Dreamed I was an Eskimo...

We got out today for a good couple few hours worth of snow riding. I think we only received mean laser eyes from a motorist once. I can't imagine how irritated he would have been had we actually impeded his progress or endangered him in some way. We couldn't have been more hated had we been having a gay pride parade in Tulsa. Flipping someone off with lobster mitts on doesn't work so well.

Hey speaking of hate, I can't believe how much of this kind of filth I hear from WORS people in our little blue island. Sad. Another blog in the trash can.

Freakin Magical

Earlier in December when it snowed for a week solid I was pretty pumped about Xmas. Rowan is the perfect age to get into it this year. By the 17th or so I was pretty much over it.

My "spirit" was rekindled however, when Rowan began asking questions to clarify the Santa story. He will be 4 in March, and he already thinks the story doesn't smell right. "Why does he come down the chimney, why doesn't he just knock on the door?" All said it did turn out to be pretty god damned magical. We sat up in bed while listening to Rowan come down the stairs on Xmas morning. He might be a born skeptic, but for now he is enchanted by the magic, or at least enchanted by the idea that he gets a bunch of cool stuff.

Speaking of cool stuff. Sheri decided that I haven't been a complete bastard this year and that I deserved a PowerTap for Xmas. She said something about loving and supporting me, and then mumbled something else about putting minutes on the Goat and no excuses. I am a big fan of numbers. Unfortunately, the day I set it up I was also stricken with an ear infection that knocked me on my ass. So I have a toy I haven't been able to play with yet. I'll be sure to post my numbers here when I have them so that everyone knows how slow I am.

Enough about stuff. I feel like my family, my racing, and my career have all come a long way in 2007. Now that I have Sheri hooked, we have a family of racers itching to take a bite out of 08. It has been good and it will only get better. I hope to see you all out there.(all 3 of you)

Slacker for Hire

I love working for a European company. These people know how to not work. After 3pm tomorrow, Bruker is CLOSED until Jan 2nd. This means I have some time to get all kinds of stuff done that I have been allowing to pile up. Here is some of that stuff, not necessarily in this order:

• Finish up a bunch of girly stuff like hanging curtains and decorating the house.


• True up 8-12 wheels that need it.


• Clean the early November mud from the Kona.


• Ship a BB back to Phil for a rebuild.


• Finish building up the Raleigh as the winter trail bike. Bleed the brakes and dig up a seat post clamp.


• Complete about 15 hours of training.


• Get both cars washed.


• Remember to call the Dish people about the 6 months free HD.


• Drink some beer.


• Install the 105 stuff that came off the cross bike on Sheri's Jamis.


• Strip the cheesy black paint from my White ind crank arms.


• Install new Hydro hose on the Kona.


• Shave the cat.


• 12 other bike maintenance related things that I can't remember.


• Accept Jesus as my lord and savior.


• Watch football.


• Play Santa.


• Drink more beer.


• Finally figure out how to setup zones on my Polar 720, and why the software is all jacked up.


• Sell some crap on Ebay.

If in late February I haven't posted anything new, it is because I bled to death attempting to shave the cat.

Climbing back up to Zero

Being sick for a month pretty much obliterated much of my planned prep work. Saturday's 3hour snow ride and an hour in the trainer last night have me feeling ready to move on since I was able to complete both rides without extended coughing fits. This leaves me with not quite 3 weeks of prep time before Base to attempt 3 different peak periods through the WORS series. Following a Friel type plan last year was working out great for me until injuries kind of derailed my season. Reality of course says that ANY riding, with or without structure would have helped me last year, but I was really doing it to accustom myself to a plan. 2008 however, won't show me the huge % increase that 2007 did without sticking to a plan. So far 08 is looking like this:

Can't see it? Well, that's a shame. Whatever. I believe that over extension provides some heuristic function. I also enjoy plastering colorful things to look at around my work place. The great thing about using Excel for your training plan is that it looks like you are working. Want to geek out on your training? Read the book, and check here for the spreadsheet.

Face Forward

I woke up this morning and felt like this:I still have some residual crap in my system, but I can get back on the bike now and start breaking it down for 08'. It wasn't quite the transition period I had planned, but I can say that having a plan to deviate from is a step up from having no plan at all. So for prep it is back to weights and stuff. When I say stuff I mean I actually read one of the Carmichael workouts in the B mag that I liked. The one hour weight loss workout is just what I was looking for to add some intensity to prep and base while also being stationary trainer friendly. I have a goal race weight of around 138-142. If my mitochondria are multiplying supermen by base, I should be able to get there.

Hibernation

It is cute that family members are concerned that my readership(HA!) may drop off if I don't update. It isn't easy to get excited about posting when you have nothing to say but how sick you have been and how fat and slow you feel. This is supposed to be my foundation, and I am wasting it waiting for my lungs to cease spewing forth. It used to be that I could sit, glance down and see my legs involuntarily twitch. Now I look down to see only my feet kicking up the blanket to cover my scooby pants. So I am still 15lbs over race weight, I can't ride since I have below the neck symptoms, but I kind of have a cool new job at work. I am only hoping that December isn't completely wasted.

