For Whom the Cowbell Tolls

2010-12-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

Just got my new phone case in the mail. This is the coolest thing ever. If you are looking for a hard plastic case for your iPhone and were looking for something with a little cycling flair, check out case-mate.com - You can upload any image you want, and in about a week you'll have you're own custom phone case.

Enjoy!

Top 50 Cycling Books

2010-12-12T17:42:00.002-05:00

I picked up an issue of Cycle Sport the other day. In it is an article highlighting the top 50 cycling books. It's in the December issue along with some other good articles on the Ghent Six track races, Thor and his WC win and the 2011 Tour de France route.

I looked around online to see if I could find the list anywhere and I couldn't, so I decided to recreate it here. Absent from my list is the clever commentary, especially since I've only read three of the books on the list. If you want to know more about the book, you can buy the December issue of Cycle Sport or look up the book on Amazon.

Wide-Eyed and Legless, Jeff Connor
A Rough Ride, Paul Kimmage
Kings of the Road, Robin Magowan
Lance Armstrong's War, Dan Coyle
Kelly - A Biography of Sean Kelly, David Walsh
The Rider, Tim Krabbe
The Death of Marco Pantani, Matt Rendell
The Escape Artist, Matt Seaton
French Revolutions, Tim Moore
Flying Scotsman, Graeme Obree
The Hour, Michael Hutchinson
We Were Young and Carefree, Laurent Fignon
In Search of Robert Millar, Richard Moore
Breaking the Chain, Willy Voet
The Great Bike Race, Geoffrey Nicholson
From Lance to Landis, David Walsh
Boy Racer, Mark Cavendish
Put Me Back On My Bike - In Search of Tom Simpson, William Fotheringham
Bad Blood, Jeremy Whittle
The Fabulous World of Cycling, Winning Magazine
The Giro d'Italia - Coppi vs. Bartali at the 1949 Tour of Italy, Dino Buzzati
Visions of Cycling, Graham Watson
Tour de France - The History, The Legends, The Riders, Graeme Fife
Fallen Angel - The Passion of Fausto Coppi, William Fotheringham
Kings of the Mountains, Matt Rendell
World of Cycling, John Wilcockson
Cycling is My Life, Tommy Simpson
It's Not About the Bike - My Journey Back to Life, Lance Armstrong
The Foreign Legion, Rupert Guinness
A Dog in a Hat, Joe Parkin
A Peiper's Tale, Allan Peiper with Chris Sidwells
Watching the Wheels Going Round, Barry Hoban with John Wilcockson
Le Métier, Michael Barry
Push Yourself Just A Little Bit More, Johnny Green
European Cycling - The 20 Greatest Races, Noel Henderson
Tomorrow We Ride, Jean Bobet
Greg LeMond - The Incredible Comeback, Samuel Abt
The Tour de France 1903-2003 - A Century of Sporting Structures, Meanings and Values, Hugh Dauncey and Geoff Hare
A Significant Other, Matt Rendell
Inside the Peloton - Riding, Winning and Losing the Tour de France, Graeme Fife
The Agony and the Ecstasy, Stephen Roche with David Walsh
Great Road Climbs of the Pyrenees, Graeme Fife
Roule Britannia, William Fotheringham
Tour de Lance, Bill Strickland
Le Tour, Geoffrey Wheatcroft
In Pursuit of Glory, Bradley Wiggins
The Unknown Tour de France, Les Woodland
A Century of Paris-Roubaix, Pascal Sergent
Inside the Postal Bus, Michael Barry
Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape, Paul Howard

That's it. Print it off, take it with you next time your at a bookstore or a library. Enjoy!

Assos Winter LL Bib Tights - First Ride

2010-12-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

The Assos Winter LL Bib Tights (no pad) are the best winter tights I have ever used and I wish I hadn't waited this long to try them.

There, I said it.

As a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to cycling clothing, this was a hard thing for me to admit. If you looked through my cycling wardrobe, this is abundantly clear. I tend to take good care of my gear and hold on to it for a LONG time. For example, my old tights were almost a decade old and my winter jacket is a series of neon pink and purple panels as if it was ripped right off the back of some 80's pop singer. I found myself shopping around for some new tights since my old ones were finally starting to show their age (ripped seams, the pad was in bad shape, all the zippers were busted), it was time to lay them to rest.

This box just oozes cachet

I did a ton of investigating and reading reviews and it seemed like a majority of folks gave the Assos Winter LL bib tight high marks. I shopped around and found a good deal, and, with a bit of trepidation, I parted with the $230 smacks to acquire these Gucci-esque cycling tights.

And boy, these things are fancy. Why, just look at the box they came in. No loose garment thrown into a plastic ziplock bag, Assos wants to give you the whole experience when you buy their stuff and that comes through with the packaging, the tissue wrapped article of clothing, and even this neat little plastic tag that doubles as an information card/credit card/cash holder to take with you on rides.

Maybe I'll model them next time. If you're lucky...

Pulling the tights out of the box, I was immediately surprised by their lightness. For winter tights, these certainly aren't very heavy. I gotta admit, I was a bit concerned. That is, until I slipped my hand inside them and my fingers were engulfed in a fleecy wonderland. Some sections actually have double the fabric for additional protection. Awesome. I was excited to give these things a run.

A bit about their insulation and protection. This is Assos warmest tight and they use some sort of Roubaix-type fleece, with a no doubt aero-space inspired fabric that is both stretchy, windproof and breathable.

I know what you're thinking. Every damn bib tight uses similar fabrics, well, here's a few things that set these apart. They've got bib straps with a nice mesh back to keep you from getting too sweaty, a zipper on the waist which is great when a fella has to heed the call of nature, stirrups (you can't see 'em in this photo, but they're there) to help keep the ankle areas warm and, my biggest reason for purchasing, NO PAD.

In my opinion, winter cycling tights should never have a pad. If the weather is cold enough that you need to use tights, then you can stand to put on cycling shorts under your tights. It makes them sooo much more versatile. Your layering options are endless. And, the best reason, LESS WASHING...

OK, so the tights are out of the box, and I've finished my verbal giz-fest about the materials - now the big question - How do they fit??

DISCLAIMER: I've not ridden a whole lot since last December. I've put on some weight. Hell, who am I kidding? I've put on a lot. Twenty pounds in fact. The svelte folks reading this may have a different experience.

With that off my chest (wish it was off my belly...), the fit is very tight. I tried them on with a pair of cycling bib shorts on underneath to get an accurate fit and they fit really snug around my quads, butt and gut. According to the Assos size chart, I am a Large. I actually bought a Large and an XL just to make sure I got the right size. I tried both on and the only discernable difference that I could tell between the LG and the XL was the length. The XL was a little bunched up around the knees and calves, while the Large was nice and smooth everywhere. The snugness still had me a bit worried. That's when I remembered all the reviews saying you need to ride in them to truly appreciate their fit.

That's what I did.

Holy shit. I have never ridden in a pair of tights where there was no perceptible drag or inefficiency felt from all that extra fabric. That is, until now. These things felt like I was only wearing cycling shorts. It was amazing. For some reason, once you get on the bike, your position just makes all the snugness and pulling go away and you are left feeling very... uh... natural.

As far as warmth, it was about 32 - 34 F, and they provided just the right amount of warmth. If it was colder, like teens, I would probably throw on some leg warmers underneath and be just fine. The wind panels did a great job, although my posterior did get a little cold by the time my hour ride was completed.

Bottom line: It's obvious from these tights that Assos is obsessed with the details. From the packaging, and tags, to the fit on bike, it's all about the details. It obviously pays off, I'm sold on these tights after only one ride. I would love to try some of their other clothing as well.

Going forward I will be very interested to see how these tights hold up over time, to me that's the true test. I'll try to update everyone as the winter progresses to see if they've lived up to their hype.

Additional images below:

Assos logo sown to right butt cheek

Laundry care tags are on the outside so they don't irritate

Label sown right at the zipper junction to add reinforcement

The Leg Quiz - Answers

2010-12-10T20:23:00.000-05:00

Here are the answers to yesterday's big quiz. See the captions below the photos.

A. - Track

B. - Cyclocross

C. - Flahute

D. - MTB

E. - Sprinter

F. - Climber

You'll know them by their legs...

2010-12-09T22:29:00.001-05:00

I found a crazy picture of Sean Kelly's legs today and it kinda inspired this post. Look at the pictures on the right and match them with the type of cycling discipline they are associated with. Answers to come tomorrow...

Cyclocross
MTB
Road - Sprinter
Track
Road - Climber
Road - Flahute (Hardman)

Grateful or Great Full?

2010-11-24T13:47:00.001-05:00

I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving. Never have been. I don't particularly like turkey, or stuffing, or mashed potatoes, I don't like watching football, and I'm not big on large family gatherings. But this year, I'm going to overlook all that crap. I'm going to take the opportunity to celebrate this holiday like it was meant to be.

I'm going to give thanks.

It's sad that we need a holiday to remind us of this very simple but very powerful exercise. We get so bogged down in trying to make our lives "perfect". We get carried away with trying to fix those imperfections and loose sight of the true gifts in our lives. Often times, it takes a drastic change in perspective for us to come around, and to start focusing on what we have rather than what we don't. For me, there was no drastic change or event, just some really deep introspection. It brought up a lot of crap, some deeply buried for years, and it was painful. But it's also brought a change in my perspective.

Something else I wanted to mention. This blog I've been reading lately that's really helped me achieve clarity to my thoughts - if you're the insightful type, I think you'll appreciate some of this gal's writing. Her words also inspired me to write this post, so go check it out here.

Here's my grateful list (not necessarily in order of importance):

My wife - you've pushed me to be a better man and taught me that it's ok to make mistakes and be human, this is a hard thing for me to accept, especially with my deep seeded fear of failure. But you will keep up the assurance and encouragement, for as long as it takes, despite my stubbornness.
My daughter - you've helped me realize the value of the simple things, your wonderment over the smallest, most inconsequential things has revealed to me a beauty in the world that I'd long forgotten.
My folks - you help me remember to not sweat the small stuff. A lesson, it seems, I need to relearn over and over.
My brother - your carefree spirit always puts a smile on my face. Problems and worries take a back seat when you're around.
My coworkers - You guys have helped bring me out of a deep well of self doubt, I've still got a little ways to go, but I couldn't have come this far with out you.
My dog - I admire your loyalty, trust and willingness to be loved. Sometimes, a little snuggle from you is all it takes to make a bad day good.
Cycling - I've neglected you this past year, but I know you are there, and I look forward to getting reacquainted.

What's on your "Give Thanks" list?

Progress?

2010-11-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

Like a bad drug...?

It's kinda crazy. I've really been focusing on my diet this week and I actually feel like shit. I think I'm experiencing sugar/fat/excessive calorie withdrawal or something. I'm getting bad headaches, I'm tired, etc. Weird... Haven't been on the bike yet, but I'm planning on a couple of short rides this weekend.

Fitness Lost and Fitness Regained

2010-11-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

How long does it take for a total loss of fitness? Judging from experience, I'd say about 8 months.

It's been almost eight months since I gave up on my road racing goals, and, consequently, any sort of physical activity.

How did it start? Well, it's a slippery slope. For me, it all started with an increase in my responsibilities at work. This amounted to an additional 12-15 hours a week spent on my day job and those additional hours had to come from some where. Something had to give, and cycling, or even more broadly, working out, was the victim. Priorities...

What happens next? For a few weeks, I tried my damnedest to squeeze in my planned workouts where I could. This amounted to one hour trainer rides at the less than ideal times of 5 AM or 9-10 PM. In my opinion, this was not enough volume to establish the necessary fitness for racing. I got discouraged. Very, very discouraged. So I decided I wouldn't do any road races for the spring or summer and instead, turn my focus to cyclocross racing. After all, my workload would probably lighten up by then.

It didn't. In fact, it got worse. So, I stopped doing anything. And I mean anything. In fact, for the last seven months the only real exercise I've had is walking up the two flights of stairs to my cubicle. I gave up on my goal to race cyclocross, because I had already lost so much fitness - in my mind, trying to regain what I had lost in a short period of time was unrealistic.

All this inactivity had it's consequences (other than the obvious fitness loss). I put on weight. I started drinking a lot of beer, and eating a lot of really crappy food. I put on more weight. That didn't feel so good.

That's when the depression set in. It was a real nasty funk, the basic ingredients being exhaustion, lethargy and a heaping helping of hopelessness. I couldn't even imaging racing, I didn't want to train, I didn't even want to ride my bike. In fact, I didn't want to do a damn thing. Except eat more shitty food and drink more beer. Dark days indeed. This lasted from July to October. Yeah, it was quite a ride.

Don't call it a comeback.

Then, slowly, my workload started lightening up and I could actually breathe again. I just got back from a nice family vacation at Disney World. I feel like I'm getting a bit of the fight back in my soul, or, at least, I'm starting to feel like I have some control over my situation.

I actually rode my trainer a few times, for 30 minutes a pop and it felt kinda good. Thinking about riding my bike actually makes me happy and doesn't feel like a huge chore as it did in the past.

So here I am, roughly 30 lbs overweight, with the only miles in my legs being walking to and from the office. I've got a really long way to go, I know, but I'm putting a stake in the ground to get into shape so I can race cyclocross next year. And I'm starting now.

Starting off slow, with 30 minutes of activity (running, cycling, swimming, cross country skiing, etc), an improved diet, and I'm going to document it all for posterity sake on this here blog. If you've been here before, you may have noticed the new look. I added some "Belgian" cobbley flair because I've always gotten a tremendous amount of inspiration from the Spring Classics. The flahute or hardmen of the cobbles always motivated me when the going gets tough and given the state I'm in, I've got a pretty rough stretch ahead of me.

Rollers

2010-08-12T21:25:00.000-04:00

I got an awesome gift from my wife last Christmas. A set of Kreitler Rollers. To those not in the know, Kreitler makes some of the most amazing rollers on the market. They are smooth, durable and you can tell they were made with pride.

I've been riding them pretty consistently for the last seven months (past three months excluded) and I can honestly say, no indoor training aid has helped my cycling as much as these rollers.

Getting started on them was a bit of a challenge but once I got used to it, they really aren't that difficult. It does take a great deal of concentration though. If you let that concentration wane, you'll know it. Why, just yesterday morning I was reminded of that lesson as my front tire slid off the roller and onto the ground. I didn't fall, but it certainly shook the morning sleepies out of me...

Once you get out on the road, that's when you really notice the benefits. Things like a quiet upper body, a smoother spin, better balance and, probably the biggest thing for me, better and more confident bike handling skills all become apparent once you hit the tarmac.

Anyone who hasn't tried them, I encourage you to, it will make you a better cyclist.

Momentum

2010-08-07T06:38:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing you learn from cycling, it's the value of momentum. This lesson doesn't take long to learn: the first time you stop on a hill and try to start up again, it's plainly apparent. Then, as you become more seasoned and more familiar with the depths of the "pain cave", you realize it's easier to maintain a a steady pace than it is to slow way down and speed up again.

Like other lessons learned in this amazing sport, the value of momentum is applicable to the "real world" as well. The only difference is, on a bike, you are either moving forward or you are not. In the "real world", I will venture to say, there is no static state, it is either positive and negative movement.

Life is a constant state of flux. We are either doing things that will make us better (better workers, better husbands/wives, better fathers/mothers) or we are doing the opposite. There is no pause, no stop.

This is where I find myself now, trying to establish momentum. Momentum at work, definitely momentum on the bike, and momentum with my wife and daughter. It's not a bad thing to strive for, but here's the tricky part - I've got a limited amount of time and energy to "get the ball rolling" in all these aspects of life.

It's a bit of a juggling act and my juggling skills are sorely lacking. In fact, I'm beginning to realize that, at best, I can maintain mediocrity in three areas of my life at the same time, but if I want to excel in any of them, my focus needs to narrow to two.

Lately, the focus has been family and work. I can say that both are going really well. But... I miss cycling. It's my passion, and it calls to me every day like a friend who wants to help me get over an ugly break up. I'm not even going to talk about the toll my time away from the bike has taken on my physical shape...

So, now I'm at a cross-road. Do I start riding again, with a goal to race, and accept finishing at the ass-end of the pack in order to keep the other areas in my life good? Or do I forget about racing and just ride occasionally when the mood strikes so as not to face the inevitable frustration and disappointment of getting whooped every race?

I'm writing this at 6:00 AM as I wait for the sun to come up so I can head out for my first two hour ride in over three months. At least it's a step in a positive direction.

Bike Racing, Honor and Sacrifice

2010-07-24T13:39:00.000-04:00

This topic has been talked about ad nauseam and I've read all the different opinions and perspectives on whether Contador should have or shouldn't have waited and I figured I'd put in my own two cents. I'm not going to say that Contador should have waited for Schleck or that he was justified in attacking while his opponent was fixing his bike, but I am going to look at the implications of what Contador did and how it will affect his victory.

First, let's put this into a different perspective: say it was a local race series, and week after week, you race against the same guys and you consistently finish in third place. Then, one week, the guys who were consistently finishing first and second don't show up and you win the race. Sure, it's a victory, but it's not as sweet as the one where you bested the same guys that were beating you week after week. I think this is the same type of thing with Contador.

