Ummm...okay...

Check yo Trek befo you wreck yo Trek...


This was NOT the outcome after a crash! This occured on the START line in Athens. The rider clipped in, pulled on the bars to leave the line and the steerer came apart. The bike is/was virtually new and had NEVER been on the ground. You can see the stem had an offset clamp setup to minimize pressure on the carbon steerer tube. It is also the stock Bontrager RXL stem, FWIW.
QC is a bit suspect at the big T these days, eh?
If you own a new Madone, you may want to pull your stem and check out your fork...just sayin'!

And from the 'WTF' file...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fleche-wallonne-riders-face-criminal-littering-charges

Hey, liberal, tree-hugging, do-gooder morons...isn't there something a bit more serious you could be worrying about? Really?

L-B-L 2010

Team Dopestana...

And I'm no expert, but does Cadel need to adjust his fit a little? Longer reach and higher hands maybe...?

A weekend off...not by choice...

So Friday was my 40th birthday...oh joy! The H.O. and I took the MTs out of school and went to Charleston for the day. A nice lunch led to a couple hours of chasing a 3 year old and a 5 year old around. This was followed by a short trip to the beach so the boys could run around for a while. I was ready to go and get home, but the H.O. was in no hurry, which struck me as odd, but no matter...
We rolled home @ 7, and much to my honest-to-God surprise, the H.O. had coordinated with my mother and organized a surprise party for me. It was really great and I'm extremely appreciative and thankful. Lots of folks showed up, ate some food and had a pretty good time.
I stayed up late to help the cleanup, but still had plans to show up to ride yesterday...rain or shine. The body had other plans...!!!!!
Alcohol hasn't touched my lips for the better parts of tens years, but I woke up Saturday with what could be described, at best, as a monsterous hangover. Headache, BAD stomach, feeling of malaise...the whole nine. There was no HTFU yesterday! I went back to bed. I guess running around all day, getting dehydrated and eating a bunch a bad food and cake will foul you up pretty badly!
We had family over Sunday for #2 son's 3rd birthday party, and as you all know, family will flat suck the life out of you. An afternoon of entertaining everyone didn't exactly make me chip up!
Another round of cleaning led to sleep coming easy. I hit the pillow @ 11 and opened my eyes @ 10:05! That's right, 11 hours of sleep!
I still feel iffy, so I will not be throwing a leg over the top tube today. Spin tomorrow morning to get moving again...

Now, on to the commentary...
I've never been truly disappointed by a Spring classic, but LBL let me down today. Sure, the racing was good, but the fact(s) that the weather was really nice and that doping doper Vinodoucheov won somehow lessened the experience for me. They should have banned that assmonkey for life.

My .02 cents...nothing more...
I'll have the video up shortly.

Hope everyone who raced this weekend did well. Athens and Tour de Moore were both Saturday. LL hit the ground @ TdM and JayC finished 10th...I have no idea who did what in the rain @ Athens.

EDIT: I forgot the two local loonies who trekked to Tennessee for the Cohutta 100. EmilyB and MDro went up and braved the weather and slop for the slugfest. Both finished and are worse for wear today...good job guys!

See you guys Tuesday!

Pimpin' ain't easy...

2010 Fleche Wallonne

Contadork must not be on his Tour drugs yet! Cadel rode straight past for the W...


6 people showed up for the TNWC last night. From reports I've caught today, it was a paceline affair that included GW breaking the other 10 legs in attendance. Sorry I missed it...

HoP(tm) for me on the road bike this morning...tired and flat, but could still hold some speed...weird!

What a f*cking choad!

Contadork has his 'new' fingerbang logo, his name and his personal website emblazoned on his new Audi estate. He's a hell of a guy...just ask him!
Even Lance, who's arguably the biggest egomaniac in the pro ranks had to be scratching his head with this one!


I cannot WAIT until he pisses hot during the Tour. It's coming...mark my words!

Amstel Gold 2010

Weekend

Saturday- No one showed up, on time at least, so I rolled out through the Fort and ended up catching TVH. I felt HORRIBLE, so I turned around and did a big loop with him and NID. Just felt BAD all day...must have been the front blowing through.
Ate poorly last night and got zero sleep, so I figured that today's ride would be a big pile of suck...wrong!

Sunday- I got up and headed into West Columbia to do a short loop. I started feeling better the longer I stayed out, so I just kept riding. I ended up doing the long Gaston loop. I felt damn good for the entire ride, even when I was fighting the monsterous headwind out in middle-of-nowhere Lexington county. 90km solo in 2:35.
No issues with cagers at all out in the sticks either. I had to wait until I was less than a mile from home before getting dive bombed by some prick in a Lexus. I LOVE it when I have the light AND the right of way, yet some self-important, just-left-church BALLBAG blows a yield sign and nearly makes the H.O. an instant millionaire. Fortunately, I saw the aforementioned scrotum coming, checked for traffic and changed lanes. The guy NEVER looked...I guess you don't need to immediately after leaving a house of worship!

The SC State Crit Championships were today. LL and JC finished in the 35+ field. The P/1/2 field made the mistake of taking MW to the line and he cleaned up with the win! Good looking out man! That should garner some interest from some teams...

Easy spin tomorrow morning...see you guys at the TNWC...hopefully...rain is called for Tuesday afternoon.

A surprise...

The ride was thin last night, but it was a really good ride. We just kind of fell into rolling paceline and stayed that way for almost the entire ride...@ 40-ish kmh. No lollygagging around, no attacking each other, just a nice, steady, tempo pace. Too bad that more rides can't be this way...

There's racing in Charleston this weekend...good luck to all that are going. Keep the rubber side down.

9am @ the gate for those who aren't making the trip South.

2010 Brabantse Pijl / TNWC #5

Last night was a nice, fun, steady race. Attacks went and came back for most of the night. Nothing was getting away though...too much HP in the group.
Breaks would go, have a good amount of power in them, yet only get 50-75 meters out and get pulled back within a lap or two...except for the end. There was a BIG lull with two to go that allowed JayC to get away, and stay away for the solo win. The remainder of the group, which had dwindled to @ 20 at this point, diced it out for the scraps.

I actually felt quite good last night, but didn't want to do anything to strain my back, so I sat in and rolled around. I can say, with some authority, that the back is a scary place to be. It's very Cat5 back there. Too many people sitting up and braking heavily into the turns, thus creating gaps, and then sprinting like their asses are on fire to close the gaps. Roll into the turns and speed will scrub naturally. The juniors are extremely guilty of this behavior. Sure, most of them can go like hell in a straight line, but the turns have them vexed.

Anyway, it was big fun last night.

As an aside, I rode the new Vittoria Open Corsa CX2 tires last night (320tpi). Every bit as good as tubulars when paired with latex tubes. If you haven't ridden these tires, you're missing out!

Thursday ride this week...6pm @ the gate.

A man with boys...

No, the title isn't a diatribe about the Catholic Church, it more than accurately explains and describes Cancellara's race on Sunday. I won't bore you all with the details, as I'm sure you've all watched it several times. I will say though, Fabian just throttled the strongest men in the World, PERIOD! It made a Kershaw County ass-whipping look like a tickle fight!
Muddy Waters must have seen the future when he was writing 'Mannish Boy', because Fabian was a full-grown man on Sunday!
And how about those beautiful FMB tubulars he was riding? $165 to you...for the 25c width. The 27c tires FC was on will run you @$250 each...if you could get them. Handmade...by one old French man...in his house...
I never ridden, nor even SEEN one in person, but I can only imagine what they feel like when glued to a proper set of wheels. Smooth like butter on a bald monkey...

