Bicycle Soup

Know thy self

2012-01-16T06:22:00.000-05:00

Who am I kiddin'? Myself? As the 2012 MTB and road racing seasons approach, and I am looking at different events to participate in, the SMT100 is still on my list. Really?

If I'm honest, I really can't see me racing it. Riding it maybe, racing it...not so much.

You see, I'm starting to realize what kind of racer that I am. It takes a marathon runner to race the SMT100, and I race long distances like a hockey player.

Put a marathon runner on a singlespeed in a 'cross race and they will look like I did in last years SMT100; frustrated.

I'm cut out to race hard for an hour, not a whole day.

Please don't let me be misunderstood

2012-01-03T16:41:00.002-05:00

Sometimes my brain has good intentions, but all of the pathways don't always fire in the proper sequence.

Case in point;

My brain thinks that calling Thursday "Friday Eve" is completely sensible. To the other 99.9% of the people out there (who have brains that function normally), Friday Eve is Friday Night.

So to clarify...the Thursday Night MTB Ride will still be on Thursday night, not Friday!

I guess that I need to come up with a new name for the ride. One that is cool. One that is hip. One that is down with it. One that will never go out of style.

How about The Thursday Night Metal Mountain Bike Ride?

(Yes Gordon, carbon bikes are welcome)

Friday Eve

2012-01-02T11:25:00.004-05:00

It's a new year, and it's time for a new name for an old ride. The "Get Dirty" Thursday Ride shall hence be known as the Friday Eve MTB Ride.

The details:

Where: Explore Park
When: Every Thursday through the spring time change
What time: ride leaves at 6pm

*Bring your light. It's dark out there.

We'll ride as little or as much as the group wants. It's gonna be social, but sometimes we'll probably hammer too. It will always be fun. So get your weekend started on the right foot and join us every Friday Eve!

As always, we will find some food somewhere after the ride!

Stay thirsty my friends

2011-12-29T06:02:00.001-05:00

So I return here once again. Back to the blogosphere. It's amazing how somtimes you don't want to let anyone know what's going on in your life, and other times you want to tell everyone.

In retrospect, 2011 was a very unusual year for me. It's not that I was trying to stay private, it just happened to work out that way. There haven't been any life-changing events. It was just different.

Bicyle riding and racing was put more on the back-burner in favor of other pursuits. It was fun. Both Pookie and I enjoyed an entire year without racing, except for that short little race called the Shenandoah Mountain 100.

The plan is for 2012 to be our comeback year in singlespeed mountain bike racing. No road races, no CX, no gears...just good ol' fashioned one speed racin'.

Until then, it's on with the other new love...SKIING!

Maybe I spoke too soon...

2011-09-07T06:26:00.000-04:00

I really want to cross that finish line! After reading Dicky's blog and a few other accounts of what it's like to finish this beast of a race, I need to cross that line.

Learning the hard way (keep it short)

2011-09-05T11:47:00.001-04:00

Experience is the best teacher, and I've just been schooled. I've had this notion for a couple of years now that ultra endurance mountain bike racing was gonna be my thing. I've ridden the miles, done the hours in the saddle, eaten the lean meat and fish. What I've discovered (especially after yesterday's Shenandoah Mountain 100) is that I really suck at it.

Every ultra-type race I've attempted has ended the same way; DNF.

I can tear it up for about 3 hours, then I lose all will to live, let alone race my bike anymore. OK, that may be a little of an exaggeration, but you get my point.

I am glad that I attempted Shenandoah because it has forced me to take a good look at myself and what I'm actually good at. It has forced me to ask myself if it's still fun, this racing thing. And it is...for about 2 hours.

I guess I better buy a cyclocross bike.

September Stormtrooping

2011-09-02T06:41:00.001-04:00

It's here. The days of surreal stupendousness. Fall. I love this time of the year. 99% of the heat is behind us, leaves turning, hockey and chilliness are ahead.

As I write this, the Shenandoah Mountain 100 is two days away for me. Those of you who have visited this here blog over the past several years know that I've talked about this race alot, but I've never done it. There are many (good) excuses for this: dislocated shoulders, bum knees, laziness...All of that is history. I will be on the starting line at 6:30am Sunday.

I'm looking forward to it for a couple of reasons. First, I'm in shape and I'm rested, which almost never happens. Second, if after a few hours I'm having a terrible race, I can revert to "fun" mode and just enjoy some great trails and great people, then great beer.

Bottom line, I'm gonna enjoy my first attempt. Cheer me on...

Fit

2011-08-23T06:45:00.000-04:00

This is me. More and more every day. Time for a change. I mean a real change. Nothing like ever before. We only get one chance at life. I believe that we are required to live it to it's fullest.

Parkway Paradise

2011-08-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning was special. Mid August around here is usually so thick that you can cut it with a set of high-priced carbon wheels. But this morning was different. Low humidity is something to be cherished in August. You must bask in it like a cool mountain stream.

I basked for 90 glorious miles. I even started off with arm warmers.

Words can't do it justice. Neither can just two pictures, but here they are anyway.

