I have a Problem

Yes, I have a serious problem; I love to ride my bike(s). Problem you say, that isnt a problem. You would be correct in saying so. No, my real problem is wanting more bikes so I can love to ride my bike(s) even more. Working at a shop does not make it any easier either. Saturday I succumbed to my desires once again. My friend Daniel had a Redline Flight Monocog 29er frame that just happened to my size. Of course it is another steel ride. I ended up trading my Fox fork for it; the Singlespeed Moron only goes rigid. It seems that you can never have enough horses in the stable. I outfitted this one with some extra stuff laying around; RXL wheels, Stylo OCT crank Elixer CR brakes and of course a Cane Creek 100 headset (as with every bike I own). All told comes in at 22.5 lbs. The top tube comes in 2 inches shorter than my Ferrous or my Superfly ss's, so I mounted a 120mm stem-never thought I would ever use one of those again, but it worked out nicely.

I took it out for a short ride on sunday and was really blown away on how quick this bike is. I attribute most of it to the short wheelbase. Look closely and you can see how close the rear wheel is to the seat tube. I could really feel how quick it was when mashing on the pedals; it just moved. I got this bike to be my "beater" bike. You know, the bike that you dont care if something happens to it? I dont have one of those and it looks like that will continue. This rides to nice to be that bike. The only issue I had (caught it before my actual ride) was when applying the rear brake, the torque from the brake would cause the wheel to hit the left chain stay. My remedy was to take a nut and bolt and place it in the gap between the sliders and the frame and POOF, problem solved. I know this should not happen, but I got it second hand.

If you are looking for a pretty nice frame, give this one a look. This one is a 2009, so I assume the sliding dropouts are fixed on the current models. Pretty funny how things work out. My first SS was a Flight monocog 26er ss in the non ferrous version.

So my problem doesnt seem to have a cure. I tried more cowbell, but that just made me dance. I tried listening to The Cure, but that just made me sad in a good way. So, I will continue to ride and collect. Look at it this way, the more I collect, the more ideas you will have for purchases. Think of me as a free ss consultant.

Catching up with my previous passion

Well, I decided to break out the drawing utensils and put them to the test. I havent done a pencil illustration in about 15 years. So how better to throw an anniversary party than to do a quick portrait of my oldest daughter. Well, this was drawn from a photo when she was 9. Portraits are the most difficult when they are family members just because you know every shape and curve and any deviation from that sticks out like a soar thumb.

Freehand drawings are super difficult because you have nothing to go by other than your eyes and being able to transfer that without anything but, well your eyes. I dont ever use projectors or grids or anything. Anyway, off to visit the sandman and dream of another day where I draw something else...maybe someday.

I thought I was done with School?

I am 45 years old, 3 kids a wife and work full time...time to go back to school. Well, not that kind of school. I have been to Park Tool School and recently to level 1 fit school.

It has been a great experience to go to some of the different vendors such as Sram, Cane Creek, Park Tool, FSA, Fox and Mavic. They all offer unique and not so unique products. It was a great opportunity to catch up with some of the people behind the products, too. Ed at Sram is one of the best out there for sure; just a great guy to sit and chat with.

Getting a chance to rebuild Fox and Rock Shox forks to keep the skills sharp makes for a great opportunity to share and learn knowledge from and with others. Of course, you cant discount the schwag either. T-shirts and hats from Sram and a very cool headset toolkit from Cane Creek. I love seminars...

Today I spent time with Richard Schwinn from Waterford/Gunnar and Chris Nurre from Fit Kit Systems. Lots of knowledge and lots of numbers! I love numbers! I got a chance to meet some cool people from all over the country and swap stories and just good ole fashioned bike banter. I got a free fitting myself and was dialed in pretty close. My saddle height was 5-8 mm off, so not bad. So, I am an official Level 1 graduate. I am going back next year to finish level 2 and 3.

