Today was accomplish everything. Wanted to just keep sleeping, nope, gotta shuttle/ferry/transport. race home more transport. work the rest of the day. get home. cook dinner.
Finally decompress for a second, read what I wrote last night...
contemplate on it a bit more.
Off the cuff, like everything I write, it is spot on and I can't dissagree with it all. Maybe take away some emotion, put a filter or two back in place and it might have a different tone or might be missing a few sentences.
Only comment about that is one reacts they way they are treated and you think someone isn't reacting appropriately then well, it isn't their fault. Keep that in mind. They are reacting to you. You may not know have or any of the story behind why what you did triggered that response, but blaming them for your ignorance of the situation or potential reaction isn't going to help. Best to confront, acknowledge and file it away and not do it again.
Kind of standard life practice.
It is how I've been running core facilities for way many years. If you fuck something up, tell me, and tell me exactly what you did leading up to it, makes it easier to fix, helps me figure out how to keep it from happening again, maybe by changing trainings or signage or something. Break something the same way twice? Out. Cut off. No more using scopes. I'm happy to say i've never had to cut anyone off ever. Yes, I'm just rambling.
I pedaled today. Rode home from the bike shop. Tail wind. Was still slow. Tired. But even after all the running yesterday not sore. I was still thirsty and drank a good number of waterbottles, I think I did wind up sweating a lot yesteday between the racing and then the couple hours in the sun cleaning out the rusty race wagon.
Hey anyone want a TDI engine/motor with transmission for a project car? Body is a bit rusty but i've fixed and replaced most everything bolted to the motor. It is in good shape, honestly. We'll see hoping to get it sold soon. Hoping to finalize the rest of the reason why i have to sell it sooner than later.
Also debating attempting a pre-sale of nanoscape prints. But I've sucked every last productive minute (right now my brain is too fried to do much more than tell my fingers to get this shit out of my head and written down here) dealing with the swedish sled, legal priorities take precedence.
I'm definitely still wondering about the wisdom of signing up for the short handled shovel challenge. esp going into G'ster weekend. But my barely more sane brain says it won't matter and the fun will be worth every ounce of pain and stupidity.
Oh and one thing i've noticed. Spending less time talking about what's wrong and what's bugging you, is good. Removes that outlet to focus on the negative. Diminshes it. Kind of like at the end of 'The Son' actually very much like that. Keep the negativity starving, don't feed it. Unfortunately unlike the book it is beyond challenging to completely starve it to omission, might have been at one point, path chosen differently, but then I wouldn't be here. And here isn't so bad. Pretty damn good.
My evening decompression, writing, may be a bad habit, but it is better than many alternatives. But sitting and writing is also not doing anything, and there's so much to DO. Can't stop, haven't stopped, and as long as I can't afford Disc brakes i probably won't stop.
I'm liking the Garbage truck, it sucks but isn't terrible, it is heavy but isn't what is slowing me down, it isn't a pure SS bike neither is it a good CX bike, but it is the perfect SSCX bike in my mind. Not to take away from everyones wonderful fancy dedicated bikes... but it oddly makes me happy. Also: I think i ran too many PSI or have too much stans in the tubes/tubulars. I didn't add any air between Quad and Riverpoint to either the white blue or the garbage truck. Hahaha... oops. Kind of should get a digital pressure gauge... Someday. Gotta get new wash brushes first.
But the working my butt off just to make it work balance will have to tip into the 'yeah you can spend a couple bucks on that" before those happen.
Monday'll be here soon enough. City Tax office, Dentist then DMV. I've got myself the perfect day lined up! CAN'T WAIT!
heddwch
G
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
the stupid runs deep
fitting in every way no?
for me.
Okay what is GeWilli talking about now?
He's talking about having spent $50 (not including bike reg fees because colin and crew have to eat i guess) to do three races on Wednesday.
Yeah. Figure I'll channel my inner Abel. Since he can't be here this year and is stuck in Tacoma *shudder* well, someone's gotta be the slow guy trying to complete the challenge: https://www.bikereg.com/the-midnight-ride-of-cyclocross
click around you'll figure it out.
Today was Dude Smash here in RI. A race that's 20-60 min from my house depending on traffic (20 today, 60 to try and get there in the car for 5:30 w/traffic). The other option was to drive to White Park. From my house it is over 100 miles each way. Also. Dude Smash was free. And, in thinking about Wed night, the A race and the B race were back to back.
Finish first one on the fancy geared CX bike on a course where you need both the big and little rings and then grab The Garbage Truck and do the second race on that.
4 laps each race. I think actually SSCX was faster, but then on that course even being gassed 46x19 was probably pushing me more than having gears and well... it was what it was.
First lap with the layout for today and I was like: HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS IS WHAT CYCLOCROSS USED TO BE BEFORE PEOPLE DUMBED IT WAY THE FUCK DOWN!
It is brutally hard on a CX bike. A MTB is better/faster. And there's running, and climbing and stuff. There's no rest and there's people doing faceplants from inexperience because courses have been set to a low denominator.
Sleep in, feverishly make a couple breakfast sandwiches and coffee and load up the silver swedish sled and head over to the park. Awake to ready to race in under 2 hours. 90 min actually.
I was worried, it was a free race. No charge. Sign the waiver, line up and race.
I got three pre-ride laps in. I tried putting phone in ifitness holder thing in skinsuit and that didn't work. Did a lap and ditched it. some day i'll have metrics for races beyond PRE. Maybe. Probably not.
A race up first, B race next. 10am start, then 11am start. Back to back. Honestly no clue how long the races were planned to go.
Given the bit of changes and why the changes were needed and the whole personal convoluted story behind it... a story i could actually relate to better than I wish I could... well it was understandable. Also, given that I'm spending money i don't have hand over fist to try and replace the rusty race wagon, a close, free, race was so much appreciated. I was worred. Could I stay motivated for a free race? tl:dr answer: yes. I was able to.
Bobby Stine and co created a baller course. So, f'n hard. Yes White park is legit CX, and it cool, and pretty amazing. This place though? I dunno, roots at White Park were tire destroying and painful, the death cutes here at Riverpoint are scary as fuck but make you focus on skills and bike handling. Give and take. Too bad they were head to head. Not that I have the means to drive all the way to concord and pay for racing at the moment. Still debating racing PVD. $40 for SSCX? Really? ouch.
Anyway back to the course, after the first pre-ride i was SUPER STOKED this reminded me of the courses I got hooked on racing CX. Yeah I sucked at them but they were fun, challenging and addictive.
That said it was hot, it was dusty, and ouch. First race I had a great first lap, hung on to the fastest of the fast there... then recognized, hey dude you can't keep this up, and settled in. Still pushing as hard as I could but slowly losing ground to Amos every lap. But you know what? I'm okay with that. Amos is fast. I can only dream of being fast and you know what? I'm good with that. I do what I can do, I go as fast as I can go.
Will it be enough for Wed? We'll see
The heat got to me today. The heat and the running. SO MUCH RUNNING and so many dismounts racing on The Garbage Truck. 46x19 was way better than 44x17 there but I still had to run more than I did on the geared bike. Also tires are better on the white blue than the garbage truck (tubular vs clincher). But white blue rear is not long for the world. Maybe one more race? we'll see.
So racing back to back, in the heat and the dust, geared then super heavy SSCX. Ouch.
but way better than last year.
Mentally better than any year before.
coming to terms with it all.
but still - racing here vs up there kind of opened old wounds, and it hurt. But hey, people can't give a shit about me, they gotta do what's right for them and if I'm the one shit on? well, hey, at least I'm used to it. PTSD fades with time. Even the triggers soften with the years.
I'm super happy I was able to race BOTH races, actually race them. It was mostly survival, and i faded once per race, but It felt good being able to race both. Compared to last year when I started to race then finished just riding around feeling horrible and wishing things could go back to the way the were the year before, hey compared to that? it was pretty awesome.
I'm not fast. The Garbage truck is HEAVY and SLOW and omg my arms hurt more than anything else, but yes, my legs are shredded too.
Welcome back to GeWilli world. Good? yes. still bad? yes. Looking forward to the next two weeks? Yes.
NOT LOOKING FORWARD to the PVDCX rates. Wow. But maybe this year is the year people just say "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH NO MORE OVERPRICED RACES WITH SHITTY RACER EXPERIENCES" I will admit to wanting to have a race at Riverpoint Park the same days as PVD just to say hey, have fun, race CX for free. You don't need to be exploited.
but that's not terribly popular and i'm sure everything is well justified. But doing a SSCX race that costs $40 seems kind of sucky and wrong. I still might do it, but, man i'm going to be pissed about it. Def NOT racing the weekend. That's a no brainer. Soooooo many things that the money could be better spent on. And yes, i'm local, i could volunteer. work 8 hrs and get one race entry paid back (after and probably w/o Bikereg fees)? Yeah. No. I can work 8 hrs other places not at my job and make way more $$. But hey. They have the race, they set the rules, I'll support as i can, but supporting won't mean racing.
grumpy, obvs
but today's racing was incredible.
a reminder that CX is about racing, pushing yourself against others.
it is awesome, and feels right
Mikey F was correct. Duh.
Wed is going to be interesting
heddwch
G
for me.
Okay what is GeWilli talking about now?
He's talking about having spent $50 (not including bike reg fees because colin and crew have to eat i guess) to do three races on Wednesday.
Yeah. Figure I'll channel my inner Abel. Since he can't be here this year and is stuck in Tacoma *shudder* well, someone's gotta be the slow guy trying to complete the challenge: https://www.bikereg.com/the-midnight-ride-of-cyclocross
click around you'll figure it out.
Today was Dude Smash here in RI. A race that's 20-60 min from my house depending on traffic (20 today, 60 to try and get there in the car for 5:30 w/traffic). The other option was to drive to White Park. From my house it is over 100 miles each way. Also. Dude Smash was free. And, in thinking about Wed night, the A race and the B race were back to back.
Finish first one on the fancy geared CX bike on a course where you need both the big and little rings and then grab The Garbage Truck and do the second race on that.
4 laps each race. I think actually SSCX was faster, but then on that course even being gassed 46x19 was probably pushing me more than having gears and well... it was what it was.
First lap with the layout for today and I was like: HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS IS WHAT CYCLOCROSS USED TO BE BEFORE PEOPLE DUMBED IT WAY THE FUCK DOWN!
It is brutally hard on a CX bike. A MTB is better/faster. And there's running, and climbing and stuff. There's no rest and there's people doing faceplants from inexperience because courses have been set to a low denominator.
Sleep in, feverishly make a couple breakfast sandwiches and coffee and load up the silver swedish sled and head over to the park. Awake to ready to race in under 2 hours. 90 min actually.
I was worried, it was a free race. No charge. Sign the waiver, line up and race.
I got three pre-ride laps in. I tried putting phone in ifitness holder thing in skinsuit and that didn't work. Did a lap and ditched it. some day i'll have metrics for races beyond PRE. Maybe. Probably not.
A race up first, B race next. 10am start, then 11am start. Back to back. Honestly no clue how long the races were planned to go.
Given the bit of changes and why the changes were needed and the whole personal convoluted story behind it... a story i could actually relate to better than I wish I could... well it was understandable. Also, given that I'm spending money i don't have hand over fist to try and replace the rusty race wagon, a close, free, race was so much appreciated. I was worred. Could I stay motivated for a free race? tl:dr answer: yes. I was able to.