Wrong blog

2011-08-20T18:58:00.000-04:00

I just posted something profound, but on the wrong blog. In that case...nevermind.

Big balls

2011-07-13T18:26:00.001-04:00

I'm thinking about building an obstacle course in my backyard. Big balls are a must, not over water but around trees to form a giant human pinball game. And, the course must be completed on a bicycle, of course.

Legit

2011-07-12T06:17:00.000-04:00

29ers are slow.
29ers are heavy.
29er don't accelerate well.
29ers aren't for XC racing.
29ers will never win a World Cup XC event.

Jaroslav Kolhavy was the first. Many more will follow.

Don't wave at me!

2011-07-07T22:18:00.004-04:00

My (almost) daily training rides have taken me onto the Roanoke River Greenway quite often lately. It's a very easy connection from my house to loops that I like on the other side of town.

I'd have to say that about 40% of the Greenway cyclists that I see are helmetless. If that wasn't bad enough, nearly half of those want to remove one hand from the bars in order to be friendly and wave at me! For the love of Pete keep your hands on the bars! You're making me a nervous wreck!

I've seen too many experienced cyclists crash for no reason at all. So the "I ride within my ability" excuse doesn't cut it when you're riding on a hard surface with tons of unpredictable joggers, dog walkers, stroller pushers, fishermen, rollerbladers and other cyclists.

So if you're on the Greenway without a helmet and you wave to me I will ignore you. I want no parts of you cracking your noggin open.

Finish it!

2011-07-06T06:49:00.001-04:00

It's official: I will be racing the 2011 Shenandoah Mountain 100.

I've never done anything like this before, but I will be ready. I have 9 weeks to go and have already put together a pretty solid 2-week training block that has included separate 40 and 50 mile singlespeed training rides. I have a good feeling about this so far. The mileage and hours are passing very smoothly. The surgically repaired knee is strong and pain and swelling free.

Having a big goal ahead is a very good thing. Although my 2011 racing season has not existed, the few races that I will be doing are destined to be a blast!

Here's what I have on the slate:

July 23rd - Six Hours of Rowdy Dawg - Mountain Lake, VA

Sept 4th - Shenandoah Mountain 100 - Stokesville, VA

Sept 17th - Montvale Mayhem - Bedford, VA

We'll see what else comes up...

Dormant

2011-07-05T17:11:00.003-04:00

This blog left intentionally blank.

Here's the deal. I'm riding. A lot. Good bicycle things to come in the future...

Bigventure

2011-03-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

Recently, the word "epic" has been epically over-used. Folks fling it around like it's commonplace.

Epic is special.

Epic is rare.

Epic is memorable.

Epic spawns incredible tales of adventure.

Epic should be reserved as the colorful description of some crazy outing that you almost didn't survive.

Let's be careful with the use of this special word from now on. How about this: Any ride that transpires without the treat of death or dismemberment should be descibed as "Bigventurous".

Any ride, be it mountain or road, that you wish you had carried a weapon, had to start a fire or perform CPR should be labeled "Epic".

The search begins

2011-03-07T06:07:00.001-05:00

Pookie has had a love/hate relationship with her ten-year-old Cannondale since the day they first met. Well honestly, it's been mostly hate. She tells me that she just feels unstable riding on the road with traffic and gravel and potholes. I believe that she probably feels that way because of her position on the bike.

With our new home so close to the low-traffic Blue Ridge Parkway, a new, more comfortable road bike seem like a natual thing to place in her future.

The Trek Lexa SLX looks nice, but what do I know...I'm a guy. Ladies, any suggestions? We want to keep the tab under $1500. She won't be doing any racing, but we will be racking up some serious miles.

2011-03-06T11:55:00.001-05:00

More toast!

Hot like wasabi

2011-03-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

My MINI doesn't look anything like this...yet. I have union jack mirrors and roof and silver allows. I like the blacked-out grille and wheels on this one, so I shall do the same to mine.

I will post pictures of my very own soon, just not yet. She isn't ready for the limelight.

Old posts

2011-02-15T08:32:00.000-05:00

For some reason, the last few posts have been in limbo for about a month. Um, Blogger tech dudes, you there?

King!

2011-01-28T06:01:00.000-05:00

The new wheel is complete! King hub and Stan's ZTR 355 rim. I'm hesitant to even take it outside until the weather decides to break a bit. I know what you're thinking: "It's a mountain bike wheel. Stop being such a ____". Ok, point taken. I guess the next best excuse that I have is that I don't have any tires yet.

Over the edge

2011-01-20T18:01:00.000-05:00

What I still like

2011-01-18T06:10:00.000-05:00

So as you know from some recent posts, I will succumb to my mid-life semi-crisis by freeing myself from the station wagon and getting into something sporty and fun. (Life's too short, you know). I'm back to looking at MINI Coopers. They're fast, happy, and get 35mpg. And as you can see from the picture I found floating in the Googlesphere, I can get a bike rack on the roof easily.

One week later

2011-01-14T06:05:00.000-05:00

Seriosly, I never thought that knee surgery would go so well. I used crutches to get from the car to the house on the day of surgery and havn't looked at them since.

