Circus Freak Ramblings

My cheese has been moved

2008-01-22T21:51:00.000-05:00

Found a new job outside the automotive industry - Chrysler laid me off about 5 weeks ago. Found a suitable replacement source of income -- more $, better benefits all-around. I be happy.

On top of that, I'm sponsored by 2 cycling teams. Everybody's looking for a fixie racer for their team. The bike stable is consistent at 6 bikes. Still no word on the custom fork or custom MC frame. Might dump the Titus full suspension bike as I don't ride it too much.

Workwise, my proverbial cheese has been officially moved -- I'm geeked about the new job. Considering all that, Alex and I are doing well. Alex is officially a year older, as of yesterday. I'm a year older as of October 12th, and approximately 10 lbs heavier than a year ago. Need to work on that...

Deliver what you promised

2007-12-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

Regarding MC, I've received no updates nor replies to emails in well over a year -- yet MC has plenty of time to update his myspace account a couple times a week. Almost 25 months have passed since he cashed my deposit (and with practically zero contact) -- multiple friends have offered to buy my spot in the queue. I'm starting to think I could ebay it. But I've waited this long...........

And then there is Black Sheep -- it's been almost triple the quoted time (4 weeks) for a custom unicrown fork. I sent them a freaking drawing, no less. No response to my followup email in over 2 weeks.

If you guys are reading, get to work. NOW.

Lumberjack

2007-06-27T21:27:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I'm feeling my age. The previous weekend was a 100 mile mountain bike race on 99% singletrack with me riding on a rigid fork on a seriously bumpy trail and no ability to coast.

The course was run backwards from previous years, with lots more downhills (i.e. more pain) More braking bumps, more riding the brakes and ultimately, way more shock to my wrists.

After 2 laps (50 miles), I couldn't squeeze the brake lever, and common sense dictated that I simply turn in the towel. I've had enough. It was glaringly obvious that after 2 white knuckled 28 mph descents on a 2:1 gear ratio, I was being beyond masochist, even for me. After the end of the race, endurance racer Alex offers to buy me a normal bike with his own money. I have to question my pain threshold.

So, the following weekend, I purchased a new Titus Racer X bike frame - quite a serious paradigm shift from what I've been riding for the past 3 years. Full suspension with gears and the ability to coast.

3 creature comforts that are way too much to digest in one simple ride - I'm not sure what to do after torturing myself for so long. After a 100 miles logged this week, I still ask, "How does this shifting thing work?"

The nerve damage along my ulnar nerve is starting to subside.

40k visits

2007-06-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

Wow. I'm famous.

Dogs

2007-02-28T22:48:00.000-05:00

Adopted a Jack Russell Terrier back in January. His name is Alex - he's doing fine. Adopted a second one, they did fine for the first 2 days. The new one, Toby, drew blood on the first dog's ear 2 days after his adoption. Returned him to the Humane Society the same day.

Lots of walking and exercise, with over 6 pounds shed from my fat arse in the first month.

Ale is a hyper breed - I'm getting Athlete's foot in the process of keeping him occupied. Worse than having kids.

Jesus #16

2007-01-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

Wake up to the snoring BBW Jesus next to me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just digging the Tempurpedic pillows."

Ok...

Yellow card

2006-12-10T18:01:00.000-05:00

For you cycling commuters... http://petermiller.info/yellowcard.html

Robot Chicken

2006-12-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

A few websites to waste your time...

7:35 in the morning http://735am.com/ I'm the one playing guitar...

Robot Chicken http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKVuk3GGvE

Quit being harshing the Jan's buzz (Kaiser Jan Ulrich) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=31414033

Holy crap - she moved (and we didn't say Tschuess). http://janinga.blogspot.com/

Wilson!

2006-12-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

Banner freaking day a couple of weekends ago. I built my first wheel – 29”er Salsa Delgado rim with a Surly hub and DT spokes and nipples.

Considering I’ve been riding off and on for the past 10 years, and mastered every nuance of a bike MINUS building wheels, I’ve finally got the last 5% mastered. Won a hub at the Lumberjack back in June, and decided to upgrade wheels on the Rig. As I’ve read, the Gary Fisher Rig is a great bike to explore the the 29”er revolution, but new riders will upgrade every part in the process. My first major revelation was the wheels, and the LBS only had one rim. I only had one hub. It’s a start.

I assembled the hubs and spokes to the rim. Finding the pattern wrong, I did it again. And again. And again. 2.5 hours later, I had a wheel built and trued. I nearly got the vertical wobble out, but then I noticed, one of the 3 cross spokes wasn’t crossed like the others.

Shoot. Tear it down and loosen all the spokes. Reroute the final spoke back into place and true it up again. 3.5 hours invested, and I had a wheel that was better built than what came with the bike. I am the man.

Take off the rotor and tire from the old wheel, then compare weights with the proverbial heft method. The new wheel with ENO freewheel installed weighed significantly less than the take-off wheel. Probably 1/3-1/2 lb. Unbelievable. Brand new wheel - all for about $100.