Bobby Stine and co created a baller course. So, f'n hard. Yes White park is legit CX, and it cool, and pretty amazing. This place though? I dunno, roots at White Park were tire destroying and painful, the death cutes here at Riverpoint are scary as fuck but make you focus on skills and bike handling. Give and take. Too bad they were head to head. Not that I have the means to drive all the way to concord and pay for racing at the moment. Still debating racing PVD. $40 for SSCX? Really? ouch.
Anyway back to the course, after the first pre-ride i was SUPER STOKED this reminded me of the courses I got hooked on racing CX. Yeah I sucked at them but they were fun, challenging and addictive.
That said it was hot, it was dusty, and ouch. First race I had a great first lap, hung on to the fastest of the fast there... then recognized, hey dude you can't keep this up, and settled in. Still pushing as hard as I could but slowly losing ground to Amos every lap. But you know what? I'm okay with that. Amos is fast. I can only dream of being fast and you know what? I'm good with that. I do what I can do, I go as fast as I can go.
Will it be enough for Wed? We'll see
The heat got to me today. The heat and the running. SO MUCH RUNNING and so many dismounts racing on The Garbage Truck. 46x19 was way better than 44x17 there but I still had to run more than I did on the geared bike. Also tires are better on the white blue than the garbage truck (tubular vs clincher). But white blue rear is not long for the world. Maybe one more race? we'll see.
So racing back to back, in the heat and the dust, geared then super heavy SSCX. Ouch.
but way better than last year.
Mentally better than any year before.
coming to terms with it all.
but still - racing here vs up there kind of opened old wounds, and it hurt. But hey, people can't give a shit about me, they gotta do what's right for them and if I'm the one shit on? well, hey, at least I'm used to it. PTSD fades with time. Even the triggers soften with the years.
I'm super happy I was able to race BOTH races, actually race them. It was mostly survival, and i faded once per race, but It felt good being able to race both. Compared to last year when I started to race then finished just riding around feeling horrible and wishing things could go back to the way the were the year before, hey compared to that? it was pretty awesome.
I'm not fast. The Garbage truck is HEAVY and SLOW and omg my arms hurt more than anything else, but yes, my legs are shredded too.
Welcome back to GeWilli world. Good? yes. still bad? yes. Looking forward to the next two weeks? Yes.
NOT LOOKING FORWARD to the PVDCX rates. Wow. But maybe this year is the year people just say "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH NO MORE OVERPRICED RACES WITH SHITTY RACER EXPERIENCES" I will admit to wanting to have a race at Riverpoint Park the same days as PVD just to say hey, have fun, race CX for free. You don't need to be exploited.
but that's not terribly popular and i'm sure everything is well justified. But doing a SSCX race that costs $40 seems kind of sucky and wrong. I still might do it, but, man i'm going to be pissed about it. Def NOT racing the weekend. That's a no brainer. Soooooo many things that the money could be better spent on. And yes, i'm local, i could volunteer. work 8 hrs and get one race entry paid back (after and probably w/o Bikereg fees)? Yeah. No. I can work 8 hrs other places not at my job and make way more $$. But hey. They have the race, they set the rules, I'll support as i can, but supporting won't mean racing.
grumpy, obvs
but today's racing was incredible.
a reminder that CX is about racing, pushing yourself against others.
it is awesome, and feels right
Mikey F was correct. Duh.
Wed is going to be interesting
heddwch
G
Saturday, September 12, 2015
The FrankenBike aka Garbage Truck
IS ALIVE!
45 min this morning maddly digging through parts drawers here at GeWilli central, uncovered enough shit to make a frameset with a crankset raceable tomorrow.
And holy shit that was fun. Sure I could have been building bikes and making money but Sometimes you just have to have fun.
Building this beast was cool. Deano stopped by, chatted with him, Don and Paul were both at the same incredulous and kind of respectful at the same time.
Why? WHY DO IT?
Why not? I mean I had all the stuff just laying around. I did spend an extra 20 min looking for the matching Dura Ace aero brake lever, never found it. So settled for the pair of Ultegra 600 levers with the white hoods.
Yes, i used dirty planet bike red tape on the bars. I used the rear brakes i bought for this bike when I ordered it in '98. They suck and required modficaction to make work with the wider clincher rim. But with the travel agent... they actually fucking work. It is like i knew what i was doing... WTF?
Front brake was cobbled together. Drive train?
I found an 8sp new hyperglide shimano chain in the drawer. Still has original packing wax on it.
Front ring is 46 tooth left over on the Dura ace 7401 180mm crank. Put a 19t cog on the SS wheel that I was given out of the dumpster. And took the alloy sealed bearing pullies off an OG Deore XT (pre XTR) rear der, and spaced out a 9sp D/A rear dear so the 8sp chain would roll through using those alloy pullies and tension the chain.
Had to swap in a new lower limit screw to get enough travel to lock it in place. But I cannot shift and I have one gear and well... fuck the haters. This shit is legit.
So i built the bike. Tweeted about it. Then came home and rode it.
I've talked about how much this bike rides like a garbage truck. How bad it handles. But I have to say. It was a fucking blast tonight. Maybe it was the tires, the bars, the hoods, the fact that i had more fun building it and digging the parts out than I should have.
This is CX.
This garbage truck.
It is an abomination. Driving home I kind of though I should race for slips. Anyone who finishes behind this stupid bike with fancy tubies and disc brakes automatically forfeits it. But that's lame and bullshit and so bro brah d'bag racing culture that it bugs me but still, while blatently wrong there's some kind of something to racing junk and being the best. Not that I have any hope of beating anyone in the SSCX race. And I don't care. I'll race SSCX just to fuck with my crossresults points. Because Fuck those points. They are accurate as fuck and absolutely brilliant. But also, i'm never going to win so staring 10th row or 2nd row? Whatever. Out of the money don't matter.
This bike kind of was the turning point maybe.
Myette is totally to credit... first... then Spencer and little guy Matt on the pod cast... and finally that shower.
No narrow wide on this thing. Nothing special. Sort of the antithesis of special.
FFS IT HAS CLINCHERS WITH TUBES...
MOTHERFUCKING TUBES AND SHIT. BUTYL TUBES EVEN!!!! HFS!
The other two bikes are ready. Pit bike and white bike. If it is wet black bike gives up the tubeless Rocket Rons and well, we hope we don't need to switch over and ride the bald PDX's.
Tomorrow is a mullet. Business upfront. Then You know what? PAHTAY! AKA SSCX. So yeah. Lobby Ted to let me in the race tomorrow if you see him.
This is all predicated on hoping my rusty race wagon makes it there...
Have I totally jibed from that CX is the new MTB post? Emotionally? Yes. But steadfastly holding true to sentiment and observations, just kind of hoping people realize how dumb it is to blow car loads of cash on bikes that give them marginal or better gains while sucking the souls out of the sport. Too obvious and bitter there? Meh. It is Saturday night. Long Hammers are long gone.
Take 5 tomorrow
heddwch
G
45 min this morning maddly digging through parts drawers here at GeWilli central, uncovered enough shit to make a frameset with a crankset raceable tomorrow.
And holy shit that was fun. Sure I could have been building bikes and making money but Sometimes you just have to have fun.
Building this beast was cool. Deano stopped by, chatted with him, Don and Paul were both at the same incredulous and kind of respectful at the same time.
Why? WHY DO IT?
Why not? I mean I had all the stuff just laying around. I did spend an extra 20 min looking for the matching Dura Ace aero brake lever, never found it. So settled for the pair of Ultegra 600 levers with the white hoods.
Yes, i used dirty planet bike red tape on the bars. I used the rear brakes i bought for this bike when I ordered it in '98. They suck and required modficaction to make work with the wider clincher rim. But with the travel agent... they actually fucking work. It is like i knew what i was doing... WTF?
Front brake was cobbled together. Drive train?
I found an 8sp new hyperglide shimano chain in the drawer. Still has original packing wax on it.
Front ring is 46 tooth left over on the Dura ace 7401 180mm crank. Put a 19t cog on the SS wheel that I was given out of the dumpster. And took the alloy sealed bearing pullies off an OG Deore XT (pre XTR) rear der, and spaced out a 9sp D/A rear dear so the 8sp chain would roll through using those alloy pullies and tension the chain.
Had to swap in a new lower limit screw to get enough travel to lock it in place. But I cannot shift and I have one gear and well... fuck the haters. This shit is legit.
So i built the bike. Tweeted about it. Then came home and rode it.
I've talked about how much this bike rides like a garbage truck. How bad it handles. But I have to say. It was a fucking blast tonight. Maybe it was the tires, the bars, the hoods, the fact that i had more fun building it and digging the parts out than I should have.
This is CX.
This garbage truck.
It is an abomination. Driving home I kind of though I should race for slips. Anyone who finishes behind this stupid bike with fancy tubies and disc brakes automatically forfeits it. But that's lame and bullshit and so bro brah d'bag racing culture that it bugs me but still, while blatently wrong there's some kind of something to racing junk and being the best. Not that I have any hope of beating anyone in the SSCX race. And I don't care. I'll race SSCX just to fuck with my crossresults points. Because Fuck those points. They are accurate as fuck and absolutely brilliant. But also, i'm never going to win so staring 10th row or 2nd row? Whatever. Out of the money don't matter.
This bike kind of was the turning point maybe.
Myette is totally to credit... first... then Spencer and little guy Matt on the pod cast... and finally that shower.
No narrow wide on this thing. Nothing special. Sort of the antithesis of special.
FFS IT HAS CLINCHERS WITH TUBES...
MOTHERFUCKING TUBES AND SHIT. BUTYL TUBES EVEN!!!! HFS!
The other two bikes are ready. Pit bike and white bike. If it is wet black bike gives up the tubeless Rocket Rons and well, we hope we don't need to switch over and ride the bald PDX's.
Tomorrow is a mullet. Business upfront. Then You know what? PAHTAY! AKA SSCX. So yeah. Lobby Ted to let me in the race tomorrow if you see him.
This is all predicated on hoping my rusty race wagon makes it there...
Have I totally jibed from that CX is the new MTB post? Emotionally? Yes. But steadfastly holding true to sentiment and observations, just kind of hoping people realize how dumb it is to blow car loads of cash on bikes that give them marginal or better gains while sucking the souls out of the sport. Too obvious and bitter there? Meh. It is Saturday night. Long Hammers are long gone.
Take 5 tomorrow
heddwch
G
Friday, September 11, 2015
Flags at half mast today
I certainly will never forget this day way back when.
But the date didn't click until mid-day or so. Riding in I saw the squantum club's big flag at half mast and I didn't immediately grasp the significance of it.
A day to remember indeed, my memories are no where what many people I know went through. Friends who were there, friends who lost loved ones or were separated.
I watched from afar like most of the world. On TV, with co-workers. We walked over to the Student center at Central Michigan U and watched with students faculty and staff all on one TV. After who knows how long being riveted to the TV we went down to food services there, bought coffee and sat down heavily and really didn't say much, just trying to absorb the situation. We went back up, paused at the TV a bit longer then headed to our respective offices. The U shut down after lunch. Security concerns.
A day that I can re-live almost moment by moment.
But our lives went on, forever changed, but we moved forward.
But the date didn't click until mid-day or so. Riding in I saw the squantum club's big flag at half mast and I didn't immediately grasp the significance of it.
A day to remember indeed, my memories are no where what many people I know went through. Friends who were there, friends who lost loved ones or were separated.