Now for my part of the post...

Saturday- 85km with the group. Felt BAD when we left, but got marginally better as the ride progressed. Came home and did yardwork for 3 more hours...cross-training...

Sunday- 75km with the group. Felt better...

Monday- 90 minute spin on the cross bike this morning (with skinnies). Planned to ride easy, and did just that...until the opportunity the do a little motorpacing popped up. I tucked in behind a truck/trailer and paced him from south of the Stadium, through Olympia and up onto Huger St.
That's when the bluelights and sirens came on. The Columbia PoPo pulled BOTH of us over. Unbelievably, the cop was pretty cool about it. He said what I was doing was 'very dangerous' (no shit!), yet impressive at the same time. He gave me a written warning for speeding (43 in a 25) and dangerous driving. I cajoled the officer into giving the driver a break too, as he likely had no idea I was behind him.
I felt pretty good after the effort though...
40-45mph is quick, especially when you only have a 46t big ring!!! 46/12 FTW!

See you guys tomorrow night! Peace!

And yes, I think I'll get the warning ticket framed...

SUNDAY...SUNDAY...SUNDAY!!!

Holy sheeeuuuut! I can only hope that the folks who are reading this are as excited about Roubaix as I am...
I don't care what people who waste their time with ball and stick sports say, Paris-Roubaix is the hardest, most epic and most glamorous sporting event on the planet...PERIOD!

Let's start with a photo. It's a photo that proves the 'picture paints 1000 words theory'! If you showed this picture to someone, and they STILL didn't understand the draw of Paris-Roubaix, then any explanation of the race should cease and you should walk away from them.

This is the section of Le Carrefour de l'Arbre. It's Section 4 (to go), is a 5 star section (hardest), and hits the hardest of the hard @ km 242 (15km to go). It was taken by an seriously talented guy from Athens, Ga. named Jered Gruber. Check out his photosets on Flickr.

Jered has an unbelievable eye and takes some truly beautiful and artistic photographs. Hell, he caught THE moment that Cancellara attacked Boonen on the Muur during the RVV.

Jered has intimated to me that ANY photo he has in the stream is available for purchase. He can either transfer you the digital file, or he'll get the photo(s) you've chosen printed and send them to you. Let me know and I'll hook you up with his contact info.

Now some video...

Saxo Bank recon...look at the giant tubies flex under the strain of the cobbles...



Team Sky recon....




Good luck to the locals going to Rock Hill this weekend. Rubber side down boys!

Tyler Farrar FTW!

Clean wheels baby!

TNWC #4

Yeah, it's the TNWC...I've relented! I was the only one calling it the TNCWC...

Pretty good sized group tonight with a lot of HP in attendance. Started quick, ebbed and flowed in the middle and then stayed fast for the end. No breaks tonight. Anything that went up the road tonight was quickly pulled back. Just too much power in the bunch. Oh, did I mention it was 90 degrees and the pollen was hanging in the air. Yellow crust for everyone!
It came down to a bunch gallop, which usually means that MW takes the win. Tonight was no different! You just cannot take that guy to the last 200m and have any hope of taking the W.

As for me, well...I suck! My legs and lungs were fine, but my back and spirit were just weak. My wanting to suffer just isn't there right now. I need to HTFU a little! I also need to get my fat ass on the bike. This 3 days a week shit just isn't cutting it. I can't blame anything other than a lack of fitness...

Peace...

THE move...

This is what 1450w looks like when climbing the Muur. It was a Vulgar Display of Power, plain and simple. Boonen looks like he's riding a mechanical bull while losing ground. Cancellara gutted Boonen, and the entire country of Belgium, in little more than 100 meters...

You betting against Spartacus for Roubaix...? There's a reason the favorite is called the favorite!
He's a bad MFer...period!

Columbia Cycling Group on FB

Okay, so I created a group on Facebook for the ENTIRE cycling community in Columbia. It makes no difference what, how, when or where you ride, the group is for everyone.
Use it to post rides, ask advice, give tips, share rides to races, sell stuff, whatever...

Check egos at the door. No one is better than anyone else in the group!!!

Columbia is a great place to ride..ALL of it, be it Lexington, Irmo, Blythewood, downtown or wherever people choose to ride. The terrain is great, the weather is great and there are scores of riders.

There is ZERO reason that we cannot have some sort of cohesive community in Columbia that mimics Greenville, Charleston or Charlotte.

Columbia (SC) Cycling

Thanks!

Weekend Update

Friday- I found a great loop out through West Columbia, into Lexington county. Great roads, friendly cagers (shocking), and fabulous terrain. It ended up being right at 3 hours and 55 miles. I come home crusty with yellow pine pollen, tired, and as happy as a puppy with two peters. It's just too bad that there are only about 3 people in the downtown group that will actually ride out that way. Lower Richland is brutally boring anymore and there are GREAT loops just across the river, no further away than where we ride every damn day! Anyway...
Saturday- I rolled to Fairfield County to help LL with the first installment of the 321 TT Series. @60 folks rolled into White Oak from all around for the not-so-flat 20k and 40k races. The air wasn't quite warm at start time, the wind was stiff and the pollen was flying. Everything went smoothly and the racers were happy. The upside was the fact that everything was buttoned up and I was home by 1pm.
There were a few fast times, including GW (go figure), but my BIG ups go to young Jeremiah Rambo. He's a stud, period. 10 years old and riding a tiny Trek road bike, but he did it and averaged 15mph on the 20km course. I was proud of the boy!
Sunday- I planned to do a long ride on my peaceful, family-free Sunday. Plans changed. I built the MT's Easter baskets last night, which meant that several bits of candy were ingested by yours truly. The combo of ingesting pollen and candy led to a general feeling of malaise when I rolled out of bed.
Instead, I did a loop of the Fort with Crusty and the soon-to-be Mrs. Crusty. Nice easy spin and was home in 2 hours. Now to lay about for the rest of the day....

Cancellara crushed it in Flanders today. I should have taken the betting line 2 weeks ago, before E3 Harelbeke, when SkyBet had him @ 33 to 1!! Dammit! Farrar was 5th and Hincapie 6th...
Video will follow as soon as it's available!

I think I may start a Columbia Cycling group on Facebook as well. Just a place to post rides, catch rides to rides/races and put up general information for everyone in town (or out of town). Thoughts?

Peace...Have a good Easter Sunday!

Flanders...

It may be epic tomorrow...supposed to be wet!

Got Skills?

As Yoda would say... "Skills, have them these guys do..."

Yeah, I'm a tight shorts roadie doofus, but I could watch this stuff all day!

Did they see this guy in Columbia?

TNCWC #3

If you read last week's race report, you'd have the general framework of what happened last night.
4 got away again and stayed out, until the last lap. The chase group stayed together and actually brought the break back on the last lap...well, except for RW and GW. They diced it out for the win with GW taking it by a tire. 2 in a row! I guess doing intervals @ 0530 makes you strong! Who knew?

