob English makes tasty things...
If you're gonna be a bear...
...be a grizzly.

 Time to take The Duke to school. Enjoy this sunny Monday.


09 November 2015

Enough already...

Yeah...planned to ride yesterday. Didn't happen...
I went to sleep in Mid-October, and woke up in the North of England. It's 52 and raining today. The sun hasn't broken through the clouds in 12 days. We've had nearly two feet of rain in the last month.
Supposed to break tomorrow. I'm gonna ride ether way. I'm not letting the terrorists win...

Got my Shimano RS81 wheel back on Saturday. Props to both Shimano, and Outspokin', for the service. Probably would have gotten little more than a ration of shit from that other shop.

Oh, you discovered riding dirt? So did these guys...in the 1936 Vuelta.
 $1500 Specialized Allez. $3000 Bora wheels. Priorities...
 Seriously...it's a Mapei Dream w/ Campy. Level your saddle.

Ruddervoorde
Women :


Men:



Be careful if you ride outside today...


06 November 2015

Back on the bike

Sort of...
Figured I'd go out yesterday. Haven't been on the bike in almost two weeks, just to let the knee heal up a bit.
The knee feels fine. Everything that stretched out on the back of my leg...not so much.
I could ride, but there was a little discomfort. Oh well...

We haven't seen the sun in a week. Seriously...it was last Friday. Welcome to the North of England.
I got on the Salsa, and headed out in the 65 degree gloom.
I figured The PowerStation would be underwater...and it was...
 This is high ground, about 200m into the road. No sense going any further...
The stream under this bridge is usually a trickle, and a SOLID 8-10 feet below the bridge...

I tried to sneak through the paved trail to get out. Nope...
The water got deep in a hurry, and was cold. Nothing to do but turn around head back out they way I came in.
And special thanks to the City of Cayce. They are out there trimming limbs, but didn't bother to remove them. Piles of limbs are covering the first part of the road. Good job guys. Way to render to road useless for recreation.
Up thru Cayce, Gervais, and the 'hood. An easy 90 minutes.
And honestly, the knee feels a bit better today. Supposed to rain this weekend...again...
Maybe I'll ride...maybe I won't...

New Scott Foil...it's a sexy beast...
 Skinsuit?
 BunBun wasn't quite quick enough. He's lucky it was the non-disk brake side...

And remember, even if you think you're the "cool" parents...


Have a peaceful weekend kids.

02 November 2015

That thing...

You know...that thing...?
The thing were you aren't REALLY injured, but have a little knock, or ache, or pain?
Yeah...that thing...

My knee is bothering me, and seeing as no Euro teams are watching a 45 y.o. guy, I'm taking a week or so off the bike. It's feeling better every day.
Sure, I could probably ride, but It's November, and motivation is pretty low at the moment. And we won't mention that it's raining...AGAIN...
I planned to get back on tomorrow, but a trip to the Chiro is on tap. Supposed to be crappy Wednesday as well.
Looks like Thursday might be the day for an easy spin while Junior Management is at school.
I DO need to get back on it though. I was slack for most of October, and there's a LOT of candy in the house right now.
Damn kids...

Koppenbergcross was pretty good yesterday...


Poor Sven. At the front, only to be submarined by a mechanical...
The new Northwave CX shoe. Me likey...

And Tommy D's "B" sample is held up (he doped) because the FBI is investigating is his ex-wife could have "spiked" him (he doped), thus causing his positive. Seriously! One can't make this shit up!
If he's cleared (he doped), it's further proof that USAC is a joke.
And why would his ex-wife (#2 is I'm not mistaken) want to "spike" him? Let's just say that Tommy has an affinity for podium girls. Maybe it's all that testosterone rushing through his system?
I'm just wondering how long it'll be until he has his own Gran Fondo.

The folks at DEAN are bringing affordability to the Ti CX frame game.
$1200. Straight gauge American 3/2.5 Ti. 44mm headtube. Add an Enve fork, and a King headset, and you have a $1700 forever CX frame.
Then again, for just $300 more, one could get this...
Diamondback Haanjo Trail Ultegra. $2000. Alu frame/carbon fork. FULL Ultegra 11v with hydraulic brakes and HED wheels. A better bargain is hard to find. I'm sure the brand snobs will dump on it though, and that's cool. You go ahead and spend that extra $1K or so to get the same bike.

I'd tell you to go outside and play, but it's pretty crappy outside. Rain, fog...60 degrees. Stay inside.
Me? I'm thinking some retail therapy will make my knee feel better.