I watched from afar like most of the world. On TV, with co-workers. We walked over to the Student center at Central Michigan U and watched with students faculty and staff all on one TV. After who knows how long being riveted to the TV we went down to food services there, bought coffee and sat down heavily and really didn't say much, just trying to absorb the situation. We went back up, paused at the TV a bit longer then headed to our respective offices. The U shut down after lunch. Security concerns.
A day that I can re-live almost moment by moment.
But our lives went on, forever changed, but we moved forward.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Friday, September 04, 2015
CX is the new MTB
byron (seattle guy, aka bike hugger guy) mentioned something about velonews calling $5200 cx bike base level or something and then someone (or him) remembering the time when there were two production model CX bikes and they were cheap and affordable. And they were totally competitive.
On one of my jaunts on the bike today it kind of saddly clicked. In a very scary fashion.
It all fell into place.
Maybe i'm biased by having my ass handed to me by some guy who was riding wheels more expensive than my whole bike on a frame i could have purchased three of mine for. All aero.
Different guy demonstrated that Rapha shorts have massively exceissve seat padding, obs not for pedaling but for sitting on ones arse after/before/instead of riding while wearing said company clothing.
The bike disparity has been hitting me more and more.
EVERYONE has disc brake models. EVERYONE has some level of thru-axles. Because it is soooo dumb to have disc brakes w/o thru-axles.
But it goes beyond that. Well beyond that.
No longer can we build a competitive bike with shit we have laying around. Now to clarify, pro's can ride whatever the fuck and still win if they are the best. The equipment doesn't matter at their level. But holy fuck it matters at mine. In the broad spectrum of horribly sucking to at my best barely passabley mediocre. I think i spelled something wrong but i don't give a shit because the realization has been haunting me all afternoon.
The realization that disc brake CX bikes are making the sport no different than MTB. Like trying to show up at a CX race with a v-brake equiped 26" wheel bike and 8 speed grip shift. There's NO fucking way, unless you're just an absolute top level 0.01% freak that you're not going to suffer due to equipment.
I'm scared to say but I can recognize it as fact and truth. Those who have, have suddenly changed the most niche sport of inclusivity.
It has jumped the shark.
Problem is. There's no where else to go.
Problem is I love this thing so much, much like the smackdown rides that I show up on absolutely categorically disadvantageous equipment, I still show up. I get my ass kicked, completely.
I KNOW for a fact that if my bike weighed 18 pounds instead of 24, and I had wheels anywhere near beaing able to call aero with carbon rims I'd probably have no trouble hanging with the fastest on this particular ride. Would I still get dropped by them? Yeah most certainly but I wouldn't lose sight of them on a climb. They wouldn't be doubling back to wait for me.
CX is turning into that. And I fear more than anything that this year, and based on the signs and push from the marketing and selfies (even if it doesn't include the self your own stuff counts as selfie) that this is the watershed year.
Man i hope i'm wrong. And I regret not backing the old jackasses who argued against Disc brakes in CX. I think though my persepctive now is different. My objection is not the same and if it is, then my hat is off to them and I will capitualte and take it back. But I'm worried. Honestly.
And I'm sad.
Is Track the only place left? No they f'd that up when deep section carbon wheels and stupid expensive special hand laid carbon frames were making the difference there too.
Where to go after this. SSCX? Is that any different? Nope. Hate to say it but absolutely not. It isn't any different at all. At. All.
I've been shut out of one discipline I love due to cost of equipment (yeah I'm a dirt bag mt biker at heart, not that anyone would ever be able to tell). Seriously. I don't hate MTB'n around here. I just hate MTBing with anyone else around here, because I'm the only one this ancient shit that doesn't work like their fancy new stuff does.
It does come down to sacrifices and in Steph's words: "The choices i've made" but i'm here, as a result of them, and can only reflect on how it all affects me.
I can't even begin to sell my car (It is still for sale and needs to be gone soon) for what it would cost to buy the cheapest set of carbon tubulars wheels I can find.
Constantly bombarded by how out of place I am in 'this' sport. How alienated it all makes me feel. Like being the townie surrounded by summer folk and not being the townie that has any charisma to save their butt. That.
But pull back a minute and reflect and remember Mike's narrative.
People who don't do it, don't quite understand it.
People who do, know, intrinsically, as soon as you try it you are hooked on it.
Once you race cross, it is hard not to
that's still a driving mantra, a force.... a bit of spark inside.
it still feels true.
There is still so much more to the sport than brakes, or carbon frames or thru-axles.
But there's no quesiton money can buy you a much bigger advantage now than when I discovered it (wickked late fwiw in '97).
Things change.
Sometimes drastically, sometimes glacially.
Random musings. Spurred by reading.
Jarred by the massive gulf between writing styles, despite both authors being brilliant and creating fantastically solid story lines. The words flow differently. Lois Lowry's style is like a river, flowing rushing brilliantly efficient pace but at the same time like the water, so smooth, there are not edges, the changes and twists but they flow so well together. Brilliant wordsmithing. I waited 4-5 months for Son (2012) that's an eternity on Library hold. But I waited longer for other books. Less time for Station Eleven. A completely different meter, style, flow. Abrubt changes, jarring, but brilliantly so, well crafted and I owe a deep debt of grattituted to Eva Hoffman, so if any of you know an Eva who works for Boston's head start program reviewn grants and stuff, let her know I'm indebted for her reccomendation.
Time to retire with the book, reading... alone time...
some day maybe I'll write something worthy of reading.
heddwch
G
On one of my jaunts on the bike today it kind of saddly clicked. In a very scary fashion.
It all fell into place.
Maybe i'm biased by having my ass handed to me by some guy who was riding wheels more expensive than my whole bike on a frame i could have purchased three of mine for. All aero.
Different guy demonstrated that Rapha shorts have massively exceissve seat padding, obs not for pedaling but for sitting on ones arse after/before/instead of riding while wearing said company clothing.
The bike disparity has been hitting me more and more.
EVERYONE has disc brake models. EVERYONE has some level of thru-axles. Because it is soooo dumb to have disc brakes w/o thru-axles.
But it goes beyond that. Well beyond that.
No longer can we build a competitive bike with shit we have laying around. Now to clarify, pro's can ride whatever the fuck and still win if they are the best. The equipment doesn't matter at their level. But holy fuck it matters at mine. In the broad spectrum of horribly sucking to at my best barely passabley mediocre. I think i spelled something wrong but i don't give a shit because the realization has been haunting me all afternoon.
The realization that disc brake CX bikes are making the sport no different than MTB. Like trying to show up at a CX race with a v-brake equiped 26" wheel bike and 8 speed grip shift. There's NO fucking way, unless you're just an absolute top level 0.01% freak that you're not going to suffer due to equipment.
I'm scared to say but I can recognize it as fact and truth. Those who have, have suddenly changed the most niche sport of inclusivity.
It has jumped the shark.
Problem is. There's no where else to go.
Problem is I love this thing so much, much like the smackdown rides that I show up on absolutely categorically disadvantageous equipment, I still show up. I get my ass kicked, completely.
I KNOW for a fact that if my bike weighed 18 pounds instead of 24, and I had wheels anywhere near beaing able to call aero with carbon rims I'd probably have no trouble hanging with the fastest on this particular ride. Would I still get dropped by them? Yeah most certainly but I wouldn't lose sight of them on a climb. They wouldn't be doubling back to wait for me.
CX is turning into that. And I fear more than anything that this year, and based on the signs and push from the marketing and selfies (even if it doesn't include the self your own stuff counts as selfie) that this is the watershed year.
Man i hope i'm wrong. And I regret not backing the old jackasses who argued against Disc brakes in CX. I think though my persepctive now is different. My objection is not the same and if it is, then my hat is off to them and I will capitualte and take it back. But I'm worried. Honestly.
And I'm sad.
Is Track the only place left? No they f'd that up when deep section carbon wheels and stupid expensive special hand laid carbon frames were making the difference there too.
Where to go after this. SSCX? Is that any different? Nope. Hate to say it but absolutely not. It isn't any different at all. At. All.
I've been shut out of one discipline I love due to cost of equipment (yeah I'm a dirt bag mt biker at heart, not that anyone would ever be able to tell). Seriously. I don't hate MTB'n around here. I just hate MTBing with anyone else around here, because I'm the only one this ancient shit that doesn't work like their fancy new stuff does.
It does come down to sacrifices and in Steph's words: "The choices i've made" but i'm here, as a result of them, and can only reflect on how it all affects me.
I can't even begin to sell my car (It is still for sale and needs to be gone soon) for what it would cost to buy the cheapest set of carbon tubulars wheels I can find.
Constantly bombarded by how out of place I am in 'this' sport. How alienated it all makes me feel. Like being the townie surrounded by summer folk and not being the townie that has any charisma to save their butt. That.
But pull back a minute and reflect and remember Mike's narrative.
People who don't do it, don't quite understand it.
People who do, know, intrinsically, as soon as you try it you are hooked on it.
Once you race cross, it is hard not to
that's still a driving mantra, a force.... a bit of spark inside.
it still feels true.
There is still so much more to the sport than brakes, or carbon frames or thru-axles.
But there's no quesiton money can buy you a much bigger advantage now than when I discovered it (wickked late fwiw in '97).
Things change.
Sometimes drastically, sometimes glacially.
Random musings. Spurred by reading.
Jarred by the massive gulf between writing styles, despite both authors being brilliant and creating fantastically solid story lines. The words flow differently. Lois Lowry's style is like a river, flowing rushing brilliantly efficient pace but at the same time like the water, so smooth, there are not edges, the changes and twists but they flow so well together. Brilliant wordsmithing. I waited 4-5 months for Son (2012) that's an eternity on Library hold. But I waited longer for other books. Less time for Station Eleven. A completely different meter, style, flow. Abrubt changes, jarring, but brilliantly so, well crafted and I owe a deep debt of grattituted to Eva Hoffman, so if any of you know an Eva who works for Boston's head start program reviewn grants and stuff, let her know I'm indebted for her reccomendation.
Time to retire with the book, reading... alone time...
some day maybe I'll write something worthy of reading.
heddwch
G
Thursday, September 03, 2015
damn that bike still sucks as a road bike
Solo dad for Labor Day weekend, and lead to complications for making pedaling work tonight.
My Tuesday shenanigans totally kicked my ass. Totally. Ouch. And Wed morning pushing as hard as I could, tasting blood riding into the wind with the trailer trying to catch one of the Marks and get to the department retreat in the AM was still lingering in my legs. Didn't help that I had a few beers at the retreat and one or two at my brother's on the way home (picking up eggs) and then one while cooking dinner (who doesn't cook with beer). The couple extras probably didn't help the recovery combined with a sleepless wife on the eve of her big trip to Anaheim and WDL. I was a zombie today.
But having to drop wife off at Train station meant driving in. Means no pedaling. UNLESS.
Unless I figure out how to get a ride in while kid 2 is at soccer, at a location kind of mid-point of the Derdowski smackdown loop. Thinking about calling it the Derdowski loop from now on. Because it was his design.
Bailey, damn crazy fast mofo bailey, he brings the smack to the smackdown. Just as MLFN envisioned. Hopefully more of the fast locals like Jules and Alex and big Tom will come out and test their neo-pro level legs against Bailey. I'm not worthy but then again, I'm trying to stay with him carrying an extra 25 pounds, 12 years and with a bike cost deficit in the thousands of dollars. I just hope his Roval's don't fold under him like Adamn Sullivan's did.