Is "El Pistolero" going to chalk up another TDF win? Undoubtedly. But, given the way he achieved victory, will it truly be as sweet? I have to say no. That attack was motivated by fear and doubt and not the attack of a champion. Lady Luck handed Contador a gift and, because he hadn't been able to drop Schleck in previous attacks, he took full advantage. I'm not saying this was wrong, I just think it detracts from the elegance, purity and honor of his efforts and it turns the focus from Contador's exceptional fitness and prowess on the bike to a unfortunate incident that befell his main rival.

In my mind, when I visualize great victories, they inevitably involve sacrifice and risk, and with that sacrifice comes a sense of honor and a deep respect for your competition. Then there's also the satisfaction of knowing you gave absolutely everything to beat your competitors, who, in turn, were giving their all to try and beat you.

I've participated as a Cat 5/Cat 4 racer in both road and cyclocross races, and you come across all types of personalities. The ones I have the hardest time dealing with are the "winning is the only thing that matters" types. To me, this is the mentality that encourages sand bagging and un-sportsman-like conduct. I think this type of behavior results from insecurity or maybe even laziness. This is the easy way, a short cut, and the path of least resistance. And, as most true cyclists can attest, this isn't a sport for those that look for the easy way.

Has it really been two months?

2010-07-09T22:43:00.000-04:00

W.
T.
F.
?

My last blog entry was over two months ago, what the hell happened? Well, If anyone still reads this, here's what's up:

I've given up on doing any road racing this season. That's right. no racing. And I'm cool with that. In fact I've gotten reacquainted with a few old friends: beer and desserts. Not great for the midsection but a welcome deviation from the overly disciplined, spartan life of a bicycle racer.

Cyclocross season is quickly approaching and I'm nowhere near ready. In fact, if I were to toe the line with my current lack of fitness, I would likely get lapped, it's that bad. So, if I don't get may act together soon, I'm pulling the plug on the cyclocross season too. I guess what it all comes down to is I really don't want to compete if I can't be competitive (and by competitive, I mean finishing mid-pack).

I just got back from an awesome vacation with the family - one of those vacations where thoughts and aspirations of training/working out are drowned out by an abundance of good food, good drink and good company. While I was on vacation I did fulfill a life-long dream to go surfing. I took a lesson, and even got to ride a handful of waves without wiping out. Great fun.

In short, it seems like I've been doing a lot of everything except riding my bike and, you know what? It's been kinda nice.

Long Live Junk Miles

2010-05-08T07:55:00.003-04:00

I got out for an hour and a half on Thursday. Just me, the Look, 60 degree temps and some of Southeast Michigan's finest roads (well, to those of you who live in the area, that last one is kinda a joke). I haven't thrown a leg over the old steed in a little over two weeks, so this was a long time coming. There is nothing like a nice ride by yourself to clear your head. No agenda, no program, no plans, the only thing dictating my effort was my own mood. I even ended up chatting with another cyclist as we made our way west and, in the process, discovered a couple new routes. That doesn't happen if you're on a "plan" or are sticking to a training regime.

This ride, by it's very definition, is what a lot of cyclists call "junk miles." I agree that the racing benefits of these unregimented rides may be debatable, but I think they are exactly what I needed mentally. And, as we all know, if you aren't up to par mentally, you won't be competitive. So, if you're feeling a little stale, I strongly encourage a spontaneous spin, break free from the fetters of your training program - your brain will thank you.

Long Live Junk Miles!!

Road Racing? Probably not gonna happen.

2010-05-01T10:13:00.002-04:00

My planned road racing "season" ("season" because I was planning on a shortened road season to allow for more focus on cyclocross) is quickly going the way of the dodo. With 55-60 hours of work per week, an aging home that constantly requires work (UGH!) and wanting to spend time with my wife and daughter, I guess something had to give. Riding one day a week for 2 hours doesn't exactly build the kind of fitness required for road racing. Over the last three weeks, my bike has gone from a finely tuned road racing machine to a high performance, carbon fiber clothes drying rack. Sad.

Well, technically I do have some availability, I could get up at 4:30 or 5:00 AM and ride the trainer for an hour every morning, but I HATE riding the trainer when the weather is nice. And, quite frankly, I'm pretty sick of it. I'm starting to think there's no such thing as balance, just fluctuations from one extreme to the other. Either I have lots of time to ride or absolutely none. Unfortunately, the most recent trend has been no time to ride and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Oh well, you know what they say, "there's always next season"!

I Want a New Road Bike

2010-04-25T17:16:00.000-04:00

Here's my criteria:

Frame: Carbon. I got my first (and only) carbon frame back in 2000 (Look 261) and I really like how it feels on the road. Having ridden aluminum and steel previously, I think carbon suits me best.
Geometry: Should be race-worthy. I plan to race it, (although this season may be a bust...) so it should have race-oriented geometry.
Drivetrain: Campagnolo. This would be helpful because my current setup has Campy and I could use some of my old parts, if needed.
Price: around $3,000
Brand: I may get accused of being a snob here, but I would really like something a little different and not ubiquitous (i.e. Trek and Specialized). Maybe something French or Italian...

Here are a few of my current considerations:

Any other recommendations??

Dirty Deeds

2010-04-23T23:50:00.000-04:00

I finally made it up to ride with the club this past Thursday. A unique ride (unique as far as I know) of 35 miles almost entirely on the dirt roads around Clarkston. Cyclocross bikes are the order of the day, speeds are pretty fast, and the climbs can be leg-burning.

A few observations:

When you hit washboard bumps at 30 mph, you gotta stay loose. If you stiffen up, the bike responds, and not in a good way.
Riding rollers this winter has helped my sense of balance and stability. I felt a lot more sure of myself.
It was great to ride with the group again - I really missed the camaraderie.

I'm going to make every attempt to do more of these rides. Dirt, washboard bumps, loose gravel and cyclocross bikes - a recipe for a great time and a helluva a good work out.

A Sunday in Hell? Not for me!

2010-04-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

I had quite a nice little Sunday today. Got up had breakfast with my daughter, and watched Cancellara trounce the field in Paris-Roubaix. Then I went out to the local Metro Park and cooked out 50 miles of my own. Felt GREAT. Maybe not quite the epic cobbles of Roubaix, but it was fun - Plus, I feel like I'm finally getting back on track. Feeling solid on the bike, with some strength in the legs. Maybe all the time spent on the rollers is starting to pay off...

The LOOK was running good and the weather was perfect - arm warmers and knee warmers were the only order for the day.

Great Day.

The Cycling Brother/Sisterhood

2010-03-28T21:26:00.001-04:00

This weekend I got in a couple of decent rides - one was sunny and cold and the other was rainy and cold.

On the sunny ride, I left my house without an agenda and awkwardly wound my way north and west, seeking the lower traffic areas of Southeastern Michigan (it certainly ain't easy...) Along my meanderings, I came across several cyclists, representing nearly all the disciplines of our great sport. There were cruisers, mountain bikers, triathletes, road cyclists and even a recumbent thrown in for good measure.

Now, if I had to lump myself into a classification, I would say I lean more road cyclist. As a road cyclist, I can honestly say, we are an elitist bunch. With all that training and sacrifice comes an attitude that's almost a defense mechanism. It's almost as if we have to believe we've crafted our bodies into models of efficiency and strength far eclipsing that of normal man (or woman) as justification for what we do. Maybe that's a bit of a broad generalization, but it does come from real world experience. Let me elaborate.

On my ride this Saturday, as I was saying, I came across cyclists from all disciplines and levels of ability. I typically wave at other cyclists I encounter, offer a friendly "hello" or some other salutation. As I continued my ride and greeted additional cyclists, I noticed that the likelihood of a return salutation was inversely proportionate to the amount of team kit they were adorned in. This decreased exponentially if the rider was on a road bike, especially a more expensive road bike. I came across this one guy at a light, he was heading right while I was going straight. As he stopped to let a car pass through the intersection, I offered up a friendly hello, and all he did was stare att me. Actually, he was sizing me up. What kind of bike did I have? Was I wearing any team apparel? If so, what team? Did I look fast? Was I going to chase him as my carrot? Now that I seemed to have his full attention and on the off chance that he didn't hear me, I offered up a "nice day for a ride." Nothing, wait. Was that a slight head nod?

What is it about road cyclists that they can't be friendly? Do they see it as a sign of weakness? Not sure what it is but I don't like it. I look at our community as one big brotherhood. Whatever your reason for throwing a leg over the bike, we are all in this together. Besides, we all had to start out somewhere, maybe a friendly hello is all the encouragement a new rider needs to form a life-long relationship with cycling.

Hiatus

2010-03-27T10:09:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've put fingers to keyboard to update the old blog. I don't really have a valid excuse. Lack of inspiration? Maybe. Or maybe it's that I don't have much cycling related stuff to report.

Training's been hard to come by, with roughly 4-6 hours on the bike per week, with the majority of that volume coming from weekend riding. I really want to be more consistent during the week, but time is a precious commodity, and my riding time is limited to either early AM (before 6 AM) or after 8 PM. Both times are less than ideal. But, if I want to do any road racing this year, I really need to be more consistent.

I also want to start incorporating some longer easy rides (3-4 hours). I like these longer rides, and if you have a few friends with you, there's nothing better. Also, I really want to race in the Tour of Kensington Valley Road Race this year, at just under 60 miles, it's my longest race of the season. If I don't have some longer rides under my belt by then, I may as well not even do it. Last year, it just about killed me and I was way ahead of where I am now.

The good news is, with my limited training time, I've been focusing more on my diet and actually dropped about 5 lbs from my racing weight from last year. I hope to drop another 5-10 lbs by September (just in time for cyclocross season!)

One other thing I've been focusing on is flexibility and core strength - These things really do make a difference. The few times I've been out on the road it was quickly apparent. I felt less aches and pains and felt more stable on the bike.

Maybe it comes down to overall fitness and not just on-the-bike time. That's probably a better way to look at it.

Other news: got my racing license in the mail, so that's taken care of. Now I just need to renew my club membership and I will have the administrative stuff taken care of...

Admit it... We've all Imagined this:

2010-03-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - The Spring Classic Opener!

2010-02-27T08:45:00.011-05:00

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad live - watch it HERE.

You may need to paste the link into your browser for it to work: http://www.justin.tv/streampie#r=zT03oKI

Enjoy!

Mennonite Computer Hacker? Isn't that an Oxymoron?

2010-02-15T22:02:00.002-05:00

Floyd, Floyd, Floyd... Trouble follows where ever you go. Now the French are after you for hacking into their computer network to steal info about your drug use during the Tour?!? What the hell!? Don't they realize you're a Mennonite? Unless the lab's firewall is the equivalent of wet toilet paper, I find it hard to believe that someone who's religious views force them to forgo technology would have the where-with-all to hack into a computer network. I know, Floyd's on Twitter. Well, my mom's on Facebook, but she still struggles with attaching a photo to an email. Hacking and tweeting are two totally different things - just sayin'...

LIVESTRONG v. LAMBSTRONG?

2010-02-14T09:04:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine who crafts the most excellent blog, La Gazzetta Della Bici (if you aren't a reader, you owe it to yourself to check it out) has recently been contacted by the legal representation of one Lance Armstrong... Why would that happen. you ask? Well, the author of the aforementioned blog's name is Simon Lamb and he and some of his friends coined the term "LAMBSTRONG" as a parody of the ubiquitous LIVESTRONG brand. Check out the story here.

This is a great reminder that, no matter how rich and famous you are, you shouldn't take yourself too seriously. It's not like people are getting confused about which ____Strong is the cancer foundation and which is a joke.

Now all we need are some LAMBSTRONG rubber bracelets....

The Sufferfest...

2010-02-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

Just finished up my first workout using The Sufferfest cycling training videos. It was tough and I'm definitely spent. How tough? I'll get to that...

First a little background info. The Sufferfest is a series of download-able videos (well, currently they only have two that you can order, but a third is in the works) you can save to your computer, iPhone or iPod or replay from any other device you choose. I purchased the video titled The Downward Spiral. It consists of two sets of descending intervals with an equal recovery period after each effort. The video goes something like this 2 minutes at max effort, 2 minutes recovery, 1:45 max, 1:45 recovery, 1:30 max, 1:30 recovery, etc. all the way to :15. Then you get a 5 minute recovery, which trust me, you will need. Then it's back at it again.

What sets these apart from other work out videos? The most obvious thing is the race footage. The Downward Spiral incorporates footage from Paris-Roubaix and the Ronde van Vlaanderen as well as miscellaneous footage of some fast group ride. The coolest part is, a lot of the footage is filmed from first person view, which is awesome. The Spring Classics footage is highly motivating - nothing like trying to hold a wheel blasting through the Forest of Arenberg at 40 kilometers an hour... To anyone who's raced in a mass-start road race, just watching the break go up the road brings on a familiar feeling of anxiety and, in some instances, dread...

The music selection is suitable for the effort, and helps pump some adrenaline into an already maxed out effort.

Then there's the supers that flash on the screen. Sometimes offering encouragement, sometimes taunting, they always seem to eek out just a bit more effort out of burning quads and lungs.

The time went by very quickly (at least the recovery did...) Altogether, it was a great way to spend an hour on the trainer. I'm definitely going to get the other video that's available and I can't wait for future installments!

If you choose to get these videos (I recommend you do); I leave you with this one bit of advice: fear the horse whinny...

When Hell Freezes Over...

2010-02-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

Dugast Diavolo

Where can I get one of these?

2010-02-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

A Colnago sweatband... This picture is awesome on so many levels. Not only is this guy sporting the coolest headband I've ever seen but he's mitering the tubes of the most beautiful carbon fiber bike out there - the Colnago EPS. God knows, you don't want sweat running in your eyes doing delicate work like that. Especially on a frame that retails for over $5 grand...

Cycling: A Numbers Game?

2010-02-06T23:23:00.000-05:00

Over the last several decades, with the introduction of heart rate monitors and power meters, cycling prowess is becoming more and more quantifiable. Nowadays, it seems a cyclist's capacity for performance boils down to data points and stats, all neatly displayed on their handlebars.

As much as these tools have done for the advancement of the sport, they've also killed some of the mysticism and romance. I don't see anything inspirational about recounting a rider's wattage output on an epic break-a-way or a hors categorie climb. To me, it robs something from the accomplishment.

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate all this data as a testament to the professional cyclist's incredible athletic abilities. But it doesn't take everything into account. There's heart, there's passion, there's unyielding discipline and dedication - none of these things can be measured but they can just as easily determine who stands on the podium and who does not.

Everything I Know About Bike Racing I Learned From American Flyers

2010-01-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

American Flyers, the quintessential 1980s cycling film, is a veritable tome of cycling knowledge. If you've seen it, watch it again and take notes. If you've never seen it (and you call yourself a cyclist?), go rent it right now, it will change your life.

Here's some of the lessons I've learned from this theatrical masterpiece:

You don't need to be outfitted in the latest Assos kit to ride. Jean jackets and cowboy hats are perfectly acceptable riding gear.
An awesome way to work on your bike handling skills is to ride your bike around your apartment complex.
If you've been riding 30 - 40 miles a day on relatively flat terrain and have never raced before, you are totally ready for a major stage race in the Rocky Mountains.
If you want to perfect your sprint, find a neighborhood with a lot of loose pit bulls. Rumor has it that's how Cavendish trains...
"Shake and Break" is an excellent technique to get rid of a "wheel sucker"
When racing, be wary of the Costner-proclaimed "oldest trick in the book" - when a rider pretends that the race is over and then shifts to the big ring and drops the hammer. Those cowboys certainly fell for it...
Also, beware the second oldest trick in the book - when a rider pulls down your shorts and leaves you fumbling to pull them back up as he rides down the road. That's why bib shorts were made.
It is totally acceptable to rip off the nickname of the all-time greatest cyclist if you are a mildly successful professional cyclist
If you want to be competitive, you've got to be an asshole to everyone, all the time. Exhibit A: Barry Muzzin.
It is acceptable to try and run someone off the road on a high speed descent if it means winning the bike race. Your competition will forget all about it at the end of the stage. Hell, they may even respect you for it.
ANYONE is capable of winning a bike race. Even if you are a first time racer and your competition consists of current and former national champs, olympians, and high ranking euro pros.

Bib Short Review

2010-01-17T17:12:00.000-05:00

With all the European cyclocross racing I've been watching lately, I've noticed a proliferation of a certain Belgian brand of cycling clothing adorning several of my favorite racers. This piqued my curiosity (proof that sponsorship really works?), so I set about on my search to see where I could buy this fabled brand.

The brand I'm talking about is Vermarc (If you hadn't figured it out yet...) Vermarc is a sports clothing company based just out side of Brussels that specializes in cycling gear. They've been around since 1977 and, like a lot of cycling companies, was started by a retired pro. The brand definitely has some cachet with the name conjuring up images of Lion of Flanders flags, mud-soaked cobbles, and veldrijden. It also proved to be a bit elusive as my preliminary searches revealed little on where I could purchase said clothing.

Since I couldn't find any shops locally, or any online shops that sold Vermarc clothing, I ended up going to Vermarcusa.com to order a pair of bib shorts. I figured that was an excellent way to get acquainted with a clothing brand since the bib short is results in some intimate contact points... I decided on a fairly base level pair of shorts in classic black, with Vermarc's CP4 chamois. Their website looked a bit... unpolished... and I had a small amount of trepidation about ordering from them. But Vermarc USA was very helpful and responded quickly to the sizing questions I had. Ends up, for someone my size (32" waist, 170 lbs) I would be a large. My shorts ended up being $69.99 on sale from $125, so fairly middle of the road as far as bibs go. I placed my order and the bib shorts showed up on my doorstep a few days later.