Nice trails and Viking Cross

November has been slow so far, but not as slow as I have been. I hit blue mound with the Kona the last two weekends and I think it is dialed finally. Big nasty Rampages front and back plus the rigid carbon goodness. All I plan on touching on the bike through next season is the pressure and the ratio. Hit up the Viking Cross race in Stoughton today. They had what they called the Wisconsin single speed cyclocross championship. 14 of us showed up and I rolled in at 9th. I didn't really warm up and popped again but the 38x16 sure felt nice. I still need to learn something about pacing for these CX races. The course was the cats arse. Lots of fast cornering with the rear always threatening to break loose. The new purple and orange Chainsmoker colors felt pretty fast, but again, I have no late season speed to lay down anymore. Afterward we hit up the Scandinavian burritos and drank some nasty sweet beer. I know it is just plain un-American to complain about free beer, but dude, it tasted like fruit.

Scooby Doo!

I think he might be more of a scrappy.

There is singletrack around here somewhere.

I got to spend quite a bit of time in the woods on my bike all alone this weekend. Even though the trails at Blue Mound were almost completely obscured by fallen leaves, it was one of my favorite sessions this year. It's easy to take sweet trail conditions for granted in July, but these days every moment spent in the woods carving turns feels like it could be the last for a while; making them that much sweeter. While it was so fun and fast I caught myself drooling at times, I couldn't help but to think that I should have been jumping over coffins in a diaper. Seemed like a no-brainer to me.

Bill and Ted's Most Excellent Adventure

Not being completely absorbed by all things bike, I've been thinking about other things that have me looking forward to next year. I think about next year's presidential election like an 8 year old thinks about Christmas(oh sorry, the holidays). When I think about it I'm taken over by a wave of 90's nostalgia. The times when the pants were obnoxiously baggy, pop music was quirky and cute in a slovenly way, naughty presidents only got themselves in trouble, and "liberal" wasn't a dirty word.

If the 90's had a baseball card it would be easy to put up ol' Bill as the face of the decade, but as Prez his actions were too guarded(in public anyway) to be as adorable as he is capable of. My pick would have to be Ted Turner.

"Men should be barred from public office for 100 years in every part of the world...The men have had millions of years where we've been running things. We've screwed it up hopelessly. Let's give it to the women"

Ted was a good old fashioned liberal kicker of asses. He is the grampa I would love to have. "Grampa, tell me about how North Korea is a good country because they all ride bikes." Mainstream media has been nutless since he lost control of CNN and allowed Murdoch to set the tone. Just to get a taste again, I feel like wading through all the FIBs just to get myself a Bison steak.

Gettin' Huge

Weight training routine began tonight. Anatomical adaptation. The last time I had thrown plates around I was 25lbs heavier. I felt tonight like I needed some kind of marker identifying me as a bike racer so I didn't get picked on by the chicken legged big guys. I was tip toeing daintily across the gym with my 10lb plate. I imagined for a second that it would be funny to run around the gym, slapping all the huge guys upside the head and having them chase me around. A big line of them following me across the street and then up and down the aisles of the Copps. Benny Hill jams kicking as they careened into displays of soup cans and smacked into each other with their weight belts still on. Can't catch us skinny guys.

Is it really this easy?

While at work today I was really kind of burned out on playing on the internets and eating exotic salads across the street, so I decided to do some work. I worked almost all day. At the end of the day I was given a 10% raise. I'm really gonna have a hard time finding 10% less to do. Maybe I'll write a book at work.

And I'm not even Catholic

I'm fostering a terrible sense of guilt for not racing Gibbs lake cross yesterday. What has happened to me? As punishment they gave my belt buckle to the Goat. Really though, I was out to try the Masters 30+ race in the afternoon. Longer race and all the fast people would be there. By the time I had the parts together to have the bike ready it was too late to get there in time. That's what happens when old people such as myself try to stay up until the wee hours for an entire weekend. So rather than race we had another long family ride around Madison while Rowan napped in the trailer. It was too nice out for cross anyway, we should have plenty of miserable days coming for that. The cross bike(and my legs) be twitchin' for action.

Now that the WORS season is over and the banquet wrapped up I'm retiring the WORS kit. If I were young and single I would probably continue on with the WORS posse, but with a full family of racers now and lots to do it would be a recipe for burnout. After speaking with Pete and Bill Saturday night, I think next year we will be a family of Chainsmokers. They have their sights on being more a force to be reckoned with in the team competitions, and I would love to help. Hopefully that orange and blue kit will be 10 minutes faster.

Anchors Aweigh

"I got a letter from the government, the other day. I opened and read it, it said they was suckas.."The last time I had heard from the Navy was about a year ago. Some hardly pubescent recruiter called me to see if I was interested in coming back as a reservist. I think I had already been promoted to E-5 by the time this kid found out that girls were cool. I wasn't nice to him. I reminded him that I had already given them my 20's and now they could go fool someone else. Yesterday I received an e-mail from a Navy recruiter at my work address. I don't know how they found that address but it kind of pisses me off. Sounds like they have bled our nation's poor dry and are now going after middle class folks that have already done their time. Paying for it isn't enough, now they want our blood to pad the pockets of the already super-rich and properly connected. Call me a hippy, but when I hear hooves I think horses.