English David was there, I wonder if he puts embro on those hairy Rapha legs. He spins and was kicking my but bit he's again one of those kids.
That white bike in CX set up is a f'n HUGE liability. But Fuck it.
Better prepared this week than last time I tried to join and failed. Rode backwards and hooked up at Woodward. The crew was thin. But I still managed to tag in for most of the ride. Bailey kept waiting for us. very nice of him. I guess waiting beats riding alone. Andrew managed to ITT from the start (he got there 2 min late) and caught Fox on Hillside. Fox was not in good shape, doc meds made him feel better but he still rode like a sick dude. Good for a while, aka at his potential, then whoops yeah over-extended body not ready.
I survived but only by the grace of Bailey. But I got some insanely at the limit intervals of blood tasting painful pedaling. So that's good. And I got back in time to get kid home from soccer practice. Of course real feel today was 100F yeah. Legit. Super humid and gross and hot.
Got home, did dishes, made dinner, kids sleeping.
Waiting for BB30 bearings to arrive. Still just have the one bike functional. Even though wheel issue is solved it just means I don't need to change clinchers over from wheel to wheel. Yet.
It was a good thing to hear that other people have problem counting intervals when they are doing them hard enough. I'm not alone.
Hence my 20/20 intervals are all done via iPod Playlists. Using an ancient iPod i won. If it wasn't for free stuff I'd have no stuff. Or rocks or sometimes some people may remeber bits of green tape i cut and put on bar to remove after each interval. Or start of interval, and I probably confused that then too and did more or less than intended.
But hey. Life is crazy. I'm crazy. I wish I could have made it to Riverpoint to see friends i rarely see outside of CXy season. But it was a good day.
I'd love to head out to Elliston, take Gnarly Monkey up on the request to announce, but man, 6 hours, with the kids, and the dogs, and then where do we stay and LABOR DAY WEEKEND! And work. I can probably still squeek in a few more bike builds before the head cheese says NO MORE PAYCHECKFORYOU.
Life is crazy, but not terrible. I've finally started reading again. Need to catch up on allthese books I've had holds on for 6+ months that finally are coming due. First up is station eleven. Damn this is good. Mentally challenging to read but i'm very thank ful for the amazing reccomendation from a very bright young woman who I sat with on the train back from Zeiss HQ in may. Not sure the degrees of separation but her sister is dating a CX racer, or was, they all live in Boston. Odds are there's less than 6. Even with the random conncetion.
But hey, I'm reading again. Four books to chew through very quickly. I didn't wait all this time to have to wait again did i?
Time for some recovery sleep (after I read until i fall asleep holding the water damaged tablet from work - that needs to be replaced) .
But hey USAC's timing was great. I hadn't registered yet, and took advantage of discount. Now i have liscense all year and can race Nationals (hopefully). Chainring and drive train have been ordered for the black blue, not sure if i have enough cogs to do a portland porcupine, or if i'll just toss a handfull of the cog of choice and call it good. New Der for the white blue, that 105 will move over to the black blue because the ultergra (6700 10sp) der is f'n DESTROYED.
Parts be shifting. Running wide rime with clincher tube for SSCX (for the like four SSCX races i'll do). Oh and yes, Chip, I will race in the orange jumpsuit for enough beer. How much? We'll see.
Time to stop writing, time to start reading. The dogs want me to go up to sleep so they can settle down.
heddwch
G
My Tuesday shenanigans totally kicked my ass. Totally. Ouch. And Wed morning pushing as hard as I could, tasting blood riding into the wind with the trailer trying to catch one of the Marks and get to the department retreat in the AM was still lingering in my legs. Didn't help that I had a few beers at the retreat and one or two at my brother's on the way home (picking up eggs) and then one while cooking dinner (who doesn't cook with beer). The couple extras probably didn't help the recovery combined with a sleepless wife on the eve of her big trip to Anaheim and WDL. I was a zombie today.
But having to drop wife off at Train station meant driving in. Means no pedaling. UNLESS.
Unless I figure out how to get a ride in while kid 2 is at soccer, at a location kind of mid-point of the Derdowski smackdown loop. Thinking about calling it the Derdowski loop from now on. Because it was his design.
Bailey, damn crazy fast mofo bailey, he brings the smack to the smackdown. Just as MLFN envisioned. Hopefully more of the fast locals like Jules and Alex and big Tom will come out and test their neo-pro level legs against Bailey. I'm not worthy but then again, I'm trying to stay with him carrying an extra 25 pounds, 12 years and with a bike cost deficit in the thousands of dollars. I just hope his Roval's don't fold under him like Adamn Sullivan's did.
English David was there, I wonder if he puts embro on those hairy Rapha legs. He spins and was kicking my but bit he's again one of those kids.
That white bike in CX set up is a f'n HUGE liability. But Fuck it.
Better prepared this week than last time I tried to join and failed. Rode backwards and hooked up at Woodward. The crew was thin. But I still managed to tag in for most of the ride. Bailey kept waiting for us. very nice of him. I guess waiting beats riding alone. Andrew managed to ITT from the start (he got there 2 min late) and caught Fox on Hillside. Fox was not in good shape, doc meds made him feel better but he still rode like a sick dude. Good for a while, aka at his potential, then whoops yeah over-extended body not ready.
I survived but only by the grace of Bailey. But I got some insanely at the limit intervals of blood tasting painful pedaling. So that's good. And I got back in time to get kid home from soccer practice. Of course real feel today was 100F yeah. Legit. Super humid and gross and hot.
Got home, did dishes, made dinner, kids sleeping.
Waiting for BB30 bearings to arrive. Still just have the one bike functional. Even though wheel issue is solved it just means I don't need to change clinchers over from wheel to wheel. Yet.
It was a good thing to hear that other people have problem counting intervals when they are doing them hard enough. I'm not alone.
Hence my 20/20 intervals are all done via iPod Playlists. Using an ancient iPod i won. If it wasn't for free stuff I'd have no stuff. Or rocks or sometimes some people may remeber bits of green tape i cut and put on bar to remove after each interval. Or start of interval, and I probably confused that then too and did more or less than intended.
But hey. Life is crazy. I'm crazy. I wish I could have made it to Riverpoint to see friends i rarely see outside of CXy season. But it was a good day.
I'd love to head out to Elliston, take Gnarly Monkey up on the request to announce, but man, 6 hours, with the kids, and the dogs, and then where do we stay and LABOR DAY WEEKEND! And work. I can probably still squeek in a few more bike builds before the head cheese says NO MORE PAYCHECKFORYOU.
Life is crazy, but not terrible. I've finally started reading again. Need to catch up on allthese books I've had holds on for 6+ months that finally are coming due. First up is station eleven. Damn this is good. Mentally challenging to read but i'm very thank ful for the amazing reccomendation from a very bright young woman who I sat with on the train back from Zeiss HQ in may. Not sure the degrees of separation but her sister is dating a CX racer, or was, they all live in Boston. Odds are there's less than 6. Even with the random conncetion.
But hey, I'm reading again. Four books to chew through very quickly. I didn't wait all this time to have to wait again did i?
Time for some recovery sleep (after I read until i fall asleep holding the water damaged tablet from work - that needs to be replaced) .
But hey USAC's timing was great. I hadn't registered yet, and took advantage of discount. Now i have liscense all year and can race Nationals (hopefully). Chainring and drive train have been ordered for the black blue, not sure if i have enough cogs to do a portland porcupine, or if i'll just toss a handfull of the cog of choice and call it good. New Der for the white blue, that 105 will move over to the black blue because the ultergra (6700 10sp) der is f'n DESTROYED.
Parts be shifting. Running wide rime with clincher tube for SSCX (for the like four SSCX races i'll do). Oh and yes, Chip, I will race in the orange jumpsuit for enough beer. How much? We'll see.
Time to stop writing, time to start reading. The dogs want me to go up to sleep so they can settle down.
heddwch
G
Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Poorman's Powercrank intervals tonight were Periously Puketastic
aka one legged pedaling drills.
but not just on any bike, on the bike towing a trailer.
Three sets. Ten full power strokes. with each leg, alternate. No idea how many but i did the same number on each side. So there's that. at least. And I did it three times to failure on the ride home.
It is interesting to focus on the quad making power vs the whole leg smooth thing. And odd but not surprising recognition that I favor making smooth power all the way around to pure stompy quad power on the downstroke.
But then when I do focus on pure stompy downstroke quad power i surprise myself. Yes I know. I'm a terrilbly athlete.... and even worse as a competitive cyclist. But I'm me.
Can't be more than Me. Like me no like me, I can't worry about that, never really have (lies) but I am me. Getting slowly more comfortable. Which is good after all these years.
I feel good. I put running shoes in the trailer on the way in. I was waffling, trying to find places i could do a running workout on the way in. Nothing long or steep enough.... Was going to bail. But then I didn't. I laced up my NB and went out and did some hills. But because I suck at counting w/o physical stress I absolutely fail in interval situations. But hey. I know this.
So.
Before I start the first interval I find 9 rocks. I put three rocks on three bricks. One for each interval. 3x3. Do three then rest a minute, then three... finished.
A couple years ago we (me and some kid that got me to pedal faster than I thought I could) did these three with a slow med all out pacing. Today I said fuck it... focus on form, muscle activation and consistency (in other words doing them all slow).
Did one. Came back and removed a rock. Did a second and forgot if i was removing the rocks from the line up as I started or as I finished.
So after doing the second one I removed the second rock and did a third. Only to come back and start the fourth by removing the third rock.
I'm so [not] smart. Who can fuck up doing intervals with physical counters and get it wrong? Me. At least I got it wrong in the way that hurt me more. #9 (even if i thought it was #8) was so painful. But then There were to bro dudes walking down the hill, skeptical 'bro' dudes wearing salmon shorts but not like me wearing salmon shorts aka fucking skin tight and stuff, they were all baggy, like they skipped leg day every day, #typical, but those two 'bros' were enough to get me to focus on form and leg speed and totally make it completely impossible to walk up the stairs after I finished the final interval. So F'those guys. It really hurt making it the rest of the way up Meeting street today. Walking. Ouch.
But despite totally being ready to not do it, I did it. We'll see if DOMS sets in. I'm wagering based on how today felt, probably not. I think the extra core [aka working for my brother] has made a difference.
But that makes a late morning workout that almost made me puke, and an evening ride home that almost made me puke a double workout day.
Did I just make my annual new drivetrain parts order today? Yes. Did I just take advantage of the USAC 2 year license? yup did that too. Spending all the money [i don't have]. But hey think of the discount and the savings!!! Oh... wait....
So yeah. to Save money you have to spend money. SO if you don't ever spend money are you saving money?
AKA me, the guy riding dumpster wheels. Seriously. No Joke. But hopefully soon I'll have a new chain and two functioning bikes. And maybe a SSCX bike.
But as we all know. You can have the most super fly girl equipment and not beable to pedal out of a yurt with laser pointer guidance. I'll make do with what I have and it will be enough.
So tomorrow, on the ride to the dept retreat, I'm gonna drag the trailer because, fuck that noise it is going to be hot and I don't want to wear the backpack and i need the extra KJs draggin the load.