I had to jump out @ 10 minutes for an "I'm a dumbass" mechanical. I changed wheels right before I left the house, and in my haste, I obviously didn't tighten the rear skewer enough. Once properly torqued to resist my massive power, it stayed put until the end.
I actually felt okay last night. The back and legs are getting better. I really didn't feel any sort of cramp or pain until 41 minutes. It wasn't enough to stop, so I guess getting Renick'd and doing McKenzie every night is helping. My fitness has taken a hit though. Sitting in and hiding isn't an issue, but taking longs pulls just isn't in the cards right now. Sick 2x and hurt since the end of January doesn't exactly breed speed of any kind!

I have Friday off and am planning to do a 3-ish hour ride...if anyone would like to join me.

Throwback Tuesday

John Patterson, Greg LeMond, Eric Fetch, Gavin Chilcott, Jonathan Boyer, John Eustice

I Double Dog DARE one of you guys to give Patterson shit about his hair!

Flanders Recon w/Team Sky

Watch Flecha take off @ 1:20...it's known as 'going horizon'!

Gent-Wevelgem 2010

Good three days of riding for me...all three included tailwinds on the return trip. NICE!
Friday was my airport loop. Just spun until I turned for home and had the wind with me. Good hard tempo that included 5x2 intervals. It was almost like motorpacing...

Saturday, we headed out and the group split up. Some went on, some didn't...
Il Prof and I got separated from TVH and Mrs. FK, and turned when we shouldn't have. We ASSumed that they went one way, so we went around to backtrack and meet them. Well, our ASSumption was incorrect. Upon turning around, Il Prof overshifted, threw his chain, got a heaping helping of chain suck and sheared the rear derailleur off his Colnago in a less than surgical fashion. The front derailleur was also twisted outside of it's operational parameters. He called for pickup, and once I was sure he was okay, I took off.
I ASSumed that the other two members went the way that I would have, so I put my head down and rode tempo to chase them down. Well, I rode solo for the last 60 minutes at less than a comfortable pace...never saw a soul! But I had the tailwind...!!!!

Sunday, 4 of us rolled out in windy and damp weather. I chose the Salsa with skinnies as my weapon of choice. I'd forgotten how much I like that bike on the road. We fought the headwind out to the flats, made the turn for home and rode with a tailwind for the next hour.

Days like the last three are what I need right now! Off day tomorrow and an appointment with Renick for some more crack and stretch...

See you guys Tuesday! Peace...

Saturday videos

E3 Harelbeke



THAT'S how you attack from 1500m!

2010 Team Pursuit WC



Oz wins with 3 guys...strong!

It's Friday...finally...

Has it been a long week for anyone else?
On the upside, my back seems to be coming around, thanks to Dr. Renick....and the McKenzie Protocol exercises suggested to me by Drs. JB and BB.
I was considerably more comfortable on the bike this morning. Of course, part of the comfort was due to the demo Fizik Arione saddle that I'm riding. I felt pretty good, and seemed to fit my anatomy well. Of course, I only did a 90 minute spin this morning, so we'll see how I feel after 3+ hours tomorrow.

NEWS

Taylor Phinney wins GOLD in WC Pursuit



(Sorry for the bad edit and annoying music...it's all I could fine for now. If I find the whole race, I'll post it.)

Sarah Hammer smashes the field in the Women's Pursuit!



That's all for today...Peace!

TNCWC #2 (GW strong like bull!)

So the second TNCWC went of tonight with a bit larger group than last week, but still smaller than usual, and smaller than it SHOULD be, but I digress...

The first few laps were the normal ebb and flow, then THE break of 4 went away. They stayed out, as the main bunch just wasn't very cohesive. The power to bring it back was there, but no one really put in a lot of effort. I sure as hell didn't...! At one point, it was with 10 seconds, but that was as close as it got to coming back.
RW attacked on the last lap, but GW brought him back and countered. He ended up winning alone.
Like the title, and Uncle Tanoose said, he's 'strong like bull'! Probably just the work the ceramics and his mechanic... ;)

I felt okay tonight, much to my surprise. The legs felt good, the lungs were fine and the HR was under control. @ 25 minutes, I came out of T4, shifted and went to the drops to make effort to stay hooked onto the group and felt a twinge in my low back. Apologies for sitting up to those behind me, but I'm not dicking up the work I've done to make my aching back better at the TNCWC. Sorry, but that's the hard truth....
And I REALLY need to find a new saddle. The Flite Ti is a bad shape for me and just kills my special no-no place. I can't get comfortable on the thing, so it's going bye-bye. Fizik test saddles, here I come...or if I can find a pre-07 Flite Ti gel, I'll go back that.

Errands in the morning...life doesn't stop...

Peace!

I've been wetter...

...but not much. After another bought of stomach issues on Saturday night, I rolled out Sunday into a cloudy, windless, 55 degree morning.
The decision was made to ride the cross bike as I figured no one would show for the standing Il Prof ride.
Out through West Columbia I went....

I didn't feel too great, but could just ride a steady pace without feeling like I was going to yawn in technicolor. I rolled up out of the trails by the river, and hit Old State Road. Old State is dirt all the way from West Columbia to the Eastman Chemical plant out off of I-26...probably 4-5 miles of red clay/sand mix. During the dry season, it's shite...loose, choppy and just generally unpleasant. One would think, that after all the rain we've had this winter that it would be a poor surface on which to ride. One would be wrong! Sure, it's a bumpy ass dirt road, but if you expect that fact, Old State is in good condition to ride at the moment.
I rode out to the end, turned and came back to the farm road cut through that leads to the construction that may, or may not be, the 12th St, extension, at which point the heavens opened up.
The 'official' part of 12th ends at I-77, but I was a good distance South of that point, so I was "forced" to sneak around the gates/barriers to make my way home.
Don't know what they're doing out there, other than playing in the dirt, but it made for a nice little adventure and is a nice loop. The entire length between the large "No Trespassing" signs is rideable and presents quite interesting scenery, which included several different animal tracks and a HUGE series of pipes running across the road that gave me a good spot to practice my cyclocross dismount/mount.
Once I got back on the tarmac at the far end of 12th, it was pouring rain, and continued to do so until I walked into the aptly named mudroom at home. Wet and muddy, there was no reason to even go inside. Clothes came off and went directly into the washer.
It was a good ride and a whole lot of fun. Special thanks to Mad Alchemy for the embrocation. The medium kept my legs and back nice and toasty during the ride, and for most of the day! If you haven't tried/used it, you should!
Off the bike today, but going to get an adjustment and some ART.
See you at TNCWC #2....

MSR 2010

Friere showed Booen and Petacchi CLEAN wheels. It really wasn't even close. Those rainbow stripes on his sleeves aren't just for decoration!


Good ride yesterday. Steady 75km with the bunch. Felt surprisingly okay. Legs were fine, lungs were okay and my back, even though it was a crooked as a dog's hind leg, didn't protest.

I switched out the saddle again though. The old Flite that I'd gone back to was bent and twist, thus forcing my hips and back into an un-natural position. I also put a little effort into the seatmast, in an effort to make sure the original cut was square and level. Unfortunately, in my haste to build it, my cut was NOT even. One side was about 2-3 mm higher than the other. I put the cutting guide back on and hit it with the sander...it's even now!

I'm feeling a bit empty today. A few days of stomach virus will do that to you. I may go ride anyway. Nothing wrong with just rolling around for a couple of hours. It beats sitting on the couch.

Peace!

F YOU Tony Kornheiser!

http://www.thewashcycle.com/2010/03/tony-kornheiser-allegedly-condones-running-down-cyclists.html

Follow the link and read the transcript of the show. It's an abomination! Send the link to everyone you know and ask them to email ESPN. He needs to be suspended, or even fired, for this kind of hate speech.

