Rubber-side Down

Photo Update

2009-03-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Oh me oh my, it has been a while.

2009-01-12T01:25:00.000-08:00

I've been distant. I know, and I want you to know that it's not you... It is me. I've been so busy these past months that it's been hard to maintain our relationship. I know you have been seeing other blogs and I want you to know that it is okay; I understand that you have needs...

School has been out since the 15th of December. Since then, I've celebrated Christmas, went to Aspen for New Years Eve, and I have now been in Michigan for almost a week. On Thursday I go back to Colorado Springs, and I start my winter semester on the 20th. Surprisingly, I'm ready to go back to school. I'm ready for new books, classes, professors, and a fresh outlook on things. This month off has really been great, but I'm looking forward to "real life" again.

I've been off the bike for about a month. I've gotten in a couple rides and a short run since I've been on break, but nothing substantial. As far as workouts go, November, wasn't heavy either. I hit the gym a lot, but not much bike. I'm excited to race again, and start my late (it's late right) base training... I really hate the cold though (it seems like last winter the temperatures were much milder than they are now.) I'm not too concerned about the lack of mileage recently because I feel that I came out of last season strong. I had changed my training up a bit and was seeing definitely improvements. I did deal with illness in November and late September, but overall I would like to think that my fitness there was stronger than it was in July. If I can take what I did in the late summer months and transfer it into this season, I should be riding well... Damn this cold... I'll have gained momentum by the end of this month.

It is late. I'm stopping this mid-thought because I'm really tired. I'll decipher what I've scratched down tonight to make it coherent, and also pick-up where I left off, tomorrow (or next week or month).

November Update.

2008-11-14T16:18:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited kits for the UCCS cycling club arrived on Matt Lorenz's doorstep yesterday morning. I'm excited to rock them in the early spring. I think they look pretty fly, and I'm sure they'll look even better from the competition's vantage point--from behind.

I got a e-mail today from a Twin Peak's team member stating that Toyota-United team will not exist in 2009 and that the team is selling all of their equipment. I remember the cool gear Disco had up for grabs when the team disbanded, so I decided to check it out... Basically, EVERYTHING the team owned is on the market. Everything from Dominguez's rig to the trailer hitches and TomTom they used in/on their team car. Sweet right? Well, this is even sweeter: they're selling their time trial helmets. If you don't remember what TT helmets they used, let me give you a hint... The brand starts with a "S" and ends with a "pecialized." Last year they used Specialized TT helmets, and as far as I know, they are not sold to the public yet. If you want one this might be your chance. Click the big Toyota-United logo to go to the page with official details.

That's about it for November. Nothing too exciting bike-related going on. I've been doing some gym work and have been on the bike whenever weather has permitted. The Fall semester is almost over. I have a major research paper I don't want to do, but other than that, all is well.

Update.

2008-10-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

The moisture in the air is so thick today. There is a frozen mist hanging over the bluff and the mountains to the West.

I've been off the bike since last Wednesday. I was leaving for a group ride and discovered that my bike had a flat. I threw a new tube in, but the valve stem broke as I was pumping it up. Bummer. When I finally got on the road I notice that I couldn't shift my rear derailler. The thumb lever would not engage. I messed around with it for a few minutes, until I decided to just ride downtown in my 53x23. I maybe got 2 miles out and became really frustrated. I called my expert mechanic, Eileen, who was in Monument park at the time. She gave me the diagnoses that I had a spring out of place, or broken, in my lever. She also discovered that the bolt holding the spring on my rear brake was broken, which meant I was riding around with added resistance.

The parts are in, and I was going to do a XC mountain bike race this weekend, but didn't feel motivated. Instead, I've been hitting the gym. (Stay away from the hip abductor machine, it's a forced to be reckoned with.) The time off has been nice, but I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike even though winter seems to already be setting in. I want to ride as much as possible in the off season.

Picture Post

2008-10-05T12:26:00.001-07:00

Geekdom

2008-09-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

4MB/s Download Speed.

Jeal?

Insane, Crazy or Buck-Wild, Crazy?

2008-09-24T02:02:00.000-07:00

We are currently contemplating the idea of organizing clandestine criteriums in the parking garage. I'll hash out the specifics at a later date, but I'm certain there will be prize money and ever-lasting glory for the victors.

...Let me know if you're in.

End of Season Road Race.

2008-09-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

I woke up the ungodly hour of 5am this morning. There were people sleeping on the floor in my common room, who I'm sure I woke up with all my banging around of the microwave and stirring of my protein drink. At first I thought it was one of my roommates sleeping with some random girl, but then I remembered that my room mate was having his friends from Denver come down to stay the night. It was weird.

...Back to the reporting of races.

It was cold in Deer Trail at the start of the race; there was a lingering fog which made the winds feel even colder. Despite using the bathroom three times within the hour before the race, at five miles in realized I had to pee really bad. The chip seal roads made this predicament worse. I wasn't sure whether to try and tough it out, to pee off the back, or pee all over my leg and try to wash it off with my water bottle. I ruled out peeing while riding because I had a disastrous image of myself attempting this maneuver and crashing while urinating. The "pee my pants" option was nixed because I'm not getting paid enough to something like that. Needless to say, I decided to hold it.

The pace was really slow for the first half of the race. One rider broke away for ten miles, but we caught him when we turned out of the wind. Just about ten miles from the finish there were ten guys in the front group, including me. At the turn around point, 3 miles from the finish, there were eight. That got whittled down to five people on the rolling hills, and at 1k to go the fifth guy was also dropped.

Going into the finish there was a short hill, and I was on the side with the wind. I thought about filtering around the back to set myself up for the sprint, but I decided to make my position work instead of potentially wasting more energy. In the end the race came down to a short sprint. I didn't have the response needed. I did manage a respectable 4th place, which is my best finish yet. I should have place on the podium, but shit happens. One through four was so close we all received the same time, 1:55.

My friend from school, Kate, who I went to the race with killed the competition in her field by finishing somewhere around 800 miles ahead of the next rider... Quite a feat for a 42 mile road race.

Her prize for winning was a beer mug and bottles of cerveza. I'm not sure if the volunteer knew he was giving alcoholic beverages to minors, but we took the booty anyway. It was a laugh, and she made a conscious effort to avoid getting pulled over with contraband in the car.

Sorry, no pictures.

An Honest Ride

2008-08-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Honest rides are those epic rides where you over-reach, conjure fortitude you didn't know you had, and make it back home to tell the story... They're so hard or long that you can't hide any shortcomings in your fitness.

These rides ingrain themselves into your memory. They become the high water mark that you compare all other rides to. You call upon them when you're having an off day or feel like you've bitten off more than you chew. You say to yourself, "I survived that day, so this should be a piece of cake."

Usually, when I find myself in the midst of an honest ride I regress into a 6 year-old child in a 19 year-old's body. I become pissed off at everything in the world. I start cussing a lot, and damn every little hill in the distance. In rare instances I even feel like crying. It's not Belgian of me, I know, but I blame it on the endorphins... it just hurts so good, you know?

Today was one of those honest days. I left the dorm at 8am and didn't get back until 2pm. I don't know how I made it back. I was dehydrated, my legs were on fire, and I couldn't even talk. The churning of my legs was not a conscious movement. My body had gone into survival mode and I had only one goal: getting back home and getting off the bike.

I don't even know what else to say. I'm sorry if this post appears disjointed or lacks coherence... I'm still in a haze.

One thing I do want to mention is that I was on a road so steep that I was doing wheelies in my 39-23 trying to pedal up it. I was afraid to stop because, if I did, I would have tumbled backward down a sheer 24% grade. It was epic.

Oh yeah, this ride gave me a racked up a whopping nine hours and thirty minutes in a 50 hour time period. Intense.

Dorm Life.

2008-08-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

I moved into my dorm room on Tuesday. Exciting Stuff. Classes don't begin until Monday, so I'm basically hanging out until then. I went bowling with floor mates last night, we put money on the game, but I didn't put the hustle on anyone.

Today, on my way to the rec center, I met another cyclist... We did an easy 45min spin around 6pm.

Sorry, for the poor image quality, but I used a free trial of a photo stitching program to get a picture of my dorm room and had to do a screen capture to save it. ... My 28-90mm lens wouldn't fit the whole room in the picture. Can you say Small? My roommate, David, was supposed to be here yesterday, but he hasn't moved in yet. I have two other suite mates, we share a common room and a bathroom, and both of them (Alan and, another, David) are here. Nice guys.

So, will this blog become more about my academic progress than cycling? Most likely not, but I can assure you it will remain to be the most bad ass blog on Blogger.com.

Definitely.

(I finally cleaned my mud-covered road shoes today... I was getting tired of people asking me if I was already training for cross.)

