And so it begins....

We got our first little taste of the heat and humidity last night. Welcome to Summer!
The ride went out SLOOOW, and steadily picked up pace as we went. I can say with some degree of certainty that the trip up Gator was one of the fastest in a long while. The run down 302 was about the same, as three of us got clear coming to the airport.
Kudos to Morgan for staying in until that point, and taking her licks. She's a beast. Give me a solid 6 months, and I could turn her into a bike racer that would put the HURT on women's fields...and the dudes on the group rides...
And of course, when we sat up for the group to reassemble, the survivalists rushed the front, and tried to push the pace through the airport, only to disappear a short time later.
As usual, our favorite donkey attacked at the sprint, and "won". It's quite funny to watch. Nevermind the fact he was dropped...twice...only to get back on when we waited. Wanker...
Again, as it's been the last few rides, it was fun. Hard enough when it needed to be...

The Giro...
Richie Porte is in the main group, and in GC contention. He gets a flat. Simon Clarke, who rides for Orica (a different team), is mates with Richie. Simon is also WAY out of contention. Simon stops, and gives his mate his wheel. The UCI frowns on this, and docks Porte 2 minutes, taking him out of the GC fight, and fines him 200 Swiss Francs.
Meanwhile, Astana...you know...the team that had FIVE doping positives in the past few months, but got to keep their license, sends their "B Team" to the Giro, and has three guys in the top five on GC.
The UCI has no issue with this, but cracks Porte and Clarke on the knuckles for good sportsmanship.
Yeah, that shit makes perfect sense...

Speaking of the Giro, Ashley and Jered Gruber posted a rest-day adventure. They do it better. Period.

And while we're talking about things Italian...

 Mancation 2015 is ten days away...

I'm no expert, but this can only end badly...

And on the cool bike radar, there's a Bridge on the rides these days. It's the house brand of the guys up at Glory Cycles. Pretty damn nice, and seems to be a fair deal as well.

And on a much sadder note, we suffered a loss here at SUAGR HQ.
My nearly 97 year old grandmother passed quietly this morning. She'd been under hospice care for the last couple of months.
She was the best grandma, and great grandma, a kid could ever ask for. I was insanely lucky to have her, and forever grateful that my kids were afforded the opportunity to know her.
She saw, and lived through, myriad changes during her time on this big blue marble. All were taken in stride. She did things that people only read about in books. Again, all were done with the quiet reserve present in people of her generation.
She was always there for me, and always on my side.
It was my supreme honor to be her grandson.

Eventful (A day of donkeys)

As mentioned Friday, U10 futbol ended Saturday. After Junior Management's team took their weekly shellacing, I jumped on the CX bike, and headed out. No plan...just ride.
Out 12th, around to Eastman, thru the woods on the double secret new trail, PowerStation, Gervais, 'hood, home.
Saturday was pretty normal until I got to the head of the PowerStation. I heard a deep, mechanical noise, then the crashing of fauna. There was a feller/buncher lurking in the woods, taking down a BIG hardwood tree.
Fortunately, it fell BESIDE me, and not ON me.
Once to the washout, I tried to unclip to hike-a-bike across, but I couldn't get out of my right pedal. Hmmm...
I aimed for the low side of the wash, and kept riding. It seems one CAN ride it when given proper motivation. Honestly, it wasn't bad. with a little raking and shoveling, it would be a nice traverse. May have to get on that....
I stopped on the other side, and forced my foot from the pedal, only to find that the attachment of my cleat was tenuous, at best. No phillips screwdriver...F it...keep going...
Once to the boat landing, I turned in, in the hopes that someone was A) around, and B) had a screwdriver.
Big thanks to the dude that dug around in his truck, and found one for me. A quick 3 minute fix, and I was on my way. I hope karma smiled on him by putting a bunch of fish in his boat.
As an aside, if anyone wants has the urge to assault the Strava KoM for the Powerstation, now would be the time. It's in really good shape, and it's FAST.
Sunday was thin, as about half of the regular Heathens are Assaulting (or being assaulted by) Mt. Mitchell today. No matter...we rode on.
Beautiful morning, a good group, and no one got taken out by a yard dog. Although, upon cutting across to Hwy. 6, heading to Swansea, we did get chased, and brayed at by a donkey. Yeah...I said donkey. He ran across the pasture, hollering at us the whole time. Couldn't tell if he was mad, or just saying hello...
Once out of Swansea, we passed the donkey farm. There were many, many mini donkeys, including a couple of foals. They were fluffy.
And of course, I didn't take the camera with me...
A trip across LexCo, and we were home. 105km in the big sunshine.