Change of Plans

I didn't do too bad this year considering that it's my first full season of racing as a non-smoker that isn't doing his best to destroy himself anymore. I have considered my rate of improvement and where I think my natural skills are, and decided that if I do the work that needs to be done I might be competitive with WORS top 20 elite next year. Here are the two big ones for this winter:

1. Weight training and running during transition and prep. I need to address my anterior pelvic tilt and other muscular imbalance issues in the weight room to free up some untapped power. I think the running is important as cross training, especially during transition.(plus it can't hurt for cross)
   
2. When base miles start in early Jan(tentative), I need to suck it up buttercup whatever the weather is. Back to back hundies every third week by Feb. This isn't to say I'll back off the intensity completely, I want to keep it hot with a hard effort once a week all through trans, prep, and base.
   

I was certain that if I stuck to 75% or more of my training goals I would be where I need to be next year. In other words, if I did the work I would not suck on a bike anymore. Or at least I would suck less.

A wise man has informed me that the reason I suck on a bike is because of my stance on Global Warming. And apparently it is causing some other personality issues that I might have and ultimately be affecting my success in life. While I wasn't aware that I had an official stance on Global Warming, it's still a problem that I need to take care of. I thought that subscribing to the popular science and making corresponding changes in my life was pretty reasonable, but turns out this is just a bottomless and festering well of suck. So now I have some new goals set to help me get fast, or rather, to help me not to suck. Here they are:

1. Start a huge tire fire in the back yard and stoke it with diapers and plastic shopping bags. This is while leaving both vehicles running all night. We want to get all the CO2 into the atmosphere that we can to help those plants grow.
   
2. Accept the challenge whenever some Biff challenges me to a ski race on very dangerous terrain, or something.


3. Keep my socialist opinions to myself, even if most are founded in solid scientific findings.


4. When faced with two sets of opinions, I will refuse to use my intellect to analyze the positions and formulate my own opinion. It is easier to pretend that I'm too cool for school and I don't care.
   

Like any good scientist I'm skeptical that any of this is going to work. I just can't help but to think it has something to do with the base miles. We will find out next year I guess.

Cold, wet, and not-so-fast....

Woke up yesterday and heard raindrops on the roof and smiled. That meant I would get to have my first real cross race. I ran around the house for a while freaking out about not being able to find stuff then headed out the door to ride the bike to Verona for my warm-up. Sheri took Rowan in the hypocrite wagon and got some beer on the way. By the time I was registered there was like 50 dudes at the start already. Go. We started shuffling to a start in the back and the guys in front were finishing the lead out already and hitting the mud. Once again my gear was stupid big, and it was all I could do just to hold my position. I slid out once on one of the slick 180 degree turns but recovered quick, and I was taking the barricades a whole lot faster than my last attempt at crossin'. Russell was yellin' at me "Go you socialist, you can do better than that!!" By the time I had learned how to take these greasy corners with skinny tires, the race was over. I didn't look at the results since all I wanted was beer, but I was somewhere between the fast guys and the slow guys.

What have I learned?

1. The 46t has to go. Either the cross bike gets gears so that I don't have to worry about ratios anymore, or I put something little on there.


2. Get to the start line at least 15 minutes early even if it means standing around shivering.


3. Just because there are course features that everyone else is dismounting for, doesn't mean that I have to. I probably could have ridden the run up with the logs and the landscaping ties by the playground had I been able to turn the cranks over.


4. I don't need to wear so much stuff. With a skinsuit I probably could have shed the kneekers and the jacket.


5. Warm up warm up warm up.

In other news, I learned that the WORS message boards are populated by a bunch of dorks, myself included. From now I'm going to save it for after Don says GOOOOOO!

Tired bikes

Rather than have a CX double-header weekend, we decided to have a relaxing day today with a family ride. So we load up Rowan in the trailer close to nap time and head out toward Verona. I took the Kona since I had just installed the FU-bar and pitchfork, and wanted to take this opportunity to shake it down with a quick lap at Quarry Ridge. About 2 miles from home I hear a severe gobbling during one part of the rotation on the rear rotor under heavy braking. WTF? I look down and 4 of the 6 bolts are gone, with the last 2 on the way out. Bizarre. I installed this rotor like 7 races ago with locktite and torqued to spec. No problems. Now all the bolts fall out just cruising down the bike path? So we turn around and head home. I trade the limping Kona for the Cross bike which was ready to rock for racin' action tommorow.

On the bike path almost into Fitchburg a couple of ULBs (unsupervised little bastards) were working hard on destroying what was left of their neighborhood. They had what looked like skateboard ramp in the middle of the bike path. I'm down with that. However, they had enhanced the run up to the ramp with probably a half dozen freshly broken beer bottles and drug a small tree across the bike path. 2 or 3 of the ULBs were brave enough to stand their ground as we negotiated their urban pitfalls and I cussed at them to clean this shit up. There were like 6 more kids hiding in the bushes over the left about 30 yards. If I weren't such a narrow assed white boy wearing tap shoes, I would have marched those snotters right up to their crack pipe wielding excuses for parents.