Initial impressions:
Upon initial inspection, the shorts seemed pretty typical for this price range. The lycra wasn't anything "space-aged" or created by formula one engineers. It was normal everyday lycra. I would liken it to your typical club clothing. Something that I did notice, all the stitching was really well done and, just maybe, in some cases, over done. This stitching wasn't going any where. This would be a relief, given my last 3 pair of Castelli shorts had seams unravel or break a couple months into their lifespan. The bib tops were light and perforated to allow air to flow through although the material wasn't as soft as some I've owned.

The CP4 chamois is Vermarc's base level chamois. That was readily apparent in some of the details. First off, it was branded "Giordana" so Vermac obviously farmed out their chamois manufacturing to save costs. As I only have one pair of their shorts, I'm not sure if this is the same situation on Vermarc's higher end stuff or just limited to their base model. The chamois has a large center piece of squishy material with a "fleecy" bit that is sown in and extends around the front and on either side of the squishy stuff. I gotta admit, the location of the seams had me worried. Seams = chaffing = saddles sores and those seams are located right in the danger zone... Although seemingly badly placed, the stitching is top notch and I have every confidence that this chamois is going to stay put for the life of these shorts. Other than the seams, it's not the worst chamois I've seen but my undercarriage has gotten quite spoiled with the plush one-piece offerings from Louis Garneau and Castelli.

After a few rides:
First and foremost, the fit of these shorts was dead-on. There wasn't any bunching or sagging and the lycra was supportive without being over worked. I was aware of some of the seams on the straps and around the mid section, but that faded as I mounted up and began riding. I'm confined to riding an indoor trainer right now, so that's the only mileage these shorts have seen. For me, trainer riding is inherently uncomfortable, even if I were riding on the chamois equivalent of a barkalounger, my bum and seat would still exchange some unpleasantries.

With that said, after a handful of rides in them, these shorts are pretty middle of the road. It's precisely what I would expect for $70. They did what they were supposed to do, nothing more, nothing less. The seams in the chamois did cause me some problems, but nothing a little chamois cream couldn't fix. I think I would have been much more disappointed had I shelled out the non-sale retail price of $125 for these, but at $70, they aren't too shabby. If I had a rating system, I would give them 3 out of 5 cowbells.

Another Year in the National Champion Jersey

2010-01-09T09:07:00.000-05:00

Stybar wins the Czech National Championship!

My New Secret Weapon

2010-01-08T13:14:00.000-05:00

Good Riddance 2009

2009-12-31T23:37:00.000-05:00

2009 was pretty much bullshit. Lackluster performance throughout my road and cyclocross seasons, two bad crashes (one that I'm still suffering from as I try and type with my hand in a cast), and several mechanical issues with my road bike (none that I can afford to remedy) and you have all the ingredients for a shit cocktail. Here's what I decided to do about it: stop the pity party and move on.

2010 is going to be the year of the new attitude. Focus is going to be shifted from pressure to perform to just having fun. Seems like all of 2009 I felt like I was unable to relax and let go. I think a lot of that had to do with the pressure I put on myself. So for 2010, no more pressure. It's going to be all about the fun and enjoying the fitness that comes from riding a bicycle.

So with that: Piss off 2009, I'm over you. Here's to a pressure-free, fun and prosperous 2010!

Happy New Year!

Where is Thumbkin?

2009-12-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

If you look hard enough, he's in there, all wrapped up in bandages. According to my surgeon, the procedure was a success and the torn ligament in my thumb has been sutured back together. Now for the recovery: 5-6 weeks in a cast/splint followed by several weeks of rehab to get strength and range of motion back.

The craziest thing about the whole ordeal was the nerve blocking agent that the anesthesiologist injected into my arm. It made my entire right arm numb and rendered it totally useless for about 12-13 hours. At one point, I was a little concerned that they screwed something up and I had lost use of my arm indefinitely, the effect lasted so long. But, little by little, starting with a slight movement in my fingers, the feeling came back and the pain set in...

So now I'm riding the Vicodin Express, and feeling a bit loopy, with only a dull ache in my thumb. On the road to recovery, it's going to be a frustrating trip...

The Year in Review

2009-12-18T23:23:00.000-05:00

The Michigan State Cyclocross Championship was my last race of the season. Even if I planned on more races, due to an unfortunate crash on the first lap, it still would have closed out my season. I ended up with a severely sprained thumb, and, after a couple weeks, it just hasn't been healing. Turns out the reason my thumb hasn't been healing, is that I have a torn ligament. Torn ligament = surgery... So, on Tuesday I go under the knife. After the ligament is repaired, it's 5 weeks in a cast followed by several weeks of PT. So, no riding outside for me until the cast is off and I have some strength/mobility back in my hand. My trainer and I are going to be intimate friends.

I've just been taking it easy these last couple weeks. I started a new gig at my company and there's been a lot to learn. So that's kept me busy (busy would actually be an understatement...) So, now that I've got some down time, it's a great opportunity for some reflection on the season past.

Road Season: After an 8 year hiatus from road racing, I was finally giving it another shot. I got my license and I was starting out as a Cat 4. I can pretty much sum it up in one word: Disappointment. After a series of mid-pack finishes, a bad crash in June that I never quite recovered from, and a stalled out season-end, I was glad to say goodbye. This put me in a really bad spot coming into my "real" season, cyclocross. I was kinda depressed, over-trained, and just not enjoying myself. This taught me something. First, I had set some unrealistic expectations. And second and probably most important - Fun first.

Cyclocross Season: With an upgrade to B this year, I knew there would be some challenges. My crappy road season didn't help matters any and my first few 'cross races definitely reflected that. I started to find my rhythm near the end of October and I kinda stalled out. It seemed like everybody was improving except me. Even guys I was beating a couple races before were kicking my butt. That's when I remembered my new mantra - fun first. If you focus on having fun, everything else will come around. An even if it doesn't, you at least had a good time. This isn't my job, and God knows, I don't need it to feel like one.

That's why I have mixed feelings about the 'cross season coming to an end. On one hand (my good one...) I had a lot of fun, and hanging out with all my fellow 'crossers is a good time, but on the other, I was wore out. Well, now I've got all the R&R I could ever want, as I rehabilitate my thumb over these next several weeks. Expect to see lots of blog entries and I'll update on how the surgery went (and the good drugs I'm prescribed...) when it's over.

Not the way I wanted it to end...

2009-12-06T22:02:00.000-05:00

My last cyclocross race of the season. So far, it had been kind of lack luster and I just decided that this whole season was going to be one giant learning experience. Cue the Michigan State Cyclocross Championship.

This was it, the one last hurrah - now, I had no delusions of winning the State Championship or anything but I wanted to put in a decent effort, cheer on my mates and have a few barley pops with my friends at the after party. None of this was meant to be.

Let's start at the beginning. It was cold... High 20s and I got to the venue really early. So early, I was actually able to get two warm up laps before the first race started. I completed my warm up triumvirate with one more lap before my race.

I lined up in the second row behind a pretty fast guy so I figured I would get a decent start. And... We were off. A Christmas miracle! The moment I placed my right foot on the pedal it clipped right in! I was sitting nicely in the top ten as we entered the first turn. After a little meandering, we found ourselves coming up to the biggest obstacle of the coarse; a muddy, severely off-camber section that was impossible to maintain traction on. As we came to it, I figured it would result in quite the bottle-neck (and it did) so I got off and ran the entire thing! I passed at least 3 guys. I remounted and continued on. That's when disaster struck.

A short descent - nothing tricky and BAM!!! I'm on the ground. Everything kinda went in slow motion as I landed on the ground and saw my bike in the air coming towards me. I rolled out of the way just in time and heard the squealing of brakes and a couple obscenities as the racers behind me tried to avoid my one-man pile-up... I got up, dusted myself off and took inventory. Bike's ok, my hand hurts a bit but I seem fine, I remounted and I couldn't grip my handle bars.... My right hand, no matter how hard I tried, couldn't wrap around my bar or my brake hood. I figured my thumb was broken. My race was done... 5 minutes in and I'm DNF'ing. Sucks.

After visiting the doctor, it seems it's not broken just a bad sprain and some possible ligament damage. I will need to see a specialist to find out...

Not the way I wanted to end my 'cross season - that's for sure.

Misunderstood

2009-11-28T07:14:00.000-05:00

Cyclist are a misunderstood breed. More often than not, the misunderstanding stems from ignorance. Ignorance is such an ugly word, and in this regard, I'm merely referring to the general populace's lack of knowledge about the sport. This lack of knowledge manifests itself in many ways, whether it be a shout from a passing car to "ride on the sidewalk!" an odd look from a co-worker when you head out in your spandex for a lunch-time workout, or a family member commenting that "you look a little gaunt", these are all par for the course.

There's one kernel of cycling knowledge that if conveyed to the masses, would help clear up the misunderstandings and improve cyclist/non-cyclist relations everywhere. That nugget of insight? To truly know how difficult this sport really is. I would want them to experience the suffering and sacrifices that we go through just to be pack fodder in our local race series. They should know what it feels like to physically go above anything you thought you were capable of, just to secure a top ten spot in a cyclocross race. I would like them to know that fifth place is pretty damn good and doesn't even come close to reflecting the time and effort or the sacrifices made for said achievement.

If they could only walk a kilometer or two in our Sidis...

And, as if the physical challenges weren't enough, cycling exists in the U.S. (and, especially here in Michigan) as a fringe sport. If I were playing for a local (American style) football team and needed some additional time to train for the "Big Game", hell, my boss would be tripping over himself to give me the day off. But, since it's cycling, I have to sneak out the back door to ride on my lunch hour to meet my weekly training goal. This may go beyond misunderstanding and into the realm of cycling being an accepted form of sport here in the U.S., but if people understood the sport, that next step of acceptance isn't that far off.

Bloomer Park CX - My Streak Continues

2009-11-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Curt Potocki

This was going to be the race. The one where it all starts to come together and I'd see some improvement in my standings. So it was with high hopes but low expectations that I toed the line on this foggy Sunday.

This course is pretty flat overall. There's a downhill section of single track with a sharp little climb after it and another climb on a grassy hill followed by a two off-camber turns, just to make it suspenseful. Throw in two barrier sections with 90 degree approaches and you've got the course highlights. In other words, it's pretty much up my alley.

From the start, I knew it wasn't in the cards. My start was terrible. I tried to clip in not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES before my feeble muscle memory allowed my cleat to find the pedal. That put me at the back of the group by the time we hit the first grass section. Now I had some serious work to do. As everyone started to string out single file, I started passing. I managed to bridge a gap near the middle of lap one and settled in with a group of three. We didn't really work together, I just moved to the front and rode at a tempo just on edge of my threshold. I was feeling great! My legs were there today, no shortage of power and my lungs felt better than they had in about a month. That shitty start must have killed it for me. Our grupetto stuck together until lap 4 or 5 and then I started to pull away.

And that was all she wrote - 11th place. In the last 4 races, I have finished in either 11th or 12th place. Now, I finally feel like my form is coming around, and there's only one race left on the calendar, the State Championship. I've run out of runway...

Photo courtesy of Curt Potocki

Props go out to:

Dan G. - another second place! Nice work. Clint better be shaking in his compression socks...
Mark C. - for running Bloomer with no brakes (essentially). You are one crazy sonofabitch!!
Curt P. - for the nice photo work, making us B racers look better than we actually are...
Dude riding the velodrome (I believe your name was Bruce)- you sold me. Next summer, I'm gonna give track riding a shot. Maybe it will be good for the CX...
Anne S. - Welcome back, and first place nonetheless!
Zdenek Stybar - nope, he wasn't at the race... but just wanted to give him props for his back to back victories this weekend!

Storming the Beaches at Stony Creek CX

2009-11-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Me, soaking up the rays on the beach.

Stony Creek is one of my favorite courses. Last Sunday lived up to my expectations. Sand? Check. Mud? Check. Hairpin turns? Check. Suffering and pain? Absolutely.

Here's how it went down:
Start on a nice, wide paved area (read: lots of speed) followed by a funnel-like procession onto a 6 ft. wide bike path. Then grass, then sand, then mud, then grass and lots of turns, two barriers, then tons o' turns, then two more barriers then the finish. Wash, rinse, repeat - 5 more times. Had a nice little battle for 11th with a fellow teammate, but alas, a mis-handled corner on the second to last lap and I came in 12th. I love that in 'cross there are gut-wrenching battles for 11th place. Awesome.

Some observations/learnings from the race:

I'm kinda stagnant right now - 11th or 12th in the last 3 races. Some of the guys I was beating a few races ago are now on the podium. What gives?
I actually felt pretty good on the bike for a change. Lungs weren't there though.
I'm FINALLY getting used to the "new" pedals - didn't have any issues clipping in (Yee Haw!)
The steed is going to need a serious overhaul at the end of the season.
I've never thought of myself as a "big guy" but looking at race pictures, I look like a freaking umber-hulk out there. At least, compared to the other more svelte racers.
This was confirmed when, at the race conclusion, I was told, "You'd be a lot faster if you could loose 10 - 15 lbs." Time to go on a diet?

The face says it all... Thanks Curt for taking the photos!

In order to keep my fragile ego from totally coming apart, I have also generated a short list of reasons (excuses?) for my stagnant performance:

I was in Florida for 6 days. All I did fitness-wise was run for 30 minutes every morning and swim a little. This is comparable to walking around the mall for 20 minutes/day to prepare for the Boston Marathon.
Sinusitis - I've got it and it makes it a real bitch to breathe.
I got a horrible start.
I forgot my lucky cycling cap.

Enough reflection, now we look forward. Bloomer Park CX next weekend. That was the location of my first, and only, podium finish (3rd place C-race, last season). A repeat may not be likely but, who knows?

A Few More of My Favorite Things

2009-11-11T13:16:00.000-05:00

Sidi Dominator MTB Shoes

I've owned three pairs of Sidi's over the course of my cycling career. My first pair, a pair of road cycling shoes, I purchased in 1996 and had to be retired in 2000 because I had to walk 8 miles back to my apartment when I double flatted in the foothills of the Rockies. This absolutely trashed the soles. The pair I purchased to replace them are still going strong almost a decade later (I've also since learned to carry a patch kit along with a spare tube).

My Sidi Dominators I got right before this 'cross season. They are awesome! Granted I was coming off an old pair of Shimano MTB shoes circa 1994 so you have to consider the basis for comparison...

Smart Wool Socks

These are great for keeping the tootsies warm during those late season cyclocross races. They are soft and cozy, I even wear them off the bike. And they are machine washable. Bonus.

Dumonde Tech Chain Lube

I've tried the gamut of bike lubes and this one is my all-time favorite. It's really long-lasting and it holds up remarkably well in all kinds of conditions. The only thing is, you have to wipe your chain an awful lot after application.

Time Off

2009-11-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

A nice week of R&R in sunny Florida. It really couldn't have come at a better time; no races scheduled for me this weekend, just coming off a bad sinus infection and bronchitis, and getting the crap kicked out of me last weekend in Ann Arbor.

So here I am, enjoying a nice family vacation complete with sunny, 75 degree weather and a Mickey Mouse-crazed two year old. I gotta say, it's nice. The odd thing is, as a cyclist, it's really hard to let go of that feeling that, if you aren't constantly training, your fitness will totally fade away. Experience has taught me otherwise, but there's still that nagging in the back of my mind. Last year, I went on a similar trip and my first two races after coming back from vacation were my best of the season. I think the problem is, it's hard to accept that doing nothing may actually help and lead to better fitness. Rest is important too.

Of course, I'm not totally doing nothing. I'm doing a bit of running (3o minutes or so in the AM, when I feel like it) and some swimming, but no bike time. I guess we'll see how the legs feel come Sunday at Stony Creek!

Vets Park Made My Lungs Bleed!

2009-11-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

This was a pretty common occurrence for me last weekend. Running... Thanks for the photos Bruce!

Ouch.

That's all I can muster after a tough weekend of racing.

Saturday

Saturday was a fantastically stereotypical cyclocross day with cold, biting wind and a nice on/off drizzle. Perfect for the embrocation. I laid it on so thick my legs looked like Magda from There's Something About Mary.

The course was set up so there were two pretty decent climbs as the major elements. One was a forced run-up with a set of double barriers at the base of it. The other was steep and a bit soggy so you (or perhaps I should say, "I") had to run it. That made for a lot of running. I hate to run. On about lap 3, I noticed that my lungs weren't really cooperating, in fact, I actually walked one of the run-ups that lap. Not even a slight jog to make it look good, I WALKED. That's humbling, when guys are passing you and you're having troubles putting one foot in front of the other. Oh well, suffering is a good character builder. All that suffering and not even a top ten, I ended the day in 11th place.