Sagan won the Tour of California...by an inch...literally...

He needed the time bonus from 3rd to win. He beat Farrar by the width of a tubular. Superior bike throw as well...
After his Saturday performance on Mt. Baldy, he deserved the win. Talk about burying oneself...



And then Tinkov pulls this nonsense... (LINK) Sometimes (most of the time), I wonder if Oleg understands...

The Czech boys at Festka have dome it again...

Yeah...that's nice...

Methinks Ritchey missed the point with the new "Classic" bars...
73mm reach, and 128mm drop isn't "classic". Just ask the fine folks at Deda, who stopped making the Newton Deep, only to start production again b/c Euro Pros wanted them. They're now the "Zero100 Deep". 92mm reach and 142mm drop says "classic" to me...

And finally...two wheels good...
Triumph Tiger done right...

Have a productive Monday. I'm going to do my best NOT to...

You know...FUN...

Last night was fun. No one wanted to go especially hard, so it was more of a "tempo" affair.
Sort of just rolled...and rololololololol'd...
Even though The Jackass met us after we'd already done 2/3 of the ride, it was still fun.

I started to gaffaw when we were running into South Congaree at 55kmh. I came around the group, and KL tried to match my pace. He did, but when I looked over, the vein in the side of his neck was as big as my thumb. Careful Kev, you're getting up there in age...don't want to stroke out. LOL.
Then The Jackass started his shenanigans. Pretty easy to ride off the front at 32kmh...from a stoplight...ain't it? We let him hang out there, then once the line was back up to speed, we passed. The Ass in The Lion's Skin tried to force his way into line. Sorry bro...enjoy getting shuffled...
The he went after the sprint...alone...again...pretty easy when you haven't done most of the ride. He has supplanted our old friend Mick (who we all like quite a bit) as the new King of the uncontested sprint point. We LOL'd more.

Methinks I need to start contesting that final sprint a bit more. Only gone after it twice all year, and blew him out both times.
And the weather was perfect. 80 degrees, low humidity, and no wind...in mid-May? Ok...sure...

Ugly finish in the Giro yesterday...


Good win for Griepel, but the accident was caused by some spectator wanting to get a little TOO close to the action. Colli (Fantini Vini) hit the guys giant camera lens at 60kmh, shattering his humerus, and taking down Contador in the process. Contador dislocated his shoulder, which is bad, and quite painful, but given the choice of that, or a broken collarbone (or separated AC), I'd take the dislocation everyday. And yes...I've had all three.

Speaking of finish line crashes...


The very definition of the old racing adage of "Never Lift..."

Hey, Columbia...you're screwing up...
Check out the Chester Valley Trail, up in Pa.
I'm going to ride it when I'm up there on Mancation in a couple of weeks. Down to the trail, across to Valley Forge, back through the countryside to Pa. Service Course.
It's what happens when municipalities cooperate, and use resources to build things for the benefit of residents. Unlike here, where the Mayor & City Council are running a $35M boondoggle, er...I mean, baseball stadium, up our collective asses.
Of course, a MUT doesn't put any money in Mayor Benjamin's off-shore accounts.

Hey...do you guys have any tubular hoops laying around?