We made it down to Badger Prairie park and it looks like it should be a fun venue. My ratio should work well since I rode the place trying to remember the map of the course I had seen. There is a good sized playground almost right in the middle of the course so Rowan should have plenty to do. On the way home I decided to burn a quick lap of QR with the cross bike. For some reason the quarry is being pumped out or something, and the parking lot and trailhead are flooded. Jumped on the doubletrack to start up top and it was big fun. The washed-out off-camber downhill has been re-routed and is a much better and more fun section of trail. On the quick right hand sweeper on the bottom of the short rocky climb I crashed the bike hard, flatting the rear tire and beating up my swanky record levers. So I got to walk to the gas station as Sheri hammered it home with Rowan in tow. Some fun, two broke bikes, 60deg cool temps.

Manbearpig

I just heard that Al Gore is being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This might be a good night to hole up and watch Fox news all night. I'm gonna pop some popcorn and listen to the propaganda machine bitch about them damn liberals with all their "facts" and fancy book learnin'.

Season Finale

I should be most happy with my first WORS season. I should have lost my 2nd place series spot, but in keeping with how the rest of my season has been, showing up was enough. I would have liked at least one Comp podium before grabbing that plaque, but seemingly I didn't want one bad enough.

With the holeshot preem in place, the start was crazy ape shit fast. Of the 21 singlespeeders that showed up, I was probably 4th or 5th into the woods. All stayed good and fast until we got to the quarry side towards the end of the 1st lap. Just ahead on the flat sections after the river I could see the stars and hearts of James Lalonde up ahead. I'm am pretty sure Casey and Jerry were with him so I pounded it down trying to close on them knowing that was the front of our race. I got within 20 yards of them and then popped in a huge way just before the stairway climb. It took me until after the feed zone and into the singletrack of the second lap to recover. By now I was getting passed by a handful, as I was too deep in debt and doubt to care. I was cursing the 36x17, an 18 would have been perfect. The sweet, fast, and rooted cornering of this course brought me back to life though and I got into a groove at my own pace. Just as I found this groove I came up on Erich Ponath trying to repair a flat. I knew I had to put at least 2 riders in between us to keep my series placing so I was pumped again. While I was mostly in no-man's-land, I did go back and forth some with Joel Coon which was fun. On the roots that are no longer evil, he dabbed and I nailed it, never seeing him again. In the last lap I passed three more of the single speeders that had passed me when I popped, and I lapped Erich. That felt nice since I knew it sealed up my standing, plus I haven't been able to get that dude to say 2 words to me. Coming up the Equalizer the last time the smoking guy told me another SS was 5 seconds ahead. "Go get him!!" So I nailed it again trying to close before the finish. When I came up on him it was Aaron Brandt. I'm guessing he bonked trying to catch the front since he just waved me by right before the sand pit. It was a fine finish and probably my best performance since 9-mile. Here are the results.
Sheri had her first race at Sheboygan also, and took third in her age group. At least I have her and Rowan to pick up the slack and bring home some hardware. Saturday she doubted she could do 2 laps, now she wants to train hard all winter and is dreaming of big wheels and fillet brazed frames.

WORS #12 Images

That is a gaggle of fast singlespeeders on my wheel. I think they all came up on a bus from Kenosha or something. I was able to keep these three behind me, and a few others.

I-to-the-Zayah Polska-Slayah

Born-again singlespeeder, and an Elite one at that.

Thanks Fattires-and-Beer for the pics, words later.

Big gear climbing

I finally found the "magic ratio" on the cross bike. 46x18, or about 69 gear inches. I think some force training is in my future, and not the Yoda kind.

Cross' practice

Sheri and I went out and I ate about 4 rolls, then I watched these. I feel faster already

Psychocross racing

First race of the WCA cross series. My first cyclocross race ever. Switched around the Poprad Sat night to run a 46x17. It was way too huge as I was totally out of my power band. Live and learn. It seems like these races will be all about starts, mounts, and just plain old acceleration. I was mid-pack before I got my second foot clipped in. In between barricades I would jump up 5-10 riders, then fall back again when it came time to use cross skills. Finally settled by lap 4 and was attacked by the kittens just before the last set of boards. 32nd out of I think 67 starters. I somehow thought I was going to show up and win a cat4 race. Not that easy. This fall is going to be fun.

My results here have me thinking more critically about my decision to upgrade to Elite for Sheboygan. Something just doesn't feel right about leaving the comp SS points battle. By our calculations, I have to beat Erich Ponath by 4 places to keep my 2nd place series spot. I know I can't control how well Erich does, but if I don't show up and ride my best race I am forfeiting my place. I haven't gone out there and suffered to get what I want this year, and that explains my inconsistent results. I am starting to feel like an upgrade would have a reverse effect since good results would be so much further away. Upgrading as a heuristic function is one thing, flogging yourself in the name of going faster is something else. Another thought is that I just haven't worked hard enough this year to deserve a title such as "Elite". Finally, comp SS will be a fun class next year with some of the people coming up from sport. And that's what it is all about right? Fun?