See, it's practical!

2011-01-12T06:52:00.001-05:00

My biggest concern with going from a big honkin' station wagon to a swift and nimble (and small) GTI is the ability to carry bicycles.

Looks like this is a non-issue as there are many options that will allow the use of a fancy hitch-mounted bike rack.

The best part? I'll never have to put a dirty MTB wheel in my uber-clean GTI!

So, it's looking more and more like I'll be test-driving a VW this weekend!

Is this my fast?

2011-01-11T06:18:00.000-05:00

I am not a station wagon type of guy, yet I've been driving a Subaru Outback wagon just like this one since 2007. Don't get me wrong, it's a really great car...

But I really miss our VW. There are currently 2 of these Fahrenheit edition GTIs for sale within a couple hours of Roanoke. Both are reasonably priced. Perhaps one will become mine and I can make peace with my fast again. (You VeeDub folks know what I'm talking about!)

My knee is fixed, time to shave my head

2011-01-08T11:05:00.004-05:00

This story starts about a year ago, I think. I had just completed a successful rehab of a dislocated shoulder and was having a nice frigid mountain bike ride with Gordon and Laura. Suddenly the 1 inch of fresh powder that I was barreling over at about 20 mph turned into a solid sheet of ice. Being a hockey player, I actually like sheets of ice, just not on a mountain bike. And especially not at speed. So, as you could imagine, body met ice instantly and violently. Laura slid into me, and Gordon into her. Luckily they were both uninjured. I was writhing in pain. Every joint hurt. It was as if something yanked my bike from beneath me from the left side like there was a rope tied to the frame. Upon impact, every appendage was bent in a direction in opposition to the way God had attached them. However, my newly-strengthened shoulder was perfect! I was happy. Adrenaline (along with a pinch of stupidity and stubbornness) kept me out on that ride for about another hour.

Days went by and most of the pain(s) subsided. Along into the "off-season" I pushed. P90X is my weapon of choice for building winter strength. Push ups, pull ups, Yoga X, and lots and lots of plyometrics. Very high-impact stuff. My left knee reminded me of the twisted crash the more I jumped on it with reckless abandon. I had pain it that same knee almost every year prior after doing P90X for a few months, but it always went away when I moved from high-impact back to pedaling.

That did not happen in 2010. The pain continued and worsened the more I trained. I'd back off a bit, driving myself mentally crazy, and try to make up for the lull on the other side once the pain subsided. Train, race, hurt like hell, rest, repeat.

Off to the ortho I go...

The swelling in my knee was an obvious indication that something was brewing in there that wasn't going away on it's own. Long story short, the progression went something like this over the next few months: Prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, followed by reduced pain & swelling, followed by my stupidity, followed by more pain & swelling, followed by Paula telling me to rest a bit, repeat.

The MRI was ordered a month back or so and revealed (surprise!) a torn medial meniscus. Surgery was scheduled for yesterday Jan 7th, and went down without issue. I have to thank the great folks at Roanoke Ambulatory Surgery for taking care of me in such an awesome manner. Everyone there made the experience extremely easy on me. An extra-special thanks goes to Dr. George Henning for his professionalism! Kudos Doc!

So now the 2011 season begins. The base miles start to accumulate as soon as Dr. Henning says they can. I gotta tell ya this much, dislocating a shoulder is infinitely more painful than having a knee scoped!

The shaving my head part in the title was just to get your attention!

The countdown starts

2011-01-03T22:42:00.003-05:00

Surgery to repair my torn medial meniscus is this Friday the 7th. Hard to believe that such a small injury could cause so much pain. Hopefully I can put that all behind me in about a week or two and be back to my normal self. Well OK, I've never really been entirely normal...

2010-11-22T13:58:00.003-05:00

Team RealTree's new kits are nearly invisible to most game animals, but do not provide the cooling comfort of traditional cycling gear.

2010-11-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

2010-10-25T06:57:00.000-04:00

Blogs are dead.

Night lights

2010-10-20T06:28:00.004-04:00

Last night was the very first night that we stayed at our new place on the mountain. The spoiled pooch and I rolled up to the front door after dark to deposit the last few items from our old place and to settle in. From behind I hear "Hey Warren!"...I spin around to notice three fellow mountain bikers, two of which I know as friends, rolling up toward The Virginia Pine Trail on a night ride! The two of them were showing off our awesome local trails to a new Roanoker. So freakin' cool.

Yea, I think we're gonna like the new place.

All I can do is wait...

2010-10-12T06:49:00.000-04:00

I am a man without a country. I have two houses (one I'm selling and one that I'm buying) that are toatally empty. Pookie and I have been sleeping on the floor of our empty house on camping pads in our sleeping bags. I haven't cooked a meal in six days. Life is completely out of balance.

I know it is temporary. I keep thinking ahead to the very near future when we will be living in a house with a trailhead less than 100 yards from my front door.

Unbalanced

2010-10-07T06:47:00.000-04:00

Moving is a self-inflicted man-made disaster. Life keeps going all around you, but every ounce of your energy is focused on abandoning one place for another.

