is no more...
I pounded out the last interval with that playlist today, on the revived Giant. As per the photographic evidence my wife thought would be great to capture I put some Tektro 720s on the Giant. Cheap, and not so bad. Cost me less than a set of front and rear Eagle Claw salmon pads. I was never going to use the wicked wide profile ones on the back of the Blue but had thought maybe about putting it up front for both bikes. Well they are both on the Giant now. And when the der hanger shows up I'll be back up to three out of three. Croll has been decom'd, Paramount is sitting with Clip-ons hanging w/o wheels, or rear shifter never having been resurrected for the TT this summer.
So about that rear der failure. Shit happens, and apparently I'm a f'n idiot and a really bad mechanic. Because if I was a GOOD mechanic #1: i would have had the Giant working as a pit bike for Sucker Brook (i should know better than to go there w/o one) #2: the Blue would still be ride-able and I wouldn't be waiting on a rapid shipment of a new Hanger (not here yet BTW), oh and #3: K's bike's pins wouldn't have bounced out allowing the pads to eject. (yes I know - i probably screwed up the use of the colon - so what, not getting much else right why bother with worrying about the writing). Honestly, and truthfully I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed, lots of doubting, fretting and anxiety, stuff I don't deal well with. Yeah Lego_lord, way too much mental baggage, but at least it all goes away when I'm racing. Lately that's about the only time it has gone away. well that and when i was doing the intervals on the trainer this morning, in the dark, with tunes.
So about that #2 failure as a bad mechanic. Yes. I screwed up. When the wheel slipped in the drop outs doing the start practice/microbursts and buzzed the chainstay and I found the QR to be loose. Yes, I should have noticed that the der hanger moves a hell of a lot when you clamp the skewer down.
But honestly I'm pretty fucking new to this whole replaceable drop out gig. The Croll has the Ritchey rear dropouts (stable and strong), the Kleins (all of them) have bomb proof dropouts. The P-mount has some nice strong horizontal ones. The Giant was the first replaceable one. I've got an extra for it. And changing wheels today I noticed how much it moves in when the QR is clamped down tight. Yeah, I shouldn't have overlooked that little bit there, eh?
So with the new skewer tension the rear der limit screw position that was set no longer meant anything and the der was a millimeter closer to the spokes and when I shifted into the big cog on that 180 uphill before the barriers, well... you know the rest of the story. No one to blame but myself. Oh well. Moving on. Despite not wanting to rush to build that Blue, I still wound up rushing to build it. That whole day before Sucker Brook was non-stop from 5:30am until 10:30pm, or so it felt. I'm sure there was a few minutes of sitting on my fat ass. Maybe.
Well nice little hiatus.
There are 94! NINETY FOUR cat 3/4 women signed up. Holy Hell batman. If that isn't the litmus for something, well - forget that metaphor. Results boy's servers will be melted this week with all the people hitting the race predictor and tabulating 1646 (as of right now) racers (divide by two roughly to figure out how many people are going to be racing). Parking? Yeah, that's going to be interesting, CARPOOL PEOPLE (except me, I have somewhere to go and have to drive alone, sorry).
Even Club ROW has sold out. $50 per tent spot. Crazy. Some teams have two tents, just because they are like loaded and have like lots of people racing i guess.
What hasn't sold out? The fast races (I'm calling the 3/4 women as sold out because it might as well be), 35+ 1/2/3, and Elite Men and Women.
Nuts. Look at the top 10 for the 35+ on the predictor:
Jonny Bold
Roger Asphlom
Kevin Hines
Matt Kraus
Kurt Perham
Curtis Boivin
Peter Mogg
Bill Shattuck
Steve Proulx
Rob Hult
this race is going to be capital F fast. Just watch out for the mini-wrecking ball in the Seven kit with the string of profanities coming out of his mouth. There ain't gonna be no party in the back of this field. Gonna be ride for your life. Don't screw up. Hope for a long lap and a tough Tom Stevens course that challenges everyone. Seems the only thing that I've seen that can slow Roger down is ice. And I don't think we're going to be racing on a sheet of ice like he did at nationals, oh well. Hold on, New Jersey coming through.
Anyway - shit's gotta sort it self out one of these days. Just gotta keep moving forward, focus on the positive, try not to let everything else drag ya down. Keep moving forward...
heddwch
G
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The bike room
Tonight was "make the giant ridable" and it was a success. A bit of hacksaw'n and the bolts were short enough to work.
A bit of sorting through brake cables found a pair to work.
And boom, two ridable bikes.
When the Der hanger shows up the Blue will be ready to race at G-ster (with a minor limit screw adjustment).
So yeah - the 'shop' is a bit cramped and crowded, most of the bikes are visible there. And man I so meant to have it cleaned up before cyclocross season started
A bit of sorting through brake cables found a pair to work.
And boom, two ridable bikes.
When the Der hanger shows up the Blue will be ready to race at G-ster (with a minor limit screw adjustment).
So yeah - the 'shop' is a bit cramped and crowded, most of the bikes are visible there. And man I so meant to have it cleaned up before cyclocross season started
file this under; You HAVE TO BE KIDDING
USACycling is going to try and do a registration web page?
Really?
oh man.
RyanTKelly has written about it.
I'm sure others have too.
Me too.
WTF?
Bikereg is flat out f'n awesome. Yes, I have complained about the seemingly excessive fees for the really high dollar registrations like at the 24hr of Great Glen. And once I had a hiccup registering for G-ster or NoHo or something. But Steve fixed it and made it right.
I don't go ANYWHERE ELSE to check my race calendar.
If you are a promoter and you put your race on using a non-Bikereg.com I won't go, because I won't f'n know about it. Period.
Seriously.
If it isn't on Bikereg.com I really don't know about it.
My experience with SportsBaseOnline was not awesome. It sucked compared to BikeReg. Their servers sucked. Reg'n for nationals was retarded. Even this year when they changed it all up. Active.com also is not my favorite place to go, why EFTA used it or used it, I'll never know.
Keep kicking ass BikeReg (and I say it Bike Reg (soft g - like registration, for somereason i find it annoying when people say bike REG -like regulation hard G).
USACycling, just go back to what you do best, which is take money from us every year, and providing officials and rules and the rest of the important stuff. Leave the internet to people like Results Boy and Steve Roszko.
Thank you.
G
Really?
oh man.
RyanTKelly has written about it.
I'm sure others have too.
Me too.
WTF?
Bikereg is flat out f'n awesome. Yes, I have complained about the seemingly excessive fees for the really high dollar registrations like at the 24hr of Great Glen. And once I had a hiccup registering for G-ster or NoHo or something. But Steve fixed it and made it right.
I don't go ANYWHERE ELSE to check my race calendar.
If you are a promoter and you put your race on using a non-Bikereg.com I won't go, because I won't f'n know about it. Period.
Seriously.
If it isn't on Bikereg.com I really don't know about it.
My experience with SportsBaseOnline was not awesome. It sucked compared to BikeReg. Their servers sucked. Reg'n for nationals was retarded. Even this year when they changed it all up. Active.com also is not my favorite place to go, why EFTA used it or used it, I'll never know.
Keep kicking ass BikeReg (and I say it Bike Reg (soft g - like registration, for somereason i find it annoying when people say bike REG -like regulation hard G).
USACycling, just go back to what you do best, which is take money from us every year, and providing officials and rules and the rest of the important stuff. Leave the internet to people like Results Boy and Steve Roszko.
Thank you.
G
The Race Report - SBX 2010
So, I left it at the point of warming up on the trainers in the Cyclocrossracing.com team zone.
I headed over to the line, only to pop out of the trees to see everyone already there. The only people NOT lined up yet? Me, G-ride, and Skinny white dude. Yeah. Great planning team. After a bit of a pre-amble by Dick Ring, we were off. 2 minutes ahead of the 45+ guys. As an aside, it is always a nightmare with the results in that race at SBX. You have the 1/2/3 35+ field, the 1/2/3/4 45+ field AND a 1/2/3/4 55+ field. On a pretty short course. I think Kurt P did maybe 7 laps? Or 6 but I think 7. I should ask someone, but maybe someone will chime in with a correction. Anyway.
I'm in Row 3 on the far outside. I like that spot. esp with a left turn, typically opens up there. I started, pretty chill but even pretty chill there were people who were going backwards at the start it seemed. I wasn't last hitting the turn, but i was deep in the pack. The conga line settled in and I grabbed a wheel. I don't remember who's wheel it was. Cross brain as ryan calls it set in. Snap shots. I felt people were slowing down way too much in the corners, but there were no places to pass easily in the twisties by the firehouse esp being 2-3 wide.
There were a few people jumping forward a few spots in the straight section before the left hand turn that lead you to the stairs. And I just focused on not letting a gap open. STAY ON THAT F'N WHEEL!!!! Jump, sprint, turn sprint, turn sprint. I rode the woops before the barrier clean and around others who didn't. Hit the barriers adn then off to the dust bowl brown out. Man it was nasty. All I could think about was particulate size. Thinking that this stuff really is really small - definitely sub-micron size.
I had to float that double track through the trees. I flatted the last time I rode clinchers at this race going through there. not fun. Today it was harsh, just following the bodies, tight pack and a line coming through there.
Then we hit the left then the right and then the log. There was a que to ride the log on the left and I said - screw waiting in line - and jumped off and passed a couple people there. And took my place back in the flow. Keeping the gaps tight, then the sand, plowed in thinking "Wow this seems WAY deeper than it has in the past" and GCDavid had said it was faster to get off and run around the apex and then the second part of the sand, so that was the plan. Jump off and run the corner and run to the next corner, remount and power. God that hurt. Then there was the pavement. Oof. Right into a headwind.
Draft baby draft. One lap and there were a few gaps opening up. not too bad though. Still pretty tight, hanging in there. Round and round we go. Repeat, it does thin out a bit as expected as gaps grow. I found that on the second lap through the start finish on the pavement I wasn't going 100%, why? I was pretty blown and took an easy spot into the headwind to ride "tempo." Fuck'n stupid that. So I figured I need take my wife's advice and break it down and attack each section and move on to the next one. Take a section at a time. Forget where you've been and what's ahead, only what you are one. Break it down.
So I did.
I broke the course down. Pavement stretch: DRILL IT! Next up to the pit, attack that section up until the downhill off camber by the firestation before the tape maze. Then roll through that power up roll around, high line after the right hander drop down to the bottom of the bowl and accelerate out of the corner. Careful not to go straight like every other year (if i wasn't following someone like Marvin through this section on the first couple laps I seriously would have gone straight into the tape). Then wiggle around the next set of turns carrying as much speed as I could but riding smooth flowing like a creek around the rocks. Then I realized that I could really drill it along that straight and I hadn't been. Hit the turns down there and roll up on the back of people hitting the stairs and then attack the next three sets of straights before the run into the bridge and the sandy dusty woops (where I broke the der). Then the double track, ride that hard to the left, then attack to the right, roll over the log recover around the trees hit it hard to the right hand chicane, recover through there, power into the sand with speed, drop to the little ring and float the front wheel into the sand powering with the rear wheel. Dismount and run the corner and around the next and attack to the pavement, roll easy around that first corner, two hard pedal strokes to the next one and then back on the pavement and just burry the needle in the red up the finishing straight... and repeat.
It felt like forever, came through seeing 3 to go with Lehman yelling his crazy "I am coming for you" in the French dude's accent from Talladega Nights just after the pits when the course folded back in on itself... he's been doing that every race, and honestly after watching the trailer for the movie (i haven't actually seen it) just now, I'd say Steven's accent is way better/funnier.
So things were going well, "I AM COMING FOR YOU" Lehman was just about on my wheel then Soups came through and a gap opened (I hopped on Mark's wheel and drilled it) and then down and up and wrecked the bike.
It was terminal. Bummah. Walked slowly, defeated to the pit. Told the official that was it - race over. 2.5 to go. Lehman was the last guy on the lead lap and Sunday there was no way I was going to let him beat me. NO WAY! Damn it. Not that day. Not on that course. Oh well. Marro was just over a minute behind me, and I was on pace to stay in front of him too! Would have been a great day.
The bike really is pretty awesome. And yes, I know I compared it to a 1997-1998 era bike, but Gary was way ahead of his time with that bike. It might be heavier than the Blue and not a cross bike but that Klein is solid. Goes forward when demanded, absorbs just enough shock. The Giant transmits more stuff than either the Klein or the Blue. Kind of sucks there aren't *real* Kleins anymore. But those who have ridden them understand. That level of absolute precision with the front wheel, the handling, the power, the agility. Great bike.
And honestly i didn't notice the shorter cranks. Probably because my ideal length is really closer to 200mm, and 200-180 or 200-177.5, not really much of a difference. There is a touch of chain ring flex that I wasn't expecting. Seriously SRAM, making a BB30 that has chain ring flex? that's kind of lame. or is it just my massive torque overwhelming it? man i need to transition some of that torque to HP.
The under the tape 10sp shifters worked great. I love that clean look and feeling. Not geeked at how heavy the shifters are but with the heavy ass clincher wheels the bike is just under 20 pounds. Put something even reasonably light for hoops and i can drop a good pound or two, not that it matters in the overall body mass to bike mass ratio.
Self portrait post race... just a bit of dust - if you could see the teeth they were brown with dust too... i need a haircut
heddwch
G
I headed over to the line, only to pop out of the trees to see everyone already there. The only people NOT lined up yet? Me, G-ride, and Skinny white dude. Yeah. Great planning team. After a bit of a pre-amble by Dick Ring, we were off. 2 minutes ahead of the 45+ guys. As an aside, it is always a nightmare with the results in that race at SBX. You have the 1/2/3 35+ field, the 1/2/3/4 45+ field AND a 1/2/3/4 55+ field. On a pretty short course. I think Kurt P did maybe 7 laps? Or 6 but I think 7. I should ask someone, but maybe someone will chime in with a correction. Anyway.
I'm in Row 3 on the far outside. I like that spot. esp with a left turn, typically opens up there. I started, pretty chill but even pretty chill there were people who were going backwards at the start it seemed. I wasn't last hitting the turn, but i was deep in the pack. The conga line settled in and I grabbed a wheel. I don't remember who's wheel it was. Cross brain as ryan calls it set in. Snap shots. I felt people were slowing down way too much in the corners, but there were no places to pass easily in the twisties by the firehouse esp being 2-3 wide.
There were a few people jumping forward a few spots in the straight section before the left hand turn that lead you to the stairs. And I just focused on not letting a gap open. STAY ON THAT F'N WHEEL!!!! Jump, sprint, turn sprint, turn sprint. I rode the woops before the barrier clean and around others who didn't. Hit the barriers adn then off to the dust bowl brown out. Man it was nasty. All I could think about was particulate size. Thinking that this stuff really is really small - definitely sub-micron size.
I had to float that double track through the trees. I flatted the last time I rode clinchers at this race going through there. not fun. Today it was harsh, just following the bodies, tight pack and a line coming through there.
Then we hit the left then the right and then the log. There was a que to ride the log on the left and I said - screw waiting in line - and jumped off and passed a couple people there. And took my place back in the flow. Keeping the gaps tight, then the sand, plowed in thinking "Wow this seems WAY deeper than it has in the past" and GCDavid had said it was faster to get off and run around the apex and then the second part of the sand, so that was the plan. Jump off and run the corner and run to the next corner, remount and power. God that hurt. Then there was the pavement. Oof. Right into a headwind.
Draft baby draft. One lap and there were a few gaps opening up. not too bad though. Still pretty tight, hanging in there. Round and round we go. Repeat, it does thin out a bit as expected as gaps grow. I found that on the second lap through the start finish on the pavement I wasn't going 100%, why? I was pretty blown and took an easy spot into the headwind to ride "tempo." Fuck'n stupid that. So I figured I need take my wife's advice and break it down and attack each section and move on to the next one. Take a section at a time. Forget where you've been and what's ahead, only what you are one. Break it down.
