No, I'm not one of THOSE Kennedys

Arrrr!

2009-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

New discovery: languages for Facebook.

I think only assholes change their language, personally. The people who take Spanish or Italian and decide to switch it to Espanol or Italiano are, in general, jerks.

This was until I found the "English: Pirate" setting.

It's amazing. The links on top read Home Port, Me, Me Hearties, and Bottle o' Messages. Logout is now Abandon Ship. And posts we're made 40 minutes ago, they were made 40 Shots o' Rum Ago.

Try it out. It will never get old.

Numbers!

2009-04-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

I just got Google Analytics. There are just so many numbers, charts, graphs... I don't even know what to do with myself.

There may be many numbers, but all of them are small. I had two visitors yesterday.

The things is, I can tell where both were from, what OS they have, the browser they used, and their ISP. It's so precise I'm pretty sure I can isolate who one of them was - I'm going to say the Mac-using, Firefox-having visitor was probably Bryan. Especially because one of my visitors came through algomaha.

The other one is a mystery. God knows who else would read this thing.

How awesome is this?

2009-04-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Congrats to former Kaos standout Matt Landen, who recently graced the (virtual) pages of PEZ Cycling News making a move on Levi Leipheimer at Sea Otter.

Makes me not feel so bad about not being able to hold his wheel on TT workouts.

Dee Zee

2009-02-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

I love Dave Zabriskie.

UPDATE: In more somber news, Dave was the victim of a break-in while at the ToC. Two of his cars, 13 of his bikes, and his Olympic ring were stolen, among other things. What a bummer. I hope they find his stuff.

FUN FACT

2009-02-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

Fun fact: Remember how Canadian superstud Svein Tuft took a surprising silver medal the World TT Championships? Yeah, me too.

I just read that Tuft's old squad, Symmetrics, has an annual budget less than Fabian Cancellara's yearly salary.

Which makes Svein Tuft just an unbelievable badass.

AP Photo/Marcelo Hernandez

OH MY GOD, WE'RE HAVING A FIRE... SALE

2008-11-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

Evacuate the schoolchildren!

Speaking of evacuation, you know the Tea Fire you've seen on the news lately, that one in Montecito? It came within a half mile of burning down my grandmother's house. Check out some of the pictures of it. Also, my favorite climb was burned from the base most of the way to the top. And the top was burned over the summer.

To show you just how close it got: See the road in the bottom of this picture I stole from Getty/AFP? I ride it every single day when I'm in Santa Barbara. And it takes me ten minutes to get to this house from my grandma's front door.

I ride under these high tension power lines also. They're in the hills above the city.

And my dad, who just happened to be in town, took this picture from the back deck before they were evacuated for three days.

So it's been a harrowing couple of days, wondering if the house would burn or not. In the end, the flames were contained about half a mile from her house in the foothills. If you're interested or intrepid enough (Bryan, I'm thinking of you here), you can check out how close Kenmore Place is to the fire boundaries. It's in Mission Canyon, an areas adorned by permanent "Extreme Fire Danger" signs and one of the areas in the city designated by the fire department as "a loss:" if the flames get in, it cannot be defended and the whole canyon will be left to burn.

So I'm glad it didn't come to that, because we just bought our tickets to go out there for Christmas.

2008-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, remember that time this happened to me? Yeah. Me too.

Makin' enemies

2008-11-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Apparently, I'm making enemies at record pace in the cycling community. I would imagine I'm reasonably well respected in the cycling community - I try not to step on anybody's toes, and though I may not have the greatest results, I think they're good enough to get me some esteem, right? And in general, I think I'm usually a nice guy on the bike. I don't suck wheels, and I try my best to be inclusive on group rides.

And yet, I am getting grief from a fellow cyclist via Facebook.

Remember that junior from Minnesota who raced at Norfolk over the summer? He's a strong cyclist, but his primary sport is speedskating. Apparently he's really good, as his goal is to represent the USA in the 2010 Olympics. He won the RR and did well in the crit, if I remember correctly. And I do, because I have pictures of the podiums (podia?) in both cases.

Speaking of those pictures, a few of them ended up on my Facebook in an album handily titled "Norfolk Classic 2008." Initially, it was pretty much just pictures of Ian, Matt, and me, as those were my only Kaos fb friends. But then a few more people were tagged as I friended more NE cyclists (Note: feel free to friend me). I believe it was Jon Downey who tagged Colton Barrett in this very photo:
The caption read "John finished on the podium in the 3s. The junior who won it is a 17-yr-old Olympic speedskating hopeful. I don't know what that means though, because if you think about it, I'm an Olympic hopeful too. Just because I have no chance getting to the Olympics doesn't dampen my hopes of participating."

I thought it was funny. You may or may not feel the same way.

Anyway, Colton commented on it and said "That wasn't necessary." I figured it was a joke, until I got a message from him late last night. He, apparently, didn't see the humor in it. the message reads as follows:

"Hey, so why do you hate me man? Totally ragging on me in that photo where I'm first on the podium, that someone tagged me in. I'm not gonna sit here and bitch you out, but for someone you didn't even talk to when I was at those races in Norfolk and don't know either. Probably shouldn't be doing that because a Jr. beat your team mate. It was a good race, i had fun, but seriously man, kinda makes you look like an ass. Makes your team look that way too. I showed some of the skaters that live with me, they thought the same. Don't want to start an argument, just think about it. If you want me to explain the speedskating thing to you, thats fine. I will, because someone sent you in the wrong direction when the told you that. Olympic hopeful? I'm not just participating in a sport and hoping someday I'll get there. So just think about that.
Colton"

The message says he doesn't want to sit there and bitch me out, but it seems like it does just that. I was pretty confused when I read this. First off, I don't think it's offensive. I could see how it might irk some with gentler sensibilities, but really. This does not seem like a proportionate response. I was tempted to respond in kind, with a thorough bitching-out, but in the end I decided against such a rash measure. Though it is still pretty snarky:

"I'm sorry man, it's intended to be just a harmless joke. I meant no offense when I typed it up a few months ago, and I mean no offense now. I can even take it down if you insist.

Gotta learn how to take a joke."

I see the whole situation as material ripe for blogging. I do like the fact that I have found myself embroiled in an intra-peloton feud, though. Very Armstrong-Simeoni, and very pro.

The daily grind

2008-09-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, well, the three-times-weekly grind.

I now work W/Th/F at WTTW Channel 11 for the Chicago Tonight program. It's pretty cool.