RIP Adam Little!

Adam was struck and killed by a hit and run driver while commuting this morning in Charlotte. The driver, a 24 y.o. woman, was tracked down a short time later and arrested. She's been charged with misdemeanor homicide by vehicle and unrestrained child.
Whoever is investigating this horrific crime needs to pull her mobile phone records and go over them with a fine-toothed comb. What's the bet she was yapping or texting?

Adam was a mere 34 years old and leaves behind a wife and two small kids.


As an aside, the General Assembly of SC is currently debating a bill that would outlaw texting while driving. If you're like me, you've been buzzed by some jerk-nut on the phone or texting. Contact your Representative, whoever he or she may be, and voice your support for this bill.

Anything that keeps us safe on the road is a good thing!

TNCWC #1

I felt like crap all afternoon and it came to crescendo once I got on the bike. I made it to the crit course, rode 5 warmup laps and decided that the urge to vomit at home was stronger than my urge to vomit on the crit course.
I asked RW if he could keep time, and he obliged...(thanks man!)
The ride home was a slow, nausea/vomit filled affair. It usually takes @ 15 minutes to get to/from the course. It took me 35 minutes last night.
I came home...got sick...too a cold shower...got sick...went to bed...got sick...anyone see a pattern here? I don't know if it was bad food or a little bug, but it was equivalent to getting a cleanse.
Thankfully, the fluid loss has stopped, but I am just wrecked. I'm stiff and sore, my head hurts and I'm so sleepy that typing this is a struggle. I can say with some certainty that I probably won't ride until at least Friday morning. Upside? I've lost 4 pounds since lunchtime yesterday!
Now, on to the show...
The group was small last night...15-20 guys, which is odd for the first TNCWC of the year. From what has made it's way to me, the bunch spent most of the night chasing on person around. And I can say that I agree with RW's take on tactics at the TNCWC. Go and ride as hard as you can. If you have to chase your 'teammate', chase him. It's a practice race for Pete's sake.
I will say that I was guilty of it last year, but I've seen the error of my ways. If I can chase, I will...
Hopefully, turnout will be bigger next week. The TNCWC needs to be big and continue on as it's the only ride in town that truly transcends all of the fractured little groups that have developed.
This is my hope...



How the F did Cav's wheel completely come out of the fork?

No rides

Never threw a leg over the top tube last weekend, and you know what? I really didn't care.
Saturday morning, I was up early and headed to Blythewood for the road/circuit race. The dirt section was removed (bah!), but the weather conditions were such that the dirt really wasn't needed. It was 55 degrees, but the wind was HOWLING. 10km laps with 2 nice little kicker climbs and a bloc headwind on the finish stretch made it a race for the hardmen.
Fortunately, I was warm and secure in the follow truck, which was actually more fun that it sounds. You get to actually see the races develop and change. 2 of the 3 races I followed were shattered quickly after the start. The juniors blew apart on the first lap and some skinny, unassuming 15 year old soloed for the win. The 35+ field made it to the second lap before shattering and blowing apart. It finished in FOUR separate groups. Brutal! Team OSB did well with a 4th (JC) and a 6th (LL).
The 4s stayed together, but the cream rose to the top @ halfway. A group of almost 50 started...15 finished in the front group. GW took a flyer @ 1500m to go and was caught @ 250m, but still finished in the top 10.
Sunday, the H.O., MTs and I loaded up and went over to watch the 35+ crit in Forest Acres. A smaller field was there, but the horsepower was serious. RW attacked on lap 2, and the race was on. The break changed shape a couple of laps later and ended up being 7 guys...and then the shit hit the fan. John Patterson took a flyer and soloed away for the win. If you don't know who he is, Google him. And did I mentioned he also won the 45+ race that was immediately prior to the 35+ race? Yeah, he's a card carrying Certified Badass! JC and LL repeated their finishes from Saturday with RW bringing home 8th. Another good show!
We bailed shortly thereafter...two days of cold and wind were enough for me.
Tom Sunday promoted both races and did a great job. Good attendance and relatively good weather made for a nice weekend of racing.

On another riding tip, #1 MT rode his 'big boy bike' for the first time. I gave him a push, and he was gone! He never rode a day w/training wheels!

Single parenting

So the H.O. has been gone since yesterday for some bullshit meeting that her company seems to do once a quarter. They always go to Myrtle Beach, and MB for me is akin to going to WalMart, so I stay here. Plus, it just creates havoc for me and the MTs. It uproots them from their schedules and does nothing but change the location of my responsibilities to them. It's easier to just stay home where everything is located, rather than chase around crap in MB, and get zero sleep in some 'luxury resort'.
I had shit to do anyway. Il Prof's Colnago is finished. A bunch of new parts and an overhaul. If you know the Professor, you have been regaled with the stories of his borderline caustic sweat (he actually sweat THROUGH a DeBernardi steel frame!). Taking parts off his bike takes more care and time than diffusing a bomb. It's actually more like a SuperFund cleanup. I wore coveralls and latex gloves, if that tells you anything. There are places on his Colnago CLX that his sweat has undermined the clearcoat and has caused it to bubble. The amount of dried sweat/salt under his bar tape was epic. I probably should have been wearing some sort of protective mask. Maybe this would have done the job.
Anyway, it's done.
After the lovely sunset last night, I awoke early this fine morning, expecting a pleasant day. The temps were lovely, but the grey sky is becoming downright depressing! Once again, I climbed aboard the Salsa and headed out for a wet and dirty ride. Instead of the usual HoP, I turned down a road that I'd spied several times before, just because...
Well, it went nowhere and was sloppy red clay mud...great...
Once I'd doubled back, I got back on the normal HoP loop. It was very wet on the dirt sections this morning...VERY wet! My new Diadora ProCarbon shoes are now slightly less white. And the Salsa is slightly more orange and brown.
On the ride, some dim-witted douche decided to crowd me. I whistled, he flew the bird and called me female lady parts. I was about a block back when I saw him turn into a parking lot...so I followed. He was considerably less aggressive once out of his douche-grey Taurus. I offered to place the aforementioned Diadora shoe within the confines of his buttocks, but he declined. Who's the female lady part now?
Overall, I had a good ride. You know it's good when you come home with tan lines or dirt lines.
Mine were the latter today!

See you guys at the race tomorrow...

Looky, looky...

Columbus FOCO tubed Jericho cross frame
55cm w/55.5 top tube
Don't quite know what I'm gonna do with it yet...

Edit-
I just sent a note to Josh Ogle...the guy who WAS Jericho Frameworks. I'm waiting to see what he has to say about it. It's gonna be a little while until I build it up. Gonna go with an Ouzo Pro cross fork and Deda/Thomson cockpit...other than that, I'm up in the air.

Back to Portland weather

After a few glorious days of warm sunshine, this morning crept up with grey skies, a breeze and spotty rain. The real rain is on the way...according to The Weather Channel. If Stephanie Abrams says it's gonna rain, I'll believe it, 'cause she's HOT!
Anyway, I have consulted with Dr. JB and his PhD physical therapist wife, the lovely Dr. BB, and was given some advice for my back that seems to be working. Dr. BB suggested a regimen of back exercises called 'The McKenzie Protocol'. I've done the routine twice and it actually has taken a bit of the discomfort away. I've also mixed in some leg and hip flexor stretches from the Williams Plan.
I rode last night and felt quite good on the bike. No issues with pushing hard, but I could feel a little pulling in my back, so no all out efforts were attempted. Same thing this morning...
We'll try this and see how it works out. If everything goes to shit, I'll make the trek to Emory and see Emily's neurosurgeon.
Brown Santa is supposed to deliver the new arrow for the quiver today...waiting with baited breath. Il Prof's Colnago is getting is makeover tonight. No dumb handlebar tape this time...just white Lizard Skins DSP.