So I did.
I broke the course down. Pavement stretch: DRILL IT! Next up to the pit, attack that section up until the downhill off camber by the firestation before the tape maze. Then roll through that power up roll around, high line after the right hander drop down to the bottom of the bowl and accelerate out of the corner. Careful not to go straight like every other year (if i wasn't following someone like Marvin through this section on the first couple laps I seriously would have gone straight into the tape). Then wiggle around the next set of turns carrying as much speed as I could but riding smooth flowing like a creek around the rocks. Then I realized that I could really drill it along that straight and I hadn't been. Hit the turns down there and roll up on the back of people hitting the stairs and then attack the next three sets of straights before the run into the bridge and the sandy dusty woops (where I broke the der). Then the double track, ride that hard to the left, then attack to the right, roll over the log recover around the trees hit it hard to the right hand chicane, recover through there, power into the sand with speed, drop to the little ring and float the front wheel into the sand powering with the rear wheel. Dismount and run the corner and around the next and attack to the pavement, roll easy around that first corner, two hard pedal strokes to the next one and then back on the pavement and just burry the needle in the red up the finishing straight... and repeat.
It felt like forever, came through seeing 3 to go with Lehman yelling his crazy "I am coming for you" in the French dude's accent from Talladega Nights just after the pits when the course folded back in on itself... he's been doing that every race, and honestly after watching the trailer for the movie (i haven't actually seen it) just now, I'd say Steven's accent is way better/funnier.
So things were going well, "I AM COMING FOR YOU" Lehman was just about on my wheel then Soups came through and a gap opened (I hopped on Mark's wheel and drilled it) and then down and up and wrecked the bike.
It was terminal. Bummah. Walked slowly, defeated to the pit. Told the official that was it - race over. 2.5 to go. Lehman was the last guy on the lead lap and Sunday there was no way I was going to let him beat me. NO WAY! Damn it. Not that day. Not on that course. Oh well. Marro was just over a minute behind me, and I was on pace to stay in front of him too! Would have been a great day.
The bike really is pretty awesome. And yes, I know I compared it to a 1997-1998 era bike, but Gary was way ahead of his time with that bike. It might be heavier than the Blue and not a cross bike but that Klein is solid. Goes forward when demanded, absorbs just enough shock. The Giant transmits more stuff than either the Klein or the Blue. Kind of sucks there aren't *real* Kleins anymore. But those who have ridden them understand. That level of absolute precision with the front wheel, the handling, the power, the agility. Great bike.
And honestly i didn't notice the shorter cranks. Probably because my ideal length is really closer to 200mm, and 200-180 or 200-177.5, not really much of a difference. There is a touch of chain ring flex that I wasn't expecting. Seriously SRAM, making a BB30 that has chain ring flex? that's kind of lame. or is it just my massive torque overwhelming it? man i need to transition some of that torque to HP.
The under the tape 10sp shifters worked great. I love that clean look and feeling. Not geeked at how heavy the shifters are but with the heavy ass clincher wheels the bike is just under 20 pounds. Put something even reasonably light for hoops and i can drop a good pound or two, not that it matters in the overall body mass to bike mass ratio.
Self portrait post race... just a bit of dust - if you could see the teeth they were brown with dust too... i need a haircut
heddwch
G
f'n cancer F-you
seriously. enough already.
Sunday my mother's cousin died on sunday. Melanoma. Despite routine dermatologist screenings a tumor developed without any external signs and when it was discovered the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes. I don't have the whole time line or what not but man - it sucks. He was a great guy. Named after his uncle (my grandfather).
That book. Seriously is pretty solid... and I can't help but wonder how many people would still be here if they stuck with that diet, or had at least incorporated the big key elements. Then again there are plenty of cases can't be helped no matter what...
Time for some Green tea. and a few moments of quiet reflection...
heddwch
G
Sunday my mother's cousin died on sunday. Melanoma. Despite routine dermatologist screenings a tumor developed without any external signs and when it was discovered the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes. I don't have the whole time line or what not but man - it sucks. He was a great guy. Named after his uncle (my grandfather).
That book. Seriously is pretty solid... and I can't help but wonder how many people would still be here if they stuck with that diet, or had at least incorporated the big key elements. Then again there are plenty of cases can't be helped no matter what...
Time for some Green tea. and a few moments of quiet reflection...
heddwch
G
Monday, September 27, 2010
made it in
and riding the Klein in, I sort of realized why the Blue didn't feel all that "overwhelmingly" incredible.
it rides just like the Klein.
and that
is awesome
I'll get the brakes on the Giant sorted out tonight or tomorrow and it'll be all good for this weekend. I'd really rather race on the Blue for obvious reasons and hopefully I can find a hanger sooner than later, but it isn't the end of the world to race on the Giant. Even if the Blue feels faster and more comfortable.
Nice cool wet misty ride in. Saw marc T and his new ZINN cross bike with 205mm cranks. He was pedaling through the corners with them - wicked high BB. Pretty damn cool.
it rides just like the Klein.
and that
is awesome
I'll get the brakes on the Giant sorted out tonight or tomorrow and it'll be all good for this weekend. I'd really rather race on the Blue for obvious reasons and hopefully I can find a hanger sooner than later, but it isn't the end of the world to race on the Giant. Even if the Blue feels faster and more comfortable.
Nice cool wet misty ride in. Saw marc T and his new ZINN cross bike with 205mm cranks. He was pedaling through the corners with them - wicked high BB. Pretty damn cool.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
And for the record
as a pre-script to the post i just hit publish on.
I do really like the new bike. The carbon didn't blow me away like i was lead to believe but man - it goes forward with all the energy i put into it. It doesn't flex.
I stand up and it pushes back and goes forward. Not as drastic of a change as it was going from the Croll to the Giant, but man the front end does what i expect. BOOM hit that line, recover from the slide, snake around the tape.
When it was working well, it is pretty nice, really nice.
I do really like the new bike. The carbon didn't blow me away like i was lead to believe but man - it goes forward with all the energy i put into it. It doesn't flex.
I stand up and it pushes back and goes forward. Not as drastic of a change as it was going from the Croll to the Giant, but man the front end does what i expect. BOOM hit that line, recover from the slide, snake around the tape.
When it was working well, it is pretty nice, really nice.
Sucker BROKE
One family, two mechanicals and yes, two withdrawals (ie DNFs). Sucks.
But we did it all together. Lucy too.
What a race. Bone dry, dusty. Worse than Bedford. I should pull the photos out before writing but I'm not going to...
Team Cyclocrossracing.com had the lock on THE parking location at SBX. And I'm not saying what it is because it is our spot. Much like PVD's race. All of us together.
But first up was the Junior 10-14 race. My oldest is old enough to race it now and so we headed up early enough for her to race. Got her number, pinned on and warmed up (she pedaled on the trainer for a while). We even headed out to pre-ride a bit, I ran in front of her leading through the first section until the straight. Got her lined up and off she went and I high tailed it to the car, grabbed the bike, put the shoes on, helmet and took off to find her on the course. At first I was going to ride along side but heading to the woods, well... I asked the official if I could follow her as we passed the pit and he said it was okay. She was doing great through the double track, then there was the left turn. And she stacked it up pretty good (front wheel plowed and went perpendicular tossing her). We got up, straightened it out and she walked it off for a bit, then there was the right turn to the log and we kept walking, then she started running a bit. And some more running and then she hit her knee on the big sharp platform pedals and lost it. She was thirsty, dust was awful, she had crashed bloodied her knee and we had a moment that was tough... but we worked on just relaxing the breathing and she was ready to start riding again. Then Emily C. came FLYING through with Cathy R hot on her heels and a long string of the leaders, so we walked slowly for a bit then we had a chance to ride. And she hopped on and started riding again, and then the right turn chicane and K said "I CAN'T STOP"? "Put the brakes on" "THEY DON'T WORK" sure enough... the pins holding the pads in (re-used her mechanic is an idiot) had bounced out on the right side and in the crash with the bars wrapped around nearly completely backwards and then extracting the bike from the crash must have rolled the wheels back and slip. No brake pads. Drive side, both front and rear, missing pads. Brakes didn't work. Period.
So we finished the walk. And were met with the official asking what we were doing. Parke R had come with a bottle of water for her and was waiting w/o a bike for her to come through. The official was acceptable stern but softened when it was explained I had asked for permission first to follow her. And then we withdrew.
Mechanical #1.
We wound up passing Kerry L as we walked back to the car. K fits on Kerry's fancy new bike. But no, I'm not ordering her a custom Primus Mootry. Not yet. Maybe if she's ready to go to nationals or something.
Time to get me ready to go. Got my extra cassette from G-ride but no backing spacer, fine for a trainer, not for spare wheels. So no big deal for today. Mark W was working the pits with spare wheels. Thanks Mark for being there (Thanks Jack and Justin for hiring him). Got warmed up a bit. Steven Lehman was warming up behind and with the whole squad in Planet Bike were were buzzing those trainers away. Skinny White Dude was working on making his Planet Bike Podium hat emulate the race winner's style (that being Kurt P). I had Metallica Death Magnetic blasting on the iPod. And well, it was going to be a great first race on the new Blue.
Yeah. Racing the new Blue.
Saturday I was up at 5:30am building it. I got the bearings in the bottom bracket installed (James Scott, you left w/o your bearings) Friday night and started with the build. But it got late, I was exhausted and packed it in and hit the hay somewhat early. I stopped working on the bike when it was dark, and started working on it again... in the dark. Fall is here, Eh?!
Got it together. No issues other than I guess you can't stuff a non-new cable through these new Shimano 10sp under the bar cable shifters, even if the ends are pristine. Ugh.
Well I got it ride-able, then out for a test ride. First run, okay. Couple bugs (bar angle, hoods too low, front der, crank settled a bit). Came back sorted it out. Got ready for a second ride (bars not taped yet), and headed to the sand circuit, into the park, then BANG SSSSSSSSSs shit. I nailed a sharp rock that I couldn't see in the leaves pinch flatted front. Shit. At least I wasn't so far from home. So i tried out a few shouldering styles on the way home. Got home and found the rear was completely flat too. DOUBLE? FCKING PINCH FLAT? Yup. Damn it. Where are my SV17s. Only could find my SV16s. Then, at last i found two of them.
Hey it is getting close to time to meet up with the guys for CX practice this morning, bars aren't taped? Shit. Time to make it work. Got it done and was ready to roll when everyone rolled up. Nice.
So with tires at about 75psi we hit the sand track. Sand and clinchers at 75 sucks if you didn't already know. But no real problems with the bike. It drove predictably which was a relieve and a good feeling.
Then we did a few starts. About the second or third one I heard a buzzing of the tire on the frame. WTF? Shit. QR was loose, clear coat is wicked thin and not there anymore. Fixed that. And hey I thought maybe I had gotten rid of the bad luck, i'd blemmed the frame already ready to go race. Sprints, remounts, single track, sand. It survived and felt pretty fast.
Ready to race.
K was going to do the 10-14 race so we needed to leave at 6:30, means for me to get the minivan loaded, breakfast sandwiches made, and all things ready meant waking up at 5:30, but no. I didn't sleep that long. 5am I was up. Hey it is still super dark at 5am. Not any lighter than 5:30am.
Things were going well.
Then it was time to race.
Headed to the start and it was already 3 rows deep, what? I guess everyone didn't get the memo that we were starting 20 minutes late.
And we raced. It was dusty. Wicked Dusty. Hard core brown out down the double track. The bike felt good. Riding well. staying at the end of the conga line.
and now
i have to continue later
cliff notes?
The rear der got ripped off. Busted hanger (i have spare chains, i have extra rear ders, i don't have extra rear hangers - and that online hanger place charges as much either one). I didn't finish.
There is video of hanger busting off with 3 to go.
Race over.
No hanger.
Planned to ride the Blue all week to really get comfortable and familiar with it before Gloucester.
Now, I'm waiting on getting something else shipped to me.
Two weeks ago I was waiting on the cranks... they showed up Friday night.
Then I was waiting for the new bearings... they showed up the next Friday night.
Now? PLEASE have a hanger show up before Friday night. Please?!?!
Oh and yeah, I don't have a working bike right now. Seat and seatpost were taken out of the Klein. Giant doesn't have any brakes on it and the brakes i ordered for it have long post bolts and the Giant is allergic to them, so that bike doesn't have any way to stop. Awesome.
Oh and the Blue doesn't have a hanger - and neither do any local shops IN NEW ENGLAND.
And well time to take the seat post back off the blue and commute on the Klein. Oh well.
At least it feels like I raced today. I'll actually try and write about the race, we'll see... maybe once I get the photos uploaded.
What a way to start the season... here's to hoping the fly reel sells on Ebay for enough to cover the cost of the parts on the bike... because that's hanging over my head way more than it should. And then yeah. It hasn't exactly been the best week.
Maybe this week will be better? I hope so.
-G
But we did it all together. Lucy too.
What a race. Bone dry, dusty. Worse than Bedford. I should pull the photos out before writing but I'm not going to...
Team Cyclocrossracing.com had the lock on THE parking location at SBX. And I'm not saying what it is because it is our spot. Much like PVD's race. All of us together.
But first up was the Junior 10-14 race. My oldest is old enough to race it now and so we headed up early enough for her to race. Got her number, pinned on and warmed up (she pedaled on the trainer for a while). We even headed out to pre-ride a bit, I ran in front of her leading through the first section until the straight. Got her lined up and off she went and I high tailed it to the car, grabbed the bike, put the shoes on, helmet and took off to find her on the course. At first I was going to ride along side but heading to the woods, well... I asked the official if I could follow her as we passed the pit and he said it was okay. She was doing great through the double track, then there was the left turn. And she stacked it up pretty good (front wheel plowed and went perpendicular tossing her). We got up, straightened it out and she walked it off for a bit, then there was the right turn to the log and we kept walking, then she started running a bit. And some more running and then she hit her knee on the big sharp platform pedals and lost it. She was thirsty, dust was awful, she had crashed bloodied her knee and we had a moment that was tough... but we worked on just relaxing the breathing and she was ready to start riding again. Then Emily C. came FLYING through with Cathy R hot on her heels and a long string of the leaders, so we walked slowly for a bit then we had a chance to ride. And she hopped on and started riding again, and then the right turn chicane and K said "I CAN'T STOP"? "Put the brakes on" "THEY DON'T WORK" sure enough... the pins holding the pads in (re-used her mechanic is an idiot) had bounced out on the right side and in the crash with the bars wrapped around nearly completely backwards and then extracting the bike from the crash must have rolled the wheels back and slip. No brake pads. Drive side, both front and rear, missing pads. Brakes didn't work. Period.
So we finished the walk. And were met with the official asking what we were doing. Parke R had come with a bottle of water for her and was waiting w/o a bike for her to come through. The official was acceptable stern but softened when it was explained I had asked for permission first to follow her. And then we withdrew.
Mechanical #1.
We wound up passing Kerry L as we walked back to the car. K fits on Kerry's fancy new bike. But no, I'm not ordering her a custom Primus Mootry. Not yet. Maybe if she's ready to go to nationals or something.
Time to get me ready to go. Got my extra cassette from G-ride but no backing spacer, fine for a trainer, not for spare wheels. So no big deal for today. Mark W was working the pits with spare wheels. Thanks Mark for being there (Thanks Jack and Justin for hiring him). Got warmed up a bit. Steven Lehman was warming up behind and with the whole squad in Planet Bike were were buzzing those trainers away. Skinny White Dude was working on making his Planet Bike Podium hat emulate the race winner's style (that being Kurt P). I had Metallica Death Magnetic blasting on the iPod. And well, it was going to be a great first race on the new Blue.