I do paperwork and copies, which is pretty boring. But I also do research, which I LOVE, and I take the guests around during the show, which is also great. I met Jay Mariotti the other day, which I could have done without. But I also got to hang out with watch McCain's speech last night with Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. That was pretty cool.

I'm back!

2008-07-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

Got back from Santa Barbara last night at 1am. I rode almost every day, so I hope I'm in better shape. I focused almost entirely on climbing, as the only flat section of SB is along the beach, and that's only a few miles long. Time to test out my fitness on the epic cols of Eastern Nebraska.

That's where you guys come in. Bryan, JP, and Munson, as you guys are the only people who read this blog, we should ride. Soon.

That is all.

I swear I'll post something worthwhile at some point

2008-06-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

But not right now. I have a bunch of stuff to write about, but I don't really feel like it right now. So it'll have to wait. In the meantime, my Chicago riding buddy Luke Seeman of XXX Racing pointed this gem out to me. It's an account of Philly Week from Team Type 1 rider Glen Chadwick. Glen provided some entertainment for teammates and fans alike by grabbing a fan's beer, chugging half of it, and tossing it. While he was in the race. At the top of the Wall. It's even caught on video.

Mr. Chadwick, I salute you.

2008-06-05T13:22:00.001-07:00

You want to hear something horrifying? In his final attack at Milan-San Remo, after a whole day in the breakaway, Fabian Cancellara generated around 800 watts for two whole minutes. Jesus.

Time Trial!

2008-05-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts:

Jesus that was awful.

Nothing like 25 miles of hills and wind to really get you in a good mood.

It was so windy that in the crosswind coming downhill right after the turnaround, I wanted to shift up two gears because I was spinning out - but I couldn't, because I thought if I took one hand off my aero bars, I would get blown over.

Plus, of course, the wind got worse on the way back, when we had to ride dead into it.

Maresh won, but he should have upgraded. Like, a year ago. He beat Pav, albeit by three seconds. He should be in the 3s. Though I'm sure Pav would rip his legs off in a road race.

Matt Landen's TT setup is crazy aero. And with those new Blackwell wheels (80mm rear rim), he's even faster than he used to be.

Lando is selling his Hed 3s and I want to buy them. The problem is, I have no use for them whatsoever. I do so few time trials I really can't justify the expense. If I had a whole TT bike, I could see it, but that's a few years off. Right now, I'm flat freakin' broke and I really shouldn't drop a grand on a wheelset I won't use enough.

Dropping a grand on a wheelset I will use a lot, however, is another story. I'm looking for a new wheelset; I'm tired of the Rovals. Tell your friends.

Wednesday night ride

2008-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Went on the Wednesday night last night. It was completely controlled, beginning to end, by Kaos guys. On the way out, Aaron the Mountain Biker just took a flyer after the warmup and we never saw him again. That kid is stupid fast.

So we put together a little chase group and set out after him. It was Dave Rogers, Matt Farnam, Joe Savoie, and me. Our pace was in the 30s until we started into the wind, when it dropped to a measly 27. Got a great rotation going, everybody was looking strong and smooth. Still, we never caught Aaron, and there he was at the turnaround, waiting for us.

On the way back, we worked with the scant tailwind and tried to keep most of the group together. Scott Tarry joined in the fun, as did another dude from Elkhorn Valley I have seen everywhere but never met. I almost answered Dave's attack on the Wall, and stuck with him until the very top. I'm still not very good at carrying my momentum over the top - gotta work on that this year.

All in all, a great ride. I was really excited to be back with the group, and even more excited that I stuck with Dave and Matt all the way to the turnaround. Dave said I was looking good, too. Which just means I'm good at hiding it when I'm in pain. I guess that's good.

Quick aside: As I was typing this, I found a picture of Tom Zirbel's bike from his Gila crash.

Damn.

Also, Bike Masters is doing a double metric century to Harlan, IA on Sunday. I'm doing it. Anybody else want to? I'm looking at you, Mr. Munson.

Time Trial Work!

2008-05-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

I looked just like this. But even cooler.

I haven't been on TT bars outside in God knows how long, so I figured I should get in some practice before the race this weekend. I'm glad I did, because I was afraid to tackle even the simplest of turns. But after 2 hrs of low intensity riding, I'm an old pro. Well, more like I can hold a line and turn corners reasonably well now. I'm trying to get some last-minute aero help, too, in the form of a TT helmet from Rich Pearson and hopefully a skinsuit and booties. If I can't get a skinsuit, I don't really care. I'm just trying to do better than last year - a sad, slow 1:11.

2008-05-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

I was making this smile/grimace face all day today.

I headed out from my house, got in a good warmup on the smaller climbs around my neighborhood, then headed off down the bike path toward Fort. I planned on doing some repeats around Raven Oaks, then calling it quits because I'm doing the Bike Masters Wednesday night.

I overdid it.

I did Raven Oaks, hit that big monster hill, then went back up the "scenic route," which is almost as hard. Screaming descent though, and much more fun than the white-knuckle descent down the bigger hill. I thought about going home after a few more climbs. I decided not to, and instead headed off to do Hummel Park a few times. I did two trips up each side - but after I took the summit the last time at a blistering 9 mph pace, I didn't want to do that anymore. So I lit out yonder to Fort Calhoun.

While I enjoyed the tailwind on the way out, I didn't realize how punishing it would be on the way back. I took the Omaha Trace over to 72nd, then took 60th back to Raven Oaks and headed home. All the way back on the Trace, I averaged a heady 14/15 mph. It was miserable. On the other hand, I feel like it was a good day. I drank a lot, A LOT, and I actually ate some solid food for once. It definitely helped. On the other hand, I am wiped out. And I'm going to scout the possible Ralston crit course tomorrow morning with my dad, if anyone wants to go. Then the Wednesday night ride... my high-volume week is going well.

Let's hope it pays off the way I want it to.

I been tagged

2008-04-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

And not like that. Anyway, Bryan tagged me. I would link to him, but I am pretty much certain that everyone who reads this also reads his blog. And probably more often than this one. So I have to list seven things about me, in no particular order:

1. When I grow up, I want to be Tim de Waele. He's a cycling photographer who takes amazing shots like these. He may not be the most famous cycling photographer, but he is the best.

2. I was in Academic Decathlon in high school. It consumed my life. It was about 20 hours a week outside of school, which is more than I ever spend on a bike. But it paid off - we ended up second place nationally. I was the state champion in astronomy. I kid you not.

3. I've never had a pet. Not a real one, anyway; we've had a few fish. I'm not sure why we never had pets, but I've never felt like I'm missing anything.