Last day of U10 futbol tomorrow. I truly support Junior Management playing, but it's been the longest 8 weeks of my life. I guess I'll go hit The PowerStation after...

Enjoy your Friday, and go outside to play this weekend!!

Yeah so...

Last night was quick...well...after it wasn't...
We went out 12th with the speed of a herd of migratory tortoises. Once across 176, things picked up, and stayed up until we hit the neighborhood.
What began with upwards of 30 came home with 8.
I don't know much, but I know that the run down 302 stung. It was...spirited...
And it was WAY smoother than usual. Weird how fast = smooth sometimes...

And speaking of smooth, it was truly nice was having a new BB in the Ridley. Thanks to VCRC for the smoothness. Having a BB that actually spun freely was nice. Once the ride began, it became increasingly clear that the old Enduro BB had been roached for a long time.
Feel free to poo-poo this, and say that BBs don't matter, but they do. Quality and smoothness is tangible.
I ride VCRC BBs in both bikes. They're great, affordable, and they last. What more does one need?

Where is this, and when do we leave?

Hincapie's boys kicked ass in Cali yesterday. People are surprised. Me? Nope. They've been quietly knocking the bigger teams down a few pegs all Spring.



And the Giro is already a slugfest...



One thing though....
Can we talk about Richie Porte for a moment? Dude is rolling around Italy in a rock star motorhome/tour bus...

I hope the UCI, WADA, and La Polizia are stopping by for cursory inspections....

Gotta go...Junior Management gets out of school shortly...

When good rides go bad...

Nice little group yesterday on a cloudy and breezy morning.
We were clipping right along for the first 2.5 hours of the ride. It was quite pleasant.
Once we crossed Hwy 21, and started down the hill, things went wrong.
We passed a treeline beside a little house that looked like a movie set for the new movie, "How to Cook Meth for Fun and Profit", and I saw a BIG ASS dog sprinting out towards the road. And by big, I mean 100+ pounds big...
Dean and I made it past, and no sooner did I yell turn my head to yell "DOG", the mutt t-boned Mike, turning him completely perpendicular to the direction of travel.
He went down in a 68 year old man/Colnago V1-r shaped pile.
It was not a gradual stop.

The bad :
Road rash, and a few BIG bumps and bruises.
Destroyed helmet. His Giro Atmos gave it's life to protect his skull.
His left ring finger was dislocated, and heading off in a direction that was wholly unnatural.
Thankfully, nothing was broken, which is a bit of a shock, as old people are fragile.

The good:
The Colnago emerged virtually unscathed. No damage to the frameset, EPS group, nor November wheels.
A cursory inspection revealed some slightly bent handlebars, and a Look Keo Carbon pedal that was missing a bit of carbon.
Shocking really.

We postulated that the lack of damage to the bike was because the crash happened so fast. Mike just never had the chance to let go, so he broke the bike's fall. The fact also contributed to the finger going off at a wonky angle. Upon hitting the ground, the bars twisted...and so did his finger.

Once he got his wits about him, and we sort of determined that there was no real damage, the call was made to his wife to come and collect him...from the middle of damn nowhere.
After loading him into the car, the rest of us rode on with considerably less enthusiasm. The 90 minutes home was long.
I haven't spoken to Mike yet this morning, but the prevailing wisdom is that he's likely a bit sore.

Yes, that's dog hair stuck in his chain/chainring!!! Told you it t-boned him!!

The Giro and Tour of Cali are underway...





IMO, the ToC stage was painfully boring.

Theo Bos' Cervelo S5. So badass. Just simple, yet looking like it could kick your ass...
Like so...

Gonna be hot today. Looks like Summer is weaseling it's way in...dammit...
But on the plus side, the college kids are starting to leave town...

Have a solid Monday.