Yeah. Racing the new Blue.
Saturday I was up at 5:30am building it. I got the bearings in the bottom bracket installed (James Scott, you left w/o your bearings) Friday night and started with the build. But it got late, I was exhausted and packed it in and hit the hay somewhat early. I stopped working on the bike when it was dark, and started working on it again... in the dark. Fall is here, Eh?!
Got it together. No issues other than I guess you can't stuff a non-new cable through these new Shimano 10sp under the bar cable shifters, even if the ends are pristine. Ugh.
Well I got it ride-able, then out for a test ride. First run, okay. Couple bugs (bar angle, hoods too low, front der, crank settled a bit). Came back sorted it out. Got ready for a second ride (bars not taped yet), and headed to the sand circuit, into the park, then BANG SSSSSSSSSs shit. I nailed a sharp rock that I couldn't see in the leaves pinch flatted front. Shit. At least I wasn't so far from home. So i tried out a few shouldering styles on the way home. Got home and found the rear was completely flat too. DOUBLE? FCKING PINCH FLAT? Yup. Damn it. Where are my SV17s. Only could find my SV16s. Then, at last i found two of them.
Hey it is getting close to time to meet up with the guys for CX practice this morning, bars aren't taped? Shit. Time to make it work. Got it done and was ready to roll when everyone rolled up. Nice.
So with tires at about 75psi we hit the sand track. Sand and clinchers at 75 sucks if you didn't already know. But no real problems with the bike. It drove predictably which was a relieve and a good feeling.
Then we did a few starts. About the second or third one I heard a buzzing of the tire on the frame. WTF? Shit. QR was loose, clear coat is wicked thin and not there anymore. Fixed that. And hey I thought maybe I had gotten rid of the bad luck, i'd blemmed the frame already ready to go race. Sprints, remounts, single track, sand. It survived and felt pretty fast.
Ready to race.
K was going to do the 10-14 race so we needed to leave at 6:30, means for me to get the minivan loaded, breakfast sandwiches made, and all things ready meant waking up at 5:30, but no. I didn't sleep that long. 5am I was up. Hey it is still super dark at 5am. Not any lighter than 5:30am.
Things were going well.
Then it was time to race.
Headed to the start and it was already 3 rows deep, what? I guess everyone didn't get the memo that we were starting 20 minutes late.
And we raced. It was dusty. Wicked Dusty. Hard core brown out down the double track. The bike felt good. Riding well. staying at the end of the conga line.
and now
i have to continue later
cliff notes?
The rear der got ripped off. Busted hanger (i have spare chains, i have extra rear ders, i don't have extra rear hangers - and that online hanger place charges as much either one). I didn't finish.
There is video of hanger busting off with 3 to go.
Race over.
No hanger.
Planned to ride the Blue all week to really get comfortable and familiar with it before Gloucester.
Now, I'm waiting on getting something else shipped to me.
Two weeks ago I was waiting on the cranks... they showed up Friday night.
Then I was waiting for the new bearings... they showed up the next Friday night.
Now? PLEASE have a hanger show up before Friday night. Please?!?!
Oh and yeah, I don't have a working bike right now. Seat and seatpost were taken out of the Klein. Giant doesn't have any brakes on it and the brakes i ordered for it have long post bolts and the Giant is allergic to them, so that bike doesn't have any way to stop. Awesome.
Oh and the Blue doesn't have a hanger - and neither do any local shops IN NEW ENGLAND.
And well time to take the seat post back off the blue and commute on the Klein. Oh well.
At least it feels like I raced today. I'll actually try and write about the race, we'll see... maybe once I get the photos uploaded.
What a way to start the season... here's to hoping the fly reel sells on Ebay for enough to cover the cost of the parts on the bike... because that's hanging over my head way more than it should. And then yeah. It hasn't exactly been the best week.
Maybe this week will be better? I hope so.
-G
Friday, September 24, 2010
Organic activist Maria Rodale presents her Manifesto' | AP Books News - The News Tribune
Organic activist Maria Rodale presents her Manifesto' | AP Books News - The News Tribune
I love this part:
I love this part:
Q: What about the argument that we need chemical and GMO farming so we can feed the world.
A: The fact is we have too much food. Biofuels (made with corn and other plants) were created because we have too much food. ... Famine is not about lack of food but lack of access through political dysfunction. What really struck me as inhumane and wrong-minded is that farmers are convinced by chemical companies to believe otherwise.
Unprepared
Wednesday night I got a phone call I wasn't expecting. My aunt Christie had committed suicide. I am actually struggling with putting the details or not, she checked her self into a Motel on Tuesday, and took sleeping pills. She was found on Wednesday. Her story is very tragic but, I would have thought/hoped that the love and support of her two wonderful grown daughters would have been enough to keep her going. It wasn't.
Earlier in the year she lost her Husband and life partner. Life partner often sounds cliché but these two were inseparable, they worked together and lived together their whole lives. To the extent i wasn't really aware of until the memorial service for Greg her husband. He was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer late in the spring last year as they were getting ready to spend the summer on their boat sailing out of Martha's Vineyard. They had a place in Tortola all set up for their winters, they had enough of New England winters. He didn't make it a year. 23 years of pipe smoking and not taking care of yourself certainly contributed to the cancer and how quickly he succumbed to it.
During all this time Christie's mother, my grandmother, Elise Boulding, has been getting worse. I've mentioned her story here briefly. The Alzheimer's specifically. My grandmother was a solid strong healthy woman, her brain failed her and it was a long struggle until she finally moved on early this summer. Christie was the closest, at least by proximity, and maybe more than just that being the only daughter (she had four brothers who all will be gathering at the memorial service on the 2nd). She was there to help Grandma move from the apartment that Greg built for her at their house into the retirement community at North Hill. She was there to help transition her into the assisted living facility as the disease started to take more of her mental capacity away. But she had just begun to let go and move on when Greg got sick.
Early in the spring of this year Greg's condition was getting worse. Chemo and Radiation were not helping, the cancer was too extensive to do anything more. All of Greg's positive feelings and hope for being at the far end of the bell curve were sucked away by the disease. He checked into Hospice and moved on very quickly. Grandma was checked in to hospice not long after Greg. Maybe a month.
But Grandma's body was still strong. She had an infection, but her body fixed that. Only when her liver finally decided it had had enough, did she slip away weeks after checking in. I think that was the hardest for Christie. Having Greg go so suddenly and so quickly once in Hospice care only to watch her mother, who really wasn't much of her mother anymore, hang on so tenaciously.
All that tragedy so tightly packed for her was, well hard to put into words. I really can't quite imagine how she felt, much less how she dealt with it. She put on a solid New England face though. Stoic, strong. Like she was. Tall and healthy like her mother, physically she was going to be around for a long time if genetics were to be any indication. She had lots of friends, but family was spread across the country. Each of her siblings finding their own part of the USA to claim. IN, NC, CO, WA. And she was alone.
And she ripped everyone's hearts out in the most unexpected and tragic way possible. Personally I was prepared for Greg, and for Grandma to go. The loss of my aunt Christie, the circumstances... my mother had send some photos and a note earlier this month, and had received a thank you card in return, saying it was difficult but no indication of how difficult. Granted when someone like that says it is difficult, someone who never complains, that's maybe not the best sign, but sadly, it is also not unexpected.
The memorial service is going to be at the same Friends Meeting house that Greg's was. On the Second of October. The timing works out that I can still race and then pack up and leave right away and head to the service and make it at least for most of it. Of the few memorial services I've been to, I really think the best are the Friend's meeting ones. I really hope I don't have to go to any more any time soon after this one.
If you've made it this far - I should also say, as much of a shock as this is, I am doing okay at managing and dealing with the emotion, I'm sure post race on the 2nd it will be a different story.
Heddwch
G
Earlier in the year she lost her Husband and life partner. Life partner often sounds cliché but these two were inseparable, they worked together and lived together their whole lives. To the extent i wasn't really aware of until the memorial service for Greg her husband. He was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer late in the spring last year as they were getting ready to spend the summer on their boat sailing out of Martha's Vineyard. They had a place in Tortola all set up for their winters, they had enough of New England winters. He didn't make it a year. 23 years of pipe smoking and not taking care of yourself certainly contributed to the cancer and how quickly he succumbed to it.
During all this time Christie's mother, my grandmother, Elise Boulding, has been getting worse. I've mentioned her story here briefly. The Alzheimer's specifically. My grandmother was a solid strong healthy woman, her brain failed her and it was a long struggle until she finally moved on early this summer. Christie was the closest, at least by proximity, and maybe more than just that being the only daughter (she had four brothers who all will be gathering at the memorial service on the 2nd). She was there to help Grandma move from the apartment that Greg built for her at their house into the retirement community at North Hill. She was there to help transition her into the assisted living facility as the disease started to take more of her mental capacity away. But she had just begun to let go and move on when Greg got sick.
Early in the spring of this year Greg's condition was getting worse. Chemo and Radiation were not helping, the cancer was too extensive to do anything more. All of Greg's positive feelings and hope for being at the far end of the bell curve were sucked away by the disease. He checked into Hospice and moved on very quickly. Grandma was checked in to hospice not long after Greg. Maybe a month.
But Grandma's body was still strong. She had an infection, but her body fixed that. Only when her liver finally decided it had had enough, did she slip away weeks after checking in. I think that was the hardest for Christie. Having Greg go so suddenly and so quickly once in Hospice care only to watch her mother, who really wasn't much of her mother anymore, hang on so tenaciously.
All that tragedy so tightly packed for her was, well hard to put into words. I really can't quite imagine how she felt, much less how she dealt with it. She put on a solid New England face though. Stoic, strong. Like she was. Tall and healthy like her mother, physically she was going to be around for a long time if genetics were to be any indication. She had lots of friends, but family was spread across the country. Each of her siblings finding their own part of the USA to claim. IN, NC, CO, WA. And she was alone.
And she ripped everyone's hearts out in the most unexpected and tragic way possible. Personally I was prepared for Greg, and for Grandma to go. The loss of my aunt Christie, the circumstances... my mother had send some photos and a note earlier this month, and had received a thank you card in return, saying it was difficult but no indication of how difficult. Granted when someone like that says it is difficult, someone who never complains, that's maybe not the best sign, but sadly, it is also not unexpected.
The memorial service is going to be at the same Friends Meeting house that Greg's was. On the Second of October. The timing works out that I can still race and then pack up and leave right away and head to the service and make it at least for most of it. Of the few memorial services I've been to, I really think the best are the Friend's meeting ones. I really hope I don't have to go to any more any time soon after this one.
If you've made it this far - I should also say, as much of a shock as this is, I am doing okay at managing and dealing with the emotion, I'm sure post race on the 2nd it will be a different story.
Heddwch
G
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Luscious goodness
These beauties:
Captured by Cyclocross Magazine at Interbike. Man alive that looks freaking sweeeeeeeet.
So that pesto.
Why 40 grams? Well, that's what the basil I bought weighed in at. And so I just used that as the base formula. You could change it to say 1 gram or 100 grams, it is wicked easy to "scale" it up (or down).
Using the gram scale is great for dry ingredients, or ingredients that have air in them. Flour is always best weighed out for a recipe than using a volume measurement.
Now you'll notice I even massed out the oil (a liquid) that generally is well suited to volume measuring. The thing is, liquids are more accurately measured with mass, esp when you have no idea what the calibration or accuracy of your measuring cup is.
Then of course you can use water to test it out. Water has a nice specific gravity: 1gram/ml. Go from there to calibrate your measuring cups (and use an online calculator unless you're good at converting mls to cups/tsp/tbls).
One problem with 5:30am runs is it is too dark to run on the trails w/o headlights. I headed out and realized - oops - bike path/neighborhood run this AM. Trails maybe for next week if I get the headlight out.
Going to start the build of the Blue in anticipation of the bearings showing up tomorrow (why does everything have to show up friday nights).
Tonight it is a take on Chicken cordon blue. Alfredo sauce with a couple different cheeses, chicken cooked in a bit of butter and olive oil, onion, garlic and ham, tossed with some organic whole wheat pasta (365 brand is $1.29/pound). Oh and a brick of the pesto from the other night goes in the sauce.
I finally signed up for Suckerbrook. Everything is solidified for saturday - need to build the blue - hit a kid's soccer game and get some stuff done before G-ster.
Heddwch
G
Captured by Cyclocross Magazine at Interbike. Man alive that looks freaking sweeeeeeeet. So that pesto.
Why 40 grams? Well, that's what the basil I bought weighed in at. And so I just used that as the base formula. You could change it to say 1 gram or 100 grams, it is wicked easy to "scale" it up (or down).
Using the gram scale is great for dry ingredients, or ingredients that have air in them. Flour is always best weighed out for a recipe than using a volume measurement.
Now you'll notice I even massed out the oil (a liquid) that generally is well suited to volume measuring. The thing is, liquids are more accurately measured with mass, esp when you have no idea what the calibration or accuracy of your measuring cup is.
Then of course you can use water to test it out. Water has a nice specific gravity: 1gram/ml. Go from there to calibrate your measuring cups (and use an online calculator unless you're good at converting mls to cups/tsp/tbls).
One problem with 5:30am runs is it is too dark to run on the trails w/o headlights. I headed out and realized - oops - bike path/neighborhood run this AM. Trails maybe for next week if I get the headlight out.
Going to start the build of the Blue in anticipation of the bearings showing up tomorrow (why does everything have to show up friday nights).
Tonight it is a take on Chicken cordon blue. Alfredo sauce with a couple different cheeses, chicken cooked in a bit of butter and olive oil, onion, garlic and ham, tossed with some organic whole wheat pasta (365 brand is $1.29/pound). Oh and a brick of the pesto from the other night goes in the sauce.
I finally signed up for Suckerbrook. Everything is solidified for saturday - need to build the blue - hit a kid's soccer game and get some stuff done before G-ster.
Heddwch
G
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Simple pesto
Not so much as a sauce but as a sauce additive.
40 grams of Fresh Basil leaves
40 grams of peeled fresh Garlic cloves
80 grams of Pine nuts (toasted and browned in a dry pan just before using)
80 grams of good olive oil (not the cheap stuff - gotta taste good)
The weight is key - doing it by volume doesn't work, or i suppose it would if i had bothered to measure but getting a volume on fresh herbs is tough.
Stick the first three in a food processor. Then the pine nuts and finally the oil. Scraping the sides down as needed, processing until smooth.
Put the pesto into an Ice Cube tray and freeze overnight.
Yes there is no cheese. I add this to alfredo sauce, or a tomato sauce instead of using dried basil. Covers the bases and tastes amazing.
Add 40-80 grams of fresh grated block Parmesan cheese if you are making a pesto sauce to stand alone.
40 grams of Fresh Basil leaves
40 grams of peeled fresh Garlic cloves
80 grams of Pine nuts (toasted and browned in a dry pan just before using)
80 grams of good olive oil (not the cheap stuff - gotta taste good)
The weight is key - doing it by volume doesn't work, or i suppose it would if i had bothered to measure but getting a volume on fresh herbs is tough.
Stick the first three in a food processor. Then the pine nuts and finally the oil. Scraping the sides down as needed, processing until smooth.
Put the pesto into an Ice Cube tray and freeze overnight.
Yes there is no cheese. I add this to alfredo sauce, or a tomato sauce instead of using dried basil. Covers the bases and tastes amazing.
Add 40-80 grams of fresh grated block Parmesan cheese if you are making a pesto sauce to stand alone.