Maiden voyage at Novi Tree Farm. Beat the living crap out of that wheel on every technical section (logpile, rocks and roots) to seat and beat in the spokes. Spun the wheel afterwards, and it’s as round as it left the truing stand. Damn, I’m good. Close to 300 miles thus far and still spinning solid.

As Tom Hanks said in Castaway, "I... have created fire".

Retrospective

2006-11-07T01:32:00.000-05:00

Some ramblings from way-back...

I’m sitting here in Michigan, getting tired of the constant chaos we call winter. 5 degrees one day, 35 the next. Snow, rain, sunshine – it screws up winter off-road riding to the point of insanity. The snow is too mushy to pedal through, and riding on the pavement is just plain boring.

I’m a single-speeder; I picked up a closeout 2001 Bianchi C.u.S.S back in October 2002. The whole idea came about from riding at PLRA and Bloomer, running into other SS’ers and watching them grind up hills that I could barely muster. I was getting thoroughly tired of constantly tweaking the drivetrain on my full suspension Giant NRS AIR. It would ghost shift at the worst moment, parts would wear out way too quickly. The lack of maintenance and fewer things to fail spoke to me.

Unfortunately, I only had the Giant and an old Specialized FSR frame lying about. Full suspension is not good for keeping the chain tight (a fundamental requirement of singlespeeding), so I did some research looking for a nice hardtail. After doing the math, and crunching out the economics, buying a Bianchi was the best bang for the buck. Dedicated single speed, nicely equipped with good drivetrain parts. So, I plopped down the $750+tax at Continental Bike Shop, and off I went. When I bought the bike, I justified it by thinking would be a good winter beater bike (instead of ruining the pivots and drivetrain on the Giant). Plus, it would make me improve my climbing skills. No shifting means you grunt up the hill or you walk it, no other choice in the matter.

My maiden ride was at Stony – I was surprised how well the bike fit me from the start. It was light, agile, and to my surprise, quite a capable climbing machine. The bike was set up 2:1 gear ratio (36 up front, 18 cog in the back). I was surprised that I could climb hills there with that setup, when I struggled with the NRS using easier gears!

I rode it all winter at Novi Tree Farm, among other places. Friends noticed me getting faster. It definitely helped me climb better. Paul Bunyan series was starting, and for the first race of the 2003 year, I raced the singlespeed. I was worried about the snow and ice, so I outfitted it with studded tires. It was hard enough to pedal the SS, but the tires were damn fatiguing. I ended up 7th of 14 in my class, and I was the only one on a SS. That was my excuse for not winning!

I raced the remainder of the races with a geared hard tail I bought off Jerry Serra. Ended up 4th overall in the series – the SS was to be for training. I did ride it quite a bit before the first spring race hit – I was geared and primed to race sport that year, hoping to place mid-pack.

Rich also had a SS – Redline Monocog, and when the Yankee race rolled around, he considered doing the time trial first geared, then again in the ss class. I thought about it and wanted to try that too. Good training for the longer XC races. At the race, Rich chose not to do the SS race afterwards, but I already registered for both. I did it. 19th in sport out of 39 racers, then 9th in SS out of 18 racers. Pretty good.

So, I decided to do all the time trials dual – I surprised myself at how well I did overall. I also surprised other sport riders who watched me do both races. I earned a bit of respect.

I finished off the season with racing Iceman on the SS – to my surprise I actually beat one of the guys who got me interested in SS’ing. He told me early in the year that I couldn’t hack it. Ha. I beat him by 2 minutes. I came with 4 minutes of Frank, a guy I raced the time trial series against and wagered beers per minute difference. He gave me a 6 minute handicap. Ha.

Now it’s 2004. I ordered a custom Ti single speed frame back in May and as I type, I’m still in the queue for getting it built and delivered.

Curiosity and cabin fever from the cold winter got me thinking about fixed gear riding. I found an article on how to convert your singlespeed to fixed dirt cheap. I swapped out the handlebars (no brakes!), pedals (from clipless to platforms) and bribed a machinist at work to drill out a BMX cog for me. 2 days later, my bike was converted. I tried a quickie ride around the neighborhood and was crazy enough to try it off-road the next day…

I took the fixie to Orion Oaks the day before the Paul Bunyan race. We all park at the church across the street, and I pull my bike off the roof rack. “Notice anything different?”, I ask them. Aside from the handlebars, they couldn’t tell. I hand the bike to Jon and offer him to take it for a spin. “Holy shit, dude! You’re insane!”

At first, I thought one lap would be good, then I could change to the NRS and ride normally. We head off and I take the lead. The boots I wore didn’t work well with the platform pedals, but I mustered along. Climbing didn’t seem to be much of a problem, but the downhills…

I felt muscles I didn’t know I have work to resist the pedals from spinning. We got to this downhill where my legs couldn’t overcome the spinning pedals. I straddled the bike between my legs, and used my feet as skis in a weak attempt to slow myself down. It looked ridiculous, but I didn’t crash.