Riding a bicycle is non-existent. I brush my hand along the stem of a bicycle as I walk by and say "I remember you. We'll be together soon". Like some long-lost love.

Fitness? There is no trace of remaining fitness. How could I tell if I haven't been on a bike for weeks?

It'll all be behind us soon enough. Just like in baseball, hockey, football...there's always next year.

Next year is here! Almost.

2010-09-30T06:37:00.001-04:00

Yes, I'm already planning for April! Why? Because I love this race.

PS: Ignore the date on the logo above. You'll see by following the link that the 2011 date is April 2nd. See ya in Carolina!

Puzzle pieces

2010-09-27T06:28:00.002-04:00

In a tub full of junk in my basement I found a Star Wars puzzle from my youth. I got to thinking - what's the purpose of puzzles? What's the allure? Why do people like them? Why don't I like them all that much?

I may have found the answer, for me at least. Puzzles are finite. They can only be put together one way. All of the pieces either fit together to form a picture, or they don't.

Now let's compare that to building a mountain bike; My 2004 Gary Fisher Rig is completely different from the day I bought it. Only one piece of the original puzzle still remains - the frame. Which by the way isn't even the original color. Yet, the puzzle fits together perfectly. She is a thing of beauty and grace. She rides like a dream. She is fast. She is comfortable. And the pieces of the puzzle are always changing.

The next piece is the Chris King singlespeed hub I have on the way. I guess I like puzzles, just with interchangeable pieces.

2010-09-24T06:37:00.000-04:00

I heart jet noise.

2010-09-03T06:57:00.000-04:00

You've been good to me...

2010-09-02T06:13:00.000-04:00

My beloved Regina,

You have been so good to me, now I want to be good to you. You were purple and endured years of people calling you "the Rig", as if you were just a chunk of metal. I know that you are more. I know you have a soul. These gifts will be for you to show you how much I care.

Singlespeeds and knee pain

2010-09-01T06:46:00.000-04:00

I have a theory that will surely spur some discussion: Singlespeeds do more to reduce knee pain than to induce it.

Stay tuned...

My completeness

2010-08-31T06:04:00.000-04:00

She is back together and as beautiful as ever.

Size matters

2010-08-30T06:25:00.000-04:00

I so want a Mini. No, I mean I really so want a Mini. I would be losing some major cargo space if I parted with the Outback, but the fun would make up for it. Is it just a dream or can I make it a reality? Could Pookie & I fit ourselves and all the gear necessary for a weekend MTB racing getaway in there? I know one thing, carrying all the gear necessary for 24 hour races would be a challenge...

Just dreamin'

2010-08-25T06:46:00.000-04:00

Next year, Colorado in August would be pretty nice. I've endured one too many 90 degree days with 90% humidity this year.

I see red (I wanna be like JHK)

2010-08-23T06:40:00.000-04:00

I think I may have finally figured it out: red is the fastest color. That's why JHK has red grips. Therefore, I will get red grips, thus making me fast.

Quiet please!

2010-08-19T07:25:00.002-04:00

Hey, wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world? Try riding the original GF Rig with the metal eccentric bottom bracket. After just a few hours of tourque it sounds like popcorn and rice crispies. Enter the Carver lexan eccentric Bottom bracket. Shhhhhh!

This baby will be sliding into the freshly-painted white frame as soon as the clear coat dries...uh, and as soon as I have a chance to pick it up from my friends and East Coasters...

2010-08-17T06:43:00.000-04:00

Phases

2010-08-16T17:45:00.000-04:00

Powder coating phase: COMPLETE

Decal phase: COMPLETE

Next phase: clearcoat

Stay tuned for more updates.

Monstah

2010-08-13T06:39:00.001-04:00

29er? Ha! I spit n your 29er.

Look over here at Gajitz for a glimpse of what is on the mountain biking horizon.

More doping

2010-08-10T06:20:00.000-04:00

Vitamin water? Really? Before long you'll have to fast for 30 days and drink nothing but plain water in order to pass a pee test.

2010-08-08T19:02:00.001-04:00

You've no doubt seen the "Dopers Suck" slogan on t-shirts and cycling socks. I wonder if Floyd Landis wears stuff with "I Suck" printed on it.

High impact, without the high impact

2010-08-06T06:03:00.000-04:00

I've heard that the first real human "feeling" is not love, or hate, joy or sadness, but the realization that you are alive. I would guess that it's so powerful because the next realization that you logically come to is that you are also going to die. Now stick with me here, this isn't a "waiting for the inevitable" type of blog post, this is actually the "every day counts" type.

What I'm getting at is that we as human beings should take advantage of every day and live it to the fullest. Obviously, some days are better than others. As athletes, things like muscle and joint pain can sometimes turn great days into something less.

This entire year I've lived with on-again, off-again knee pain. Mostly on-again. It has affected my riding, racing and every other athletic endeavour. I wish I could point to a specific incident that injured the knee, but I just can't think of any one event that may have caused this. I am however quite certain that the high-impact plyometrics and resistance exercises that I've been doing for the last few off-seasons has had an impact.