4. Cycling is the only sport I have ever been remotely good at. I am terrible at basketball, I couldn't even name all the positions in football, and I am barely passable at soccer. But I can talk about cycling so much it will bore you to tears.

5. I just bought some new aero bars. It brought the total balance in my checking account to 35 dollars. That's all the money I have.

6. My favorite actor is Peter Sellers.

7. I wish I still lived in Santa Barbara.

Now you know everything there is to know about me. Exciting, isn't it? I would tag someone else with this, but I don't know anyone on blogger who isn't Bryan, so... that doesn't really work.

Now it's off to study. I have an Anthro final tomorrow and then my semester is over.

I survived. That's good enough for now.

2008-04-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have never been put into such pain on a bicycle in my life. One lap into the Old Cap crit, my lungs were seared. Two laps in, I was convinced I was going to throw up. Five laps in, my whole face went numb. And nine laps in, I got pulled.

That’s an average of about two hours of driving for each lap completed. Not quite what I expected.

Then again, nothing that weekend was what I expected. Originally, my plan was to borrow my aunt’s minivan for the weekend, do the road race and crit, and make it a nice leisurely drive home.

In the end, I couldn’t make it out for the road race because my aunt needed her car. I ended up taking my uncle’s car. It’s a Benz. An S500 AMG, to be precise. With over 400 horsepower. And it costs a hundred thousand dollars.

And he just gave me the keys and told me to be careful.

So I threw my bike in the back and hit the road at 7:30. Google Maps says the drive from Lincoln Park in Chicago to Erik’s house should be four and a half hours. I hopped in the car, got on the 88 Tollway, and set the cruise control at 90. I didn’t slow down until I got to the Quad Cities, and that was just for gas. I rolled up at 11, well before my predicted arrival time. It was awesome.

What was not awesome was the crit the next day. I was completely not prepared for the difficulty of the course or the fitness of the other riders. The intensity of that race from the gun was like a punch in the face. I just kept getting dropped by one guy after another. It wasn’t just physically painful, it fucked with my mind as well.

I was under the impression that the line up at the start was based on registration order. Apparently, Bryan and I were totally wrong here. Everyone lined up as they pleased. Bryan and I lined up in the second row on the right side. What we should have done was elbow our way over to the front row on the left side, because realistically, that race was over in 30 seconds. Once that front group got away, they stayed away. On the very first downhill bit, Kevin Murray from Team FIRE went down and I just about ran over his head. I was overly cautious going through that corner every time after that, because I’ll be damned if I’m going to repeat last summer and bust my arm early in the season. But my start wasn’t the problem.

I have a pretty good cold going on, and it definitely affected me more than I thought it would. My chest is all congested and I have a cough, so it was pretty hard to draw air after a few laps. But that wasn’t the problem either.

The problem is, I’m fat as hell, and totally out of shape. There are a few reasons for this. One, it’s been a really hard semester. A lot more work than I thought it would be, and less sleep than ever before. And secondofly, there are no hills in Chicago. Wind? Tons of it. Bring it on. Tough, cracked roads? I am now an expert. But hills? There are no hills in this state. You have to go to Wisconsin to find some of those, and they aren’t even very good.

Most importantly, though, I’m just pretty lazy. I don’t ride enough, and I don’t make enough time for it. I don’t get on the trainer because I hate it, but if I want to school Bryan like I could last year, I’ve got to get on it. In the 5s, I could do what I did last year and not even own a bike until April, then train for a while and win a bunch of races. I learned in this, my first 4s race, that this new category is a whole different animal. I’ve got to get my ass in gear. Otherwise Bryan will get too cocky.

He should be cocky, though, because he did a great job this weekend. Racing smart to a 5^th place (in the money!) finish in the RR, then hanging in the second group to 10^th in the 4s and 14^th overall in the combined race. I figure pretty much no one who reads this has not raced it, so you guys know how bitchingly hard that course is.

And my new friend Syd made the women’s race her bitch. It was ridiculous. She kept smiling. Smiling. For a point of reference here, I grimaced from the starting gun until I got pulled, my face a mask of agony. Then I almost threw up. Smiling. Jesus.

Many thanks to everyone who helped me survive this race, including Bryan’s friends Erik and Natalie, who let me sleep in their beautiful home, even though they didn’t even know me. And to Bryan, for making sure Kaos still had a strong showing in Iowa in spite of me. Also for finding me a place to stay, and for being a good sport when I browbeat him into signing up for the road race…and then when I didn’t show up. Thanks to Pav for making a sweet 3s race and completely dominating the aggressive rider category. And talking to me. I didn’t even know Pav liked me until Sunday.

And for all of you, for actually reading this godawful post. You deserve some sort of medal. Though I won’t be giving you one.

I am exhausted.

2008-04-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

I've been up since 8:15am on Tuesday and I haven't slept at all. It is a miracle that I still somehow functioning. Though I did just sleepwalk through my investigative piece that's due today. We were supposed to work on it this whole semester. I did mine in two days.

This paper is not very good. Not only that, it's pretty bad. And this is the only time I have ever turned in a paper of which I am embarrassed. It's probably a C+ paper and I know it.

Thankfully I've already written of the grade I'm getting in this class. The rest are As, so I'll be okay with a B(-) in there.

I'm getting intensely excited for this race. Unbelievably excited. Every time I think about it or I watch something cycling-related on the computer, my heart rate skyrockets. That could be the 36mg of Concerta coursing through my veins, but I don't think so. It's just pure, unadulterated adrenaline.

Too bad I'm slow. But I'm not going to let that get in my way. I'm going to kick as much ass as I can this weekend and see what happens.

Oh, and if I somehow feel great and ride well, I think I might do Joe Martin. Just thinking about it right now.

Big day today.

2008-04-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

I did 83 miles with these guys this morning. It was almost five hours. It was with their 3s, who just got back from a weeklong training camp in Asheville, North Carolina. They were all in pretty good shape, to say the least. We rode far enough north that we rode HILLS. I didn't even know Illinois had hills. I had just finished a pretty long pull on the front when we hit the rollers, so I was caught completely unprepared. It was ugly.

Also present was Rebecca Much, a pro for Webcor. She's a former junior national champion in BOTH road and TT, and she finished second at junior worlds. She's really fast. Really, really fast. She toyed with me all day. Every time I attacked, and even when I countered off one of her attacks, I would look back and there she was, smiling away. She's also the 2005 National U23 crit champion, she she can sprint forever. In short, it was a very, very painful day in the saddle today.

On form

2008-04-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, not really on form.