Sunday

The course was basically a reverse of the previous day which meant those hills we were running yesterday, we were bombing today. That also meant a fast course. It had dried out a bit so you could sustain your momentum and the wind had died down. All in all, it was a great day to race. Except I woke up feeling a bit crappy. Regardless, I figured I'd give it the ol' college try. I told myself to focus on one thing, getting a good start. I certain achieved that! I was sitting nicely in 3rd place when I began to fade about 3/4 of a lap in. This trend continued until I got into a group of 4 and we spent the remaining laps battling for 9th-13th place. I ended up in 12th. That's when things got ugly. I had a couple coughing spasms (seemed like your typical CX cough) at the race and on the drive home. No biggie. Later that night, the coughing really hadn't stopped and, not to be gross, but I noticed some blood... Well, long story short, I went to the doc's and I have a nasty bout of bronchitis. Sucks. I'm going to take a bit of a break here and rest up, then it's off to Florida for a little R&R. The humid air will do the battle-scarred lungs some good! Hopefully I will be recovered enough for Stony Creek, cuz I love the sand!

Thanks to the usual cast of photogs for capturing the fun:

Andrea Tucker

Ten Mile Media

Bruce

Maybury Lungbuster CX

2009-10-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, if you weren't in Kentucky, the action around these parts was at Maybury State Park. There was a certain amount of menace and eerie anticipation for this race. For starters, it was called "Lungbuster". This was, I assumed, both a nod toward the park's past (It was a tuberculosis sanatorium back in the day) and a warning of the impending lung scorching that awaited the participants. The course proved that the name was true to its word.

Me on the run-up (I'm the guy in purple and yellow right behind the guy in black) Thanks Bruce for the photos!

The race definitely wasn't my cup of tea, too much single track and a technical descent, but that's partly what made it fun. The race started off well enough, I was probably in about 8th or 9thth place at the start. Then my lack of technical skills became apparent and, 8 laps and a couple crashes later, 14th place. Not a great result for me but it definitely put me out of my comfort zone, terrain-wise, so hopefully I picked up something there (other than the scrape along my left shin).

Props go out to the following:

Steve: your amazing technical skills and your Spicy Mango-powered cardiovascular system saw you to a top ten spot. Nice work!
Jan: thanks for sharing in my pre-race fear of the muddy, boulder strewn, off-camber descent - I felt your pain, brother.
Bruce and Andy: your kind sentiments on the run-up were nothing less than inspiring. I love you guys.
The dude holding the can of Zima (or some other alcoholic beverage): thank you for ensuring all the racers were properly hydrated - your selflessness is exemplary. If you are taking orders, I enjoy Bells Double Cream Stout - especially when I'm at the point of anaerobic exhaustion...

Here's a nice little video Bruce took of the run-up. Steve and I are in the purple and yellow.

Next weekend is a double in Ann Arbor. This race is one of my favorites. We'll see how she goes!

Mad Anthony and The Grinder

2009-10-23T17:51:00.000-04:00

Considering it's almost the weekend, I feel kinda foolish finally posting something about last weekend's racing. Given the caliber of these events, I figured I should at least give them their due.

Better late than never.

Let's start with last Saturday's Race:

The race took place on the grounds of historic Fort Wayne, a fort constructed in the 1800's to defend against the British invading from Canada. Last Saturday saw an invasion of another kind, when scores of cyclocrossers stormed the steep run-ups of this twisted race course.

Twisted, it definitely was. The start consisted of a 100 meter straight followed by a sweeping left turn into what can best be described as a grass wall. This thing was steep, I had a bit of trouble riding up it during my practice laps. Once at the summit of the grass wall, it was a 180 degree turn right back down... What followed was a series of chicanes, 180 degree bends and straight-aways that offered absolutely no quarter whatsoever. Then there was a two-track "road" around the outside walls of the fort. This dirt was packed down really well so you could really get some speed, the only problem being the razor sharp pieces of brick and foundation sticking up from the ground. Hit one of these and your tire was toast. I think a lot of racers learned this the hard way. The course then took a turn and it was into a really dark tunnel through the actual fort walls. Really cool. A lot of the photogs were lurking in the shadows to get a unique shot or two of the action. Exit the tunnel and it was up a cobblestone street to the top of a steep embankment and then right down it. This descent was a bit steep, I'm a bit embarrassed to say, on my first practice lap, I went right through the tape trying to negotiate the drop off... Next, a turn into a set of barriers and right back up the same hill we just went down. A few twists and turns later and it was back to the start/finish.

The course was great fun and the venue was very unique. The start even featured a guy dressed in civil war garb that signaled the start by firing a musket. I also managed to get 7th place, which happened to be my first top ten of the year!

Pics: Andrea Tucker, Ten Mile Media

Saturday took a lot out of me but I had another race to do on Sunday.

Sunday's Race:

This was the Lower Huron course in Belleville, MI. This is a local favorite due to the variety of terrain and a nasty run-up affectionately referred to as "The Grinder". This was your more typical Michigan 'cross race, with a sand pit, 3 sets of barriers, and the aforementioned run-up, all taking place in a Metro Park. The race went ok, even though my legs didn't feel quite 100%, I ended up coming in 9th.

Pics: Andrea Tucker, Ten Mile Media

I'm not complaining. I'm making progress, and my goal this year was to finish the majority of my races in the top 10 in the "B" category. Well, that's 2 out of 5 so far. I had a bit of a bumpy start, but I think I'm finally back on track and riding where I want to be.

NOTE: To those of you keeping tabs, I rode the Challenge Latex tubes both days and have a few observations to report:

They are light and seem to allow for much quicker spin-up
Watch the tire pressure - they have a harder "feel" than what the actual pressure is. I recommend having a good pressure gauge to double check
There was a few times during the races this weekend where it almost felt like I had a flat. I didn't, but it felt a little wishy-washy
My friend Steve was running the same tubes, he pinched a bit of the tube between his rim and sidewall. The tube failed pretty catastrophically on his first lap. The latex is really flexible, it's very easy for it to get trapped between the tire and the rim when your mounting them.
Make sure you use powder in your tires when you mount them, it keeps the latex from sticking to the inside of your tire.
I'm a fan (at least until I flat during a race), they have some drawbacks but I think the light weight and the better acceleration make up for it.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2009-10-16T16:08:00.000-04:00

As I ease into my second season of cyclocross racing, I'm accumulating a mental list of some things that seem to work well for me, or, things that I just think are pretty damn cool. So from time to time, when creativity fails me, I'll post a few of them and the reasons I think they are top-shelf (this just so happens to be one of those times).

Challenge Fango Open Tubulars

Challenge Fango, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

They grip in the corners like a sonuvabitch
Supple as all get out
They look cool
They corner like they are on rails
They are as close as I'll get to tubulars this season
Did I mention how well they corner?

Mad Alchemy Medium Embrocation

Ahhh... Just cracking the jar and getting a whiff of this potent elixir conjures up images of run-ups, barriers and cow bells. It is to cyclocross what Vicks is to chest congestion. In the middle of the summer, my wife has caught me huffing this stuff in my basement, hoping for some sort of 'cross hallucination.

Directions:

20-30 minutes pre-race: Rub on legs for 5 minutes or so, really massage it in - it's also good for feet, lower back, hands (just watch it when you go for the pre-lineup pee...)
Enjoy the blissful warmth!
Remove with a dry towel and baby wipes
Enjoy the after-burn...

Challenge Latex Cyclocross Tubes

Before you go thinking I'm sponsored by Challenge or something, I'm not. I bought and tried all this stuff on my own. Took a chance. And, in this case, it paid off. These tubes are really light and supple. The best part is, they are available in 'cross tire sizes. You can shave about 100g off each wheel over regular butyl tubes. The ride quality seems improved, but where I noticed it most was accelerations.
This is probably the next best thing to actually having tubulars.

R.I.P. VDB 1974 - 2009

2009-10-13T08:49:00.000-04:00

It's all starting to come back to me...

2009-10-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

No racing for me this weekend. All the action is down in Ohio and we're having a birthday party for my daughter, Jane on Sunday so I wanted to stay local. Over the coarse of the last few days, I've done a couple 'cross workouts and things are starting to click. My strength is coming back and my bike handling skills are improving. More importantly, my confidence is improving. My shitty performance over the spring and summer road racing really did a number on me - especially the crash.

Not sure if it was over-training or what but, I'm starting to feel like my old self again.

Hup.

On a side note: Current World Champ Niels Albert is really kicking some cyclocross ass over in Europe. He just nabbed his 5th consecutive victory, with a 40 second lead over Sven Nys, who came in second...

Veldrijden!!!

Working on Our Night Moves...

2009-10-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

Thought a borrowed line from a great Seger tune would be a fitting title to recap my first night cyclocross race.

The PRO sheen...

A night race involves a whole different preparatory mindset than the usual day races. Racing in B, races usually start around 11 AM. So race day morning is usually spent packing the car and driving to the race. Well, when you're start time isn't until 7 PM, that leaves a lot of time thinking about the race. It's kinda like a mosquito bite, you may forget about it for a bit, but that nagging itch is never totally out of mind.

That "itch" was there all day (and the nerves to go with it) so I was definitely relieved to car-pool with my buddy Steve to race. The drive was a little over an hour so the conversation provided a great distraction.

If I had to think of stereotypical cyclocross conditions, Saturday would have been it. Overcast and rainy with temps in the 50s. I love that kind of weather. I get overheated pretty easily and those conditions just suit me. Plus, any good excuse to pull out the Mad Alchemy and embrocate up is just fine by me... I love that stuff so much I could eat it.

Back to the race - The course was set up in a city park in Monroe. It's pretty damn flat, with a solitary mound on one end of the course. This hill featured the typical run up and a short climb. This course definitely favored the power rider with lots of straights and not a lot of technical stuff.

For a warm up, me, Steve and Brian Love (gotta say Brian's full name cuz I dig it) did a short ride around a neighborhood near the park. I headed back to the car and laid the embro on extra thick (my legs looked like George Hamilton with jaundice), then it was onto the course to check it out. I did about 1 1/2 laps when I noticed that the starting line was already full of riders. I hustled over there and had to line up in back.

The race went decently for me. I felt better than I have in a long time, like my strength is finally coming back. I crashed once in the last lap (a remount mishap) but held on to my position, which ended up being 12th place. Not bad. The form is coming around.

After cooling down, Steve and I grabbed the cowbells and set up camp on the mound to cheer on our fellow crossers doing the single speed, masters and elite races. Here's what I learned - it is an amazing amount of fun cheering on your com padres as they put themselves through hell. I'm so hoarse today I can barely speak. Amazingly fun - I gotta stick around more often.

A huge thanks to Tailwind and Jack's Bicycle for putting on the race and to Andrea Tucker and Hans Nyberg for capturing our suffering for posterity.

Objects of Cycloross Lust and Desire

2009-09-27T21:57:00.001-04:00

Victory is Mine!

2009-09-26T20:24:00.000-04:00

Grappling with the elements and a field of 100+ riders, today, I was finally able to claim that elusive top podium spot. As this is my first win ever, I'd like to give a more detailed account then I typically provide of the circumstances that led to this amazing victory.

The weather was damp and in the mid 50's as I gathered up my clothing and gear for today's ensuing ride. I had to choose wisely, since the temp was supposed to get into the low 70s and I didn't want to overheat. I decided to go with a short sleeved base and jersey, bib shorts, arm and leg warmers, a cycling cap under my helmet and "Belgian Booties". With weather more befitting a Spring Classic in April than a late September ride, I mounted my trusty road bike and headed out. Little did I know what I was in for.

My plan was to ride to the start for a warm up and just see where my legs took me from there. As I arrived at the start, I noticed two things immediately. First was the overwhelming size of the field. There must have been at least 100+ riders. Second, that I must have missed the start since some riders were already well on their way.

With no time to dilly-dally, I picked my way through the main pack and set my sights on the two break-away groups up the path. There was one group of five, and then, further up, another duo of riders. As I slowly reeled in the first group I was amazed at how great my legs felt. I was turning over my 39x20 like it was nothing! The speed was high as I looked down and saw the "30" flash on the screen of my cyclo-computer. Then I remembered it was set to kph not mph... Nevertheless, I was nearly on top of the group of five and, with the speed I was carrying, I knew I would just blow right by them. As I neared the last rider in the group, I thought about jumping in the rotation to recover from my effort, and just as I was almost on his wheel, he pulled off the side of the path!! Then the craziest thing happened, the remaining 4 riders did the same. I just chalked it up to them "answering the call of nature" but there was a woman in the group too...

Oh well, no time to dwell, I still had the 2 lone leaders to chase down. I would catch glimpses of them as the path twisted and wound among the foliage, and I could tell I was definitely gaining. I upshifted to my 39x14 and really put the hammer down. I'm not sure what got into me but I was gaining on them like they were standing still! As I approached, I slid the bike over to the left, seeking out the portion of the trail where the opposing traffic had worn a path and flew by them. The man in front looked at me with an inquisitive glance. As I looked back, I noticed he was about 70 years old, I must have caught up to the Masters group...

As I turned my gaze up the trail, I noticed the finish line. There was no one in front of me! I had a good 30-40 seconds on the group of two behind me so I adjusted my jersey and held my arms aloft in a victory salute as I coasted across the line. The promoters had a refreshment table set up at the finish but I by-passed that and instead opted for a cooled down. Victory has never tasted so sweet. I almost need to repeat it to believe it's real: I finished first in the Clinton River Trail Fall Classic 10 Mile Fun Ride. And it was all by accident that I happened upon these cyclists admiring the fall colors, but as a wise man once told me, every ride is a race. Victory is mine!

Welcome to the Killer B's...

2009-09-24T09:13:00.000-04:00

Day 1 - in the belly of the beast...

So this is a bit late in coming but I really needed to let my first races of the season percolate before giving them their due. Also, I was hoping to include some pics courtesy of the local photogs.

To recap, last weekend was the Michigan Double Cross, a two day cyclocross extravaganza put on by Tailwind, Kinetic Systems and the Flying Rhinos Cycling Club. The course was set up at Waterford Hills Raceway and came complete with the usual suspects; undulations, two sets of barriers, 180 degree turns, sand, and bumpy terra firma. Oh, and let's not forget the "Orange Crush" - a flyover of monstrous proportions - huge, steep steps going up, a very short bridge section and a steep ramp going back down. The Orange Crush was my nemesis both days...

Day 1 - Here I am going down the ramp - looking like a pro. Good thing it's not a video, otherwise you would see how slow I really was...

First impression of the weekend: it was really refreshing to do some 'cross racing after a summer of road racing. It's such a different world. Fun seems to be a bigger priority in cyclocross. Don't get me wrong, cyclocross racing is an absolute bitch while you're out there, but in an odd way, it's fun at the same time. Maybe because the folks who race cyclocross don't take themselves as seriously... All I know is, I heard lots of folks throwing around the word "fun" at the weekend races. You rarely ever (never?) hear the term "fun" used in any context at a road race. Weird.

After chewing and digesting my races over the weekend, here's my thoughts and observations:

Racing in B is definitely tougher. 45+ minutes takes its toll.
I felt much better on Sunday than I did on Saturday, although my results didn't really show it (19th on Saturday, 17th on Sunday)
It was much easier for me to ride the sand on Sunday

Barrier work was decent - still jumping a bit high but at least it seemed smooth.

Need to work on my starts - getting good placement in that first turn is crucial.
My wife and little girl came out both days - it was great to have my own cheering section! Thanks to all the other Rhinos who offered encouragements, I heard 'em!
One other funny thing - every time my daughter hears a cowbell, she yells "Go Daddy!" - she's awesome!

Next up for me is a night race in Monroe, Michigan. Last year, I didn't do too shabby there so we'll see how it goes!

Thanks to Andrea Tucker, Hans Nyberg and Bruce LeBlanc for the photos!

Reality Check

2009-09-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

My first cyclocross race of the season, the Michigan Double Cross Race 1, is officially in the record books.

Now I know where I stand, a stake has been struck into the hard, dry, Michigan ground. Now I have a point of reference from which to measure my progress.

Leading up to that first race, it's funny because there are all these expectations, preconceived notions and questions of how I would perform. How would I measure up now that I've moved up to the "B" group? Well, now all that has been answered. No more hiding behind a facade of 60 mile road rides, it's laid bare for all to see.

Maybe that's what cyclocross is about. Whether your state, national or world champion, there's no hiding. There's no team to tow you around the course, and, come the last lap, cut you loose to crush your competition There's no 100-man peloton to provide shelter.

Cyclocross is solitary, it's painful, and it's beautiful. There's a camaraderie despite the solitude, that exists in knowing that each and every racer out there is hurting too (some just go a hell of a lot faster amidst their suffering).

I consider racing "play by plays" a little stale. Is anyone really interested in hearing the minutia of every grueling minute of my race?? I've done them in the past and I kinda regret it. I'll keep that commentary to myself. Suffice to say, I was a bit underwhelmed with my performance, however, my expectations may have been too high. I felt smooth on the barriers, had big issues with the flyover, did ok cornering and felt ok power wise. I finished around 18th place (actually it was 19th place). I say "around" because I'm not positive since I didn't stick around to find out. I kept post-race lolly-gagging to a minimum since I had my family with me and I promised them a nice lunch afterward for serving as my cheering section.

FYI -My daughter (she's two) rang her first cowbell today. Yup, I'm a proud papa!

Got another race tomorrow and I can't wait. Oh yeah - congrats to fellow Rhino Mark for a strong showing in the B race - 5th place! I'll give a shout out to Jan and Steve too, you guys finished strong. Way to go!