We got back to the front gate, and I contemplated changing bikes. Rather, I decided to swap shoes instead and trudge forth on another lap. I gained confidence in my abilities and negotiated the climbs and descents with much better control. I actually pedaled down the same hill I only skiied down the lap before. The shoes helped! I had trouble keeping up with those guys, but I was thoroughly aware of my speed and the terrain.

It was invigorating. It was insane. It had me written all over it. Granted, I chose a trail with zero singletrack or log piles / rock gardens, but it was difficult enough on its own. I conquered it three times without a single wipeout. I pedaled every inch of the course. I can see the attraction now. It will prove to be an excellent training tool, improving my spin and my focus on the trails.

My adventures at Orion Oaks got posted by Jon on the BB, and I received tons of flack about it. And yet, since the PB series, I converted it back to a fixie! After the spring thaw, I may re-do all the PB courses just for the heck of it. Hopefully it doesn’t ruin my knees, though.

Rip Slyme

2006-10-30T22:13:00.000-05:00

This fixed gear / Keirin thing apparently has jumped the shark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86iUu-9qfIo

Poto SSWC#3

2006-10-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

Spent the night at the ex's after she treated me to a belated birthday dinner and movie. During dinner, we inadvertedly watched the Tigers clinch their spot in the World Series. The patrons of the restaurant were more in tune with the game than their meals.

As previously stated, I platonically slept in her spare bedroom, figuring it would shave me over 30 minutes on the morning commute to the SS festival, rather than driving home that night and getting up early to commute back to Dexter.

It was a pretty uneventful race- brisk in the morning and I rode alone for a good portion of the course - slower than the fast guys, and faster than the slow guys. I ended up 25th place of 46 or so racers. Nice little gash in my shin from the pedal gouging me while the rear tire went sideways on a downhill. I didn't wipe out, but saved myself respectably with witnesses and blood running down my shin as proof.

Ended up being first place of the 3 fixed gear guys (Aaron, Rick and myself). Had a beer or 5 in the parking lot, then realized I had to ride back several miles (half drunk) to the car (which was parked over at Hudson Mills). Riding back sobered me up in the process, and then I drove to the parents' house for dinner. I nearly fell asleep on my parents' couch while they cooked dinner.

Not quite as fun as the other 2 SSWC's, but cool to hang with such a variety of singlespeeders. The race / group ride didn't cost a dime either.

Next stop, Iceman. Unprepared as always.

Technology is wonderful

2006-10-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

In recent news, I finally broke down and bought a HDTV. This replaces my 15 year old Sony - it has a great picture, however, my satellite dish fee would nearly double to take full advantage of the picture quality. Hmm. Currently shopping between dish companies, as well as Cable to see which offers the best bang for my buck. Amazing the price of being lazy and being spoiled by way better picture resolution. I need to ride more and quit sitting on my arse after work.

This got me thinking about the land line. $40-50 wasted for nought. I have a cell phone and a cable modem – I realized long ago that I do not have much use or need for the home phone line. I finally broke down today and waited on hold for 20 minutes to kill the AT&T money pit. Figured out it would pay for the HDTV upgrade and then some. As a last minute ditch effort, AT&T offered bare bones, basic service for $20 a month (with the $6 discount). I politely declined.

Think I will invest in a calling card from the gas station if I truly get desperate or I lose my cell phone.

Road Rage

2006-09-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

Top 10 vehicle brands encountered on the road that are likely to undermine a happy cycling commute.

Ford F-150 (previous generation – ’97 to ‘04)
Ford F-150 (latest generation ’05 +)
Chrysler Pacifica
Mercedes M-Class
Chevy Silverado
Ford Expedition
Chevy Suburban / GMC Yukon XL
Hummer H2 http://www.fuh2.com/
Chevy Trailblazer / GMC Envoy
Pontiac Grand Prix

The summer's list of type-A drivers' license plates coming soon.

Recent notables – vanity plate on a green Chevy Silverado "GRAND E".

MMBA

2006-09-18T00:56:00.000-04:00

I decided to scrape off the MMBA sticker from the rear window of my vehicle. Why? I don’t support the organization anymore. I don’t see the benefit. The membership renewal came in the mail back in July and it still sits on my office desk unpaid. I haven’t seen much bang for the buck to renew.

Several cases in point.

#1 No significantly new trails within Michigan have been created in the past calendar year. Aside from the couple of miles within Rouge Park (not a destination trail), the MMBA hasn’t done squat. I still can’t ride in Waterloo or Indepence Oaks. Why give money to an organization that isn’t doing anything with it?

#2 The Moratorium at PLRA with the DNR has been stagnant for the past 3+ years. It’s a great trail, but it gave up so much to the equestrian group without so much of a reach-around. I ride there and think “what a priviledge” – all the cool trails have been handed over to a group that do practically zero volunteer work. I hardly see an equestrian out there in the first place, and they get an entire trail system to themselves? Oooh, trail conflict - the bikers will scare the horses. Yeah. My sweat equity went into building the trenches, but nothing’s changed in 3 years. Anything new at Highland? Island Lake (aside from a re-route or two)? What is the MMBA doing with all their contributions?