Boulder Roubaix

2008-08-20T19:48:00.001-07:00

The Boulder Roubaix was last Saturday. When I left Colorado Springs at 9am it was a downpour. My drive up north took over two and a half hours because of poor visibility, which put me in Boulder with just enough time register, pin my numbers on, and get to the start line.
For the first two laps we rode the dirt roads in the rain. Eventually the sun did come out, but I didn't notice until our last lap.

The muddy conditions of the road made it feel like I was riding with a flat tire. I was with the front group until the last lap, until I lost my line and got sucked into a mud puddle. I managed 7th place.

It was epic.

Pictures.

Men's Olympic Road Race.

2008-08-09T02:23:00.000-07:00

Right now, it's 3:25am and I'm looking at a bunch of spanish guys crying and hugging each other. I woke up in the middle of the night, checked my e-mail and decided to see how the men's Olympic road race was doing on NBCOlympics.com's live stream.

My not so good play-by-play:
I just caught the race with 2k to go.

The race clock is above six hours.

Schleck is on the front. Cancellara, Schleck, Rebellin, Sanchez, and two other riders [Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS), Michael Rogers (AUS)] are riding the final kilometer together...

[...]

Samuel Sanchez (ESP) is now an Olympic Gold Medalist by a gap of 50m.

Davide Rebellin (ITA) takes Silver, and Fabian Cancellara (SWI) takes Bronze...

Is Spain having a kickass year or what? Aside from Sastre taking The Tour (no bad news yet), Sanchez is the first Spaniard to ever win a gold medal in the sport of cycling in the history of the Olympics!

...It's also Rebellin's 37th birthday today.

I'm going back to bed. Now, my blog is officially the most up to date news source because, as of 3:33am MTN time, Cyclingnews hasn't even posted an official story.

*Photo from www.samusanchez.com

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2008-08-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

It was overcast and sprinkling most of the day, and the during the times it wasn't sprinkling it was misting. It felt like the Amazon, except 70 degrees.

Road race on Sunday. Maybe a Criterium on saturday... The road season is almost over. I'm definitely doing the Boulder Road Race this weekend as well as the Boulder-Roubaix next weekend. There are a around five crits between now and September, but I don't know if I want to drive two hours round trip, and spend $50 in gas/fees only to race for 45min... I probably should.

Garmin-Chipotle Mustache Scandal

2008-08-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

I was perusing CyclingNews.com today and I came across an interview featuring Dave Zabriskie. Nothing too unusual, he's going to China for some major pole vaulting competition or something. Anyways, while reading I stumbled across a big fat lie, yes, Cycling News lied. Take a look, and see if you can spot it:

"The 29 year-old [Dave Zabriskie] from Salt Lake City is the current U.S. time trial champion, a stage winner in all three Grand Tours and one of the best moustache growers on his Garmin-Chipotle team."

Did you see it? Probably not.

Dave Zabriskie isn't the only man on Garmin-Chipotle who can "rock a mustache," and the media frequently forgets this. Steve Cozza, who obviously has the better looking hirsute appendage, has been documented saying that he had a mustache before Dave. Still, Cozza never gets any credit for having a trend setting 'stache.

Also, what happened to objective journalism? Is Dave Zabriskie really the best mustache grower on the team, or is that someone's opinion? I don't remember any formal competition.

Check out the video below to see Steve Cozza's mustache. He talks about Dave Z at 3:03.

Because I have nothing better to blog about.

I can't wear yellow-tinted sunglasses, can you?

2008-07-29T21:42:00.001-07:00

Carlos Sastre: A Suitable Winner.

2008-07-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

"There have been, there are and there will always be people who cheat, in cycling or in society in general. But there also are also people who work hard and honestly, far away from that."
-Carlos Sastre

After two consecutive years of numerous doping allegations and convictions, the 2008 Tour de France was in need of an honest winner. In my opinion, Carlos Sastre became that person today.

I admit that I didn't watch the Tour religiously every morning, and that I normally don't get too excited over professional athletes, even if they are cyclists, but Sastre deserves credit. This guy has paid his dues, and now at the age of 33, in sport where age only works against you, he has finally won the hardest, and most prestigious, race on there has ever been.

You're all right by me, Carlos.

*Photo courtesy of CarlosSastre.com

Review: Deda RS-Corsa

2008-07-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

With all the deep-sectioned carbon fiber wheels and super light components there are to geek out on, it's easy to forget about one of the most important parts of your bike, your tires.

We've all ridden on rubber that doesn't ensure confidence when diving into a corner, or those training tires that aren't as flat proof as promised on the label. Tires like those don't make riding fun. But, when you find the perfect pair that make you feel as if you are floating on air, or riding on rails, you've struck gold.

Now, I know some people would swear their life on certain brands of tires, while conversely, the person next to them would completely disagree for the exact opposite reasons. Tire preference is extremely subjective, and mostly correlates to the positive or negative experience a rider has had with those tires, even if it ignores obvious fact.

Personally, I hate Michelin's, I think Vittoria's are just "alright," and I love Ritchey's 290tpi WCS Race Slick. Ritchey does make other models by the same name, but they don't have the high thread count, aren't hand made, and don't have the 160psi rating. Unfortunately, the shop I go to can't get these tires any more, so I am left feeling like I lost a best friend.

My quest for the next best tires on the planet has begun, and my first stop is DedaTRE's RS-Corsa. Yes, Deda does make tires. The specs on these handmade treads promise a no compromise race only tire, with a 300tpi casing, 7-9bar rating, and aggressive-looking tread pattern. The black cotton casing with an applied tread has an appearance very similar to the Ritchey's I rave about.

I had a very hard time when mounting the tires. The bead was probably the tightest fit I've ever encountered. I had to use talcum powder and tire levers to get the tire on the rim. I am a little disappointed with this because I hate having to wrestle tires, but on the up side, I'm extremely confident they won't be rolling off on their own.

After getting air into them, I was eager to take them for a test spin. I was slightly worried that I would be able to feel the tread pattern on the road, but I couldn't. The short ten minutes I cruised around the neighborhood, didn't yield any problems, and the real test came during the criterium I had the next day.

Going into corners the tires stuck amazingly well. Even on unfavorable road surfaces they did their job and I was able to focus on the race, not my tires. I remember one corner where I ran over a bump in the road that had been spray painted as a hazard. My back wheel jumped, but I almost didn't notice it because the tire stuck to the pavement so well. I'm sure a lot of this has to do with the tread pattern.

Overall, I'm really happy with the RS-Corsa. The only problem was the tight fit, but what really matters is how they performed on the road and did they that that flawlessly.

Specifications according to the DedaTRE website:
Open Tubular - HAND MADE
Cotton Casing 300 TPI
Dotted-twilled tread
Puncture resistant belting
23 mm width
8 - 10 bar pressure*
Weight 200 grams
Available full black and black tread with cream sidewalls

*listed 7-9bar on the sidewall

Lone Tree Criterium

2008-07-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

Shortly afterward, I hopped off my bike, ran 10 laps with it over my shoulder, lapped the field, and won. It was a sight to behold.

I went into the race more rested than usual, because I completely fudged up the date of the race and drove up on Saturday, one day early... Yeah, it wasn't one of my best moments. So, on top of my normal pre-race routine that I did on Friday, I effectively had a rest day on Saturday.

The course was a 1.25 mile loop. A little long for a circuit race, but that's fine with me because I really am not a Crit guy. The course was reminiscent of Runway Plaza in Michigan, with a hill before the finish.

I felt pretty strong throughout the race, and with a smaller than normal field size, the pace wasn't blistering. Around lap three or four I felt good while rounding the corner leading up to the hill, and I just decided to push the pace and see how everyone was feeling. I didn't expect it to be a race winning move or anything, but I was feeling strong and I figured I should make the big guys work a little harder. The field latched back on 300m later, and I sat up.

The race was smooth, only one little bump, but the riders had it under control. Three laps from the finish one guy broke off the front and it stuck until for a lap, but two to go the pace picked up and he was caught. Unfortunately, I had miscounted laps and put myself in a good position for the sprint one lap too soon. I didn't sprint for the line, but I had spent matches too late in the race. So, for last lap I hung on until the hill, moved up, but didn't respond with a 200m when coming to the line. I passed a few guys who gave up before they crossed the line, but that's all I had.

Compared to last week's DNF (I was relegated to this, I never gave up), today was fun, and a learning experience. I got on the front, commanded, and made the race for the first time. Going off the head count after crossing the line, I came in around 14th place.

Moral of the weekend: Don't come too soon.

Credit for the photos: Eileen Brodie

2008-07-19T12:43:00.001-07:00

I always buy tubes with a valve stem that is too short...

Sixty millimeters.
Sixty millimeters.
Sixty Millimeters.

Piss.

2008-07-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what my mileage/hours have been lately, which is really frustrating.
Since I lost my Garmin, and have been using a crap cyclocomputer that resets itself mid ride, my whole system has been screwed. I used to plug my Garmin in to the computer and it would log everything for me. Now I have to write everything down manually, and this requires remembering what I rode and writing it down as soon as I get off the bike. I don't want to have to think about anything when I get off the bike except getting my kit off and showering, especially when it's 90 degrees in the garage. "Bitch Bitch, Whine Whine, Moan Moan."

