Jules would be proud

If you've seen 'Pulp Fiction' more than once, you know what it says on Jules' wallet...
Well, Taylor Phinney is carrying the very same wallet theses days.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/track/2007/worldcup0708/losangeles08/?id=results/losangeles082

Update:


I swallowed a bitter, bitter pill earlier this morning...I rode the trainer. God, I hate that thing. I did, in fact, feel like a lab rat, running on the little wheel. I planned on doing a structured workout, but the deep rooted, black hate I have for the infernal machine prevented it. I covered the PowerTap head with a towel and just rode. In my own defense, I rode harder than what could be considered a comfortable pace. I saw no need to venture into the PainCave.


After 90 glorious, junk numbing minutes, I'd had enough. I watched two Freestyle motocross videos and averaged a blistering 205 watts for the 91 minute session.


Welcome to the Southeast regional NexRad picture....

There's just something wrong about this picture...other than the fact it's a shitty cell phone shot.

A Ridley Helium on a windtrainer is just pitiful. If you listen closely, you can hear my bike gently weeping...

My new Church

http://thechurchofthebigring.com/

In the vein of the link above, I am, in fact, harder than you.
After the H.O. got home last night, I decided to throw a leg over the top tube and go outside for a ride. No trainer for me. The train softens the mind and the spirit. The trainer is akin to the little wheel in the Habitrail.
37 degrees, windy, dark, wet is just generally not conducive to riding a bike. Did I let those small issues stop me? Nope!
I rode last night until my light completely ran out of juice. Nothing says lovin' like 2 hours in the dark. And more than one big effort that hurt physically and spiritually. Funny part? My ribs feel better this morning.
I came home cold, wet and tired. All was right with the World. The cross bike is a mess, but will stay a mess. It likes it that way.

It's supposed to be Belgian in the morning...who will show?

2 crashes in 3 weeks...WTF!!!???!!!

Doogie and I went out and did a downtown ride last night. We did the normal HoP(tm) loop and added a couple of garages to it, nearly getting lost in the first one. The thing is like a M.C. Escher painting for pete sakes. We went in and went up the ramps to the top, then, as you would expect, we simply turned around and headed back down. Somehow, we ended up in the basement level, never having passed our original entrance. We had to go up a level and around the entire inside of the floor to get back to the entrance/exit. I still don't get it. I'll look closer the next time I ride that one!
We made a trip up past the new P.E. center and into another new garage. I've been in this one three times, but somehow still managed to miss the turn at the entrance and crashed over a curb. I saw it coming, but it was too late to bunnyhop it, and I damn sure wasn't going to tuck and roll on my bad ribs, so I ejected. That's right, I bailed the heck out. I landed on one knee and my hands. No injuries to report, but I did bung up my Ultegra shifters... :(
I got up, dusted off and we continued on our merry way.
We headed across campus, through the old projects and back to the house. Pretty good ride with a couple of efforts thrown in for giggles.
The weather is supposed to be bad Thursday, so it'll probably be a trainer evening in front of the TV, down in The ManHole(tm). I hate the trainer, but I'm not going out on a dark, rainy, 40 degree, night ride through Columbia. That's how children end up getting life insurance checks.

Saturday is supposed to be cold and windy, so I'm questioning if I'll show for the group ride. It might be another long cyclocross ride in the woods for me. Play it by ear...

Weekend update

The normal 9 a.m. Saturday ride went off without a hitch, and with a really good group. We headed out through Ft. Jackson and lost one at the top of Hartsville Guard. The Velvet Hammer turned off to do a loop, but we bore him no ill will as he has been standing in thigh deep water for the last two weeks. Did I mention he was in Patagonia? No, not the clothes, the actual place!
We headed out to do the Eastover loop and I really don't know what happened or why, but the group kind of took it upon ourselves to ride hard. We rode tempo all the way down Old Leesburg and up the climb. We lost Der Kaiser and the Mrs., as well as RC at the left on Willie Wilson.
Once we made the left, the pace went right back to the hard tempo and continued that way down Chaingang, into Eastover. I finally got a clear run at the town limit sign and showed a clean set of wheels to all in attendance. I can finally pull on the bars, but not with full gusto. It was still enough to put down 1155watts.
Again, we made the turn and the tempo kept up all the way to the GMart. A stop for some food and liquid and we were off like a prom dress. We gathered back up on Airbase and had a GREAT, fast, rolling paceline. Everyone took their pulls and no one tried to show how big their pecker was by making a dumbass attack. Even young Clayton (aka 'Stork') took his turns on the front. That boy will be a good rider one day if he sticks with it!
The theme for the day continued all the way down Pineview and Shop, until the we got into the neighborhood.
It was probably the best Saturday ride we've had in a very long time and will be the way rides go from now until time changes. I averaged 216watts(norm) and 186watts(total)...not a lot of coasting or mucking about! 80km in 2:27!!
This morning, Doogie, NID and I met @ 9 for an easy spin. It was supposed to be a 3 hour tour, but we were all a bit cooked from yesterday. I could have done three hours, but QuickStep isn't calling anytime soon, so we made a group decision to shorten the ride to two hours. It was 48 degrees, windy and just gray outside. 2 hours was enough for me!
It was a good weekend of riding though! Good quality training on Saturday and a nice, easy spinout today.
Time to go to Panera.

Peace!

A few observations

I didn't ride last night as I'm trying to let the ribs heal up a bit more. They get better everyday, but damn am I stiff when I wake up. Once I get going, I loosen up and they really don't bother me. Picking up the kids isn't exactly conducive to recovery, but it's part of the gig.

Now for my observations...

I was online last night, looking for some ceramic bearings for my front Cane Creek carbon wheel. I've noticed that if you try to go through a "bike" oriented service, the bearings are ridiculously expensive. Knowing the exact specs of the bearings, I did a general search for the correct size. After about 15 minutes of looking, I found the same bearings that the "bike" oriented site had for $30 each!!! The industrial supply site charged $12.50 per bearing and $5 to ship them priority mail. I got the same bearings for HALF PRICE!!!
Observation? As soon as you put the word "bicycle" in the description, the price doubles!

The H.O. and I have two kids, aka, the management trainees. #1 goes to preschool for 3 hours a day, which gives me time to devote to #2 and to do the housework required so we don't live like Pakistani peasants. About once every 8-10 weeks, #1 comes home with a runny nose that quickly turns into a cold and spreads like the monkey pox to all of us. Well, I've found the source!
One of the other kids in class has some seriously clueless parents. This morning, it was 55 and raining. As I'm pulling into the church, I see the mother of the aforementioned rugrat pushing the baby jogger up the street. The little petri dish in #1's class is wearing shorts and a sweatshirt and is soaking wet. The mom also had her 6 month old baby in a papoose carrier with no cover. The baby was soaking wet! It wasn't like they got caught in a sudden downpour. It's been raining since about 3 a.m.! They probably sit around their house and wonder why their kids are sick all the time!
I'm going to start forwarding our pediatrician bills to them! Morons!

Oh well...
Ride @ 9 from the gate in the morning. I heard a rumor that some aerobars will be showing up for the ride. I'm all for everyone coming out, but if you bring aerobars, stay out of them unless you are in the back.

Rainy

The H.O. got out of her duties at The Statehouse last night, so I had the opportunity to ride.
I got all of my poop in a pile, got the bike ready and no sooner did I walk out the back door, it started raining. I said "F" it and went out anyway. I was already dressed and the cross bike is filthy, so no harm, no foul.
Through Shandon, down into Five Points, it was raining pretty steadily. The roads around here are slick in the rain normally, but on a 700x35 knobby tire, pumped to 60 pounds, they are borderline glacial. I didn't even make the effort to cut through USC, as the bricks on the Horseshoe would have likely caused me to eat it.
Once I got across downtown and out to the river, the roads were dry. I did a good, steady tempo from the dirt road to the bridge. Nothing says lovin' like a 3.5 mile effort on a cross bike, on gravel.
I popped up across the Vista and hit a few parking garages. The garage at the Hilton is worthless...too many cars. The new garage by the old DMV building is great, just a bit scary. It's still under construction, so there are no lights. It was pretty spooky, but then again, I am a big wuss when it comes to the dark. The new garage on campus is pretty cool. It only goes up on one end, so you have a flat section that leads into a small rise and then a ramp to the next level.
After that one, I made my way back through Shandon and home. I got a good 90 minutes in the dark last night and still got home in time to see the management trainees off to bed.

Pretty good day, all in all.