Say Hello Wave Goodbye
That's the cool down song after the 30 second Z6 intervals on the play list. Coach said to do 5. I managed 6 before shutting down. They hurt. Alot. The down interval seemed to get shorter and shorter. Waking up at 5:30am getting it done before 6:30 and then riding in as slowly as I could, plus a visit to the remote facility has me seriously falling asleep right now. A coffee would be great right about now but then it would mean not sleeping much tonight. And it just seems like, as tired as I feel now, that sleep is more important than a cup of delicious coffee. Don't have to muddle through much more of the day fortunately.
To be honest the intervals are really about 32 seconds:
at least i don't have to do them until next wed. Then a rest week and then the next phase. I was ready to change out that song for next week but hey, what's one more set
Nice Review of Bittman's new cookbook.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Nice little bit of propaganda Slow Food USA
And I like it (the attention that is on the subject).
Add your signature here if you actually give a shit about what you eat...
Add your signature here if you actually give a shit about what you eat...
Around the food world today
So some cool stuff and interesting stuff popped up this morning that I've had tabs open for meaning to get posted but haven't.
This coffee actually sounds pretty damn good. No? I'd maybe stick some heat in there for the cold steep with the sugar and cinnamon, maybe some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Give it a mexican edge. Sure. Coffee should taste like coffee but, every once in a while it is nice to have a complex flavored beverage.
I like this article. Short and targeted to get Twitter responses to fill the content at the end, but it makes ya think at least a little, maybe.
Of course then you have the Washington Post article today. About restaurant chains putting obesity on the menu. Solid stuff right there.
Gotta love the examples:
NINE SOFT TACOS? WTF man. Granted iirc from 15 years ago when I ate at Taco Bell occasionally those soft tacos aren't really all that big... but a STICK of BUTTER in FAT? Jeepers man.
Scary shit.
For a positive food trend check Bittman's NYTimes article. I'm starving after reading it. The Squid sounds fabulous. And I'll agree, left over pasta is awesome. But some how reading about all his white rice to go with his long run has me thinking back to '09 battenkill when I ate so much white rice pre and post ride (to aid in recovery) that I just aided adding pounds around my waist. 100% medium grain organic brown rice here (pretty cheap too $1 and change/pound).
Oh and I managed to get in my own run this morning. Barely long enough for GCDavid to get his heart rate up but mine was pegged for the whole 22 minutes (trails this time, no 4 legged pace setter).
Following the run this song popped into my head and accompanied my all the way in on the bike. Most of the time I was whistling the tune while riding in (mellow ride).
Ya gotta watch it too, can't just listen. Some of the comments over there on the youtube page are right on. There is a ton of emotion packed into that performance. The Flaming Lips version is the closest non-Paul version up on Youtube. Ya know? Cool Hand Luke, one damn fine movie...
This coffee actually sounds pretty damn good. No? I'd maybe stick some heat in there for the cold steep with the sugar and cinnamon, maybe some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Give it a mexican edge. Sure. Coffee should taste like coffee but, every once in a while it is nice to have a complex flavored beverage.
I like this article. Short and targeted to get Twitter responses to fill the content at the end, but it makes ya think at least a little, maybe.
Of course then you have the Washington Post article today. About restaurant chains putting obesity on the menu. Solid stuff right there.
Gotta love the examples:
-- Quiznos large tuna melt sub sandwich.
The numbers: 1,520 calories, 101 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 2,020 milligrams sodium.
Equivalent of eating: More than a stick of butter's worth of fat.
-- Chipotle's chicken burrito, filled with rice, pinto beans, corn salsa, cheese, sour cream and guacamole, accompanied by a side of chips.
The numbers: 1,750 calories, 79.5 grams of fat, 23 grams of saturated fat, 2,750 milligrams of sodium.
Equivalent of eating: The calories in more than nine chicken soft tacos at Taco Bell.
NINE SOFT TACOS? WTF man. Granted iirc from 15 years ago when I ate at Taco Bell occasionally those soft tacos aren't really all that big... but a STICK of BUTTER in FAT? Jeepers man.
Scary shit.
For a positive food trend check Bittman's NYTimes article. I'm starving after reading it. The Squid sounds fabulous. And I'll agree, left over pasta is awesome. But some how reading about all his white rice to go with his long run has me thinking back to '09 battenkill when I ate so much white rice pre and post ride (to aid in recovery) that I just aided adding pounds around my waist. 100% medium grain organic brown rice here (pretty cheap too $1 and change/pound).
Oh and I managed to get in my own run this morning. Barely long enough for GCDavid to get his heart rate up but mine was pegged for the whole 22 minutes (trails this time, no 4 legged pace setter).
Following the run this song popped into my head and accompanied my all the way in on the bike. Most of the time I was whistling the tune while riding in (mellow ride).
Ya gotta watch it too, can't just listen. Some of the comments over there on the youtube page are right on. There is a ton of emotion packed into that performance. The Flaming Lips version is the closest non-Paul version up on Youtube. Ya know? Cool Hand Luke, one damn fine movie...
More post race musing
I screwed up. Made a mistake, okay way more than one but one in particular. Well the first was starting intervals last week. Instead of august, or april. But that wasn't the big one I realized. Second really might have been riding the logs instead of running them, my running isn't so terrible that it would have cost me to get off the bike. Might have even saved my legs a touch. Should have probably run it. But no the big mistake was the first two laps or so on day 2.
I sat in. Everyone talked about a "pacing course," "don't blow up early." Well, hey cool. Pacing myself meant that when I was sitting there on G-rides wheel I just sat there instead of going around. It was easy(ish) to sit there and ride around for a few laps. We piled into the pack there at the 180 down/up off the bat and just motored around on the conga line. Going hard but not so hard as to blow up meant i spotted everyone a good handful of seconds that may have prevented me from getting lapped. I was going to blow up anyway on that course, and i could have gone harder in the beginning and given myself some more cushion before the inevitable. Oh well. Learn and move on.
Like Bedford. I had a good start and I went with the leaders and got a solid position. Sure I slid back a bit but I started my slide way farther forward and really only went harder in the sprint than i did anywhere else around the course. So yeah. I screwed up, surprise. Maybe I need a coach. No not a trainer (but I probably need on of those too). A coach to give me a game plan for the race. Someone who knows how I ride and can help me focus on not sucking so much. granted I'm uncoachable, and too cheap to hire someone. Heck I should probably hire that skinny white dude coach with the flat brim to get me going faster. But #1 he'll call me fat, and #2 probably want me to get some sort of power meter. #2 aint' happening. Then again a coach working with me would kill their program "look he can't even make that big GeWilli dude fast, he must really suck as a coach/trainer."
Yeah - so anyway.
Enough about my performance in VT. But hey - my crossresult.com numbers are uncanny. Last year day one when I had a hooooooorible day (rolled tubular, blah, lapped by EVERYONE, blah blah) i got the same points as day 1 this year. But i had a better race (sort of - ie didn't get lapped). But then day two (harder/faster field) this year i did better.by a good bit. The fields were smaller this year, mostly fewer slower guys I'm guessing? Doesn't matter.
Time to move on. Seriously one of these years I'll actually really start training before the season "starts." Or maybe not.
Heddwch
G
I sat in. Everyone talked about a "pacing course," "don't blow up early." Well, hey cool. Pacing myself meant that when I was sitting there on G-rides wheel I just sat there instead of going around. It was easy(ish) to sit there and ride around for a few laps. We piled into the pack there at the 180 down/up off the bat and just motored around on the conga line. Going hard but not so hard as to blow up meant i spotted everyone a good handful of seconds that may have prevented me from getting lapped. I was going to blow up anyway on that course, and i could have gone harder in the beginning and given myself some more cushion before the inevitable. Oh well. Learn and move on.
Like Bedford. I had a good start and I went with the leaders and got a solid position. Sure I slid back a bit but I started my slide way farther forward and really only went harder in the sprint than i did anywhere else around the course. So yeah. I screwed up, surprise. Maybe I need a coach. No not a trainer (but I probably need on of those too). A coach to give me a game plan for the race. Someone who knows how I ride and can help me focus on not sucking so much. granted I'm uncoachable, and too cheap to hire someone. Heck I should probably hire that skinny white dude coach with the flat brim to get me going faster. But #1 he'll call me fat, and #2 probably want me to get some sort of power meter. #2 aint' happening. Then again a coach working with me would kill their program "look he can't even make that big GeWilli dude fast, he must really suck as a coach/trainer."
Yeah - so anyway.
Enough about my performance in VT. But hey - my crossresult.com numbers are uncanny. Last year day one when I had a hooooooorible day (rolled tubular, blah, lapped by EVERYONE, blah blah) i got the same points as day 1 this year. But i had a better race (sort of - ie didn't get lapped). But then day two (harder/faster field) this year i did better.by a good bit. The fields were smaller this year, mostly fewer slower guys I'm guessing? Doesn't matter.
Time to move on. Seriously one of these years I'll actually really start training before the season "starts." Or maybe not.
Heddwch
G
Monday, September 20, 2010
Hey I was there
At the race.
That was not my happiest moment. G-ride was schooling me on that downhill twisty stuff. Hell even Matt 'I haven't raced cross since 2005' Wilson was going better down that than i was. So i guess maybe my "skilz" really aren't all that great. Of course G-ride was on Cubus buzzsaw tubulars running 20 psi less pressure and Matt has forgotten more about racing that I've learned...
So I come out of the corner. I really don't remember which lap, one of the latter ones. Where G-ride rode up with Dan Coady and Onion River guy and dropped me and Matt... But I was hurting. Back hurt, legs weren't responding. I was deep in the wow does this hurt sort of realm. Definitely this was one of those hitting yourself in the head races. It felt so good to stop. I looked up and before the clip started I knew that Henry was standing there with his video Camera. "Oh Boy, don't fuck this up G" ran through my head. Smoooooth he's following you with the camera... It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, and it wasn't a perfect sequence. BUT i didn't eat shit/crash or do anything stupid like that.
for the first part of the race i was putting good time into Matt on the logs "run up" by not dismounting. ONE DISMOUNT per LAP? seriously. Both day. I got off the bike a total of 9 or 10 times this weekend (i think only 9 because we did 5 laps each day and I got lapped on day 2 or we did 6 on day two and I did 5). Riding those logs was faster. Matt was just making up time on me in the next couple of sections. Course was sort of kind of wicked Hard. HARD.
Like I want a training race to be. 40-50 minutes of non-stop torture focusing on what I don't do well (riding a bike fast).
That was not my happiest moment. G-ride was schooling me on that downhill twisty stuff. Hell even Matt 'I haven't raced cross since 2005' Wilson was going better down that than i was. So i guess maybe my "skilz" really aren't all that great. Of course G-ride was on Cubus buzzsaw tubulars running 20 psi less pressure and Matt has forgotten more about racing that I've learned...
So I come out of the corner. I really don't remember which lap, one of the latter ones. Where G-ride rode up with Dan Coady and Onion River guy and dropped me and Matt... But I was hurting. Back hurt, legs weren't responding. I was deep in the wow does this hurt sort of realm. Definitely this was one of those hitting yourself in the head races. It felt so good to stop. I looked up and before the clip started I knew that Henry was standing there with his video Camera. "Oh Boy, don't fuck this up G" ran through my head. Smoooooth he's following you with the camera... It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, and it wasn't a perfect sequence. BUT i didn't eat shit/crash or do anything stupid like that.
for the first part of the race i was putting good time into Matt on the logs "run up" by not dismounting. ONE DISMOUNT per LAP? seriously. Both day. I got off the bike a total of 9 or 10 times this weekend (i think only 9 because we did 5 laps each day and I got lapped on day 2 or we did 6 on day two and I did 5). Riding those logs was faster. Matt was just making up time on me in the next couple of sections. Course was sort of kind of wicked Hard. HARD.
Like I want a training race to be. 40-50 minutes of non-stop torture focusing on what I don't do well (riding a bike fast).
Vermont Grass Monster Cyclocross weekend
Grass, grass and more grass.
The whole course was grass. Start finish on grass. And even the downhills required pedaling.
I'm exhausted.
It was awesome. Legs are pretty well cooked. Brain is fried. Writing isn't flowing smoothly. I would say I took a couple pictures, but I didn't. Someone else did, my brain is so fried that I don't remember who took a picture of me on the trainer under the kick ass team tent that GCDavid had set up early on course. All i remember is that Todd P came over to take a photo of GCD and then the second person (i'm being honest - i'm so fried I actually don't remember) had a camera with a much smaller lens.
HenryJ showed up on sunday with his video camera. I'm sure he got some good stuff.
Saturday's course was like sunday's last year except it was dry. Lots and LOTS of climbing. Even when going down hill you had to pedal. No rest and man. I was luggage. My back was affecting my riding and I just couldn't hang on.
Sunday I thought I felt better, and then I didn't.
results aren't anything special. and i did get lapped on sunday. but... last year I got lapped by everyone (top10?) on Day 1 (like day 2 course this year) and this year just the first couple guys. It was touch and go and I tried to hold off Roger but it was too little too late. Matt Wilson did and when I saw him heading out for that last lap, I was happy to be finished. very happy. it hurt. Saturday was too hot. sunday was just hard.
But I improved over last year. It is worth going to because it re-affirmed I need work. Bedford was a nice positive start, finished pretty well. I seem to have figured out how to drive the bike finally. I just don't have the massive Watts/KG of roger or kevin. Heck if Roger decided to skip VT this weekend I might not have been lapped. Curtis killed it and Kurt P did awesome. Those guy were on fire. GCDavid was up more where is normally and Chabot kicked my ass.
It was great racing. it was brutally hard. And I didn't have a great race. But hanging out with the Lehman's (Josh is one f'n funny dude) the ancient BOB crew, my team mates (Skinny, G-ride, SOUPS, GCD, C-Burke), the Corner Cycles Crew, and everyone else. Too many to mention? Graham and Giulia, Mike and Rebecca Z, Glowa, The Mayor, The Crazy Peter Sullivan, Adam and Janice, HenryJ, Buck and KPerham, CCR, ah hell i'm going to forget someone like the Rowells... or... yeah i've just about named all the people other than the Cambridge crew and the NYcross people on either side of team tent. Social? Yes. But there was focus and a race. I might have sucked big time but I gave it everything I had. Which was pretty pathetic... But not as demoralizing as it might have been.
Racing with Matt Wilson was the best part of Day 2's race. Well it was great until I couldn't keep up with him in one stretch and he somehow managed to ride away from me. He's going to be destroying the field in a year - or the end of this year.
The hard bike handling things aren't hard anymore. Riding the logs? Something that was impossible for me last year? Totally nailed all of them except the last one when I thought i'd try something different and that was just a small minor foot dab at the top. No problems with that stuff anymore. It is just I'm slow compared to everyone I'm racing with. But. I've got no where to go but better in this field. And that's a good thing.
The whole course was grass. Start finish on grass. And even the downhills required pedaling.
I'm exhausted.
It was awesome. Legs are pretty well cooked. Brain is fried. Writing isn't flowing smoothly. I would say I took a couple pictures, but I didn't. Someone else did, my brain is so fried that I don't remember who took a picture of me on the trainer under the kick ass team tent that GCDavid had set up early on course. All i remember is that Todd P came over to take a photo of GCD and then the second person (i'm being honest - i'm so fried I actually don't remember) had a camera with a much smaller lens.
HenryJ showed up on sunday with his video camera. I'm sure he got some good stuff.
Saturday's course was like sunday's last year except it was dry. Lots and LOTS of climbing. Even when going down hill you had to pedal. No rest and man. I was luggage. My back was affecting my riding and I just couldn't hang on.