I was out for a ride on the lakeshore path today. It was a windy day, so I traded pulls with a few guys. First was some dude on a Kestrel Talon. Had to be about 45, and I think we traded pulls three times. Then I was up front for a little while, I looked back, and all I could see was a tiny dot behind me. Whoops.

Later, I met up with a guy on a custom steel Serotta. He was like Dan Schult plus 60 lbs - strong rider at a set pace, but if I accelerated at all, he was gone. I did the same thing I did to the other guy and accidentally took off.

The events of today showed me that if I were to somehow obtain a fake ID that stated my age as 47 and entered a Masters race open exclusively to dentists, I would kick ass.

Unfortunately, one of the MetLife pros blasted by me a few minutes later as proved to me that no, I am definitely not on form.

2008-04-18T08:57:00.001-07:00

Bryan - more Road Tubeless!

I want to race!

2008-04-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Badly. And right now.

I want less of this...

And more of this:

But hopefully not much of this:

So I want to go to Iowa City. Probably a foolhardy move, considering finals week starts that Monday. But still! I'll bring a textbook or something. I'm itching to race. Though there probably won't be much of this going on:

But that's okay.

Ugh

2008-03-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Doing the TrainRight TT session on the trainer in about an hour. Not looking forward to it. I guess it is a necessary evil.

On the other hand, my single speed is finished. It's a total pile, but it only cost me 175 bucks. WITH new wheels. It's cobbled together out of old bike shop parts, right down to the bar tape (it's black on one side and red on the other). Pictures to follow at some point. Maybe.

VeloNews sucks

2008-03-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

Remember just a few days ago when I posted that Competitive Cyclist thing about the 2009 Dura-Ace group? It was taken down pretty quickly, but I hope a few of you saw it. The biggest change with '09 DA is rerouting the shift cables under the bar tape, plus a new lever design. This revelation came as a surprise to precisely no one, as people had been talking about it for months.

Except VeloNews. They apparently just figured it out right here. What the hell do those guys do all day?

I might have Hepatitis

2008-03-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

From this place.

This, of course, is the Subway in Wahoo. Jon and I went there today on the way back from the training crit and I had to take a picture. I thought the shitty van with the ghetto open door definitely added to the photo. Incidentally, that van is worth a few hundred bucks tops, but has thousands and thousands of dollars in bike equipment inside it.

Anyway, I was standing outside the Subway taking a picture. I've eaten at my fair share of Subways, but this was the only one I had ever been to that was made out of rotting plywood. Jon walked in and the two employees were staring at me slack-jawed (which I think was an unrelated condition). Jon told them that no, this wasn't the first Subway I had eaten at; in fact, this was my 1500th Subway. I never eat at the same one, and I take a picture of each one. I'm sure this ridiculous story just made them think I was even crazier, but it was hilarious.

The crit was not so good. I finished 11th out of 12, and that 12th guy dropped out really early in the race, so for all intents and purposes, I was last. I got dropped on the second to last lap and the gap just kept growing in the wind until I quit trying to close it. All things considered, though, I think it was good. I was competitive for almost the entire race even though I have done zero training this winter. Once I get some good miles in my legs, I'm sure I will be able to race well in the 4s.

Almost crashed. It was really, really close, and the resulting nerves didn't help me when I was trying to stay on the pace. Joe Savoie and I touched wheels and I almost went down, but my first thought was "God, I can't crash Munson's bike." It looked like this. But, you know, not quite as bad ass. That's Contador when he still rode for Liberty Seguros. And when that team still existed.

Oh, and Ian Grey soloed off the front for the win in the 1/2 race, in a move that surprised no one. And he rode to the race from his house in Lincoln.

I need a mustache

2008-03-17T23:06:00.001-07:00

Like this one.

Or this one.

That's Dave Z on top and Steven Cozza on the bottom. Slipstream really seems to be the mustache capitol of the pro peloton. And that's why it's America's Team, man.

STOP THE PRESSES: Competitive Cyclist, a website I have mentioned countless times on this page, just now sent me an email about the new 2009 Dura-Ace group, DA 7900. And it's pretty impressive.

New position!

2008-03-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah. My new position looks just like that.

But, you know, not.

I've been feeling too stretched out on my bike lately, so I stopped at Sprocket's after my ride today (more on that later) and had Steve look at my positioning. Turns out I had it all wrong. I am now the proud owner of a 100mm stem instead of my old 110 and I moved my saddle up about a centimeter. Oh, and I moved my seat up a tiny bit. I only rode about two miles on it, but I feel a lot more comfortable, especially in the drops. I used to feel pretty bunched up, but now I'm a lot better. Hopefully power transfer will be better, too.

About the ride today - It was COLD. Really, really cold. And windier than hell. I knew I was riding with a good wind on the way down because I exhausted my 12t cassette no problem on an interval, but I was completely unprepared for what I encountered on the way back up. It was an unrelenting gale of bitter cold. Eventually, I decided to cut my losses and take inland streets back up north. It was like a 45-minute set of intervals. It was waaay more fun than gritting my teeth and putting up with the wind.

Taking tomorrow off from riding on account of my predicted major hangover. Look for more on Monday afternoon, when I might be able to function again. I love Chicago.

Look what I found!

2008-03-07T23:16:00.001-08:00

Found this while perusing the photo section of the Joe Martin website. Most of that site blows, but the pictures from 2004 are a gold mine. Just check out this baby - Chris Spence with one bandaged arm, and yellow lenses, riding an old team Giant. And looking meaner than hell. He still looks the same, just thinner and meaner.

Ah.

2008-03-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

Before we get into today's post, kids, let's talk about those shoes. Bettini complained to Sidi that the walk to the podium was too slippery in his custom-made cleats. So they grafted on a sole from one of their motorcycle boots so he could have podium shoes. How ridiculous is that.

Great ride today. I woke up nice and early to meet Bryan, who came over because I inadvertently stole his quick release after our trainer ride. He brought Jack, who was very serious the whole time. Dour, even. Still, that kid is hilarious. And HUGE! He's a bruiser. Gonna be a sprinter or a crit specialist once that new helmet comes in. Maybe a Classics rider.

Anyway, the ride. I don't have legwarmers since that unfortunate Southwest debacle, so I had to go out in kneewarmers and just coat my shins with Elite warming embrocation. God that stuff is just fantastic. I don't even know how cold it was outside, but I do know I had a base layer, a jersey, and a PI jacket on my top half, with two pairs of gloves. Then I had exposed shins, and they were perfectly warm. Good stuff.