Weekend update

It was a full weekend of riding, injuries be damned.
Saturday was COLD, period! It was 27 when I left the house. I really figured I'd be riding solo, but Nick and Doug showed up for the lunacy. We did a nice, easy, sort of roundabout loop of Lower Richland. I ended up with 82km and 3 hours on the bike. The blue hairs came to collect #1 for his spa weekend, so we all went to lunch. Five Guys in the Vista makes a mean hamburger and fries combo. It should be called 1 lady and 4 Mexicans though...!
After that, the H.O. and I both got naps (first time since, well, forever....) and mucked around for the remainder of the afternoon.
Sunday was Toby's Annual Lake Loop. He expected 25-30 riders...there were 63!!!!!!!!
We did the standard counter-clockwise loop around the lake. It was a really good, fun ride, except for a few dumbasses and dumbass moves. Everything was going swimmingly for the first 90 minutes, until some dipshit decides he has to piss, so he nails his brakes in the middle of the bunch and just stops on the white line. I haven't had that much body contact in a crit, much less in a ride that supposed to be fun. People scrambled and yelled, but no one went down.
The half-dozen tri-dorks on the ride need to learn some pack skills and get off the fucking aerobars. At the 3 hour mark of the ride, one of them just swung dead left, directly across my wheel, without so much as a glance. I guess it's hard to turn your head when your face is buried in your stem...! There will be a 'no aerobar' rule next time, and that came from the top.
The ride itself was pretty middle of the road. Not too hard and not too easy. Pretty much a light tempo ride. I only felt the ribs pull a couple of times, and that was standing to climb. I got good work out of the loop though. I averaged 220watts (norm), 156watts total and 30.5kmh for the 68 miles. That 68 miles also included 4000 ft of climbing! Doug emailed out a GPS synopsis of the ride, but I'm either too tired or too dumb (more likely) to figure out how to link it.
I ended the weekend with 120 miles on the saddle and really don't feel all that tired or wornout. The fitness is coming, I just need to start incorporating some speed work. It was good to see guys that I haven't seen for months and ride with some different folks. If we end up moving oout that way, I'll be doing that loop once a week.
Everyone should send Toby Porter a big thank you email!!! tobias418@hotmail.com
The plan is to do another one of these in the Spring, before it gets really hot. We also talked about doing a Roubaix type ride that would include several unpaved sections.

Anyway, the management trainees are asleep and I'm not far behind. The first full work week in while begins tomorrow.

Peace!

Baby, it's damn cold outside

Doogie and I met last night for a downtown loop and it was freaking cold. It was 34 when I left the house and 30 when I got back. 34 in the bright sunshine is one thing, but it's a completely different animal in the dark. We did a short, barely faster than slow loop and that was that. I got home and paced the floor for about 15 minutes in an effort to warm my frozen digits. Fox MTB gloves just don't do the job in sub-freezing weather. At least it supposed to be in the 60s and 70s again next week.

And an observation...

My neighbor has a Prius. She let it run for 30 minutes this morning to warm up. Kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Happy New Year

Much like the complete lame-o that I am, I was in bed, asleep, when the New Year rang in last night. At 37, I just don't feel the need to go out and act like I'm still 25. That, and the fact that children under the age of 3 don't let you sleep in. They don't care what day it is...

Anyway, 8 intrepid souls met this morning @ 9:30 to do a nice, leisurely 3 hour ride...and that's exactly what we did. A trip out through Ft. Jackson and down into Lower Richland was the loop for the day. It was brutally windy today. The trip out was a beautiful thing. Chatting at 40kmh and just rolling along. The return trip, after our stop at the G-Mart, not so much.
We stayed in the trees until we got to Bluff and everything was hunky-dory. Once we got to Shop, the real wind made an appearance. I can tell you that close to maximum effort was being put down going across the overpass and we were rolling at MAYBE 25kmh.

I had been toying with the notion of selling the Powertap, so it's off the bike. I had forgotten how nice it is to actually just RIDE. No computer, no HRM, no wattage, just the bike. I never looked down at the bars, except to admire the beauty that is my Thomson X4 stem. I couldn't go hard today, as I couldn't stand to climb, chase or sprint. The ribs are sooooorrrre. Sitting on the tops was nothing, but standing, even for a moment brought shooting pain. Let's just say I got a good, grind, seated workout today.
I'm keeping the Powertap. I don't need to sell it and it is a useful tool. I just don't think that rides need to revolve around TSS scores or wattage. Sometimes, you just need to ride your bike and enjoy the day.

Doogie and I are riding Thursday night, downtown.
Normal Saturday ride time, but I may peel off and ride short because...

Sunday is the annual NYD Lake Loop p/b Toby Porter.
When: 10 a.m. departure
Where: Peak DMV
65-ish miles at a piano pace. As Toby put in his email, "This is not a race, so leave your ego shit at home"!!!

I'll be emailing everyone again with the specifics...

Harden the F*ck up

This dude is harder than all of us...

Shit like that is the reason I have four wheel drive...

Rain...

I'd planned on riding the cross bike today, but the weather put the kibosh on that idea. If I wasn't injured, I would have gone out, but the thought of crashing again wasn't a pleasant one. Doogie went out and said he needed a snorkel. I did a quick spin on the trainer, which sucks in so, so many ways...
The good news is the fact that it really didn't hurt. I won't be able to go very hard on the road, but the action itself brings no pain.

We're leaving the traffic circle @ 9:30 on New Year's Day for a jaunt around Eastern Richland county. Prepare for a good 3 to 4 hours in the saddle.

Meh...

Woke up to drizzle and wet roads...bike is clean...didn't feel like getting wet...
Ribs hurt like a bitch...the way my luck runs, I'd hit a line on the road and eat it again...
Weather induced headache...was I concussed?
Not a lot of motivation...

Did I ride...Hells no!

I ate brekkie with the family, went to Target and Publix and now we're going to look at a house.

Powertap is on Ebay...(search Powertap SL custom)
I'll let it go for $750...

Man down...

So Chip, Doogie and I made our way to FATS yesterday for a long mountain ride. First, let me say that FATS is better than ANYTHING else in SC. It makes Newberry look like a cow track and Harbison isn't even worth mentioning in the same breath. It's a properly built trail where you can pick up speed, kept some flow and get your HR up on the climbs.
Okay, now on to the action. We got there @ 9:30 and were on the bikes by 9:45. It was a perfect day to ride. 55 degrees and cloudy. The trail was a bit damp, but by no means sloppy. We completely missed the turn for the first loop of the 4 and just continued on down the track to the beginning of the rest of the trails. The bottom three loops are inter-contected at one trail head and go off in different directions.
The first trail was uneventful and quite fun. It was only the third time I'd ridden the new 29er, so I was getting more comfortable and a bit faster. About a mile into the second loop, there is a downhill whoop-de-doo section. Chip and Doogie were about 100 yards ahead, so I foolishly tried to make up ground in this section. The whoops got progressively bigger and closer together. Everyhting was fine until I landed in the transition between the 3rd and 4th bump. When I landed, the fork compressed into the face of number four and shot me off the lip like a I was attached to a booster rocket. I landed HARD and the bike just came out from under me. I augered into the ground like a human lawn dart. Bike, body, bottles and glasses went in four different directions. It was...a yardsale! I had the breath knocked out of me pretty good, but could still assess the severity of my injuries. Fortunately, the only shooting pains I had were on my right elbow and right hip. My elbow looks llike the tiger from the San Francisco Zoo got a grip on it and my hip bears a rather large strawberry. Nothing broken though, which is a big plus. I'm REALLY fucking sore this morning though! We'll see how I do tomorrow on the road ride!
I got up, cleaned off, got laughed at by my compatriots and we continued on our merry way.

We hit all four sections, @ 25 miles of pure singletrack in 3.5 hours, including time for crashes and breaks. I will be going back!

Nick gets the hardman award for doing the entire ride on his cross bike! All the bikes were DIRRRTY and all of us were less than clean.

I'd planned on riding today, but the H.O. is very Type A and felt the need to go into work, even though she had the week off...

Time to go take some Advil...

Edit: and after further review, I broke my Giro Pneumo when I hit my head on the hard Earth. I knew I hit my head, but had no headache or other ill effects. Big kudos to Giro! Wear your helmet kids!

Christmas Eve

I felt marginally better this morning, so I did what any other self-respecting cyclist would do...I got dressed and rode for two hours.
I hit the HoP(tm) loop down by the river, hit all of the trails and then did my standing climb up Gervais Street. I felt horrible when I left the house, but the ride forced out a lot of the bad stuff, so I extended my morning adventure and included another run through downtown and all of the parking garages on campus. It was idyllic outside this morning, so I felt a bit guilty about only riding for two hours. Christmas duties call, and like the guys at NORAD, I have to answer.

I feel 100% better after the riding. It's funny how a quick spin on a bike makes you feel a little more centered.

The animals (no, not the kids) are getting bathed in about 10 minutes. Oh, how they love the tub. They need it though and I refuse to take stank dogs to my mother's house for Christmas.

Chip and I are heading to FATS on Thursday morning for a 3+ hour mountain ride. If anyone is interested, shoot me an email or comment on here. It's about 25 miles of blisteringly fast singletrack. Nothing too terribly difficult...

Anyway, peace and love...Merry Christmas!

bad, just bad...

A very small group showed yesterday for the 9 a.m. ride. I knew I was in trouble the moment I clipped in and rode out of the yard. Thankfully, the the ride wasn't a blood-letting, but I felt like shit nonetheless.
I've been fighting yet another headcold...thanks to #1 and the other little walking petri dishes in his pre-school class. As the ride progressed, the drainage down my throat reached my stomach and made me feel, let's say, not so good. I couldn't eat or drink, as that just upset it more, so a borderline bonk was the theme of the day.
We did the Eastover loop and ended up with 55 miles and just a tick over three hours on the bike. I knew the second half of the ride was really going to suck when I could do nothing more than sit in while going down Chaingang. The one place where I can usually open up and be a bit aggressive and I was hanging by a thread @ 28mph. From the GMart, we rode home piano, thankfully.
I got home, showered and loaded up the van with the spoils of Christmas. It was pure American consumerism run amok. #1 and I went to the Bluehairs to deliver the booty.
I developed a nasty headache/migraine while out there. I took some OTC pain meds, but that's like pee-peeing on a forest fire. When I got home, I ingested a Vicodin and a cyclobenzaprine. They knocked it out, but I didn't sleep well and I got up this morning in a bit of a drug-induced fog.
I really wanted to ride, but the combo of the rain, wind and the best the pharma companies could offer threw a spanner in the works. It's okay though, the H.O. is off tomorrow, so I'll be out in the morning.