Back From the Clinic

2009-09-12T20:40:00.000-04:00

Nope, I'm not talking about where you go when you have The Clap, I'm talking about a cyclocross clinic. And what a doosy it was...

First off, there was this thing:

This is "The Orange Crush" and it's a bitch. If there was ever something that made you realize that you take too long to clip in, this is it. You've got roughly 6 feet up there before plummeting down the ramp...

Here are some of my thoughts, recollections and observations from the clinic:

Water is good, drink lots of it.
the sun is hot.
When you are being lapped by a really fast, elite level rider, they make very little noise.
I'm damn glad my bike has an aluminum steerer. There were a couple of my transitions coming off the ramp of "The Orange Crush" where, if my steerer had been carbon, I think it would have snapped and my face would have gotten intimate with the grassy substrate.
I love to hit myself in the head with my saddle when shouldering the bike. In fact, it's my favorite thing to do.
For those of us who are less than stellar bike-handlers, some sections are just easier to run
I hate running.
Barriers are fun.
I jump WAAYY too high on my remount - if not remedied, this may, one day, give me what I like to refer to as "the poor-man's vasectomy".
When I'm truly suffering (as I was during the last 3-4 laps of the 40 minute practice race), well wishes and words of encouragement only serve to further demoralize me.
Tuberculosis originated at a cyclocross race during the 1600's.
I love Challenge Fango tires.
I want a new bike.
I have what's know as "Monkey Arms".
PB&J is not a good pre-race food.
Fig Newtons are amazing.
After a long day of riding, I crave sweets and baked goods like a son-of-a-bitch (such as chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake).
I hate cyclocross.
I like things that make me suffer.
I love cyclocross.

Thanks to Kinetic Systems Bicycles, Tailwind Enterprises and The Flying Rhinos Cycling Club for a great time!

Kick Off Those 'Cross Webs - It's Here

2009-09-11T15:35:00.000-04:00

It's officially cyclocross season! Actually, I've been focused on cross for the last month or so, but that was more due to a less-than-stellar road racing season (I was eager to put it behind me).

Did my first group ride with the club this past Tuesday. It was great! Perfect, stereotypical cyclocross weather (rainy and cool) and hanging out with some friends from the club, can't think of a better way to spend a Tuesday night. Although, I felt like I had gone through a thousand mini-doping controls with all the mosquitoes sampling some of my blood.

Looking forward to a great cyclocross clinic this Saturday and experiencing my first flyover... THE ORANGE CRUSH (duhn, dah, duhn...)

The Monster in the making...

New Pedals and Kicks for the 'Cross Bike

2009-09-07T15:01:00.000-04:00

Hailing more from the financially destitute camp than the "I have 3 pit bikes and 8 sets of carbon wheels" camp, one of my friends has taken pity on me and given me a great deal on a slightly used set of Challenge Fango clinchers and a brand spanking new set of XTR mtb pedals.

Here's my impressions:

XTR Pedals
Oh my, my... Let me just start by saying, my old pedals were these old, gold Ritchey SPDs from 1996. If I dismounted in anything but dry sand and/or dry grass, I could pretty much guarantee that I would be riding unclipped the remainder of the race. These pedals just wouldn't engage unless it was a squeaky clean cleat/pedal interface. Not so with the XTR's. These have plenty of room to spare for things like mud or snow. And with those big, menacing clamps (the left one took a pretty nice "bite" of my calf on a botched dismount) when the cleat is pressed on them, they just open up and latch on. Done.

Challenge Fango Clinchers
I was running a set of Michelin Mud tires prior. The Muds are nothing to scoff at and they are an excellent tire, but I was really interested in trying something a bit more supple. Now, I don't have much to base my comparison on, nut these are the best cornering tire I have ever ridden. I'm not the best bike handler out there, but these things made me feel like I could corner twice as fast as on my Michelins. I was running them about 30 psi and they felt plenty supple and absorbed the bumps well enough to allow for steady powering. I guess the truth is in the races...

On other thing I "upgraded" - my seatpost. The bike came with some cheapo carbon post and the clamp broke. So I took my Thompson off my old road bike. The Thompson has no set back so my position is a bit different, but I'll live with it since it was free.

This is My Cross Bike

2009-08-21T20:45:00.000-04:00

There are many like it, but this one is mine...

Burn Out

2009-08-14T10:06:00.000-04:00

I'm burned out.

This is how I feel - or maybe like this

There's not a doubt in my mind. I'm tired, unmotivated, a general sense of malaise surrounds me, I feel like going to a Dunkin' Donuts and eating 24 double chocolate donuts, AND I have very little desire to ride.

Burn out is stealthy. It always starts off as an ever so slight sensation that things might be a little off-kilter. You chalk it up to lack of sleep, or needing to eat better but these only provide temporary relief. Then life starts to feel a bit... stale. When I finally started to take notice, I didn't feel like riding anymore - my motivation was pretty much gone. This is a telltale sign of burn out and, unfortunately, when recognized, it's already at an advanced stage.

Not sure what to do now. Here I am, at the beginning of my second cross season, I should be excited as hell. And, in some ways, I am. But at the same time, the thought of throwing my leg over a top-tube of any kind (cyclocross or otherwise) doesn't even register a blip on my anticipation meter. Doesn't seem like I'll feel like it in the foreseeable future.

Looking back, it's not that my riding volumes were exceptionally high or that intensity was too much. I think for me it was more a mental thing. Too many expectations in too many realms of life. Oh and I'm pretty sure it doesn't help that my work is basically a legalized form of torture. Something akin to Chinese water torture, where it gradually wears you down until you loose all will and leaves you a broken, battered husk of your former self. Good times.

Note to self: focus what little energy you have left into a possible job change.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Cyclocross Time!

2009-08-08T10:01:00.000-04:00

Did my first real cyclocross workout of the season last week. There's this nice community park about 10 miles from my house that has all the components for a cross course. It's got a nice steep hill for run-ups and fast descents, lots of bumpy, grassy field, a section of dirt/wood chip trail through the woods, and even a sand volleyball court if you want to hit the beach. I've constructed a set of portable barriers from PVC tubes that fit into a backpack (a variation of the Greg Keller design, with longer sections making for fewer pieces). These work really well in a pinch, although not quite as formidable as a solid piece of plywood staked into the ground, it at least helps resurrect that buried muscle-memory.

I forgot how fun/hard cross is. It's one of those things that can't be mimicked on the road or trail. After about an hour, I noticed my lungs hurt, cross forces you to breathe a lot deeper, drawing breaths from the depths of your thorax. My aerobic capacity is up there from road racing all summer, but nothing can prepare you for the sheer oxygen debt that cyclocross brings with it.

My buddy Steve joined my at the park and he made me realize I need a lot of practice with the bike handling skills. He could literally turn circles around me, especially on the off-camber stuff. He's a mountain biker, so I can learn a lot from him in that department.

I'm so excited for the cross season that I almost want to just ditch my last couple of road races and immerse myself in the 'crossy goodness.

Mud, Snow, Rain, Embrocation, Frozen Toes, Oxygen Debt - Cyclocross Season is almost here!

Thursday Night Worlds and the Effectiveness of Team Tactics

2009-08-02T07:21:00.000-04:00

Thursday Night Worlds this past Thursday was an outstanding success for our team. While I didn't entertain any personal results, my fellow team members secured 1st - 4th, which was amazing. How did we do this? We had a plan. Maybe even more importantly, we were all working toward that plan. The plan was to get several team mates in a break-away mid way through the race, whoever was left in the group would do some blocking to discourage any potential chasers. This tactic is probably the most rudimentary of cycling strategies, but it's simplicity is key to its effectiveness. Here's how it all played out:

For the first half of the race nothing really happened. A few attacks but nothing with any spunk. About 1/2 way through the race, a lap or two after a prime, 4 of our guys shot off the front with two others from another team. There was 5 of us left in the peloton as the break-away furthered the gap. What happened next is what made this tactic effective; all five of us took turns coming up to the front and slowing the pack down. Whether it was taking slower pulls at the front, blocking open lanes to thwart attacks or just chasing down any attempted break-aways, we managed to keep the gap at a comfortable level to give our quartet in front a chance at victory.

My team mates up front did everything they were supposed to do, and secured the top 4 podium spots, making our efforts worth it. Since this race has a purse, The top 4 split their winnings with the team, my first money made from a race!

So we had a plan and it paid off. But we've had plans before and they haven't worked in the past. What was different this time? I think, the most important thing I learned is, some team mates have to be willing to sacrifice personal ambitions for the greater good of the team. In the past, there's always been one or two team mates who insist on chasing the break-away. This can't happen. Everyone needs to be unified. Maybe next time, I'll be in the break and my mates will be blocking for me!

Mont Ventoux and the Shleck Bros

2009-07-26T08:41:00.000-04:00

All I gotta say is the Tour de France sponsors and promoters should thank their lucky stars for the Schleck brothers. These two are just what professional cycling needs. They are interesting, and between the two of them, there's a certain dynamic that wouldn't exist if it was singular. I like their style and character - something that Contador seems devoid of. I especially liked when Andy was being interviewed and talk turned to Armstrong (of course) and he said, Armstrong should be more worried about him than he should be worried about Armstrong. Amen.

I have always found the brothers interesting to watch but what really sealed my membership in the Schleck fan club was the way Andy made every attempt to help brother Frank secure a podium spot on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. Even though, despite his best efforts, this wasn't to be, Andy still gave it his best. The brotherly bond helps to provide a bit more drama to the cycling scene.

What would happen if Andy and Frank were to ride for different teams? Now that would be some drama!

Maillot Jaune Road Race - Aftermath

2009-07-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

Update: Here's a funny pic that Hans Nyberg at Ten Mile Media took of me finishing this race. That's the face of a very discouraged racer...

What a crappy race today. The legs were bad. Couldn't hold a wheel. I was plagued by bad mojo from the start. Flatted while warming up with 10 minutes to start. I can honestly say, I have never changed a flat that fast in my life. That was about the only thing I did fast today. My racing was anything but. To add insult to injury, once I got dropped by the main group, a corner volunteer indicated the wrong way on a turn and I ended up riding an extra 8th of a lap. Great day. I guess we all have them, but it makes me question why I invest so much time and $$ into this sport. I love it but, for 34th place? When's the form gonna come around? I guess there's always 'cross season.

On a lighter note, the LOOK is now back together and ready for the road. No more 'cross bike on the road! Yipee!

The Maillot Jaune Road Race

2009-07-19T13:04:00.000-04:00

The Maillot Jaune Road Race is one of my focus races of the year. It's a hilly race, with a couple of decent climbs (decent for SE Michigan) and for us Cat 4 racers will consist of 3 laps of a 13 mile loop. I had the pleasure of checking out the course yesterday with three of the fellas from the team. We rode a couple laps of the course to do some recon and put in another 40ish miles getting to and from the course.

I had to ride my cross bike, which was a drag. The LOOK is basically in pieces, it needs a new crankset and BB. If it's not fixed before Friday, I will be racing my cross bike, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. The gearing just takes some getting used to (46/36).

The course has the type of hills that sprinter-types have trouble with because they are too long to power up, yet are too short for pure climbers to gain an advantage. These are the type of hills I like.

The only problem is, the roads are shit. There are several stretches of "Michigan Pave" (chip seal and potholes). These occur all over the course, on uphills and descents, making for an interesting race. Maybe the 'cross bike is the best option...

I'm looking forward to this race next Saturday and it's one of my target races. I'm shooting to crack the top ten. I think my form is coming around, so we'll see if I have the fitness.

The Race of Truth

2009-07-08T21:58:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, the time trial. "The Race of Truth", as it's so often referred to. I haven't done one in about 6 years. Last night I had the opportunity to get reacquainted after the extended hiatus. It was just as tough as I remembered and definitely made me rethink my two-hot dog dinner. In the end, I had a finishing time of 17:49 with an average speed of 23.6 mph. This was good enough for an 8th place finish. Not too shabby considering I was using my LOOK sans aero bars, or any sort of deep dish or disk wheel. The form's coming around...

Back in the Saddle

2009-07-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a few weeks since my crash and bruises have faded to a nice yellow and scabs have fallen off to reveal the rosiness of freshly formed skin. Recovering from a crash is tough. It's tougher than doing 2 hour's worth of lactate threshold intervals - probably because it's all a mental thing. Your body needs time to recover but your mind has gotten awfully accustomed to time in the saddle and the intensities of racing. If your not careful, it's really easy to slip into a funk.

And that's exactly where I found myself. In a funk. It kinda sneaked up on me, creeping into my psyche over the last 2 weeks. I found my motivation waning, I was eating more, the quantity of food wasn't really the issue, it was the quality (junk food city). I probably put on 15 pounds over the course of 3 weeks... Feeling like a lazy fat ass was all the motivation I needed to start training again. So off I went, logging a good 2 hour ride last Saturday.

To help things out, my beloved LOOK came back with a clean bill of health (thank the bicycle gods, since I couldn't even think of affording a new one right now). It's back on!

Well, fate had other plans. The job got hectic, and I had to put in some serious hours at the mill (my pet name for my job in advertising). Long hours at work = no training.

Our Thursday Night Worlds was coming up and nothing gets you motivated like a little racing. I decided that would be my come back, and despite my dilapidated fitness and form, I would just hang on as long as I could and get in a good workout.

For me, the first race back after a hard crash is always fraught with self-doubt. Will my nerves overcome my ability to race? Will I be able to ride at the same intensity? It's a struggle for me to put faith in something that has yet to be tested. Even if that thing is myself.

The Thursday Night Worlds race takes place on a car racing track so the pavement is great and plenty wide. A great venue for someone to get their race-legs back. I got there early and did a few warm up laps. Well, the LOOK wasn't doing so well... It seems that, despite the "clean bill of health", my rear derailleur was coming dangerously close to my spokes when in the upper cogs of my cassette. This in itself wasn't that big of a deal. To make matters worse, my chain was slipping in the top 5 (17 - 25 tooth cogs) of my ten speed cassette. I tried fiddling with the barrel adjuster on the derailleur, I even tried bending the derailleur back, all to no avail.

As if my post-crash nerves weren't bad enough, now I had to deal with technical problems nagging at the back of my mind. Great.

The race went off with out a hitch and I got in an early 4 man break (very early, about 1/2 a lap in). I had one team mate with me and all four of us took even pulls as we made our way around. We had a good 1/2 lap lead when me and one other rider (John from the Wolverine Cycling Club) started to fade. My teammate and the other rider pulled away and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. It was John and I pulling each other around the track for the next 45-60 minutes, while the inevitability of the encroaching pack loomed a turn or two behind us.

Neither of us had the strength to keep them at bay, and, as we approached a long windy straight, we were swallowed up and spit out the back.

From then on, it was just a matter of survival and I managed to latch on to the back of a group of stragglers for a lap or two only to be shelled out the back as my calves cramped up. I was cooked. I threw it into the 39 and spun the remaining laps until I got lapped (and pulled) with two laps remaining. Welcome back.

Even though the outcome wasn't what I wanted, this race definitely served it's purpose. Consider the cobwebs blown off and my funk officially de-funked.

Happy Birthday Greg Lemond!

2009-06-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite picture of the birthday boy - it's a far cry from the crotchety, bitter person he seems to be now...

In essence of his birthday, let's salute Lemond's 1989 World Championship victory!

Injury Update - A.K.A. Gary and His Technicolor Hip Bone

2009-06-21T10:21:00.000-04:00

Road rash is healing up well. As for my hip... All that blood has to go somewhere, and it's just kinda pooling on my thigh. Here's a nice pic of my technicolor hematoma.

All the colors of the rainbow...

I went for a short ride outside on the cross bike this AM and it actually felt OK. Some pain going over really bumpy roads but not too bad.

The LOOK is getting a thorough check up at Kinetic so it's kinda out of commission for now. At a minimum I need to replace my wheels and probably the derailleur hanger (maybe the rear derailleur as well). We'll see.

Starting to think seriously about a new road bike.

Tour de Mont Unpleasant

2009-06-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since my last official race and my form really seemed to be coming around so I decided kinda at the last minute to add the Tour de Mont Pleasant road race to my calendar. Originally, I had omitted it because the race was almost 3 hours from my house, but with my fitness improvements over the last few weeks, I was eager to test myself.

The race took place in the quaint, villageque downtown of Mont Pleasant - The town went all out putting this race on! All the streets were blocked off and there were grandstands and tents everywhere. They even got retired pro, Frankie Andreau as the announcer, which was pretty cool. All in all, I give the promoters and volunteers some big props for a race well done!

My race (Cat 4) started at 10:24 AM and was one loop of 33 miles and pretty much flat as a pancake. Typical Cat 4 races are usually 45 - 60 miles long, so this was kind of on the short side. Oh well, shorter distance makes for faster racing.

The weather was sunny and high 60s, awesome weather for a bike race. The race started without much delay and the peloton quickly chewed up the miles. It was a pretty straight forward race with a few turns, but mostly long straight aways. I chased down a break and took a couple pulls, but I mostly stayed sheltered in the group. As we neared the final couple of K's, the group really started to ramp up the speed. That's when the Tour de Mont Pleasant quickly degraded to the Tour de Mont Unpleasant and finally, the Tour de Mont Painful.