I'm contemplating buying a new cyclocross frame, because the one I built last year is as heavy and unresponsive as a bulldozer. Although, there is always the idea of a hardtail mtb, or track bike is alluring. I have cash burning a hole in my pocket.

I spun my legs out for a little over an hour this morning. I felt strong. The Longmont Criterium is tomorrow. My team is putting on the race, so I'm Marshaling from 10am until 2pm, and then racing sometime around 3pm. It will be a long day.

Blah. I'm going to go do laundry.

[Update: I went to Old Town Bike Shop, downtown, and ordered a replacement bracket that was preventing my Cateye from functioning properly. If this doesn't fix the problem, I'm looking at another solution in the form of a Garmin 605]

blah.

2008-06-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

My legs have felt like crap for the past week. Saturday, I went on a really fast group ride and pulled off after twenty miles because I was getting too tired considering I had a long day planned for Sunday. I was hoping to do around 80 miles on Sunday, but we only did 60, and that had me beat.
I took Monday through Thursday really easy and my legs are coming around. Yesterday I did a couple fast laps around the garden and was passing cars like they were standing still. Which, by the way, is such a badass feeling. I woke up around 7am this morning and drove up to Littleton to do some short track speed skating. Came home, napped, and went for a quick 45min spin. I probably went a little harder than I should have. After I got in from the ride, I did a core workout, and stretched.
Tomorrow I'm doing the morning group ride which is usually a 3-4hr ride at a moderate pace. If I get in four hours, I'll be happy.

Eleven.. Eleven... Eleven...

2008-06-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that by now most people have heard that Campagnolo (and possibly Shimano) will be debuting 11-speed cassettes for 2009. I really don't see the point.

I'm sure the debate as to why eleven cogs trumps ten won't sound much different than this:

... I suppose the guys in Vicenza haven't seen Spinal Tap.

V02 Max²

2008-06-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today I rode for an hour and a half with 10,000ft of elevation gain. Well, kind of...

A month ago a teammate of mine, Kelly Brown, sent out an email about an opportunity to offer ourselves as Guinea Pigs for a study at the Altitude Research Center (ARC) in Denver, Colorado. In the email there was mention about getting a V02 max test out of the deal if we chose to take part in the study. Because of this, I couldn't pass this offer up. I mean, normally people pay for these things, and all I would have to do is ride bike for them and get one for free. Of course, there was more involvement than just riding a bike, such as the 10cc blood draw, having a myriad of probes and sensors attached to my body, and extreme physical exertion but this stuff was all minor. All I heard were the words "V02 Max test."

The study is around 10 months long, and I is aimed at learning more about how the body, specifically the brain, reacts to low oxygen and relation to Acute Mountain Sickness. The test I went in for today was a screening. They took urine samples, 10cc of blood, and had me take two V02 Max tests in a hypobaric chamber. One test was at Denver's altitude of around 6,000ft, and the second one was at a simulated altitude of 16,000ft. Both tests included a warm-up, cool down, and were 30min apart. I put my name down for taking part in the 10 month study, and if my blood test comes back fine, I should be going back to ARC for about 3 more visits, with up to 10hrs at a simulated altitude of 16,000ft each visit, and with more tests on the bike. The complete protocol for the study can be found on the ARC website, which is linked above.

Prior to this, I had never done a V02 Max test, so I was slightly nervous about putting out good data for them. The test at 6,000ft was hard, but nothing impossible. It felt like a hill climb with a grade that exponentially became steeper. I lasted somewhere around ten or eleven minutes, until they told me they had the data they needed. The hardest part was probably not being able to see the time or knowing how far you're going. I was really concerned because I didn't know if I had gone long enough. When there isn't some kind of time limit, it's hard to know if you're going at a hard enough pace or if you could have gone harder, you just make it hurt as much as possible and hope it's enough. Also, there was a certain point where I just started sweating profusely. My forearms were perspiring, and it was raining down my face.

The 16,000ft wasn't much different, I almost felt stronger, and I probably lasted the same amount of time. I'm pretty sure I did well, because I could see the guy operating the chamber through a wide, rectangular window grinning ear to ear. I can only imagine that means I was doing really bad, really well, or that Dr. Andrew Subudhi was putting bunny ears on me. Who knows.

I'll email them in a few days to get my V02 Max values.

Grand Lake image dump

2008-06-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

From the 4th through the 8th of June I was in Grand Lake, Colorado helping my uncle with maintenance at his friend's cabin. I managed to get a ride through Rocky Mountain National Park, but the trip mostly consisted of working outside in adverse weather conditions (wind, cold temps, and constant rain). My cousins came up on Saturday once the bulk of the work was done which was nice.

Hugo

2008-05-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hugo was long. Due to construction, all fields had their distances changed to 78 miles... I went into the race not worried about the length because I've ridden that kind of mileage in training, and for the exception of two stupid decisions, I prepared well. ...I kept hydrated and ate well the 48 hours leading up the race, I got an eight-hour night sleep (sleep is always my biggest problem and more would have been better), and I ate well in the morning.
My first mistake was that when I filled up my bottles in the morning I added some vitamin crap that had potassium and other junk that I figured I would be wanting halfway through the race. I had never raced with the stuff before, which is a an obvious mistake. The additive made my mouth feel dried out, and left me wanting plain water. Because of this, I probably wasn't getting as hydrated as I should have been. My second one was that I drank too much water on the way to the race and during the warm-up. By mile 16 I needed to pull over. It really wasn't an option, so I rode it out as long as I could...

There was a point on the backside of the course, near some town, where I went off the back. I managed to chase, and made it back on after two miles, but the effort cooked me and I filtered off the back again shortly after. I joined up with three or four guys and we pacelined in hopes of catching the group at the feed. Only me and one other rider made it to the feed together, but the field was gone. I grabbed water, made a pit stop, and settled into the realization that I would be riding half the course off the back.

The next forty miles consisted of working with small groups and trying to pick people off. There was a horrible headwind on a ten-mile section of the course, but after getting H20 I felt worlds better and used the section to my advantage. While most people spun it out, I used it to pick more people off because once we turned and had a 17mi tailwind to the finish, it would be hard to gain on people. Making up time in the wind was good move, because only two people in our field closed the gap on the stretch to the finish, and one of those I nipped at the line.

Today was probably the hardest race I've ever done. The lead rider finished at 3hr 17min, which puts him at an average pace of 24mph over the 78mi course. Pretty intense, considering the wind, heat, and rolling hills... and that this was a four race. If there is any question as to whether or not the fields in Colorado are harder, the vote is in, and yes they are.

I finished 32nd of 50-something riders, which sucks, but considering the circumstances, I'm not going to complain.

There is a crit tomorrow morning, which means two back to back hard days of racing.

Update from Michigan

2008-05-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

So, does Bissell have a four team or was he in the wrong race/kit?

The Tour of Kensington Valley didn't go as well as I would have liked. The first lap felt really good as I led the group up the first hill and descended ahead of the peloton. I was hoping someone would follow, picking up the pace of the group, and make the bigger guys on the tail end have to work a little harder. Nobody chased so I filtered back into the group. On lap two I still felt good, and was around the fifth wheel over the top of each climb and on the flats. I ate on this lap near the gravel parking lot. On the third lap my legs started to cramp, which was a really bad sign. I made a point to keep drinking/eating, and take it easy, but by the fourth lap I felt like complete crap on the hills, and couldn't respond to accelerations. When we reached the rollers by the lake, I was in the back and my legs felt like bricks. I was the last person to crest the spectator hill, and I unsuccessfully chased the group until the gravel parking lot. My legs were completely dead. Even people who we had dropped were passing me, so I decided to go out on the next time around... I had bonked.
Aerobically, I felt fine the whole race (what I completed), but my legs had no gas. I wasn't too disappointed with myself because I figured that my preparation wasn't reasonable to expect phenomenal results. I was still on Mountain Standard Time which meant I had effectively woken up at 2am to go the the race, and started racing at 5am: I'm not sure my body was "awake" enough to output like it needed to. Considering the time I was waking up, I could have went to sleep earlier, and I also didn't eat enough before the race.

On Tuesday, I went to Criterium Practice. It was really nice to get some intensity workouts on flat land for once. We ran something like three 5 and two 7-lap crits with three easy laps in between. The wind seemed really strong at some ridiculous steady 18-23mph, and I only sat out one lap. Afterwards, a few of us duked it out on the grass while doing bumping drills. It was nice to ride with Zack, James, Darrel, and Doug instead of just bench racing on Blogspot. ...I did get some wheelie practice in, but I still need some work.