Everyone sing...

...Downtown...

Another downtown Hour of Power (tm) ride went off for me last night. I did more of a 90 minutes of power ride though. After almost dying immediately after I left the house (asshole in a pickup), I made my way to CC to fix my front brake cable. When the aforementioned hillbilly decided to turn directly in front of me, I nailed the brakes so hard that the front cable popped. Time for new brake cables...The Salsa needs all new cables and housing anyway!
Once I got going again, the ride was pretty uneventful. The Greenway was empty, which is a bit shocking considering it was 60 yesterday.
I rode up through the Vista and onto campus. I hit every parking garage on campus. It's amazing how spacious the new garages are and how truly claustrophobia inducing the old garages can be. Anyway, they were all mostly empty, so they were used for some good power training.
After the last garage, I rode the path up past Bates House (memories), through Shandon and home.
Il Professore came over to settle his debt. About time too...! I was about to send some dudes with no necks or senses of humor to his house to get my money.
The wrapping of Christmas gifts starts tonight. Oh joy...

See you guys in the morning...and don't call me to see if I'm riding. If it's not raining and/or 28 degrees, you can pretty much count on it.

No ride, but a funny...

Many times when I am troubled or confused, I find comfort in sitting in my back yard and having a scotch and cigar along with a quiet conversation with Jesus. This happened to me again after a particularly difficult day.
I said 'Jesus, why do I work so hard?'
And I heard the reply: 'Men find many ways to demonstrate the love they have for their family. You work hard to have a peaceful, beautiful place for your friends and family to gather.'
I said: 'I thought that money was the root of all evil.'
And the reply was: 'No, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Money is a tool; it can be used for good or bad.'
I was starting to feel better, but I still had that one burning question, so I asked it. 'Jesus,' I said, 'What is the meaning of life? Why am I here?'
He replied, 'That is a question many men ask. The answer is in your heart and is different for everyone. I would love to chat with you some more Señor, but now, I have to finish your lawn.

Stop her now...

http://www.stophernow.com/site/PageServer

Lance is funny!

Quick hit

What a difference a day makes...
Yesterday was cloudy, warmish and little wind.
Today is sunny, cold and windy...I rode anyway. I'm just that hard. I did about 90 minutes on the cross bike out in the wet, wind and cold. It's a bit damp down by the river. I will say though, I got a bit Paris-Roubaix when I hit the dirt road that runs to the parking lot. It was really wet and muddy, so I stomped the big ring and passed a minivan, much to the shock of the passengers. Good stuff...
I had a massive tail up Gervais and through campus. A few trip up the parking garages and then home.
The H.O. is Christmas shopping. She's just a glutton for punishment. I'd rather take a shot or five to the beanbag rather than go to Harbison 8 days before Christmas. The management trainees are at the bluehairs for the afternoon.
I think I'm headed to the couch!

Good Saturday

Low clouds and much cooler temps got the day started. After an unseasonal week of 70 degree temps, 52 degrees felt like absolute zero when I stepped outside this morning. The air was thick was moisture too. You felt it, but it was easier to breathe than the normal winter air.

The group was good sized and few pipe hitters were in attendance. The group rode piano for the first half of the ride. As usual, once we got to Chaingang, the pace quickened. RW took off and LL went with him. I let a gap go a bit and then chased across. The group of 10 quickly became a group of 6 over the bump. The remaining half dozen ran into Eastover at 50kph. I took a good dig about a click from the town limit sign and then sat up.

From Eastover to the GMart, we rode somewhere between piano and tempo...mostly tempo. Rain was threatening, so the stop at the store was just enough for a break naturel and a Lipton tea. From the store to Pineview was again, a nice tempo. From Pineview to Shop was quick and the pace went up again once the turn was made. RW punched it wide around the turn and attacked. Reed and I chased a bit, but the gap didn't come down until Der Kaiser hit the front. The four of us joined up and made the run across the bridge. I led it out to the sprint @ 50kmh into the headwind. RW said he was tired, but jumped around to take the bridge.

All in all it was a great ride and perfect training. I got 3:05 on the bike and right at 90km.

I installed the ceramic pulleys. I don't know if they are any faster, but they are definitely smoother and the shifting was much crisper. I was shocked how worn the old pulleys were when I pulled them off. They look damn cool too!!! I bought red pulleys, on the advice of our resident style guru, Il Professore. I had to be sure that the BB and the pulleys matched. I know a bicycle is just a tool, but no one said it can't be a stylish tool.

This is as far as the red goes though...I will not become an OCP!

Urban

Doogie and I met early yesterday and did an urban assault/cyclocross loop. It was nice to be able to to the majority of the ride in the daylight. #1 got a pass to stay home yesterday, so the H.O. bailed out of work a bit early to spend some QT with the management trainees.
My day started with a trip to the zoo. #1 loves the zoo and yesterday was a perfect day for it. It was about 70 degrees and the place was empty. The animals were all very active as well. We were there in the late morning through lunchtime. I guess lunchtime crosses species. It was good fun and I got some great pics with the new camera and the long lens.
As for the ride, we did the normal downtown loop and then went across the canal to check out some trails. They went directly downhill into a swamp...great. We rode out, did a loop of the cemetary and then made our way back through downtown and campus. I ended up with right at two hours on the bike, but had very tired legs. Walking around the zoo with a two year old and pushing an 8 month old is work.
The H.O.'s Christmas part is tonight...oh joy! I usually work another Christmas party, but we couldn't come to an agreement on my renumeration. I've worked that party for 6 years, know all of the people and they wouldn't meet my demands for salary. Have fun with the stiffs you hired...!
Anyway, the ceramic pulleys came in and need to be installed. I don't know if I'll get to it today or not. Hopefully, #2 will nap and I can swoop down to The ManHole(tm) to slap them on the bike.
I'm thinking of selling my PowerTap too, if anyone is interested...

See you guys in the morning...

How I long...

Oh, how I long for the Holidays to be over so that all of the "get out of my way, I'm in a hurry to get my gifts to the house" folks slow the F down and pay attention to their surroundings. I'm glad I have good handling skills on the bike, because they came in handy last night.

I decided to go out and ride, even though I really wasn't motivated. I hate wasting a 75 degree day though. I left the house @ 5:45 and it was still 70! Brilliant! Anyway, I mixed up my downtown route a bit last night. I dropped down through the old projects, where they are now building $200k+ houses (head scratcher) and went up past The Roost and soccer field. The climb out from the bottom all the way to the Horseshoe is a long one, but didn't hurt all that much. The normal 'Hour of Power'(tm) continued from this point.

The ride through North Main is where the action began. I got buzzed by a 3 foot tall Asian guy. His mirror missed my hip by about 3 inches. Granted, I'm a bit thick in the posterior, but come on...! I don't think he could see over to dash.
Once I got to the Greenway, the pace picked up a bit and I started to open up. It's funny how people come out to exercise when it's above 60 degrees. The Greenway was packed! The LED light on strobe moves them right out of the way though. One bigger than average sized guy heard me coming on the gravel and, of course, stepped right in front of me. If you hear something coming from behind you, on your left, why do you step left sir? I narrowly avoided incident number 2.
The ride from the trail, up throught the Vista was uneventful, thankfully. I dropped into campus, went past TVH's house and hit the path into Five Points. I had two more near misses in a 1/2 mile stretch of Harden. The first was some dumbass backing his POS truck into the middle of the road...without so much as a glance, and the second was with a Buick driven by Methuselah's brother. He decided he need to get to the red light before me, so he gunned it around and swerved dead in front of me at the light. I knocked on his window, by he never even turned his head. Maybe he couldn't...!
At this point, I headed for the relative safety of Shandon and made it back to the house.
I had a good ride, opened up the legs and got to practice emergency braking and evasive avoidance tactics.

I'll be back out on Thursday, if anyone wants to ride. The downtown loop might be nixed in favor of the woods though...

I Heart Global Warming...

Saturday started out as a cloudy day, but the temperature made up for it. The group was pretty good sized, even though a few were nursing the effects of too much alcohol consumption. We headed out and did the regular Thursday loop, but included a loop that lead to Zeigler and on to the GMart. The group stayed together and we rode piano for the entire ride, which was a welcome change from last weekend.
A) I didn't feel like entering the Pain Cave (tm)
and
B)I was as flat as flat could get..
...dead legs, no HR, not a lot of motivation. I took my pulls, begrudgingly, and listened to music.
It was a bit shorter than usual as well, which was fine, as I promised #1 that we'd go to Winnsboro and ride the Santa Train. Let's just say, it was a huge hit! Then the Company went to the BlueHairs house and I installed the new HDTV setup.
I was TIRED when my head hit the pillow last night...