It has been a good year so far in every aspect of my life. Cant wait to see what comes down the road next. Hopefully it isnt a truck driving on the wrong side of the road.

Loyalty...and it isnt mans best friend

What could be better; my logo design at the shop I work for (a tad bit different, but what better advertisement than this) on the back of Ralph's calf.

Ralph is a super nice guy that has bought a few custom bikes from our shop including a Gunnar and Waterford, and some others as well. I have to say that this is THE DEFINITIVE example of customer loyalty without question. I havent yet decided to get my skin poked and stuck by the one thing I fear most, but this makes me feel the dark powers within urging me to take the leap...nah.

This is how you know you are doing things right at any shop. I wanted to tease him and say that  "Wow Ralph, that is freikin' awesome, but what is Sanitation Jello?" Anyway, it is a good thing that he got it on his calf; he is the kind of guy that would be just crazy enough to get it on his arse, and that would be a picture you would not see here.

You Rock Ralph, but this doesnt mean you get free stuff!

Its a Wrap

So, thus ends another january of base miles with a dash of effort. I really tried to stick to my guns this year and get as many "true" E2 base miles as possible.

What makes this such a strange, yet successful january is that of 727 miles, 690 came on the road. I usually mix in more mtn rides which ends up not staying in Z2 which leads me to gradually scoot away from my training plan. So of the 37 rides, only 2.5 were dirt ventures (One was a partial road/mtn deal). 

I have to say that I am feeling really good now. I have seen my hr level out a bit and not staying above the clouds for the entire ride. Another curious note; 20 achievements on Strava all came by way of the tarmac. Last year I had 15, 11 of which were dirt oriented. Since joining the Chesapeake Wheelman, I have been talking with those in the club about doing a few road races this year along with a couple TT's. I know, dont hold that against me; age is starting to play mean tricks on my mind. 

Ok, so 45 isnt exactly the young stud when it comes to cycling, but I think my trend of getting faster as I get older will continue-at least for the near future. I did notice something that I am not accustomed to-slow recovery after a race. Yep, it took me a good 3 days to feel good after saturdays mud fest. Now, the being the conditions were a little more extreme than usual had a bit to do with recovery I'm sure, but still not ready for that phase yet. May have to do some fancy manipulation with the training schedule, but all will be fine.

Anyway, enough mindless banter and off to nighty night.

Snot Cycle or aka Slop Cycle and nabbing 5th

Well, this was the first race for me since may of last year, and it couldnt have been better, well maybe first would have been a little better. Anyway, as is every year, Snotcycle was cold, muddy, icy and of course snow layith on the trails. This is the first time I have done Snotcycle  at the new venue at the Freedom Center, so I wasnt too sure how I was going to do. One of the niceties about this race is catching up with friends and "rivals" and seeing how good of shape there in or how much I need to improve.

As usual, the drive down included pre-race jitters and wondering why I still do this. My biggest fear, as with every race, is not doing well. I know I am in great shape considering I am 45 now, which isnt "old", but lining up with guys half your age can sometimes be intimidating.

I decided to go with the Ferrous this year, just because I have never done a Snotcycle event on it and I love this bike; it turned out to be a great choice. I ran my usual 32x18; safe for not knowing the course, a 32x17 may have been better now that I have ridden it, eh next year. This was also my first race donning the Chesapeake Wheelman colors. Lets just say, I was easy to spot. I believe that this is the first mtb race that they have been represented, pretty funny. They are the 2nd oldest club in the country and I get to be the guinea pig for the 1st mountain bike event of the year.

It looked as if it was not going to start real well. I no sooner pulled up to the start and off we went. I was sitting about 25th of 38, so not real smart. As we headed into the woods, I quickly realized that there wasnt going to be too many places to pass. Tight, twisty and slippery made it very tough to get by the slower riders. I have been really working hard this winter and trying to stay focused on my training, so this was really a race against myself. About 1 mile in , I expected my HR to be in the 190's, but it was hovering in the 170's-this was a great sign. So i mashed the pedals and started moving up. What I also was very happy with was my times for the second lap. In the past, I am notorious for having a slower second lap; however today would be different. My first lap was 31:15; not bad, but my second lap was 29:12, and I knew it. I felt fast and passed around 12-18 people.