Don't forget....
Blythewood RR Saturday
Forest Acres Crit Sunday
TNCWC starts next Tuesday (16th) @ 6:30
-We'll adjust times, both race and start, if necessary.

I'll be out at the course in the next couple of days to clean....

Paris Nice Stg. 2 w/crash

After much consideration...

...I'm thinking that I may need to go see a back surgeon. I've done everything that one can do to end my back pain, but nothing seems to work. It's affecting more than my riding, which in and of itself, is a bit maddening. There isn't a day that passes that I do not have low back and leg pain. The leg pain is a by-product of the back injury as I'm forced to use my legs to muscle through things that the back would normally handle.
I can ride and still hold a high pace if necessary, but the resulting pain has become such that it's just not as much fun as it should be.
I'll still be out on rides, and around, but if the Doctors say they're going to have to cut me...well, then I'll get cut.

That being said, I rode 3 hours on Saturday and 2 hours this morning, which made for four days on after 12 days off.

The Blythewood RR is next weekend. The TNCWC starts back up on the 16th...pass it on. I'll be out at the course at some point this week to clean the corners and paint some lines on the road.

12 off/2 on

So after 12 days off the bike, most of it with a haggard head/chest cold, I've ridden 2x in the past 24 hours. The action of it is just weird. I think I lost a little bit and still think I have some residual sickness. Long rides tomorrow and Sunday will either sort me out, or I'll be under the bed next week!

Spring is definitely on the way though. On the loop this morning, I chased a half dozen deer down the trail for about 600 meters. Kind of cool...other than the powers that be closed the pass through gate, so the poor animals just ran headlong into the 8 foot fence, more than once. I finally turned around and herded them back up the trail and out into the green spaces off of Old State Road.

Ride tomorrow @ 9 from the gate, and 9 @ OSB on Sunday.

Somebody 'splain this to me...

The NAHBS just passed, and there was some very cool stuff presented this year, as always. Check the links to galleries on their page. Some seriously drool-worthy rigs, for sure.
There is also a pre-ponderance of bamboo bikes...and I just don't get it. I understand the concept and the execution, but WHY? Is it the 'climb Everest' theory?
Personally, I find them ugly and think they serve no purpose other than an exercise in what materials can be used to manufacture bicycles. Sure, they say bamboo bike are light, stiff and comfortable, but why not just buy a steel or carbon bike. It's not like someone is going to break out their Boo road bike with Di2 on it and mix it up and the local weekly World Championships...unless they are a complete poseur or d-bag. Calfee's offerings look more like conversation pieces than something you'd actually go out and beat on. And some frames presented at the show were just head scratchers! I mean, WTF is that thing? I know it's a project to help frame builders in Ghana, but damn, it looks like something that Jack Skellington would ride.

If the builders would like to contact me, I have a huge stand of bamboo in my backyard. I'll be more than glad to sell it...and for the prices of these frames, I ain't giving it away!

On the hand-built tip, my lovely wife...the H.O., threw down and got me a pretty damn nice early 40th birthday present. A NOS Jericho FOCO tubed cross frame is making it's way to me as we speak. I have a list of 'white whale' frames hanging above my desk and she took it upon herself to locate this frameset and get it for me. It's even the correct color! I knew I kept her around for a reason (other than the fact she's hot!). I'll post pictures when it arrives...

As an aside, I finished and delivered GW's rain/beater/trainer bike today. It turned out quite nice...especially the Mr. T-esque chain.

Ignore the crankset (an SRM is on it now) and the so-so shitty Roval wheels. They suck on so many levels that they defy explanation.

Il Prof's Colnago is next on the docket...

My illness seems to have passed enough to get back on the bike tomorrow night...we'll see...

Back from BC

Flecha wins HNB...like a boss! The weather was shit for HNB and KBK over the weekend...is this a taste of what is to come for the rest of the Classics? Man, I hope so...! Flanders and Roubaix have been far to kind to the hardmen over the last few years. It's time for a repeat of 1994...

OSB Masters had another good weekend in GV too! Good looking out guys!

Slowly...

I'm kicking this cold thing, albeit very slowly. I'm feeling better, but still quite a distance from baseline, whatever that may be! I made the (poor) decision to get on the elliptical tonight. After 15 minutes, I was sweating like an immigrant day-laborer, and felt okay...
At 30 minutes, my body decided it didn't like what I was doing and staged a coup d'etat. I honestly thought I was either having a stroke, or some sort of infarction...possibly both. I got off, went into the living room and just laid down on the cold, bare hardwood floor. I now understand why the dog lays on it in the summer months.
Suffice to say, I'm not getting on the bike for a few more days. Walking 20 feet when you explode during exercise is one thing. Being stuck out in the country when you come apart is a different animal altogether.
I think I need a break anyway. I was feeling a bit beat up and tired, plus my back was protesting EVERY ride.
I'll be out next week...

I know this is a 'bike-related' blog sort-of-thing, but I'm also a car geek. And being a child of the '70s and '80s, I have a particular softspot for 2nd generation Camaros and Firebirds. I tripped over a link to a collection in central Florida that made my head swim and loins ache. Just looking at it made my mullet start growing back in!!!! UNFUCKINGBELIEVEABLE!!!!!

Two builds coming up...
A carbon bike and a carbon bike...I'll post pics when they are complete! No cat out of the bag right now!

Still sick...still resting...

Omloop HNB is this weekend...

Here's the last KM from last year...

This will get you by until tomorrow...

Ooof!

Ok, it's here. My yearly sinus infection has found it's way home.
I got up yesterday, feeling quite poorly, but I decided to ride anyway. 3 hours and 90km later, I felt worse. So instead of going to bed, I ran errands and did a little plumbing repair for Il Prof.
@ 9, I crawled into bed and have been here ever since...pretty close to wrecked...

Of course, it's the nicest day of the year thus far.

I'll post some videos to keep you entertained. Other than that, I got nothin'.

Coolest video you'll see today!

The good stuff starts @ 1:50...change to 720p and hit the arrows in the lower right corner to make it full screen...trust me!
Rip a hole in the sky!

A life lesson...

Never mess around with a big, old dude with tattoos!!! That's what you call a Kershaw County ass-whippin'!

Here's the direct link...

An observation...

So I was out on my normal Tuesday night HoP and I ran across a gaggle of fixie hipster/scenester douchebags. And by 'ran across', I mean nearly fucking killed/got killed by them. As I crossed an intersection LEGALLY, the little group of the aforementioned DBs blew through a stop sign and almost caused a collision of epic proportions. NONE of the scenesters had front lights and I only saw one red blinky taillight to cover the entire group.
Now, I'm all for riding and enjoying yourself, but if you're out after dark, regardless of the type of bike you're on, and don't bother to put lights on your bike (which is the LAW btw!), then I don't feel bad if you get popped by a car. I'm sure the prevailing attitude of the bunch was that lights aren't CORE! After you dumbasses get cracked by some Junior Leaguer in her Lexus SUV, you can put cards in the spokes of your Quickie chair! Now that's living the lifestyle!