This morning, Doogie and I did an urban assault ride. We rode EASY and I flatted twice. I think there's something wrong with the wheel I threw on the bike. EVERY time I ride that wheel on the back, no matter what the tire or bike, I get a flat. The second flat came about a mile from the house, so I rode the bitch home. I was well within the 2km rule. I didn't even bother to fix it...
The Company loaded up again and went in search of a Christmas tree, to no avail. With the way the H.O. pinches pennies, you'd think she'd be celebrating the Festival of Lights. $50+ is way too much to spend for a 4 foot tall tree though...
With the failure of the tree search, we went to Ritz Camera and bought a digital SLR. The film camera is in for repair and we needed a camera, so why not a 10.1mp Canon?
I decorated the house when we got home and now, I sit here and punch out this entry...

I'm tired. I need Monday to come around so I can get some freaking rest....

No ride

I had to bail on Doogie last night. It seems our dryer felt the need to suffer a catastrophic failure yesterday. It may just be me, but 3.5 hours to dry a load of clothes doesn't seem like an effective use of energy.
We loaded up and went to Sears. It was probably the easiest sale they had all day. Walk in, point at a dryer, pay and walk out.

I'll definitely be out in the morning...this two or three day a week crap has to stop!

Mandrus' Six13 showed up at the house yesterday. He got the Lampre team bike. It's pretty nice looking. I can't wait to tackle the Hollowgram SI adapter. I'll post it up when I get it started...

Good and Bad

I went out solo last night and did my old school, downtown, hour of power loop. Actually, last night was more like 40 minutes of power, but I'll get to that in a moment.
The weather was perfect, about 55 and very little wind. I rode up through campus, across the Statehouse complex and hit Main Street. I really like riding through town at night. You tend to see things a bit more clearly and notice stuff that usually gets passed over.
I made it down to the Canal and started my interval. I went 48/15 all the way from the beginning of the gravel, the entire length of the the Canal trail and to the old powerplant. It stung a little bit, mainly because of the cold night air, but didn't feel altogether bad.
I popped up out of the park and made my way across the big intersection on Huger St. Here's where the ride forcibly became slow. When I sprinted across the light, the telltale "ka-pang" of a broken spoke filled the night air. I was on the Ultegra built wheels. The combination of the the fat spoke and the high tension made the break sound like a gunshot. I stopped and man-handled the spoke a bit, so it wouldn't dick up the frame or my leg.
Normally, I bomb around in the Vista a bit and then climb out on Gervais St. Fearing the wheel would fail completely, I limped home on back streets.
It was a good ride overall though. I got out of the house, did a good interval and it's only gonna cost me about $20 to fix the wheel. Life moves on...

Christmas is 19 days away...I should probably start shopping...

Oh well, time to start my day. Errands abound this morning. Staying home with the kids is no easy task. What I would give to be 20 years old again and be able to laze about at some 5th rate, liberal arts school. If anyone thinks what I do is easy, feel free to step up and try it for a few days. #1 will whip you within 8 hours!

FS

07 Mavic Ksyrium SL3 wheelset
700c (obvi...)
Shimano freehub
Low miles...(maybe 1000)

I just don't ride them!

$450 obo

They're going on Ebay tomorrow...

Early weekend update

Saturday was just about the perfect winter day to ride. It was 38 when I left the house, but got warmer in a hurry. When the group got to the egress of the Fort, most of the folks shed at least one article of clothing. This theme continued throughout the ride, until we all looked like we had some sort of lumpy tumors growing from random spots on the body.
The ride started off mellow enough. We rode piano all the way out Leesburg and up Congress. NID had a flat on the climb, so a few of us stopped to wait. The rest stopped about a click up the road. Once going again, the pace picked up, but only slightly. This is where the story of the long, slow group ride comes to it's fruition.
After the right hand turn onto Chaingang, all bets were off and hammer met anvil. All I know is that three took off, leaving the rest of us to chase. They were about 200 meters ahead when I decided to jump into the chasm and attempt the bridge. I got within about 25 meters (at 60kmh) and pulled off for someone else to finish it. Well, Doogie was the only one there and he jumped across. I waited for the line to come by, and it did, with Der Kaiser on the front. To quote Phil Liggett, I was 'on the rivet' and 'the elastic was stretched tightly'. I barely caught the line and was able to recover for the remainder of the 50kmh+ run down to Eastover.
NID pulled off and then promptly pushed his way back into the line @ about 500 meters from the sprint, nearly pushing British Andy into the ditch. Your head is on a gimble...turn it! At this point, I was boxed in and watched RW ride away to take it with ease. Just a tip NID, you cannot lead out a sprint from 6th in line.
The pace got turned down from Eastover, through Zeigler and to the Cricket store. After our short break for fuel, we all meandered out of the parking lot. A few guys were up the road and the rest of us believed they'd wait...wrong answer!
Der Kaiser, LL and RW were gone and had no plans to come back. The chasers (me included) had a nice paceline going until the rise on Airbase. A phone escaped from a pocket and the bunch was shattered. I buried myself for the entire length of Airbase and it HURT!
We came back together at the store and rode in together. Der Kaiser attacked about 1km from the bridge sprint. I was waiting for it and jumped across to him with relative ease. I sat on for about 250 meters and then popped him at the line.
All in all, it was a really good ride. We did 85km (55miles) in 2:45 and it had some quality sections of suffering. Although I believe it's too early to be venturing into the Pain Cave, it kind of felt good! I saw 30 second, 1 minute and 5 minute wattage records yesterday...in November...crazy!

Oh, and there was a new Madone on the ride yesterday...puke...

No ride today...
It's 45 degrees...
Cloudy...
and spitting rain...
Call me a wussy if you like, but QuickStep isn't writing me a check to ride in shit weather. Come February, my tune will change, but right now, I'm staying in the warm house.

First night trail ride

Last night was the first Palmetto Trail night ride for the winter. Everyone yaps about how they want to go ride the trail at night, yet they never show up...
Anyway, Doog and I met a bit early last night and headed out. We did the trail from the head and rode out to the firebreak just past MM7. I didn't want to go out any further as the trail is really chopped up between the firebreak and MM8. I'll be going out at some point in the next few weeks to clear and re-cut that section of trail. I'd ask for help, but that's like asking for help to move.
My night trail eyes just aren't there yet. We did fine, but I did miss the trail a few times. Of course, one of the right turns I miss during the day, so I shouldn't count that one! I rode a bit slower than usual too seeing as it was Doog's first foray into the woods at night and his second on his new bike altogether.
The new LED light performed well and throws a lot of light up the trail. It's downfall is the fact that both heads are pretty much spot beams. They are independently adjustable, so I finally got them figured out well enough to see the trail and some of the periphery. The helmet light was a good idea last night as it filled what the LED light missed. I'll ride the big halogen light next week and make a comparison.
I ended up with 2:15 on the bike last night and had a good ride. People who sit in the house and ride a trainer are suckers.

Same time next week...
6pm @ the gate

Off_Road

6 pm @ the gate tonight...

Off Road...

Bring lights...

Another one bites the dust

T-Mobile pulls the plug...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/nov07/nov28news

Stapleton says he'll go w/o a sponsor for '08 though...

Bad decision for George to go there...


..And since there seems to be a moron running loose through cyberspace, I've disabled anonymous comments for the time being. I'm all for anonymous comments from people who may have something to add to the dialogue, but stupid people have access to computers too.
The same person keeps posting inane/stupid/insipid/borderline retarded comments, so blame him. The person is a giant chickenshit for not having the balls to include a name...but I know who he is (IP tracking) and will deal with it accordingly.

WTF?

Sorry for the poor picture quality, but this had to be shown. CC got the front windows painted for Christmas...

-looks like it was done by a troupe of orangutans or special ed kids or their progeny...

-Santa is way off to the side and leaning on what appears to be a pole. Is the economy so bad that even Santa has resorted to hooking?

-"USA Cycling Rocks"? WTF does that have to do with Christmas?

-The giant "Brooklyn" banner? It's a defunct Italian chewing gum company that sponsored a team WAAAAY back in the day. Again, WTF does that have to do with Christmas?

Did Kimi help with this? It's right at that level...

The "artist", and I use that term in the broadest sense possible, should have his artistic license revoked. Remember, there's a fine line between artisitic and autistic. Put away your brushes PeanutHead, because you failed...

Weekend

Friday ended up being a no-ride day. The H.O. got called into the office, so I was on kid duty. She had to go to Greenville, so we decided to gather up the management trainees and head up there as a group. It was nice...kinda broke up the day. She finished at lunchtime, so we had lunch and tried to go to Hincapie Sportswear. Unfortunately, they were closed, so we pointed the family truckster back towards Columbia and came home.
Saturday morning met us with cold temps and a biting wind directly out of the North. The group was pared down greatly because of the weather. The 9 that showed turned to 8 just outside the Fort. Doogie wasn't feeling well, so he headed home. The remaining 8 did a modified backwards Tuesday loop, hitting some tree-lined roads, in an effort to stay out of the wind. For once, a plan actually worked. The ride was shorter than usual, but the wind and cold made up for it.
The company then went, en masse, to look at new houses. This old box is getting a bit small for two adults, two kids and two dogs. The place we really wanted to see was supposed to be open, but the agent must have had better things to do, and it was locked up tight. We stopped by the BlueHairs and had dinner, than came home to watch Carolina lose...again...! Start out 6-1 and end up 6-6...suck...suck...suck...!
This morning, a group met at Starbucks and did a Palmetto Trail ride. The majority of the bunch was on cross bikes, which was a rarity in itself. Doogie and I kind of did our own thing after sitting and waiting for the bunch a few times. I got a good workout and figured some things out this morning. The most important being the fact that the Ksyriums are good race wheels, but aren't that great on singletrack. They are just WAAAY to stiff. The Trail needs some TLC too. I might be doing some trailwork here soon...
I ended up with almost 2:30 on the cross bike.