The third lap had just turned completely nasty. The snow was gone and all that remained was the sloppy mud. This course looks like your small intestines, so the turns were super dangerous if you werent careful. I didnt drink the entire race for fear of crashing. I was very conscious of who was behind me and where they were. I wasnt real sure where I was in the overall standings, but I knew I was moving closer to the top 5 because I could see Bill wheeler not too far ahead. I was running out of miles, though. I tried as hard as I could to catch him, but just ran out of time. I rode a great race and not a single person passed me. I made sure to I kept everyone that was behind me a good distance from me. I didnt slow at the end and felt awesome. I crossed the line in 1:30:12, which is where I was trying to be to get home for my son's birthday party. I ended up in 5th, which is my best finish for this race, even considering the sloppy conditions.

Overall, I rank this as one of my best races ever; at least from a physical standpoint. My HR was low and I was able to maintain great power throughout the entire race, even through the muck and mud. I did find myself staying seated on just about every climb (felt weird, but that was the only way to maintain traction). My seatpost slipped about an inch which really hampered me a bit, but I just stood as much as I could. The goal for this year is to be more econmical. I only spent 1 minute 22 seconds in anaerobic land, which quite frankly, I never would have thought was possible. Normally in a race, I am in Z5 70%ish of the time, so my training seems to be spot on right now.

I think it is going to be a good year...

Getting it together for 2013

January and february in Maryland are usually pretty dismal. Temps are sometimes in the teens with a lot of wind to boot. My traditional winter workouts have mainly been on the trainer. I hate cold and hate cold wind even more. The trainer is safe, consistent and yes... boring at times (what bores you makes you strong), or at least complacent. So anyway, I live in an area that is vertically challenged which makes it hard for me to get some nice road climbs in on a regular basis.

This year, I have a lot more time to ride and have access to some great hills in and around Ellicott City. They are long, steep and everything you would want in a sufferfest of elevation. So I was, uh um, am determined to ride as much of these monsters as much as possible.

This past week, the temps have been in the low 20's with a wind chill added in, made for some 11°-15° days. Now, I could have taken the easy way out and sat on the trainer, but I decided that I was going to ride no matter what. Each ride had me begging to quit and cut it short to get warm, but I didnt and I was really glad of that. I would have felt worse ducking out than I did for the 2+ hours in the arctic blast. I feel as strong as I did last year at is time, if not stronger. The heart rate is getting lower and the legs are feeling great with good recovery times. I have only one ride on the mountain bike this year so far and I really think that has helped with getting in the shape I need to be in.

January 1st, I weighed in at 186, which is my normal weight. This year I am trying to "slim" down to 180 for race season. I know, 6 lbs isnt a lot; it isnt, but put an extra 6lbs on your back or strap it to your 20lb bike and see how it feels. As of today, I am down to 184.5 (darn Wendy's triple cheeseburger), but it was great!

Snotcycle is this saturday and I dont go to push as hard as I would in the spring, but I do try to stay in the top 10, which I have done every year so far. So, like usual, I have the jitters and get a little nervous about racing (especially after last years medical mess), so I have a lot to prove to myself this year.

A "Blast" from the Past

Well, I am finishing up a room for my oldest daughter, when I cam upon something that I dont use (or hear from) as much as I should. No, not my mother-in-law, nor was it a long lost relative coming out of the woodwork seeking money; he would have to look elsewhere I am afraid. No, it was something that my mother didnt want to take with her into her new dwellings. Thats right, you guessed it, a 1961 Magnavox Astrosonic console HiFi record player! Man, you guys are good.

