Another Brazen Dropouts swap is in the books and I cleaned up nicely. Moved some LX and XT parts I've been sitting on for a few years and even sold a few things for the Burnz. Gehling and Geo had a successful swap, as well.
Coach Whale told me to do do 100 sit-ups every other day. Once I quit laughing about it I realized he was serious, so I'm going to start tonight, before bed. I've been spinning easily two hours a day to establish some base miles. The new HRM works super well.
On another note, I've been doing some research on what was causing my hands and wrists to hurt so much after long rides and races. Turns out riding a rigid MTB is pretty brutal on your joints and is what led to Billy's joint-fusing surgery. Considering the joint strength problems that run in my family and the problems I've already had when I try to get into running, I'm rethinking the full-rigid setup.
Scoping out race bikes for the year: Top Fuels look pretty nice right now. The 9.8 is just over 22 lbs, and I think I could get it down to 20 with a new bar, post, saddle, and tires. Egg-beaters are going to be my pedal of choice.
Time to get started on those sit-ups.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
2009: Year of the Superfly.
Welcome to 2009. Blogging is still narcissistic, but I need a way to keep track of my training and keep in touch with old friends. I have a new coach, new MTB, and a racing license that reads Cat. 2. Goals for the year: Upgrade to cat 1 and win at least one cat 2 XC race before doing so. Last season involved a lot of XC riding and only one race after Wausau: Fall Color Fest. I'm proud to say I got 3rd in the 21-mile event behind Gehling.
Industry news:
Trek/VW is dead. Apparently zee Germans just didn't have the cash to front for the team so Trek cut all domestic racing programs. While I understand that a lack of funds is a completely justifiable reason to end a program, they could have sorted it out in time to let the riders get other sponsors for this year. I thought this would be a good time to share my favorite XC racing picture ever:
In shop news: Tall Kid is back in full effect, along with Rabbit. Geo fell through the ice and isn't dead, and Ant Man is taking care of a post-surgery Termite Girl.
The Brazen Dropouts Swap is tomorrow. Stop on by my table for some killer deals on everything that I own that isn't Trek, Bontrager, or Fisher.
Maria and the Burnz got hitched and moved the party to Hawaii. the wedding party at 1on1 was very cool and I got to see the whole gang. We met Mrs. Billy (who is absolutely the best person in the world to be Billy's wife).
Maria said I can crash on their Hawaiian couch any time I'm running late getting home from a weekend 'cross race. I think I'll take them up on that.
Training starts now: Tink out.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Wausau WORS, *new* new job, Tuesday night crit
The Wausau WORS race went acceptably well. As predicted, I hammered the ATV trail and got hammered by the singletrack. My training will now include at least one day a week on dirt as long as the rain stops. 70th in Comp. Meh.
I'm now a f'realz manager at TBS. It's a challenge and slightly intimidating and completely exhilarating. Much to learn and figure out. Some dude wants to buy my 8500 and have me ship it to NY. I'm waiting for the check to clear before anything goes out the door. Ten I'm buying a Montare and pimping it.
Tuesday night crits in Madison have two cats: A and B. No beers, but they do have candy preems. I gave a few good leadouts to some dude and got his preem candy. SCORE! I know what I'm doing Tuesday nights. The Madone is feeling the mileage of the Spring, and the chain and cassette are fried. Same with the rubber. I'm probably sending $300 to TCG just to get it to run properly. OUCH.
I rode to Blue Mounds with Gehling last week. Sufferfest, he is faster, I can ramp it up faster. But I think it will be good for me to ride with him. I'll get faster.
I'm now a f'realz manager at TBS. It's a challenge and slightly intimidating and completely exhilarating. Much to learn and figure out. Some dude wants to buy my 8500 and have me ship it to NY. I'm waiting for the check to clear before anything goes out the door. Ten I'm buying a Montare and pimping it.