#3 When was the last trail day? How many trail days created new rideable trail? They were primarily just maintaining trails we already have – I could have (and have done) that in my spare time. The reality is - I have enough trouble finding time to maintain the shrubs in my backyard. No announcements, no big to do’s about the new sections at Stony, Bloomer or Bald Mountain. Talk of a Stony Creek skills park has been nothing but talk for the past 2 years. Talk minus action equals nothing. Is this advocacy or is the MMBA in the business of just landscaping existing trails?

#4 Maybury. Like I give a rat’s ass about riding Maybury in the wintertime, but the DNR has decided the medical waste depository is sacred ground, and the soil is so sensitive that mountain bike tires would ruin it for years to come, even though it’s covered in a blanket of snow and ice.

The current MMBA committee has bent over backwards for the DNR, and smile their shit eating grins from being denied the right to ride on a trail that clearly wouldn’t be affected by a few dozen bikers riders riding a couple times in the winter over an ice field. WTF? I should pay money to an organization to have them represent me when they sit back and let the DNR spew crap about “precious glacier soil MIGHT get damaged to MTB’ers (but not necessarily hikers or other users)”

The MMBA’s supposed mission is to create new trails for MTB’ers to ride and maintain the ones they have. All I see is NO new trails in the past 3 years, and the MMBA begging for permission to fix the ones they have. It seems like they have their proverbial heads up their asses.

I’ll ride Maybury in the winter if I freaking feel like it and plead ignorance if I get caught. After all, there won’t be a MMBA sticker on my car to imply that I know better. The MMBA has become as beaucratic and useless as IMBA and NORBA. My $25 membership fee would be better spent on tires and chain lube.

Dante

2006-08-08T22:17:00.000-04:00

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. "

Word.

April 2006

2006-07-26T22:36:00.000-04:00

A draft post from April that somehow didn’t get published…

Dating one girl for about 3 months now – about a month ago, we sat on the couch and she asked, “what do you think of me?”

Huh?

“Are you ga-ga over me?” No, I’m not. “Me neither”. Hmm. What do we do about it? “We make great friends, let’s keep it that way. And if the moods strikes us, we can still be more than friends.” And we do, then go through the self-induced guilt afterwards.

This has been the last month. We met online and her membership expired recently. Mine expires soon, as well, but I’ve offered my email address and cell number to a select few in the process. A few candidates have followed up since then.

Ex comes over on Saturday and I make a 4 course meal for her. Moreso for me, as I decided last minute to compete in the first mountain bike race of the season. Carbo load. She’s amazed by my culinary skills, and we go for a walk to help curb the food coma. During the conversation, I apparently offered to show her the last few candidates prior to closing out the internet thing. She calls me out on it when we get back to the house.

We peruse the profiles, and she offers comments on each. Weird moment, opening my online world to a previous candidate. We retire to the couch and watch movies, where we both fall asleep to the sound of rain and thunder. We wake up at midnight, and she decides to go home. Totally unprepared to stay – no contact solution or other necessities, we hug and she drives off. I crash on my bed thinking buy some contact lens stuff.

For friends, she has upgraded her status to daily communication. Tuesday, I went riding after work and she invites me over to watch movies. The choices being either Brokeback Mountain or American Flyers. Gay cowboys or a cheesy road biker movie. Cheesy it is. Cuddling on the couch turns to falling asleep. 12:30am. Shit. No change of clothes, so it’s either drive back home now, or sleep over and drive home then to work in the morning – even though she’s 30 minutes away from me and 15 minutes from work. I choose to sleep over…

A night of restless sleep, talking and activitives that mere friends just don’t do. Scratching my chin thinking why are we friends but not acting like friends? She stated this is the last time. Uh huh, I thought. 6:00am and I’m out the door. Home by 6:45 and at work at 7:45. Busy day with non-stop meetings.

6:00pm is the first date with a schoolteacher – one of the select few prior to the expiration. Cute, tall and young. 100% girly girl, wearing a tight, deep neck shirt that shows off her huge tracts of land. I make a point of not staring, and it was very difficult, but I managed. Hand shake at the start, hug at the end. Didn’t bother to go in for a kiss, as a previous date taught me. No need to rush.

Ms. Right? Unclear at this point – several things popped up during the date that waved danger signs… french pedicure, likes country music, trendy, never even heard of REI. Completely different type than I’m used to, but I didn’t seem to care. High maintenance aside, I had mild gaga, which is more than biking chick from last night / this morning. I realize I want gaga.

The date was brief (2.5 hours) and I was home by 9. As a school teacher, she’s usually asleep by 10. Quite a shift from my lifestyle. Checked email and cyclist chick wanted an update. Another candidate called on my way home, but the battery was nearly dead.

She’s an IT lady, and lives way out in Dexter. Haven’t met yet, but we’re scheduled for Sunday.

Commuting

2006-07-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

900 miles (20 round trips) thus far, with hardly a vehicle incident. Give it a try.

PS baby wipes work as a decent substitute for a shower.