This has been through a lot over the years; including me playing it as loud as possible-and trust me, this thing is louder than anything you can get today-while dressed up as Ace Frehley with a blue bulb plugged in at the old Oak Grove apartments from 1975-1979. You know, I never had one person complain? It went through a complete ceiling collapse in 1986 and still plays. I have been debating on wether or not to sell it or keep it.


I mean it is 1960's french provincial

style furniture. I dont walk around in powdered wigs, nor do I wear knickers either.

I guess from an artistic stanpoint, it is beautiful. Handmade in Fort Wayne, Indiana of the finest mahogany. It reminds me of the guy in Office Space in the basement all alone and forgotten.

Well, today I cleaned it and plugged it in and put on hmmm...let's see here; Duane Eddy...nah, Beach Boys...no, how bout...NO WAY, I forgot I had this! SGT Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by the...BEE GEES! YESSSSSSSSS! You know, I missed a whole week of school seeing this at the movies at Golden Ring Mall with Michael Bowling. Of course, those of you old enough to remember, you could sit through as many showings of a movie as you wanted. Ahhh, the good ole days.

Ok, back to earth. So, this thing still sounds amazing for a solid state contraption with more tubes than Dr. Jekyll's laboratory. Yeah, nothing like Peter Frampton (aka Billy Shears) vocalizing to "With a Little Help from my Friends."

So, I think I am going to keep her around a little longer. Maybe I will dress her up in the latest fashions from IKEA and try to fit her into whatever scheme we having going on right now and enjoy some Andy Williams or Englebert Humperdink whilst I play along on the trap set.

Its a numbers game

Well, it is coming to the end of yet another fun filled year on the bike; ok may wasnt all that fun. Come to think of it, the rest of the year was kind of a throw away year for me-at least from a racing stand point. I learned that I dont like hitting my head. I dont like hospitals (especially visiting the same one twice within 3 weeks for an operation and Rhabdo). I dont like not racing. I especially dont like doctors telling me I cant be on the bike for at least 3 weeks after my emergency appendectomy (I cheated and raced the next weekend...shhhhh). That was my last race of the year wayyyyy back in may. I did end up 6th, so not too bad I suppose.

Anyway, despite the crappy year, I managed to pull in my best yearly numbers so far. My goal was to log 8,000 miles, but that aint gonna happen. Still managed 330 personal records (200 up from last year). I logged 2,000 more miles than last year as well. I spent 100 more hours on the bike too. I wish I could have spent that time training, but at least I was able to ride.

Snotcycle is coming up at the end of january and that will kick off the race season early for me in 2013. Eh, who am I kidding; those crazy Mayans have the world ending in a few days. Oh well, I guess next years race season will be in the crapper as well.

My Wife is Awesome Post

I usually dont put too much stuff about family things, but I felt today is "My Wife is Awesome Blogpost Day." I have the best woman a guy who wears tight, spandex pants and thinks sitting on a piece of leather and carbon the size of your hand is comfortable can have. Simply put; she makes me look good. She makes me feel good. We dont always see everything eye to eye, but at the end of the day, we know we are still very much in love with each other.

She completes me and she-I still dont believe this-understands me. She "drags" herself to my races; not because she wants to be there, but because I want her there. She supports my two wheeled addiction because it makes me happy. she enjoys that; making me happy. You see, that is what a marriage is about; making the other one happy. Granted I think my wife has a pretty big lead in this category, but I love her with all that I am. I think she just keeps me around for eye candy anyway.

So anyway, sorry that you had to read the mushy side of the moron, but even morons can get all soft and tender too. After 20+ years, I am still learning about you and wouldnt miss it for all of the bikes I own...hmmm, wait a minute, uh...er, nah just kidding!

Better Late than Never

Well, I never thought I would be hopping on the Fixie band wagon. I mean, I always associated it with dorks who wanna be like Andy Warhol and talk as if they just completed their first semester at Juiard and have nothing better to do than ride around the city doing no-handed track stands for the sake of... ok no more of that.