Odd

Yeah, so I rode last night. I know I said I was going to take the whole week off, but after single parenting, I needed to get out of the house.
A sore shoulder and a ripping headache couldn't stop me.
The ride was actually fun-ish. The Jackass had to pull his normal shit of attacking through a stop sign in an effort to get away, and then not pulling through when things got hard, but other than that, it was a good time.
And the weather was pretty damn nice. Mid-70s in May? I'll take it. We can thank the low pressure/sub-tropical system (Ana) that's sitting off the coast.
I think she's the reason for my headache as well...

No ridey for me tomorrow. The Boss has to work the Poultry Festival in Batesburg-Leesville. Bet that will be a good time. The people of WalMart in an open-air, festival/carnival environment. I can get you some passes...you know you want to go...

And after 3+ years, in two bikes, the Enduro BB in the Ridley is giving up the ghost. I'd say the nearly 20k miles on it has been a pretty stellar service life. Fauxperts say that ceramic BBs fail, and don't last, but if one takes care of one's equipment, they're pretty damn solid. Definitely has been longer lived than any standard Shimano unit I've ever ridden.
There's a new VCRC unit inbound as we speak. Same one that lives in the CX bike. If you're looking for a new BB, check them out.

Friday bike porn...

Speedvagen (Vanilla/Sacha White) with Super Record EPS, and Boras. Not to mention FMB Paris Roubaix tires. Grizzly...

Messi v. Boateng


I'm still convinced there was a sniper in the stadium.

My new Oakley Straight Jackets hit the door earlier in the week. If you're looking for Rx sunglasses, look no further. Superior optics, materials, and engineering. Worth every penny.
Seriously, if you're spending the $ for Rx glasses, be they regular, or sunglasses, Oakley is the only way to go. I've worn Rx Oakleys for the better part of ten years, and I'm convinced that they are the reason my prescription hasn't changed much over that time.
And no, I cannot get Lasik surgery, as the retina in my left eye is damaged...but thanks for asking.

The Giro and the Tour of California both start this weekend. I know which I'll be watching...

Let us remember...

As the Giro begins in a couple of days, let us remember on of the best days/stages in recent memory...



It was miserable on that day into Montalcino, but one that became legend.

The Giro is usually more entertaining than the Tour and/or Vuelta. Guessing this year will be no different...

And if you need wheels, look at the boys at November. While other wheel manufacturers are spec'ing made in Taiwan/China hubs, November is having theirs produced by White Industries.  Pricing hasn't changed...if anything, November's pricing is BETTER.
I know who I'm buying from when the time comes...

Solamente

So Saturday was the Tour de Camden. I passed. Didn't hear from anyone about driving/riding over, so I stayed home.
I can say that the 3 extra hours of sleep > getting up at 5:30am, and dropping $40 + gas.
I still got two hours on the CX bike. It was a fairly brilliant morning, and it seems Eastman has cleared a new trail. No, I'm not sharing it's location... (This isn't it...)

And the washout? Well...

More of a chasm...
Wildlife sightings : Deer and a HUGE Tom Turkey.
Once back to Service Course, the Salsa got a new chain, and a drivetrain clean. It'll last about one ride.
Sunday was a solo effort after I rolled to the spot, and no one was there.
Solid 2 hours on the Ridley. A bit of a convoluted loop, but still a pretty damn good ride. Saw quite a few people out on the road too!
I'm tired though...just fatigued. Time for a few days off the bike. Thankfully, this coincides with The Boss being out of town. Single parenting = forced rest.

 7-11 is back as a cycling sponsor. The new junior development program in Boulder seems to have a solid line-up of backers. I'm trying to talk Cuore into producing these jerseys for public consumption, with a percentage of the money getting kicked to the kids. I'd rock it...

 Alex Dowsett smashed the Hour record last weekend. See below...

Commit to the line...even if it involves popping up the center divider....

And remember, bikes were here before cars...

Pffft....

Todd English builds cool stuff. Period. Outside the box...
Di2 Alfine internal hub? Sure.
Hydro discs with internal plumbling? No problem.
Belt drive? Why not.
And when a stock $5000 CX bike seems half-assed...