Photos Courtesy of Zack Maino:

On Wednesday, I did a short group ride out of Jack's in Monroe. We rode from their shop in Downtown Monroe towards Dundee on M50. Rob Foshag, who had left a half our earlier to do intervals, met up with us. The wind was really bad so he and I turned around and headed back into town. I hadn't ridden with him since last year, so it was cool to see what he was up to. Apparently, he was in a break at the ToKV in the Cat 1/2 race for 70 miles only to bonk and DNF, which is unfortunate, but just goes to show how hard the race was that day. He's doing the, UCI rated 1.2, Tour of Leelanau this weekend. I'm expecting he will have a good showing at Leelanau if he can get through the 109.5 miles.

I'm sending my bike back to Colorado tomorrow, hopefully it's there there before Hugo Road Race, on the 31st, otherwise I'll be sporting the green machine.

I'm going to Cedar Point on Monday, but other than that there's not much more to update on.

Test

2008-05-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Do The Test...

Late Night Discoveries

2008-05-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to sleep around 9:30pm and woke up around midnight. I attempted to fall back sleep, but I just tossed and turned for around two hours. With sleep not happening, I decided to go check my email, and surf You Tube. While looking for cycling videos I unintentionally stumbled across a video titled, Tour of Kensington Valley Preview. It was posted by Dander10, which isn't a reference to dandruff, but rather Darrell Anderson who is Bike Boy's dad. The video was pretty cool, but when looking through his other video's I came across one that was especially funny: 2007 Ada Crit. The majority of the video consisted of cyclists whizzing by, but around 2:40 some guy... Well, is doing something ridiculous. Check it out...

For some reason he decided that getting in an aero position and not pedaling would help him catch the riders in front of him. Now, I'm fairly certain he wasn't on a hill, which means he could only be decelerating. Maybe he knows something about the laws of physics I don't, or perhaps he had rocket boosters attached to his Sidi's. ... The world may never know.

2008-05-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

My bike is nestled in a cardboard box and on it's way to Michigan. I packed it after my ride today, and it should arrive one day before I do, next Thursday. I'll be in Michigan next Friday through the Tuesday after Memorial day. The trip should be a nice twelve days of flatland riding, and if everything goes as planned, I will be riding the The Kensington road race. There was a concern mentioned on Bike Boy's blog about not having enough course marshals to run the race, but I'm hoping that is resolved by race day.

Last weekend, at the ACA Lookout HC I posted a time a 21:13. (Time is according to my cyclocomputer) That's about thirteen seconds short of my goal, and wasn't enough to get top ten, but I can't complain much about a PR and finishing ahead of 53 other people. I'm looking forward to using my climbing skills, and high altitude RBC count, on the "hills" at Kensington. Watch out.

San Francisco, Mootry Crit, upcoming Lookout HC

2008-05-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting lately because, for one, I've been lazy, and secondly, I've not had much to post about.

After Moab I spent a week off the bike while in San Francisco. My aunt, Jackie, had a rowing race in Sausalito, and I decided to tag along. It was a fun trip, even though bringing a travel bike would have been a good idea. I was really impressed with the driving skills the cab drivers had, particularly one eastern European driver we had who successfully counted his stack of fares and talked on the phone while driving us back to our hotel.

Last weekend was the Primus Mootry Crit. I felt fresh and the pace was slow, but because of bad positioning on my part, I took 20th (mid pack). On my way home I did two intervals up Lookout Mountain to get psyched for the race on Sunday. I'm hoping for top 10 or faster than 20:59, a little over a minute faster than my time earlier in the season.

I've been placing top third or half the races I've done so far.

...Other than that I've been eating a lot of Chocolate Peanut Butter flavored Häagen-Dazs, playing video games, and buying loose tobacco. (A few days ago, I went to Safeway around midnight to buy soymilk and ice cream. When I arrived back home I found a special treat in my bag: rolling tobacco.)

SF Images

2008-05-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Moab

2008-04-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've been in Moab with the team since Friday. Most of them are leaving today, but four or five of us plan on staying another night and doing a ride at Colorado National Monument on the way home.

Right now, there isn't a cloud in the sky and it's around 74F, which is really nice weather for riding in early April.

Yesterday we did around 4.5 of ride time, and today we did another 4.5 with 4,000ft of climbing. My legs don't feel as sore after the ride today as they did yesterday, and I probably should have rode another hour or so (to break 100mi today), but I decided to come back to the room and take a nap. My legs really aren't used to two hard 4.5hr rides back to back, so giving them a rest before tomorrow's ride is probably prudent.

No pictures at the moment.

Oredigger Classic: Lookout Hill Climb

2008-04-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

Conditions for the individual time trial up Lookout Mountain in Golden today were close to perfect. The temperature settled somewhere around 60F, and despite the forecast, the wind was very manageable and seemed to give you a push at the right moments.

At the start I didn't feel as fresh as I had wanted to, but midway through the climb I settled into a rhythm, and for the last 200 or so meters I picked up the pace to fast 27mph. At the top I felt as if I had more in the tank, so maybe I could have pegged a harder effort, but oh well.

After crossing the line, I switched my computer from distance to display time, and was pretty happy to see 22:43 on the read out. The official said my time was 22:16, which I won't contest because it is a faster time than I had expected.

I'm intend to use this race as a benchmark for the Pillar to Post HC in May. With more hill work I hope to take at least a minute off today's time. Maybe 20:50? The race in May is mass start which should make for easier pacing and faster ascent.

Before leaving, I talked to Scott Fabijanski who rides for the Wolverine Cycling Club. He was on a business trip in Golden and decided to check out the race. Daniel Ritter also stopped by for a chat which made the situation more odd considering that three riders who have raced/race in the Michigan area were hanging out in the same exact place, halfway across the country.

Anyways, The rescheduled Koppenberg Circuit is tomorrow morning.

[Edit] Official time is 22:17 @ 17th place of 74. .

2008 Koppenberg Circuit

2008-03-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Koppenberg Circuit Race in Superior, Colorado was canceled this morning because the 17% grade dirt climb that is the race's namesake was deemed unridable. I've ridden my road bike in really dangerous conditions and braved frostbite many times before, so after the race was called I decided to ride the course to see what the fuss was about. Yeah, it was cold and braking wasn't as easy with ice on my rims and calipers, but that's to be expected in wet and snowy weather. How bad could the hill be, and can a "Classics" race be too tough?

I thought that the farm road leading up to the climb was pretty ideal. It was a little wet, which was good because it meant no dust, and the road was more smooth than most paved roads I've encountered in southern Michigan. Also, gravel size was pretty small, so I don't believe that pinch-flatting would have been much of a concern. Everything looked perfect, until I got to the hill.

The hill wasn't too steep to dismount, but because the road's clay base had turned into mush from the moisture traction was impossible. I committed to the climb when I pedaled past the U-shaped tracks of the riders who had decided to turn around. I didn't make it much further when I finally had to jump off the bike and run up the hill in my road cleats. There was a photographer standing halfway up the hill taking pictures of me with his white Canon "L" series lens. I'm not sure if he knew the race had been canceled yet, but I felt pretty ridiculous.

When I reached the top of the climb, the bike would not roll because mud had embedded itself between my tire and fork. So, I opened up the brakes, tried cleaning them out with gloves on, but despite my efforts, they were still pretty useless. Someone on a a cross bike, and with considerably more tire clearance, rode past me. When I finally got enough mud out to start rolling, my feet kept sliding off the pedals because my cleats had accumulated tumorous globs of clay. After a few hundred meters of unsuccessfully trying to clip-in, I admitted defeat and made my way back to the parking lot

Conclusion: Even if you were a super hard-ass, there was no way a road bike could have lasted more than half a lap on this course. We may have been able slog our way around the 5.5 mile circuit, but it would not have even resembled racing.

Everyone who had a cyclocross bike could have raced, but that would have defeated the purpose of the whole event. Before the race was called, the riders who had brought their cross bikes were talking about how they had made a clever decision, but I think that bringing a cross bike to a road race is akin to bringing a mountain bike to a cyclocross race.... And everyone knows how lame that is.

The race is being rescheduled for possibly either the 6th or 20th of April.

Carnage.

You may notice blue 3M masking tape on sections of the frame. Yesterday, I decided to try some improv damage protection specifically for this race. I placed the taped on the down tube, seat tube, drive-side chain stay, and most importantly on the seat stays and fork near the brake calipers to protect against this type of mud/rock abrading the carbon. It may be ridiculously over-protective or dorky, but it was pretty discreet and I'm glad I had it. The tape held up very well while wet, and the trick will probably come in handy in the future.

Blue Rc6Al

2008-03-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

The new bike came together late Wednesday night, except for a small issue with the derailleur hanger, which turned out to be the only hitch in the whole assembly. The derailleur hanger was bent inward about two centimeters preventing proper adjusting of the rear derailleur. So, on Thursday I exchanged the bent hanger for a new one, installed it, and the bike was pretty much set to go.