So as it turns out, Bike Doctor of Linthicum (were I call work home, or is it home work?) is changing the name to Aviation Velo. Me being the artsy fartsy singlespeed good natured moron that I am, I decided to "sell" my web and graphics skills to Jeff in return-at his recommendation-for a made in Waterford, Wi. USA, Fleet Velo steel fixie. Now I have dabbled in the fixie arts before-albeit briefly-and just didnt feel any love for this knee crushing, modern velocipede. I mean could I really look like this guy? Good Lord no.

Well, after my first ride, I am hooked. So much so that it is the only bike I have ridden in two weeks, well other than one ride. I have put 110 miles on it so far. It has taken a few iterations to get it where I feel comfortable with the bars and everything else. I finally settled on Bontrager Crivitz bars. Now I know that it doesnt look like the typical fixie, but that is what I want. It feels like my ss mtb's and that is what I am looking for. I decided to go brakeless which scared me at first, but I have gotten used to it...REAL QUICK. I did have a hard time at first forgetting that freewheeling isnt an option.

I can certainly feel that I have gotten much stronger as well. Funny thing is that It is harder work going down hill than climbing. I havent become comfortable with going too fast yet, so it has really worked the quads trying to maintain a safe speed. This is fast becoming my new training tool for singlespeed world domination, well maybe not. I have it set up with a 42/16, which isnt enough for me. I am going to move it to a 46 or 48 set up. It has Dura Ace track hubs and velocity rims. It has the coolest old school Ultegra Octa-link cranks. The Cannondale Save carbon post rocks; very comfortable and light.

I think incorporating this thang into this years training program will be a huge benefit; at least I am hoping. Anything is an improvement after last years medical mess.

I will keep you abreast on how that works out. Of course if I have a momentary laps of reason and forget to keep pedaling, I may have to take up chess or something when my knees are strewn all over the road.

Stranger things have happened

This has been a fun but a little bit of an odd week for me. Those of you that know me-and it is fine if that remains our little secret-know I am a pixel pusher, at least by trade. The last few years I have been a pedal pusher. "Pssst, hey man, wanna by a bike?" as my trench coat jingles and jangles with the sounds of your two wheeled fix. Anyway, for years I tried to escape the dark, dank confines of corporate america and it's cubicle laden oppressed atmosphere. Working at Aviation Velo (formerly Bike Doctor) has given me that freedom that I was looking for. Working on, selling, riding and doing everything bikes has allowed me to be myself and not trying to fit that mold of artsy fartsy computer artist...er um guy.

So as luck would have it, Bike Doctor of Linthicum has decided to go AWOL from the franchise and venture into new, uncharted waters... for a three hour tour. The weather started getting rough...whoooaaa-flashback Skipper. So somehow I landed the job of....yup pixel pusher web guy again, In a bike shop?!?!?!? Never thought that it would go this route and honestly, wasnt real sure I would enjoy doing it again. Thoughts of fake people wearing fake facial disguises to mask their true identities came to the surface. Much to my shagrin, I am really getting back into it. It will never be at the 9-5 level anymore, but this has been really cool. I have control over what I do and when I do it-as long as it is done by december 31st!

It is still in its infancy, but it is coming along pretty good. I had to dust off the Dreamweaver  side of my brain and get a little jump start, but it is slowly coming back. Still a few kinks to work out here and there, but overall pleased with what has come about so far. It loads a bit slow, but that is because I have a large background image that needs to be reduced.Here is the link to the sight so far. Some links havent been linked and still working with making sure that it previews well in the popular browsers. http://aviationvelo.com/. Enjoy and get out of that cubicle and enjoy the outdoors!