Not only is riding at night without lights dangerous and ILLEGAL, it makes ALL cyclists look bad in the eyes of motorists. I know that cyclists see the distinctions between our chosen paths, but drivers just see a person on a bike, acting like a jackass by running lights/signs and not adhering to both the laws of the land and common sense!

And don't think for a minute that this is just my attitude towards a particular sub-culture of cyclists, because it isn't...
I had this very same conversation with a non-cycling friend of mine the other day. He commented that 'a group if bikers' downtown blew through a light in front of him, at night, and he nearly killed them all.
I hate to say it, but he would not have been at fault for the accident!

C'mon folks, use some brainpower here. Forego that new pair of Dickies, or that 'vintage' t-shirt @ American Apparel and stop at the shop to pick up some lights! You life you save may be mine!

Snow+warm temps=Mud

Saturday was fun and snowy. Sunday was fun and really wet. The tarmac was dry, but I chose a path less traveled. I hit my double secret off-road training loop for a planned 2 hour ride. To say it was soggy out there would be an understatement. Once I got into the lower part of the loop, down by the river, the double track was so wet that the tires sank, literally, an inch into the soft ground.
I got all the way to the climb out, and I was unceremoniously stopped by what could be considered a small pond. It looked like a certain large, furry, dam building, semi-aquatic rodent had been at work at the normally placid stream crossing. Fuzzy little bastard forced me to backtrack...!
A big effort followed once I was back on the access road...according to the video camera timer, it was 10 minutes. Doesn't sound like much, but with 45 pounds of air in 700x40 tires, on a wet, sandy, chopped up farm track, it was plenty.
A quick pop onto Bluff took me around the stadium. I felt pretty good, so I turned up into the railroad yard and went as hard as I could until I ran into S. Beltline. It worked out to another 10 minute effort on what could be described as a poorly maintained service road. Thanks to CSX for my own, personal stretch of Hell.
Short spin home and that was that...well, not really...because of the softness of the ground, and my forced turnaround, it was 2:20 on the bike.
The Salsa was so disgusting that I was forced to load it up in the War Wagon and take it to the car wash. A quick hit with the high-pressure sprayer and it was back to it's former glory. VERY euro...
5 days on last week...today is a rest day...
Thinking about a dirt ride out through Blythewood and Ridgeway next weekend, if anyone is up for it....
Peace!

It was snowy....

Yeah, I rode this morning. @ 6" of snow in town. It wasn't too bad on the main roads...pretty much just wet and slushy. Once in the shade, like behind a big building, it was ICY!
I made the mistake of cutting down through the park on Wheat St. this morning too. I started to slide, made a pitiful effort to save it and just ate it. The deep snow in the park was fluffy! No harm, no foul.
Up through campus, down Main St. and into Finlay Park for a minute. Pretty empty this morning, but so quiet and peaceful...a bit surreal!
ack up through campus, through the 'hood and down to Owens Field. I did a few quick laps of the cross course and then decided to go home. Considering all shifting had ended, the brakes were merely a suggestion and the back wheel was dragging in the rear triangle, 90 minutes was enough!
The weather was perfect. Big bright sun, no wind and snow! Coupled that with the fact that there were no cars on the road, and it was a great ride!
I would have video, but I think the camera took a hit when I ate it and got knocked off kilter. The vid quality was great, if you like looking straight down at the snow.

Got harassed by some dickhead in an Expedition. He went out of his way to roll up beside me to tell me what I was doing was 'very dangerous'! I'm riding along, as happy as a person can be, minding my own fucking business, and this fatass rolls up next to me, in the ice and snow, to yell!
Which of the two things was more dangerous? How shitty is that guy's life if he felt the need to do that? I guess I was holding him up on his way to get to Hardee's for his sausage biscuit.
Funny part? I saw him again about 4 minutes later waiting on a light...it took me the same amount of time to get there...putz!

Enjoy the snow people! Peace!

Superman and Clark Kent

Funny how one day is totally different than the next. Like the title states, Superman and Clark Kent are often separated by a scant few hours.
I went out last night, felt like GD Superman. Good lungs, good legs, focus and concentration on point. Felt really good for the 95 minutes of fun last night.
Seeing as I'm making an effort to shed some lbs. from my big self, I came home, had a bowl of cereal and lazed about. Looking back, that was the problem.
I woke up this morning, feeling like I'd just ridden four hard hours. Dehydrated, sore back, legs and joints, as well as a general feeling of malaise. What did my relatively high IQ tell me to do? Stay home and re-fuel? Nope! As usual, my dumb took over and told me to get on the bike.
So I listened...
I'd planned on just doing an easy spin, which was good, as easy was all I had this morning! Of course, all things conspired against me. It was cold, I went out with the tailwind, my chosen route had been summarily destroyed by the floods, and I was forced to scale a 8 foot fence that was topped by barbed wire to avoid having to backtrack for 15 minutes.
To add insult to my already injured soul, when I got back to West Columbia, there was a train stopped on the tracks, forcing me to backtrack anyway.
At this point, I gave up and just rolled home slowly. I feel like crap, I've slammed down more water than a camel at an oasis, and my head is splitting as if it's being mined for dumb!
I should have just stayed home...

Evidently, there is snow on the way, so I'm fueling up in anticipation of a snow ride in the morning. I'm going to ride either way, but the snow would definitely add some fun to the equation. Not holding my breath though...

Those white lines are SLICK!

So last night, after consulting the radar all afternoon, I headed out for an extended night ride. It was rather pleasant for the first 45 minutes of my ride, so I turned the direction that was the complete opposite of home, to make the ride longer. As it usually happens, I was nearly to my turnaround point when the skies began to cry.
At first, the light drizzle wasn't bothersome, nor was it cold. After I was good and wet, it was time to navigate USC's campus, which involves slowing down and paying close attention to make sure that Mandy Pepperidge didn't crush me beneath the wheels of the Land Rover that daddy bought her. This, of course, made me feel the cold, cold rain, to the point where I was ready to get home.
Once I'd run the gauntlet safely, the pace picked back up. In my haste to get through the 'hood, and back to the house, I took a corner a bit too fast, hit the raised white line lines of a crosswalk, and executed what could only be described as a perfect 180 degree skid/2 wheel drift. No crash, thankfully! I think the sheer vacuum of my sphincter slamming shut kept me upright. Those bitches are slick and WILL force you to change lines!
From that point, I rode gingerly, as every intersection in Shandon is polluted with those lovely, 18" wide crosswalk lines.
Home with a nice, wet, and chilly 1:45 on the bike. The upside was the wet roads, as they cleaned about 1/3 of the accumulated crap off the Salsa.
I got up to go out this morning and was hit by a 30+ mph wind gust. I quickly turned and took it right back in the house. 45 minutes of core, kettlebell and foam roller later, I was fine!

And to my homies up North...stay inside and be safe. That crazy weather is nothing to play with!

A sad day indeed...

Franco Ballerini died tragically at the age of 45...
I could write something here, but I think Velonews has covered all the bases. If you don't know who Franco Ballerini is/was, then you are missing out! He was one of the last generation of TRUE hard men of the North. Wins @ Roubaix in 1995 and 1998. Cycling has lost a giant and he will be missed!