As a test to my commitment to bicycle commuting, I was up until 2am last night getting the Gunnar built up finally. Fenders, lights, bells, you name it. While working on the bike I had the A-Team theme song running through my head. The bike has a very industrial "Beyond Thunderdome" kind of look to it. I might have to add some leather pants and a viking helmet to my commuter gear.

Critical Mass

When I picked up Rowan after work and he wanted to "go see the yellow train." So we took the long way home and took the capital city trail through the farms area to John Nolen. Many people were running and riding along the Lake Monona path as it was a fine autumn evening. Rowan said "Hi!" to everyone as we went by.

As we were turning left onto North Shore, Critical Mass was rolling by so we had to jump in. I think it was a huge turnout, maybe 100 bikes. From what I have heard they rarely get half of that so this must be a good one. We were back on John Nolen taking up 4 lanes on the way underneath Monona Terrace at 5mph. Keep in mind it is 5:45pm on a Friday evening. Looking back over my shoulder as we approached Machinery Row I could see cars backed up all the way around the lake. Rowan was pretty excited to be in the "bike race." When the chanting started later as we were going down East Wash he wasn't so sure, it kind of freaked him out. I told him it was a song and he was cool with it. "Are these our bikes?!!" Yes!!! "Are these our roads?!!" Yes!! Or something like that.

Some motorists were pissed. Whenever we would pass an intersection cars would bolt left and right, squealing their tires as they sought alternate routes. Even so, I did see a lot of positive support from drivers. Some cheering and honking and righteous fists in the air. Of course most of that support seemed to come from drivers going the other way unimpeded. I think perhaps that our rig contained both the oldest and the youngest participants.

Now that Rowan was certified as an activist I figured it was time to take him home. It gets dark so early now. Not to mention pulling the loaded trailer around town with the SS cross' racer at 38x17 begins to burn sweetly around the 2 hour mark. It was a good ride.

Who took my rag?

Got home last night to find Dirt Rag #131 in the mailbox. The rag seems to have lost it's edge and that makes me sad. Every issue I open this year has more sky shots, big travel, and goatees than the one before. It feels like Dirt Rag has "done the Dew". If you're like me you are wondering where the soul went. No, I don't think it went to Trek. No big loss there. Rather, Brad and Jeff took it with them to urbanvelo. Check it out, it's where the good stuff is.

Grow up Kerry

Okay. Now I feel small and mean for the way that I reacted to Dan's written opinion. Simply posting his letter and diagnosing him with micropenis without offering a rebuttal is unfair.

I started writing him a paper in my most keen ENG201 argumentative/persuasive style, but decided it would be more human to attempt to talk to him again instead. I tried to convince him that his stance was rooted in strongly republican values and principals, seemingly against his otherwise staunch democratic leanings. Those republican principals being intolerance for one, and his no-tax no-play attitude for another.

I asked him if he believes that a man that owns a $700k home deserves more from the public school system than he does since that guy would pay more property taxes. Should only children whose parents sit in a certain tax bracket be allowed to use the computers at school? Of course not he says. Then he still refused to believe that his opinion on this differs diametrically from his views on fuel taxes and sharing of roads. Giving up on this angle, I attempted to convince him that the more people you have on the roads with a bicycle, a happier and healthier populace you will have.

"I don't know about you," I say "but I like going to places where there are lots of fit and happy people." I went on to tell him that I even go out of my way to avoid locations that might host large concentrations of fat angry people. Places such as church, the Republican National Convention, or any sports bar in Chicago on Sunday. Getting him to agree that life is much more pleasant when the people we are forced the share this planet with are happy and healthy, I moved on. "It is our responsibility as commuters to promote roadways that are friendly and safe toward users that are taking steps toward lower emissions and fuel consumption." Dan agree, but still says that what the bike paths are for.

So in a nutshell, I used every move I know from both chess and logic to put him into a position in which he would have no choice but to abandon his bigoted opinions. I forked him with his own contradictions, then pinned him against his otherwise democratic sensibilities. It was no use. I guess it is biologically impossible to mate someone that is hung like a pimple. Dan must have been chain whipped when he was 8 years old by a gaggle of shaved legged Frenchmen, their large European man parts only inches from his face throughout the beating. He has been scarred forever.

In other news; the Burley trailer got a flat on the way home yesterday. Daddy was unprepared and Rowan was pissed. "Daddy I want to go fast!" he cried for 45 minutes as we crept home slowly with our broken chariot. We need to toughen up the trailer so that one of these mornings we can bomb through the golf course on Odana; angry morning golfers chasing us shaking their fists. "What kind of world are we living in where some crazed biker can interrupt the elitist yet escapist womb of a $65 golf game!?" We have to keep the motorists on our side, but the golfers can lick my balls. Not this guy though, I don't want him near my balls.

Dan pt. 2

Dan was born in a 56' Chevy pickup and has oil coursing through his veins. We got into it yesterday as he claimed he was nearly killed by a cyclist when he tried to go around him and nearly hit oncoming traffic. I told him his opinion was the problem as it caused impatience and affected his judgement behind the wheel. Today he handed me this letter, I think he spent all morning on it.