Parlee gives you a custom carbon CX rig with Di2, hydro discs, and Enve wheels.

I have an unnatural want for an old Suburban now...

HTRWW Liege edition...


Sedate ride last night. No one wanted to go hard. I know I didn't.
Ergo, I didn't go hard. It was quite nice, and the weather was sublime. 70 degrees with no humidity...at the end of April?
The Boss said it was "chilly". No dear, it's called "Spring".
The next three days should be just the same.
Anyway...I'm glad the ride wasn't hard, as my legs and back were junk. Junior Management and I played futbol for about 2 hours on Wednesday evening. That shit is tough on my broken, 45 year old body.
Quite an enjoyable ride.

And no, I shouldn't have squirted water at that kid. It was a dick move, and I apologize.

The metric in Camden is tomorrow. Starts at 9. If you see me, then I'm there. I need the miles, as next week will be a forced rest week. The Boss is going out of town on bidness, so I'll be single-parenting. I actually need to get off the bike for a few days anyway...

OK...time to get the day started...

Some men...you just can't reach...

It was nice of the "the one who shall not be named" to ride in his normal manner last night. I REALLY enjoyed when he was second wheel, and instead of pulling through at 40kmh, he just stopped pedaling. Yeah thanks for that one. And thanks for running through the queue of cars at the train crossing. Made us all look GOOD.
Can't pull through. Only follows wheels. Chops wheels. Somehow finds legs to sprint at the end, and sprint through the neighborhood to get to the parking lot first.

Yeah...this guy...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I must admit though, it was quite fun to let him go off the front and dangle those two times. Each of his solo 'efforts' were short lived. It's harder to be off the front than it looks on TV, ain't it? We giggled a little.
Other than that, it was a pretty fun ride on a borderline perfect evening for cycling. 70 degrees. No humidity. No breeze. Chamber of Commerce stuff.

The Giro is coming....

And speaking of, how about a Giro tribute Baum. I'll need a 56.5 top tube please...

So where was THIS Suburban when I was looking for a truck?

And further proof that if you own a power meter, you should just sell it. Eric Marcotte (US Crit AND RR champ) makes crazy power...for a long time....
At the end of the TWO HOUR crit, he came out of the last corner, and averaged 1014w for 10sec. His average power? 358w...for TWO HOURS!!!
Did I mention he also holds down a full-time job as a Chiropractor?

Jered Gruber is telling stories again. This time, it's Liege. Just brilliant stuff...

And speaking of cycling photography, this looks like an interesting project...


That'll do it for today kiddies. I need to go to Whole Foods....

That'll do...

Rainy Saturday? Nah...
A glance at the radar showed that the rain would stop, so I kitted up, and headed out in the remnants of the showers that passed through. By the time 12th St. was reached, the rain had stopped.
Out to the PowerStation we go...
To say the dirt/mud was heavy would be an understatement. Think riding through chunky peanut butter that's a couple of inches thick. 30-35 kmh is the normal pace on dry days. Saturday? 25kmh...and I WORKED for that pace.
And the bridge at the washout? GONE. Washed downstream. I THINK I could see it about 50m back into the woods, but then again, it could have been Bigfoot.
No matter. It was a good two hours on another Viking day.

Sunday? Polar opposite. Big sun, warm temps...a little breezy.
Out into LexCo, through the farms, South of Swansea, and home. 101km all told. We had a good group, and many smiles and laughs. You know...what a quality bike ride should be.

And we showed TVH one of the best roads out in the sticks. If I had the time, I'd ride it every day.
Once back to Service Course, much food and fluid was consumed. I rested, and sat on the front porch swing with my mom for a bit.
Around 3:30, Junior Management loaded up, and we went for another ride.

 All the way out to the end of The PowerStation, around all of the paved trails, then down to the end of Old State. On the way back to the dirt and trails, #2 was following #1, but felt that #1 wasn't quite taking a hard enough pull, so he swung out and punched it. #1 hung on for a moment...maybe 100m, but then the elastic snapped...