Pack a rain jacket

2006-07-25T23:04:00.000-04:00

Before commuting to work, I've been watching the weather before going to bed. The weather channel and the internet have been 100% wrong in predicting the next day's weather, undermining my commuting plans and screwing up my training. Don't trust them. 5 days so far.

After backing out of riding to work several times because of predicted rain, I've decided to go against the grain. Watch me get drenched tomorrow...

Wish I had their job where I could screw it up without consequence.

Get a life

2006-07-19T21:14:00.000-04:00

Jeez, another 11,000 hits in 4 months (22,000 hits thus far, wow).

People - my blog ain't that exciting, and Jesus has let me be for quite some time now. It's summertime, get outside and do something, for Pete's sake.

PS twin from work asked me 2 questions the previous morning - "Why did you smell us?", and "Why on earth do you think my sister is more attractive? We're twins for Christ's sake??????"

Answers: 1) Perfume, and 2) I said that to piss you off.

Her response, "Asshole".

:P

Bowing out

2006-07-08T17:34:00.000-04:00

Hate to say it, but I'm bowing out of the Pb race. Turns out a business trip conflicts, besides, I haven't been training nearly enough (too much work) to finish under the cutoff. A little sad, but it's the right decision.

Reformed luddite

2006-06-25T22:38:00.000-04:00

So, practically giving up on Mr. Chester in hopes of getting my 29'er singlespeed this year, I went out and bought a Rig on Saturday. Even did a fit kit to make sure it was set up correctly. Out of the box, it was pretty close. Upgraded the seatpost to Thomson and added my own saddle and pedals. Otherwise, the bike sits nearly bone stock.

My first real test ride was today, where I commuted to Stony Creek and back. Quick review -

The Pro's -

1) Handles surprisingly well. Negotiates singletrack well.
2) Longer footprint does wonders on braking bumps, riding through sand and roots/logpiles/rock gardens. The wheels keep you upright.
3) Once at speed, it keeps speed longer than my 26" wheeled bikes.
4) EBB setup great for changing tires / flats.

The Con's -

1) Tires suck. Horrible rolling resistance, felt like I was riding studded tires. Stock tires were Bontrager AC - B (2.2") with Kevlar bead. Based on research, will replace them with WTB Nano Raptors.
2) Gearing too low. 32x18 with 29 x 2.2" tires = 51.6 gear inches. Way lower than I'm used to (roughly 60-63").
3) EBB creaks under load. Need to retorque.

Gary Fisher Rig

Thinking

2006-06-21T00:25:00.000-04:00

Still formulating a decent entry for the blog - the Lumberjack race was disappointing. DNF (did not finish) - with stomach distress and lack of training the main culprits. More details coming.

Heed the Omen

2006-06-19T21:05:00.000-04:00

Haven't seen the movie yet, but it got me thinking about June 6th. Where was I? Test driving a big ass Ram truck while pulling a trailer into Death Valley. Before radio reception cut out, Godsmack's "Voodoo" was blasting.

I was driving on Daylight Pass, and there was a coyote standing on the left edge of the road, eating some roadkill. He looked at me, then trotted off with a rabbit (?) in his mouth. Earlier in the day, the odometer read 6666 as I left Las Vegas. Wish I had brought a camera.

Back

2006-06-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

Back from a whirlwind driving tour of Phoenix, Laughlin / Bullhead City and Death Valley. The Big MF race up in Manistee is Saturday, so updates forthcoming.

Vegas

2006-05-30T22:12:00.000-04:00

Going to Phoenix and Las Vegas for a couple of weeks. I'll try to get an update or two published before I leave. Back to your regular programming.

Ride of silence

2006-05-17T23:50:00.000-04:00

Well today was the Ride of Silence. For those not in the know, the Ride of Silence is a memorial bike ride for those cyclists killed on the road. It's a group ride where no one speaks, riding slowly - making a profound statement of our rights. A friend of mine participated, but damn it, I woke up late for work and didn't pack my stuff or load my bike onto the roof rack. Oh well.

My mission after work was to mow my lawn. It's been raining non-stop for about a week, and the lawn has grown into a safari. While it's lush, it still looks pitiful, but I'm trying to keep up with the Joneses by blending in. My lawn mower is out of gas, and rather than drive the 1/2 mile each way to the gas station, I rode my bike with the gas can in hand. I hate when my car stinks of gas.

At the gas station, I fill up my jug ($4, no less) when another vehicle nearly plows into me taking the perceived empty station, wanting to fill up. Dirty looks exchanged.

On this day, of all days, I find it ironic being a cyclist riding home through the neighborhood with a red jug full of the fuel that keeps the jerks on the roads mowing down the cyclists.

I pedaled my fixed gear back home, in between several cars parked on the streets. I came to a stop without noticing an SUV behind me, as the gas jug was heavy and I needed to swap hands. They honked the horn loudly while I blocked his way. I took my sweet ass time accelerating back to a reasonable speed. The SUV rushes past, the driver flips the bird, running a stop sign and cruising off into the distance.

Fuck off, I thought. And the local police rush past me with their lights flashing to pull the teenager over... I smile as I ride by.