Two weird things happened on this ride. One, I was hassled my a jerkoff in a big truck. Now this, in itself, is far from unusual. In fact, I would be amazed if it didn't happen on a two hour solo ride. What sets this encounter apart is the fact that after this guy leaned out his window and yelled "Pussy!" at me (which was strange, seeing as he was riding along in a truck and I was out climbing a godawful hill with exposed skin), he drove past and I saw the stickers on the back of the truck. The rear window was dominated my a huge cross, with illustrated beams on light emanating from it. Then there was the "What Would Jesus Do?" bumper sticker.

So there you have it, kids. Apparently Jesus hates cyclists.

The other weird thing that happened - on the way home, I was catcalled by what I could only call a gaggle of high school girls. They drove up beside me in their little Chevy Malibu and said all sorts of obscene things. I felt a little violated, but mostly confused. Here I am, sweaty, dirty, and looking like hell, wearing crappy shorts that sag in the back like a diaper, and they catcalled me. It was weird, man.

I need to post something, I guess

2008-03-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I do have to bump Sheldon from the top of the page. It's getting a little weird, with that crazy eagle staring at me all the time.

Great ride on Saturday. Headed out to balmy temps from Munson's place, got in a good couple hours, got my ass kicked my everyone out there, and was thoroughly motivated by the end of the ride. At least I was in better form than that dude in the jeans. But just barely. God, that guy's business must have been on fire.

And now that it's cold again in Nebraska, you might be needing one of these, Bryan.

We'll miss you, Sheldon

2008-02-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

Sheldon Brown died on Sunday of a heart attack. He was 63. He will be missed by all those in the cycling community who turned to him with questions about all things bike-related, from rebuilding English three-speeds to lacing up a strong commuter wheel. A memorial page with a guestbook can be found here.

Snowboarding!

2008-02-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Went snowboarding yesterday. I love snowboarding, which is actually a little uncharacteristic - I don't usually like things I'm not good at. Or things I often fall down doing.

In spite of that, I went shredding, buttered some rails, sportin' my gogs for extra steeze. I don't really understand what most of that means. Pretty much all I did was hit some sketchy tricks off a few good sized jumps. Fell on my ass a lot. I'm covered in bruises, including one on my ass that made the ride home a little uncomfortable.

No riding bikes lately. It's been really sloppy in Chicago lately, and I don't feel like getting soaked and freezing cold one block after I get out there.

I love riding outside, but...

2008-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

But I hate cleaning salt and sand off the bike afterwards. It was 45 in Chicago today, and it started raining about 5 minutes after I got out there. I rode down the lakefront until I saw lightning, then hauled ass home. There were 40mph wind gusts from the south, so it was slow going on the way down. There's really nothing like giving it your all in a sprint and not quite hitting 20mph. On the other hand, there's no feeling like easily exhausting a 10speed cassette on the way back, either. Average speed just shy of 30 on the way back.

And Now I have a few hours of cleaning in front of me. If you'll excuse me.

I can't wait 'til it's warm again

2008-01-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

From WGN Chicago:
... Wind Chill Advisory Wednesday night and Thursday morning... The wind will be 12 to 18 mph which will give wind chills of 15 to
24 below zero by sunrise.

This cold snap is getting tiresome. I can't ride, but that's no surprise this time of year. The real problem is that I have to put on five layers just to walk to class, then take 'em all off once I get to my classroom. It's getting old. Can't we just have some of the 40 degree weekends Bryan keeps talking about?

Addendum

2008-01-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

With our minus 20 windchill, I'm staying inside for the day and just reading cycling news before I get on the trainer in a few hours. So I found this gem on slowtwitch.com: it's an interview with Dave Zabriskie in which he talks about riding for Slipstream, then lies about how little he trains. There is no way in hell that man rides only 15 to 20 hours a week and rides as fast as he does. I mean, I know he became one of the best TT guys in the world without ever having set foot in a wind tunnel, but I wouldn't even be successful in the 4s if I trained that little. I'm getting a little off topic here. Here's my favorite portion of the interview:

SlowTwitch: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Dave: I see myself as the most powerful man in the chamois cream business.

This dude is so weird, and totally crazy. But I love him.

It's COOOLD

2008-01-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

At the time of this writing, it is 4 degrees outside. It's going to be nine degrees below zero tonight. And the heat just went out in my apartment. So in case I freeze to death (even though I'm wearing two pairs of sweatpants, a track jacket, and two sweaters), it's my landlord's fault. Got it? Good.

No new shoes.

2008-01-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

Fuck.

I am a terrible blogger.

2008-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

Really, I never update this thing. Sorry guys. I'm pretty sure only three or maybe four people read this thing anyway.

Very successful trip to Santa Barbara. The last time I was there I was recently post-op, so I couldn't bring my bike. Or swim. And since there was a fire near SB, the fire department had to give special instructions on evacuations to the disabled...including me. Which was great. But this time, I was on pretty good shape, I had the new Tarmac, and I had just installed the new Dura-Ace shift levers and Phil Wood bottom bracket. I rode about 3 hours a day and even did La Cumbre Peak. It's 4,000 feet up and you start at the beach. I don't have a Garmin or anything, but someone who does said you climb about 5,000 feet in total if you start from the beach. In 12 miles. It's awesome. At the steepest pitch (about a 15% for something like half a mile, and at the TOP), I was in my easiest gear with a cadence of 64. It was fun.

Since then, I've only ridden about 5 miles. So I wasted all that fitness. Oh well. Riding with Bryan tomorrow, so hopefully I'll do better on that ride than on previous ones. Bryan and/or Munson have dragged me back home a few times lately.

Michael Ball...

2007-12-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

...seems like such an asshole.

He did an interview with VeloNews and comes off like an incredibly egotistical jerk. I'm sure it's a pretty accurate portrait of the man, I've heard nothing but bad things about him. He's put together a pretty impressive team, though, so you've got to give him some credit for that. And he makes some great pants - I'm wearing some right now. The team will be at Joe Martin, which I definitely want to race or at least watch. I want to grab some of that totally badass kit.

In other news, I've been off the bike for three full weeks now. Not a good sign. I've had finals to work on, so that's been a blast. On the other hand, I've done so well this semester they are renaming the Dean's List and instead calling it Sean's List. I hope this education is worth my riding suffering...

Good news!

2007-12-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

Went down to my local bike shop today and guess what? They gave me some new shoes. For free. And not even shitty shoes - they're Specialized BG Comps from two years ago. So they don't have a ratchet on them, just two Velcro straps. And they're half a size too big (46, I wear a 45.5). But it's winter riding anyway, so it's not a big deal, and I'm getting new Shimano shoes in a few months. Gave me some SPD-SL cleats that were returned, too, so I paid a total of 30 bucks for shoes, cleats, and some CO2. I love those guys.