One step that I will take leading into Fall is to use yoga as my cross training to eliminate most of the knee-hurting, high-impact stuff. No running (unless it's from a bear, or perhaps my wife), no plyo, less tennis (unless I can get a clay court hook-up) and more singlespeeding. Yes, singlespeeds are knee friendly...if you stand up and crank!

Now I need to go buy some incense.

Let's all do the doper dance

2010-08-05T06:24:00.001-04:00

Cyclists do it.
Baseball players do it.
Football players do it.
Tyler did it but said he didn't. He got caught.
Floyd did it but said he didn't, took a bunch of money from people that believed him, then got caught.
Ivan did it and got caught.
Now someone (else) said Lance did it. Lance said he didn't.

I guess the real question is: Would you do it if there were no adverse affects? No? What if your career and your income depended on it? Hmmm, gotcha thinkin' a little bit now, eh?

Another fine refurb example

2010-08-03T06:27:00.001-04:00

Someone has this '07 Rig listed on ebay...she's a real looker.

I'm finished with multi-gazillion dollar mountain bikes with high-end shifters and 2 x 17 drivetrains. I'm (again) going back to my roots. What's this, three times now that I've abandoned the singlespeed for a bike I eventually grow to hate? I should eventually learn my lesson.

So here I go, running back into her arms again. She always takes me back.

In an effort to show my appreciation to her I will have her adorned in white. Maybe even add some shiny polished goodies.

Ah, the times we've had, and will have again. It's like deja vu all over again.

Watch out for Ryder

2010-07-29T06:23:00.001-04:00

In 2004 I went to Snowshoe, WV to spectate at the NORBA national point series race held there. One of the highlites was watching Ryder Hesjedal win the pro men's XC race...by a lot.

I was sad to see him leave mountain bike racing in favor of skinny tires, but I can understand. That's where the money is.

This year I followed him closely (Thanks Versus!) as the tour weaved it's way through France. He rode himself to 7th overall on GC. I believe he has a legit shot at the podium next year.

Ride on, Ryder!

Contadork

2010-07-26T15:24:00.000-04:00

This is what unsportsmanlike looks like.

Break

2010-07-23T06:54:00.002-04:00

Autumn, autumn.
Autumn, when will you arrive?

I once heard that you should never wish for time to go any faster because you can never get it back. Maybe just a break in these 90 degree days sopping wet with humidity is what I'm really longing for.

I ride on the road and I find myself darting from shade patch to shade patch. On the mountain bike I ride like a shark in the woods; never stop pedaling so the air constantly flows over me.

And we're only in July. What about the dog days of August? Not looking forward to it.

Blackout

2010-07-19T06:23:00.000-04:00

The Rig will be born agian soon with a new skin. Arctic white was the first choice, followed by raw aluminum. Then I happen upon this...as stealthy as it gets: matte black. Sure, it's a road bike, but tell me that a blacked-out singlespeed wouldn't be gooch.

Drool...panting...heavy breathing...

2010-07-14T14:53:00.000-04:00

There's always Leadville...

2010-07-12T06:39:00.000-04:00

Flats

2010-07-09T06:45:00.002-04:00

My letter to Jean-Etienne Amaury, President-ASI (Tour de France organizer)

Dear Mr. Amaury,

As an avid cyclist, cycling fan and all-around good guy, I feel compelled to express my displeasure with the Tour de France route containing stages that are run on flat terrain. Everyone knows that these stages are in the tour simply to take up time (23 days is a lot of racing), and give racers the opportunity to get some TV coverage for their sponsors. But, these stages are torture to watch and even more torturous to listen to. (How long can Sherwin and Liggett talk before all the words are out of their heads? BTW, which one is Paul?)

The stages in this year's tour in Belgium that contained pave' (although flat) did provide some much-needed excitement. The other flat stages sucked, and continue to suck as I watch another boring (and bored) peloton "racing" across France's sunflowered plains.

My suggestion is that you replace these ultra-boring stages with more cobbles, more climbing, and possibly a down-hill time trial.

Regards,

Walking singlespeed

2010-07-09T06:04:00.000-04:00

2010-07-07T22:14:00.003-04:00

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A man has needs...

2010-07-07T06:58:00.001-04:00

I need to let my knee heal completely. (We're making excellent progress)
I need to get back on the bike soon.
I need to renew my USCF license.
I need red handlebar tape.
I need to build my single speed cyclocross machine for fall CX racing action!
I need to put about 1000 miles into my legs before September.
I need carbon road bike wheels for racing.
I need to hit the lottery.

Kneedy

2010-06-30T06:13:00.000-04:00

So after waiting two weeks to see the orthopaedic surgeon I arrived at his office with a million questions and high expectations. I also expected the worst. I knew that they'd have to slice me open and put in some bionic parts...I just knew it!

So he asks me how I did it. "I have no idea. Maybe in a mountain bike race, maybe running". How do you rate your pain when you're riding? "Zero to maybe a one". Then he moves the ailing knee back & forth. Twists it and pulls on it.

