Doug, Doug, Doug...(shaking head)

So I'm in Target this morning, doing my bi-monthly child supply run, and my phone rings. I see that it's Doug's number, which I find odd, since it's Friday morning. I answer and we exchange pleasantries.
Here's the rest of the conversation...
D: Hey man, are you riding this morning? Is there some secret ride no one told me about?
M: No, but I'll be out tomorrow morning for the group ride.
D: Was today's ride cancelled?
M: What ride today?
D: The 9 o'clock group ride
M: Um, dude, it's only Friday...
D: Oh, that could be the problem...
We exchange goodbyes and I wander through Target thinking that a whole lot of people are going to be unhappy with their audits this tax season (Doug's a bean-counter)...
Nutty, I tell ya, nutty...

I got the Ridley back together, save for the white hoods. I didn't feel like undoing the cables and housings. I'm pretty anti-Campagnolo, but it's would be much easier to replace the hoods if I was riding Record stuff. I am batting around the idea of retiring the Dura-Ace at the end of the season and putting SRAM Red on the Ridley...swank! We'll see what the new D/A looks like first...
See you guys in the morning (Saturday...Doug!) @ the gate. 9a.m.

Looking good Billy Ray...

...feeling good Lewis!
Well, the back is feeling better by the day. I'll be out Saturday morning, but have no plans to get involved in the test-fest that I'm sure will ensue. My goal here is recovery and building back up. If I must do it alone, then so be it. Being hurt sucks balls, so I'm going to rehab slowly. The time off, trips to the chiro and yoga seem to be helping.
My ceramic BB came back today, slammed full of new bearings and high $ grease. It'll be installed in the morning. Big ups to the guys @ Superfly Cycles.
New BB, new chain, new white D/A hoods...too bad the same old schmuck is riding the bike!

Today is 3 years since my dad passed away. Seems like a long time ago and yesterday, all at once! Gone too soon...
I Love You Dad!!!

Snow? In Atlanta? In March?

Yes on all three. The H.O. and I went to Atlanta for the weekend. Her company has decided to dip it's toe into the NASCAR sponsorship water. They signed a 6 race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to be the main sponsor of the Nationwide (Busch) Series #18 car. Yet they ran the #20 this weekend...I don't know...
We went down on Friday and the weather was beautiful. Saturday morning rolls around and it's 35 degrees and the wind is howling at 30+ mph. As we're driving to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, snow begins falling. We get there, get our swanky, we're-better-than-you credentials and head to Joe Gibbs' personal motorhome. Motorhome is a bit of a misnomer, as it's a $1 million set-up. @10 a.m., it's snowing sideways to the point that we couldn't see the suites on the front stretch...and they were 250 yards away!
We hung out in the rolling palace until lunchtime and the weather broke. We went out and watched the Sprint Cup cars practice from the wall on pit road. Did I mention our passes kicked ass?
Back to the JGR bus for lunch and then out to the grid for the start of the race. The #20 started second and quickly went to the front and was there...all day...for 153 laps...until...
On lap 175, something in the right front suspension failed, the right front tire went down and the car hit the wall in turn three @ 170 mph. Kyle Busch managed to finish, but 24th is little consolation when you kick ass all day.
We watched the entire race from the pits. I've always been a NASCAR fan, but you gain a new appreciation when you are a VIP. There's serious money involved and the guys are deadly serious about their jobs. You just can't get the experience, watching it on TV. It's too visceral to translate. The sounds are insane. You hear it and feel it. The air and ground rumble like a warzone. The smells are almost overpowering. Rubber, high octane fuel, exhaust...
The visuals are spectacular. You watch it on TV and know they're going fast, but being 100 feet from a pack of 40+ racecars sailing past at 175mph is just out of hand.
Pretty great weekend, all in all!
Google isn't letting me post pics...I'll post some later...

Off the bike...again!

Well, according to X-rays, my skeletal issues have been resolved. Now, all of my soreness and stiffness is muscular. It seems that I compensated for the back issues by using my hips and legs. My hip flexors, glutes and quads are achy and stiff. I feel like I have two pull groin injuries. Riding wasn't exactly helping the situation, so I'm off the bike again for a week or so.
No biggie though. The Ridley is disabled anyway and I won't be able to get to it until next week. The ugly sounds I heard on Sunday were, in fact, coming from the BB. I pulled everything apart and voila...! The driveside bearing in my high dollar ceramic BB were a bit rough, but the left side felt like someone poured kosher salt in it. I pulled the seals and the bearings inside were virtually dry. I fired off a note to the guys at Superfly and to their credit, they are replacing it! They even went so far as to hand pack it with the heavier grade ceramic Krytox grease, like they do for the pro dogs. Astana is riding Superfly bearings in their BBs and wheels this season, FWIW...
It's supposed to be here tomorrow, which is fine and well, but I'll be in Hotlanta until late Saturday night.