Oh, and I got the new Ionos for 40 bucks off. Still prohibitively expensive, but a little better. It's the most comfortable thing I've ever worn. I'll put up some pictures at some point, but right now I have a 12 page opinion to write for con law. It's about the statutory interpretation issues in Logan v. US. Look it up, you'll love it. It's a good light read.

More bad news for the Kennedys

2007-11-30T09:08:00.000-08:00

"Nothing bad ever happens to the Kennedys!" -Clone High

God I wish that was true. However, with the unfortunate events of the last week, I'm beginning to think that maybe I am one of those Kennedys.

First off, I lost my debit card Wednesday. Which is a mild inconvenience, but is a little embarrassing when it happens while you are on a date. Not cool.

Then Southwest called me this morning to tell me my bag is officially lost and I have to go about the process of filling out a claim form and replacing everything I lost. Peachy.

About 20 minutes later, my dad calls and tells me that a runaway vehicle totaled my sister's car. Seriously. Some girl on our street forgot to put her car in park, it rolled down the street, and... full frontal collision with my sister's 1992 Toyota Camry. The radiator is smashed and the hood is crumpled. What are the chances of that, really?

Good lord. What a month. After today, I only have one week of classes left before finals. At this rate, my apartment is going to burn down next week and I will be hit by a bus sometime in the next few days.

Good news and bad news.

2007-11-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

But mostly bad.

Southwest called today and said they will only look for my bag until Friday. So if they don't find it in the next two days, I am out all my cycling kit and most of my good clothes. Plus all my textbooks and notes, the week before finals.

On the plus side, it turns out the airline's liability limit is THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. And if they really do lose my bag, I'm collecting every cent of that.

I have terrible luck.

2007-11-26T22:13:00.001-08:00

Just awful.

I got on the plane back to Chicago yesterday after a great Thanksgiving break. It was a lot of fun, I saw a lot of people and even got in a chilly ride with Mike and Bryan. Got on the plane, lines weren't too long, I was towards the front of the Southwest line. . . things were looking good. Got a window seat, took a nice long nap on the plane. Good times.

Got off the plane at Midway, went to baggage claim, and waited. And waited. And waited. The bag never showed. Which is just fantastic.

So now I am missing a few pairs or jeans (all but one actually, this pair I am wearing now and will be wearing until I get my bag back), all my favorite shirts, and my peacoat. Plus a ton of cycling gear - including my shoes, which means I can't ride at all, inside or on the trainer. And every piece of warm gear I have. Plus my team kit. Phone charger is in there too, so I have to conserve battery for the next few days. And my copy of the third season of Veronica Mars, which means no ogling Kristen Bell.

But most importantly, I am missing all my textbooks. And my notebooks. And all the cases for my Con Law project. This wouldn't be such a big deal but for the fact that finals are coming up and I have a shit ton of stuff to do. A SHIT TON. If, god forbid, this bag does not show up in time and my grade suffers because I have none of my study materials, I am going to bitchslap Southwest with a lawsuit. I'm not sure how I will sue because I got a B rather than an A or I missed the Dean's List, but I will find a way. And then I will retire on the money. This seems like a perfect solution to me.

In all seriousness, though, I am going to hit someone at Southwest if I don't get that bag tomorrow. I'll get on the train, I'll ride it for an hour and a half down to Midway, I will walk up to the Southwest counter, and I will slap the living hell out of someone at the desk. And then I will go home.

Holy crap.

2007-11-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

New Shimano Dura-Ace Carbon crankset. It's mighty pretty.

Here's a conversation I never thought I would be having...

2007-11-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

Me: "Hi, you own that dog I've been seeing around here, right?
My Upstairs neighbor: "Yeah."
Me: "Well, it shit on the landing in front of my door. I want it cleaned up within five minutes. Bye."

God I hate them.

I'm really busy nowadays. I don't like it. I'm out doing interviews all over the city every other day. I'm editing terribly-written copy all the time. And in spite of all that, I don't get to shoot much at all. It's disappointing, but I know it will be better in six weeks, when I'm done with all these classes and free for a month.

In other news, very little riding lately. I've been busy, it's been cold, and the winds average about 20 mph off the lake these days. I'm hoping to get out there a little more next week, but I don't know. We'll see.

It's windy.

2007-10-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

I got out on the path today and almost got knocked over by the wind. Seriously. The waves on the lake were big enough to surf. I got about 3 miles and decided riding was a bad idea, and it took me literally twice as long to get back as it did to get out. There's nothing like the feeling of pushing as hard as you can against the wind and only going 15 mph.

It's cold.

2007-10-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

It was like 70 yesterday, and then I wake up to a frost advisory this morning. Awesome.

I turned in my last midterm today, which means I have more time to ride and I won't be pulling two all nighters a week anymore. On the plus side, the lowest grade I've gotten in any class this semester is a 93. I own the fucking Dean's List.

I ran into a guy on the bike path today who told me he was a big Stuart O'Grady fan. Such a fan that he bought a Dura-Ace equipped Cervelo Soloist Carbon rolling on some Zipp 404 tubulars. And a full CSC kit to match. And when I say full kit, I mean full kit: not just jersey and bibs, but a hat, socks, Bell helmet, gloves, arm and leg warmers, and even shoe covers. He's Australian, so he decided to take advantage of the weak American dollar and buy a ton of stuff. God it was awesome.

Oh, and he looked exactly like Robbie McEwan.

It is DISGUSTING outside.

2007-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

And now my bike is too. Which is too bad, because I just had it tuned up and cleaned last weekend. Looks like I'll be getting out the Simple Green tonight.

And my kit is encrusted with grime and dirt. I have a dirty roostertail all the way up my back and onto my helmet. I have so many wet and dirty clothes that I actually don't have enough places to hang them in the room so they can dry. I guess it serves me right for insisting on riding even though it was 50 degrees and raining. The group I was going to ride with bailed on me because of the rain, but I was too restless - I've been off the bike for a few days because of midterms and papers, so I wanted to get out for a few hours no matter what.

I'm going to go take an extremely hot shower.

PS. This is the first picture posted from the new 10.1 megapixel camera. See how crazy sharp it is? Click on that and look at the big version, it's AWESOME. Sorry, I'm really excited about this.

FUN FACT: I am fiscally irresponsible

2007-10-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's not every day my dad and I go out and spend a grand on a whim.

But we did yesterday. I got a new camera.