Sunday I thought I felt better, and then I didn't.
results aren't anything special. and i did get lapped on sunday. but... last year I got lapped by everyone (top10?) on Day 1 (like day 2 course this year) and this year just the first couple guys. It was touch and go and I tried to hold off Roger but it was too little too late. Matt Wilson did and when I saw him heading out for that last lap, I was happy to be finished. very happy. it hurt. Saturday was too hot. sunday was just hard.
But I improved over last year. It is worth going to because it re-affirmed I need work. Bedford was a nice positive start, finished pretty well. I seem to have figured out how to drive the bike finally. I just don't have the massive Watts/KG of roger or kevin. Heck if Roger decided to skip VT this weekend I might not have been lapped. Curtis killed it and Kurt P did awesome. Those guy were on fire. GCDavid was up more where is normally and Chabot kicked my ass.
It was great racing. it was brutally hard. And I didn't have a great race. But hanging out with the Lehman's (Josh is one f'n funny dude) the ancient BOB crew, my team mates (Skinny, G-ride, SOUPS, GCD, C-Burke), the Corner Cycles Crew, and everyone else. Too many to mention? Graham and Giulia, Mike and Rebecca Z, Glowa, The Mayor, The Crazy Peter Sullivan, Adam and Janice, HenryJ, Buck and KPerham, CCR, ah hell i'm going to forget someone like the Rowells... or... yeah i've just about named all the people other than the Cambridge crew and the NYcross people on either side of team tent. Social? Yes. But there was focus and a race. I might have sucked big time but I gave it everything I had. Which was pretty pathetic... But not as demoralizing as it might have been.
Racing with Matt Wilson was the best part of Day 2's race. Well it was great until I couldn't keep up with him in one stretch and he somehow managed to ride away from me. He's going to be destroying the field in a year - or the end of this year.
The hard bike handling things aren't hard anymore. Riding the logs? Something that was impossible for me last year? Totally nailed all of them except the last one when I thought i'd try something different and that was just a small minor foot dab at the top. No problems with that stuff anymore. It is just I'm slow compared to everyone I'm racing with. But. I've got no where to go but better in this field. And that's a good thing.
Friday, September 17, 2010
I'm with Dave on this one
http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/blog/2010/9/16/running-stop-signs.html
We'll said.
That and I think Betsy is awesome! Don't mess with Polish Michigan... Good interview.
Lots of talk about the whole jackass who admitted too. Many around here know Josh Jamner, raced with him maybe. He's got a good personal recounting of the latest cheater to fess up.
We chatted a bit - i gave him the goods from Burt Friggin Hoovis (his office don't allow that sort of stuff to be checked online). Make note of the new banner there - funny as hell.
Josh was mostly surprised by it, esp considering this kid was doing it in college. Talk about crazy. Take dope so you can kick butt in a race you won't win any money in? But then it did vault him into a Pro job.
Crazy stuff.
Has the firestorm started like Myerson suggested would be needed in the sport?
(yeah yeah two unrelated things but hey - they both bother me - idiots and jackasses blowing stop signs and lights and what not and dopers).
We'll said.
That and I think Betsy is awesome! Don't mess with Polish Michigan... Good interview.
Lots of talk about the whole jackass who admitted too. Many around here know Josh Jamner, raced with him maybe. He's got a good personal recounting of the latest cheater to fess up.
We chatted a bit - i gave him the goods from Burt Friggin Hoovis (his office don't allow that sort of stuff to be checked online). Make note of the new banner there - funny as hell.
josh: he was a so-so collegiate cyclist
then he went to arizona one winter
and came back fast
me: and doped to the gills
josh: and was sa good collegiate cyclist
and we were all like, yea, winter in tuscon, supposedly riding hard, kid is a machine, figures
then he graduated, and went pro
i used to race him all the time
in college
and outside
me: so did he take more than $5 of prize money out of your pocket?
josh: collegiate is $0
but outside
yes
Josh was mostly surprised by it, esp considering this kid was doing it in college. Talk about crazy. Take dope so you can kick butt in a race you won't win any money in? But then it did vault him into a Pro job.
Crazy stuff.
Has the firestorm started like Myerson suggested would be needed in the sport?
(yeah yeah two unrelated things but hey - they both bother me - idiots and jackasses blowing stop signs and lights and what not and dopers).
Bittman
I like it:
Link
"Here’s why we need JustFood, and why it’s important to support this organization and others like it: If you believe in society, the banding together of humans for our common good, if you believe in our obligation to to support and care for one another - not just our families or coreligionists or neighbors or compatriots but everyone - then you believe in the human right to eat food that is raised ethically.That's freaking bang on eh?
"What does this mean? This means food that is grown – or raised - with respect - not only for the earth, but for the people who eat it and the people who work the land and tend the animals. That is sustainable and ethical food, which will also necessarily – and not unimportantly – be delicious food. That’s our goal."
Link
Tomorrow Comes a Day Too Soon
Gotta get everything set for an early morning departure with C-burke. Find everything and bring it up.
The new bike is ready to go, well sort of not quite. Headset is pressed, hoping to get the bottom bracket installed this afternoon, and the crank should be delivered by the brown santa this evening. So in theory I could stay up all night, build the bike and then race it on Saturday.
But that would be something Results boy would do and, maybe me 5 years ago. Now? With the wise counseling of good friends (including my wife), I'm not even going to bring it. I'll build it Monday night most likely, and ride it next week in prep for Loon? and Suckerbrook weekend.
Murat's already talking smack, nice.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow. First of the back to back races. Going to be interesting, fun and insane all at the same time.
I'll see the non-pussyfied NECX list contingent there. And no, i'm not warming up on the course in the orange suit. We'll see if i can figure out how to make that vuvusevula work after the race...
The new bike is ready to go, well sort of not quite. Headset is pressed, hoping to get the bottom bracket installed this afternoon, and the crank should be delivered by the brown santa this evening. So in theory I could stay up all night, build the bike and then race it on Saturday.
But that would be something Results boy would do and, maybe me 5 years ago. Now? With the wise counseling of good friends (including my wife), I'm not even going to bring it. I'll build it Monday night most likely, and ride it next week in prep for Loon? and Suckerbrook weekend.
Murat's already talking smack, nice.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow. First of the back to back races. Going to be interesting, fun and insane all at the same time.
I'll see the non-pussyfied NECX list contingent there. And no, i'm not warming up on the course in the orange suit. We'll see if i can figure out how to make that vuvusevula work after the race...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Neutered on Twitter/NECX list
I'm just going to link to Steve's blog. It is good. Still better if he'd actually used the Video from... wait for it... wait A Few Good Men
except this time the Col. doesn't get hauled off by the MPs and leave stronger and more feared than when he walked in the room... imperfect metaphors require our imagination to make it work. Exercise the brain -
Very entertaining Steve. Thanks
Oh and remember the saying from everyone's favorite Marine:
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body"
except this time the Col. doesn't get hauled off by the MPs and leave stronger and more feared than when he walked in the room... imperfect metaphors require our imagination to make it work. Exercise the brain -
Very entertaining Steve. Thanks
Oh and remember the saying from everyone's favorite Marine:
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body"
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Coming together
Got the stem, bars, shifters, seatpost and saddle installed. Fit actually seems like it will work.
BUT
the slightly smaller frame means I might go from belgian to holland carrying of the bike. specifically going from arm under the down tube to around the top tube. might be a dramatic change but, holy crap this thing kind of feels featherweight, we'll see if it maintains that svelte feeling with everything bolted on.
My wife remarked on her way of of the house for a run that "it is beautiful."
It is.
I can't wait to race it. Probably at SuckerBrook. Loon is sadly but realistically looking kind of doubtful. Got a week or so to figure it out. Ya never know...
BUT
the slightly smaller frame means I might go from belgian to holland carrying of the bike. specifically going from arm under the down tube to around the top tube. might be a dramatic change but, holy crap this thing kind of feels featherweight, we'll see if it maintains that svelte feeling with everything bolted on.
My wife remarked on her way of of the house for a run that "it is beautiful."
It is.
I can't wait to race it. Probably at SuckerBrook. Loon is sadly but realistically looking kind of doubtful. Got a week or so to figure it out. Ya never know...
Twitter balls
That's appearantly what got the whole NECX (or just JONNY B and Todd C and Wade and...) worked up.
Twitter balls. A kid got drunk and tweeted a bunch of stuff that resulted in him being "you think you can handle it? do it" out of possible combination of feigned exasperation and cunning trolling from the old man of the new england internet. The guy who was trolling on Rec.Bikes possibly before that kid was born. You can check the time line for yourself. Or if it goes away I can dig up an archived copy.
I love the whole "Why so much anger" tweeting/blogging when it was directly requested.
Masters racing is serious business. And not all of us are on $10,000 bikes. Most of us won't ever see $100 in prize money either. But old dude/women age groups are legit and a big part of the current structure of Nationals. Many people bank their whole season on going there to see how they stack up against the best from around the country. Oh and we've got Masters racing with ancient frames with busted seat posts rattling around in the seat tube even. It is a diverse field.
And a god damn fun one to compete in. There's no partying at the back of that field. You're running from the lions hoping they don't catch you. No party.
Party happens afterwards.
Or when your friend totally kicks the asses of the rest of the country for the honor of wearing the stars and stripes the next season.
We've got category and age groups here in this cx bike racing thing. learn to live with them, and never ever think you can win an internet argument that myerson sets you up in to fail.
(wasn't going to post it but JD pulled some Usenet reference on twitter tonight and i figured, wtf, lets hit publish on this thing)
Twitter balls. A kid got drunk and tweeted a bunch of stuff that resulted in him being "you think you can handle it? do it" out of possible combination of feigned exasperation and cunning trolling from the old man of the new england internet. The guy who was trolling on Rec.Bikes possibly before that kid was born. You can check the time line for yourself. Or if it goes away I can dig up an archived copy.
I love the whole "Why so much anger" tweeting/blogging when it was directly requested.
Masters racing is serious business. And not all of us are on $10,000 bikes. Most of us won't ever see $100 in prize money either. But old dude/women age groups are legit and a big part of the current structure of Nationals. Many people bank their whole season on going there to see how they stack up against the best from around the country. Oh and we've got Masters racing with ancient frames with busted seat posts rattling around in the seat tube even. It is a diverse field.
And a god damn fun one to compete in. There's no partying at the back of that field. You're running from the lions hoping they don't catch you. No party.
Party happens afterwards.
Or when your friend totally kicks the asses of the rest of the country for the honor of wearing the stars and stripes the next season.
We've got category and age groups here in this cx bike racing thing. learn to live with them, and never ever think you can win an internet argument that myerson sets you up in to fail.
(wasn't going to post it but JD pulled some Usenet reference on twitter tonight and i figured, wtf, lets hit publish on this thing)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Found it
Thanks to BUCK!
And to Todd for taking it. I just forgot to double check Double Hop
Seriously. That's going on the wall. Or somewhere that I can see and be reminded that I need to feel like that the whole race. 100% go at the limit the whole damn time.
That ancient trainer is going to catch fire tomorrow morning.
heddwch
G
And to Todd for taking it. I just forgot to double check Double Hop
Seriously. That's going on the wall. Or somewhere that I can see and be reminded that I need to feel like that the whole race. 100% go at the limit the whole damn time.
That ancient trainer is going to catch fire tomorrow morning.
heddwch
G
Dorky Biker Convention moving?
From Vegas back to the wasteland shadow of Disneyland?
I heard it first somewhere. And man who's the moronic dumbass who decided that? Esp with Denver on the table. Okay - I know. It is business and you can't spill all the beans behind choices like this. I'm not going so I don't care one way or another, well i do. but whatever.
I read this.
It was a good read.
I always liked going to CABDA "back in the day." Boss man would get a couple hotel rooms in Rosemont and we'd drive down, prowl the floor looking at all the new shit checking the new lines of bikes we'd be fixing or selling. Some people would see how much schwag they can score, I liked the schwag. But I also liked talking to folks like Deitrick Rolf about the cool shit they designed and are selling. Seeing the new people with new products all dripping with blind enthusiasm that grips and takes down all but the best ideas. Guys with ridiculous stuff like the Crack Wax chain folks. Or avoiding the the pathetic Magura hydraulic cantilever brake display despite the pleading looks of "Hey come talk to me about it, no one is buying or spec'n it and I'm lonely and bored!"
The Boss man had a specific goal and lots of meetings. Every rep needed him to sit down and talk about the orders and commitment and if they couldn't land that then at least they would have bodies to demonstrate that they are working hard even if they aren't moving much product.
I don't suspect much has changed. Other than Trek and Specialized do their own show for their folks and someone else too? Do they show up at Inner-dorky-bike?
I tend to agree with the last comment there. Trade shows are dead.
Spend the money on a damn good internet campaign get RyantTKelly on it. Or give Results boy loads of product and let him get all spastic on it.
Most everyone at the trade show has seen everything thing there on the internet already, or will w/in weeks of the show. What do they get out of being there? Touching it? Yeah. Well. When you order the product and have it on your shelves, touch it then. Demo days? That is a good idea. Consumer demo days? EVEN BETTER.
Esp with shops carrying less and less diverse inventory (or so it seems). Consumer days might be a pain but man - there were lots of people seriously going from booth to booth trying different groups of bikes out at the show in PVD last year. Consumers are also more savy and know often as much or more about what they want than the shop employees do. Now that said, there are plenty of people who have no clue who need help at a shop.
Anyway
I got my run in this morning. 5:30am is f'n early. Not 4:30am early like Gary Loony Toons David, but it was nice. Tomorrow is intervals. On the trainer. At 5:30, with the iPod. In the dark. Maybe outside (tandem in the bike room is taking up trainer space - i hope it isn't raining).
heddwch
G
I heard it first somewhere. And man who's the moronic dumbass who decided that? Esp with Denver on the table. Okay - I know. It is business and you can't spill all the beans behind choices like this. I'm not going so I don't care one way or another, well i do. but whatever.
I read this.
It was a good read.
I always liked going to CABDA "back in the day." Boss man would get a couple hotel rooms in Rosemont and we'd drive down, prowl the floor looking at all the new shit checking the new lines of bikes we'd be fixing or selling. Some people would see how much schwag they can score, I liked the schwag. But I also liked talking to folks like Deitrick Rolf about the cool shit they designed and are selling. Seeing the new people with new products all dripping with blind enthusiasm that grips and takes down all but the best ideas. Guys with ridiculous stuff like the Crack Wax chain folks. Or avoiding the the pathetic Magura hydraulic cantilever brake display despite the pleading looks of "Hey come talk to me about it, no one is buying or spec'n it and I'm lonely and bored!"
The Boss man had a specific goal and lots of meetings. Every rep needed him to sit down and talk about the orders and commitment and if they couldn't land that then at least they would have bodies to demonstrate that they are working hard even if they aren't moving much product.
I don't suspect much has changed. Other than Trek and Specialized do their own show for their folks and someone else too? Do they show up at Inner-dorky-bike?
I tend to agree with the last comment there. Trade shows are dead.
Spend the money on a damn good internet campaign get RyantTKelly on it. Or give Results boy loads of product and let him get all spastic on it.
Most everyone at the trade show has seen everything thing there on the internet already, or will w/in weeks of the show. What do they get out of being there? Touching it? Yeah. Well. When you order the product and have it on your shelves, touch it then. Demo days? That is a good idea. Consumer demo days? EVEN BETTER.
Esp with shops carrying less and less diverse inventory (or so it seems). Consumer days might be a pain but man - there were lots of people seriously going from booth to booth trying different groups of bikes out at the show in PVD last year. Consumers are also more savy and know often as much or more about what they want than the shop employees do. Now that said, there are plenty of people who have no clue who need help at a shop.