The crit is starting back up shortly. The first official date is April 8th @ 6:30. The time change means nothing in this case. Even with the time change, it will be too dark to run a full race and have those who rode to the course get home before it's pitch black. Safety is the utmost concern here people. The first Tuesday in April has been the start date since the beginning and will remian that way. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to email me or leave comments here...

The day

Weather: rain
Bike: disabled
Back: hurts like a ....
Attitude: damn close to poor
Demeanor: general malaise

Weekend

Saturday was another race day in Greenville, so the ride was anorexic. God forbid the people who didn't go race show up for the Saturday morning ride. I did what was tantamount to a 2.5 hour solo ride through Lower Richland. It was beautiful out, other than a bit of a stiff wind.
Doogie, NID and I met for a loop this morning. Another perfect day to ride...
We did the normal Sunday loop. The wind was the exact opposite as yesterday. It's kind of nice to have a tailwind home every once in a while.
I'm still having some back/nerve issues that are affecting my legs. Time to go back to the Doctor...

Young Casey put on a show in the Women's race yesterday in Greenville. She finished a strong second, in front of a strong field that included a past national champion. Good looking out Casey!
I think a lot of male egos are going to be bruised this summer...
As for the females, she's easily the strongest in town, bar none!

I got some good riding this weekend, even though I still feel like complete shit on the bike. A halfway decent ride is always better than getting fat, watching TV and just talking about riding...

A few words...

Het Volk 2008
Phillipe Gilbert
Attack w/50km to go
Rode to finish alone
Solo win
Definition of Big Ring
True Merckx style
Levi Leipheimer sucks

Spinski

Doogie and I met for a loop of the Fort last night. I think he may be right about our meeting time. 5:15 seems to be the witching hour for dumbasses in automobiles. I only had one near miss on the way to the Fort last night...of course, it was some Heathwood mommy in battlewagon, pulling out of King's Grant. Yeah, go ahead, pull out and hit me...you won't be living in your $500k house for long. It'd be like The Jefferson's up in that bitch. The H.O., the management trainees and I would be "movin' on up".
We finally reached the safety of the Army Base and did a easy big loop. It was sunny and quite pleasant until the sun retreated behind the trees. Down in the valleys, it was kinda chilly.
Nice 90-ish minutes on the bike...
I rode the new Michelin Pro3Race tires too. First impressions? They are pretty nice. Probably on par with GP4000S tires. They roll well and have good ride quality. They are THIN though. The casing is baloney skin. They are also pretty damn narrow. Crit tires, these are not...
They'll be good tires for around here though...unless I start to get flats...than I'll shitmouth them at every turn. :) I think I'll go back to Vittoria once I wear these out though...

Saturday's ride will be @ 9, like normal. Set your flipping clock Doug...
Sunday...? We'll figure something out...
Both days are supposed to be sunny and nice...get on your bikes people!

I finally caught up with my friend Becky the other night. She's about to be single again (shithead husband...don't ask) and she's most definitely a Cougar. She's one of the few real "guy's chicks" that I've ever known. If anyone is in SE Pennsylania, I'll hook it up...

Ton o'bricks

Man, sometimes news just hits hard. In my newly rekindled friendship with one of my best friends from high school, I found out that one of the girls in our class died of cancer not long ago. Normally, I wouldn't be so melancholy, but this girl was IT when we were in school. Thankfully, I didn't just admire her from afar...she was a friend. I spent some serious quality time with her during our senior year. She had some health issues during and after college, but this news just made me a bit sad. I understand she had a young son as well. Normally, I blather on about nonsense, but in this case, I really don't know what to say...

May God bless and keep you L.E. !

Rock Racing

Way hotter chicks than Toyota-United...