-OPINION+PROPOSAL-

As you already know, I believe that bicyclists are a danger to both themselves and the motorists trying to avoid them. Cyclists are banned from roadways such as the beltline and the freeway for obvious reasons. The best scenario within which cyclists may ride is demonstrated by the bike path along HWY 12 where they path is seperated from the roadway by greenspace. This limits the potential for conflict. Happy and safe cyclists and motorists.Cyclists could never be allowed to operate on the typical country roads where there is no path or shoulder wide enough to effectively separate them from much higher speed vehicles. In fact, without HWY 12 - like green separation, without a path or wide shoulder I would eliminate cycling from roads in excess of 35 MPH posted limits. Anything over that and the closing speeds are too high for safety considering that many cyclists are not paying attention to ther "line" drifting back and forth and even riding abreast as I have encounterd many times. Even conciencious(sp) motorists have trouble dealing with such erratic behavior. Especially when avoidance may mean unintended conflicts with oncoming two lane traffic.In the city, have at it. On rare occasion when I'm downdown or near the U, most cyclists I've observed, don't follow traffic rules anyway, I.E. stoplights and signs, ETC. I don't go downtown much so, let the city decide. I could care less.In closing, as a motorist, I pay fuel taxes which pay for roads and their maintenance. I understand most cyclists also own cars and through that fuel use pay road taxes. However, they are not paying when cycling. In no stretch of logic should the "rights" of cyclists take precedence over motorists. Only at the expense of all motorists are most bike paths constructed. I don't see any fees on cycling building better, safer roads for motorists, use what your given.

Look out for this guy. He is the one honking and yelling at you as you do your cruise intervals down Seminole. He also might have a small penis.

Happy Motorists

I stood peering into the pain cave half way through the first lap yesterday in Iola, and sat down with a bum knee rather than running through screaming like a demon. I finished, and not last, but you can only generate so much ass kicking with one leg. Claire however, was ass kicking at full capacity in her first elite showing. Bruce also should have done well since Sheri was running along side him pouring his gels down his throat.

My decreased saddle time and my injuries won't keep me away from the first cross race next week though. I found a race flyer, so now I know what the lowdown is. I'll race the 4's race on Sunday morning, since my license has a 4 on it. I wonder if I can race 4's and Masters? Anyway, I'm gonna bring the 38x14 and leave the excuses at home.

So I work in close proxy to a grumpy old fucker named Dan. Dan has recently become a full blown Air America Democrat since doing so allows one countless opportunities to hate. Dan hates the war, hates Bush, and hates evil corporations. I'm down with that. I hate all that stuff too. Dan however hates these things because they are easy to hate and you don't have to understand them to hate them. He could just as easily hate gays and "the liberal Jew-run media".
Well, Dan also hates cyclists that clog up the 60mph flow of his country roads. He was pissed off this morning because some cyclist "almost got my daughter and I killed." Dan was passing a rider at the crest of a hill. Like the majority of motorists, he was terrified that a cyclist was near so he gave him 25 feet of space completely filling the oncoming traffic lane. Of course, there was oncoming traffic in the oncoming traffic lane*sigh* and he freaked out. I overheard him telling this to another, more cool headed cyclist that I work with named Jim. Jim only laughed at the grumpy old fucker's anger and trotted back off to work. Me on the other hand, well I'm Scottish or something and pissed off at the world so I chose to engage. The melee went something like this;

• Grumpy Old Fucker: The speed limit is 55 mph and a cyclist going 20 not only lacks judgement for being on those roads, but is also a hazard.
• Me: So if you have a 140lb self propelled cyclist, and a 3,000lb steel box moving at 60mph piloted by an impatient motorist with questionable "ine" levels, it's the cyclist that's the hazard?
• Grumpy Old Fucker: Yes, because the cyclist doesn't belong there.
• Me: Okay we both know that a bike is a street legal vehicle so I'll just ignore that. Have you ever come across a slow moving horse drawn carriage near an Amish community on a country road? Or how about farm equipment. Did you feel those things were hazards?
• Grumpy Old Fucker: Well, no because that is their chosen mode of transport.
• Me: (mumbling under my breath) a dip shit says what?
• Grumpy Old Fucker: What?

What can I say? I'm just out here doing my part, one dip shit at a time.

Sunburst Sunrise - Great day for racing

Unfortunately I though we were only racing for the two beers that were left in my cooler. If that were the case I would be number one champeen since I won the hole shot and made it to where our camper was parked on the lead-out first. Then half of my starting wave passed me like I was standing still. So I have some speed now but my muscular endurance is for still for shite. Fourth place (again) with a jacked up lower back. Turns out that I have an easier time riding the bike than I do walking so I shouldn't lose much fitness over it. Seeing a chiropractor on Wednesday hoping he can make my spine go straight up and down again.



Two weeks, 58.3 gear inches, and 120 minutes of intervals until Iola pt. deux. And I'm bringing some of these.

Okay so that's a sunset. Thanks Nachobar for the good shot.