I did 3.5 hours in the cold this morning. Pretty uneventful, but it made me realize that the short and sharp efforts are there, but the long, drawn out efforts need some work. Of course, I've ridden exactly 5 rides of 3 hours or more all winter, so I'm not too concerned about it.
I did raise the saddle height on the Ridley by 5mm and it's much better. I don't feel like I'm sitting in a hole now, and the twingy knee pain has disappeared. The positions on the Salsa and the Ridley are virtually the same now.

That's all I got today...F the Super Bowl and go watch your old copies of 95 and 98 Roubaix!

'ello...'ello

It's a LOVELY day today. Glad it's a rest day...39 degrees, steady rain and dark does not motivate one to ride outside!
I got my ride on last night instead of this morning. Though I thoroughly enjoy riding alone at night, I can say with some degree of certainty that I'm growing a bit weary of it. C'mon daylight savings time!
Anyway, I felt quite poorly all day, and wasn't really too excited about going out, but I HTFU and went anyway. After @ 20 minutes, I started to feel better. That was quickly tempered as I dropped down onto the service road by the river. I forgot that it had rained a couple of days ago...let's just say the road was 'juicy'. Being wet is one thing, and being cold is one thing. Being wet AND cold really sucks ass! Again, I channeled my inner MDro and soldiered on.
A nice loop through West Columbia, back through the Vista and campus and then home, for a nice 95 minutes on the cross bike.
Two things really added the frosting to the cake though...
The first was as I was sitting at the light on North Main, getting ready to cross Elmwood. As usual, I'm sitting in traffic, claiming my 'de jure' part of the lane, when I hear an engine revving wildly and the screech of brakes. I turn to look and it's a new Toyota Camry. Great...I'll be a Toyota statistic and I wasn't even driving one!
The second topper was coming home and being locked out of the house. Sweaty, cold, wet, muddy, and in the dark...freaking super. Fortunately, my formative years included doing some things I'm not proud of, so I learned to make entrance into places where one is not, necessarily, supposed to be. Not proud of it, just the way it is...
My ingress was met by a snarling, 19 pound Jack Russell. Nice to know she's paying attention!
Ride tomorrow morning. 9 @ the gate.
Sunday...don't know. It's supposed to be cold, so it may be a day to get in the woods...

Best video you'll see this week!

A rant...

You know, I feel sorry for some people. I'm sorry that they are ignorant dumbfucks that didn't study hard enough in school, or they knocked up their trailer park girlfriend and had to go to work doing manual labor. That's NOT MY PROBLEM though!!!
I got run off the road this morning by an asshole driver from Shuman-Owens building supply...down into the ditch! I didn't go down, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Of course, there was no number on the truck to remember. Instead, I flew home, cutting my ride short, took a shower and headed down to their facility on Shop Rd.
The vocalization of my displeasure started with the dispatcher, as he is responsible for his asshole drivers. Upon hearing that our conversation was becoming heated, the manager decided to weigh in with his opinion, stating that the drivers are very busy and in a rush a lot of the time. To which I responded that he'd be a whole lot later for his drop if he runs over a guy on a bike.
The discourse went back and forth for a few minutes and my head started to get hot, which is very bad.
The manager actually said that I should have been riding on another road so I wasn't impeding traffic..seriously, he said that shit! I gave him a short education in SC Vehicle Law. Assmonkey!
I soon realized that arguing with these two room temperature IQ jerkoffs was akin to shouting into a hole in the ground, and just turned to walk out.
As I reached the door, the dispatcher muttled something that sounded remarkably like 'mucking passcole'...
The hot came right back. I was in his fat, little, redneck face QUICK, asking him to repeat what he'd just said. Of course, he didn't have the stones! Pussy! I offered to go outside to discuss it further with him AND the manager. Funny how neither had a damn thing to say when I offered to beat their asses as proxy for their driver...
The whole place got REAL quiet too. I made my point!

I'm thinking a Glock 33 may get added to the flat kit!

Kickass!

After a trip that would make most frequent flyers blush, the new Diadora ProTrail Carbon shoes arrived at la casa this morning. So fresh...so clean...and they fit exactly like the Pro Carbon road shoes that I love so much. Now to set the badboys up...new cleats and new plates are waiting in the ManHole(tm). A review will follow later...

I channeled my inner-MDro yesterday and went outside for a ride in the cold. It was 29 when I left and 34 when I rolled in 1:45 later. The only thing that was at all cold were my feet, and I was wearing two sets of shoecovers. The rest of me was kept warm by Giordana's stellar Roubaix tights and Roubaix jersey. As for gloves, you can take all of the $50+ specialty winter BS gloves from all of the oh-so-Euro manufacturers, and stuff them! The $7 fleece/lined gloves from Kohl's made my hands sweaty...in 30 degrees...

I also mapped out a 45 mile ride that involves copious amounts of dirt. Blythewood/Ridgeway/Winnsboro/Blythewood is the loop. Cross bikes, or bikes with some sort of fat tire are not required, but wouldn't hurt. The skinniest tire I'd consider would be a 28...just sayin'...

Yoga and core work were on the calendar this morning. I need to do the yoga at least once or twice a week...man, it feels good the be nice and stretched out!

Cross Worlds were great yesterday...Stybar went horizon on the field. The course was angry and it took it's anger out on the racers. TJ finished a solid 14th, which is great considering he started in the 40s. The USA put two in the top ten, with Jamie Driscoll finishing 19th...freaking great results!

On the motorsports tip, The Daytona 24 was a freaking snoozefest. Small fields and too many car failures made it a little boring and seem a little jokey. Hell, the 'Porsche' engine that won wasn't even a Porsche Racing flat-6! It was a punched out V8 that was pulled from a Cayenne SUV. How I long for the halcyon days of IMSA GT/GTO/GTU cars, when balls and money ruled the day! Oh, and if you don't know who Derek Bell is, ask somebody!


Peace!

WHAT THE F?

Granted, Zipp beam bikes...hell, ALL beam bikes were/are really stupid, but whoever did THIS should be struck down in his skinny jeans as he stands in whatever hipster-douchebag coffee shop he frequents. I mean, for fuck's sake...

I didn't go out today as I'm not being watched by any pro teams, but I did decide to do a little exploring out in Ridgeway. Hackathorne sent me a map of a dirt ride out there, so I decided to check it out. No time like the tail end of a winter storm that dropped ice all over the place to go explore a bunch of unmarked dirt roads. As I was beginning my search, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a lone lunatic out of the corner of my eye, heading North out of Ridgeway. The only person that even threatened to ride today was MDro, and the general shape of the lone rider was remarkably similar to his, so I turned to check it out. As I rolled closer, I noticed the silver Salsa 29er...it was the crazy person himself. We spoke for a minute a I let him get back to his solo lunacy. In case anyone is interested, he wasn't out for a spin to get away from the house for 30 minutes! He ended with 5 hours, 120km (on knobbies!) and more spent KJ and TSS points than should be allowed on a 31 degree, freezing rain day! Fine line between hard and crazy...he was definitely tripping over that fucker today!

Anyway, the dirt roads out there are great and it would be VERY easy to put together a ride that hit all of them, and looped back to a central meet spot. Hell, one had a creek crossing! I would have driven across, but the water was bumper high on the truck, and moving pretty quickly. Seeing as #1 MT was with me, I decided to practice some discretion. Getting the truck swamped in a fast flowing, barely above freezing stream, in the middle of nowhere just smacks of bad parenting! Look for maps of some loops/routes very soon!