Crap weather...good riding

The weather was shite this weekend. Saturday was wet and drizzly. At least the trifecta didn't complete itself...by being cold. A lot of folks went to Greeville to the training series and a few were out of town, so the group ride was thin. We rolled out thru Lower Richland, up Elon and out to the GMart. It seems NID forgot to set his alarm, yet caught us out there.
We rolled home the normal way and the ride was without incident until Doogie got rear-ended by Joel. Neither went down and Doog's $1000 rear wheel was okay...no harm, no foul.
I ended with 55 miles and 3 hours on the bike.
Ths morning, Doog, TVH, Il Professore and I went across the river and did the Sandy Run/Gaston loop. No rain this morning, but it was 50 degrees, cloudy and just generally shitty outside. I guess it could have been worse, but now that I'm home, warm and have had a nap, I can say, without equivocation, it was shitty. I did feel better on the bike this morning. Less twingy-ness in the back. I may be coming back around...hopefully.
Another 3 hours and 50 miles this morning...

I got a few emails over the weekend, from folks I was good friends with in high school. Time to move again...kidding! It's funny how you fall out of touch with people over the course of twenty years. They were talking about a reunion. I've always said that I wouldn't piss on my high school if it was on fire, and I stand by that statement. I would, however, like to see about two dozen folks from back then. These people were my good, true friends. The rest...meh! I'm sure some of the d-bags from school are successful and happy, but it warms my black little heart to know that some of the uber-cool kids are fat and complete fuckups.

And on that uplifting note...my new RoL wheels are pretty damn nice. They are stiff, roll smoothly and ride pretty damn well. They'll do the intended job just fine! Follow the linky on the right to their site. Feel free to call Sean, the man what own the joint, and talk to him. He knows his shit!

Peace...

Weekend rides

Saturday-
A lot of folks are going to Greenville, but the regular group ride will be leaving at normal time. 9 a.m. @ the Gate. The weather is supposed to be gone early in the morning, and WU says 60 degrees by 10...

Sunday-
TVH and I just spoke and we are thinking 10 a.m.
I'd almost like to go do a ride across the river. I'll send out an email with specifics...

Longer days

Last night, Doogie and I met @ 5:15 for a loop of the Fort. It was kind of nice to ride in the late afternoon/evening and not be forced to leave the house in the dark. Hell, I didn't turn on my light until we were almost out of the base.

We did an pretty easy big loop with no efforts and no drama. It felt good to get my legs going around and it stretched out my back. I feel better today than I have in weeks.

Saturday looks like rain, so the ride may be called. I spoke to TVH this morning, and Sunday looks like it will be a beautiful day, so plan on riding in the morning. We talked about 10 a.m., but nothing is concrete yet. I'll post something on here...
Rob/Casey- I don't have contact info for you. Leave a comment or send an email. The email link is on the profile page.

Out....

Welcome back...

Saturday was my first ride in 12 days due to my back issues. I figure, if you're going to the pool, jump in the deep end.
We did the normal Eastover loop and, thankfully, it was a controlled pace for most of the ride. Once we hit the first climb on Old Leesburg, my HR skyrocketed. Considering it hadn't been above 80 for 12 days, 170 felt like I was having an infarction.
The ride split up because some wanted to do their 'training', so the vast majority of us just let them go. The four who split off weren't really missed and the remaining group rode tempo back to the Fort. It was a fairly uneventful ride. I didn't feel all that bad, but could tell I'd been hurt and missed quite a few days. No heroics from The Kid on this day. Still ended with 55 miles in just under 3 hours. Pretty much what I needed for my first ride back.
We'd planned to have a group this morning, but Doogie came up sick and the Rob/Casey duo were no shows. NID and I met and went out for a nice, slightly less than tempo/slightly more than spin ride through the cloudy Columbia morning. We ended up with 2 hours and right at 40 miles. And wouldn't you know it, as my luck always runs this way, the sun came out and it got warm right when I got home... :(-
The back feels good, but definitely tired. My abs are tired from taking a good bit of the strain. My legs are protesting like two of the Chicago 8. Time to get back on the ab/yoga workout routine.

Oh, I almost forgot...
The organizers of the Giro and Tour are a bunch a bitches for excluding Astana. Personally, I think they are afraid that Astana will win one, or both, of the Grand Tours from which they've been excluded.
The officials at the Tour of Cali are bitches too. The Rock Racing guys have paid their debt, aren't under investigation and all hold legal licenses from their respective countries. They should have been allowed to race.
I'm now rooting for Astana and Rock Racing...screw the system!

Dave Z doing good

http://yieldtolife.org/

Why?

So I'm looking for a set of wheels...

Why is it that when you are flush with cash, you can't buy what you really want,
But when you are dead-ass broke, 12 sets of the flipping things are on Ebay?

Dammit..............

So long, farewell...

I decided to clear some inventory out of the ManHole(tm) and made a little jingle.