I test rode the bike Thursday, and today I took it out for a two hour ride in the snow. The bike weighs about 17.5lbs, and rides better than I had imagined. Despite what I've heard about Aluminum's "Harsh" ride, and even with a less forgiving saddle, I don'' feel as much road vibration on it than I felt on my steel-framed Bianchi. I'd assume that the smoother ride is result of the carbon seat stays and fork, or possibly even the Ritchey tires I have on it which are the best I've treads I've ever ridden on.

I was also surprised to find that I do not see or feel any flex in the bottom bracket, and the handling is very responsive while the cornering feels almost effortless. During Thursday's test ride I took a fast corner and expected to have to tell the bike where to go, but instead it felt as if it was pulling me through the corner. I still need more time in the saddle to give a solid evaluation, but so far I'm a happy camper, and if the frame/bike does have any faults I haven't stumbled across them yet.

Pictures

Ultra Torque Assembly

2008-03-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

More Parts Arrive

2008-03-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

The Centaur group set finally arrived in the mail (UPS) today. I work tomorrow, and afterwards I plan on heading to Peak Cycles in Golden to pick up a 130mm stem I ordered, because the 120mm I currently have is too short..

Once I have the new stem I will be able to cut cables and put bar tape on. The bike should be ready to ride by tomorrow night.

Hudz will be replacing the stock brake hoods.

More Stuff

2008-03-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

New Pony

2008-03-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, I've been a candidate for a new bike for a while now. After acquiring the required funds, going through the the painstaking process of actually choosing a bike, I will finally be riding a shiny new rig sometime before next Friday.

The most difficult process of buying a new bike was not saving up the cash, or enduring the anticipation of the new ride, but actually choosing what bike to buy. I originally planned on purchasing a frame set and building it up with specific components. This idea stuck with me for awhile and I had narrowed my search down to a couple frames. Everything sounded good until I considered the Specialized Tarmac. I loved the Blue color scheme on Tarmac Comp as it matched my kit, but it was equipped with Shimano 105 which I couldn't make myself love. Not a problem right? I would just buy the frame set and kit it out with Campy. Wrong. Specialized does not make a Tarmac Comp frame set in that color. They do sell Tarmac Comp frame sets in New Zealand, Czechoslovakia, and Canada, but not in the Blue I had my heart set on. My next idea was to just buy the bike with 105, Ebay the group, and put Campagnolo Centaur on it. This plan would have worked, but Shimano does not make a Campy compatible free hub so I would also have to sell the wheels and buy a new Campy compliant wheel set... meaning I would have to spend more money.
Also, the resell value of Shimano components is somewhere around 25% of original MSRP so I would be losing cash and arriving somewhere around $200 over budget. After getting the cool, blue Tarmac Comp out of my head I did consider the Tarmac Elite, which comes with Sram, but I found the Captain America scheme pretty appalling, and overly ~~patriotic~~ Texan. Eventually, I scrubbed the Specialized plan, mulled over a few other options, including a Giant TCR Advanced Zero, and finally went back to my first plan — building a frame set up with components that meet the requirements of my ~~fastidious~~ fussy tastes.

————————

So, after a month of indecision I settled on a Blue Rc6Al frame set, kitted out with Campagnolo Centaur. I picked up the frame, wheel set, stem, bars, seat post, and saddle, on Wednesday. The group will arrive on either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, and I should be on the road by Thursday or Friday.

Now, I know the frame doesn't have the Bling Factor that a full carbon monocoque has, but if it does have carbon seat stays, a race-proven 73/73 geometry, and weighs in at 1330g, which is about the same as more expensive entry-level carbon frames. Actually, the bike will come out looking pretty damn snazzy, as I've put hours of thought into color coordination, congruency of brands, and logo placement on the tires and headset. ...Hands down, it will look Pro.
Also, the Aluminum frame does lend itself to function because crashes are inevitable, no matter whose fault they are, and if I were to shatter a more expensive frame I would probably have an empty wallet for a few months.

I've Weight Weenied everything and the bike's dry weight (not accounting for grease and such), without pedals falls in around 15lbs, and I'm hoping the finished weight will be somewhere at 16-17lbs which leaves room for grams I've missed.

Expect more pictures and details sometime next week.

Image Upload

2008-03-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Boulder–Ward–Lyons–Boulder

2008-03-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Despite my legs being taxed from Thursday and Friday's workouts, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather (70's) and do long ride with a few guys from the team. We had intended to get in a lot of climbing, and this route definitely accomplished the task.

Lee Hill Drive - Just 20 minutes into the ride and the road is beginning to go vertical. My legs are feeling sore, but I tough it out and sit behind Rob as he sets a steady pace in his 39x23(?).

Left Hand Canyon - Started out pretty easy at maybe a 4% grade. The group is talking, and not going too hard. I start climbing with Rob, Chad, and Tom for about halfway. I ease up at let Rob and Chad pull away, Tom stays behind also. I'm having a harder time spinning at the same cadence despite the consistent grade, which I've decided it a false flat. Frustration ensues because my legs aren't as fresh as I would like them to be, and because the damned canyon seems endless... No visible summit. I make it to a dirt road, and the last 1.8mi section before Ward, a few minutes after Rob and Chad. We regroup. Last section before Ward was a tough 8% grade.

Ward - Bought fig newtons, which were pretty gross, but I ate them anyways. Scott won the Strawberry Shortcake Wristwatch that was up for grabs as the KOM prize when he rode the last quarter mile to Peak to Peak Highway while the rest of us were grabbing food. Sneaky...

South Saint Vrain Drive - Descend for 20 minutes. A Lotus passes us and the wind is gusting erratically.

Lyons to Boulder - It's still windy, but we push a pace that was 23+mph. At this point I'm anxious to put my feet up and eat, but the last leg of the ride seems to take forever. My legs have absolutely no snap or power left, and I somehow make it back to Big Daddy Bagels (ride start) with the group.

Total Hours: 4½
Total Miles: 69

Even though I went into the ride sore, it was fun, and the weather couldn't have been any better for early March. I even managed to give my calves a slight sun burn, also because I was wearing long sleeves without gloves I have an interesting tan line at my wrist that separates my white arms from toasty, red hands.

Snow likely tomorrow.

Windy.

2008-02-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

A half mile out from my house I flatted for the first time in just about a year. The whole situation was pretty disappointing, especially when I found out that my pump was not functional. Fortunately, I wasn't too far from home and I was able to have my mechanic (aunt) bring me a floor pump. I'm pretty sure it was a pinch flat that resulted from hitting a lip in the pavement.

Once I was rolling again I made my way North. I had an average headwind of 23mph on my way out and for what seemed like most of the route through the Airforce Academy. The rollers were pretty brutal, and because Stadium Boulevard is surrounded by trees there is a wind-tunnel effect. I really didn't plan on hammering today, so the wind made me go extra slow... Think about the headwind on the finishing straight at Cone-Azalia, and your pretty close to the feeling.

Overall, I would have liked to get more miles in, but after 2.5 hours, 3,000ft of elevation gain, and with the sun behind the mountains, I set my sights for home and on food. (Currently, I have Chinese and Panera Bread on it's way.)

I work an eleven hour shift tomorrow, so unless I ride to work, or hop on the trainer *shivers,* it will be an off day. Good Stuff.

Riding at Night.

2008-02-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Even if you're only going easy, riding at night always makes you feel faster. Because I worked today, took a nap before class, and couldn't miss the second episode of LOST, I found myself heading out for an easy ride at 10:45pm. Late, I know, but with dusk falling around 5:30pm I usually find myself riding in the dark more than I would like to anyways. I rode for an hour on a route that I know like the back of my hand... Across the pedestrian bridge, up Pikes Peak Ave, down 31st, and back on Colorado Ave... Surprisingly, it was only 33°F for the whole duration, which is nice if you consider that it wouldn't be unusual for the daytime high, with sunlight, to be 33°F.

I have the day off tomorrow, meaning that I'll be sleeping in and doing a long ride around noon. The high is only supposed to be 38°F, but that's not bad compared to what I've been riding in. .

Anyways, I should get some sleep.

Blog Updates

2008-02-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry (Zack) for the lack of updates, February is pretty boring as far as cycling goes... Plus, I'm sure you're already sick of the term 'Base miles,' putting on booties, riding indoors with a bunch of sweaty dudes, and I'm also sure that you don't want to hear about my frozen beard ...not to mention snot rockets that shatter when they hit the road. Winter is lame any way you put it.

I've done a little tweaking to my blog: The color scheme has been slightly changed, the font type has been switched to a larger point Arial, and I've changed the side bar a smidge.

The Left Hand Brewing Company, Active Care, Peak Cycles (Bike Parts.com), Williams Cycling, Big Daddy Bagels, Bobo's Oat Bars, and Adam Moskowitz of State Farm Insurance will be sponsoring my team, Twin Peak Racings, for the 2008 season. Check out the links located on the lower portion of the side bar.