Cross Worlds tomorrow on Sporza or Universal Sports...12 noon. The cross was snowy, icy, muddy today for the Junior and u23 races. Tire choice and pressures will be very important tomorrow!

Turbo ride in the a.m. Too cold for my old bones outside...

It's Friday...

...you ain't got no job, and you ain't got shit to do!

So I tried to ride last night. I say tried simply because I made it 28 minutes before the back tire on the cross bike decided to evac all of it's air. Fortunately, I was down on the canal trail, so I rode it as far as possible, which turns out was about 600 more meters. I stopped at a bench and started the quick change process. Over the years, through working in shops and riding, I've become quite adept at changing tubes. I had the wheel out and the tire stripped off in about 30 seconds. Upon putting the new tube back into the tire, it quickly became apparent that there was an issue. The brand new, just out of the box, tube that was in my flat kit had a fucking hole in it. QC @ whatever backwater Chinese plant Specialized procures their tubes from is lackluster at best! I wish I'd held onto the damn tube, so I could go down to the shop and demand a replacement!
So as I'm standing there, calling the H.O. for pickup, the entire Harrell's Thursday Night Race ride goes by, completely lined out in a single file paceline...on 29ers...on the river trail...you guys are CORE!
No one so much as slowed down to see if a fellow cyclist was in need of anything. Yeah, sure, I know I'm a prick sometimes, but I ALWAYS check on someone who is stopped on a bike to make sure they're okay. It's just good cycling juju! The cycling Gods will smite them at some point in the future, that I'm sure of!
Anyway, I hiked my happy ass about 2 miles to the ultra-creepy River Drive parking area to wait on my extraction. Walking that distance is uber-stiff, carbon soled MTB shoes is NOT something I would recommend. My feet hurt like a BITCH!
Back on the horse this morning...
90 minutes on the cross bike. Not a bad ride, but didn't have a lot of gas. Just sort of spun around and fought the wind. Figured out the cross course @ Hammond Academy too. Right at 7:30 per lap and spectators will be able to see about 75% of the course! Time to start looking for dates...
Weather looks like a wash out for tomorrow...turbo here I come! The entire corporation was supposed to load up and go to the NC mountains this weekend, but the impending winter storm and the threat of 12"+ of snow made it seems like a poor choice and bad parenting! The way my luck runs, we'd get stuck on I-40 for a couple of days...in my truck!

Oh, and cross Worlds 2013 will be in Louisville! I'm there like stink on a Phish fan! They have three years to learn how to make proper frites!

Gotta jet...peace!

News

Bond is doing a TT series starting in the Spring. There are three dates on the calendar:
- 3 April
-22 May
-14 August
The loop is a rolling 20k. There are 20k and 40k options and the races will be chip timed...meaning that splits will be available and results are immediate.
The races on all dates begin @ 0900.
The location is White Oak, SC, a bit North of Columbia, SC and less than an hour South of Charlotte, NC., just off of I-77.
The course will be completed closed to vehicular traffic and controlled by the police. You may even see yours truly zipping about on the scooter!
Edit: Here's the flyer!

Work has also commenced on a Columbia cyclocross series for the late fall. Locations have been scouted and the balls are about to start rolling. Stay tuned and shout at me if you want to help out.

The TNCWC is on again for this year. Time changes on 14 March this year, so the first crit will be Tuesday, 16 March. I will do a better job this year of keeping the course clean and will be re-painting the markings on the road. I'm also going to make an effort to keep track of the finishes, so we can crown a TNCWC champion this year.

Peace!

Saw this yesterday....

...need it in poster-size...I may have to do just that. Hello? Is this Kinko's?

Weekend and some vids...

Saturday- We had a really good group and a really good ride. Nice steady pace with a few portions requiring some effort, which actually didn't feel too bad considering I've been on the road bike less than a dozen times since Thanksgiving. The weather was supposed to be decent, but we rode in 45 degrees and overcast skies...at least the rain held off.
Sunday- This morning I hadn't planned to ride, but needed to get the hell out of the house, so I kitted up and went out on the cross bike. I had no plan other than to explore a little bit. The first area I wanted to roam in was a complete bust, so I moved on. I rolled through the Hampton neighborhoods and ended up at the Hammond Academy sports practice complex. At first blush, there wasn't much there...and then it was as if the cross Gods shined a light from above and led me to the backside of the facility. What looked like little more than some double track access roads turned out to be the school's cross country practice course...and the absolute PERFECT place to do a cyclocross race. The course is full-on, Euro-style. Big descent, a chippy little climb out, a few slick turns, a short drop into a mudhole and a sand pit. This WILL happen next winter!!!!!! Emails and phone calls are going to be made, strings pulled, juice used, palms greased...whatever!

Here are a couple of vids to keep you occupied:
TDU Stage 6 highlights:



Hoogerheide Cross final lap:



Off day tomorrow...yoga! I rode 5 this week...Peace!

TDU Stage 5

TDU Stage 4

TDU Stage 3 highlights

TDU Stage 2 highlights

I went out last night for a road ride and it was a bit of an adventure...
First, a 911 Cab rolled up next to me in the neighborhood. I expected some dumbass to start jawing at me about riding on the road, or some other jibberish. The trigger was cocked on my F YOU gun. Thankfully, it was my old friend, former hammer and current legal counsel, Rob Ransom. We yapped for a while rolling through the hood. He took off and I caught him at the light. I tried to pace him. I say tried simply because there is NO draft behind a Porsche 911 Cab!
Once out in the Fort, I settled down into what I thought was a nice, SST pace. Well, I'll admit I'm a big pussy when it comes to the dark. Didn't like it when I was little, don't like it now as I'm tipping 40! Once I got to the end of Dixie and made the turn onto Wildcat, I saw little, red, beady eyes standing in the middle of the road, about 100m ahead of me. Don't know the eyes belonged to and wasn't hanging around to find out. Might have been a dog, a coyote or a chupacabra...who knows...I hit the GAS! I, literally, went as hard as I could all the way back to Hilton Field. It amounted to a 15 minute effort at, or above, threshold. I can say, with some degree of certainty, that I was blue-dotting and over-riding the light. My crazy, little kid imagination, and the thought of some mutant, Army experiment chasing me was all the motivation I needed! Once back into the relative civilization of the middle part of the base, I throttled back to SST and did the beer loop. I ended with right @ 2 hours in the dark, one really good effort and somehow lost a waterbottle...weird.
This morning, I got on the bike and had NO legs. I guess I went harder than I thought last night. I did a nice 90 minute spin out through West Columbia, trying to push the garbage out of my legs. It really didn't work! I'm stiff, sore and dehydrated today. Instead of relaxing once I got home, I went out and raked the front yard....for an hour! Cross-training bitches! At least it looks like respectable people live here again!

The H.O. is taking off tomorrow and Friday to get the house ready for her sister's baby shower on Saturday. Nothing like cleaning up and cooking for a bunch of people who won't appreciate it. I have a few projects to complete before Saturday as well, so it'll give me time. I'm clearing the fuck out on Saturday. A long ride, regardless of weather, and then I'm going to channel my inner redneck and take #1 MT to the Monster Truck show @ 2pm. It should be an exciting day...

Saturday...9am at the gate. Sunday, don't know, but guessing 9am @ OSB for Il Prof's ride.

Peace!

'10 TDU Stage 1 highlights