My diagnosis: inflammation made worse by not resting. Take some anti-inflammatory (that don't mix with alcohol. !!??!!) Rest more. See me in two months. $50 co-pay please.

Crap. I wanted a bionic knee.

Does Lance have a chance?

2010-06-25T06:20:00.001-04:00

He would be the oldest ever to win the TDF.

Yep, tennis.

2010-06-24T06:07:00.000-04:00

Lot's of short, fast sprints, good practice of hand-eye coordination...I'm hooked. Now if I can only get my knee to stop hurting.

Killing time

2010-06-21T06:31:00.000-04:00

So with little to no riding happening until I can have my knee evaluated, I'm losing my mind with all this extra time. I can't play tennis much for the same reason. When I was training, 10 hours a week on the bike never seemed like enough. Now that I'm resting, 10 hours is an eternity!

Forced rest, season 2

2010-06-15T08:57:00.003-04:00

I had a good season in 2009. I was riding strong, feeling good, and making it onto the podium now and then. It all ended in a split second when I crashed and dislocated my shoulder. It was easy to make the mental transition from racing to recovery because I didn't have a choice.

The 2010 season has yielded mixed results. I've done OK in some short, fast, intense races, but haven't fared so well in some longer events. All the while nursing a nagging knee injury. My body is telling me that something is wrong and I need to pay attention to it. I have just seen my family doctor and gotten a referral to an orthopedic surgeon to determine what's going on.

Bottom line is that some severe pain is forcing me to take some time off...again. Second season in a row. Bummer. Not sure how long it'll be this time.

Mentally I'm not sure how to appraoch this since I don't know what I'm up against yet. I'd like to think that I have more racing in my near future, but we'll see what the doc says. It will be nice to know, that way I can plan (another) comeback.

It's getting hot out there.

2010-06-01T06:41:00.000-04:00

I really have the bike-geek tan workin' after this weekend. Lots of miles while being blanketed in full sun.

Glad I'm not a waterskier.

Golf ball noggin

2010-05-27T06:30:00.000-04:00

Is it just me, or is the Catlike helmet the goofiest-looking thing in the pro peloton?

Hockey Night in Virginia

2010-05-26T07:38:00.003-04:00

Many of you know that I am a rabid hockey fan. Trouble is, hockey is just about non-existant in this little corner of Virginia for some stupid reason. We have the GR8 Alex Ovechkin less than 3 hours away in DC and people are clueless.

The local desperate hockey fans have turned to the Virginia Tech for their fix. Fans have been flocking to see this club team play and folks who want pro hockey and a year-round rink back in Roanoke are noticing.

For those of you who share my passion for this incredible sport and want to keep tabs on the local hockey scene, please check out this site, Not sure who's running it, but I'll find out.

Semi-unicycle

2010-05-24T06:15:00.000-04:00

I especially like the brake lever beneath the saddle and the stunt pegs.

Floyd, you're a loser.

2010-05-20T06:49:00.000-04:00

I used to like Floyd Landis. I even believed him when he said that he wasn't a doper. I've changed my mind. Read all about what this idiot has said now over at VeloNews.

Loser.

White is the new purple

2010-05-18T06:47:00.000-04:00

In my basement last night, I was utilizing my huge biceps during a P90X workout. Hanging on the wall I noticed my incomplete GF Rig from way back in 2005. Known as the Purple People Eater, it is the best bicycle I have ever known. The thought of it hanging there utilized is tugging at my heart strings.

It must be resurrected and ridden!

I found this pic of a Rig that has been lovingly painted white. I am oozing over the white, my friends. However, The White People Eater doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

Another color perhaps? I think I wants me some other color than anything that GF has spit out in mass production.

Yellow is magic. Red is rippin'! Can you see a dark green Rig?

XC for me

2010-05-17T06:42:00.000-04:00

I have an idea; instead of pretending that I'm an ultra-endurance racer I think I'll just race in XC races from here on out. I have time to train properly for those. Besides, I know I can survive for two hours.

It's Friday

2010-05-13T06:43:00.001-04:00

Don't argue with me, it is. At least it's my Friday.

Watched a mountain bike race last night. It always sucks to be on the sidelines, but I need to rest the ailing knee.

Watched my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins lose game 7 to the Montreal Candiens last night. Now the stanley cup playoffs are of little interest to me. I probably won't even watch the next round, only the finals.

Will watch very fast military airplanes this weekend. I heart fighter jets.

2010-05-12T10:31:00.000-04:00

Aging

2010-05-11T06:57:00.001-04:00

My body is starting to alert me that it is getting older and less durable. Some nagging knee pain and swelling is forcing me to miss this Wednesday's Disco race on Mill Mtn. A trip to the doc on Thursday will hopefully yield dome good results, but most likely I'll be sent to see a specialist.

I'll return to the bike soon, and I'll be strong like bull.

What cha got?

2010-05-10T06:25:00.000-04:00

While I was getting geared up yesterday to ride in the 59 degree weather (down from 95 degrees last Sunday!), I pulled on the oldest piece of cycling apparel that I own: Sugoi arm warmers circa 1996.

What's the oldest piece of cycling clothing you have that you still wear regularly?