Powertap...gone to Ohio
SS KHS mountain bike...gone to South Dakota
Ultegra R/D...gone to Wisconsin
Thomson Post...gone to NY
Marzocchi fork...gone to South Korea, then the dude flaked because shipping was $75. You live in Korea, dumbass. Did you think I could put a stamp on the thing and my mail carrier would pick it up? I made a second chance offer to the guy would bid $1 less on Ebay, but haven't heard back yet.

I gotta box the SS up tonight and ship it in the morning. Luckily, my back is feeling better by the day. I'm still staying off until Saturday though. Another visit to the Chiro is in the works for the end of the week as well.

And a little rant...
I know my kids are cute and full of life, but that doesn't give carte blanche for people to touch them. I was at Office Depot getting some packing tape and while I was in line, some scary, old, stank-breath woman took upon herself to reach out and touch #2. Lady, seriously, don't touch my kid. I didn't ask to poke him with your dirty finger, so keep it in your pocket. I know I can be a huge asshole from time to time, but in this case, it was warranted. I simply pulled #2 away and got a look like I had stolen the old bitch's welfare check. I don't go around poking at other people's kids, so I flatly refuse to let strangers grope mine. If I know you and am okay with it, grab 'em, hug 'em, tickle 'em...etc...ad nauseum. If I don't know, keep your hands to yourself, or you may pull back a fucking stump!

End of rant...

Hmmm...

So I met Doog this morning for a 2 hour spin through the flats. There are mixed feelings and emotions after the ride. My back is definitely still bunged up, but it's all muscular now. The left side of my lower back felt like s-h-i-t for most of the ride. It burned, it pulled, it twinged and a couples of times, spasmed. I could barely get off the bike to take a break naturel.
Two hours is definitely the outside of the envelope right now.

When I got home, I got the bike up the stairs and in the house, but it was a stuggle...and we're talking about a 16 pound bike here. I was bent into an odd s-curve for about 15 minutes. After a brutally hot shower, I started to straighten up. Here's the odd part...! 30 minutes after my shower, I was standing completely straight with little to no pain. I could feel that I rode, but no pain accompanied the feeling.

As I sit here and write this, my back feels pretty good. I lifted the kids in the car to go to Lowe's without issue for the first time in a week. I'm thinking I may take off until next Saturday, just to let everything heal up. Of course, I may wake up tomorrow and be paralyzed for the nipples down. We'll see...

My fitness is definitely going to take hit, but I've come to the realization that Silence/Lotto isn't tracking my fitness level and injury progress. It's February, BFD...I'll be fine by the time the group rides start.

Sunday ride

9 @ the gate
We'll see what happens...I may need someone to tow me home if my back flares...

Still crippled...albeit less...

That's the new team steed for Rock Racing. There has been much talk about how ugly the bike is, but let's make one thing perfectly clear...IT'S A FULL F'ING CAMPAGNOLO RECORD DEROSA!!!!!!!!!!!

If you say you wouldn't ride it, you aren't just lying to me and everyone else, you're lying to yourself.

The back is feeling better, just really stiff. I'm trying to get through it without the assistance of modern pharmaceutical science, but I'm getting weak. Hell, I tried to get the kid's pediatrician to give me a cortisone shot today. I will be taking a cyclobenzaprine before bed tonight. It's must be good for a cyclist...it's got 'cyclo' right in the name.

I likely won't be out this weekend, but I'm cool with it. Maybe a forced break for 10 days or so will actually help me out. Come July, burnout may stay away...

Maggie Backstedt is harder than you...nothing like riding the turbo with a broken, 3 day post-surgical repair collarbone.

Dammit, Dammit, Dammit...

So I have a good weekend, get to ride my bike, run around with the H.O. and enjoy the two days.
I wake up yesterday and I can't stand up straight. I look like Ichabod Crane...literally. I'm hunched over and a bit bent sideways which adds up to being 5'2".
I've been to the Chiro 2x already...

I guess I will be off the bike for a few days...

I can't pick up the kids, the H.O. is assisting me about as much as a helper monkey with broken hands and I'm out of Hydrocodone!

I'm going to go let forth a stream of expletives that would make a Tourette's sufferer blush....

Weekend

Good weather was a thing of beauty this weekend. It wasn't what you would call 'warm' when we pulled out either morning, but it was sunny and the winds were calm.