Tuesday night crits in Madison have two cats: A and B. No beers, but they do have candy preems. I gave a few good leadouts to some dude and got his preem candy. SCORE! I know what I'm doing Tuesday nights. The Madone is feeling the mileage of the Spring, and the chain and cassette are fried. Same with the rubber. I'm probably sending $300 to TCG just to get it to run properly. OUCH.
I rode to Blue Mounds with Gehling last week. Sufferfest, he is faster, I can ramp it up faster. But I think it will be good for me to ride with him. I'll get faster.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Trek Trails...
are awesome. Totally awesome. I doubt I'll ever ride elsewhere in South Wisco. Gehling is way fast and has better handling skillz, but I might be able to take him on a long climb. With all the road time I've put in, turning the bike is not as easy as it once was.
Trek corporate is something else. We saw the new Bontrager shoes that are coming out in July. Watch out Sidi, these things are slick. The 08 hardtails were lined up in a hallway, and I saw some of the concept and R&D for the Limes. Also saw the pink Madone Contador might be riding if he wins in Milan. As predicted in my last entry, I geeked out big time.
Wish list: Superfly, Soho S with Race XXX Lite parts everywhere, XO-2, Race X Lite road wheels with white spokes. Better start saving those commuter credits for TCG.
Today it's off to Wausau for my first WORS race in 5 years. This should be interesting.
Trek corporate is something else. We saw the new Bontrager shoes that are coming out in July. Watch out Sidi, these things are slick. The 08 hardtails were lined up in a hallway, and I saw some of the concept and R&D for the Limes. Also saw the pink Madone Contador might be riding if he wins in Milan. As predicted in my last entry, I geeked out big time.
Wish list: Superfly, Soho S with Race XXX Lite parts everywhere, XO-2, Race X Lite road wheels with white spokes. Better start saving those commuter credits for TCG.
Today it's off to Wausau for my first WORS race in 5 years. This should be interesting.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Welcome to the new school
Rough week, little sleep, lots of riding, new job, neato bikes, lots of coffee.
Trek is quite something. The professionalism and corporate resources and organization (and, and, and,) don't eliminate the bike shop feel. It's still a bike shop and we had beer at employee training Tuesday evening and then had more beer and hung out for a while. It was good to just have some fun at a bike shop.
Selling here is very different from St. Paul, as I can move a 3k bike on a Tuesday afternoon and tack on 1k in accessories. I had a customer who commutes come in and buy a Soho 3.0 to continue her commuting trend. Selling her that bike and seeing how excited she was to own it made me actually feel excited about bikes.
This weekend is the Wausau WORS and I'm going with Geo and some other TBS kids in the TBS van. And I'm sure we're all going to wear TBS kits and drink TBS coffee and be TBS BFFs. I'd tell you I'm not geeking out, but it might be a lie.
As for getting acclimated, it's been rough. The local coffee shop is okay. They make great lattes, but it's kept pretty clean. No ERC, let me tell you. I don't have a bar yet, but an Irish Pub is going in across from Target and my brother has some leads on a few cool places we can check out. It's been a long week. My plans have changed for the next year or so. No more tandem. Lots of solo road rides on the Madone.
In about 15 minutes I'm headed to the Waterloo trails to ride with Gehling (sales manager east) and Rabbit (tech east). I'm sure this will involve more geeking out.
Tomorrow I start the search for grad programs.
Trek is quite something. The professionalism and corporate resources and organization (and, and, and,) don't eliminate the bike shop feel. It's still a bike shop and we had beer at employee training Tuesday evening and then had more beer and hung out for a while. It was good to just have some fun at a bike shop.
Selling here is very different from St. Paul, as I can move a 3k bike on a Tuesday afternoon and tack on 1k in accessories. I had a customer who commutes come in and buy a Soho 3.0 to continue her commuting trend. Selling her that bike and seeing how excited she was to own it made me actually feel excited about bikes.
This weekend is the Wausau WORS and I'm going with Geo and some other TBS kids in the TBS van. And I'm sure we're all going to wear TBS kits and drink TBS coffee and be TBS BFFs. I'd tell you I'm not geeking out, but it might be a lie.