Pondering the pointless

I really dont have a clue on where this going, but that is ok...it's my blog. This time of the year allows me to ride for (gasp) fun? My version of fun and your version of may be a tad different. I use this time to reflect on things that really dont have a place in my everyday thought patterns. Now dont act like this is something completely new to you. You know the kinds thoughts that if you told someone, there would be a good chance that you would loose a riding buddy (maybe gain some others). You can be riding along and POW! ridiculous thought! Like, what if I didnt have a lactate threshold. meaning that you could ride without the effects of build up and just hammer along whilst others bow and kneel to your overall greatness. Well, not really but again, my thoughts my daydreams.

Again, just riding along and SHAZZAM! yet another thought. What if everyone was riding naked? Now, not sure how that would work for the guys (guess if you had a saddle with a cut out relief zone, you could...) Do they have nudist colony cycling? I guess crashing could be a bit on the "you got road rash where" weird side of things.

My last one from today is the "what would happen if I crashed here." Yeah, that one came up more than a few times today. Those are the ones that can lead to disaster and lack of confidence. Alas, they still enter my miniscule brain and rattle around like Jacob Marley's chains. I try to even this one out by thinking of my favorite pastime...eating. Now hamburger isnt a good one to think of for obvious reasons, but man do I like me some Chuck E Cheese salad bar. Laugh, its ok; it is the best salad bar around. Sometimes Chuck himself enters my thoughts dressed in lycra and riding a bone shaker and heckling me from atop his stately steed. Wonder what helmet size he wears?

There was a pretty good pause there for a minute; Anyway, I think it is good to go out, ride, think stupid, pointless and ridiculous thoughts. You cant take riding seriously all of the time. Who knows, you might make it a little more fun.

Why we ride bikes

When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking. ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  Wow, can you really say it any betterer than that? I was hoping to write a longer than usual, mindless bantering of my life as a bicycle rider and what makes riding bikes so darn special; I think Mr. Doyle made quick work of that. 

Seriously though, if you have spent any time at all on a bike; I dont mean those of you that think spending 5k plus on a bike and have it sit in your living room. I even have come across the guy that buys a roof rack and rides around with a bike on it that never touches terra firma. I am talking about those of us that actually throw a leg over the top tube and head out on that wonderful two wheeled wonder of human ingenuity. You are a different person on a bike. You arent stuck behind some metal and glass encased "get the bleep outta my way" carbon monoxide environment killer. You see things and get to enjoy things in a different light. Sure, it can be a bit on the dangerous side, but you dont think that way when you are cruisin along. Betcha cant say that when you are driving. 

It still amazes me how anti-cycling this country is. I mean its cheap, friendly, and best of all; gives you great legs! I guess the real question is; why dont we ride bikes more? I will tell you; PEOPLE ARE LAZY! Yep, lazy. You dont have to race or even ride a bike from a bike store (yikes), just ride a bike. Lets face it, if Queen can put out a cover like that and a goofy song to match, shouldnt that be inspiration enough?

	I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride my bike I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride it where I like ~ Queen Bicycle Race, Fat Bottomed Girls

So why do we ride? I ride because of all of the comments about my tight, lycra, figure enhancing outfit that shows the world what kinda man I really am (but only my wife has privileges to).

Enjoying the Road...Love Boat Style

Yeah, I know; there was a time when I thought that I would rather sit and watch re-runs of the Love Boat while eating snail turds and farting razor blades than wasting time on a road bike. Well, I still enjoy re-runs of the Love Boat and farting razor blades and have been really having fun out on the open road.

It is just so nice to suit up and leave from the front door and not have to clean anything afterwards. I wish that I looked as cool as Isaac with that awesome stache. I think I would gain more respect, too.

Anyway, the nice thing about the road thing is that you can structure your workouts with more constancy. Being on the MTB doesnt allow for smoother rpms and allows for more consistent hill repeats...yay-hills baby! It has definetely helped me-well at least last year and earlier this year with my endurance as well. Now, these are no secrets to anyone; at least to people that know the secret to mtb success. As the song says "promises something for everyone." You dont have to go full out for a road bike either; head down to your LBS and check out used bikes first-especially this time of year. While your at it, hook up with a local club ride, too; you will get faster by default. I know this because the Love Boat doesnt lie-"Love, exciting and new
Come Aboard. We're expecting you. Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you."