Serious boy is serious when laying down the hurt on his brother!! #1 said he let #2 go, but I was there. Yo homie...you got DROPPED! And I can tell you, #2 was putting down watts. He stayed between 27-30kmh for the entire way. On a knobby-tired 24" wheel bike!!
I was impressed.
We looped the trails one more time, and headed home. Another 1:15 in the bag. Another 22.5km. They rode farther than a lot of people yesterday. And it rained on us. Did they want to stop, and go home? Nope! We kept riding...
I ended the day with 123km. Sleep came easy last night.
And thank Dog I have a chiro appointment today. I am crookED.

Last 10km of LBL-


We were out riding when it ended, so I missed the hand-wringing, and righteous indignation that came with Valverde's win. Just as well...I like the guy. I like the way he rides. If you don't, it's a YOU issue.

And Cav won Stage 1 of the Tour of Turkey...


He should have been relegated, as he turned left like Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the sprint.

This would probably be fun to squirt around town on...

Ok...it's 10am...I guess I should get my day started...
Don't hate...

(Insert title here)

 The new Lotto Noah SL. Yes, please...

 It's seems Froome was using Fleche Wallonne to get ready for the Tour. I guess he used it as an opportunity to perfect hitting the ground.

Who do I need to kill, and when do they need killin'?

Speaking of Fleche Wallone...



I know a solid 2/3 of people are whinging like spurned college girls at sorority rush, but I like Valverde. He was the strongest, and won.

Here's the deal...

I'm gonna say this once, and own it.
If you come to the ride, and act like an asshole, thus endangering the lives of others, you'll be asked not to come back...EVER. IDGAF.
If you swing out to try to attack the group, and ride into the other lane, almost getting run over by a passing car in the process, it's a YOU issue.
Yes, this stupidity actually happened last night.
For the second Tuesday in a row, the very same dumbass swung out to go around the group, and was almost run down from behind by a passing car. Only this time, the car was full of Lexington County rednecks.
Words were exchanged, and the initial dumbass behavior begat further dumbass behavior, and endangered the entire group.
There are times, and places, to engage in lively debate with drivers, especially if the driver is in the wrong. In this case, the rider in question was 100% the cause of the issue.
Not good. It makes ALL cyclists look bad to drivers. It also makes the cyclist in question look like a complete jackass to other cyclists.
In this case, two wrongs definitely didn't make a right. It simply made for a whole bunch of danger.

A few things :
A) Pulling out to come around the group (crossing the double yellow I might add) is fucking stupid. It's a Tuesday night ride (not Fleche Wallonne), and let's be honest, the person we're talking about here isn't going to ride away from anyone.
B) Take your fucking earbuds out.
Look I get it. I too ride with earbuds, but rarely have them in my EAR (not BOTH ears) in the group. And even if I do, the music is so low that it's barely audible, and I can still hear cars, and the voices of riders around me.
C) After the stupidity that split our little group, the aforementioned dumbass "attacked" again. Bad form, Stupid. Funny that once the pressure went on, he couldn't pull through. Yet when we got to the P.O. sprint he found his legs. Sorry jackass, not happening. You lose...
And attacking through the neighborhood to get to the parking lot first doesn't make you fast, nor a hero. It makes you a wanker. There's no podium waiting for anyone.
D) I know this person probably got home last night, and whinged to his wife about how we're all dicks. Here's how this works :
If one or two people think you're in the wrong, it might be their problem.

If the VAST majority of the group thinks you're in the wrong, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG!!!

And I know that some might be sitting there reading this, asking, "Well, who the hell are you to make these statements...you don't run the ride!"
Here's the thing...
The ride leaves it's current location because of ME. I went to the mat for the ride, and the people who participate, so we could use the parking lot behind SC Farm Bureau Insurance. Ergo, I have a dog in this fight.
Don't like it? That's a YOU problem. Want to discuss it? I'm easy to find.
And yes, words were spoken to the person in question last night, and warnings were given. Fortunately, someone more level-headed than I did the talking to. This was the first, and only, warning that will be given.