We had actually been considering it for a long time, because I need a new SLR for school and stuff. My old Pentax, the *istDS, is getting, well, old. And the new K10D is an effing beast. It's about twice as fast as the old camera, has built in vibration dampening, and has an extra four megapixels. I could not be more excited about this thing.

Oh! and I might be a photo intern for the Sun-Times next semester. Which is pretty cool. Still looking for a summer internship, though, and I'm thinking about applying at the World-Herald in Omaha. Mostly because I would rather not live all alone in Chicago this summer, and I want to race in Omaha. Bryan, you know of any photo-related internships at the OWH?

The Bataan Death Ride

2007-10-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

Went on my first Shabbos ride today, though it was combined with the Bike Masters Saturday ride. Munson was kind enough to let me borrow his kickass LeMond, which rides surprisingly well for aluminum and is also super responsive. It was particularly kind of him because it meant he had to ride his commuter Bianchi, which weights a shade under a metric ton. And it's a 1x9, which must have hurt.

The first half of the ride when pretty well, considering it was the usual cast of characters for a Saturday ride: a bunch of guys who aren't really accustomed to riding in groups, some squirrely dudes with aero bars, a few guys who like to hammer off and on. For the most part, Brian, Jon, Mike and I left those guys alone. I would prefer not to break a collarbone at the hands of an inexperienced rider on aero bars again. I contested some sprints with Bryan, all of which I lost. In general, I did better in the sprints than I thought I would, so that was good news. Did a terrible job on the hills, though, and it didn't help that I haven't ridden or slept enough in the last 10 days because of midterms. Bryan did a great job getting me up through the pack in the sprint around the lake, but I just didn't have it in the end.

Got dropped going with the wind back from Two Rivers, when I just didn't have anything left in the tank. Rode back on King Lake with Jon, Bryan, and Munson, just clipping along and talking. That was the best part of the ride, hands down.

But then we hit the hills and wind on the way back, and it blew. Hard. I had no energy, no drive, and I lost all my motivation to do well after I started to crack. It was as much a psychological battle as a physical one on the way back, and I lost both.

It was a tough ride, but I'm glad I did it. Really glad.

I didn't ride a single mile this week.

2007-10-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Not a one. Which is disappointing, even though I know I spent my time doing more important things, like passing my midterms.

The worst part is that I don't miss it as much as I used to. In Omaha, if I couldn't ride for more than two days it produced almost physical pain. But here in Chicago, I'm getting bored of the bike path already. It's the same thing day after day - perfectly flat course that would be perfect for doing some intervals if it weren't so crowded. I'm always dodging rollerbladers and some jerkoff on a Huffy wearing sandals inevitably tries to hang on my wheel. Or worse, a messenger races me. I'm also a little disillusioned with the path after some guy got into a fight with me because I was too close to his rear wheel after he cut me off in a crowded slow zone going 20 mph. He rode right on my wheel, insulting me the whole way, trying to make fun of my Italian national team jersey (he said, quote, "Look at you in your guinea national jersey. I bet you don't even speak any Italian." Which is, 1. not true, I do speak a good bit of Italian, and 2. completely nonsensical. What does that have to do with anything? Also, he was riding a Bianchi and didn't speak any Italian, so according to his criteria, he is more in the wrong than I). He told me I was fat, I told him he was an aging, washed-up, chest-thumping alpha male who should take solace in the fact that he can still pass the soccer moms cruising down the Chicago bike path on 26" tires. I've never been so close to actually getting into a fight in my life.

The worst part about that incident was that it really diminished the bike path for me. I have had a thousand great experiences out there, but this guy wiped them all out in two minutes. The shine is off the apple for me. Hopefully I'll get in a few good rides this weekend in Omaha (I get in Friday and leave Tuesday, I'm looking for a bike if you've got one you're not using for the weekend) and it will rekindle my love for the sport.

In the meantime, I'll have to console myself by hitting the path here in Chicago and looking for that Bianchi guy so I can shove a stick in his spokes.

So how 'bout that Tour of America?

2007-09-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I want to see a grand tour in America as much as the next guy, but this doesn't seem like a good idea. First off, how do they think they're going to raise $30 million to pay for it? The Tour of Georgia almost didn't happen this year because they couldn't secure funding, and that's an established race that consistently draws a great deal of top-end talent. Second, some of those stages are so long you'd have to time them with a calendar. Third, if someone, anyone wanted to compete in that race, they would have to skip both the Vuelta and the world championships.

I'm going to go out on a limb and postulate that this race will not get off the ground. Let's the stick with the Tours of California, Georgia, and Missouri.

White is the new black, addendum

2007-09-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Cervelo unveiled its new R3 today at Interbike, and guess what color it is? White. Pure, unadulterated white. It is resplendent.

I want to get a bike that's all white. Vredestein recently released a white version of the Fortezza Tri-comp I love so dearly, and I could get some Velocity rims to match. FSA has made finding a white bar and stem easy, so that's no problem. And I've already got a white saddle. Lord knows where I'd find a white crankset, though.

It'd be hard work, but it'd be worth it. Just imagine showing up to a groups ride with a completely white bike, and a fully white kit to match. If I rode in a snowstorm, I would disappear. SWEET.

White is the new black.

2007-09-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

That's right. Check out this new stuff from FSA. If there's one thing that screams pro, it's gleaming white handlebars.

Seriously, how cool are these?

Rock Racing

2007-09-24T09:15:00.001-07:00

I had heard of the guys at Rock Racing, sponsored by high-end jeans label Rock and Republic and their philandering CEO (but he's a huge cycling fan, so he can't be all bad) from Lando and Ian after Joe Martin - it's a team made up of the biggest badasses in the domestic US arena. Since they are sponsored by a flashy clothing company, they have new kits for almost every race: on St. Patrick's Day, they were green; on Valentine's Day, red; you get the idea. And since they want to bolster this totally awesome image, they have the coolest team car around. Whereas Toyota-United rides around in a Prius, the dudes from Rock Racing drive an Escalade.

And not just any Escalade. A pimped-out Escalade.

Last year, they weren't such a big deal - a team of crit specialists who race pretty well but are not a very good stage race team. But now their new director is Frankie Andreu, so they'll probably be a much bigger deal this year. I'm excited, these guys seem really cool.

Three hours in the saddle today.

2007-09-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

And what a glorious three hours it was. Well, I did make the mistake of eating a large burrito about an hour before hitting the path, so I felt like I was about three watts of output away from ralphing for the whole ride. Other than that, it was awesome. Three hours might not seem like much, but I've only done about half a dozen rides, so it's a big deal that I can now easily spend a couple hours in the saddle riding hard.