We were planning on going back out to look at the house we like (same one as above), but the agent has chosen to take the weekend off. He's supposed to be there @ 1 until 6. Well, it's 2:30 and the chopperhead isn't there. Needless to say, the H.O. has the bitch-switch clicked into the 'ON' position right now...and I don't blame her.

Oh well, it was a good weekend...

Back to the steps on Tuesday...

Gobble...gobble...

Happy Turkey Day everyone. Yes, I said turkey. The pilgrims didn't eat tofu or bean salad on that first day they sat down with the Native Americans!



Anywho, it was a perfect, if not a bit breezy, morning for a solo cross/urban assault/river ride. I headed out throught the northside of town and dropped in on the river trail at the dam and made my way down the Columbia side and up to the State Museum.

I tried to check out the old trails down near the Gervais St. bridge, but it seems the lack of cold weather has allowed the bamboo and weeds to live a bit longer this year. I could see the trail go in, but I wasn't about to eat myriad spiderwebs and I didn't bring a machete wielding pygmy to hack through.

I crossed the bridge and hit the Cayce side of the Greenway, which is MUCH nicer than the Columbia side, and rode it all the way out to a locked gate. Well, there was no one around, so I'll let you guess what occured next. Let's just say, there's another mile or so of trail on the other side.

I did make a cool find too. The old canal locks are still in place on the Cayce side and surprisingly easy to access. I rode right out to the edge and looked down into the cold, emerald water. It would be a wonderful place to catch some ZZZZZZs. Very peaceful...

I turned around, rode out of the Greenway via the mini-Alpe d-Huez and made my way around to the Granby Mills section of the trail. All of the dirt trails are still there and pretty well groomed.

Alas, it was then time to make my my home, to a quiet, childless house. The silence is deafening. Coming up past the baseball stadium, I stood to climb and felt the distinctive washing that is a 40c wide cross tire going flat. I rode it all the way home and it's still holding air. 20-25 pounds, but still...

2 hours on the bike, a good ride and some discovery. Not a bad day...

Well, that was a bust...

Doogie and I tried to do the HBW Tuesday night ride last night, only to be thwarted by time and mechanical difficulties. Neither of the problems being any fault of our own. We had 12 when we finally rolled out last night and the issues started immediately. Someone flatted on the lower part of the trail, about 2 minutes into the ride. Several of us rode on and up through the cemetary to wait...and wait...and wait...

Finally, Doog and I bailed and meandered through downtown to get home. Even with the lack of ride, I still got home shortly before 8. I just can't fiddle-fart around for 30+ minutes, waiting on folks who can't change a flat. Probably the last one of those rides I do for a while. They're definitely fun and good when they are problem-free, but last night just wasn't to be...

At least it served as a good shakedown ride for Doog's new Redline cross bike. Nothing flew off and he made it home safely in the dark.

I felt like shit for most of the day, most of the ride and the hour I was awake when I got home. I went to bed @ 9:30 and woke up this morning @ 8. Amazing what 10 hours of sleep can do for you.

I'll be heading out to ride at some point in the morning (Thursday) for a pre-Turkey Day spin...if anyone would care to join me. It will be the start of a 4 day block.

Here's the Redline...and yes, it's little...

Goog long ride

Saturday met us with 38 degree temps and a pretty stiff wind that seemingly came from every direction. It was the way a winter ride is supposed to be as well. We all stayed together, those who wanted to make an effort did so and then the group came back together and we even had a nice tempo section on Airbase. I ended up with right at 60 miles and was tired when I walked in the door. I could tell I hadn't been on the bike for a week...
The H.O. and I went to look at a house in the afternoon. It was nice, but if I'm spending $250k+, I don't want to be forced to administer TLC to the house when we move in.
Doogie brought his new cross bike over last night and we got it 80% built. The rear brake routing is presenting a problem, as there is no clear way to run the housing. The boss is entirely too close to the seat-tube. It may be indicative of a small bike, but I've never run into that problem before. I'm hoping a section of Nokon housing will remedy the situation or it may get torn down and sent back, which would be a shame. Redline makes nice cross frames.

I woke up this morning @ 5:20 a.m. to a screaming 2 year old. The poor little guy is sick and pitiful. The H.O. is leaving for a meeting this afternoon and the house looks like a family of Guatamalan migrant workers lives here, so there will be no ride for me today. It's okay though, I be out Tuesday night, and then Thursday thru Sunday. That'll make 6 days of 8 on the bike, which is a good stack for November.

Ohio State won 14-3 over Michigan...in Ann Arbor. Everyone sing..."We don't give a damn about the whole State of Michigan...!"

THE GAME

Ohio State v. Michigan is tomorrow...

This game was recently voted as the biggest rivalry in sports...period! And it is, by a long shot.

It makes Carolina/Clemson look like a highschool homecoming game...

I'm flying my colors!

Hang her high

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=55669

They charged the woman who killed Lee Ann Barry and Tom Hoskins with two counts of negligent homicide. And they should have...the Law is clear here and a message needed to be sent. She'll probably plea out and get a slap on the wrist, but it's a start! She should NEVER be able to drive again.
Please leave comments on WLTX's page. There are some mouth-breathing idiots on there.

And some other good news...
It seems Keith Iwinski had a heart procedure to alleviate his crazy, elevated HR issue. He's fine and recovering nicely at home.

And Big John Greene, owner of Cycle Center, is back at work after back surgery. It's amazing how tall he is when standing straight.

Meh and HEYYYYY...

Meh....

I feel like crap, no interest in getting on the bike to ride in the dark tonight. Plus the fact that Vista Lights is going on...no reason to get popped by some drunk on his/her way home. I'm going to bed early, and by early I mean, in about 45 minutes...

HEYYYYY...

I did finish Il Professore's Colnago today. The bike built up easily and is finished out very well from the factory in Ital....er...Taiwan. Very nice frameset overall. I do have a sneaking suspicion that his choice of handlebar tape will be the source of much ribbing though. It looks like he rode through the candy cane factory at the North Pole. I think those that bought them got a very nice bikes.

Update

Another night on the stairs...
8x20 stadium hops (that's right...160 hops)
8 sets running the steps...for form, not speed
Next week is 10 each...and will be there until January 1st. Every Tuesday night...
Il Professore says is masochistic, and he's right, but it pays dividends in the spring...


Did some much needed maintenance on the Salsa last night. The chain popped like an old prostitute's hip on the night ride last Thursday. I figured it was better to install a new chain than be stuck somewhere in the ghetto, in the dark, in lycra, pushing a $3000 bike! When I broke the old chain, I noticed that the rear derailleur had some serious character. I guess it got it's modified shape last Winter, on a night ride. My brother and I were WAY out and I got a large stick caught in the derailleur and it pretty much turned around on itself. Removal of the stick led to the thing flipping right back around and working properly for the remainder of the ride...and the last 8 months. That's why you put a MTB rear derailleur on a cross bike. A road unit would have never survived.

I cleaned everything, installed a new Mavic/Wipperman chain and it shifts perfectly, so I guess there's really no reason to mess with it. Of course, the damn thing will probably break off and leave me in the aforementioned ghetto one of these nights...



TVH and Il Professore both got their new Colnago bikes yesterday. I guess it's Mandrus' turn to upgrade his rig...! Seems like everyone is getting new bikes this winter. I'll be putting Il Professore's together this weekend, as he is going to Montreal. If you gotta go to Canada, at least go to English speaking Canada...jeez!

Night rides

The Palmetto Trail night rides will be starting in two weeks. Doogie finally quit waffling and pulled the trigger on a cross rig.

More to follow...

I went to Charlotte

...and all I got was a lousy pair of socks.

Doogie and I rolled out early this morning to go to the swap in Charlotte. There were some good deals to be had, some average deal and more than a few headscratchers. I went looking for a few, very specific things and bought nothing more than a pair of socks. I spent more on lunch at a burger place in Fort Mill than I did at the swap. $6 at the swap...$7.25 on lunch...! There was a bunch of stuff to buy, but it came down to two simple questions...
Did I NEED any of it? No...
Could I live without it? Yes...

Doog bought a wireless computer for his non-existent cross bike...and shorted the guy 5 bucks.

Saw some friends I hadn't talked to in a while and met BIG BRAD...! He's a guy that races karts with Doog and YES, he call himself BIG BRAD...even though he's 5'7" at the outside...
I've been informed that's it's 'Bad Brad'...sorry for the mix up...! Kinda works either way though....!

Time to start getting my crap in a pile before heading to the spa to pick up #1.

???

Kind of a weird ride...
90kms...
3+ hours...
A very close call @ 50kmh...
Too much whispering among some...get over it...!

I'm not even going to get into the ride itself or how a 'special guest' needs to shut the fuck up...
Don't tell people you don't know how to ride. Until you can hold the wheel of the guy you were yapping at, just be quiet!