Justice. There is hope for this world.

Midland & Addison Oaks

2006-05-15T21:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I paid the entry fee for the Midland race way back in February. $35 for a 7 hour race - quite a deal. The race creeped up on me mighty quick. Lots of travel and work overtime had me not riding my bike. Getting home late from work really sucks the motivation out of you to ride for 4-6 hours.

Lots of talk about the 12 hour Addison Oaks race and the 24 hour Boyne race spew across the internet. As the weather warms up, I start getting geeked about racing and send my money in for both. The dates didn't click in my head, but Addison is 7 days after Midland.

Anyhow, I prepare the night before Midland, make all my drinks, prep the bikes and eat pasta like a fiend the 2 nights before. I drive up, attempt to compete, realize how poorly my training has been, and opt to quit the race 90 minutes early. The course was beyond bumpy - my wrists and hands were suffering serious carpal tunnel and I decided to save some strength to drive the stick shift home. 5th place of 5 racers in my class. Expected, but I had fun for the most part. Good training. Money is a good motivator to train.

So, I drove home from Midland and it dawned on me - I paid $70 for Addison. No way am I racing that. The day after a long race, the last thing you want to do is ride your bike. I contemplated contacting the promoter and seeing if I could move my entry fee to another race in the series. Work got busy, I forgot about the race, and Friday rolled up really quick. It's been raining non-stop all week, but the weather forecast predicted a nice day for Saturday. What the heck, good weather, I already paid, hang out with friends, why not race?

So Thursday and Friday, I carbo load. I hydrate. I wrench on bikes. I choose my gearing. I'm prepared (or am I?)

The alarm wakes me up at 6:45. I shower, pack the cooler with the drinks I made the night before, pack the car and I'm on the road at 7:30. I arrived at Addison in record time (35 minutes) and find a spot to park on the grass field. People start assembling their tents around the finish chute, and the MMBA / Trails-Edge / Team Tree Farm connect all their tents together to make one big commune. I bribe my way into it with extra chairs and a 12 pack of Fat Tire ale bootlegged by coworkers from Colorado. I realize just how unprepared I was, in comparison.

It's sprinkling rain gently and the temps hover around 50F. I didn't pre-ride the course, but I know it fairly well from riding / racing it countless times over the past 4 years. I warm up, ride around a bit and make sure everything's fairly well laid out.

For the race, I chose the fixed gear. Reason being, the mud would eat the brakes alive and there's fewer parts to break. I geared down from 39x17 to 36x16 - a modest jump, but in hindsight at 36x17 would've been more appropriate. Reminder for next year - bring some mud-shedding tires. Ritchey Z-max? Uh, no.

The race? A death march. To quote Mike - a race of attrition. He who keeps riding could win the race. And that's exactly how it worked out. Several geared riders broke derailleurs, singlespeeders exploded freewheels. Brake pads gone. Washing your bike after every lap became the norm. Fellow singlespeeder Jay brought 3 bikes, and it paid off - he did 12 or 13 laps. He's a machine! Plan better.

How did I do? I did 8 laps, and I stopped about 2.5 hours early, because I wasted too much time in the pits and started to shiver. I used up my allotment of clean, dry clothes and decided to call it quits - I seriously underestimated the rain factor and underpacked. Tactical error, but the course got nearly unrideable after each additional lap. I was mentally drained, physically beat and ready to throw in the towel. Mike was right - race of attrition.

Yet I still managed 4th place of 8 or 9 racers, and on a fixed gear to boot. Will I do 24 hours of Boyne in 2 weeks? Right now, I think no. But I already foolishly paid the $120 entry fee. Ask me again in about a week or so. The pain should be forgotten by then.

Why do you work?

2006-05-15T21:17:00.000-04:00

Mr. Chester hasn't sent a response to my email of six weeks ago. Life's been busy for me, so it didn't really register when my friend Nick informed me he's done making bicycle frames. Excuse me?

So tonight I was checking out his blog, and he's declared he's calling it quits. Health issues, along with family and financial stresses are the big reasons. A few months back, he stopped taking orders until he caught up on the backlog. After months of promising to publish the waitlist, he finally did it. I'm number twentysomething of 27 frames left in the queue, not to mention 15 side projects / conversion jobs.

He cashed my deposit back in early November, so if you're doing the math, that's roughly 7 months, with still no firm ETA. Yes, patience is a virtue, but realize there's 20-30 more people ahead of me who've been waiting probably a year to 18 months (if not more). My last frame took about 10 months, yet now, time's been flying by without me really paying attention. Not a big deal.

Matt made maybe 300 bike frames total - and I'll be one of a very lucky few to own 2 of them. I might have to take better care of mine - they will likely become collector's items.

Yankee Springs

2006-04-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

Rather than take pictures (the digital camera's batteries died), I chose to race last minute. After running into several friends at the race, I didn't get a chance to actually warm up. Needless to say, the race kicked my butt and exploited my every weakness.