Also... fwiw The November bike guys have been impressing me with the marketing tact they are taking. Intelligent, informative, no bullshit no fluf, just straight up legit testing, reporting, and selling stuff they absolutely believe in. Kind of cool I think. Totally and completely like our tall freak friend running SCVelo and his wheel packages. Specific, tailored and based on years of wheel building experience. I only have enough experience to recognize that these two are absolutely crushing it demonstratably. Plenty of other good people doing good shit out there But ask me and you'll know why my unbiased, uninfluenced response will be. Also don't get me started about how smug I am about Zipp finally ditching the moronicly dumb and absolutely insane radial drive side hubs.
Different topic. Different day.
Now sleep or something. AKA no more screen time. Unwind time.
Heddwch
G
but not just on any bike, on the bike towing a trailer.
Three sets. Ten full power strokes. with each leg, alternate. No idea how many but i did the same number on each side. So there's that. at least. And I did it three times to failure on the ride home.
It is interesting to focus on the quad making power vs the whole leg smooth thing. And odd but not surprising recognition that I favor making smooth power all the way around to pure stompy quad power on the downstroke.
But then when I do focus on pure stompy downstroke quad power i surprise myself. Yes I know. I'm a terrilbly athlete.... and even worse as a competitive cyclist. But I'm me.
Can't be more than Me. Like me no like me, I can't worry about that, never really have (lies) but I am me. Getting slowly more comfortable. Which is good after all these years.
I feel good. I put running shoes in the trailer on the way in. I was waffling, trying to find places i could do a running workout on the way in. Nothing long or steep enough.... Was going to bail. But then I didn't. I laced up my NB and went out and did some hills. But because I suck at counting w/o physical stress I absolutely fail in interval situations. But hey. I know this.
So.
Before I start the first interval I find 9 rocks. I put three rocks on three bricks. One for each interval. 3x3. Do three then rest a minute, then three... finished.
A couple years ago we (me and some kid that got me to pedal faster than I thought I could) did these three with a slow med all out pacing. Today I said fuck it... focus on form, muscle activation and consistency (in other words doing them all slow).
Did one. Came back and removed a rock. Did a second and forgot if i was removing the rocks from the line up as I started or as I finished.
So after doing the second one I removed the second rock and did a third. Only to come back and start the fourth by removing the third rock.
I'm so [not] smart. Who can fuck up doing intervals with physical counters and get it wrong? Me. At least I got it wrong in the way that hurt me more. #9 (even if i thought it was #8) was so painful. But then There were to bro dudes walking down the hill, skeptical 'bro' dudes wearing salmon shorts but not like me wearing salmon shorts aka fucking skin tight and stuff, they were all baggy, like they skipped leg day every day, #typical, but those two 'bros' were enough to get me to focus on form and leg speed and totally make it completely impossible to walk up the stairs after I finished the final interval. So F'those guys. It really hurt making it the rest of the way up Meeting street today. Walking. Ouch.
But despite totally being ready to not do it, I did it. We'll see if DOMS sets in. I'm wagering based on how today felt, probably not. I think the extra core [aka working for my brother] has made a difference.
But that makes a late morning workout that almost made me puke, and an evening ride home that almost made me puke a double workout day.
Did I just make my annual new drivetrain parts order today? Yes. Did I just take advantage of the USAC 2 year license? yup did that too. Spending all the money [i don't have]. But hey think of the discount and the savings!!! Oh... wait....
So yeah. to Save money you have to spend money. SO if you don't ever spend money are you saving money?
AKA me, the guy riding dumpster wheels. Seriously. No Joke. But hopefully soon I'll have a new chain and two functioning bikes. And maybe a SSCX bike.
But as we all know. You can have the most super fly girl equipment and not beable to pedal out of a yurt with laser pointer guidance. I'll make do with what I have and it will be enough.
So tomorrow, on the ride to the dept retreat, I'm gonna drag the trailer because, fuck that noise it is going to be hot and I don't want to wear the backpack and i need the extra KJs draggin the load.
Also... fwiw The November bike guys have been impressing me with the marketing tact they are taking. Intelligent, informative, no bullshit no fluf, just straight up legit testing, reporting, and selling stuff they absolutely believe in. Kind of cool I think. Totally and completely like our tall freak friend running SCVelo and his wheel packages. Specific, tailored and based on years of wheel building experience. I only have enough experience to recognize that these two are absolutely crushing it demonstratably. Plenty of other good people doing good shit out there But ask me and you'll know why my unbiased, uninfluenced response will be. Also don't get me started about how smug I am about Zipp finally ditching the moronicly dumb and absolutely insane radial drive side hubs.
Different topic. Different day.
Now sleep or something. AKA no more screen time. Unwind time.
Heddwch
G
Sunday, August 30, 2015
A good day
You all know I have issues with my birthday. But today? Was a good day.
my plan for 200k kind of vanished by sleeping in, but hey SLEEPING IN!
And having no one to ride with meant I COULD LEAVE WHENEVER I WANTED (aka sleep in)
I thought about lots of people, it was a good day, thought very little about myself. I rode my bike
I explored. I didn't check the phone too often for directions. I got where I wanted to go.
Instagram or Strava can tell you the details and show you the photos.
came home, showered, went to the store, made dinner. Having one last beer then going to bed early.
The lack of coffee finally drove me out of bed. Came down to find the kids had made pop-overs, coffee and were just starting to make some eggs to make me a breakfast sandwich (using the pop-overs). The two sandwiches were amazing BTW. So good. They messed up the coffee a little, but there was coffee when I came down and the second il Primo batch was ready when I finished the first one.
Mt Hope bridge. Fuck. That. Bridge. Ugh. I will freely admit to having an illogical fear of bridges and heights. Maybe growing up crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge in VW vans as a kid was a big part of it. Watching the steering wheel being held 45 degrees off center until we hit the center supports quick correct then back to 45. Scary as SHIT sitting in the front seat. For me. Not fun.
But I survived. Sakonnet was good. The point was super cool. Elephant rock being saved by a guy asking if I was a racer, we talked and he invited me into his house (for sale $3 mill) across the street from the ocean. Pretty damn kick ass location for a '60s era decorated house. He let me fill my two small empty water bottles (even gave me ice) and gave me a banana "perfect ride fuel" Micheal made a difference today for me. I wasn't sure what would have happened. One thing is - there were ZERO stores once I got out of Tiverton. Which actually was a great thing. THe roads were killer and awesome. But when it was that hot and sweat is dripping off your face all day, and you only bring two small bottles of water? Ooops. Not so good. But he saved my butt. Ran out of water just before the Sakonnet bridge return but I figured less than 20 miles or so, I can make it w/o water. I did. Only a couple pounds under starting ride weight.
it was a good day.
Realized that not only do I share a birthday with Shawn M, but also that crazy Alex G. Both of them are younger by a good shot than I am though. SO no, not twins. But maybe we'll stage an 8 30 club shot one of these weekends this fall "twin towers and the leprecaun"
And i'm tired. Despite sleeping in. I'm tired. Evidence maybe of the 13 day work week and three jobs plus being the only cook and bottle washer in this place. Making it work though.
Making it work.
Nothing tells you more than those who don't make an effort to say happy birthday. Even an email/text makes a difference, even if I hate the birthday. Is okay. Everyone has their struggles.
I just drag mine around with me... training right?
Be good, do good, make a difference. This is all ya got, don't be an asshole.
heddwch
G
my plan for 200k kind of vanished by sleeping in, but hey SLEEPING IN!
And having no one to ride with meant I COULD LEAVE WHENEVER I WANTED (aka sleep in)
I thought about lots of people, it was a good day, thought very little about myself. I rode my bike
I explored. I didn't check the phone too often for directions. I got where I wanted to go.
Instagram or Strava can tell you the details and show you the photos.
came home, showered, went to the store, made dinner. Having one last beer then going to bed early.
The lack of coffee finally drove me out of bed. Came down to find the kids had made pop-overs, coffee and were just starting to make some eggs to make me a breakfast sandwich (using the pop-overs). The two sandwiches were amazing BTW. So good. They messed up the coffee a little, but there was coffee when I came down and the second il Primo batch was ready when I finished the first one.
Mt Hope bridge. Fuck. That. Bridge. Ugh. I will freely admit to having an illogical fear of bridges and heights. Maybe growing up crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge in VW vans as a kid was a big part of it. Watching the steering wheel being held 45 degrees off center until we hit the center supports quick correct then back to 45. Scary as SHIT sitting in the front seat. For me. Not fun.
But I survived. Sakonnet was good. The point was super cool. Elephant rock being saved by a guy asking if I was a racer, we talked and he invited me into his house (for sale $3 mill) across the street from the ocean. Pretty damn kick ass location for a '60s era decorated house. He let me fill my two small empty water bottles (even gave me ice) and gave me a banana "perfect ride fuel" Micheal made a difference today for me. I wasn't sure what would have happened. One thing is - there were ZERO stores once I got out of Tiverton. Which actually was a great thing. THe roads were killer and awesome. But when it was that hot and sweat is dripping off your face all day, and you only bring two small bottles of water? Ooops. Not so good. But he saved my butt. Ran out of water just before the Sakonnet bridge return but I figured less than 20 miles or so, I can make it w/o water. I did. Only a couple pounds under starting ride weight.
it was a good day.
Realized that not only do I share a birthday with Shawn M, but also that crazy Alex G. Both of them are younger by a good shot than I am though. SO no, not twins. But maybe we'll stage an 8 30 club shot one of these weekends this fall "twin towers and the leprecaun"
And i'm tired. Despite sleeping in. I'm tired. Evidence maybe of the 13 day work week and three jobs plus being the only cook and bottle washer in this place. Making it work though.
Making it work.
Nothing tells you more than those who don't make an effort to say happy birthday. Even an email/text makes a difference, even if I hate the birthday. Is okay. Everyone has their struggles.
I just drag mine around with me... training right?
Be good, do good, make a difference. This is all ya got, don't be an asshole.
heddwch
G
Saturday, August 29, 2015
And then the wave recedes
Takes work, but mostly it is like it is described here:
This wave is different. I would be okay if it would stop. But other than that spot on. Very accurate description.
Photo/link here: http://www.thatericalper.com/2015/08/16/person-is-asking-for-advice-hn-how-to-deal-with-grief-this-reply-is-incredible/ via ErikV former blogger? maybe coming back? http://www.erikv.com/blog/ perhaps?
Today started out rough (obvs from post this AM) took until after talking with my brother, then getting fed up with stinky sump trap and fixed that (Made Don go to Home depot to get a proper check valve) YAY I'M A PLUMBER and then we had a few beers after work together.
And I rode home w/o a big black cloud over my head.
Talked with Paul about the route for tomorrow. Got that ironed out.
Still sad and depressed about the fact that as usual with this day this time of year most people can't make it work, all legit reasons. But I'm okay with riding alone. I've got a plan, pro suggestions as to how to proceeed. Do I have a route? NOPE. FUCK NO. Actually part of the plan. Gonna cross the Mt Hope bridge [scary] then the sakonnet [yay bike path/lane] and do some of the endless loop variations down on those sections.... hit the mileage mark and head home. Re-fuel whereever or not. Tempting to just load up with cliff bars and say fuck making my own food.
Def looking forward to a day with the phone on airplane mode, good thing it is old and shitty, can't ride all day and actually use it as a phone if i want to record the ride. Blessings of being broke and making shit just work until it no work no more.
Dinner... cooking. Simple. Salad with chicken. Kid 1 actually had similar idea w/o my input and had started making the salad part of dinner before I got home.
Chicken is cooking (thighs, because, well while breasts are fun to think about and play with the thighs are really the best part, mmmm hamstring curve).