As for getting acclimated, it's been rough. The local coffee shop is okay. They make great lattes, but it's kept pretty clean. No ERC, let me tell you. I don't have a bar yet, but an Irish Pub is going in across from Target and my brother has some leads on a few cool places we can check out. It's been a long week. My plans have changed for the next year or so. No more tandem. Lots of solo road rides on the Madone.
In about 15 minutes I'm headed to the Waterloo trails to ride with Gehling (sales manager east) and Rabbit (tech east). I'm sure this will involve more geeking out.
Tomorrow I start the search for grad programs.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Yeah, I can race 4s
Tonight was my first 4s race and my final Opus excursion. Brian "Cupcake Big Party California" Dump-Can, The Brain, and Butters and I went out there. We killed Butters on the way out, got him there five minutes before the start, and he got destroyed. He loved it. This kid is gonna make it.
Caleb, Cupcake, and I raced 4s. We made it fast from the gun, and strung out the pack on the flat headwindy back section. After the first preem we knew we couldn't outsprint some of the guys, so we made the race suck for them. Just about every lap we attacked on the hill, regardless of a preem. It almost stuck twice, and I did get to ride a lap on my own, but they pulled us in. We didn't win, but man did we make the others work for it.
Some kids didn't seem so happy about it afterward. Billy gave me a high-five on our tactics today. Then I got a hug, since I'm moving.
It's been nice racing in Minnesota these past few years. I was born and raised in Madison, but I'm a Minneapolis cyclist all the way. Fuck yeah!
Caleb, Cupcake, and I raced 4s. We made it fast from the gun, and strung out the pack on the flat headwindy back section. After the first preem we knew we couldn't outsprint some of the guys, so we made the race suck for them. Just about every lap we attacked on the hill, regardless of a preem. It almost stuck twice, and I did get to ride a lap on my own, but they pulled us in. We didn't win, but man did we make the others work for it.
Some kids didn't seem so happy about it afterward. Billy gave me a high-five on our tactics today. Then I got a hug, since I'm moving.
It's been nice racing in Minnesota these past few years. I was born and raised in Madison, but I'm a Minneapolis cyclist all the way. Fuck yeah!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Finals, Graduation, Madison
Finals are here. I'm taking a break right now from relating (in only TWO pages) Thomas Kuhn's concepts of scientific paradigm shifts with Darwinian natural selection. I know, it's exciting stuff.
After Opus two weeks ago I had to knuckle down for finals and I got pretty sick with a stomach bug, so I haven't ridden much since. My cat 4 upgrade went through so I'll be in the 4s tomorrow, hopefully giving Big Party a lead-out. After Opus, I have one more day at Boehm's, a presentation, graduation, and then I'm moving to Madison and working at the East Side Trek Store.
I'm VERY excited for this new job.
As for summer racing, I'm mostly at the mercy of my job, but that's cool. I'll do Superweek when I can, and maybe hit up some close WORS events, but racing is officially dropping down lower on my list of priorities.
#1 once I graduate: Cruiseliner
Saw Screech at 1on1 today. He stole my Madone for a bit.
Back to Darwin and Kuhn and paradigm shits. That isn't a typo.
After Opus two weeks ago I had to knuckle down for finals and I got pretty sick with a stomach bug, so I haven't ridden much since. My cat 4 upgrade went through so I'll be in the 4s tomorrow, hopefully giving Big Party a lead-out. After Opus, I have one more day at Boehm's, a presentation, graduation, and then I'm moving to Madison and working at the East Side Trek Store.
I'm VERY excited for this new job.
As for summer racing, I'm mostly at the mercy of my job, but that's cool. I'll do Superweek when I can, and maybe hit up some close WORS events, but racing is officially dropping down lower on my list of priorities.
#1 once I graduate: Cruiseliner
Saw Screech at 1on1 today. He stole my Madone for a bit.
Back to Darwin and Kuhn and paradigm shits. That isn't a typo.
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