And don't get me wrong here. Our not-so-little group is very open. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come out. But let's be clear, we are all a bit protective of one another. Years of riding together does that. If one does something to endanger the group, well...that's just not good...
Get ME hurt because of YOUR stupidity, and there will be trouble.

END RANT.

Other than that... LOL! The ride part of the ride was pretty good. The little group that got away (idiot notwithstanding) was good. We all worked, and rode a steady, hard pace. Nice to have that tailwind home too!

The week is halfway over, and its beautiful  outside. Have your lunch outside in the sun today.

Fleche Wallonne is on...I gotta go...

Of course...

So, the weather was largely garbage all weekend. Oh well...
Belgian The F Up!

After soccer Saturday, I threw a leg over the CX bike, and headed out. Never got wet, but the humidity was somewhere in the "Southeast Asia" range. Didn't feel too bad when rolling, but when I stopped for a "break naturel", it became oppressive. Might as well have rained. Couldn't have been much wetter...

It's very green out in the country these days.
Once out of The PowerStation, I rolled through the river trail. The river was definitely on it's way up, and after the rain yesterday, it's expected to be at/over flood stage this week.
I was almost at the end when I started bouncing...DAMMIT!

One of those 2.5mm pieces of wire got me. Thanks to the SC rednecks who drive their cars until the tires are bald, and blow out.
Quick change, and I was headed to Service Course.
Sunday started with rain, some Premier League, and Amstel Gold. The radar said the rain was going to stop, so the kit went on, and the CX bike got pulled out again.
The rain stopped...for a minute. Once I got out, it fired back up. Of course.
Meh...big deal. 70 degrees and rain? Just about perfect. The PowerStation was WET. The fender on the back did little.
Not a day for Columbus riders. Only Vikings.

A tick over 2 hours flew by. Twas a good ride...
And, OF COURSE, it's Monday, and the sun is out...

Speaking of Amstel Gold...

Full Race (in Russian?)


Last 10km (in English)


Tro Bro Leon was yesterday as well...
Can't find a replay...yet...
Here's some onboard footage from Jeremy Roy though...


Looks like fun. My kind of thing...

Guess I'll head down to Service Course and throw the "mountains" cassette on the Ridley. And pull #2's new bike up to the house so he can have it when he gets home from school.

That's my day. Rough, I know...

Motivation

It comes and goes. It's a funny thing.
I'm motivated to ride right now, but not in 55 degrees and rain. So last night, Service Course stayed locked.
I've ridden in enough cold rain in the last couple of years. Just wasn't feeling it last night.
And honestly, all I need is to get popped by some nozzle of his/her way home from work. Low visibility, rain, and slick roads = me not being terribly excited about riding.
Hell, I got right-hooked TWICE on Tuesday evening, and the GD sun was out! AND I was in the bike lane.

Early U10 Futbol tomorrow, then I'll do a few hours on the CX bike. MAYBE I'll go out Sunday in the rain that's been forecast.

GP Denain was Wednesday. Bouhanni seems to have found a turn of speed...



Two races this weekend...
Amstel Gold and Roubaix's bastard little brother, the Tro Bro Leon.



Jered and Ashley will be there again, taking spectacular images... Tro Bro Leon 2014 

Vittoria tubs....


Granted, it ain't FMB...

The fridge at Ridley HQ...on cobbles...

Wonder how pissed The Boss will be if I do this on the hardwoods...?

Merci Roubaix...

...indeed...

And with that, The Duke just told me "You no smell good...". Guess it's time to get the day started...

Enjoy some music...made by MUSICIANS...



If you like this, check out Snarky Puppy on the YouTubes. The Metropole Orkest and Family Dinner sessions are particularly great.