And I didn't realize how much I missed the familiar tingle of chamois cream.

I love early morning rides.

2007-09-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

So here I am, just before 11:30 at night, planning on getting up at 7 to do a few hours on the bike before I go to class. I might be an idiot, but I'm an idiot who gets to enjoy a few hours of the lakefront without those damn rollerbladers.

I love the lake in the morning.

A (partial) season in review.

2007-09-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to go ahead and borrow a brilliant idea from Bryan and recap my season in pictures. Specifically, pictures blatantly stolen from Dan Farnham and the Elkhorn Valley Cycling Club website. Here goes:

The season started off very well with the NE state time trial championships. Matt Landen and Marco talked me into racing it the night before, in spite of the fact that I had never actually ridden a time trial, nor did I have TT bars. But there I was, standing in a chilly parking lot in Norfolk, Nebraska, bolting on Lando's Profile T2+ bars about 20 minutes before the start, and borrowing a kit from Spence because I didn't have one. I was so nervous/excited waiting for the start that I could barely get my feet in the pedals, which was a little embarrassing. But I ended up doing well and looking good doing it:

I didn't do too shabby, finishing the 40k TT in 1:10 or something.
It was enough to put me in second, behind this guy, Dr. Dan Shuldt:

His bike cost about 3 times what mine did, so I don't mind losing to him so much.

Next up: Beatrice, for the Monumental Memorial Cycling Weekend. It sure was monumental for me, but for the wrong reasons. Started out well, but hooked bars with some dude going up the hill on lap 2 and ended up thrown into the ditch at the side of the road. One destroyed right shifter and one torn quadricep later, I was driving home with a few ice packs on the thigh. A before and after shot:

Before

After

So I took a week off before getting back on the bike at the Norfolk Classic Omnium. This one ended a little better: I got third in the TT, behind Bryan and wonderkid Jerry Smith from Brookings. Took first in the sprint finish in the road race, ahead of Jerry and some old Masters guy in our break. Bryan watched my ass in the crit and led me out beautifully so I could outsprint Jerry once more, and I took the overall in the 5s. My first taste of victory, and I was addicted.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be tasting a lot more of that anytime soon.

Took fifth in the Kansas state RR championships, which was disappointing, because that race was mine to lose. And lose it I did, rather spectacularly: I forgot my own front wheel, I didn't eat, I raced stupid - but I learned from it.

But then I crashed, and I think it looked something like this. At least I hope it did, because Marco Velo over there wiping out on the Kemmelburg looks pretty badass. Anyway, I've just gotten back on the bike now, at the time of year when everyone else is winding down. Oh well, I'll have to kick some serious ass next year. Sorry for the absurdly long post, but I think it's worth it.

Today is the best day of my life.

2007-09-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

It's free burrito day at Chipotle. So I got three.

That's like 3,000 calories, so I'm gonna have to ride a ton of miles tomorrow. But it was totally worth it.

I'm back!

2007-09-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

So I went for my first ride after crashing out on Sunday. I have never been so happy to be on a bike in my life. My arm was sore, but more than that, I just couldn't keep myself up with my right arm. It made me look pretty lopsided. Also, I can no longer steer. I used to have at least a little bit of grace on the bike, but now I look like every old schmuck out there with a POS mountain bike. Weaving a little, looking like a drunk. It's awesome.

My legs were okay. This was the first time I've gotten tired on a flat 20 miles, so that was a little sad, but I got in one 30 mph sprint and a few other good bits of speed work. My lungs are shot, though. Totally awful.

On another note, I tried out the kit with the bright white arm warmers for the first time, and I LOVE THEM. They look pretty sweet. Especially with the red gloves.

So, I'm back. And I'm not planning on crashing any time soon.

2007-09-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

So maybe it's been a while since my last post.

A lot has happened, though - moved up to Cat IV, then shattered a collarbone on a training ride. It displaced into my trapezius muscle and I had to have surgery to fix it. I haven't been on a bike since.

Moved back to Chicago for school, so I'm back in the land of shitty team rides and totally flat bike paths. I suppose that's good, because of the base mileage I have to put in and the fitness I have to regain, but still. I get bored easily.

On the other hand, I had been thinking about upgrading to nicer handlebars for a while, and when I crashed, I busted my old ones. So now I've got a sweet new FSA Wing Pro alloy bar on, which I already love. Jason at Bike Masters replaced my old sparkling white tape with some 70's throwback red-black-and-white speckled stuff. It's interesting, and it's growing on me. At first I hated it, but now I love it.

Got a new front wheel too. I crushed the old wheel so badly that the tube won't come out. I smashed the valve stem into the rim. It's pretty ugly.

I have never been so eager to get back on a bike in my entire life. It puts me in almost physical pain to see my Tarmac lounging in my room gathering dust. I should be back up soon, though - once I get into physical therapy again, I'll be out on the roads. I have to get a new helmet, too, I shattered the old Atmos. Which is too bad, becuase I got that thing for EP, and I don't know if I'll be able to get another one that cheap. Oh well. Brian and I are in the same boat here.

More later, along with some pictures, once I find out how this thing works. In the mean time, check out these gruesome shots.

Brand spankin' new blog

2007-06-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

So, as you have probably already noticed, I just got a blog. Don't get too excited, though, it will be occupied mostly by cycling stuff.

Like the details about my disappointing race this weekend. The Kansas State Road Race championships were today, and they didn't go as planned for me. I drove down with Matt Landen and Ian Gray, two bitchingly fast 2s who ride for Kaos. I left Omaha at 3:30am to get to Manhattan, KS on time, and in the course of this hectic activity, I left my front wheel in the back of my car. So I had to race with a 105/Mavic Open Pro training wheel Ian loaned me, which was really f'ing heavy.

I learned a few valuable lessons today: 1. Remember your wheels. 2. You might want to take a look at the course before you ride it so you don't go sailing blind through the corners the way I did. 3. Oh, and you might also want to check out the elevation profile so you don't get ambushed by the hills like I did. 4. You should maybe know where the finish line is, which I didn't do. 5. Don't go for a tough-ish 40 mile ride the night before the race.

So I had like 12 strikes against me going into this race, and I bonked pretty hard in the last few miles, which led to a disappointing 5th place. Which is still good, but...I should have ripped the legs off everyone in that field. Next time.

In other next, Ian and Matt finished 1-2 in their 104-mile painfest, riding over 65 of those miles on a duo breakaway. They finished about 10 minutes in front of the third place finisher, who finished about 5 minutes in front of the pack. Jesus.