Where am I?

2010-05-09T09:47:00.003-04:00

Nice rocks. Do you know where they are?

Bike Roanoke

2010-05-06T06:33:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already, check out the handy work that the fine folks over at ride solutions' have done on this site. Very nice.

Race your skinnies

2010-05-04T05:07:00.002-04:00

The folks at Keiren Culture Bicycles in lovely, scenic downtown Roanoke are presenting the Roanoke Civic Center Crit Series starting in June. This is way super-fantastic! The star city has so many racing opportunities this summer that there is something for everyone who wants to come out and compete!

Details are here.

Dumbx9

2010-05-03T05:33:00.001-04:00

1X9 with a 34T chainring at the Douthat XXC was just stupid.

2x9 with a 27/40 is on the way.

All roads lead to racing

2010-04-21T06:01:00.000-04:00

My mountain bike has seen 5 races this year, and it's only April. I have many more on my proposed schedule, most of which are long, endurance races. I haven't been training on the road bike nearly as much as on fat tires. So now that summer draws closer and road races abound, should I hop into a few crits or just keep on with my present dirty course?

Pig wiener

2010-04-19T21:08:00.006-04:00

I had one of "those" rides tonight. I rode like a pig wiener. Two hours forty five minutes. Ridiculous amount of climbing. I had legs made of chalk. No snap. After a stupid loop of all up, I met up with Pookie, Skippy and Chris for some more reasonable riding.

I had no flow, no groove, no mojo, yo.

I hope it was just one of "those" rides and I got it out of my system.

On again, off again

2010-04-16T06:05:00.000-04:00

One race (see last post - Wednesday Night Disco) witout my trusty bar ends and slapped them right back on the morning after. So much more climbing power...

Come boogie with us

2010-04-15T06:08:00.000-04:00

Wednesday Night Disco #1 is history. Don't miss the next three!!

Training block

2010-04-14T06:09:00.001-04:00

I started looking for a picture to steal online of a building block that would best represent my current training plan. I've been putting in some good saddle time a few days a week mixed in with shorter, more intense workouts. In another week I'll take some time off to rest. Basic "training 101" stuff.

When I found this picture, I was reminded once more what's really important in life and why I do what I do in the first place - because I love it. These blocks offer some very good advise. Sometimes I need to be careful not to get caught up so much in reaching a certain point and make sure that I just enjoy the journey.

Six Hours of Warrior Creek Race Report

2010-04-05T20:13:00.004-04:00

All's well that ends well. That old expression is a polite way of saying "things don't always go as planned. Get over it". The 2010 edition of the Six Hours of Warrior Creek for me went exactly as planned. The reason is simple. I had no plan.

I did know two things going in:

1. I was going to start

2. I was going to ride as well as I could for as long as I could.

When I rolled to the line at 10am on Saturday I was surprisingly free of the typical butterflies I find swimming in my stomach at an XC race. I guess having no plan and having no expectations removes a lot of pressure. Besides, six hour events are more like a bike festival or a 24 hour race than a twitchy cross country affair. I did want to be close to the front when the gun went off. The start was uphill on pavement for about a two miles designed to spread everyone out. When I did this event last year I got stuck behind so many riders going into the singletrack that it was impossible to pass for a long, long time. I didn't want a repeat of that fiasco.

So when the signal was given, I hopped on the pain train. If I had to guess I would imagine that I was in the top 20 into the woods out of 200+ racers. Now all I could think about was not holding anyone up. We hammered pretty hard. It felt almost like a twitchy XC race, especially when the dufus with the blue BMCC jersey who didn't know how to ride his freakin' bicycle tried to pass me when there was no room and nowhere to go and crashed me into a ravine. Idiot. There was a line of at least 10 riders in front of me, and we were not slow. Where the hell were you gonna go? I've been doing this for a while and I've never seen anyone pull such a dumb-assed move. You crashed me and caused me to lose about 15 positions because you thought you were fast. Then within 5 minutes of knocking me off the trail I'm right back on your wheel? You obviously are not fast. I hope you DNFed.

Whew! It felt good to get that off my chest.

As I settled in once my blood stopped boiling, I continued on my cross-country race pace to finish my first 12-mile lap in about 56 minutes. The first rider across the line was at 52 minutes. I knew I was pushing a good pace. Perhaps too good. This was going to be a long day if I tried to keep it up for six hours.

I swung into our Roanoke/Lynchburg compound and Pookie was ready with an icy cold Cytomax and some Powerbar Bites. She was my pit crew and I owe her a huge return favor for taking care of me this day.

After my brief respite I headed out for lap two. I could feel lap 1 in my lower back and feet (new shoes, whole different story). My legs told me to lay off the throttle & conserve, but my brain told me to punch it. Lap 2 was slower than lap 1, but still too fast for a six hour pace.

Lap 2 intermission: repeat same as lap 1.

Lap 3 - Oh the pain. My feet were killing me, and my back was getting worse too. Mile 35 was the point when the leg cramps met up with me on the trail. I finished lap 3 with some doubts about getting the 5 laps that I was gunning for.