As an aside, if you don't like something I write here, either have enough respect for me, as well as yourself, to talk to me about it like an adult, or just hush. Don't whisper to those that will listen...it isn't middle school. Or, don't come back to my little dirt road off the information superhighway! No one forces you to come here.

Done...

Wow!

It's almost unbelieveable, but I did a ride last night that was FUN. There was no complaining, whining, bitching, or moaning. Just riding and laughing...it was really nice!

Doogie had the afternoon free from the chains of Medical School, so he rode in the warm sunshine. No reason to ride in the dark with me just for the sake of it...! I, in turn, met PalmettoSolo and the HBW guys for their Thursday night urban assault ride. I rode the Salsa from the house and them at the end of the Greenway. Once the dozen of us gathered, it was go time. We rode up through the park and out into the Northside of town. After a short loop through Elmwood Cemetary, we made our way around into Cottontown and then downtown for some parking garage fun, including the Trek rep almost taking out half the group in the Gravity Race. A big loop around campus and a drop into Granby Park followed. At this point, I parted ways with the group to get home at a reasonable hour. I got home with 2:30 on the bike, a good workout and a big smile on my face. This ride is what getting on a bike is supposed to be about...having a good time. I'm glad I took the invite and will be going back throughout the winter. I'd forgotten how much fun night group rides really are...

9 a.m. tomorrow...and in the forties...over/under is set @ 8 again this week. Try to be on time too! Some of us are tired of sitting around until 9:15 for the ride to leave.

Edit

I've edited the post below...it won't happen again!

First night

Tonight the off-the-bike workouts began. I'd forgotten how much running sucks. I mean, really...do people actually derive enjoyment from it. I went to the Statehouse to do my stadium hops/plyometrics and decided to run around the complex for a while. After my second loop, I went back to running the steps. There's just too much impact on the body. While doing plyos and running the steps has a degree of impact, it's far less than going for a jog!
I feel the workout in my legs already. I didn't do it last winter and paid for it in the spring. I'll be up there every Tuesday evening if anyone wants a good workout...

(EDITED FOR CONTENT)

The Big Stampede is this Sunday in Charlotte @ Lowes Motor Speedway. Hit up the bank machine before you go, 'cuz there isn't one at the track.

Yoga tomorrow night and night ride on Thursday...! Doogie and I will be heading out @ 5:45 from the gate for a loop. Bring your lights and some warm clothes and join the fun.

100 miles and 3200kj

That was my weekend of riding.
Saturday met us with lower temps. I refuse to say it was cold, because it just wasn't. We had a smaller turnout than usual, likely because of the mid-40s temp at start time. I guess some folks will stay inside when it's 38 and overcast this winter...
Those of us who rolled out of bed and braved the horribly frigid temps had a perfectly lovely ride through Lower Richland, down into Eastover, out to the Cricket Store and back the normal way. The wind decided it wanted to meet us when we made the turn at the store though. It wasn't a brutal headwind by any stretch, but made the ride more interesting.
I ended up with 100km at an average of right at 30kmh and clicked off 2000kj. I must have been on the front a lot during the ride, because that number is about 200kj more than I've ever produced on that loop, including some of the hard rides out through there. Il Professore made it the entire ride without breaking any parts...HOORAY. He did, however, bring his Dean SS over for me to look at the stem. The faceplate wouldn't tighten down on the bars. The reason? FSA stuff sucks...that's the reason. The threading for all four screws had been tapped incorrectly. Amazing...!
Then we hacked at his shoe for 20 minutes to change a cleat. I love using large, powerful, high rpm power tools on expensive bike parts!
We are also starting a betting line on what part he'll break next...
Crankset - 7/1
Handlebars - 10/1
Front wheel - 14/1

Doogie, NID and I met this morning @ 9. It was a bone-chilling 44 degrees when I left la casa.
We went out through the Fort and meandered around in Lower Richland for about 2:15. Another perfect day of riding. Very little wind, very few cars, and a great loop. 65km and 1200kj for the day.
I came home and immediately went to work in the yard, getting a jump on the infernal leaves. I'll be doing leaves from now until after Christmas. The big trees in my yard are great in the summer, but are the bane of my existence come fall and winter.
Doogie and I stopped by Crusty's later in the day and he picked up some Reynolds wheels. Crusty's lady is moving in with him, so the house actually looks presentable. It was a bit cave-like before...kind of dark and dank...

All in all, it was a good weekend.

We'll be riding Thursday night, with lights, on the Fort if anyone is interested.

A bet...

The temp is supposed to be @ 45-ish at 9 a.m. tomorrow. How many do we think will show up for the group ride?

The over/under is set at 8. I think that may be a little high though...

Time to find the knee warmers and vest...

History lesson

General Paul Tibbets died today...

If you don't know who that is, you should have studied your American History a bit harder in school...

For those of you who don't know...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_re_us/obit_tibbets

Damn it's getting dark early...

The H.O. came home from work at her normal time, so I jumped on the bike and did a loop around the Fort. I was out the door at 5:45 and on my way.

The sun was low in the sky, but still shining brightly! Man, was that short-lived! I was barely to the top of Hartsville Guard when it started to disappear behind the trees. I planned on doing a slow-ish loop, but chasing the daylight seemed de rigeur, so up the pace went.

I stopped at the top of the hill on Wildcat to make an adjustment to my new cleat and heard the telltale call of a coyote. That's right folks, Wile E. himself is evidently living with his peers out on the base. The call came from far away, but I wasn't going to hang around to see if any of his asshole buddies were going to return the call from my general vicinity. The pace went up yet again...

Once I turned onto Dixie, I clicked the new light on so that oncoming cars could see me. I can tell you, a good L.E.D. light is damn bright. As the light faded, I was really shocked by the output of the two tiny heads. I kept my newly accelerated pace on the ups and the downs. At the top of the penultimate climb, I saw a blinky ahead of me. So the pace went up again...

I stomped up the last climb and caught the rider just after Golden Arrow. As I approached, I noticed the guy's stroke was UGLY! Not that mine is a gift from the Madonna Di Ghisallo, but this guy wasn't even pedaling squares...more like octagons. As I went past, I could barely make out the shape of...wait for it...The Peanuthead. Riding in the Fort with a barely there blinky and no headlight...in the dark! I wasn't about to have him try to follow me, so the pace went up again...

I kept a hard, 38-40kph pace for the rest of the trip out of the Fort and it actually felt really good. Sometimes, going hard feels better than futzing around.

The Niterider MiNewt Dual X 2 light performed well. It's VERY small. The housings themselves are about the size of a walnut (and metal) and the battery is similar in size to a package of granola bars. The whole she-bang weighs less than a pound. Run time is 2 hours on high and 4 hours on low. I also will run for 8 hours on flash. Flash is a bit trippy though. It flashes as fast as a strobe light and the flash is high power. I turned it on in the middle of the neighborhood and almost had a seizure. The light system was great on the road...we'll see how she does in the woods.

Here's the whole system...(Powertap not included)...battery fits right under the stem!

Jonny5 aliiive...

Tragic

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7276426

This loss of life is just staggering. I knew none of them and am far removed from my days at Carolina, but my heart is broken this morning. Children just shouldn't perish in this, or any other, manner.

The ones that got out were extremely lucky. The ones that didn't are in a far better place.

Godspeed...

A mixed weather bag

Yesterday, I rolled out of bed at 7:30 to start my morning routine in preparation for the group ride. I checked the temp...59 degrees...not great, but not all that cold either. Then I looked out the front window! It was foggy. I don't mean just foggy, but horror movie FOGGY. The house across the street is 50-60 feet away and it was nothing more than a ghostly shape in the mist.
This thinned the group immediately.
I showed at 5 'til 9 and New Guy Rob and I were the only ones there. We ended up with a total of 8. The group sort of meandered out towards Hopkins, then towards Eastover and back to the G-Mart. A nice paceline developed on Airbase and we all stayed in a group until the end. I jumped for the sprint from way too far out, in way too big of a gear. Doogie got me at the line.
Il Professore continued his streak of breaking parts shortly thereafter. Going down the concrete section of Old Garners Ferry, he hit a bump and the front bolt of his seat clamp sheared off. The nose of his saddle went straight up and turned out to be something of a divining rod for the rest of the ride. He stuck his bike in the biggest gear (50/11) and stood for the remainder of the ride. As he would swing the bike from side to side, the saddle would flop about, with the nose always pointing at his rear end.
It was a great ride with a great group. We ended with a touch over 50 miles in 2:45.
I got home a lazed about for the rest of the day. The house is almost too quiet when the H.O. and the kids are gone.
Doogie and I met this morning for a 2+ hour ride through the Fort and Hopkins. We had a great tailwind on a few sections and the sun was shining through the high clouds. When we turned onto Bluff, the head/crosswind started. It's always funny how the 130 pound guys climb like they have rockets up their asses, but they tend to turn into Remora when the wind gets stiff.
Doogie took advantage of my copious draft and diesel power at this point.
We cruised through campus and stopped at TVH's house for a short chat, and then contined on to pick up Mrs. Doogie's Touareg. She had a bit too much firewater last night and was forced to leave it in Shandon.
All in all, I had a good weekend of riding the new rig and got it a little dirty for the first time. Rest assured, it's clean now though...and it has a white saddle...