Anyway
I got my run in this morning. 5:30am is f'n early. Not 4:30am early like Gary Loony Toons David, but it was nice. Tomorrow is intervals. On the trainer. At 5:30, with the iPod. In the dark. Maybe outside (tandem in the bike room is taking up trainer space - i hope it isn't raining).
heddwch
G
electrical tape
either the whole damn field is reading this or my water bottle bolt solution is not my own.
At the start line, no less than a half dozen of the bikes around me had little squares of electrical tape covering the bolt holes.
It
was
awesome
If G-ride hadn't lined up behind Carl "I crash everyone and myself" Ring I would have tried to point it out.
So.
Just to piss G-ride off (not that he needs anything else to get angsty about) it would be wicked cool to see every bike in the field with electrical tape over the bolt holes. (they do make it in different colors too ya know). it will save you a whopping 4-10 grams off the frame weight.
At the start line, no less than a half dozen of the bikes around me had little squares of electrical tape covering the bolt holes.
It
was
awesome
If G-ride hadn't lined up behind Carl "I crash everyone and myself" Ring I would have tried to point it out.
So.
Just to piss G-ride off (not that he needs anything else to get angsty about) it would be wicked cool to see every bike in the field with electrical tape over the bolt holes. (they do make it in different colors too ya know). it will save you a whopping 4-10 grams off the frame weight.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Post Race at Quad
Didn't take many pictures yesterday. Total of... two.
This one:
Caption is true - he wanted to zip up for the photo...
and well - i thought maybe that's not a bad idea. And took the second shot. Probably should have just left the camera at home.
It was dusty. As a shot from Andy Huff can attest:
I loved the flow of the course. The corners were on rails. Felt like riding a roller coaster I was so dialed in. But then I died in the open straight sections with my lack of fitness lately. I actually did pretty good for the first couple laps. Staying there in about 20-25th spot, then I got slower in the straight sections. I'd reel people back in on the twisties, but then would watch em power away. I'll get it figured out. 40/20s and some 5x30s. Time for the painful work. Also still, STILL have to figure out how to work as hard as looks like Pete Smith is(I saw the photo earlier today, just can't find the link now) for the whole race. Mentally I just kind of cracked after about 2.5-3 laps (when i started to drift of chabot's wheel).
Either way. I'm improving a bit from last year. Normally the 45+ guys would have caught me much sooner, and last year this time there is no doubt that Jonny BOLD and Maaaaahk would have lapped me. There were no times posted for the 35+ event and I didn't think to take a photo of the 45+ results (should have).
More later, if i have a second or two.
Heddwch
G
Oh
no more words right now but, hey - watch out for this guy, not only is his suit dirty but so is he. And I mean he's like way dirtier than zencycle.
This one:
Caption is true - he wanted to zip up for the photo...
and well - i thought maybe that's not a bad idea. And took the second shot. Probably should have just left the camera at home.
It was dusty. As a shot from Andy Huff can attest:
I loved the flow of the course. The corners were on rails. Felt like riding a roller coaster I was so dialed in. But then I died in the open straight sections with my lack of fitness lately. I actually did pretty good for the first couple laps. Staying there in about 20-25th spot, then I got slower in the straight sections. I'd reel people back in on the twisties, but then would watch em power away. I'll get it figured out. 40/20s and some 5x30s. Time for the painful work. Also still, STILL have to figure out how to work as hard as looks like Pete Smith is(I saw the photo earlier today, just can't find the link now) for the whole race. Mentally I just kind of cracked after about 2.5-3 laps (when i started to drift of chabot's wheel).
Either way. I'm improving a bit from last year. Normally the 45+ guys would have caught me much sooner, and last year this time there is no doubt that Jonny BOLD and Maaaaahk would have lapped me. There were no times posted for the 35+ event and I didn't think to take a photo of the 45+ results (should have).
More later, if i have a second or two.
Heddwch
G
Oh
no more words right now but, hey - watch out for this guy, not only is his suit dirty but so is he. And I mean he's like way dirtier than zencycle.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
T h a t w a s A w e s o m e
First race went way better than expected.
That was fun.
Dusty. Felt like I smoked three or four unfiltered camels.
Woman at the deli counter at Wholepaycheck said i needed a shower (stopped to do the weekly shopping on the way home). I'll get the photo up of the post race blogger shot.
Great to see everyone.
This morning everything sort of fell into place and the race happened. Then it was race time. The course was great. I ran those clinchers I really like. I lusted after Cronoman's 34 Cubus tires, but was HOOKED UP in the stuff with the Racing Ralphs. The old ones. I will say those new Rocket Rons look amazing.
SOOOOOO
happy that Jonny and Maaaaaahhhhhhhk didn't catch me. Stoked it took so long for Cronoman to catch me. To start off like that on a somewhat short course even if G-ride put 10 places into me and didn't blow like I did, is pretty killer. Those damn bastards in the 35+ race are getting faster and faster every year. I might be too. And that's not so bad. I'm still skeptical that I'll be happy on short cranks, esp with Garber's comments and 'Soups saying he notices a huge diff between 170 and 172.5. But ya know what? I'm okay with the experiment. We'll see what happens. Hey worst case I try to sell em for $250 and buy some Rival 180s and a GPX bottom bracket.
Race report later if I feel like it. Right now, i'm getting ready to fall asleep watching some football!
Cross season is here and it is good.
G
That was fun.
Dusty. Felt like I smoked three or four unfiltered camels.
Woman at the deli counter at Wholepaycheck said i needed a shower (stopped to do the weekly shopping on the way home). I'll get the photo up of the post race blogger shot.
Great to see everyone.
This morning everything sort of fell into place and the race happened. Then it was race time. The course was great. I ran those clinchers I really like. I lusted after Cronoman's 34 Cubus tires, but was HOOKED UP in the stuff with the Racing Ralphs. The old ones. I will say those new Rocket Rons look amazing.
SOOOOOO
happy that Jonny and Maaaaaahhhhhhhk didn't catch me. Stoked it took so long for Cronoman to catch me. To start off like that on a somewhat short course even if G-ride put 10 places into me and didn't blow like I did, is pretty killer. Those damn bastards in the 35+ race are getting faster and faster every year. I might be too. And that's not so bad. I'm still skeptical that I'll be happy on short cranks, esp with Garber's comments and 'Soups saying he notices a huge diff between 170 and 172.5. But ya know what? I'm okay with the experiment. We'll see what happens. Hey worst case I try to sell em for $250 and buy some Rival 180s and a GPX bottom bracket.
Race report later if I feel like it. Right now, i'm getting ready to fall asleep watching some football!
Cross season is here and it is good.
G
Getting closer to a cyclocross morning
Cool, 54 degrees out there this morning.
This is cyclocross weather. It will probably still heat up a bit too much today but hey a good start is important in cross. It sets the tone for the day/race.
Having some chill, quiet, centering time here with the dog before hoping to gather everything I need for the race day together.
And of course trying not to forget to get directions on how to get there. No pit bike now with the decom of the Croll, and no spare wheels set up. Might have to do something about that though. Hmm. We'll see what winds up in the car.
Actually getting excited about today, now that the prep for leaving is on hand and it really is going to happen. Oof I have a bunch of stuff to do before getting out of here. Probably should get my big butt off the couch and activate. I wonder if G-ride has left yet.
heddwch
G
This is cyclocross weather. It will probably still heat up a bit too much today but hey a good start is important in cross. It sets the tone for the day/race.
Having some chill, quiet, centering time here with the dog before hoping to gather everything I need for the race day together.
And of course trying not to forget to get directions on how to get there. No pit bike now with the decom of the Croll, and no spare wheels set up. Might have to do something about that though. Hmm. We'll see what winds up in the car.
Actually getting excited about today, now that the prep for leaving is on hand and it really is going to happen. Oof I have a bunch of stuff to do before getting out of here. Probably should get my big butt off the couch and activate. I wonder if G-ride has left yet.
heddwch
G
Saturday, September 11, 2010
wasn't going to do it
wash the Giant. I planned to show up with it nice and dirty.
Some how in getting the tires on there, cleaning and lubing the chain I started cleaning the frame.
and it felt good.
Bike's clean. Running clinchers (grass course not the worst idea) and the bike is ready to go.
Me? Openers?
Not yet - probably not today.
Got the Tent loaded up in the car, tires rotated, and just have to put the bike on the roof (tools still in there + short drive = roof rack use) and find the rest of the stuff I need for the racing.
The bars showed up for the Blue today. Despite being 46 c-c they are way stiffer than any other bar I have on a bike, not super light (at 301 grams actual - yes I put it on the digital balance), but hey, neither am i. Coolest thing was pulling it out of the box. It was exciting. New bike shit.
I think i'll be even better once the rest of the boxes start showing up.
See yall at Quad Cross tomorrow (if I can figure out how to get there).
Some how in getting the tires on there, cleaning and lubing the chain I started cleaning the frame.
and it felt good.
Bike's clean. Running clinchers (grass course not the worst idea) and the bike is ready to go.
Me? Openers?
Not yet - probably not today.
Got the Tent loaded up in the car, tires rotated, and just have to put the bike on the roof (tools still in there + short drive = roof rack use) and find the rest of the stuff I need for the racing.
The bars showed up for the Blue today. Despite being 46 c-c they are way stiffer than any other bar I have on a bike, not super light (at 301 grams actual - yes I put it on the digital balance), but hey, neither am i. Coolest thing was pulling it out of the box. It was exciting. New bike shit.
I think i'll be even better once the rest of the boxes start showing up.
See yall at Quad Cross tomorrow (if I can figure out how to get there).
about 90% there and so many years ago
yeah, baggage has mostly evaporated in the night. woke up early with the dog, headed back to bed and slept some more.
feel like i'm getting over the cold, and now just one thing let, the albatross. Need to get it owned by someone else i think.
But - no tome for thinking today. Gotta get the rusty race wagon fit for duty, take the commuter tires off the Giant and let the spark get some air. Time to let the smoldering ignite into a full flame so the smoke goes away and I can shake the shackles no matter what and enjoy it.
I can look back at this day and the weekend of insanity that preceded it in 2001.
My brother got married in Newport, I flew out for two days or so. Drove to Detroit, hopped on my first SWA flight to PVD. Headed down for the wedding, had a bunch of fun, slept for 2 hours got back on the plane and flew to PVD. Had dinner with a friend on the way home was denied beer because I couldn't find my ID. Searched the car, came back in and then found it had slipped down between the seats only after I was just about to leave. Then headed over to a big TDI gtg at Hondo's place. People had driven in from everywhere. I missed the first day but got good and dirty the second. My girls (just my wife and oldest) were in DC area visiting family. They flew out of Dulles on the 10th. On the 11th I headed to work.
It was a tuesday. Staff coffee day. The bio department technical support staff, stock room, shop, computer, lab coordinator, microscope guy and sometimes animal care. But the meeting didn't really get a chance to happen. IT guy spread the news. Robert was pale and shaking when he came down to the stock room, I was in talking to Ray and Jeff. Everyone headed back to their office and CNN's web page crashed.
We decided to head over a bit early for coffee, and stopped as we entered the Student center and watched the drama unfold from the TV there.
After a while we headed back somberly. The Prez of the place canceled all classes, and locked the whole place down. Everyone was told they could go home. I think I wound up leaving at 2pm.
I was out of fuel and had meant to fill up on the way in, but for some reason I didn't and I pulled into the BP in Ithaca to find huge lines in the gas pumps and normally the four diesel pumps were deserted, today not so much. Diesel price jumped 75 cents between the guy with the power stroke filling up in front of me and when I got the nozzle. Gasoline prices went up 3 dollars and they ran out of regular unleaded while I was there.
Then of course I wasn't done. It was just past two years on my cell phone plan (of my first cell phone) and since I rarely am in the area during the day to get the free every two year phone I headed over. Odd feeling in that it was business as usual. People were trying to carry on, pretty successfully. More out of not wanting to be paralyzed, and wanting to put on a face of "you can do that to us but it isn't going stop us" fighting back as best they could by carrying on. It was surreal almost. The Meijer's gas station's prices had gone up but not by the 3-5 dollars other places had and I could watch the long line of people filling up their cars. A run on gas like that may never have happened since? I don't remember experiencing it.
Now I'm in full on Michigan memory flood mode. The phase of working and driving 150 miles a day, not the grad student/bike shop mechanic/bike commuter phase when I discovered Cyclocross.
I hope everyone is having fun at Brockton today. After a couple years of rain and weird mud that smelled funny, roots and needles and flats and concrete bridges and the timing of the event I've sort of stopped going. I guess they redesigned it last year or the year before, I hope it is better, for the sport's sake.
To take a twist off of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I had let myself spiral down precipitously. Irrespective of the big picture, myoptically getting weighed down with pretty insignificant issues.
The sun is shining - time to make some food, refuel, and prep for tomorrow.
It is a gorgeous day out there.
HTFU
heddwch
G
feel like i'm getting over the cold, and now just one thing let, the albatross. Need to get it owned by someone else i think.
But - no tome for thinking today. Gotta get the rusty race wagon fit for duty, take the commuter tires off the Giant and let the spark get some air. Time to let the smoldering ignite into a full flame so the smoke goes away and I can shake the shackles no matter what and enjoy it.
I can look back at this day and the weekend of insanity that preceded it in 2001.
My brother got married in Newport, I flew out for two days or so. Drove to Detroit, hopped on my first SWA flight to PVD. Headed down for the wedding, had a bunch of fun, slept for 2 hours got back on the plane and flew to PVD. Had dinner with a friend on the way home was denied beer because I couldn't find my ID. Searched the car, came back in and then found it had slipped down between the seats only after I was just about to leave. Then headed over to a big TDI gtg at Hondo's place. People had driven in from everywhere. I missed the first day but got good and dirty the second. My girls (just my wife and oldest) were in DC area visiting family. They flew out of Dulles on the 10th. On the 11th I headed to work.
It was a tuesday. Staff coffee day. The bio department technical support staff, stock room, shop, computer, lab coordinator, microscope guy and sometimes animal care. But the meeting didn't really get a chance to happen. IT guy spread the news. Robert was pale and shaking when he came down to the stock room, I was in talking to Ray and Jeff. Everyone headed back to their office and CNN's web page crashed.
We decided to head over a bit early for coffee, and stopped as we entered the Student center and watched the drama unfold from the TV there.
After a while we headed back somberly. The Prez of the place canceled all classes, and locked the whole place down. Everyone was told they could go home. I think I wound up leaving at 2pm.
I was out of fuel and had meant to fill up on the way in, but for some reason I didn't and I pulled into the BP in Ithaca to find huge lines in the gas pumps and normally the four diesel pumps were deserted, today not so much. Diesel price jumped 75 cents between the guy with the power stroke filling up in front of me and when I got the nozzle. Gasoline prices went up 3 dollars and they ran out of regular unleaded while I was there.
Then of course I wasn't done. It was just past two years on my cell phone plan (of my first cell phone) and since I rarely am in the area during the day to get the free every two year phone I headed over. Odd feeling in that it was business as usual. People were trying to carry on, pretty successfully. More out of not wanting to be paralyzed, and wanting to put on a face of "you can do that to us but it isn't going stop us" fighting back as best they could by carrying on. It was surreal almost. The Meijer's gas station's prices had gone up but not by the 3-5 dollars other places had and I could watch the long line of people filling up their cars. A run on gas like that may never have happened since? I don't remember experiencing it.
Now I'm in full on Michigan memory flood mode. The phase of working and driving 150 miles a day, not the grad student/bike shop mechanic/bike commuter phase when I discovered Cyclocross.
I hope everyone is having fun at Brockton today. After a couple years of rain and weird mud that smelled funny, roots and needles and flats and concrete bridges and the timing of the event I've sort of stopped going. I guess they redesigned it last year or the year before, I hope it is better, for the sport's sake.