For the past few months I've been doing a lot of research and within the next month or so I will be purchasing a new bike. I've been going back and forth between the Ridley Orion/Excalibur, Orbea Onix, and possibly even the Argon18 Krypton. The Orion was originally my first choice, but I'm not sure if I like the predominitely white color scheme. Right now I'm leaning toward the Orbea, but that may change. ...Whatever I decide on will be equipped with a mix of Campagnolo Centaur/Record components. It should turn out really classy-looking.

Skate

2008-01-08T15:22:00.001-08:00

Four inches of snow fell last night, so today I had the opportunity to use my new pair of Skate Skis. My last two attempts on the skis weren't very successful, but today I managed to stay upright the majority of the time, and now I actually have a feel for it. The total workout was only around 2½ miles, but it lasted around 45 minutes. I'm still hoping to make it out to groomed track this winter.

I discovered that I can ice skate three weeks ago (I could always roller blade well) and now I am really considering trying Speed Skating as off season cross-training. After work on Monday I decided to check out the local speed skating practice. I sat on the bleachers for an hour watching them go around, and afterward I did some networking. One of the coaches out on the ice was three-time Olympian, Caroline Hallisey. Her husband who is currently on the national team happened to be in town for the weekend and was also there. I don't want to make the investment in a pair of boots and blades yet, but everyone seemed really enthusiastic in getting me out on the ice. I have the day off Saturday and I plan on going up to Littleton at 4:30am to see if I like it. The rink in Littleton allows you to rent speed skates which is convenient. On Sunday evening there is also a practice in town that I plan on attending, but I'll have to wear hockey skates if I can't borrow a pair... I'm excited.

The New Year

2008-01-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

Res·o·lu·tion: A formal expression of opinion, will, or intent.

January first is not a magical date that is somehow unlike the 364 days that follow it. If you really were dedicated to procuring change, you would not have waited until the first of January to do so. Declaring a resolution is not about completing a self-assigned penance in the year to come because you've done too much or too little of something, but rather it should be about reflecting on why you made those choices in the first place.

[...]

With that said, I'll spare you my philosophical musings and keep my follies to myself. Instead, I might as well compose a short list of things that I wish to improve or accomplish in 2008, you know, because it's fun.

Become a more organized competitor by compiling my race resume, fit sheet, photocopies of my racing licenses, copies of USCF/ACA event waivers, and other handy documents into a binder. I have a binder with some info, and I always bring a folder with my licenses and event info to races, but I would like to become more focused in my organization.
Get closer to upgrading.
Adhere to a more focused training schedule.
Ride slower more often.
Have fun.
Eat more chocolate.
Stop Smoking.

Good luck in '08.

Oh, December.

2007-12-13T01:11:00.000-08:00

A few days after my last post the weather finally turned. We now have two to three inches of snow on the ground in Colorado Springs, and according to the forecast it looks as if it is here to stay.

I've had the past week off work and it's been nice to catch up on sleep and basically slack. I managed to get an a run in, a workout session on the rowing ergometer, and I took the road bike out for an easy ride in the ice/snow. Works starts again on Friday, and so resumes my normal schedule, aside from school, which starts up the week after New Years.

I stopped by Pro Cycling today to scope out a new bike. I've been doing a lot of research and I was settled on a Ridley for a while, but I am now seriously considering an Orbea Opal or Onix. Realistically, I'm looking at having the new ride by March, but if I cut down on my Starbuck's consumption I'm looking at late February. Cool stuff.

Twin Peak's pre-season meeting was earlier tonight at the Active Care in Golden. We tried on clothing, introduced the new members, decided that we do want Paul's fancy shoe covers, and briefly discussed our Spring training camp in Moab. Overall, it was fun... I did find out that I am probably between a small/medium in Verge clothing. I'll most likely end up going with a medium size across the board, but I need to compare my exact measurements to what Verge recommends before I put in my order.

I probably should get some sleep.

The Weather Outside is Frightful Balmy.

2007-12-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

According the to weather ticker on my blog, the current temperature in Colorado Springs is 69°F. Not too shabby for December 4th, especially if you consider that by this time last year two snow storms would have already done damage. I don't believe that we will have a "late" winter, or that this uncharacteristically mild weather pattern is a direct result of Global Warming because winter is happening elsewhere... Perhaps luck, or a low pressure drawing warm air up from the gulf, has something to do with it.

Good things do come to and end though. The forecast is calling for wintery conditions by Friday.

I should probably leave the weather to the clairvoyants and meteorologists and stick to bike riding. After all, it is 69°F outside.

*Picture was taken in August. The bees are surely enjoying their off-season vacation in Cozumel by now.

Star Struck

2007-11-20T12:38:00.002-08:00

Everyone knows that the sport of Cycling does not contain the same separation between the fans and professionals that most other sports do, but living in a city like Colorado Springs, only a mile down the road from the Olympic Training Center, this fact is ever-present.

Today, on my way home from my morning class, I was stopped at a red light next to someone on a Specialized Tarmac SL2 with white handlebar tape, a Specialized team-colored helmet, and sporting the vertical red and white stripes of the National Champion kit. While sitting on his top tube he took off his cycling cap, placed it in his jersey pocket, and before the light turned he stood up into a track stand and continued on his way down Boulder Avenue with a high, yet extremely supple, cadence towards the OTC.

An experience like that doesn't get much more real. It was not Leipheimer outside of the team bus with his race face on, it was one the one of the best cyclists in the country casually returning from an early morning spin, or getting his Cinnamon Dolce Latte (skinny, no whip) from Starbucks... If something like that doesn't get you excited, then you may want to find another sport.

I'm not sure who it was, and I am positive that I'm not mistaking the kit for Toyota-United. Also, it was not the the Black with Red/Blue flowing stripes of Team USA, unless they have a new design for 2008.

... but regardless it was damned cool.

The photograph above is courtesy of ViewImages.com

Crystal Park

2007-10-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

A ride is as hard as you make it. If you're on a recovery day, a route that you may have hammered earlier in the week can seem like a Sunday stroll, but a select few are difficult any way you look at them. Crystal Park has become one of my favorite rides in The Springs area, and it is probably one of the most ass-kicking rides.

Okay, it may not exactly be ass-kicking or Hors Categorie material by any stretch, but it is definitely one of the quality hill climbs that Colorado Springs (technically Manitou Springs) has to offer. With a 6.5% average grade over six miles, it bares it's teeth in the first mile with 10 successive hairpins that might as well just cut 300 feet straight up into the (thinner) air. The following majority of the ascent includes false flats, mild pitches, and set of three hairpins at an elevation just shy of 8000ft. Because it is not a complete wall, most of the difficulty is attributed to the lack of O2 and the consistent grade. It's epic allure is a result of the view you receive while climbing half way up the eastern slope of the front range, and of course the fact that the road belongs to a private community. Yes, ascending Crystal Park, unless you're a resident, is probably breaking some law, but a friendly wave to the attendant at the guard shack will assuredly grant you access... Don't do it.

But do check it out.

Oh, and does anyone happen to have Google Earth Pro?

Disclaimer: The author of this blog does not in any way endorse or suggest committing the unlawful act of trespassing or related actions. The content of this post does not intend to function as a how-to guide, and it should not be construed as such.

Harder than You.

2007-10-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

David Leopold Rides Harder Than You.

Twin Peaks Ride

2007-10-13T22:05:00.001-07:00

I rode with Twin Peaks again this morning. Nothing too eventful, and aside from the seemingly endless stream of wise cracks about anything and everything, it just a mellow social ride. A lot of them race in the masters category and compared to the average age I was definitely an outlier. Everyone rallied at Old Chicago outside of Boulder for a post-ride pizza where my age did become evident as I was about the only one who did not order a beer, but whatever, being under 21 in that situation didn't bother me and I don't think that it mattered much to them either. I am definitely considering joining, and probably will even though they are an hour or so drive from The Springs... They're laid-back, they have fun, and are fast. I don't think you can improve on those qualities much more.

Anyways, Group ride in the morning....

Wind Advisory in the 80903

2007-10-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

I drove up to Golden this morning for a 30 mile "meet new prospective teammates" ride with Twin Peaks Racing. They are picking up new members for the next season, and although they are far away, I thought I should put my name in for a spot. Overall, they seem like a laid-back and good group of riders. We'll have to see what happens.

Now for my somewhat exciting story... After the drive back to Colorado Springs I pull up to the curb and wearily begin unloading all of my bike crap. While at the curbside door with my backpack on, wheel in one hand, and bike in the other, the wind picks up and starts blowing all of the yellow leaves that had fallen into the gutter up in the air and into my face. I notice a cracking noise that resembles a muffled gunshot and realize that one of the branches above me had broken off. Leaving my bike, and without dropping anything I dash to the other side of the street to see a huge portion of a tree fall within feet of where I was standing. I looked around and realized that nobody in the neighborhood had seen that what had just happened; I was astonished. Jackie came outside after she saw the branch fall from her bedroom window's view. It all got less intense from here, but the interesting thing is that the city had hired a crew to cut down hazardous branches this past week. Unfortunately, they totally skipped our trees despite the sign Eileen had put up.