Dont be afraid of the road-just stay safe and have fun and  if you can wear a fro like Isaac, you will forever have my respect-stay single!

Feeling da Powa!

I have to admit, it was rough going there for a while; not sure if this nonsense would ever go away or get worse. I struggled from time to time deciding if I should take a hiatus from the bike. Every ride seemed to point to that direction. I saw a handful of doctors that told me I should take a byeak-I sorta did. Dizzy spells, headaches, weakness and just plain depression. What I learned from this whole thing leads me to my favorite quote; Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stowe.
My race season ended in may which looking back now, was a good thing. I took it easy- even if not by choice and really had a chance to lay back and enjoy riding for what it is. Now, that certainly didnt mean that I hit the rails to trails and took pictures of wildlife, I rode hard, but without structure and meaning; I just rode hard, but fun. I know it doesnt make sense, but it is my blog and I will not make sense when time allows. 

Now, one thing that I have been doing more of (hate to admit it) and that is hitting the road more. No, I am not changing my blog to Road Bike Moron or Gears are Great Moron, this has just allowed me to rest up a bit more and still get in 125+ miles a week. This past week is the first week since may that I felt almost back to my old self. I have been moving up the KOM board and reclaiming some others as well on a lot of the climbs that even when I was feeling good, could maintain the power to the top. 

Tuesday was the first hills workout since april and it was great. 1100ft in 9.4 miles. Four climbs were 11% grades or more and was loving my 53/19 setup again. Jeff (Bike Doctor boss guy) and I have been riding together 3 times a week and it has helped both of us. He hasnt been riding much at all and he is starting to push harder and really feels the bug again.  Me, it allows me to ride at different paces and still push him as well.

So, there is a lot to look forward to this coming year. My enthusiasm has returned and as long as you have enthusiasm, everything else follows right along. 

New and Tasty...and Less Filling

No, I have not starting drinking; nor will I ever. I have not opened a Twinky with malicious intent and removed the filling and left an empty carcass of sponge cake. I have landed myself a sparkling new set of Bontrager Race XXX Lite carbon wheels. Mmmmmm, yummy indeed.

I have to admit, I was laying off these for a long time. Carbon hubs (drive side flange is aluminum), carbon rims just didnt seem like a good idea. Rim wear was also a big concern-especially for a 2k wheelset.

My opinion was completely changed due to my teammate and friend Bruce. He has had these on his Madone for 3 years and has amassed 22k on his. 22k! Now granted he is 150 lbs and I am 186, but he is a gear masher as well and is in love with his 53t chainring as am I. So I figure, if his held up, these will too. There is no noticeable rim wear on his sidewalls either; albeit a little shinier than before.

I loaded up on my Salsa today and these things are amazing! They are 10 ounces lighter than my RXL's! They came in at a svelte 1347 grams. I noticed an increase in acceleration; they just feel fast-and no one can leave out the "just feels" factor. I threw in my 36 star ratchet (an upgrade from the original 18 for DT Swiss 240 hubs) for some super loud and quick engagement. I use slick honey for a super smooth feel. The bike now weighs in at 16.5 lbs.; not too shabby for a steel bike. The rides soooo much smoother and crisper now. It feels as if I have a little extra under the hood. The braking is great right out da box. Who whoulda thunk that cork could stop a 186lb rider going 40+ on a decent?

Anyway, I will keep you posted in the upcoming months on how these perform.