Saturday, a larger than average group met for a spin down Leesburg to Congress and across to the flats. Instead of doing some steady tempo work in the flats, we turned and went back up Horrell Hill and into Fort Jackson and wasted a tailwind on Airbase. It was a bit easier ride than usual, but it was nice to have the missing pieces of the group back around. I ended up with 80km and 2:45 saddle time.
Before the ride, I drank a Full Throttle (sugar-free) instead of my usual morning Diet Coke. I was okay until I got to the gate...then the liquid crack hit my bloodstream. I don't know exactly what they put in that stuff, but it made me a bit jittery. I felt great for the first 90 minutes of the ride and then my stomach soured. I'll try it one more time and if I get the same results, it's back to Diet Coke before rides.

Sunday, the usual suspects met @ 9 and did 3 hours through Lower Richland and the Swamp. It was a good, steady, recovery/spin ride. Another day with 80km and 3 hours. I felt like s-h-i-t though. #2 was up most of the night. I don't know what his deal was, but he wasn't happy.

Overall, a good weekend of riding...

Time for the SuperBowl....I'm ambivalent, as I really don't like either team...

Sunday ride

9 a.m. @ the gate...
3 hours
50+ miles
Moderate pace
No whining

Mmmm...resty...

I rode last night, even though I decided to take a bit of a rest week. My back is flaring up and the rib injury is just nagging me, so a few days of rest seemed to be in order. Unfortunately, the H.O. has been out of town on business, so I've been pulling some LONG days as a domestic God.

I had to get out last night, for no other reason than my sanity. I did a hard HoP loop downtown. Well as hard as I could go considering there were about a kajillion joggers ont he Greenway. I hesitate to call them runners, as none of them were actually running. Shufflers is probably a more correct term.
After I ran the gauntlet of people 'training' for their next 5k, I hit Gervais and went hard from Huger to the Statehouse. The ride continued at a decent clip through Five Points and back home.
I spent little more than and hour on the bike, but I felt better for it...physically and mentally.
I'm ready to start piling miles on the road bike though...and get back in the woods on the crosser. With the weather getting warmer, the Greenway is just too crowded.

I found this on the intarweb this morning...tells alot about some folks in town...

Gaywheels.com Top 10 Most-Researched Vehicles
1. Toyota Yaris
2. Saab 9-3
3. Mazda MX-5
4. VW Rabbit
5. Audi A3
6. VW EOS
7. VW Jetta
8. Dodge Caliber
9. Toyota Camry
10. MINI Cooper (cough...cough...Doogie...)

Two very different rides

Saturday was a cloudy, pretty ugly day. Well it was if you wanted to ride your bike in the morning. Doogie, NID and I met @ 9 and headed out through the Fort to The Palmetto Trail. We skipped the first section of the trail and went in just above the lake. On the way out, I tried to keep the pace steady. It was about the same pace as I usually ride when I hit the trail solo. Only we didn't turn around at the gate @ MM8. Instead, we keep driving forward. The plan was to go to Weston Lake and that's just what we did. The trail between MM8 and 9 was really chopped up. I guess the Army has been doing a bit of housecleaning, which usually has the opposite of the intended effect.
We made it to MM10 and the road to Weston Lake. We hopped the razor wire and hit the service road around the lake. The roads had just beed graded, so they were pretty smooth. We made the loop and ended up back @ MM8. Once rolling again, I set the pace about 2 clicks below race pace. If you doubt the pace, either show up and follow me, or ask NID how it felt...!

The pace stayed this way until we hit earthen dam around the lower lake. We just rode on in from this point. 2:45 on the cross bike with about 2 hours of it being on singletrack.

This morning, several of us met @ 9 for a road ride. We did the normal Thursday ride, but turned on Blue Johnson and went up the backside of Mt. Elon. Of course, I sat up to take off the hat I had on under my helmet. As soon as I sat up, Reed hit the front and jacked the pace up the climb. In my struggle to take off my helmet, Oakleys and the hat, I dropped the hat on the road. And as we all know, there's no leaving a Mapei cap behind. It's just bad juju.
I chased and we re-assembled at the top.
From there, we took the usual way in and kept the paceline at a good tempo. Mick attacked early at the sprint and no one reacted, so I jumped, ran him down and won the sprint with ease.

We did the Pineview to Shop extension. Once we hit the light, NewGuyRob took off and forced a chase. NID pulled it back in the middle of the bridge and called for me to come through. Nope, sorry, can't help you. I hung him out and made him pull down to the bridge sprint. I took off @ 300-ish to go and rolled away.

We had a great ride today, even though I had more lungs than legs. 220w average (norm) with a 1250w max effort.