To take a twist off of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I had let myself spiral down precipitously. Irrespective of the big picture, myoptically getting weighed down with pretty insignificant issues.
The sun is shining - time to make some food, refuel, and prep for tomorrow.
It is a gorgeous day out there.
HTFU
heddwch
G
Friday, September 10, 2010
why do i
Let little things, stuff that doesn't really matter, get to me? Turning a tiny little f'n parts order (not tiny but for me a bit of cash not on hand) into a big f'n mole hill of stress.
Doesn't do me any good. That much I know. Sucks the freaking fun out of what should be wicked awesome and exciting. Seriously. Is there anything more exciting than building a new CX bike for the season?
No
there
is
NOT.
But somehow, leave it to f'n GeWilli to figure out how to make it as unfun and stressful for himself as possible. Yeah. Seriously. WHAT AN IDIOT.
Problem is I recognize the problem, know it is coming but somehow allow myself to be sucked in. One scape goat, no not G-ride. But I actually feel kind of bad sucking him down into this messed up vortex, not intentionally but this new team is his deal, and no new team, no new bike for me. So yeah. It is like totally his fault (no, it isn't, not even going to pretend to hope that comes off as it was intended). No, it isn't g-ride's damn fault.
First cross race of the season on Sunday and I'm in a g-damn funk. What do I have to complain about? Nothing. Seriously. What's my god damn problem. Not sure. Okay I know what it is. The unknown. The lack of control.
Everything was perfect two days ago. There was a sale of some fancy gear i'm never going to use that was going to happen today, the 177.5 cranks were still 180s, and I was counting on paying for the last bits of parts for the new bike from the sale today. Didn't happen. Sale that is. Cranks turned out to be 177.5s, bike I ordered was an XL but then found out after ordering that the catalog and web page were wrong, only comes in a Large. And that shit is minor. Overshawdowing some really cool shit going on at work and with my youngest (a newly minted soccer star) and to top it off weighing down and soiling the joy I have at this time of the year. Cross season is starting.
IT IS STARTING.
Cyclocross. The coolest shit on two wheels. And I've managed to find a pile of shit to jump in and torture myself. Yes. I'm actually hoping that being me and unloading my emo shit or what ever my sarcastic cynical douchebag friends want to call it will make me feel better, so I can move the fuck on and fucking enjoy the best damn sport on two wheels. I'm tired, run down, feeling on the edge of getting full blown sick (i'm fighting something and that's not helping much), got blown OUT at the smack down, but had decent success in the middle and pushed past limits in many spots to hang on, and tried to not talk about it. I haven't run since, fuck it all, I don't even remember - new school schedule and all that has messed the mornings up just enough coupled with being freaking exhausted but also dealing with mild insomnia. Shit is just adding up, piling up and I'm dealing with it all really poorly.
I don't know if I feel any better, maybe a little actually. Kind of like throwing up sort of makes you feel better.
I am signed up for Quad Cross. I have the Giant not quite ready to go but it has been put to the test on the sand and barriers and single track and grass. it is the same as it ever was. And so am i.
so
am
i
fwiw
ffs
heddwch
G
Doesn't do me any good. That much I know. Sucks the freaking fun out of what should be wicked awesome and exciting. Seriously. Is there anything more exciting than building a new CX bike for the season?
No
there
is
NOT.
But somehow, leave it to f'n GeWilli to figure out how to make it as unfun and stressful for himself as possible. Yeah. Seriously. WHAT AN IDIOT.
Problem is I recognize the problem, know it is coming but somehow allow myself to be sucked in. One scape goat, no not G-ride. But I actually feel kind of bad sucking him down into this messed up vortex, not intentionally but this new team is his deal, and no new team, no new bike for me. So yeah. It is like totally his fault (no, it isn't, not even going to pretend to hope that comes off as it was intended). No, it isn't g-ride's damn fault.
First cross race of the season on Sunday and I'm in a g-damn funk. What do I have to complain about? Nothing. Seriously. What's my god damn problem. Not sure. Okay I know what it is. The unknown. The lack of control.
Everything was perfect two days ago. There was a sale of some fancy gear i'm never going to use that was going to happen today, the 177.5 cranks were still 180s, and I was counting on paying for the last bits of parts for the new bike from the sale today. Didn't happen. Sale that is. Cranks turned out to be 177.5s, bike I ordered was an XL but then found out after ordering that the catalog and web page were wrong, only comes in a Large. And that shit is minor. Overshawdowing some really cool shit going on at work and with my youngest (a newly minted soccer star) and to top it off weighing down and soiling the joy I have at this time of the year. Cross season is starting.
IT IS STARTING.
Cyclocross. The coolest shit on two wheels. And I've managed to find a pile of shit to jump in and torture myself. Yes. I'm actually hoping that being me and unloading my emo shit or what ever my sarcastic cynical douchebag friends want to call it will make me feel better, so I can move the fuck on and fucking enjoy the best damn sport on two wheels. I'm tired, run down, feeling on the edge of getting full blown sick (i'm fighting something and that's not helping much), got blown OUT at the smack down, but had decent success in the middle and pushed past limits in many spots to hang on, and tried to not talk about it. I haven't run since, fuck it all, I don't even remember - new school schedule and all that has messed the mornings up just enough coupled with being freaking exhausted but also dealing with mild insomnia. Shit is just adding up, piling up and I'm dealing with it all really poorly.
I don't know if I feel any better, maybe a little actually. Kind of like throwing up sort of makes you feel better.
I am signed up for Quad Cross. I have the Giant not quite ready to go but it has been put to the test on the sand and barriers and single track and grass. it is the same as it ever was. And so am i.
so
am
i
fwiw
ffs
heddwch
G
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Disc wheels and cross winds
Riding home the other night with a nice solid 15+ mph gusty crosswind on the Klein, with the disc wheel cover still on it from Blount Fall River crit I tried hard to notices the effects of the wind.
And there weren't any.
I've never felt any issue with cross winds and the solid rear wheel.
The other night I realized why.
Center of Gravity.
I'm riding a 63cm frame and a huge amount of mass is way up top. And if you compare the leverage point of the disc wheel in a cross wind with my CG, and then maybe compare it to someone on a 54cm frame who weighs in 50 pounds lighter, well it makes sense that I might not feel anything from a cross wind.
Is it slowing me down? Maybe in that situation, but then maybe not. But no matter it makes sense why I don't notice it when the wind is blowing in my ear hole.
In other news, my joy and jubilation at finding the holy grail of cranks (180mm and BB30) seems to have been dashed to bits. Looks like I will be settling on a 2.5 mm shorter version. Oh well. The added stiffness and weight savings and increased power transfer probably make up for the loss of leverage (i know - G-ride's laughin, or groaning right about now).
Oh well. Some things that seem too good be true, even after repeated efforts that seem to say they are true - turn out to be ass suspected. Not so.
It'll work out. Hopefully by VT.
And there weren't any.
I've never felt any issue with cross winds and the solid rear wheel.
The other night I realized why.
Center of Gravity.
I'm riding a 63cm frame and a huge amount of mass is way up top. And if you compare the leverage point of the disc wheel in a cross wind with my CG, and then maybe compare it to someone on a 54cm frame who weighs in 50 pounds lighter, well it makes sense that I might not feel anything from a cross wind.
Is it slowing me down? Maybe in that situation, but then maybe not. But no matter it makes sense why I don't notice it when the wind is blowing in my ear hole.
In other news, my joy and jubilation at finding the holy grail of cranks (180mm and BB30) seems to have been dashed to bits. Looks like I will be settling on a 2.5 mm shorter version. Oh well. The added stiffness and weight savings and increased power transfer probably make up for the loss of leverage (i know - G-ride's laughin, or groaning right about now).
Oh well. Some things that seem too good be true, even after repeated efforts that seem to say they are true - turn out to be ass suspected. Not so.
It'll work out. Hopefully by VT.
Season Starts NOW
Cyclocross season. Rumor has it that some of the bits for the bike are on the way. Bars shipped yesterday, drive train might be in transit tomorrow from the sponsor (no - not free unfortunately), and cranks, there was a comment that they will be shipping today as well. Time will tell. Fingers and toes crossed that the Blue will be ready for VT. I may be waiting on the porch for a UPS package on Friday night before driving up to VT and building it up there, but if that's what it takes, that's what it takes.
It will be nice not to have to take anything off the old bike except wheels, and with the road season finished, and smack downs all but over - i really hope to make it out next week for what might be the last one of the season (getting pretty damn dark - yes solo it is like April or something now - i know).
NFL season starts tonight with the first Game. And for the first time in maybe 10 years I will not be playing Fantasy Football. And, ya know what? I'm okay with that. it will make it easier to be racing CX during the games. I'll be able to root for teams to win, not just throw to a certain person. I'm kind of looking forward to maybe just being a fan again. Maybe in that we'll see if I can get excited about football this fall.
I try not to get sucked into sharing stuff as results boy calls "emails from grandma" or what ever he calls it... but hey - screw it, this is my place and this made me laugh, or smile. One of these is just for Zen, or more than one but one is included with the incomparable J-hole in mind.
Oh hell i'll put em in a separate post (time stamped earlier than this one).
And yeah. I did have to go listen to The Bike Song video again. (and again right now). Good stuff.
"Gonna Ride My Bike Until I get Home!"
heddwch
G
It will be nice not to have to take anything off the old bike except wheels, and with the road season finished, and smack downs all but over - i really hope to make it out next week for what might be the last one of the season (getting pretty damn dark - yes solo it is like April or something now - i know).
NFL season starts tonight with the first Game. And for the first time in maybe 10 years I will not be playing Fantasy Football. And, ya know what? I'm okay with that. it will make it easier to be racing CX during the games. I'll be able to root for teams to win, not just throw to a certain person. I'm kind of looking forward to maybe just being a fan again. Maybe in that we'll see if I can get excited about football this fall.
I try not to get sucked into sharing stuff as results boy calls "emails from grandma" or what ever he calls it... but hey - screw it, this is my place and this made me laugh, or smile. One of these is just for Zen, or more than one but one is included with the incomparable J-hole in mind.
Oh hell i'll put em in a separate post (time stamped earlier than this one).
And yeah. I did have to go listen to The Bike Song video again. (and again right now). Good stuff.
"Gonna Ride My Bike Until I get Home!"
heddwch
G
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Reality Checks
Sometimes you're given a reality check. Cancer sucks. Not that I'm not reminded of that any time a Brown U kid shows up on a ride with last years team kit and the letters M. L. F. N. written above the name of a dear friend who died.
Or hearing about the struggles fine people like M Simpson's mother are going through.
Cancer is a challenge. One that we all will face, personally. Be it our own cancer, or a loved one.
Fast Boy Cycles AKA Ezra has had a relapse. Colon cancer. It is back. And it hit me pretty solidly today. Not a great way to hit a mid morning break.
Juxtaposition and yin and yang though...
i'm a man of contradictions so today... contradictions
This from Kent's Bike blog. Makes me smile. Good song, great video
heddwch
G
Or hearing about the struggles fine people like M Simpson's mother are going through.
Cancer is a challenge. One that we all will face, personally. Be it our own cancer, or a loved one.
Fast Boy Cycles AKA Ezra has had a relapse. Colon cancer. It is back. And it hit me pretty solidly today. Not a great way to hit a mid morning break.
Juxtaposition and yin and yang though...
i'm a man of contradictions so today... contradictions
This from Kent's Bike blog. Makes me smile. Good song, great video
heddwch
G
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Tuesday already?
While all those big guns were out racing in VT, I thought it best if I didn't do any racing this weekend at all. Maybe some riding here and there, but mostly not riding.
Plenty of thinking about it. Just not much riding, and no racing.
I keep thinking about the Blue and getting parts on it. It is all being held up at the moment. It would be really nice if the final piece of the puzzle fell into place so I felt comfortable buying the rest of the parts. New Kits look to be maybe ready for Loon, we'll see.
The Giant wasn't slowing me down that much last year, at least I didn't think it was. Comparing the Giant with the Blue I can see how the new front end and the BB30 will make a big difference. The lighter weight probably will help a touch too.
no fancy wheels though, not yet. We'll see how big the final puzzle piece is, maybe there will be a chunk big enough to push in that direction.
Untested and before somewhat less worried than I am now after the murmuring across the old masters twitters that JONNY BOLD decided to race the 35+ in Bedford. I think after a 3rd place at GMSR he should race the P/1/2/3 race, mostly because I really don't want to get lapped at the first race, again... But then VT is the next weekend and there's not enough time to get fast enough between the 12th and 18th to prevent getting lapped both weekends if it is going to happen. You know for damn sure I'm going to do what ever it takes to stay on the lead lap, but hey - sometimes my legs are just too easy to rip off.
Lots of other exciting stuff going on.
But less exciting is i think some ex-Pro tri-dude infiltrated my brain and my running has gone to hell. As in I haven't in weeks.
so i'll probably fall apart in a month or two unless i get this running back in gear...
heddwch
G
Plenty of thinking about it. Just not much riding, and no racing.
I keep thinking about the Blue and getting parts on it. It is all being held up at the moment. It would be really nice if the final piece of the puzzle fell into place so I felt comfortable buying the rest of the parts. New Kits look to be maybe ready for Loon, we'll see.
The Giant wasn't slowing me down that much last year, at least I didn't think it was. Comparing the Giant with the Blue I can see how the new front end and the BB30 will make a big difference. The lighter weight probably will help a touch too.
no fancy wheels though, not yet. We'll see how big the final puzzle piece is, maybe there will be a chunk big enough to push in that direction.
Untested and before somewhat less worried than I am now after the murmuring across the old masters twitters that JONNY BOLD decided to race the 35+ in Bedford. I think after a 3rd place at GMSR he should race the P/1/2/3 race, mostly because I really don't want to get lapped at the first race, again... But then VT is the next weekend and there's not enough time to get fast enough between the 12th and 18th to prevent getting lapped both weekends if it is going to happen. You know for damn sure I'm going to do what ever it takes to stay on the lead lap, but hey - sometimes my legs are just too easy to rip off.
Lots of other exciting stuff going on.
But less exciting is i think some ex-Pro tri-dude infiltrated my brain and my running has gone to hell. As in I haven't in weeks.
so i'll probably fall apart in a month or two unless i get this running back in gear...
heddwch
G
Friday, September 03, 2010
Ranting about bike stuff posts
Last time it was about the frame. Trying to figure out if a Large would work. And I think the post helped. Some web log commenting shy tweeter made the crystalizing suggestion that pushed me towards what I have now.
After writing that other post earlier today, there was another moment of sun shining through the clouds.
First the Bars came through - surprising how hard it is to find 46 cm bars measured C-C with a 31.8 clamp that don't cost $200+. Bikeman has some older RaceFace Cadence bars. Davis C. confirmed the c-c measurements and I pulled the trigger on those. Finally something purchased just for that bike.
Then. THEN the cranks came through. With SRAM saying they didn't exist and everyone else saying they didn't I was skeptical that these were for real.
SRAM doesn't show them on the catalog. I called Casters and they said "no dice, don't exist." Got a part number from the supplier and then Anthony called them back and actually had the person there pull them out of stock to say absolutely, yes, they have 180mm stamped on them and they are exactly as advertised. Holy shit. The grail? These cranks actually exist? But the online retailer was going to be quite a bit cheaper, like a lot, than they could sell me even with the cycling team discount.
So I pulled the trigger on those cranks. Still waiting on a pile of other stuff, and the chance that it will all get here in time for Quad is slim to none but, still VT is looking better than average to get it built.
And it is positive. I think I drove G-ride to drinking heavily tonight with all my anxiety ridden vexing today. Not helping that there is a bit of complication unloading the last of the items that are helping to pay for all this.
But hey.
It will all fall in to place.