Anyways, Good stuff.

Pikes Peak SuperCross #1

2007-09-22T14:48:00.001-07:00

Kevin Healy trounced the Men's 35+ category this morning with a second place finish in race one of the two-race series.

Complete event write-up to follow...
(later this evening)

Okay, it's been almost a week so I probably should end this perpetual "later this evening" thing. If I left you on the edge of your seat all I can say is that I am sorry... Believe me, putting this off has been a white-knuckle ride for me too...

I'm honestly not to jazzed up about following through with this post, so I'll keep the follow lines at about 150 words or less.

I basically entered the Junior race and found out that I was the only 17-18 at the starting line. Now, although stomping on juniors may have it's merits in certain Northern Ohio social circles, I found it rather embarrassing. (Yes, I did just say that) The Cat 4 race went fine for my first cross race. I was around mid-pack until I slid out on an s-turn that was effectively less than the 3m wide course requirement, and also had a freak accident with the barrier tape. Yes, the barrier tape. The tape was already loose and flopping in the wind, but it just so happened that the guy in front on me ran it over and it snapped, sending a yellow streamer into my derailleur cage like a sling shot. I unwound it but still didn't have use of my low gear without sending it into the spokes. I decided finish instead of dropping out of the race. After crossing the line I slammed into my low gear without thinking and the bike came to a halt.

Somehow it wasn't as completely destroyed as it looks, but I have since had a new one installed.

I'll be doing the Boulder CX Series on Saturday. I won't be entering the Junior race or running over yellow tape...

Cross Bike

2007-09-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

In Michigan I worked in the same parking lot as my local bike shop. Needless to say, it wasn't uncommon for me to stop in before a shift or after cashing my check at the bank, which coincidentally was within spitting distance from the shop's bike rack. During my frequent visits I would usually hear about tapering for CROSS, or CROSS NATS, or the CROSS season from one of the shops mechanics who was a more than formidable Road 2 and obviously enough always pretty stoked about CROSS. Without question, I had to see Cyclocross was all about for myself.

A different type of race requires a different bike, and although I couldn't afford to purchase a new bike I was lucky enough to have an aunt with most of the required hardware; namely an old steel-tubed Miyata that would support 700x30c tires and cantilever brakes. The "Rescued" frame's original paint was a horrible metallic green color that was trying too hard to look like Bianchi's trademark Celeste Blue... It definitely needed work. After several days of coating the frame with paint remover it was stripped down to it's (almost Ti-looking) bare metal finish. My Aunt who has proved to be a MacGyver of sorts in the past brandished her painting skills and gave the frame new life with a timeless Black & White paint job that even Renoir would be proud of. The wheel set and drivechain was also pulled from her ~~garage~~ shop, but the bars, canties, fork, and tires are new. The bike is was was topped off with a white and black cable housing attributing it with a classic elegance that only a suited 007 could match.

Overall, I'm pretty proud of the bike. Aside from the painting and adjusting the derailleurs I had a hand in almost every part of the assembly from arranging the cassette to installing the shift/brake cables. The best feedback I've gotten so far is "BADASS," and that's pretty cool coming from the CROSS stoked guy back in Michigan. Anyways, I'm bragging now which means I've obliged not to fall on my ass this during Saturday's race.

Thanks Eileen.

I'm back?

2007-08-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

(*This photo is by Justin Miller First plce winner of '06 NNL Contest.)

It's definitely been a while since my last post. I really felt burnt out after camp and there was a two week period of time where I rode maybe twice. The break was probably long over-due considering I have been racing since April(STS?) and ramping up training since the winter months... Last December I was Arizona on x-mas vacation upholding a masochistic schedule with 16mi runs and 40mi rides on consecutive days. For a first season the training was probably slightly haphazard and there is something to be said about peaking in July instead of late May... Anyways.

I've been in The Springs for almost two weeks now. It takes around a month or so to fully build up your red blood cell count and acclimate to the altitude. Not quite there yet, but I feel much better on the rides now than I did a week ago.

I rolled out for a Sunday morning group ride yesterday. It was a pretty demanding three hour ride. One rider looked like he was from Slipstream/Chipotle. He wasn't wearing the jersey, but he had the shorts and the bike with his name over argyle on the top tube. It was neat, but of course I didn't see him much.

We started from Starbucks downtown and rode through the Air Force Academy, up the back end of Woodmen, and then up Flying W Ranch rd. What was left of the group did do a lap through the Garden of the Gods, but I split off. I'm not sure how many miles I logged because my Garmin was set to indoor mode, but it was one of the most mentally demanding rides I've done in a long time...

All is well. Still riding.

Maillot Jaune, Riding Easy, and a Blogging Hiatus.

2007-07-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

Maillot Jaune last saturday was a fun race. There was a slight snafu when I went east on M14 thinking that I was on eastbound I96. My (usually) impeccable sense of direction and primarily the mile markers on the shoulder tipped me off to my mistake. Apparently, I96 East and I96 West doesn't exactly cross over I275 in a neat X shape (think aerial view), but rather a "Z." Anyways.
I was pre-registered for the 17-18 Junior race, but I decided to switch to the Cat 4 field after suspecting that I would be the only Junior in my age group. The volunteers running the registration tables weren't complete idiots, but they didn't understand the concept that, since I'm a junior, I am eligible for "category" races as well as the Junior race. They insisted that I was trying to pull something over on them and said, " We don't make the rules, we only enforce them." Paul Alman came over, sorted everything out, and told them that I could do the cat 4 race. I shouldn't fault anyone on their ignorance, but I wasn't keen on being accused of lieing.
The race went without any incident and I'd have to say that the "Michigan Pavé" was probably more unpleasant than Cone–Azalia. At least at Cone, the whole point is to ride on crap roads... I was really surprised that nobody flatted (that I saw). On the first lap a rider had hit an orange pylon that was marking a turn and sent it bouncing in front of my wheel. With luck of timing it narrowly missed my wheel. I stayed in the back 3/4th of the field of 58(?) riders for most of the 39 miles. Riding on the ass of the field is no way to win a race and I'm sure Darrell Anderson has an opinion on the race tactics—or lack of—that I employed on Saturday.
I'm not one to make excuses, but I know it's not rational to believe that you can go on an eighty-mile training ride and then stay out until 4am the same day during a pre-race week... Think last Tuesday's criterium prime.

*********

My co-worker, Eric Belanger, has consistently been interested in my progress throughout the season, my races, and generally about the whole cycling thing. He's not super athletic, but he ran Cross Country up until his Junior year, and has proved that he has some lungs on him when he wasted me in a three mile run last month. Well, I decided to see if he was wanted to demo a bike from Jack's and go for an easy ride today. He was up for the adventure and rode a solid twenty-two miles on a Giant OCR1. He bonked about 6 miles from the end of the loop, which I'll attribute to the fact that he skipped breakfast, but it was neat to have a peer interested in "the whole cycling thing." Last week, Rob Foshag—who had been fresh from a two week break—told me never take my fitness for granted. Those words rang true today with Eric when I realized that I had forgotten I couldn't always ride twenty without cooking.

*********

Okay, so I'm planning on making my Colorado move sometime around the 15th of August. The date is still tentative, but because of this I am picking up extra hours at work and probably will not find time to update the blog until then. I'm ordering a laptop, which should also yield a more consistent string of posts. So, and until then, don't panic if I don't post... I have not abandoned!

Laginappe: I may seperapte this post into three indivual blogs, and back post the Maillot Jaune blog at a later date.
(Oh, and is my sentence structure confusing anyone else or am I just tired?)

2007-07-10T21:00:00.001-07:00

On Satuday morning Jackie and I set out from Tierra Amarilla on a moderate fifty-mile ride that would take us through the mountains of northern New Mexico. Supposedly, the route was not going to be too difficult—I had an understanding that there would be some climbing involved, but during the first four miles I knew something was wrong. After slogging along in close to my smallest cog and taking notice to the small stream running beside us I realized that we were climbing on what seemed like a descent. Now, I do like long ascents, but this early stretch of highway was demoralizing. We were ascending on what seemed like a flat or even slightly downhill road? Anyways, I bitched and quickly got over it when the road went visibly vertical.

The ride began at an elevation of 7,600ft and the first ascent crested at 10,600 around 15 miles later... Let's just say it was a bitch for a sea-level kid with less than a week to acclimate to the altitude. It wasnt so much the grade, but the length of the climb seemed endless. Also, I had somehow accumulated a swarm of small biting flys that I could not shake loose. Flailing my arms looked stupid and was useless, so they were a slight motivation to pick up the pace and move my ass to the top of the hill. I did take a short break before the descent to refuel and wait for my lagging riding partner to catch up. My aunt has been training for Rowing nationals in Tennessee and as a result has lost form on the bike. As an amazing athlete who has ran four minute miles, marathons, and has raced [bikes] professionally I would have had my competition cut out for me if not for this circumstance.