Have a productive weekend, no matter what you choose to undertake...

Some stuff...

Cosmo...



Yes, I loathe Strava, but they're hosting Jered Gruber's look back at Roubaix, and it's fairly brilliant.

Roubaix by Jered and Ashley

Can't embed any of the photos. Just click the link ^^^^^^ and look at the work.

Always wanted a Fiat 500. The Abarth versions are cool, and sound really good. How about a 500 with a Ferrari motor stuffed in the back?

Sure...why not? Gotta die of something...

This is where you lost me...

...and a reason one shouldn't read Bicycling Magazine. Buy proper valve extenders people. You know, the integrated/replaceable ones.
Don't use the screw on extenders. And PLEASE don't slap a foot of teflon tape on the valve. Seriously! Bonobo chimps know that it looks like meat.

And can someone tell Mike that the new Boras are available? 35mm and 50mm clincher versions.
If you're gonna be a bear...

That was solid...

Every so often, a weekend lines up.
Saturday :
U10 futbol. They won 5-1. #2 scored. Both played well.
CX ride. 2 hours. BIG tailwind out 12th. The Powerstation was heavy from all the rain, but didn't preclude doing a couple of loops.
Asshole neighbors were loud @ 3:30am again, so after my ride, I fired up the pressure washer. Think big motorcycle single cylinder with a 3100psi pump attached. You wake me up...I make your hangover hurt worse.
Went to the shop and got some Velox.
Spent the rest of the Chamber of Commerce afternoon outside. Even fell asleep in the sun.

As you can clearly see, it was fairly terrible outside on Saturday!

Sunday :
Woke up (always a plus!), and watched the first part of Roubaix.
Met The Heathens for a nice 115km roll thru Lower Richland. Crosswind out. Cross/Tailwind home.
We came to an agreement yesterday that if you didn't ride on such a nice day, you should sell all of your shit on Ebay. 70degrees. Light breezes. Green countryside.
Got home, ate, played some futbol with Junior Management, had a NERF gun battle, went to Whole Foods.
Solid weekend...

Speaking of Roubaix....
(Arenberg starts at about 38 minutes...)


Carrefore de l'arbre (where the winning move happened)


Peto tosses his bike...


Gotta say, I can't blame him in this instance. Dude had a BAD day.
He had to stop mid-race for a poop. Chased back on, only to suffer a malfunctioning front shifter/mech. The bike change cost him the chance to dice for the podium. THEN Tinkov blames him, and Julich, for his performance.

And it's always cool to see the wacky stuff the mechanics do to the bikes for Roubaix.
I really like the handlebar tape on Sieberg's pedal to minimize the cleat skating around...

Simple...yet effective...

And Degenkolb deserved the W. He was easily the strongest.

And speaking of pedals, I got some Look Keo Carbon Blades. I like them a lot. Wider platform. More secure feeling. HELLA light. I'll do a full review in the coming days. I will say this though, use the old school, dual density Keo cleats. The Keo "grip" cleats don't play well with the carbon Blade pedals.
It's a difference in cleat thickness. Yes, I checked...
I'll explain more when I post the review...

Enjoy your Monday!

Two Days...

"When you went down in the cage, five hundred metres, you never knew for sure whether you would be coming up again. Not something to dwell on. Like the Arenberg. Best not even to let the fear in"

-Jean Stablinski

Don't know Jean Stablinski?  You should...


Fun ride last night. Small turnout. No matter. We had a good roll.
No motivation = no effort being put forth.
No one really had any interest in killing it last night. Well, except "he who should not be named". We all wanted to ride steady, and together.
He decided this was his opportunity to "attack" and "sprint". Pretty funny actually...not in a "HA-HA" way.
He'd go...we'd watch.
Slow(er) ride, he's towards the front.
Quick(er) ride, hides in the back, trying to survive.

U10 Futbol tomorrow morning, then a CX ride on the dirt. It's the little things I look forward to...