One, being that I didn't tune my bike. My handlebar grips kept sliding off in the cold weather. I kept having to smack them back into place while riding. Two, I got huge blisters on my thumbs because of one.

I battled with a friend Carey, who rides for one of my favorite bike shops. We both started the race together (2 racers launch every 30 seconds) and we jockeyed for placement throughout the entire race. I rode carefully trying not to crash, and I didn't. Carey rode aggressively behind me, crashing several times. He disappeared for a few minutes, then was on my tail . Repeat for 7 times.

The final stretch was on the grass parallel to the road to the parking lot. I could feel him breathing down my neck, and I managed to keep my front wheel ahead of him. It was a photo finish, but the electronic chips we wore (like court mandated tethers for criminals) showed my time was 0.7 seconds behind him. Results got confused and I ranged around 14th place of 24 racers in my class, give or take a few. [final postings bumped me down to 17th place]

Placement was not a priority, as I raced fixed gear. First time trial with this setup. Raced clean, no mistakes, except for being out of shape. Reminds me of a good quote..."There's more to the world than increasing its speed."

Whatever, a great race. Happy to do it. Stat-wise, only 2 minutes slower than last year (I was 5th place last year) and that's with a handicap.

Another number plate for the garage wall. Cool.

Woohoo

2006-04-27T20:08:00.000-04:00

A cardboard box showed up on my doorstep earlier this week. Finally got around to opening it today, and inside it was 5 saddles fitted with new rails. There were 2 more saddles in the box - the one with the broken carbon fibre base and a brand new one to replace it (!), along with some stickers and a leather keychain. Total kudos to Selle Italia for their excellent customer service.

April 12

2006-04-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is a banner day. It will be the five year anniversary of me taking my health more seriously. It also happens to coincide with an ex-girlfriend’s birthday. It’s easy to remember, as it’s exactly 6 months before my birthday.

She and I dated for about 4 years, lived together for about a year and even rescued a golden retriever. Essentially that all went by the wasteside (pun intended) when she met someone else and broke up with me. She declared that I was fat, unhealthy (I practically chain-smoked) and she wasn’t attracted to me anymore. Ouch.

Shortly after, I started going to the gym and mountain biking out of spite. I’ll admit my motives to get healthy and shed my fat were originally to get her back (yeah, right, like that was going to work…), but as time went on, I quit smoking and could truly see the results from my hard work (I used to weigh 240+ lbs and I’m currently down to 195 lbs).

I started mountain biking with co-workers in 2001 after my gym closed its doors, and by 2002, I was waiting at the top of the hills for them to catch up. Based on a suggestion from another biker, I started racing – I immediately got hooked. The drive from spite quickly turned into competition. After I got home from work today, I reflected on the 80+ number plates stapled to the walls of my garage. It's a long way from 5 years ago.

And here I sit, anxiously waiting for my first endurance race in 4 weeks. The first Michigan race of the season is next Sunday, but I’ve opted out of doing it. Not my thing – I’m more into the long distance rides. I’m nervous and contemplating how much (how little) training I’ve put in since starting the new job, and next Sunday’s race would show how little I’ve been training. I still have about 15 lbs to lose by August for Leadville, but as the weather gets better, I’ll get more miles in. Don’t take it too seriously.

Tomorrow will be a good day. I’ll probably do the Stony group ride, if I can escape work early enough. Time really flies there if you don’t pay attention.

So, this entry inspired me to post a happy birthday wish to Sarah - thanks for the much needed kick in the balls. I appreciate it.

Saddle warranty

2006-04-04T20:32:00.000-04:00

I would assume any endurance cyclist has spent beaucoup time and effort trying to find a saddle that's comfy. Once they do, ALL their bikes get the same saddle. I found mine - the SLR - but unfortunately for me, the SLR isn't all that durable. The rails usually bend or break within a season. Selle Italia's warranty is VERY well defined on what is and what isn't covered.

My problem has been - ride, ride, ride and bend a saddle. Swap it with one from another bike. Don't bother replacing the bent one. Repeat until you practically run out of saddles. Look at the 6 bikes and think, "Wow. $600 to get new saddles?"

So I got off my duff yesterday and decided to get all of them fixed. I emailed Selle Italia with some pics, and they wrote back stating they aren't covered under warranty. Bummer. However, for a measly $34.50 each (including shipping) they would re-rail them. $207 is a much more affordable alternative.

However, as I reflect on it, each saddle has lasted me between 2500-4000 miles. In the scope of things, compare that to a set of tubeless tires that would run roughly the same price ($90-100). Not too bad considering.

Customer dis-service

2006-04-01T22:14:00.000-05:00

I put in a half day at work today transporting newly received vehicles to the proving grounds for some testing. Afterwards, I finally got my way overdue haircut, wrote checks for bills and mailed them out, then went for a ride at Stony Creek. My knee pain came back and upon further investigation, I noticed my seat post has slipped yet again.

The bolt head for the seatpost clamp was nearly stripped from overuse, so I decided to head to a nearby bike shop after the ride. I’m not a fan of this bike shop in question, but I go there maybe once a year because of proximity.

