is this elevation correct?

I mean it kind of looks flat to me. I know it says it isn't on the race description and a friend (Kirk) who rode it said it was pretty rolling and steep in places and the finish hill sucks, but...

Myette, clue me (us) in here. The course certainly is tougher than the MapMyRide elevation graph shows. No?

3 in a row?

Saturday a woman on the Mystic Velo team comes up while I'm standing there with my bike next to Dr. Flats and his fancy brand new super awesome carbon Colnago ('10 dura ace and all) and she compliments me on my bike. "Love that paint." Doc got a kick out of that.

Then heading back up here from down the hill and I am surprised to realize that Legend is open on Tuesdays (have been for months i guess) and I swing in. I guess Jack hadn't ever seen the Quantum Pro. And he called me a sand bagger and just like Graham Garber the ultimate bike part geek did, he remarked about the stem, wondering what it was and saying that it is pretty cool (and yes it is very light too). Oh and Jack called me a sand-bagger. He didn't realize I had such a nice bike.

So maybe that's already three.

But the final one came leaving Legend. Before getting back to the office I'm slowly rolling down one of the off street paths on the campus and I pass a sharp looking young woman just before crossing the street. But with heavy traffic I'm held up and she says as she walks past, "I really like the color of your bike."

Shy awkward GeWilli came to the surface and graciously and simply said, "Thank you."

I am very lucky to have this ride. It has served me well and hopefully will for a while. I complain about bits and parts and wheels. All of which I have are no where near the median quality level of even the Cat 4 pack around here. But the frame really isn't so far off the mark, and it fits. And it has a really wicked fucking cool paint job. I wonder if you can still get the pigment. The way it works is pretty cool. I took a paint chip once and imaged it on the confocal microscope and the flakes are pretty cool and not really very numerous as far as pigment goes.

Very neat process IMHO. Well it was 12 years ago when Gary wanted to use that on the Quantum Pro. Damn. My "A" bike is 12 years old.

Oh and yeah - mandatory food link

And listen/watch the the Keith Kelly interview posted over here and instead of hearing Cross country replace it with Cyclocross, and running with Cycling. Passion. That's some amazing passion coming out of that dude's mouth. Yes it isn't a short interview but it is well worth watching.

Smack down time. Positive (or at least not negative). Will I make it? Will I not get dropped? Will I?

if i don't get my shit in gear i won't make the start

yikes - busy afternoon

heddwch
G