SSCX 2007

The Poprad has done its good deeds having sat beneath me for around 1600 commuting miles and a bit of training. As a reward I have stripped it of gears and other superfluous parts in preparation for the fast coming CX season. It will be my first, but I am psyched. While these WORS races are fun, they tend to eat an entire weekend. My impression of cyclocross racing is that I can be slogging through the mud on Sunday morning at 180bpm, and watching football Sunday afternoon in my scooby pants. That sounds good to me.

We are headed out to Kewaskum tomorrow morning and I think I finally have my focus back on the racing. I have been fighting a bit of burnout the last 3 races. The many laps at Blue Mound over labor day helped to bring it back I think. Fast solo laps, recreational riding with friends and team mates, and just sitting around drinking beers; it was all like getting a big hug. Go get em' champ.

Look what god did to me...

I was hoping that once you have a certain number of SS miles in, all your receptors for pain just give up and bother someone else.

Even though a bunch of "mountain bikers" were complaining that the Smokin' Spoke course was too bumpy, I thought it was pretty bitching. RangerElvis hooked us up with some first rate camping digs also. So this weekend was set to be a high for this season when my left knee started ripping (or something) 15 miles into the race yesterday. I couldn't transmit any force to the pedal with my left leg without my knee feeling like it was going to fold. So I rode the rest of the lap one-legged trying to figure out what this meant or how I did it or what I was going to do. Eventually I turned in my ticket and dnf'd for the first time since 97'. I may have been able to finish but it wouldn't have been very smart. Besides, I have to save myself for the rest of the season since I'm hearing we will be having some heavy company.

Lessons learned

Nearly 300 hours of bike time and many sleepless nights went into an attempted peak for this year's Subaru Cup. Physically I was strong and felt ready to bring it. I rode the course on Saturday morning with Isaiah and began to pray that the rain would hold out for the day. Don built a perfect course, and the conditions pre-rain were awesome. I loved all the climbing and felt this kind of race was suited to me.

I felt a sinking feeling during my warm-up as I watched the Elites come by looking more dirty by the lap. I knew that a brand new trail system would not hold up well to a mud race. And it didn't.

I had a good start and sat third behind Ben and Jerry (not the ice cream guys). I held this position uncontested until we hit the East Trace section. None of this portion of the trail was rideable by now and I completely lost my cool. Running, mounting, dismounting, kicking the pedals, screaming, ready to throw my bike. 3 singlespeeders passed me during this tantrum and by the time I regained my composure it was too late to catch them. I was at least able to make a race of it with James Huber. We rode most of laps 2 and 3 together, and in the end I put 20 secs on him that he couldn't close. I am still pissed at myself for racing for 6th when I was ready for the top three. I just wasn't mentally prepared for this kind of race, it was a learning experience. No matter how strong I am I'm still a noob and this season is for learning.

It turns out Sheri was right about the camper purchase. The weekend would have been 5 times more miserable had it not been for the shelter of the camper. Now I only hope this mudfest didn't sour relations with the Nordic Mt. people. I am looking forward to racing this course for many years to come as it has to be the best in the series, maybe a tie with the Sheboygan course. Thanks to Alexis and her horde of poncho wearing friends. Don couldn't have pulled this one off without her.

48 mile sandbox

Perhaps more like 40 miles of sand, much of it quite deep, and 8 miles of spinning like mad on the road. Ore to Shore was a tough race. The most memorable moment was near a powerline section of the course called Misery Hill. These were tough, rocky, and steep climbs. Riders were going down all around with flats and cramps in a huge cloud of dust. This was black dust too, like after the race I looked like I had been trapped in a coal mine for a week (meaning no disrespect to current events) On top of a big hill somewhere near the misery march there was a man with a bugle belting out the "charge!" call. This only added to the feeling that we were trying to race across the beaches of Normandy while being shelled.

I felt terrible for the first 20 miles of the race and lost a whole lot of time. Apparently I need a good warm-up even for these longer races. After I started feeling the power coming on I was killing it. While it was too late in the race to salvage a SS top three, I did overtake probably 75-100 riders in the last half of the race. Many of them like they were standing still. In the end I finished squarely in the middle of the singlespeeders and in the upper third of the main field at 160th. For next year I vow to take a half hour off of this year's 3:27 finish and bring a notebook for name taking. The 36x17 was a good pick for me since I didn't have to run anything that all the gearies weren't running anyway. I was also able to power up the ridable climbs at a good clip thanks to the right gear for me and some new bar ends. Climbing with the bar ends is the way to go, makes me feel like a monster.

As far as the other WORS regulars go, Ben Griggs was on came in at around 3:14 even though he had to repair a flat. Russell made a pretty good time also getting into the top 100 and went home with a ghetto cruising raffle bike. Unfortunately Rick had chainring bolt issues and had to drop out. This race is pretty hardcore and intimidating, I just wish it weren't at the north pole.

Upgrade time

When it was coming time to actually walk into Machinery Row to order up the Orbea, I just couldn't get excited about spending all that dough on all those gears. Cussing at my noisy and expensive drive train and spinning up hills like a rodent just doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm a singlespeeder for real.