Lap 4 - Agony, suffering, survival. I made it to mile 48 (4 laps total) and called it a day. The rules stated that your last lap had to be started by 3:30pm. I ended my 4th lap at about 10 after 3. I had time, but no will power, legs, lower back, feet or desire. Other than that, I was good!

The thing I dislike about endurance races is that you have no idea where you are in the standing until the end. If I had gone out for one more lap, I would have finished in the top 10 in the solo 40+ category. Turns out I finished 12th. I'll take it.

Here's what I learned:

1. I need new shoes with a wider toe box.

2. I really need new brakes.

3. Man can not live on Cytomax and Powebar Bites alone. More solid food for next year.

I'll test my mettle again in July at the Dirty Dawg Six Hour Race at Mountain Lake. Nothing but short 5-hour races between now and then. :)

Impending doom

2010-04-01T21:33:00.003-04:00

I am this guy. Imagine rolling up to the line for the start of the Six Hours of Warrior Creek with this kind of equipment. But, my Niner is solid. It's not my equipment that worries me, it's my lack of fitness and mental state.

I have had a bad week. (Understatement) Not at all what I had in mind leading into the first big event of my 2010 racing season.

I will be on that starting line. From there...who knows.

Countdown

2010-03-29T06:07:00.001-04:00

Six hours of racing requires a taper week to kill the dead legs. Hopefully some jump will return Saturday morning. Rest, a good diet and good preparation for the rest of the week...

Another clue

2010-03-26T09:10:00.002-04:00

(or obvious give-away)

If you are just joining us, see previous post.

Where is this trail????

2010-03-24T06:32:00.003-04:00

Here is a very recent pic of Pookie riding some super-sweet sidehill singletrack. Can you guess where in the Roanoke region this trail is?

Just not right

2010-03-19T06:27:00.000-04:00

Ride it! RIDE IT!

2010-03-18T06:12:00.000-04:00

Get Dirty at the Cove returns!

2010-03-16T21:37:00.002-04:00

It's finally here! Thursday March 18th marks the return of the Get Dirty at the Cove weekly mountain bike ride.

It's hard for me to believe, but this will be my 7th year of leading this ride. Over those years I've been fortunate enough to make many new friends, survive many spectacular crashes, see a whole bunch of bears, make everyone laugh at least once, and ride the area's sweetest trails almost each and every Thursday evening.

Please join us. It's always a great time. Complete details are here.

Shopping

2010-03-12T20:48:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we are selling our big house in the city and moving into something a bit more cozy - if we can ever find something we like! So I ask you, is it better to buy something close to trails and great riding that needs some work, or to buy a house that we don't have to do anything to that requires a bit more travel in order to reach good riding? I'm conflicted.

Google maps for bikes!

2010-03-10T06:37:00.002-05:00

Check out this Interweb article about what will soon be available on Google Maps!

Bedford County MTX #2 Race Report

2010-02-28T21:24:00.004-05:00

POST DISCLAIMER: I'm falling asleep as I write this, so the quality should be stellar!

Same park, most of the same folks, but very different weather! Last weekend's 60 degrees and sunny gave way to the weekend's 37 and an angry wind. The other major different; darkness. A six PM start time guaranteed that we'd be racing under the cloak of night, and that the temperature would only get colder as our race progressed.

This week's field was only three racers smaller than last, despite the cold and dark. Race promoter Kenny Palmer laid out another excellent course designed specifically for lung-busting. A nice mix of single track, gravel, pavement and a leg-scorching climb made for an interesting and fun race.

Same format as before: slower racers got a big head start, faster racers are held back. Everyone was trying to do the most laps overall in their allotted time. I started with 44 minutes left on the countdown clock with fellow Expert Vet racers and friends Cliff and Dave. Each lap was similar in that we all rode the singletrack at about the same speed. We'd hit the dirt road and I'd pull away (thanks to the 1x9), then we'd all bomb the grassy downhill section through the small creek crossing. Then the three of us would trade positions just about every lap when it came time to face the open-field climb, and the numbing winds. It was Cliff who would be the strongest in this race.

Long story short: Last week Dave finished ahead of me and Cliff behind. This week Cliff finished ahead of me and Dave behind.

The handicap format works well in ensuring that you have to push yourself really hard to catch the folks who have a head start on you. This week my wife ended up on the top podium spot overall. She rode well and seemed to have fun even though she HATES riding in the wind.

I finished up in 4th overall and moved up a bit in the series standings.

Next week, race #3 and possibly 50 degrees...if the forecasters are right!

How long will it be?

2010-02-25T06:15:00.000-05:00

The weather is getting warmer at a painfully slow rate, but it is getting warmer. The snow around the Roanoke Valley is disappearing from our lawns and driveways. The mountains are a whole different story.

I've heard tales of five foot snow drifts that are still burying mountain bike trails. And even once the snow is gone, the trails will be so muddy that it just wouldn't be a good idea to be on them.

So how long will it be? March is just a few days away, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods. I've seen some wet, nasty March snows before.

Is it possible that we may not get back on the trails until April? I shutter to think...