4 days off makes the legs stiff

Holy schnikeys! I must admit that I'm not at all fit right now and I'm very tired from my single parenting duties, but DAMN were my legs stiff tonight. I did a loop of the Fort and while it wasn't the slowest ever, it was close.
It was a good ride though. I needed to get out in the fresh air and get some blood moving around. And GD does the new bike ride GOOD!
Coming past the backside of the golf course, I looked up and there was a huge doe standing in the right lane. As I approached, she never moved. I swung to the other lane and rode past maybe 6 feet from her. She had zero fear of me on my bike. It was kind of cool. I looked back over my shoulder and she was watching me ride away. I guess the really have nothing to fear on the Fort, other than large caliber automatic weapons and Howitzer shells of course.
I left he Fort and rode up through Heathwood and across through Shandon, just taking it easy as darkness fell. As I crossed through OutJokin's parking lot, I noticed a huge rainbow out over Lower Richland. The news said it was raining out there. I felt a bit of a sprinkle on post, but nothing to get excited about.

The H.O. is taking the management trainees away for the weekend. There will be much riding and sleeping for yours truly while they are gone. I need some rest...

See you guys Saturday...

I found my new truck...screw a hybrid...

Day 4 of 4

Today is the last day of my 4 day, single-parenting stint. The H.O. will be home tonight at some point. I say at some point because when she is out of town, she somehow forgets how to dial a telephone or use email to contact her husband and/or check on the management trainees.
Honestly, it's really not all that hard to wrangle two kids. It's the other stuff that suffers. I haven't ridden since Sunday, sleep has become a luxury which it seems I cannot afford and the house looks like a troupe of baboons has been living here. Well, maybe just one, 2 year old baboon who refuses to take naps and has too many toys...
Oh, did I mention it's raining cats and dogs? Pretty much shoots any outside plans in the ass.

It's 4 p.m. now...and I can tell you that the boys will be in bed in right around three hours.

Doogie Hammer M.D. is in for the impending night rides. I've put out feelers to the guys at Summit and Cycle Center. Contacting Outjokin' is fruitless, as the employees there don't ride during the day, but I digress.
If you have interest, shoot me a comment or email. I'm thinking the trail rides will be Thursday nights, since that night seems more open for a lot of folks. All are welcome, but you will need lights and some sort of off-road bike. The rides won't be test-fests, but your heartrate will go up and stay there.

I'm riding tomorrow night if anyone is interested. Either a loop of the Fort on the roadie or a road out, trail back on the cross bike.

If not, see you guys Saturday...

Two short days

Saturday was met with a larger than usual group, likely because the weather was pleasant. We'll see where most of them are when it's 42 and overcast...
Anyway, I rode the new bike and for the 30 minutes that it was working perfectly, it was easily the best bike I've ever ridden. The ride is very muted, yet the frame seems extremely stiff and responsive. I've said it before, but the ride quality can be attributed to the giant, round tubes. I liked the Damocles, but this is just a better ride. The ride feels more solid and the fork is definitely stiffer than that straight leg affair on the Damo.
Anyway, about 1/2 way out of the Fort, my saddle slipped and the nose went up and I mean UP. It was a Selle Italia prostate exam. I made it to the gate, messed with it for a moment and just decided to ride home. There was no way that I could have ridden 3+ hours like that.
Upon retruning home, I went to Lowes and bought a ratching 13mm wrench to properly tighten the seat bolt.
This morning, the H.O. is leaving for Nashville, so I was up and on the bike early. Nothing clears your head like watching the sun rise from the saddle. 90 easy minutes later, I was back at the house. Nice way to start the morning, IMO. There's no better time to ride on Sunday either. There isn't a soul stirring at 7:30 on a Sunday in Columbia.
I'll be off the bike until Thursday as The Boss will be gone until Wednesday night. Single parenting...there's nothing like it.

My PT crapped on me this morning too. Time for new batteries in the hub methinks...!

Oh, and I saw PeanutHead riding yesterday...up Devine Street...in the middle of the lane...wearing his iPod...! I think I saw the Ghost of Charles Darwin drafting him. Not a bright bulb, that one...

Oh, part deux...
I want to get a night ride together for the winter. Maybe Wednesday nights (Tuesdays or Thursdays are fine too!) on the Fort, preferably in the woods. I've added an email address in my profile. shoot me ideas or comments about wanting to ride. Everyone is welcome. It won't be an aggro, testosterone-fest kind of ride. Just some good fun in the dark.

9 a.m. Saturday

Remember, the rides have moved back to 9 on Saturday mornings...

Done...

Last of season

Seven of us showed up for the TNCWC tonight. We sat for a while and then pretty much just rolled around. BLK took off and we gave a half-hearted chase for a while. I quit chasing after I followed Ladd into the top corner and the cross bike did a two-step under me. I even had the soft wheels and tires on tonight and the damn thing still wouldn't turn. I sat up and rode tempo for about 20 minutes and then just stopped. A new guy and his girlfriend came out, so I stopped to chat with them. Nice kids...USC students...she looked like she was about 14...I felt old.

The Ridley will be here Thursday...yippee! I bought a ceramic BB(waiting for it), a carbon front derailleur clamp(waiting) and I fixed the rear Mavic brake. I decided to given the bolt another go and snapped the head clean off. I put the Channel Locks on the nub and gave it a big effort and the damn thing broke loose and came right out. Thank goodness! I hated for that one bolt to, A)kick my ass and B)make a high $ set of brakes into paperweights. They're rare enough as a set, much less finding just the rear!

I also bought a new pair of shoes. Specialized Pro Road...! I've worn Diadora for so long and the new Diadoras fit differently, so I decided to try something new. I probably won't break them out until spring though. No reason to foul up new shoes in the winter.

No ride for me Thursday. The H.O. will be out of town, so I'm charged with heading up the management training program. When the trainees go to bed, I'll be building the new whip...
It will be road worthy and out on Saturday morning!!!

Saturday 9 a.m. @ the circle...

Another weekend passed...

Saturday, the turn out was very small. Half of our normal bunch is lounging on the beach in the USVI (yes, literally half...) and the remainder went to Greenville to race. The few who showed up were treated to a wonderful ride through Lower Richland, on a beautiful day. To say the loop chosen was a meanddering one would be a bit of an understatement. We ended up in Eastover and came back in the normal way. On Shop, Mandrus jumper across a fresh red light and attacked down to the sprint. That's called a "Poindexter" move and was the only way he was going to win it.
I ended up with 90km and some very tired legs. The Salsa is a touch harder to ride than a regular road bike. It's scandium and stiff and just kind of buzzes on rough pavement, which there is an abundance of around here. I sit up higher on the bars and my reach is shorter by 2cm. Needless to say, the back was a bit crunchy when I got home.
Doogie Hammer, MD and I went out this morning and did a short 90 spin out through the Fort into the NE and back through Forest Acres. We went EASY this morning...

I really like the new Ultegra SL pedals. They are very secure, yet my knee doesn't hurt. I feel much more connected to the bike than with the Quattros.
My new search is for another set of brakes for the new bike. The Mavics have a frozen bolt on the rear calipers, thus, it has been rendered useless. I guess I'll use the Cane Creeks until I find something else...

Last crit Tuesday night. 6:15pm!! I'll be out, but won't be racing. The cross bike doesn't like to be thrown into turns at high speed...

Speaking of high speed, Petacchi won Paris-Tours today with an average speed of 46kmh. That's 28.5mph to you and me. Five and a half hours at 28.5mph!!!??? Nah, those guys aren't on dope...

Solo

I guess the Thursday night rides have dried up. I showed at the gate last night and was alone. I planned for this contingency and brought the mp3 player. I popped in the tunes and did a slow loop of the Fort by myself.
I'm riding the Salsa until the new Helium gets here and I noticed a few things last night. I'm very crunched up on that bike and it's really flipping stiff. The difference between it and the old Ridley was amazing. It just proved the point to me that the old Ridley had been broken for quite a while. When I stood to climb last night, the bike actually went forward instead of feeling like it had a migrating bottom bracket shell. The front end was much stiffer as well. Of course, a 500 gram cyclocross fork with a steel steerer is likely to be stiffer than an all carbon, 300 gram fork...
I had an enjoyable ride though...

I changed to some new style Ultegra pedals too. First time out on them will be Saturday morning. They'll wither be better or they'll cripple me. I really like the Crank Brothers pedals, but just don't feel terribly secure when making a big sprint effort. I always fear popping out, so I don't go as hard as I can...
We'll see...! The new Shimano pedals may make my knee swell like a grapefruit...

I've ordered all of the parts needed for the new frame...well, not needed, but wanted...! I got new cables and housing (actually needed), new cages and a ceramic BB. I figure, if I'm going all out on this bike, why not the ceramic BB?

If you want ceramic stuff, check out www.superflycycles.com ! You won't beat their prices or service. Sign up for the newsletter/club thingy too. Free shipping and 10% off...

You gotta love the warranty...

The Damocles gave up the ghost over the weekend. I noticed it had some cracking under the BB/chainstay junction and those cracks had begun to migrate. On Sunday, I stood to cross the railroad tracks on Beltline and the combo of the two dealt the deathblow. There are now cracks on the tops of the chainstays as well...

Needless to say, the frameset has been torn down and is going out today for warranty replacement. I'm a bit melacholy right now. I really liked the bike, but I am receiving an upgrade for a replacement frameset.