Salad dressing is made because only fools purchase salad dressing (yes - that's some judgement there f'it).
And no it ain't just some simple boring plain jane oil and vinegar mixed up. #kitchenscience
Still have to prep for tomorrow. Dinner first then prep. Then get shit together. Then maybe sleep. Unlike last night.
Yes, CX doesn't need a 200k ride. But I do.
heddwch
G
This wave is different. I would be okay if it would stop. But other than that spot on. Very accurate description.
Photo/link here: http://www.thatericalper.com/2015/08/16/person-is-asking-for-advice-hn-how-to-deal-with-grief-this-reply-is-incredible/ via ErikV former blogger? maybe coming back? http://www.erikv.com/blog/ perhaps?
Today started out rough (obvs from post this AM) took until after talking with my brother, then getting fed up with stinky sump trap and fixed that (Made Don go to Home depot to get a proper check valve) YAY I'M A PLUMBER and then we had a few beers after work together.
And I rode home w/o a big black cloud over my head.
Talked with Paul about the route for tomorrow. Got that ironed out.
Still sad and depressed about the fact that as usual with this day this time of year most people can't make it work, all legit reasons. But I'm okay with riding alone. I've got a plan, pro suggestions as to how to proceeed. Do I have a route? NOPE. FUCK NO. Actually part of the plan. Gonna cross the Mt Hope bridge [scary] then the sakonnet [yay bike path/lane] and do some of the endless loop variations down on those sections.... hit the mileage mark and head home. Re-fuel whereever or not. Tempting to just load up with cliff bars and say fuck making my own food.
Def looking forward to a day with the phone on airplane mode, good thing it is old and shitty, can't ride all day and actually use it as a phone if i want to record the ride. Blessings of being broke and making shit just work until it no work no more.
Dinner... cooking. Simple. Salad with chicken. Kid 1 actually had similar idea w/o my input and had started making the salad part of dinner before I got home.
Chicken is cooking (thighs, because, well while breasts are fun to think about and play with the thighs are really the best part, mmmm hamstring curve).
Salad dressing is made because only fools purchase salad dressing (yes - that's some judgement there f'it).
And no it ain't just some simple boring plain jane oil and vinegar mixed up. #kitchenscience
Still have to prep for tomorrow. Dinner first then prep. Then get shit together. Then maybe sleep. Unlike last night.
Yes, CX doesn't need a 200k ride. But I do.
heddwch
G
Suprised myself
by not deleting it. made a few editorial changes, probably messed with the flow a but.
time to coffee up and go to work.
Endurance is easy. You just go ride. And ride. And ride.
Something like that.
The 16th kind of bothers me a bit looking at it but that was the day I got to go sailing with my mother. Three days left in the month... A fair number of hours on the bike. But most of those hours are lower intensity, riding to work. At CX practice I made an effort to do two back to back hard laps then cool down literally (it was hot) get some water, then do it again. And a few of the days on the commute were tortorous slogs.
But even though I know I need to get them in I haven't managed to do the intervals that I know I need. Accountability? To who, motivation? Obviously lacking. I'm excited about CX, anxious a bit, should be motivation enough. Right now I'm motivated to get in as much extra work as I can before it dries up and goes away.
Strava says I hit the 4000 mile mark for the year yesterday. Not a ton of miles, less than some years, but many more than last year. It'll be interesting to see what those numbers are at the end of the year. wondering how to track CX races (I didn't last year), I kind of want to but we'll see how that works, can't really race with a phone.
Enough introspection. Man I'm a trainwreck. Time to go build some bikes.
heddwch
G
time to coffee up and go to work.
Endurance is easy. You just go ride. And ride. And ride.
Something like that.
The 16th kind of bothers me a bit looking at it but that was the day I got to go sailing with my mother. Three days left in the month... A fair number of hours on the bike. But most of those hours are lower intensity, riding to work. At CX practice I made an effort to do two back to back hard laps then cool down literally (it was hot) get some water, then do it again. And a few of the days on the commute were tortorous slogs.
But even though I know I need to get them in I haven't managed to do the intervals that I know I need. Accountability? To who, motivation? Obviously lacking. I'm excited about CX, anxious a bit, should be motivation enough. Right now I'm motivated to get in as much extra work as I can before it dries up and goes away.
Strava says I hit the 4000 mile mark for the year yesterday. Not a ton of miles, less than some years, but many more than last year. It'll be interesting to see what those numbers are at the end of the year. wondering how to track CX races (I didn't last year), I kind of want to but we'll see how that works, can't really race with a phone.
Enough introspection. Man I'm a trainwreck. Time to go build some bikes.
heddwch
G
Friday, August 28, 2015
four years... and a day
since shit went wrong, and have mostly corrected themselves.
but when the person who derails the one thing you'd staked claim to as a pivotal point a point that you were going to use as a positive turning anchor. You know you've got one shot, get the line around that point so you can swing back on track. You can see what you need to do, you absolutely know it will work.... and then you throw the line and it connects. Fuck yeah, this will be good.
Someone comes along and cuts the line from that side. Smiling and saying, hey, why aren't you happy for me? I'm kind of arbitarirly taking this day and claiming it. Have fun drifting off into depression and darkness, oh and you understand why i'm doing this for me, right?
Taking literary license is always my thing right? Maybe not so much there. Too literal. They say truth makes better stories than fiction.
but when the person who derails the one thing you'd staked claim to as a pivotal point a point that you were going to use as a positive turning anchor. You know you've got one shot, get the line around that point so you can swing back on track. You can see what you need to do, you absolutely know it will work.... and then you throw the line and it connects. Fuck yeah, this will be good.
Someone comes along and cuts the line from that side. Smiling and saying, hey, why aren't you happy for me? I'm kind of arbitarirly taking this day and claiming it. Have fun drifting off into depression and darkness, oh and you understand why i'm doing this for me, right?
Taking literary license is always my thing right? Maybe not so much there. Too literal. They say truth makes better stories than fiction.
side track
a deviation...
I saw the photo talked about here in this article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kos-crisis-the-story-behind-the-photograph-of-a-syrian-father-shared-by-thousands-online-10461933.html
on someone's facebook post...
There's emotion and power in the photo, certainly he's wearing an expensive watch, but that may be the most valuable thing he owns anymore. Can you imagine what that father must feel?
Now that isn't really what I wanted to side track to... what I wanted to say here. No. But it was the catalyst. There's no black box here, I don't hide shit from everyone, acknowledging inspriation is important. Esp when they are people...
I've been thinking a bit about the gun issue in the country.
Sure, some tighter regulations could be in effect. But someone said, in an unrelated topic that I can't remember exactly where. But. It comes down to how we treat people.
I think the that man who's name means fart in the UK catalysed it for many people. He's just mean, he's an asshole and people like that. They want an excuse to be mean. This is cultural.
Look at the drivers out there. They don't give a shit about pedestrians, cyclists or other drivers. DON'T SLOW ME DOWN! GET OUT OF MY WAY.
The ones that make me most surprised are the people with the equal stickers on their car. I guess equal only means if you feel equal or the special group of friends you care about are equal, not the other people you're bullying with your car.
The culture here is pretty sick. Look at the disregard for science.
Who said it "people feel safer with a gun than with health care"? I don't know, could probably search and find it but that's kind of it too.
There's still a great amount of goodness here. But the idea that you can exploit and captialize at will as long as you benefit and call it capitalism is pretty much ingrained.
Lobbiests. Hey you know what, lets spend a shit ton of money to try and make sure these health insurance companies can keep making massive profits.
I guess another comment I saw today: It no longer impactst the US economy when the Stock Market tanks, because really it is only there as a retirement for most people and then numbers say just over half of the US population owns stocks and they are, yup, tied up in retirement accounts. Do they impact daily spending? Nope.
Decoupled.
So this gun thing, look at the police shootings, their culture is such that they've had to devalue lives they are supposed to protect, except they find the only lives they seem worth protecting are their own anymore. Yes there are still, like this country, plenty of good officers, those who don't demonstrate it. But they seem to be a silent majority even if they are a majority.
Like the voting population who doesn't vote because they don't like any of the candidates. or who don't think it matters.
Total train wreck post here, all over the place but more like a puzzle that needs work to put together but you can see maybe what it is supposed to look like jsut enough to understand, hopefully.
I wish it was an easy fix. I hope it doesn't get worse. But what will it take? A billion people logged into that face place in a 24hr peroid this week. A BILLION. And what are they doing? are enough of them making a difference? Not 'round this country it seems.
I'm certainly probably misrepresnting frustrations, misdirecting blame. But I hate to say it but I don't think our problem is with guns as much as it is that people more and more just don't give a shit about anyone who isn't exactly like them. Jokes about the worst part of moving is aleinating another set of neighbors. That's this country. How physically isolated can I get yet still remain connected.
Yes, lets celebrate everyone, lets stop being negative towards introverts, but at the same time, lets not use that as an excuse to keep from pushing the envelop of comfort and lets interact with other humans and maybe have an emotional moment of empathy or sympathy or caring. On the bike you can interact. You're almost FORCED to interact. In a car? You can't really interact with anyone else. And people like that. "MY SPACE" "you on the outside, i'm going ignore you and pretend this thin bit of window glass is creating a totally silent enclosure and that I can't hear you trying to ask why i almost killed you with my car. "
The car? is that it is that the thread that weaves this together? I think it might. I think potentially there's a good philosophy thesis in there somewhere. We drive past stuff, sure it looks bad but it isn't us. No matter what. But take that car away, then what. You have to WALK past that. You have to ride your bike past it. You aren't sheilded from the smell, the sounds, the words. You can put earphones in but you can't hide from the heat. from the cold. from the neglected roads.
And you have to interact. People's actions directly impact you. Yes you have to make sure you don't put yourself in the way of a bus or a truck, but they are big. Keep your head up.
And never pass anyone w/o asking if they need help, esp when they look like they might. How hard is that? Even if you can't offer much if anything, that simple jesture of asking, can't really be done in the car. It used to be done in the car. There was a time when no one had means to communicate with anyone else while they were driving. So when you broke down, people actually stopped to help. ALL THE TIME. No one EVER does anymore. They just assume you've called for help on your cell phone and are playing facebook games or scrolling through instagram while waiting for roadside assistance.
That isolation from the car culture is worse here in the US than most other places i'm guessing. It isn't the only thing wrong but I see a connecting thread and I know I'm probably doing the idea injustice by trying to get it out of my head, but maybe it is there.
We're a country of desensitized bullies. Behind the wheel of car, pointing a gun at someone, anchor babies, anti-assylum, anti-abortion, anti-healthcare.
bottom line:
We are all people. We are all important. We all belong to this world. We all belong to each other.
is that... we need to care for eachother, we need each other...
make a difference, even if it is just on a small scale... simple gestures create ripples...ripples can make waves and waves can make changes.
I'm going for a walk,
heddwch
G
I saw the photo talked about here in this article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kos-crisis-the-story-behind-the-photograph-of-a-syrian-father-shared-by-thousands-online-10461933.html
on someone's facebook post...
I've been seeing a lot of Donald Trump, which I *really* don't understand, but whatever. I can skip right over that xenophobic racist misogynist without even a second thought.I'm sure you can find the original source if you want to (emphasis is mine).
I've also been seeing a lot of anti-abortion commentary on my Newsfeed. Not sure why that's suddenly seeing such a big uptick, and that's a little harder for me to skip right over, but I do because I can accept that what I believe is not what everybody believes.