Nice Little Gunpowder Ride

Little Gunpowder is one of those nice little out of sight out of mind type of trail systems. I say this because, it used to be that was the last place people wanted to ride. There wasnt a good loop and you couldnt achieve any decent mileage. Now, this is one of the east sides best kept secret...sorta. Over the years, the trails have been expanded to a very nice 25-30 miles or so. It is easy to get 2500-3500+ ft of elevation-technical elevation. There are quite a few 10%+ grade climbs and even a couple of 15%+ as well. Throw in some nice singletrack and views to boot and you have a super nice trail network.

Today was my first day back in a while; and the first on a mtb as well. There is a few new climbs that I was dying to test my fitness level. One of them being an 11%, 2/10 of a mile super technical climb. Riddled with leaves made it a little more difficult, especially the first time attempting this particular climb.

My legs arent in the shape they were in april, but I am not racing this year, so I can be casual with how I ride and how hard I want to push.

Tomorrow will be another hammerfest at the Bike Doctor shop ride. I think my legs are warmed up and ready to fly.

Why you should at least try a singlespeed

This is a debate that will go on until... well, until geared bikes are no more. There are a vast amount of cyclists that will never try a ss because it is too hard, or they dont see the purpose, or my wittle hiney will hurt. Then there are the rest of that know what a ss will do for you.

If anything is worth doing, it should be hard, or at least challenging. If it were easy, why do it? Sure, you are going to work hard, but no other cycling discipline delivers a more complete body workout than does the wonderful world of monocogging. There is a hidden power in your lower body-not that hidden power-it is called your quads. You will get stronger wether you want to or not-and why wouldnt you. Riding a ss will reward you with powerful quads-not the girly man quads you now adorn. Riding a ss will also build upper body strength. There is no sitting and spinning girlfriend. You have two choices; stand and overcome the pain and the 200+ bpm heart rate or walk and overcome the pain and the 200+ bpm heart rate, but with the extra pinch of humiliation and ridicule from others. There is nothing, and I mean nothing more gratifying than passing a guy on ss whilst listening to the sounds of total exhaustion and just giving a grin and a quick "keep it up, you are doing great."

If you are a woman, dont think that I will take it easy on you. I know of a few that can rock it just as well as their male counterparts. My gorgeous friend Sandie is one of those. Very consistent and a real hard ass when it comes to riding. It takes dedication and mental toughness. She approaches her rides and races with the notion of catch me if you can attitude. I have had the pleasure of racing the same courses with her and she is just a great competitor. Sigh.

You dont need a lot of money to put together a ss either. As much as I hate to suggest it, but Bikesdirect has a ss for 400 clams. You aint getting a light bike, but a good starting point to get you going. You can turn any hardtail or unified rear triangle dualie into a ss for about 80-100 clams.

So put away the excuses and challenge yourself. The worst that could happen is that you never ride your geared bike again and selling it for a nicer ss. Win win situation.

Tryin something new

Well, it has been a while, but I have decided to try some new road material-literally. I am the proud owner of a OX Platinum steel Salsa Pistola. Yes, a Salsa. Long story short; the frame was in the store since I started there and I have been dying to try it. So now it is mine. I completely stripped down the Madone; adorned with all of the lovely Sram Red parts and quickly slapped them on the Pistola. Now, I wasnt expecting the bike to be as light as the Madone nor as stiff either, but after all was said and done it came in at 17lbs even. The madone was 15 lbs. 13 oz.-a one pound difference. The frame is relatively low key-which I like, especially coming from the Trek billboard paint schemes.

I have to say, it rides sooooo nice. I havent put any epic miles on it yet, but I have put some nice climbs to see how it responded to my monocogging mentality of torque over spinning approach. I have to say, nary a whimper nor groan could be heard. I was more than surprised that it didnt have the flex that I expected it to have.

I still have some seat and bar adjustments to make, but so far, I am impressed with the ride.  This saturday it will be put to the test on our Bike Doctor shop ride, er...uh, hammerfest.

I will have a more detailed ride review later on. Until then, I will be pointin my Pistola to the sky and ridin hard and heavy.