Things are looking up.
Those late friday rants kind of work i guess. Almost like i have to get the mess out of my head to see the writing on the wall.
Maybe this web log thing is still useful.
maybe
heddwch
G
After writing that other post earlier today, there was another moment of sun shining through the clouds.
First the Bars came through - surprising how hard it is to find 46 cm bars measured C-C with a 31.8 clamp that don't cost $200+. Bikeman has some older RaceFace Cadence bars. Davis C. confirmed the c-c measurements and I pulled the trigger on those. Finally something purchased just for that bike.
Then. THEN the cranks came through. With SRAM saying they didn't exist and everyone else saying they didn't I was skeptical that these were for real.
SRAM doesn't show them on the catalog. I called Casters and they said "no dice, don't exist." Got a part number from the supplier and then Anthony called them back and actually had the person there pull them out of stock to say absolutely, yes, they have 180mm stamped on them and they are exactly as advertised. Holy shit. The grail? These cranks actually exist? But the online retailer was going to be quite a bit cheaper, like a lot, than they could sell me even with the cycling team discount.
So I pulled the trigger on those cranks. Still waiting on a pile of other stuff, and the chance that it will all get here in time for Quad is slim to none but, still VT is looking better than average to get it built.
And it is positive. I think I drove G-ride to drinking heavily tonight with all my anxiety ridden vexing today. Not helping that there is a bit of complication unloading the last of the items that are helping to pay for all this.
But hey.
It will all fall in to place.
Things are looking up.
Those late friday rants kind of work i guess. Almost like i have to get the mess out of my head to see the writing on the wall.
Maybe this web log thing is still useful.
maybe
heddwch
G
ranting about parts
Why in the world are there no reasonable 180mm BB30 crankset out there?
SRAM doesn't list one (177.5 sure, no problem, but shorter is not the right direction)
Shimano? do they even bother with BB30
Campy same thing
Zipp Makes one but damn those things cost more than the Zinn. At least with the Zinn I could get a 200mm crank.
But not with a BB30.
SRAM DOES have plenty of options with a 177.5mm crank AND a BB30.
conundrums - just kind of want to get the bike built, ya know?
trivial thing to complain about, I know... It is just that when you have a nice new frame with a BB30 shell, it would be great to stick a real BB30 in there, and not an adapter sleeve...
SRAM doesn't list one (177.5 sure, no problem, but shorter is not the right direction)
Shimano? do they even bother with BB30
Campy same thing
Zipp Makes one but damn those things cost more than the Zinn. At least with the Zinn I could get a 200mm crank.
But not with a BB30.
SRAM DOES have plenty of options with a 177.5mm crank AND a BB30.
conundrums - just kind of want to get the bike built, ya know?
trivial thing to complain about, I know... It is just that when you have a nice new frame with a BB30 shell, it would be great to stick a real BB30 in there, and not an adapter sleeve...
BRING IT ON
I'm going steal a comment from Navy Boy Ted Essssssenfeld
"Feels like Liuetenant Dan in Forest Gump... waiting for this hurricane to show up. Is this all you got??!!"
At least that's what I'm thinking I'm going to be like on the ride home tonight.
A mellow light tail wind this morning. I'm kind of hoping for something crazy and epic and awesome for the ride home.
I love being out in the weather, being part of it. Mad Watts Mother Nature! FTW
Yeah. I used a twitterism in a blog. FML
keep it straight.
Eh?
Now, if you haven't talked with results boy then the interview really doesn't work quite as well. If you have you know he shoots words out faster than a .50 cal.
Read part one -- two and three. Unless you already have, then yah whatever. Read em again (no, don't try that - colin's not that exciting to read about)
Seriously. I'm excited for the ride home.
But, I'm afraid I might be disappointed. It isn't supposed to really be all that bad out there until later tonight. If anything.
"Feels like Liuetenant Dan in Forest Gump... waiting for this hurricane to show up. Is this all you got??!!"
At least that's what I'm thinking I'm going to be like on the ride home tonight.
A mellow light tail wind this morning. I'm kind of hoping for something crazy and epic and awesome for the ride home.
I love being out in the weather, being part of it. Mad Watts Mother Nature! FTW
Yeah. I used a twitterism in a blog. FML
keep it straight.
Eh?
Now, if you haven't talked with results boy then the interview really doesn't work quite as well. If you have you know he shoots words out faster than a .50 cal.
Read part one -- two and three. Unless you already have, then yah whatever. Read em again (no, don't try that - colin's not that exciting to read about)
Seriously. I'm excited for the ride home.
But, I'm afraid I might be disappointed. It isn't supposed to really be all that bad out there until later tonight. If anything.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.
- George Carlin
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
- Mary Wilson Little
Oh and it is great to find the President speaking on the TV and not feel the need to destroy said TV, turn it off or generally cringe. Thank you mr President. It isn't an easy job, keep up the good work.
- George Carlin
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
- Mary Wilson Little
Oh and it is great to find the President speaking on the TV and not feel the need to destroy said TV, turn it off or generally cringe. Thank you mr President. It isn't an easy job, keep up the good work.
A Hound Dog Taylor afternoon
Oh yeah. Johnny Winter cranking on the pandora station now. Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Guitar Shorty.
Good stuff.
Although I should make an excuse to be outside. It is hot, all the students are back and the people watching is supreme. I find the mix in this area to be entertaining, from the artsy hairy hippies to the ultra super preppy prep and everything in between.
But no, not out there right now.
Okay - I had a couple excuses to go out, and everyone must be unpacking or something. Or hiding from the heat. Not so many people out there right now.
Kerry posted this link up on FB today. And then i had to go and get the whole PDF. Because I'm so into doing tests with my power meter.
Oh.
Wait.
I don't have a power meter. And I have no plans to get one. But this test seems to be pretty cool. The article has just enough math to make me feel uncomfortable but not totally lost. Me and complex math formulas haven't ever really gotten along very well.
But, being able to determine lactate threshold with a 3 minute test is pretty fucking cool. And w/o using any fancy compu-trainer or blood analyzer.
Cool.
Tonight is the smack down. It is going off on schedule, 5pm Faunce, 5:15 depasqualle square. and I'm not going to be there.
This morning turned into a trucker morning.
Okay - not trucker, that's the tandem. This was just delivery vehicle for the tube and then the pick up of G-ride's wheels, that are now on their way to Vermont.
The ride in started off mellow enough. Sort of. last night's ride with the tailwind was fast. rolled the 46x12 spinning it somewhat easily all the way home - ticked up to the 14 to pull in.
This morning pulling out with the trailer in the 14 set the tone.
Dropped it down to the 13 for the climb up the false flat to the Dairy Bee in Riverside Square. And I did something novel for me. Alternated about 10 pedal strokes standing and 10 seated. Then once I hit the under pass going along the treatment plant and it leveled out I dropped it down to the 12 and picked up some speed. It is only a 46 so the gear isn't that massive. But I went from 10/10 to 20/20. It hurt. Wanted to stop, so i kept going. Dug down and just kept pushing through the burn. Esp with the headwind. The trailer + headwind kind of made even more delicious.
Headed up and over the red bridge, alternating the standing and sitting. Picked up the box and headed up the hill. We'll see what the legs are like on the way home.
So with the trailer and the old bike, i'm not going to be doing the smack down. maybe next week. maybe not.
maybe today was my last chance, but well... it is a chance that has slipped past.
Be what it may. I'll get back to real training sometime soon. The new school schedule means if i want to get even a short run in, shower and get everyone turned around I have to wake up at 5:30 and right now, right now that just isn't happening.
And unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've heard about the passing of one of the greats. Laurent Fignon. I came to realize the cycling thing a bit late. And by that time I had no measure of history to appreciate The Professor's career. Only that he was Lemond's nemesis. Heck I didn't even know about the Badger and Lemond until much later. I was new to the sport then. We all were new at some point. My entry point is likely later than most of my competitors and friends racing around here but, that was still a looooong fucking time ago. I'm some what ashamed to say I never held him with enough respect to name my pet fish after him. Hell I never had a pet fish, and my small animal pets were named after Edward Abby or Farley Mowat. Yeah. Those two figured far more prominently in my development than Greg and Laurent (around that time in the mid to late '80s).
I need some bits to hang on the Blue to really get excited about it. Right now, with too many unknowns as a far as where the parts are for it, I don't have a completion date so it is just a pretty frame decorating the office. nothing more. I have a parts list on a piece of scrap paper here by the keyboard with the list of what i need on it. pretty short damn list. waiting on the sponsor to get back with prices and availability for all the stuff.
There. Season is officially underway. I've registered for VT weekend and G-ster. 50th for sat, 49th for sunday. Field is already pretty large and i expect it to get much bigger. Now to see about lowering this crossresults ranking a bit more before then. Better register for Quad i suppose. Maybe i should do the 1/2/3 race for the points, Off the back and lapped three times still might get me more points. Just kidding. I'm racing "my" race. Gonna be fun. Last time at Quad I signed up for back to back races and bailed on the second one. Not doing the double this time. Hopefully I have learned from the past and won't be repeated the back to back race double anytime this season. But we will see. Plenty of time for me to do something predictably stupid.
heddwch
G
Good stuff.
Although I should make an excuse to be outside. It is hot, all the students are back and the people watching is supreme. I find the mix in this area to be entertaining, from the artsy hairy hippies to the ultra super preppy prep and everything in between.
But no, not out there right now.
Okay - I had a couple excuses to go out, and everyone must be unpacking or something. Or hiding from the heat. Not so many people out there right now.
Kerry posted this link up on FB today. And then i had to go and get the whole PDF. Because I'm so into doing tests with my power meter.
Oh.
Wait.
I don't have a power meter. And I have no plans to get one. But this test seems to be pretty cool. The article has just enough math to make me feel uncomfortable but not totally lost. Me and complex math formulas haven't ever really gotten along very well.
But, being able to determine lactate threshold with a 3 minute test is pretty fucking cool. And w/o using any fancy compu-trainer or blood analyzer.
CONCLUSIONSThe 3MT can be performed using equipment readilyavailable to cyclists without the need for indirect calorimetryor blood sampling. The average power output overthe last 30 s of the 3-min test is correlated with poweroutputs at lactate and ventilatory threshold as well as poweroutput at VO2 peak. The EP from a single session 3MT canbe used to estimate the demarcations between bothmoderate to heavy and heavy to severe exercise intensitydomains.
Cool.
Tonight is the smack down. It is going off on schedule, 5pm Faunce, 5:15 depasqualle square. and I'm not going to be there.
This morning turned into a trucker morning.
Okay - not trucker, that's the tandem. This was just delivery vehicle for the tube and then the pick up of G-ride's wheels, that are now on their way to Vermont.
The ride in started off mellow enough. Sort of. last night's ride with the tailwind was fast. rolled the 46x12 spinning it somewhat easily all the way home - ticked up to the 14 to pull in.
This morning pulling out with the trailer in the 14 set the tone.
Dropped it down to the 13 for the climb up the false flat to the Dairy Bee in Riverside Square. And I did something novel for me. Alternated about 10 pedal strokes standing and 10 seated. Then once I hit the under pass going along the treatment plant and it leveled out I dropped it down to the 12 and picked up some speed. It is only a 46 so the gear isn't that massive. But I went from 10/10 to 20/20. It hurt. Wanted to stop, so i kept going. Dug down and just kept pushing through the burn. Esp with the headwind. The trailer + headwind kind of made even more delicious.
Headed up and over the red bridge, alternating the standing and sitting. Picked up the box and headed up the hill. We'll see what the legs are like on the way home.
So with the trailer and the old bike, i'm not going to be doing the smack down. maybe next week. maybe not.
maybe today was my last chance, but well... it is a chance that has slipped past.
Be what it may. I'll get back to real training sometime soon. The new school schedule means if i want to get even a short run in, shower and get everyone turned around I have to wake up at 5:30 and right now, right now that just isn't happening.
And unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've heard about the passing of one of the greats. Laurent Fignon. I came to realize the cycling thing a bit late. And by that time I had no measure of history to appreciate The Professor's career. Only that he was Lemond's nemesis. Heck I didn't even know about the Badger and Lemond until much later. I was new to the sport then. We all were new at some point. My entry point is likely later than most of my competitors and friends racing around here but, that was still a looooong fucking time ago. I'm some what ashamed to say I never held him with enough respect to name my pet fish after him. Hell I never had a pet fish, and my small animal pets were named after Edward Abby or Farley Mowat. Yeah. Those two figured far more prominently in my development than Greg and Laurent (around that time in the mid to late '80s).
I need some bits to hang on the Blue to really get excited about it. Right now, with too many unknowns as a far as where the parts are for it, I don't have a completion date so it is just a pretty frame decorating the office. nothing more. I have a parts list on a piece of scrap paper here by the keyboard with the list of what i need on it. pretty short damn list. waiting on the sponsor to get back with prices and availability for all the stuff.
There. Season is officially underway. I've registered for VT weekend and G-ster. 50th for sat, 49th for sunday. Field is already pretty large and i expect it to get much bigger. Now to see about lowering this crossresults ranking a bit more before then. Better register for Quad i suppose. Maybe i should do the 1/2/3 race for the points, Off the back and lapped three times still might get me more points. Just kidding. I'm racing "my" race. Gonna be fun. Last time at Quad I signed up for back to back races and bailed on the second one. Not doing the double this time. Hopefully I have learned from the past and won't be repeated the back to back race double anytime this season. But we will see. Plenty of time for me to do something predictably stupid.
heddwch
G
Monday, August 30, 2010
it is here
and since so many skeptics abound i had to get some photo proof. the horizon is messed up deliberately, for one person in particular.
But the top tube is horizontal... like it is supposed to be.
There is actually enough steer tube on there that with a massive rack of spacers I could use a normal 130mm stem, but still will try to find a 17° rise to reduce the amount of carbon flexing above the top headset bearing/leverage point.
Exciting. Very exciting.
now for parts...
Let me rant and let me ramble
Let me rant and let me ramble
Let me try and get a handle
On what's knocked me for a loop
Time to let the troops regroup
Recoup, relax, collect my thoughts
Retrace my tracks, connect the dots
It will take a while just to unscramble
Let me rant and let me ramble
Let me rant and let me ramble
Let me rant and let me ramble
fitting couple of bars from TMMB
Got a bunch of crap rattling around about bikes the season and all that stuff I normally babble about but no time to rant or ramble today.
Went from messenger bag to back pack for the first time this morning. picked one up on sale on Sat after the women's clinic (my daughter participated, I just hung out with Greg Wright and rode laps of the Wrentham MRC course) at the Mansfield LL Bean. Works pretty okay. After wed last week carrying too much (but all needed) stuff and tweaking my neck/upper back vertebrae (feels good today finally) it was time for a change. If I have to carry the laptop and clothes and shoes I think i can make it all fit in here, but barely, but at least it will be easier on the shoulder. Too many issues with that region this summer. An area running wont fix. Haven't run in what?Too long. Sigh. Oh well. Might try and get motivated tomorrow morning. We'll see.
I finally reg'd for VT weekend. The rusty race wagon made it to MRC and back. I have a vibration at speed, but I think I can attribute it to tires. Going to rotate to see if it changes and if it does i'll get em all spin balanced... hopefully that fixes it, would be a long drive to VT with a buzzing wheel. That said the car was wicked smooth in the engine/power side. I've got a rattle, I think it could be exhaust resonance or a motor mount or something that makes noise as the engine revs drop down to idle. Some stuff to figure out. Sun roof is leaking. i hate sunroofs. they kill the headroom for me, AND they always wind up leaking. Golf didn't have one, the new mini doesn't have one either.
Well this has been sitting. Just when I got on a roll rambling.
Save the ranting for later.
heddwch
G
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