Sizing up your competition involves not only noting who is strong and a threat so you can keep an eye on them; but also who is squirrely or lacking bike handling skills so that you know who to avoid. A team mate of mine warned me about a certain rider (we'll call him "Blue") about 1/2 way through the race and I noted that he was all over the place. I did a pretty good job of keeping away from him but there he was, about a 1/2 bike length in front of me to my right.

With each 100 meters or so, it seems like we are getting faster. I know we have one more turn to the final straightaway and that I need to hold my spot going into that final turn so I can shoot out of it. This is the only way I'll even get a top ten.

That's when I feel "Blue" bump into my handlebars with his knee/hip. I'm no awesome bike handler but I do know how to handle some bumping and I stay upright with only a slight waver to my front wheel. I gave "Blue" a little shout and I thought we were fine. Then he does it again, but it's much more forceful and I almost loose it. This time, I'm just yelling, "Woah, woah, woah!!" "Blue" veers away from me way too strongly and then overcompensates back towards me and ends up crossing right in front of me and knocking my front wheel to the left and taking it completely out from underneath me.

As my body hits the tarmac, I'm vaguely aware that there may be some riders directly behind me (there were) so I roll onto my right side so that my back is to the riders behind me. One racer slammed into my leg with such force that his tire left a "rug burn from the back of my hamstring all the way down to my calf.

Then it's quiet. I take an assessment. The first pain I notice is my right index finger nail. I'm almost afraid to look at it, it hurt that bad. Through wincing eyes I take a look and it's totally fine, just looks like the nail got bent back. I try to move, everything else seems ok. I get up and notice that my hip and elbow hurt and that my helmet is loosely flopping on my head.

Evidently, my head hit the ground with enough force to rip out all the retention straps in my helmet. Still not sure how it was still on my head. My straps did give me a nice little scrape on the back of my neck...

I locate my bike, which is tangled up in "Blue" (thanks Bob Dylan), and I carry it off the course. I grab another guy's bike and take it off the course as well. Meanwhile, the paramedics arrive and are attending to "Blue" and another guy who's face looked like Carrie after the pigs blood got dumped on her.

I take a quick look at my bike, my chain is off, each wheel is out of true and my handlebars are a good 5-10 degrees off center. I remount my chain and release the brakes so they don't rub on the rims. Then I try to straighten my handlebars but I can't so I just soft pedal the last kilometer across the finish and head to first aid.

My no DNF record still stands! Although I did finish dead last among the finishers in 33rd place.

A special thanks to my team mates Gino and Rodney for helping me out at first aid - you guys made an unpleasant experience just a bit more bearable. Thanks!

Gotta get Kinetic to look at the bike this week to make sure everything is fine... Keep your fingers crossed...

The Mavic R-SYS - Strike Two

2009-06-09T11:40:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Mavic. I'm also a big fan of carbon. But Mavic's idea of a carbon spoked wheel had me leery from the start. Evidently there was good reason. After Mavic recently recalled the first generation R-SYS due to spoke failure, the second generation was released and promised to be stronger and more durable.

Well, it's strike two for Mavic and the R-SYS. Read all about it at VeloNews.
I updated this link, it was a dead end yesterday. Sorry....

Awesome Optics

2009-06-07T18:49:00.000-04:00

So I finally bit the bullet and updated my riding glasses. My old pair was a pair of Briko's from the early/mid 90's (think Johan Museeuw during his Mapei days) - they've been good to me and the scratches in the lenses are proof that they were well loved, but it's getting harder and harder to see out of them.

What I ended up getting was a pair of Rudy Project Rydon glasses. These things are amazing. Now, I should mention that Rudy Project is a sponsor of mine so you may think I'm just pandering to my sponsor by saying they are great, but if that wasn't my honest impression, I wouldn't be saying anything at all.

The pair I ordered was the Rydon Racing with the white frame and comes with two lenses; laser blue and racing red.

My first outing, I used the racing red, since it was earlier in the AM and the sun wasn't at its full intensity yet. The blue is more for full on sun and the red are for everything else. Switching out the lenses was a little tricky, but once I figured it out, it wasn't too difficult.

The racing red lenses were amazing. It revealed all the details in the road surface while still cutting glare. The frames are so light, you barely notice them. But the most amazing thing I found was, even under really hard efforts on a cool morning, there was minimal fogging while waiting at stop lights... This is the first set of glasses I've had where I could still see after waiting through a stop light. Any fogging that did happen, was limited to the top portion of the lens and dissipated really quickly once I got moving again. Good stuff.

I've only used these glasses once so I can't comment on long term durability or scratch resistance but so far, I'd give these a 10 out of 10.

Team Training

2009-06-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm a solo artist. I like solitude. I really enjoy riding alone and I do most of my riding by myself. That said, I've been neglecting some crucial areas of my racing development.

This was made abundantly clear last night when I joined my cycling club for the weekly team training night at a local auto race track. My club rents the track every Tuesday night. I've been meaning to get up there but, I figured I could get just as good a work out on my own. I figured wrong.

The training session was about 2 hours long and consisted of some fast paceline work, a gear-restricted race (39x18) and an all out race (any gear) and then ended with some more paceline work as a cool down.

Here's what I learned in those 2 hours:

I'm terrible at cornering in a group - I loose about 2 bike lengths on the wheel ahead of me each time we enter a turn. My confidence had improved by the end of the session, but this is for sure an area I need to work on.
My pack riding comfort needs help. I've always thought I was a pretty steady rider but I found myself getting nervous. Again, I felt a lot more comfortable by the end of the session, but it's something I'm going to work on.
I'm pretty freaking strong - I finished 4th in both practice races, and this was in the A group...

The thing that's holding me back most is number 1 and 2 listed above. I'm definitely making it a point to go to these training sessions more often - some things can't be learned on your own....

das Tour de Frankenmuth Photos

2009-05-30T13:02:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics from last weekend's race, das Tour de Frankenmuth -

Lap 1 - looking good...

The crash - notice the white bike, it sailed by my head...

Post crash - about 1 km to the finish.

Thanks to John Lachman of MVP Photography for capturing the action!

My Mini Training Camp

2009-05-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

I took this week of work off. I was the only one in my family that had the time off so I was flying solo. With no daughter or wife, my time was all my own.

I put together a plan to do a bunch of riding with a main focus on hill work. After my humbling showing at the Tour of Kensington Valley, I decided I needed to focus a bit more on my climbing.

Living in Michigan, I feel like I should put quotes around "hills" and "climbing". You'd be hard pressed to find a "hill" in SE Michigan that takes longer than 3 minutes to climb... Basically, you can power up just about any hill you come to. Still, it was an area that I had neglected since moving here from Denver, Colorado over 7 years ago. Now that was some climbing out there... Miss those mountains!

Well, my mini training camp seemed to help. I went for a 40 mile ride this AM with some buddies and I could tell that I was climbing much more comfortably. And, after 30+ miles of rolling terrain, the last 7-8 miles were spent in time trial mode, just putting the hammer down to get home as fast as I could. My main motivation for this TT was not pissing off my wife. I was supposed to be home before 10 AM so she could get to kickboxing and I was about 8 miles from home. It was about 9:25 AM when my impromptu time trial started and it was 9:45 AM when I stepped up onto my front porch, winded and dripping in sweat. I made it, and I actually felt pretty good.

Today was the first day that I actually feel like all this training is paying off.

Happy Birthday Sean Kelly

2009-05-24T09:28:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to Sean Kelly, the Irish King of the Classics!

Here's his 1984 Paris-Roubaix victory to celebrate the occasion.

das Tour de Frankenmuth

2009-05-23T15:06:00.000-04:00

This morning was the Tour de Frankenmuth. The race took place in the quaint village of Frankenmuth, Michigan. It's a flat course through neighboring farmlands and the wind usually plays a critical factor in the race. Not today, but we did have temps in the 50s with rain. Felt like what I imagine racing in Belgium is like.

The race was about an hour and a 1/2 drive form my house, so with a race start at 8:00 AM, I had to get up pretty damn early. Got to the race pretty damn groggy, picked up my race packet and waited the prerequisite 15 - 20 minutes to take a crap... Damn coffee and waffles... I swear, bike racing must be some sort of laxative or something, cyclists shit more than any one I've seen. Is it nerves? Maybe it's a hyperactive digestive system....

Any way, checking the air pressure on my tires and, pssssstttttt.... Slow leak around my valve stem. I only had one tube with me so I swapped it out and filled up the new one very carefully. I've been buying these cheap tubes ("Q-Tubes") and they suck. The valves are the biggest pieces of shit ever, I blew through two tubes last night and the one this morning makes three, just from faulty valve stems.

My tire/tube issues a thing of the past, I warm up for about 20 minutes and then downed a power bar (I learned my lesson from last week when I bonked like I've never bonked before - I need to eat). I stuffed an Enervit gel and cheer pack in my jersey and loaded up my water bottles.

Embrocation time - I used some impermeable stuff by Born, it's pretty good for this type of weather, it's like Vaseline but with a slight warming effect.

Lining up I was amazed at the sheer amount of racers - the Cat 4 race was at capacity and the Cat 5 race they actually split into 2 groups! Is this some type of cycling resurgence we are witnessing??

47 miles for us, three laps. Just as we rolled away from the start/finish it really started to rain. It had been raining on and off all morning but it really came down hard for a period of 15 to 20 minutes.

The course was pretty flat and on narrow farm roads which made moving around in the pack pretty difficult. I was feeling a little nervous for some reason and it took me longer than usual to get comfortable in the pack. I stayed put for almost the entire first lap and just hung with Pete and Mark from my team. All in all, pretty uneventful first lap.

Second lap - moved up a in the group a bit. got first hand experience of the benefits of a sports drink. I also discovered a new gel flavor that I like - it's "Cola" flavored gel by Enervit - it tastes like gummy cokes, which just so happens to be my favorite candy of all time. Yum.

Last lap - moved up to the front third of the pack. HUGE crash just to my left as we hit the second to final straight-away. I avoided it (thank god) it looked nasty. The funny thing with crashes is, you hear them before you see them. This one sounded horrible - tires popping, carbon snapping, the sound of grunts as bodies hit the pavement. I hate seeing crashes, it always freaks me out. This was no exception and it took a lot of the wind out of my sails. I left the final sprint to the braver souls as I took the final turn at a respectable speed.

Finish - 22nd

Kudos to fellow Flying Rhino, Rodney who won the Cat 4 race by a bike length!

Tour of Kensington Valley - Photos

2009-05-18T08:39:00.000-04:00

Here's some pics of the race, a couple of them capturing the extent of my suffering rather well. I'm in the purple and yellow. And that's not a smile, that's a grimace...

The peloton - I was still hanging on and feeling good at this point...

This is where the fun starts...

Last lap - the misery is almost over. Notice the grimace. Or is that a smile..?

This is most certainly a Grimace

Welcome to Cat 4...

2009-05-17T08:26:00.000-04:00

I recently upgraded to a Category 4 road racing license. This equals longer races and bigger fields. I decided to upgrade, not because I was cleaning up in Cat 5, (of the two races I did last year and the year before, I didn't even finish in the top ten) but because I wanted to do longer races. For me, racing isn't only about winning, it's about the challenge and I just wanted more challenge than the 30 mile races that Cat 5 could provide.

Well, I guess I should have been careful what I wished for.

Saturday was the Tour of Kensington Valley. It's a hilly (by Michigan standards) 13 km loop that has a nasty little gravel section, complete with "Michigan Pave" (potholes). As a newly knighted Cat 4, my race was 7 laps, roughly 92 km. Far and away the longest race I've done in 7 years... I figured I've been doing some 100+ km rides the last couple of months so this wouldn't be that big of a deal.

To say this was an error in judgment would probably be a gross understatement...

For starters, it was rainy, windy and cool. Not that I mind, I don't have a problem with riding in crappy conditions. Actually, I was glad it was raining. Any additional liquid being absorbed into my body was something I welcomed gladly. More on that later...

The race started off great - I was feeling really good, my 8 year old bike wasn't protesting at all and I was feeling at home in the peloton despite my extended absence. There was a pretty serious crash on lap 1 on a bumpy descent and I managed to avoid it. I even was taking some good pulls upfront to reel in a group of three that managed to go clear on lap 3. That's when things started to go awry.

I noticed I was starting to get some slight cramping in my left quad. It was especially prevalent while climbing but nothing too serious. I just figured I need to drink more. That's when I noticed that my big water bottle was almost empty. My second water bottle was gone soon after as I tried in vain drink my way back into a hydrated state.

And that's why the rain was a welcome sight. If the sun had been out, I would have overheated and probably had to stop riding. Maybe I should have stopped, but with a $45 entry fee, I figured I might as well get my money's worth and finish.

I became so dehydrated that any pressure applied to the pedals resulted in vice-grip seizures in my quads. I had to put it into a small gear and spin with as little pressure as possible. This made climbing extremely difficult, and on some of the steeper climbs, I almost came to a complete stand-still.

In addition to being dehydrated, I only had one gel packet with me, and apparently, this was no where near enough. I bonked harder than I ever have in my life. I would have eaten the foil packaging that the gel came in if I thought it had some caloric content. At one point, on the last lap, I was starting to see stars and even took a wrong turn because I was disoriented... I seriously thought about quiting but 1) at this point I was determined to see this through, and 2) I still had to get back to my car, which was parked just past the finish.

And finish I did. 36th place... Out a field of 65. I was pretty disappointed. I was shooting for a top 20 but I guess I over-estimated my fitness. Or, maybe it was just a complete oversight on the amount of food/drink needed for a 90+ km road race. Either way, I will make sure I'm prepared with ample food and drink for my next road race.

My Dad and my Uncle decided to come and watch my race. And thank God they did... They had some dough nuts and a couple water bottles in the car and I scarfed down two glazed and downed both bottles as fast as I could. This surge of sugar brought me back to coherence and gave me enough energy to cruise back to the car.

Lessons learned:

Hydration is important in longer races
So is food...

Well, some lessons are best learned the hard way -

Pre-Race Rituals

2009-05-14T12:27:00.000-04:00

As one of my first "big" races draws near, my mind starts reeling with all the things I need to prepare. Bike in good working condition? What are the weather conditions supposed to be like for the big day? Clothing/kit selections? Is my kit clean? So much stuff to worry about... Maybe that's why we have certain routines and rituals, so all those little tasks just become automatic.

Here's my pre-race ritual - welcome to the inner sanctum!

Thursday (assumes race on Saturday):

Make sure cycling team kit is clean, layout on duffel.
Throw race wheels on the bike and go for a minimum of 1.5 hour ride. Make sure everything is in good working order. Pay special attention to shifting and breaking and any weird noises. Fix as necessary.
Clean the bike thoroughly and lube.

Friday:

Shave the legs - this is probably my only superstitious thing. I always shave my legs the day before a race.
Go for a short ride just to make sure shifting is still good.
Check air pressure on spare wheels. Top off as necessary.
Pack:

Helmet and shoes - these always go in first, since you can still technically race without the other stuff.
Water bottles - another important one
Glasses - tinted for sun and yellow for rain
Undershirt(s) - one long sleeved, one short sleeved, and one sleeveless
Arm and knee warmers
socks (two pair)
Gloves - fingerless and cool weather gloves
Cycling cap
Gillet
Assos Chamois Cream
Mad Alchemy Embrocation
Tool box
Chain lube & rags
Spare tube
Spare wheels
2 Towel
Post race change of clothes and running shoes
A couple granola bars - one for on the way to the race and one for after
During-race food (gels, fig newtons, sports drink)
Water jug
Stationary trainer
iPod
Race License - it's in my wallet, just so I don't forget
directions to race

Load up the car (except for my clothes and the bike.)

Saturday:

Up and at 'em...
Breakfast: typically waffles or oatmeal, nothing too heavy. Oh, and coffee, lots of coffee...
Get dressed: I just suit up in my race gear and drive to the race in it. That way, if I'm running really late, I'm already dressed.
Fill up the water bottles and jug and load into car
Load up the bike
I'm off...

At the race: register and pin on numbers - warm up
Put on embrocation if race conditions dictate
Line up!

Pre-race ritual can be driven by necessity, obligation or superstition. For cyclists, everybody's ritual is a little different. They all share the same end goal, to create consistency in a sport where anything can happen...

Off to the races!

On the Way to Recovery

2009-05-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

On my way to resolving my hamstring issues. After almost a week off the bike and lowering my saddle height by about 2 cm, my right leg is finally feeling better. Went for a easy 2.5 hours on Saturday and a very brisk paced 5 hours on Sunday and no hamstring issues!! I was beginning to worry that it might be touch and go all season.

Sunday's ride was a great one. Went out with Jan and Steve. It was one of those rides where it's freezing in the early AM, but warmed up nicely for the return trip home. I think the time off the bike refreshed me a bit because I was feeling so good that on the last 5 miles back to my house, I was actually doing some form sprints... I felt so fresh I probably could have ridden for another 2-3 hours and not over-extended myself. It was the kind of feeling I always hope for during a race but, alas, it always eludes me. If I could feel like that in a race, I'm sure I could win.

Who knows, maybe this is my year...