And? Lots of commentary about "illegals" and immigrants and "we should get rid of 'anchor baby' legislation,' which is even harder for me to skip over because people are people to me, no matter where they come from, and the idea that I should hate somebody merely because they were born somewhere other than where I was born is bizarro world to me.
I aim for peace in my Facebook world, so I hide the stuff I find especially questionable and move on with my day. But, you know, this morning while drinking my coffee and perusing my favorite news sites - typically the sites with slightly less troll behavior in the comments - I came across this picture.
It quite literally stopped my breath.
So here's what I have to say right now.
Don't talk to me about the sanctity of life if in the next breath you can start foaming at the mouth about "illegals" and the horrors they bring with them. Don't talk to me about what's "right" if in the next breath you can tell me what's "wrong" with so much hatred in your voice it chills me to my very core. Do not EVEN with your religion and values and morality speeches if you believe the people greeting this man and his children on the shore should push them back to sea.
We do not know this kind of desperation. We do not know this kind of fear. We do not understand what it is to live in a country so torn by war and devastation that we are willing to take our children and the clothes on our backs into a boat, risking our very lives, in the hope of finding safety. In the hopes of finding a place where our children can go to school without fear of a bomb crashing through the roof and play outside without being killed where they stand. WE DO NOT KNOW.
These are people, just like us, and how dare we - how freaking DARE we - deem them Less Than because they are not "ours." We are all people. We are all important. We all belong to this world. We all belong to each other.
So, don't. Just don't. And if you have a problem with me saying any of this, it's okay. We're allowed to disagree. But if it's THAT much of a problem then unfriend me. Do it now. Because if you could look this man in the eye and push him back to sea? I'm not sure I even want to know you anyway.
(photo credit Daniel Etter)
There's emotion and power in the photo, certainly he's wearing an expensive watch, but that may be the most valuable thing he owns anymore. Can you imagine what that father must feel?
Now that isn't really what I wanted to side track to... what I wanted to say here. No. But it was the catalyst. There's no black box here, I don't hide shit from everyone, acknowledging inspriation is important. Esp when they are people...
I've been thinking a bit about the gun issue in the country.
Sure, some tighter regulations could be in effect. But someone said, in an unrelated topic that I can't remember exactly where. But. It comes down to how we treat people.
I think the that man who's name means fart in the UK catalysed it for many people. He's just mean, he's an asshole and people like that. They want an excuse to be mean. This is cultural.
Look at the drivers out there. They don't give a shit about pedestrians, cyclists or other drivers. DON'T SLOW ME DOWN! GET OUT OF MY WAY.
The ones that make me most surprised are the people with the equal stickers on their car. I guess equal only means if you feel equal or the special group of friends you care about are equal, not the other people you're bullying with your car.
The culture here is pretty sick. Look at the disregard for science.
Who said it "people feel safer with a gun than with health care"? I don't know, could probably search and find it but that's kind of it too.
There's still a great amount of goodness here. But the idea that you can exploit and captialize at will as long as you benefit and call it capitalism is pretty much ingrained.
Lobbiests. Hey you know what, lets spend a shit ton of money to try and make sure these health insurance companies can keep making massive profits.
I guess another comment I saw today: It no longer impactst the US economy when the Stock Market tanks, because really it is only there as a retirement for most people and then numbers say just over half of the US population owns stocks and they are, yup, tied up in retirement accounts. Do they impact daily spending? Nope.
Decoupled.
So this gun thing, look at the police shootings, their culture is such that they've had to devalue lives they are supposed to protect, except they find the only lives they seem worth protecting are their own anymore. Yes there are still, like this country, plenty of good officers, those who don't demonstrate it. But they seem to be a silent majority even if they are a majority.
Like the voting population who doesn't vote because they don't like any of the candidates. or who don't think it matters.
Total train wreck post here, all over the place but more like a puzzle that needs work to put together but you can see maybe what it is supposed to look like jsut enough to understand, hopefully.
I wish it was an easy fix. I hope it doesn't get worse. But what will it take? A billion people logged into that face place in a 24hr peroid this week. A BILLION. And what are they doing? are enough of them making a difference? Not 'round this country it seems.
I'm certainly probably misrepresnting frustrations, misdirecting blame. But I hate to say it but I don't think our problem is with guns as much as it is that people more and more just don't give a shit about anyone who isn't exactly like them. Jokes about the worst part of moving is aleinating another set of neighbors. That's this country. How physically isolated can I get yet still remain connected.
Yes, lets celebrate everyone, lets stop being negative towards introverts, but at the same time, lets not use that as an excuse to keep from pushing the envelop of comfort and lets interact with other humans and maybe have an emotional moment of empathy or sympathy or caring. On the bike you can interact. You're almost FORCED to interact. In a car? You can't really interact with anyone else. And people like that. "MY SPACE" "you on the outside, i'm going ignore you and pretend this thin bit of window glass is creating a totally silent enclosure and that I can't hear you trying to ask why i almost killed you with my car. "
The car? is that it is that the thread that weaves this together? I think it might. I think potentially there's a good philosophy thesis in there somewhere. We drive past stuff, sure it looks bad but it isn't us. No matter what. But take that car away, then what. You have to WALK past that. You have to ride your bike past it. You aren't sheilded from the smell, the sounds, the words. You can put earphones in but you can't hide from the heat. from the cold. from the neglected roads.
And you have to interact. People's actions directly impact you. Yes you have to make sure you don't put yourself in the way of a bus or a truck, but they are big. Keep your head up.
And never pass anyone w/o asking if they need help, esp when they look like they might. How hard is that? Even if you can't offer much if anything, that simple jesture of asking, can't really be done in the car. It used to be done in the car. There was a time when no one had means to communicate with anyone else while they were driving. So when you broke down, people actually stopped to help. ALL THE TIME. No one EVER does anymore. They just assume you've called for help on your cell phone and are playing facebook games or scrolling through instagram while waiting for roadside assistance.
That isolation from the car culture is worse here in the US than most other places i'm guessing. It isn't the only thing wrong but I see a connecting thread and I know I'm probably doing the idea injustice by trying to get it out of my head, but maybe it is there.
We're a country of desensitized bullies. Behind the wheel of car, pointing a gun at someone, anchor babies, anti-assylum, anti-abortion, anti-healthcare.
bottom line:
We are all people. We are all important. We all belong to this world. We all belong to each other.
is that... we need to care for eachother, we need each other...
make a difference, even if it is just on a small scale... simple gestures create ripples...ripples can make waves and waves can make changes.
I'm going for a walk,
heddwch
G
Thursday, August 27, 2015
old phone hitting the wall
just like everything else in my life i suppose.
can't connect to computer as USB storage device with cables I have, or phone is just good enough with the micro USB for charging. As a result the card is full and the internal storage ain't much better.
so i've not been photo documenting as much as I want lately.
can't connect to computer as USB storage device with cables I have, or phone is just good enough with the micro USB for charging. As a result the card is full and the internal storage ain't much better.
so i've not been photo documenting as much as I want lately.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Drive so good
Here's the deal. I'm a terrible bike handler, can't turn, can't do much of anything good. Or at least fast (enough). But.
I can say the bike makes a huge difference.
Riverpoint Park CX these last two weeks have been insanely fun. Bike has been absolutely perfect. The only time i've had issues were from not carrying enough speed into the off camber up hill 180, or stalling in some super deep loam and falling over because the bike just completely stopped.
The super scary PRO level down hills? No problem. And yes, most of these downhills make NoHo's pro only section look pretty tame. Hate to compare because terrain dictates course but man this place is CRAZY. Fun.
And intimidating. The sections that scared me at first I don't even think about now. The sections that really bothered me, fuck it roll through. There's that big square concrete light post base that still is kind of worrysome but that's it.
Riverpoint is legit.
Cool thing, if that scary stuff just overwhelms you mentally? Go ride the grass sections, it isn't any easier but it is flat and you can work on your cornering and sprinting out of corners and stuff.
Tonight was an intro two laps, then a couple hot laps, get some water cool down, couple more hot laps, make sure crashing people are okay, more hot laps, final hot lap where i fell over in slo-mo trying to ride the long stone stair run up.
Does this place have it all? Yes. Is it tight? Yes. Is it well suited for 200 rider fields? Not so much. But is it world cup CX ready? Assuming we can get the camera positions sorted, absofuckinglutely.
Do we 'race'? Nope. Do we chase each other and push each other for a couple laps in a row? Absofuckinglutely.
Does it cost money? Nope.
Should you be there if you're w/in a 45 min drive? no question. It will make you a better cyclist.
Bike position. It is crazy how fucking slow i feel on this bike on the road. But then those super gnar downhills or the tight twisty shit or the deep motherfucking sand. The Roots. So absolutely in control it is just this weird feeling. I just wish the bike didn't weigh 23 pounds. But then I'm a pound over 200 lately... yeah but i still fit in 34" pants so i don't think it is ALL fat weight. Maybe the core work is actually working.
I felt at the limit aerobically but then I haven't been racing and have only been chasing Eian. Time for some intervals i guess. January is a long way off. But the season starts soon.
Clincher wheels are sorted out. Picked up two rears, used one tonight with total success. The other will likely get the clincher and become a dedicated SSCX wheel, and since it is nearly as wide as the commuter wheel that's actually an ideal thing.
Front Tubular sorted. That fell into place today and I now have an alloy mud set of wheels (that still need to be all glued up and stuff). So we play the game of which race will the Zipp's break a spoke in this year. And we play the game of 'at what point will i wear through the braking surface' but i have to say despite the rear wheel riding like a sponge and flexing/winding up more than any wheel i've ever owned (okay the 200 was worse) they've done well, as a race only CX only wheelset. They certainly shave some weight off the White Blue. But those PDS tires are pretty much slicks at this point, or more functionally acting like a fango. Kind of wish i had my S-Works baldy tires for the clincers. I loved those things (my fault - it is true - don't loan anything you want to get back). Wish i could get them back. Oh well. My OG gen 1 racing ralph clincers are pretty close to slicks with good side knobs. They are what i've been riding at Riverpoint. Riverpoint don't care what tire you bring. You're fucked with knobs or w/o knobs. It teaches you to drive the bike and go with what's there and push it as hard as you can.
It is still way hot, too hot to do more than two laps without overcooking. If we had to do a whole race in this heat we'd all have to dial it back a bit. I'm heat acclimated, more than most, I can deal with it and I still overheat in CX. I can dial it back but I can't go at the limit that CX demands. MTB for a couple hours? No problem. CX at the sprinty 2 lap max pace? It isn't easy.
But it is fun.
There's no rest at Riverpoint. Unless you just give up and say fuck it i'm going slow now. Which you can do if you want to and no one is going to be negative. Why? because the people who are doing this thing. Who've poured themselves into it... they are good people. They are supportive people. They aren't assholes, they aren't wealthy, they know having something that doesn't cost anything with this level return is huge. they get the struggle, and they care.
Good people deserve support. How do you support when it doesn't cost money to participate weekly? You show up early, you stick around late, you sign up for Dude Smash and make a vote for the most technical course in the USA. Yeah Pretty much after hearing from people who've raced globally comment on this course that Bobby Stine and Corey have set out, it is not just tough for NECX, or USA, it is tough for the world. Holy week with the Beard is gonna be AWWWWWWESOME.
So yeah. We'll maybe see you at Dude Smash. Or not. You have a choice. Life is full of them.