Customer service (at least with the one sales guy) was horrible – I previously had an issue with worn suspension bushings on my Giant NRS. The shop ordered the replacement parts, and after I attempted to install them, I realized they were incorrect. No worries. I brought the frame in to show the guy why the parts wouldn’t fit and what he needed to order. Two weeks later, the second kit showed up, and it was wrong again. My bike was out of service for over 3 weeks, and he more or less told me “there’s nothing I can do”. I ordered the kit through another shop and had parts in 3 days.

Well, I thought I’d give that shop another chance. I walked through the store to see if they have a replacement seatpost clamp. No luck finding it on the displays - the same sales guy approaches me and asks if I need any help. I explain what I’m looking for, and he asks if I brought the bike. I went out to my vehicle, got my bike and wheel it in. He looks it over, finds the same problem I told him and says "I found what's wrong with it". Look at the big brain on Brad...

He removes the bolt from the clamp and goes looking in the shop. He comes back empty handed and I ask him if he has a replacement clamp. Let me check…

I walk around the store to see if there’s any other purchases I might need. I pick up about $50 worth of stuff.

He comes back empty handed again, and then decides to call the other store. They tell him they have a black one and a silver one – so I ask, "what size are they?"

Dumb looks abound. Clueless. "Let’s measure my frame to see what size it is." Sales guy pulls out a rusty pair of calipers – “can you read this? Looks like it's about 30mm.” I inform him there are about 20 different seatpost sizes and “about 30mm” isn’t quite specific enough. [turns out it’s 31.8mm]

Another shop employee notices my bike, comes over and checks it out. He asks a bunch of questions while complimenting it. "Thanks", I said.

I overhear the cell phone conversation and butt in - "How late is the other store open?" “About another hour”. Do they know what sizes they have? “The parts aren’t labeled”. Can they measure them? “Let me ask”. Silence on the other end… “Measure? Measure what?” The sales guy asks me “so, which one did you want? The black one or the silver one?”

My eyes roll so far back I can nearly see through my skull. I breathe in deeply, bite my tongue and say “thank you for your time”. I leave the other potential purchases on the counter and roll my bike out of the store, shaking my head in disbelief.

The other employee notices my disgust and follows me out of the store. He asks if anything’s wrong. I relay the story, and he offers to measure my bike and order the part. Don’t worry about it. I’ll still frequent the store as long I don’t have to deal with him.

On my way home, I stop at REI with the thought they might be able to help. I roll my bike inside the store. A mechanic sees me with my bike and asks if it needs service. I explain the issue, he looks for a bolt (no luck), but then comes back with a clamp from his inventory. Realizing I'm an educated customer, he hands me tools while helping someone else - it fits, I install it. $15.90 out the door. Done in less than 2 minutes.

Bike’s happy, so I’m happy. The 100 miler for tomorrow is back on.

Debt free

2006-03-20T19:15:00.000-05:00

Debt free, well - aside from the house and car. Finally managed to pay off the credit card debt and grow the savings back to what it was before the summer vacation. Liberating.

Was it worth it? Definitely.

Fook

2006-03-14T23:51:00.000-05:00

11,000 hits. WTF?

Creak

2006-03-14T21:48:00.000-05:00

Lately I've noticed my right knee creaked before I sit to poop (TMI, I know). Well, low and behold, an epiphany came to me and I decided to raise the saddles on all of my bikes. Hmmm - knees felt better. Raise the saddles more. Even better! What astounds me is I raised them 3/4". Are my legs more bendy? Is my gut smaller? I haven't lost an appreciable amount of weight. I'm confused.

4 months

2006-03-06T21:57:00.000-05:00

120 day anniversary since I sent the deposit on the custom 29" Mutinyman. Got me thinking about the build. Some spec's -

Cranks... http://www.tune.de/index.php?lang=&ebene=3&typ=1&nr=5&e=1&new==

Chainring... http://www.boonerings.com/cr/cr.html

Suspension fork (heresy, I know)... http://www.whitebrotherscycling.com/product-bw.php?specs=magic2980

Also considering this (listed unter Federgalben - GA FORCE KILO 28")... http://www.german-a.de/ Damn light.

Or a rigid fork... https://www.pacecycles.com/product.asp?catID=2&subcat=462

Hubs... http://www.philwood.com/Price%20List/MTBSingleSpeedHubs.pdf

H-bars... http://www.jonesbikes.com/update/hbar/fs_modelspricescurved.htm

Lots more decisions (with pictures) to follow as they show up.

This is getting mighty expensive.

Race Season

2006-03-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

Schedule thus far..

May - 7 Hours of Midland, 24 Hours of Boyne
June - Lumberjack 100
August - Leadville Trail 100
November - Iceman Cometh Challenge

Saltillo

2006-02-26T23:47:00.000-05:00

Off to Mexico for the week, the blog should be re-instated shortly.

Temporarily down

2006-02-15T00:46:00.000-05:00

After being bombarded by religious hate mail, I've temporarily removed the blog from your reading pleasure. It will be reposted shortly as I sort this shit out.