Overuse Injury

2009-04-25T07:52:00.000-04:00

Damn. My right hamstring. It's been my weak link as far back as I can remember and it's coming back to haunt me again. This isn't just a sore muscle issue, it's a body mechanics, ligament/tendon issue. One of those things that creeps up on you and BAM! the next thing you know, you have to take several weeks off just to relieve the pain. Right now it's just a tightness in the tendons behind the knee, running up my hamstring, but there's also a rotational component to it, like my right leg wants to rotate to the outside. In the past, I've had my position evaluated, went to physical therapy, tried massage and chiropractic care - they all helped (some more that others) but the only thing that could really fix it, was backing off my cycling.

What a perfect time to hit me. Just as some of my more important races are coming into sights. I know that the rest time won't hurt my fitness that much. I'm more worried about the mental aspect of not being on my bike. I think that will be harder to deal with then the rehabilitation.

What a cruel mistress, life.

Road Cycling Etiquette

2009-04-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

Went out for a nice two hour-plus ride with my buddy Steve this past Saturday morning. With temps nearing the 70s, it was exhilarating! I actually shed the knee-warmers on the way home. This was the first time I've bared the gams since 'cross season!!

This is also the first time this year that I've seen other cyclists on the road en masse. Which brings me to my topic: Road cycling etiquette. Or, rather, proper behavior when happening upon another cyclist on the road.

Let's look at several common occurrences and how they are handled.

Cyclist In Pursuit: If there is a cyclist pursuing you. They must not pass you. If you can't maintain a pace that keeps the pursuer away, then by all means, turn off at the next cross-road you come to.
Being Passed: When being passed by another cyclist hold your line until they are in front of you. You may hear a call out of "on your left" or "on your right" as the passer overtakes you. Whatever you do, do not acknowledge the passing cyclist. No friendly greeting, nothing. You've been shamed. Once the cyclist has passed, you should just about kill yourself to try and stay with him. As you pull up behind him at the next red light explain, amid gasps, that you're just out for a recovery ride.
Cyclist Up the Road: If there's another rider up the road, it's on. It's like the Individual Pursuit but on the road instead of the track. You must catch them and pass them. Especially if you've been spotted, because, chances are, they are trying their damnedest to keep you at distance.
Passing: Always pass on the left. You are welcome to give a call out to the cyclist you are about to overtake, just make it terse. No need to cause any further embarrassment or shame. Make sure after you pass that you give it a few hard kicks before settling back down to pace. You've just become a carrot for the passee (see above).
Greeting Another Cyclist: Never greet another cyclist on the road. Greeting fellow cyclists is seen as a sign that you are not serious about your training or that you're weak. If you feel that a greeting absolutely must be extended, a slight nod of the head is all that's permitted. Also, pay attention to the cyclist's kit. The amount of team attire they are sporting is inversely proportional to the likelihood of a greeting.

Well, to you newcomers to the sport - now you know how to handle these potentially uncomfortable situations like a seasoned roadie. And if I see you out on the road, I'll be the guy on the black and white Look 285, maybe you'll get a nod...

Premium Denim and Cycling

2009-04-14T20:47:00.000-04:00

Why, George, why??

George Hincapie has brought these worlds together with his line of designer denim jeans. This is no joke, the hyperlink goes to the site and a screen grab of the website is below.

I'm speechless... More than anything though, I'm a bit disappointed and embarrassed for Big George.

I have always cheered for George when he was taking on the Spring Classics. I've mourned his defeats like in the 2001 Paris-Roubaix when he was severely outnumbered in the final break and Domo Farm Frites wore him down with their relentless attacks. I've also rejoiced his triumphs, like at Ghent-Wevelgem that same year. I think one of the things that makes George so easy to support is that he's the eternal underdog. Everybody loves the underdog.

George has that unassuming lack of arrogance that, even if he's favored to win, he never acts like it's in the bag. Maybe it's quiet confidence (or a total lack of it), who knows. Being more of the quiet sort myself, I always felt I could relate to him.

This jeans thing seems so out of character... I could see someone like Mario Cipollini (hell, maybe he already has a denim line) or even the mulleted Laurent Brochard. But George? I justify it in my mind that some cheesy California PR-type pushed him into it and he was too nice to say no.

Sorry George. Classics Hardman to Designer denim?? It's just too much.

Spring Training Race

2009-04-12T06:33:00.000-04:00

Here we go again! The third and final installment of the Flying Rhino's Spring Training series at the track. So far, I've noticed that this race is always fast and it always involves wind. Yesterday was no different as I lined up for the B race, the winds were blowing at about 20 mph and right from the gun the racing was fast. The field was almost 70 strong which is a pretty damn good turn out for a spring race. Could this be a bicycle racing resurgence similar to the 70's and 80's? Maybe it will prompt an American Flyers sequel??

Back to the race - here's the highlights:

Big field = lots of squirrely riders
Squirrely riders = big crash about 15 minutes into the race (I avoided it)
I got into one break, it didn't last
My team mate Matt won the prime and the race - he's a monster
I need to be a smarter racer, spent way too much energy early in the race (out in wind, losing position in corners, getting involved in stupid breaks, etc.)
Finished in the pack (30th - 40th place, does it matter...?)

My bike is nearing the end of it's life cycle... 8 years old and her time has almost come - when the race was over, I noticed my stem was about 3-5 degrees off from straight - it still has a 1" steerer and I'm having difficulties getting the stem tight. I ordered a new stem - hopefully that will help. Otherwise, I may be having a chat with the missus about a new bike. Having just bought a new 'cross bike, I can assure you, it won't go too well.

I'm really fired up to watch Paris- Roubaix today. Allez George, this is your year!! Here's a little video to wet your appetite.

Jane

2009-04-09T13:08:00.000-04:00

My little girl is going to be a year and 1/2 on April 12. I've got the day off today and it's just her and I. As I write this, she's napping after a good hour-long play fest outside. As she sleeps, I can't help thinking about the profound changes I have gone through now that she's in my life. There have been sacrifices, for sure, but it's also come with a new found maturity that I don't think time could ever have taught me.

As cyclists, the time we spend riding and training can approach monstrous proportions. I'm gonna be honest here when I say I was freaked out about having a child because it would cut into my already precious cycling time. Having a child, I thought, was going to essentially destroy the "three part teeter totter" (as Greg from Mud and Cowbells calls it). And for those childless cyclists out there considering parenthood - it has cut into my cycling time.

But...

What's crazy in all this is, even though I've decreased my riding volume (pretty substantially from my more competitive years) I'm in the best shape of my life and feeling stronger than ever.
I'm staying motivated, I'm eating better, I'm still able to get out for some 4-5 hour rides here and there and race most weekends. I attribute it to being more focused on my workouts (focused on quality not quantity) and allowing ample rest time so I don't get burned out.

Having a child forces you to prioritize. You cut out all the bullshit and noise and are left with the important stuff. To me, cycling is a huge priority. If I had to rate it, I'd say it comes in second to my family (yes, it even beats out work...) not that it always trumps my job, but if I had to give up cycling to keep my job, let's just say I'd be on monster.com right now instead of writing this blog entry.

I feel I'm as close to balancing that "tri-ter totter" (Greg, what do you think?) as I've ever been and I think it's all because of my daughter. So, as I solo to victory in some local circuit race this summer, my victory salute will look something like this:

2009 Ronde van Vlaanderen

2009-04-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

Stijn Devolder attacking on the Muur

While many folks in the good ol' U.S. of A. (and especially around these parts) were eagerly awaiting "The Big Dance" this weekend, I was awaiting a dance of another kind. The Forbidden Dance, De Ronde van Vlaanderen. OK, so it's not really called "The Forbidden Dance" but the Tour of Flanders to a cyclist is a much bigger deal than the Final Four. And if you happen to be Belgian, it might as well be the Tour de France, Super Bowl and World Cup all wrapped up into one.

What a race! This has always been one of my favorite Spring Classics. It's a well portioned mixture of cobbles, steep, leg busting climbs and relentless winds with a dash of the typical Belgian spring weather to help keep things interesting. The hard men of the sport that typically compete for the place of honor in "de Ronde" also make this race a must see classic.

Sunday's race did not disappoint. the only thing that was a bit off was the uncharacteristically warm and sunny weather but this just made for faster racing. I'll leave the play by play to the pros and sum up with this quick re-cap:

The entire race seemed to be dominated by Team Quick Step - Boonen showed himself a few times but in the end it came down to Chavanel and Devolder. Chavanel had good legs but it was a repeat performance by Stijn Devolder. His final attack even came on the Muur, the same place he launched his 2008 victory-clinching attack.
Horrible crash in the final straight-away - the sprint for podium spots saw a rider forced into the barriers and went down so hard... Ugly.

As for me, due to a family scheduling conflict, I didn't participate in Saturday's spring race series. Instead I went out on my own on Saturday for about an 1.5 hours and with my buddy, Jan for 4 hours on Sunday. Good times!

The culmination of my spring race series is this Saturday. I'll be there for sure!

A Nice Change of Pace

2009-04-04T13:02:00.000-04:00

Today, I decided to do a fairly easy 20 miles in lieu of my club's spring training series. In part due to a scheduling conflict with my wife and partly because I felt like I pushed it too damn hard last week. It's going to be a long season and I gotta remember not to kill myself the first race I get into. So, I went out early this AM and set about to do my usual route. This time though, I took a chance on a new route just to check it out. Wow, did that make a big difference! I didn't even realize how stale my "usual" was getting until I took a chance on something new. This new route led me past a quaint cider mill (good to remember come fall) as well as a lovely lake. Scenic, low traffic and fairly decent roads, what else could a guy ask for? Well, since the thermometer indicated a balmy 34 degrees with 20 mph winds, I could ask for some freaking warmer weather!! But other than that, it was an excellent ride - there was even a hill or two thrown in there (folks that live in a vertically challenged area like Michigan know what I'm talking about).

Tomorrow I'm planning on a good 3-4 hours with some friends so I'm looking forward to that.

Oh, that and De Ronde van Vlaanderen is on Versus at 5 PM eastern time so I'll be watching that for sure! Go Boonen!

Trainer Reflections

2009-03-31T20:23:00.000-04:00

Damn Michigan weather. Never seems to cooperate with my riding schedule. It's sunny all day while I'm at work and the second I'm home, the sky turns ominous and the temp drops. 40 and rain do not make for a fun ride, I kinda learned my lesson last time... So I resigned myself to the basement for some trainer time.

Coming off a really cold and snowy winter, the trainer and I have become quite intimate. Probably more intimate than I would have liked... The trainer cannot replace spending time out on the road, but it does have its merits. One that I appreciate is that it allows me to get lost in my thoughts with out worrying about traffic, stray dogs or looming pot holes.

This evening, as the pedals turned over in an even tempo, my mind explored the reasons I became a bicycle racer.

Why bicycle racing? If it was solely the competition I was after, there are several other sports to pursue, many of them with a lot less investment. And I already had a head start on playing soccer. I'd been playing since I was 7 and wasn't too shabby. If it was competition I was after, soccer would have filled that void. There was more to it than that.

I mulled over a couple different theories and postulations and landed on this. I chose cycling because of the trueness of the sport. You train, you push yourself farther and harder, and there are usually visible rewards from your efforts. You get stronger, you can ride faster and just maybe you get some good results. Your legs do the talking. No need to shout about how great you are, just show everyone. The results will come.

It's a refreshing juxtaposition from my day job at an ad agency. Politics rule. Posturing and perception are what matter - true hard work counts for nothing. There's no letting your efforts speak for you, braggarts and suck ups rule and receive all the palmares.

Sure, in cycling there are conceited braggers, cheats and prima donnas but they usually have (or had) the legs to back it up. There was still some effort there, some sacrifice. Totally unlike my place of work where shoddy performance is hidden behind a veil of flattery or being able to talk sports with the boss. In cycling, the truth is there for all to see.

It's no wonder they call time trials "The Race of Truth".

And the truth shall set you free...

The First Race of the Season

2009-03-29T07:29:00.000-04:00

My first race was on Saturday. It was a training series that my club puts on at an auto racing track. It's a nice race to get your feet wet since the pavement is in pretty good shape, there aren't any sharp turns and if you get dropped or lapped, your car isn't that far away. They divide the race into A, B, and C categories. I chose to race in the B category.

Having raced MTB, 'cross and road, I'd have to say that road racing still comes out on top as the most intense. Cyclocross is a harder effort, but the high speeds and rider proximity of road racing make for one helluva' adrenaline loaded experience. Maybe downhill racing could beat it but I don't have the nerve for that.

Lining up for the race, I was quickly met with some of the, how shall I say, less favorable personalities of the sport... One gentleman looked my bike up and down and, with out so much as a "hello" or "hey", proceeded to comment on the relatively high cost of my bike compared to his and his teamate's. Let's get something straight. My bike is a Look 285, and it's about 8 years old. A lot of the parts and components on the bike have been discontinued and have been out of production for at least 4 years. So it by no means is something that should induce envy of any sort. Maybe it's because these gentlemen were MTBer's (a fact made obvious by the goatees and Time ATAC's they were rockin'...) and maybe in mountain bike racing the most expensive bike usually wins. Their compulsion to comment was influenced by the threat of the perceived value of my bike. Whatever the case may be, it's personalities like those two that lend credence to negative stereotypes...

Once we started, all that BS was forgotten. Nothing to think about except the race at hand. All in all, the race was pretty uneventful. It's was a really fast pace (ave speed around 25-30 mph) I sat in the peloton most of the time with a couple of short attacks off the front (short because I couldn't sustain them, it's still too early for me). It was fun just the same. One of my teammates took third, and I finished with the bunch somewhere in the top 20. As for the two that were scoping out my rig at the start, I beat one of them and finished a couple bike lengths behind the other - so maybe they had a right to feel threatened!

The Sunday Epic

2009-03-23T20:16:00.000-04:00

Got my first "Epic" under my belt. A four hour cyclcocross ride of dirt trails, gravel roads and pavement. Our trio consisted of Jan (a friend I met racing 'cross last season), my friend Steve and me.

It was great to be on the 'cross bike again. I've been spending most of my time on the road bike, I forgot how fun and versatile that bike is. Even if you never ever race cyclocross, it's a great bike to have in your inventory.

Back to the ride. It started off on the chilly side (35 degrees) but once the sun came out it warmed up a bit. When I say, "a bit" I'm not talking layers could be shed or anything, but it warmed just enough to take the chill off. Jan was our tour guide for the morning, taking us on an amazing journey over hill and dale with a nice coffee stop 1/2 way. These are the rides I really love. Racing is great and that intensity can't be matched by anything but this is what originally drew me to cycling. That feeling of open road freedom and being able to share that with some friends is one of the best feelings in the world. The post ride sense of accomplishment is nice too.

All in all, it was just about 60 miles for me. Thanks to Jan and Steve for a great Sunday. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

In Honor of St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T16:36:00.000-04:00

Here's some Sean Kelly action in the 1986 Paris-Roubaix

Amazing Mt. Bike Descent

2009-03-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

Check this out - Even the staunchest Roadie can appreciate the amazing bike handling skills of this guy...

Mondial Du VTT Descente de Venosc caméra embarquée
by 103TuRtLe

The Will to Win

2009-03-12T22:17:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about this the last couple days. It all started with something I read on a fellow-cyclist's blog. He was talking about running a 5K for training. Through the course of his entry he mentioned he was going to pre-run the course. When I read this, my first thought was, "what the hell is this guy thinking? Pre-run a 5K fun run? That's kinda obsessive..." He mentioned that this particular 5K was handing out medals and that there was a possibility of winning one for his age group. For him, that was a big motivator. I thought, "that's great, but if it's for training, I, personally, wouldn't really care about winning."

So, that got me thinking...

This cyclist's will to win has gotta be very strong. I can attest for his winning ways having finished several places behind him in every 'cross race last season. But what I really want to know is, is that what it takes?? Does it take a "win at all cost" type attitude to actually win races? Does winning need to be my main motivation?

My motivation to race comes from one thing, my love of riding a bike. I've raced quite a few seasons in several different cycling disciplines and I have yet to win even a single one. Does that mean my source of motivation should be adjusted? Do I lack that "Eye of the Tiger"?

I had to write about this just to see if it got any comments. Well, you gotta have readers to get comments, but I think there's like 9 or 10 of you out there so I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A Sunday in Hell (or, more specifically, MY Sunday in Hell)

2009-03-09T12:29:00.000-04:00

I love Sunday morning rides. I love getting up at the butt-crack of dawn and spending a few hours on the road and just enjoying the leisurely feeling that accompanies this closing of the week. It's one of the things I look forward to most on the weekends and this Sunday started off as no exception.

Weather called for temps in the low 40's and heavy rain in the PM. Cold? Yes. But compared to my ride last weekend, 40 would feel like spring break in Cancun. I suited up responsibly, even embrocated (Mad Alchemy Medium is my fave) in the anticipation of getting a little wet. Little did I know "wet" would be an understatement...

Left the house about 9 AM, a bit later than I wanted, but that's what happens when you have a 17 month old running around (that and daylight savings time always makes for a sluggish start). Streets were fairly dry and skies were overcast but not ominous. All in all, a decent day for a ride.

Off I go. My plan is to do "The Usual" today. "The Usual" is this 30ish mile there-and-back ride I do on a very regular basis (all my routes involve some derivative of "The Usual"). Today, I'm doing the straight up variety, which involves mostly flat to rolling terrain and a couple of short "climbs" to open up the lungs.