A small amount of $ changed hands and I am now the proud owner of a Ridley Helium...

The next two weeks is going to be a long time...! At least I didn't have to wait 8 weeks like Joel! Hell, I took pictures of the cracked frame and it was enough to warranty it...

The crosser is set up for the road. The last time I was forced to use a cross bike for a primary roadie, Corbett and I ate shit out on Congress...

Weekend Update

Saturday actually brought a larger group than expected. The sky was dark, the clouds were low and it looked pretty threatening when I rolled out of bed at 6:45. We did get rained on in the Fort, but it was for about 15 minutes and just enough to spot your glasses and get your bike dirty.

We did a different ride that included a couple of roads that I've seen, but never actually ridden. It ended up being a very modified Double Elon loop, out to Zeigler and then back in on Cabin Creek, the normal way. The pace was downright tolerable. No one went for any of the sprints and no one attacked. It was nice to actually just turn the pedals over @ 32-35 kmh and not be forced to cough up a lung during the ride. I ended up with 90 km and didn't feel terrible when I got home.
Doogie Hammer,M.D. and I went out this morning and rolled around the flats this morning at a blistering 30 kmh pace. It was a good 60 km ride in 2 hours that helped me spin some crap out of my legs.
I'm waiting on word from Ridley about my frame warranty. It seems the old Damocles has developed some cracks under the BB where the shell meets the chainstays. I'm torn whether or not to upgrade to the Helium or just get another Damocles. The only thing that turns me off about the Helium is the integrated seatmast...! I guess I need to find out how much adjustability there is once it's cut down. I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it...
I won't be out Tuesday for the TNCWC. I'm going to the beach for a couple of days with the H.O. and the management trainees.

See you guys next Saturday. I'll be doing a loop of the Fort Thursday night if anyone wants to join me...

No ride for me tonight

I'm going to the Carolina game. I'll be sitting here...

...away from all of the unwashed masses...

I'll tell the ESPN guys you all said 'Hello'...

Saturday is 9 a.m. this week...

The End is Nigh

Darkness is creeping up on us and the time change, although it's been moved back by our all-knowing gub'ment, is coming.
Last night, the TNCWC went off @ 6:30 for the last time off the season. We did 40 minutes plus 2 and rolled home in the dark.
The race started mellow enough and we basically rolled around for the first 10 minutes. The headwind up the front was BRUTAL. I looked at my PT graph from last night and could see everytime we went up the front and short chute. How did I know...? Well, let's just say I normally don't need to turn 500 watts on the front stretch...!
Anyway, @ 15 minutes in, JayC attacked and took Der Kaiser with him. No one did anything and the gap was immediate. At the end of the backstretch, BCR came out of the group like he shot out of a fucking cannon and bridged to the leaders.
We started working well together and actually began to pull it back. We were about 150 off the break when OLD FART Jeff let a huge gap open and shattered the chase. The kicker is the fact that he started yelling for us to chase and ride harder. If you can yell and scream after you leave a giant gap, then you probably had enough to hold the wheel in front of you. He yelled for about 10 minutes...from the very back of the group. I made the effort to drift back and try to take him out the back. I let a huge gap go and forced him to chase. It was worth getting gapped and sitting out a lap. If the old fart yells again next week, I'm going to embarass him in front of everyone. I wasn't the only one who was perturbed about it either...ther was much grumbling, even from those who rarely show any emotion on rides.
Anyway, we started working again and closing the gap, but some folks just don't understand 'through and over'. The line would get shot to hell in the corners or people would hit the front and take long, suicidal pulls. People, if you take a short, hard pull, then come over, it's actually easier...
The gap was coming down with two to go, but the break was too strong. BCR showed JayC what a clean set off wheels looked like in the sprint and won yet again.
I felt better than I have in a long time, but still have lingering shit in the lungs and head.

Next week, the TNCWC goes off @ 6:15. It's the first of the last 2, so be there...

Holy Shit Funny!

Weekend Update

It's Mr. Bettini to you people...

That's right, The Cricket won the Worlds, again...! He's a bad MF.

Okay, now onto my pre-nap update.

Saturday met a smaller group than we've had lately, but it was chilly (64...). We did the tried and true Eastover loop, but went down Ridge and up Harmon this time. The ride stayed together and relatively slow all the way to 378. Once we hit Chaingang, the speed increased. Gradually at first though...

We had a nice, conservative 40-42kmh paceline working, everyone was doing their part, and then it happened. I pulled through, Dr. LP pulled through and Der Kaiser hit the front. He drilled it like he was looking for oil. We went from 42kmh to 55kmh in about 100 meters. Did I mention that Dr. LP and I were still hung out in the left line? Thankfully, Mrs. Der Kaiser let us in just before the pace went to 60kmh. RW kept it @ 60, LP pulled through at 60 and led out the sprint. I hit the 12 and think I actually went backwards. Der Kaiser got me at the line by half-a-wheel. Note to self...stay in the 13!

Anyway, the pace stayed high down to the Cricket Store, on Bluff and all the way to the GMart.

Trez sat up and looked like hammered shit, so I sat up with him in an effort to rally him on to the store. After two long pulls into the headwind at 40kmh, he was gone again.

I TT'd to the store, trying to keep my wattage @ 285-300. I did it, but it stung a bit. I should have said F him and stayed in the group. Doogie/Ballpeen was driving the pace and it evidently was hurting some folks. Get yours now you little shit. Next spring, when your ass is stuck at the hospital, working 18 hour days, I'll be riding!

After the re-group, we rode piano back up Horrell Hill, through the Fort and home. I ended up with 100km and was ti-red when I hit the door.

This morning, I did a SLOW loop of the Fort by myself. The H.O. and the management trainees are gone for the day, so I got in some much needed bike maintenance. The cross bike hadn't been cleaned since coming back from the beach...sorry! The Ridley's drivetrain was looking kind of crusty, so it got a scrub.

Now, I'm going to crawl into bed, turn on the NASCAR race in HD and sleep through it...

Edit: Il Professore had a bad weekend. Saturday, he got hit by a full Gatorade bottle thrown from a passing car. Sunday, he stood up on a climb and sheared the axle of his Look Keo pedal. He crashed pretty heavily, but nothing is broken...other than the pedal that is...

TNCWC crash update

Philip (the rider formerly know as Osama Bin Ridin) broke his wrist in the prang...

It's a sexy red cast. I'm sure all the chicks in his MAT program are giving him the attention he needs...! Broken bones and college chicks...seems almost worth it!

(Thanks to RW for the pic)

Maybe the last?

7 of us showed for the Thrusday ride last night. It was a short affair and it wad dark when I rolled into the yard @ 7:30.
The 7 of us were all of like ability and speed, which is rare for late September, so the ride was smooth and quick. We did a very abbreviated loop through the Fort, down Horrell Hill and back in on Airbase.
The pace was quick and stayed quick for the entire ride. Being chased by darkness makes one ride a bit harder.

I'll probably ride next Thursday, but I won't leave the safety of the Fort. It's time to break out the lights...sigh...

See you in the morning. It'll be cool @ 8, so break out the base layer and armwarmers...

TNCWC

Last night was a fast and furious evening of racing...and crashing at the Tuesday Worlds. The first couple of laps were positively sedate, then all hell broke loose. I don't know who decided to attack, but the pace shot to 45kmh+ immediately...and according to my PT, it stayed there for about 35 minutes. Breaks went and got pulled back pretty quickly. There was just too much horsepower for anything to get away last night. There wasn't a whole lot of ebb and flow. It was lined out throughout the race. The very few times the pace slackened, it lasted for about 1/2 of a lap. Just enough time to close gaps and move up a bit, before the shit hit the fan again.
Several people came out last night with the plan to just drill it. More were hanging on for dear life. Unfortunately, I was one of the latter. I just wasn't feeling it last night. Heavy legs, lack of motivation and what feels like another strain of chest cold do not a good ride make.

About 1/2 way through the 45 minutes, one of Sundaedae's juniors decided to take himself out. He fell out of the race and was trying to get back in. He looked right and swerved left, hit the sand and the gutter and wound up on his head. I don't think he was hurt, but Dr. LP told him to go get his wrist checked.
The second prang happened on the penultimate lap. Kevin lost a back tire and took down a few. The beauty of the crash was the fact that Kevin bunnyhopped the curb, rode thru the grass, down the other curb, across the other side of the road and ended up in the grass in front of the firehouse. All in all, he made it about 30 meters before finally ending up in a pile. Mark, Mandrus and Philip wound up in the median. Philip just loves to crash in turn four. It's the second time in 4 weeks and the third time in two seasons. Mark came out the worst. No bones were broken, but he had ripped shorts and a skinned ass. Road rash on the buttcheeks in an evil adversary. I'm willing to bet he didn't sleep much last night...

We may have to move up to 6:15 and shorten to 40 minutes. It was DARK when we rode in last night.

Overall, I felt like the bug last night, as opposed to the windshield. Just felt bad all the way around...and worked too much in the beginning. Taking pulls in the first 20 minutes is just dumb.

Sammy beat Doogie/BallPeen in the sprint, BTW.

Mario Aerts is harder than you

A Belgian hardman in the truest sense of the word. 20th in the Giro,70th in the Tour and 28th in the Vuelta..that's right, he did the triple. Only the 25th to EVER do it...badass!