Good ride weekend. Fewer hours than usual, but some good work and quality training.

#1 is at the Spa and #2 is napping...sounds like my cue to hit the couch... ;)-

Weekend rides

Cold and dreary is the outlook for Saturday morning. A few of us are meeting @ 9 a.m. to ride in the woods. Meet at the traffic circle.

EDIT: The Weather Channel and the local weather morons are calling for some sort of liquid to be falling from the sky in the morning. If no precip, the ride is on. If it's doing something...who knows?

Sunday will be a road ride. 9 a.m. @ the traffic circle for a 3-ish hour ride.

Another night in the dark

It rained Tuesday, so the ride got pushed back to last night. Doogie and I went out @ 5:45, rode up the street and then it happened. Doogie put down his MASSIVE power while crossing over Rosewood and just sheared the chain right off his cross bike. That's right folks, he's 130 pounds of pure, concentrated wattage.
We assessed the situation and turned around to head for the ManHole(tm). I popped the broken link out of the chain, slammed in a Wipperman link and we were back on the road. Total time lost...@ 12 minutes.
Once we got going, the pace was a bit quicker than usual. Up through campus and downtown, the northside (insert gang sign here...stack them if you wish) and down to the river. The dirt road was a bit wet from all of the rain and Doog chose to follow me through the preferred line. Now he knows what it's like to follow wheels during Paris-Roubaix. When you're on the front, you eat a small amount of your own mud. Anywhere behind that and you are eating your mud and the mud of the guy you are following.
The Greenway was pretty empty last night. Of course, New Years Day was three weeks ago, so a lot of folk's resolutions have gone the way of the Dodo. We did a good, hard effort for the entire length, across the canal bridge and down to the powerplant. Riding heavy wheels with heavy tires on wet pea gravel is good for the soul.
Once out of the park, it was up through the Vista and into a couple of garages. The first one was uneventful. The climb of number 2 was the same. The descent was quiet until a kamikaze pigeon dive-bombed Doogie. I swear, I think I saw a little silk headband with a rising sun on the bird and heard "Bonzai...!"
We made it back through USC and the 'hood and parted company.
I felt pretty good on the bike last night and ended up with 90 good minutes in the dark. I felt like I was hitting a plateau on Sunday, but didn't have that feeling last night. Of course, it was ass-biting cold Sunday morning, which isn't necessarily conducive to good feelings on the bike.

The H.O. left for Darlington this morning to discuss their NASCAR sponsorship deal, so a ride tonight is still up in the air. I'll be getting some GOOD tickets for the Darlington races out of this meeting. Cultivates my redneck side...

Peace!

Get some Floyd...

http://velonews.com/race/int/articles/13939.0.html

Whether you think he's guilty or not, Floyd brings up good points and is probably right...

First race of the season...

...and I won!

This morning, I got on the bike @ 9. No big deal...except it was 30 degrees and the windchill was 24. I din't really feel a 'windchill' on the bike, but WeatherUnderground is nuts if they think the wind was only blowing @ 7mph. The headwind on the way out through the northside was stiff. Almost as stiff as Mitt Romney's hair...

Once I got down to the dam, I had the wind at my back. The river was high this morning.

It was running freely, and with some power, over the dam.

Anyway, I turned down the Greenway and stuck it in the bigg-ish ring to do my normal effort. I didn't dig too deep, as it was really freaking cold, but I went a bit harder than tempo.

I did the normal big-ring jam up through the Vista on Gervais and turned to hit the M.C. Escher garage. The gate was open, so I made my way to the top, standing the entire way. I reached the top and decided to rest for a minute. Wrong answer! I heard someone yell in my direction, so I turned and saw a rather large man running for his truck. I was guessing he didn't want to discuss last night's Republican primary, so I bolted. It was on bitches!

I had an entire ramp lead on him when he started chasing me. I went as hard as I felt the cross tires would allow me. They were getting really loud in the turns. I did about 15 full power sprints on the way down and the gap between the truck and I never changed. At the bottom, there a quick, sharp left/right combo to navigate before hitting the street. Screw that! I channeled Andrei Tchmil from '94 Roubaix and just bunnyhopped the raised sidewalk out into the street. I hit the street, dropped it into the 48/12 and was gone...gone...gone! I made the corner and disappeared. It was very Kevin Bacon in 'Quicksilver'!

I rode up through the Statehouse complex, campus and home, adrenalin pumping! The cold was an afterthought at this point! It was an exciting 90 minute cross ride.

Time to load up and go to Lowes...

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