About 30 minutes into the ride and my legs have warmed up and I'm feeling good. My posterior is all nestled into the saddle, my head, hands and toes are feeling toasty - it's a great day for a ride. That's when the rain started...

I don't mind the rain. In fact, I like to ride in it every once in a while, because you never know when you are going to have to race in it. But, there's one caveat, when temps are just north of freezing, the rain sucks. I was bound and determined to get my miles/time in so I continued on. At least my toes and hands were still warm.

As I rode along, the rain got more intense. Not only was the deluge hitting me from above but also coming at me from the road. Water quickly permeated every pore of the "hi-tech" material of my cycling clothing. "Hi-tech"? I might as well have been wearing clothing made out of "Shamwow".

Great. Now I'm soaking wet and feel like I'm carrying around an extra 40 lbs from all the water I've absorbed. Sponge Bob Spandex Pants, that's me...

About an hour in, I get to my usual turn around point and start heading back home. The rain isn't really bothering me anymore since I can't get any wetter but now I'm starting to notice a chill creeping... My digits... Fingers and toes. Always the damn fingers and toes. They were getting cold but it wasn't unbearable.

As I negotiated the "Michigan pave", I learned something. In the rain, it's actually nicer to ride on a road with lots of potholes than it is to ride on a newly surfaced road. When you ride a newly surfaced road, the uniform surface allows the water to coat the entire road, which results in more spray back (reminder: I need fenders). It can also get a bit slick (thankfully I didn't learn this the hard way...) The pothole-ridden road on the other hand, allows for the water to pool in the depressions, thereby keeping the rideable road surface dryer.

As I road along contemplating my new revelation, I soon came to the conclusion that I was going to have to stop somewhere and warm up. My fingers were having trouble working the shifters and brakes and my toes were totally numb. Unfortunately, this route is mostly through residential areas so there aren't too many places to warm oneself. I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled off at this little strip mall (none of the shops were open) and walked my bike back and forth under the awnings until I got some feeling back in my toes and fingers. It actually wasn't too bad when I wasn't moving. I rode around behind the strip mall for a quick pee and was off again. It's funny how when you're on a bike, things like indecent exposure and public urination are completely acceptable...

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right... No, not really. There would be no sun today, but for some reason, this little ditty was providing me with the illusion of warmth, sort of a trick to the old subconscious. I'm not sure if I was singing it aloud or if it was just in my head, but i just kept on singing. I rode by the park that marked 20 minutes until home. Fingers and toes were numb again, but I felt like I should just press on. I can handle 20 more minutes of this. Man, nothing like straight up suffering to teach you that time is relative.

Home at last. I can barely walk. I've always found it odd that with cycling walking actually seems harder than riding, especially after an exceptionally hard effort. I get inside and immediately strip. I'm almost afraid to remove my socks because my feet have been numb for so long. The wife is looking at me and I see a bit of concern in her eyes. Evidently my face had a waxen appearance and she thought I had crashed or something. Nope. Just foolishly riding in some of the worst conditions I can think of...

Suffering for the Sport

2009-03-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

As the pros prepare for the "first" (according to the purists) stage race of the season, I find myself still struggling to eek out a 2-3 hour ride outside. Here in Michigan, we've been blessed with a super cooled winter with temps typically topping out in the teens. Makes for some cold toes and fingers...

There are folks I know who have been putting in 4-5 hour rides for the last couple months, and I give them a lot of credit, they are obviously more hardcore than I am. I went out for an hour and a half last Saturday and it was pretty damn painful. I opted to ride my fixed gear, the thinking being that, by forcing me to keep the legs moving, I would keep warm. Well, that thinking didn't seem to apply to my toes... Even with wool socks and booties, my toes were totally numb about 45 minutes into the ride. I kept trying to wiggle my toes to get some feeling back but to no avail. The only thing that helped was the sun. But it only warmed the side of my body facing the sun, so on the way out the toes on my left foot were cold and on the return trip, my right. By the time I got home, my shoes must have turned into little ice boxes, because in comparison, even the concrete of my front porch felt warm under my stockinged feet...

It's all comes down to suffering for the sport. It's the most sincere way I can think of to show your dedication. Sure, there are those with deep pockets who can continuously purchase new bikes and make pricey upgrades, but I liken that to the wealthy parents who attempt to buy their child's love instead of spending some quality time with him/her. Don't get me wrong, I still drool over $6,000 carbon and custom titanium frames, I have a pulse.

New and pricey cycling stuff is great, but you still gotta put in the time and sacrifice. Whether that be dieting to increase your power to weight ratio, boring sessions on the indoor trainer where minutes turn to hours, or training rides in frigid temps, we do all this in hopes of having some on-bike fitness for the coming season. That's what makes cycling what it is. It's also what bonds us emotionally and physically to the sport. It all comes down to the suffering.

Classic Season is Here!

2009-03-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hushovd Wins Spring Classics Opener

2009-02-28T14:03:00.000-05:00

Thor Hushovd wins the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (previously known as Omloop Het Volk). Rounding out the podium was Belgian Kevin Ista in second and the Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha in third. The Spring Classics are finally here!!

2010 Cyclocross World Championship - Quiet without Boom

2009-02-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

Is the apocalypse nigh?? Lars Boom will not be competing in the 2010 Cyclocross World Championship to instead focus on the Spring Classics. He's not entirely hanging up the cyclocross bike, he plans on racing 5 cyclocross races "just for fun". Cyclocross Mag has the full article.

Tour of California - A.K.A The worst coverage of a cycling event. Ever.

2009-02-22T21:38:00.000-05:00

If anyone has tuned in on Versus, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Let me start by saying that I'm grateful as hell that bicycle racing is even being broadcast here in the U.S. In a country dominated by "The Big Three" (football, basketball, baseball), it's a small victory that a sport like cycling gets any air time at all.

My gratitude stops there...

Let's start with the commentating. You've got two of the best cycling announcers of all time in Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen and for some unknown reason, you feel the necessity to throw Craig Hummer into the mix. Not good. His comparisons of cycling to (gulp) American football... Well, it makes my blood boil. He's probably just trying to relate it to something he knows. Maybe he can go commentate for the NFL and leave cycling alone.

It can't get any worse with the on-screen talent. Or can it? Enter Rasika Mathur. A comedian (self proclaimed?) who conducts some filler interviews on bike-tech and other miscellaneous cycling-interest stories. Comedian?? I'm not sure if she was just searching for some arbitrary title for her self but "Entertainment Executioner" would have been more appropriate. She utterly murdered any shred of entertainment value her segments could hope to possess. Even my wife, who's not nearly as critical as I am, visibly cringed when she came on. If you missed it, here's a clip with her talking to some guy from Shimano (poor fellow).

As for the actual race coverage. Cameras not working in the rain, coverage being cut short for bull riding, missed finishes, WAY too much coverage of Lance and his team "Astanastrong". All I can say is damn.

Let me be optimistic for a moment. Maybe this was a test run so all the bugs get ironed out before the Spring Classics. I don't know about you, but any cycling fan worth his weight lives for the Spring Classics and if Versus screws them up... Liggett bar the door.

We as cyclists need a channel dedicated to the sport, and run by someone who actually knows the sport and understands it. Versus doesn't get it. The people that watch cycling (with maybe the exception of the Tour de France) are pretty passionate and well versed in the sport. We don't need some dingbat "comedian" cracking jokes while soft pedaling on a stationary trainer. Just good coverage and good commentary.

We cyclists need a channel that understands cycling and its uniqueness. Maybe it would help if cycling didn't share airtime with hockey, bull riding and hunting...

Ghosts of My Past - Estes Park Challenge - Stage 3 RR

2009-02-20T15:13:00.000-05:00

This is it. the final stage. A 9 mile loop of hilly hell that we would have to traverse 5 grueling times. After the road race and time trial from yesterday, my legs are a bit fatigued. Maybe gelatinous would be a better description. I tried to scope out the course by car last night but ended up getting lost on some crazy canyon road in the dark. Oh well, sometimes I feel like the less I'm prepared, the better I do. Less pressure.

I get a short warm up in and it's time to line up. A few riders exchange nervous banter while waiting for the start. Why is it that people can't just sit in silence. Is it nerves? The gun interrupts my pondering and were off.

The peloton moves along with a comfortable ease, legs a bit fatigued from the previous day. The first 2 and a half to 3 laps continue at this pace, feeling almost too easy. I'm up near the front to keep out of trouble (and to keep an eye on the overall leader), riding along, maybe even getting a bit lax... When, bam! an attack goes clear. The leader isn't in it so nobody responds. I sit, watching the group of 5 or 6 riders pull away. I could catch them still, if I really put the hammer down but another minute and it will be a different story.

I go. This is a hands in the drops, head low, big ring pain fest, but I know I can bridge the gap. Inching closer, I notice a shadow on my left side. A glance back and I realize that I've towed the entire peloton up to the lead group. Good for me...

One big happy family again. Everyone plays nice until the first hill on lap 4. It's a steepish number, not particularly long but a leg burner just the same. Who decides to attack? The leader himself. Stockburger. No one chases... What the hell?? Do I have to do everything? So I go. I get right on his wheel and sit in. That wasn't too tough. I look behind me and we've put some distance between us and the peloton. This is crazy. I'm on a possible winning break with the overall leader of the Estes Park Challenge.

I take a turn or two up front until we get to the false-flat downhill that precedes the start/finish. Then Stockburger hides behind my ample draft and lets me pull him all the way to the next hill. We cross the start/finish line, 1 lap to go....

I'm feeling good but getting nervous. I can't panic but the gravity of my situation is setting in. I'm in second place and there is the slim possibility that I could win (if I don't do something stupid). I glance behind me as we start the climb, the peloton is back there but I don't think we'll have to worry about them catching up.

That's me in the dark blue looking a little haggard, sitting in second place in stage three of the Estes Park Challenge.

All the sudden Stockburger stands up and he's gone. Damn... I go WAY in the red just to match his acceleration and proceed to blow up... Damn. Next thing I know, the peloton is passing me and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm now with the stragglers that the peloton dropped. I get in with a small group of 5 or 6 and we take turns up front on the final downhill before the finish.

I've got nothing left for the finish. That last hill is going to eat me for breakfast and it seems everyone in the group knows it. They all attack in unison and I put forth everything I've got to pull even with the last guy in the group as we cross the line.

21st place. Stockburger won (not that I was surprised). Race over. That was my first and only stage race.

What did I learn from all this? Well, it was something another rider said to me that I've held onto over the years. A Vitamin Cottage rider came up to me after the race and told me that I rode really aggressively, and that he thought that if I had played my cards better, I could have beaten Stockburger. He said I worked too much at the front and chased down too many breaks over the course of the race. I needed to conserve more energy and not to expend it unwisely. And most of all, to be patient. It's funny, at the time, I was probably a little taken aback by what he said. But as I've aged, I realized he was absolutely right.

Final overall: 17th place.

To Shave or Not to Shave

2009-02-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

Of all the crazy, quirky things that cyclists do, this has to be the most hotly contested.

I first shaved my legs back in 1996. I remember my wife (then fiance) walked in on me and kinda flipped out. She called all her friends to tell them I had been in the shower for over an hour shaving my legs (yes, it took that long, there was a lot of hair!) I like to think some of her friends understood, most probably thought I was crazy. That was over a decade ago and I've kept my legs nicely shorn since.

The wife has gotten very used to it, maybe even likes it... If anything, she's quick to give me a gentle reminder to shave when the old legs get a little prickly. My friends (non-cyclists) gave me shit at first, as do co-workers, relatives, etc. but they all get used to it. Or maybe I just get used to their crap.

Let's take a look at the reasons why cyclists shave and the reasons not to. Maybe this will help someone who's on the fence about the whole topic.

Reasons To Shave:

Better aerodynamics - this is probably more myth than anything. If there is an aerodynamic benefit, it's gotta be pretty minuscule.
Makes road rash easier to clean, heals faster, etc. - Road rash on a shaved leg is definitely easier to clean and care for, plus no hair getting caught in bandages...
Massage is nicer, less painful - This has got to be true, although I've never had a massage on an unshaven leg so I have no basis for comparison.
Less irritation from shorts - not too sure about this one, maybe there's something to it.
Easier apply/remove embrocation - no doubt in my mind...
Looks cool - I think so, but it's all a matter of opinion
Feels fast - Yes!

And reasons not to:

It's a hassle - yup, but not that bad. Two to three times a week.
Ingrown hairs - not too much of a problem personally, unless I let the hair grow too long...
Looks girlish, not manly, etc. - If your masculinity is threatened by shaved legs, you best not be riding in spandex, because that certainly isn't helping your cause. Try a wife-beater and a pair of cutoffs, that will show 'em your a man!
Ridicule - yeah, and people don't make fun of the spandex shorts...?

For me, shaving is the embodiment of my commitment to the sport. It's a regular (or semi-regular) affirmation of my love for cycling. I always shave the day before races as a part of my ritual. Helps put me in the right frame of mind. Plus, I think it gives the whole cyclist a very put together and well polished look. And it's PRO, need I say more?

Cyclocross - The Great Melting Pot

2009-02-12T20:20:00.000-05:00

+ =

Cyclocross has the unique distinction among all other cycling disciplines as the melting pot of the sport.

Everyone has a discipline that they favor. Crossing into other disciplines is accepted and encouraged and can be a great way to develop handling skills, power, and speed and it can be a helluva lot of fun too.

But, at the end of the day, what it all boils down to is you are either a roadie or a mountain biker. As much as we like to think that there aren't any sort of boundaries, there are. And let's just say nothing would give a MTB'er greater pleasure than to school a bunch of roadies at their own game and vice versa.

'Cross provides a unique venue where roadies and mountain bikers can mingle without either one feeling too out of their element. It also provides a fair battleground. The bikes are very similar to road bikes so the roadie feels at home and the courses are on dirt and mud so the MTB'er doesn't feel out of his element either.

I'm sure there are tons of theories about which primary discipline prepares you better for cyclocross. I'm not even going to venture a guess. What I do want to do is to provide a short tutorial for identifying a MTB'er or roadie at a 'cross race. Here are some helpful tips:

Check out the bike - If it's sparkling clean and has some European name that's really tough to pronounce, chances are it's a roadie straddling it. If, after scrubbing off all the filth, you can make out a "Redline" or a "Santa Cruz", it's a MTB'er
Facial hair -This one is a dead give-a-way. Clean shaven = roadie. Facial hair (this can be any kind, but especially the ubiquitous goatee) = MTB'er
Cycling Kit - This can be a bit tricky.

Clothing - Typically, if the rider shows up to a 'cross race covered head to toe in some sort of fleecy spandex and it's 58 degrees out, I would venture that it's a roadie. Conversely, if it's 20 degrees and you see a sleeveless jersey and shorts paired with some long socks it's probably a mountain biker. You have to watch this one though, roadies love embrocation so that can throw you off. Take a look at the brands of the apparel too. Euro brands, you are probably dealing with a roadie, Primal Wear, that's an MTB'er.

Helmet - Any cyclist sporting a visor on their helmet is automatically a mountain biker. A roadie would never have a visor on their helmet, that's what a cycling cap is for.
Gloves - full fingered = MTB'er, 1/2 finger or none (if cold, lobster claws) = roadie
Socks - here's a little rhyme to help you remember: White socks at races, it's a roadie who chases, If colored socks you see, a mountain biker it will be.

Body - Stick thin and hairless it's a roadie. If Rubenesque comes to mind, it's likely a mountain biker. There's a reason there's no "Clydesdale" category in road racing.
Pre-race - Approach the roadie with extreme caution in the hours before a race, they tend to be quite aggressive and territorial when engaged in their pre-race ritual. It's an individual thing and any intrusions are not welcome. On the other hand, a mountain biker will gladly welcome any and all comers to their pre-race ritual. Shot gunning beers 30 minutes before start is a communal activity and the more the merrier.
During race - See that guy dismounting to cross the exposed root in the ground? That's a roadie. If you see someone bunny hopping railway ties on a run up, that's a MTB'er.
Post-race - Somebody offer you congratulations and a cold beer or tells you "good race"? That's a mountain biker. If any sort of post race communication is met with a scowl, that's a roadie.

I know it's a long way off but I hope this tutorial will be helpful going into next 'cross season. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to visit the natural habitats of these two unique species this spring and summer.

Race Wheel Rental

2009-02-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

OK, maybe I'm the last one to find out about this. I'm sure you East and West coast folks have known for a couple years now. Here in Michigan, it seems like there's always a delay of the information spread.

What I'm talking about is race wheel rental or more specifically Echappe Equipment.

How did I find out about this? I posed a question to the cyclocross community on the Cyclocross Magazine forum regarding what type of tubular wheelset to buy and one of the nice folks at Echappe gave me all sorts of options to look at. I went to their web site and spent at least a 1/2 hour looking at all the different wheel configurations I could invest in. All this and I could try them out in advance of purchasing! Amazing. I seriously think this would go over really well if Echappe set up a tent at some of the 'cross races in this area. I would love to plonk down $50 and get to race on a nice set of carbon tubulars (complete with a set of grifos glued up to boot!)

If you're like me, (poor, on a shoestring budget, have several financial constraints, drowning in debt) and you've never heard of Echappe Equipment, check it out!