So now that I've decided I'm still a Viking Berzerker the Raleigh is getting the full race bike treatment. Mike C. is ordering my hubs this morning and will have my wheels shipping within 3 days of their receipt. I won't see them before Ore to Shore but hopefully before the Subaru Cup. It will be nice to have some nice light wheels for that course as I am hearing it will be tough.

I'm loving the non-suspension corrected long and low front end of the Raleigh, so its getting the 26er version of the WB rock solid carbon fiber fork to keep the geometry as intended. I also have a set of these coming as the avid mechs are giving me fits. Topping off will be a couple pairs of the new generation of 29er tubeless tires. I'll be trying the new Hutchinson Pythons and the Specialized "Captain", both juiced up on Stan's Arch rims. I love the smell of new tires in the morning.

I can't forget to thank my sponsor for making all this bike porn possible.

Brew City Slop

Rowan and coach Andy.

Can't see the top three.

I can't think of any better use for a pile of garbage than to have a mountain bike race on it. Saturday night at Mama and Steve-o's I was afraid we might have a rain-out like this is baseball or something. I was happy to hear that we would be racing rain or shine, but decided I should drop gearing to 32x20 to deal with the slop. Of course, my chain was too short. Grabbed a chain from the truck only to find out Don's chain tool was broke. Rifled through the truck for a bit to find my own and then gave up figuring the good Jebuz was trying to tell me to run my 32x17 as his good Daddy intended.

I was supposed to find Jerry's wheel after the start and then sit on it. That I did, until he walked away from me on the moon climb. For the next lap and a half I had to deal with battling the little bastard in my head that tells me "its okay to walk this climb" and "you have nothing to prove, take a nap". I eventually beat down the doubt and had a good and fast laps 3 and 4. Well, fast for me. I rode about 1.5 laps leap frogging with Russell (only because his bike was complaining). At the end he sat behind me on the final climb and then gave it a go to show me how it's done. I saw him coming on my right and responded by stomping on it, making for a nice way to finish. (yeah I know he started behind me)

That final sprint while not meaning much helps to support my decision to upgrade early like I did. The Comp/Elite squad is a very fun group to race with. Not to mention that it is nice not having to deal with slow singletraffic. In this group I am the slow guy. Speaking of which I just found out that my Norba/usa cycling expert upgrade had been approved. Hmmm .... What to do next year?

I really appreciate the family coming out for this one being close to the old hood and all. Tarry was very cool playing superfan with the water dousing. Everytime a cold bottle of water was poured on me it felt like someone was pushing my turbo button. Good times, beer, and lasanga.

Buh bye Vino.....

The tdf has tested positive for rampant punk-assedness.

Blue Mound goodness

Well I missed out on helping trailwork/ride the Subaru Cup course. Bruce yelled at me for not being there and said the climbing will be more brutal than last year @ Devil's Head. 1.5-2.0 miles of continuous switchback climbing. Hopefully the repeats up Blue Mound park with the 32x17 will have paid off.
Speaking of Blue Mound. I did get to roll out the door for a 63 miler to Blue Mound and back by way of the rail trail. Hit Quarry Ridge on the out and back to break up the monotony, and tore up some of the Blue Mound goodness while out there. If you shy away from the mound because you are scared of rocks, the new chunk of trail across the road is worth a visit. The pleasure valley/over lode section is very mid-atlantic in style. Fast and flowing, with more climbing than the rest of the network out there. It is almost as though the rocks didn't want to cross the road. The fast and swoopy corners will berm in naturally after they have more tire on them, so go ride. Trying to get amped up here for the last week of build before my August peak. I almost feel too rested today like I want to break legs off. By Friday I should hope I have spent this energy.

No Stone Unturned.

It seems to me that in order to be fast in Wisconsin you must be a skilled blogger. Or you must have a mullet. Perhaps I can work on my blog while I wait for a mullet to grow in. If I were still in my 20's watching ironically funny bad movies and wearing ironically funny bad t-shirts I might try the ironically funny bad haircut. I'll just leave 5 years ago alone and try the blogging, and maybe some training.

This is my first year competing for WORS series standings after 15 years or so of being a mostly sedentary smoker. Having tried my hardest to destroy my body through my 20's I now have to swing as far as I can in the other direction. It's going well so far. Kicking around Racine on my skateboard every waking minute through my teen years must have given me some kind of aerobic base while my systems were still developing. My body has responded quickly to my early season commuting, and I'm hoping to experience the benefits of my periodized training over the next three races. I expect the second half of my WORS season to give me the results I need to justify a bump to Elite in 2008. I'm not getting any younger, so if I am to compete with those guys it has to be in the next 2 years or so. Next year I'm leaving the SS behind for fun and training only and racing with a lightweight rigid gearie. While I may have purist leanings, I claim no allegiance to bike parts. What I believe is going to get me from point A to point B fastest is what I'm gonna roll.

I thank the Buddah that Sheri and the Biscuit have taken to dig the racing and camping with Daddy. I know some guys don't have it that good and have to leave the families at home. It is nice to have someone to share my results with, while at the same time getting my kid away from the television and the shopping malls. We refuse to be programmable consumers. Stay tuned for updates on my season, and maybe the occasional rant when I feel like the man is trying to beat me down.