My other aunt Eileen who was serving as the driver of our unofficial sag vehicle came in handy about eleven miles from Tres Piedras. On a bomber descent my chain ring somehow had caught my front derailler during a botched shift and totally seized up my drivetrain... It's nice to have a twenty-five year (plus) mechanic on your side. Anyways, she did her thing and I was back on the road in about three minutes from the time she was out of the car. I went into time trial mode and decided to go all the the way in to TP where our ride would end. Unfortunately, I did not know that there was another mile-or-so long climb still ahead. After I began climbing, the car came up behind me. I expected Jackie to be in it's slipstream so I jumped on the pedals until I realized that I was still alone. When I got to the top it was pretty much a big ring soft-pedal from there on out. We spent the rest of the afternoon in Taos, New Mexico where we ate lunch and checked out the local bike shop.

*Images by Jacob Liberacki

Oldie but Goodie

2007-07-08T23:07:00.001-07:00

So, I hope everyone has been watching Le Tour.

Let's go Vino?

I wonder how it corners.

2007-07-05T20:07:00.001-07:00

I thought it was neat and I figured the ingenuity and sheer wackiness of this hand crafted two-wheeler shouldn't go unnoticed.

Without attempting to sound overtly profound or cliche; It's free spirited design epitomizes everthing a bicycle is meant to be... am I right?

It is requested that the owner contact me at c_liberacki@yahoo.com with his/her name, other info, and to recieve due credit for the design.

Support Your LBS

2007-07-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

USAC Development Camp

2007-06-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past week pounding out miles on the streets of La Crosse, Wisconsin and the surrounding towns as part of the 2007 North-Central USAC development camp. Beginning on the 24th of June and ending five days later on the 29th, it was mainly a selection camp for two high-bill Canadian races; the Tour of l'Avenir and the Tour of l'Abitibi. I managed to make nine seconds from being an alternate for l’Abitibi, which happens to be the only UCI sanctioned race in North America for Juniors, and has been also dubbed the "Tour of France" for 17–18 athletes. Even though I almost managed to be an alternate for the race I still view it as an accomplishment for a first-year rider.

The week consisted of a high mileage/hour schedule that proved to be extremely taxing on my legs. According to the loosely kept mileage chart I jotted down, we squeezed in somewhere around 250 (hard) miles in the short time that we were there.

Michigander, Larry Warbasse who rides for Priority Health's development team dominated the three time trials that were used as an evaluation of our abilities. With a total time of 58min 59secs he was almost a whole minute ahead of second place finisher, Yorgos Arambadjis, who clocked 59min 41sec. Fifteen year-old Taylor Birmann who rides for the South Lyon team showed exactly what his legs are made of (we're still trying to find out) by placing third overall in the regional camp standings—an amazing achievement for someone in the 15–16 age group.

I'm cooked—as my DNF at Dexter would prove— and I need to pack for Colorado Springs. Here are some camp stats...

Top Three
1. Larry Warbasse 0:58:59
2.Yorgos Arambadjis 0:59:41
3.Taylor Birmann 1:00:09
*Zach Maino 1:02:16

*Tony Wieczorek 1:06:03

*Colton Liberacki 1:07:58

Tour of Kensington Valley 2007: An Overview

2007-05-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

I can not compare this year's to any previous, but overall I would have to say that it went very well for me. The weather held out for my races on both days; the temperature in the morning on Saturday was just nippy enough for the arm and leg warmers, and the rain clouds didn't pose any threat beside the short-lived sprinkle.
I came out 2nd in the 17-18 Junior GC which sounds like an accomplishment, but I'm going to play it down because there were only eight people in the field... Christopher Brinkman of Saturn/Shell of Toledo took first, and his team mate Daniel Ritter somehow managed third after horrible performances in the first two stages. I'll breakdown my recollection of the stages.

Stage One: Individual TT (2.7mi)
I was a little jittery, but super stoked to be using the ramp for the first time. I had a decent start, but quickly spun out in my largest gear due to the almost immediate descent. Lapped the kid in front of me. Had an alright turn around the cone, but felt that I started breaking too soon.
After the turn around, the course really starts to kick your ass. Despite feeling strong I somehow managed to not puke on the ascent to the finish. I toughed it out and kicked it in for a second place finish... Actually, my team mate, Mac, from The Velo Club deserved the position, but his points for the stage were revoked after he failed his roll-out.

Stage Two: 20 Lap Criterium
Before the stage I realized that I was having a technical with my front derailleur, as it would not shift up form the little to the big ring. It was not totally a big deal because I did not need the 39t, but it was an inconvienience.
I led the group for the first two or so laps. After I was done with my pull and started drifting back on the outside, Brinkman attacks through the inside of the corner. I was in bad position to make a move, but managed to chase him and Mac into the wind until I blew up a lap later. Ritter didn't even seems to react to Brinkman's attack from the start and was now nowhere in sight. From there on out it turned into another time trial. Brinkman dropped Mac somewhere around three laps form the finish, and that's how the placing went.

Stage Three: 23mi Road Race
I totally put off wrenching on my derailleur until the morning, and it wasn't looking good. Even with the screw practically falling out it would not shift... Definitely not pleasant news before a hilly road race where being able to move from big to small is paramount for sucess... I ended up manually moving it onto my 52t for the start and shifting down when I hit the first hill.
Caleb Bromley from AAVC unfortunately flatted on the first lap before the neutral parking lot. Our pace was horrendously slow. Brinkman was helping Ritter by allowing him to sit on his wheel until the finish. There was one point on the second lap going down the hill by the park office where he and Mac jumped 150m off the front leaving ritter and I still on the Descent. Ritter was pounding it out in his large chainring and I was stuck in the aero position, yet still accelerating past him. I imagine that this would have been the deciding point in the race where Brinkman, Mac, and I would have went off the front—If I had a usable 52t.
On the final ascent Mac and Brinkman went off the front, Ritter and I crested together, I pulled ahead and started pushing up the slight incline 400m to the finish, Ritter passed me, and I managed 5th place. Oh well, it's all about the points right?

Overall Omnium Standings

Christopher Brinkman... 90pts

Colton Liberacki... 67pts

Daniel Ritter ... 62pts

Introduction

2007-04-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the sport of Cycling during the summer of 2006 while enrolled in a Summer Session class at Colorado College. I was staying off campus my two aunts who happen to be old (not that old) roadies. It was only a matter of time before they kitted me up and threw me onto the saddle of a Bianchi for an easy spin... Without any warning that time came sooner than I had imagined on only the third day of my trip. The rest of my stay I found myself riding atleast every other day before or after class. The rest, well, I guess you could say it's history because I've been hooked ever since.

I did not arrive back home empty handed as they graciously decided to give me the celeste-colored bike that I had been sporting around The Springs for the previous five weeks.

So far, I've been putting in my early season miles, and I even have two criteriums under my belt. Of course I'm only Cat 5, but like everyone else, I'd like to think of myself as pretty fit for my category. Who knows, if things progress as they have been I should be Cat 3/4 in no time, right? Wishful thinking maybe, although... maybe not.

I intend to use this blog to document my progress, post local race photos, and generally just bullshit about cycling. Bookmark the addy and check back often. Good things to come, I promise.

Well, I'm off the the races. Crit at 9am.

Keep the Rubber Side Down.
Colton.

Rubber-side Down

Photo Update

Oh me oh my, it has been a while.

November Update.

Update.

Picture Post

Geekdom

Insane, Crazy or Buck-Wild, Crazy?

End of Season Road Race.

An Honest Ride

Dorm Life.

Boulder Roubaix

Men's Olympic Road Race.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Garmin-Chipotle Mustache Scandal

I can't wear yellow-tinted sunglasses, can you?

Carlos Sastre: A Suitable Winner.

Review: Deda RS-Corsa

Lone Tree Criterium

blah.

Eleven.. Eleven... Eleven...

V02 Max²

Grand Lake image dump

Hugo

Update from Michigan

Test

Late Night Discoveries

San Francisco, Mootry Crit, upcoming Lookout HC

SF Images

Moab

Oredigger Classic: Lookout Hill Climb

2008 Koppenberg Circuit

Blue Rc6Al

Ultra Torque Assembly

More Parts Arrive

More Stuff

New Pony

Image Upload

Boulder–Ward–Lyons­­­­­­­­­­–Boulder

Windy.

Riding at Night.

Blog Updates

Skate

The New Year

Oh, December.

The Weather Outside is Frightful Balmy.

Star Struck

Crystal Park

Harder than You.

Twin Peaks Ride

Wind Advisory in the 80903

Pikes Peak SuperCross #1

Cross Bike

I'm back?

Maillot Jaune, Riding Easy, and a Blogging Hiatus.

Oldie but Goodie

I wonder how it corners.

Support Your LBS

USAC Development Camp

Tour of Kensington Valley 2007: An Overview

Introduction

Boulder–Ward–Lyons–Boulder