Okay - i'm still in kit, still covered in dirt. But dinner is in my belly and kid 2 is tucked in.
Time to wrap it up and scrub out the black powder dirt.
I think they only way that place will not be super soft is if it is actively raining. Too much drainage otherwise.
Train in August, don't race CX in August. ALso. anyone up for all day ride on Sunday?
heddwch
G
I can say the bike makes a huge difference.
Riverpoint Park CX these last two weeks have been insanely fun. Bike has been absolutely perfect. The only time i've had issues were from not carrying enough speed into the off camber up hill 180, or stalling in some super deep loam and falling over because the bike just completely stopped.
The super scary PRO level down hills? No problem. And yes, most of these downhills make NoHo's pro only section look pretty tame. Hate to compare because terrain dictates course but man this place is CRAZY. Fun.
And intimidating. The sections that scared me at first I don't even think about now. The sections that really bothered me, fuck it roll through. There's that big square concrete light post base that still is kind of worrysome but that's it.
Riverpoint is legit.
Cool thing, if that scary stuff just overwhelms you mentally? Go ride the grass sections, it isn't any easier but it is flat and you can work on your cornering and sprinting out of corners and stuff.
Tonight was an intro two laps, then a couple hot laps, get some water cool down, couple more hot laps, make sure crashing people are okay, more hot laps, final hot lap where i fell over in slo-mo trying to ride the long stone stair run up.
Does this place have it all? Yes. Is it tight? Yes. Is it well suited for 200 rider fields? Not so much. But is it world cup CX ready? Assuming we can get the camera positions sorted, absofuckinglutely.
Do we 'race'? Nope. Do we chase each other and push each other for a couple laps in a row? Absofuckinglutely.
Does it cost money? Nope.
Should you be there if you're w/in a 45 min drive? no question. It will make you a better cyclist.
Bike position. It is crazy how fucking slow i feel on this bike on the road. But then those super gnar downhills or the tight twisty shit or the deep motherfucking sand. The Roots. So absolutely in control it is just this weird feeling. I just wish the bike didn't weigh 23 pounds. But then I'm a pound over 200 lately... yeah but i still fit in 34" pants so i don't think it is ALL fat weight. Maybe the core work is actually working.
I felt at the limit aerobically but then I haven't been racing and have only been chasing Eian. Time for some intervals i guess. January is a long way off. But the season starts soon.
Clincher wheels are sorted out. Picked up two rears, used one tonight with total success. The other will likely get the clincher and become a dedicated SSCX wheel, and since it is nearly as wide as the commuter wheel that's actually an ideal thing.
Front Tubular sorted. That fell into place today and I now have an alloy mud set of wheels (that still need to be all glued up and stuff). So we play the game of which race will the Zipp's break a spoke in this year. And we play the game of 'at what point will i wear through the braking surface' but i have to say despite the rear wheel riding like a sponge and flexing/winding up more than any wheel i've ever owned (okay the 200 was worse) they've done well, as a race only CX only wheelset. They certainly shave some weight off the White Blue. But those PDS tires are pretty much slicks at this point, or more functionally acting like a fango. Kind of wish i had my S-Works baldy tires for the clincers. I loved those things (my fault - it is true - don't loan anything you want to get back). Wish i could get them back. Oh well. My OG gen 1 racing ralph clincers are pretty close to slicks with good side knobs. They are what i've been riding at Riverpoint. Riverpoint don't care what tire you bring. You're fucked with knobs or w/o knobs. It teaches you to drive the bike and go with what's there and push it as hard as you can.
It is still way hot, too hot to do more than two laps without overcooking. If we had to do a whole race in this heat we'd all have to dial it back a bit. I'm heat acclimated, more than most, I can deal with it and I still overheat in CX. I can dial it back but I can't go at the limit that CX demands. MTB for a couple hours? No problem. CX at the sprinty 2 lap max pace? It isn't easy.
But it is fun.
There's no rest at Riverpoint. Unless you just give up and say fuck it i'm going slow now. Which you can do if you want to and no one is going to be negative. Why? because the people who are doing this thing. Who've poured themselves into it... they are good people. They are supportive people. They aren't assholes, they aren't wealthy, they know having something that doesn't cost anything with this level return is huge. they get the struggle, and they care.
Good people deserve support. How do you support when it doesn't cost money to participate weekly? You show up early, you stick around late, you sign up for Dude Smash and make a vote for the most technical course in the USA. Yeah Pretty much after hearing from people who've raced globally comment on this course that Bobby Stine and Corey have set out, it is not just tough for NECX, or USA, it is tough for the world. Holy week with the Beard is gonna be AWWWWWWESOME.
So yeah. We'll maybe see you at Dude Smash. Or not. You have a choice. Life is full of them.
Okay - i'm still in kit, still covered in dirt. But dinner is in my belly and kid 2 is tucked in.
Time to wrap it up and scrub out the black powder dirt.
I think they only way that place will not be super soft is if it is actively raining. Too much drainage otherwise.
Train in August, don't race CX in August. ALso. anyone up for all day ride on Sunday?
heddwch
G
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Car-lite life
Not car free by any means, no. Soon to be going N+1 on the car and then hopefully N-1 shortly after to bring it back to status quo.
But that's different topic and one that recently sort of settled in and removed one of those unknowns I hate. As much as it pains me to say good bye to the TDI and esp that one the one that hauled around the winningest bike racer in history before I bought it, but hey. Bike racers are as hard on their cars as they are on their bikes and well, this particular year is rather rust prone. Soooo... soon that anxiety source will be gone one way or another and we'll move on to different things for a spell.
But car-lite life means riding everywhere. Grocery shopping by bike can be a challenge. Sure I've loaded 2-300 pounds of logs in the trailer but never hauled that much weight more than a flat smooth mile or two. 10 miles of dragging even the 100 pound weight limit of the trailer up and down even the few hills between there and home is pretty exhausting.
Sunday's grocery run was limited. get what was needed for a few days.
Problem is, now the need for another run. Not problem per-say, sure I should have just overloaded and gotten everything then but well. I didn't. No big deal. Trailer hauling today.
Potentially a smaller load, but heavier load today. Need a few more essentials, two i should have gotten on Sunday but forgot, the others I deliberately left off because they are heavy.
But that's different topic and one that recently sort of settled in and removed one of those unknowns I hate. As much as it pains me to say good bye to the TDI and esp that one the one that hauled around the winningest bike racer in history before I bought it, but hey. Bike racers are as hard on their cars as they are on their bikes and well, this particular year is rather rust prone. Soooo... soon that anxiety source will be gone one way or another and we'll move on to different things for a spell.
But car-lite life means riding everywhere. Grocery shopping by bike can be a challenge. Sure I've loaded 2-300 pounds of logs in the trailer but never hauled that much weight more than a flat smooth mile or two. 10 miles of dragging even the 100 pound weight limit of the trailer up and down even the few hills between there and home is pretty exhausting.
Sunday's grocery run was limited. get what was needed for a few days.
Problem is, now the need for another run. Not problem per-say, sure I should have just overloaded and gotten everything then but well. I didn't. No big deal. Trailer hauling today.
Potentially a smaller load, but heavier load today. Need a few more essentials, two i should have gotten on Sunday but forgot, the others I deliberately left off because they are heavy.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Saturday night and it is alright
But is it.
work all day....
come home and watch the shilling explode over the twitters/facebook.
tough.
not easy.
A word someone said to me resonates: Integrity.
That.
can't have integrity and exploit at the same time. Funny that. But then that is the whole basis for not my grandfather Kenneth Boulding's Economics. But then If you understand and get Economics you've probably seen his stuff. And realize where you fall on the ethical spectrum.
I'm kicking my ass day to day. Hour to hour to make things work for others than myself.
Life is way easier when all you care about is yourself.
But then some how i've not chosen the easy route. Funny that.
But i did get to have on the 'big' screen a good handful of kick as CX races to watch today and that was pretty awesome. Had a hennepin or two.
Got home and did all the dishes all the people who weren't working today didn't do and then made dinner.
Sort of like every night.
razor's edge... tipping over one way more than the other too often...
getting better at restraining my words, for better or worse. I call it as I see it but sometimes that bugs people and sometimes i get it wrong... maybe better not to. But hey. it is what it is.... we'll see if i find wheels before Quad cross....
till then i'm going to give working a higher priority than training. which is gonna suck come CXy time but well, that is important but not nearly as important as staying above water as a lame d'bag who can't seem to leverage anything to make ends actually meet.
So much stress over the next two weeks. Even the most exploitive d'bag can't imagine the stress. But it will work out. Some how. Because it has too.
whopping 17-18 miles today.. .. so perfect, my prep for cross is. Not.
heddwch
g
work all day....
come home and watch the shilling explode over the twitters/facebook.
tough.
not easy.
A word someone said to me resonates: Integrity.
That.
can't have integrity and exploit at the same time. Funny that. But then that is the whole basis for not my grandfather Kenneth Boulding's Economics. But then If you understand and get Economics you've probably seen his stuff. And realize where you fall on the ethical spectrum.
I'm kicking my ass day to day. Hour to hour to make things work for others than myself.
Life is way easier when all you care about is yourself.
But then some how i've not chosen the easy route. Funny that.
But i did get to have on the 'big' screen a good handful of kick as CX races to watch today and that was pretty awesome. Had a hennepin or two.
Got home and did all the dishes all the people who weren't working today didn't do and then made dinner.
Sort of like every night.
razor's edge... tipping over one way more than the other too often...
getting better at restraining my words, for better or worse. I call it as I see it but sometimes that bugs people and sometimes i get it wrong... maybe better not to. But hey. it is what it is.... we'll see if i find wheels before Quad cross....
till then i'm going to give working a higher priority than training. which is gonna suck come CXy time but well, that is important but not nearly as important as staying above water as a lame d'bag who can't seem to leverage anything to make ends actually meet.
So much stress over the next two weeks. Even the most exploitive d'bag can't imagine the stress. But it will work out. Some how. Because it has too.
whopping 17-18 miles today.. .. so perfect, my prep for cross is. Not.
heddwch
g
Friday, August 21, 2015
good ideas poorly excuted? or just being dumb
Last night specifically. Dumbby? Me? maybe.
Back up to tuesday, or so. Why? well Tuesday night was get bike ready for Wed night. Wed night was opening night at Riverpoint Park CX. I'd gotten the White bike sorted out on Saturday. I was rideable. But still had issues. Namely couldn't shift the ft der. And I confirmed my quick link serviceable life span study.
Turns out you can get two and a half chain lives out of one quicklink. So now: change link every other chain. Maximize economy (wee save $4-10 over 6k miles or so) without compromise in performance. Yeah sounds dumb doesn't it. But Yeah test pilot here is more crash test dummy for equipment. How long can we go until it fails kind of testing.
So there - definitive long term research.
Back up to tuesday, or so. Why? well Tuesday night was get bike ready for Wed night. Wed night was opening night at Riverpoint Park CX. I'd gotten the White bike sorted out on Saturday. I was rideable. But still had issues. Namely couldn't shift the ft der. And I confirmed my quick link serviceable life span study.
Turns out you can get two and a half chain lives out of one quicklink. So now: change link every other chain. Maximize economy (wee save $4-10 over 6k miles or so) without compromise in performance. Yeah sounds dumb doesn't it. But Yeah test pilot here is more crash test dummy for equipment. How long can we go until it fails kind of testing.
So there - definitive long term research.
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