Back In Black!

My steel Olmo road bike spec'd with Campagnolo had some major rust problems, so I decided to have it sandblasted and repainted. It was a grey to blue fade, and now it's black with gray decals.

It's 5:30 P.M. and Dark...No Problem!

I just picked up the new Light and Motion Seca 700 Race light. This LED throws out an amazing 700 lumens! The old Vista Nightstick system that I was using just a few years ago is no match for this!

Switch!

After using several Creative Mp3 players the last few years I have made the switch back to iPod. I now use the iPod Classic for home and the smaller Nano for biking. The cover flow feature is amazing!

Good News!

Surgery will not be necessary after all. The cast has been replaced with a walking boot. In two weeks I should be able to swim and do some easy spinning . I can't wait!!!

Update

I opted not to have surgery...

but the x-rays from yesterday showed that surgery will most likely be needed. The fibula is not staying in place which is probably due to stretched or torn ligaments.

I guess I'll be getting a subscription to Netflix...

Bikes Aren't Just For Riding / Racks Aren't Just For Transporting Bikes!

I was a little over a mile into the Connector Trail at the Cove on Tuesday when my front tire hit a slippery section and washed out. Instinctively, I unclipped my right foot to catch myself. At this point I was on the bike sliding sideways down the embankment. My right foot slammed hard into a rock, and I thought I heard a crack over the sounds blasting from my Mp3 player.









I could not put any pressure on my leg and knew that I needed to get this checked out. Praying that I would have reception I reached for my cell phone and called Ron G. He called Michel from Cafe Michel who just happened to be a couple of miles from the Cove. I was able to get back to the parking lot on my own. I used my Niner as a crutch and hopped on my left leg up the hilly sections and slowly rode the the downhill parts while clipping in my left foot only. Michel took me to the emergency room. Warren S. and Ron went back later that night to get my truck and bike. Thanks guys!









X-rays showed that I broke my fibula in two. I am in the process of making a decision to have surgery or letting it heal with a cast.

Bike racks aren't just for transporting bikes!

Man Caves!

Ahhhh! Man caves! If you don't have one, you want one. You know that place where you can go to "vent" and "open up." That place where no scented candles or potpourri can be found. Everything from old autographed Redskin memorabilia to framed photos of M.J. in his prime to photos of present stars like LaDainian Thompson and Maria Sharapova can be found in mine. Here are a couple of cycling items displayed in my cave.

Seven fingers!

2005!

Team El Toreo signed this jersey back in 2006!

Lordy Lordy!

Look who's forty! Happy B-day to the funniest guy I have ever met!

Fat Tire Frenzy -Brief/Long Summary

Cruising down 460 with Ron G.

Brief Summary- OUUUUUUUCH (seven u's) This race hurt!























Longer Summary- OUUUUUUUUUUUCH! (eleven u's) This race hurt!

2008 Southside Scramble

Place- Danville, VA.

Weather conditions- perfect for racing!



This was my first race on a singlespeed, and I found out quickly that this was going to be a super fast race. It wasn't long before we were passing some of the Expert class. I witnessed two hammering riders in my class go down within the first mile and a half.


The riders in front were already getting separation on the flat fire road section.


Early on in the race my hands were soaked with sweat which made it extremely difficult on hold the handlebars. It felt like there was Crisco on my handlebars. It took everything I had to keep my hands on the bars, so I had to slow down a little bit. I guess I'll wear gloves next time.


I hit one section of roots and somehow my entire body was thrown forward. My midsection ended up on my handlebars. My face was about two inches from my front tire. I was lucky not to wipe out at this point.



I settled in and was fairly consistent for the first 11 miles. I felt pretty good. I was hitting the turns well and making it up the short climbs without too much trouble. Then it happened. Cramps! Both quads and my right hamstring said, "Goodbye! We're done!" My back was hurting like it never has before. I was history. I wasn't sure I was going to finish. For the last three miles I had to walk most of the steep sections and gently pedal the flats.


Overall, I loved the race- Great course with no laps! There is nothing like pushing yourself to the limit! What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger!



Here's a short video of the Singlespeeders on the first section of singletrack. Warren S. leads out the pack!

Jen's first race in the Sport Class! She walked away with some bling! Excellent job!

Chris C. on the first singletrack section (above). Warren at the finish!

Frank and Jannie checking for ticks and looking for ladybugs! Also, congrats to Paula and Adam for placing! Ron G- How many laps did you do?

Go Fly A Kite!

There were some amazing kites at this year's kite festival. One gigantic kite had over 240 panels! If you think flying a kite may be a little boring or that it does not appeal to your competitive nature, then you would love the fighter kites! They really do make these things. I'm not lying. These masterpieces are equipped with razor sharp blades to "fight" other kites. I'm not sure I'm ready for one of these yet, considering how my kite always nosedives into crowds!

Smile! Well, Maybe Not!

A couple of months ago I purchased a compact digital camera, the Canon SD 750, to carry w/me on rides. A cool sunset, wildlife, Ron G.'s face plant into a mud bog- you never know what you're going to see on any given ride, so I wanted to be ready at all times. It's now one more thing on the mental checklist before each ride. Bike-check, helmet- check, shoes-check, jersey/shorts- check, hammer gel- check, a charged MP3 player -check, CAMERA- check. I have been carrying the camera on every ride.

I was climbing the fire road at the cove this A.M and saw a three black bears. It looked to be a mother with her two cubs. Mom was at the top a very tall tree, and the cubs were just below her. My heart was pumping. I was pretty excited that I could get a picture. I reached for the camera. Where was it? Of course, it was in the truck!

How Could That Be?

I have been using these Ritchey pedals regularly since December 1996. I can't believe they are still working!

Puppy Love

Last night was the SPCA's annual fundraiser at the Hotel Roanoke- The Puppy Love Ball. It consisted of nice dinner (which included a big thick piece of steak!- We're animals lovers, right?), band, and a silent auction. Since October Jannie has been collecting donations from various businesses for the silent auction and attending meetings to help plan for this event. We were up late Friday evening putting the final touches on the displays and spent most all of Saturday setting these up. We also managed to have a garage sale on Saturday, but that's a different story. Here is one of the 231 displays!

Many businesses and individuals contributed to this event! Cardinal Bicycles donated this bike for the silent auction! Mail It Plus also helped by supporting this event!

I Love My MP3 players, but...

There is something so cool about having thousands of songs right there in your pocket, no question about that, but there is something missing- album art! I was in a small cafe yesterday in Petersburg. One room was decorated wall to wall with old album covers from 12 inch vinyl records. BTW, this is a great idea if you hate to paint! Yeah, I know you can still get some of the album art on the tiny screen of a MP3 player, but it is just not the same. There were some pretty cool album covers back in the day. Looking at all those album covers was a walk down Memory Lane. Foreigner, Van Halen, The Cars, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and Billy Joel had some great covers. When I was a teenager, I mowed grass and lifeguarded during the summers and spent most of my paycheck on these old records!

Statement!

I wanted to write a statement, an eloquent, well-written statement, somewhat poetic that would summarize this single speed experience so far. A statement that flows well. A statement that could be proudly displayed on t-shirts or bumper stickers one day. After several days of brainstorming for precise words and several painstaking nights of revising I finally have it!

Single speeds are fun as crap!

Holy Cow!

36 inch wheels!

Will these be the new "29er" wheels?

http://www.bertaut.com/monster.html

http://twentynineinches.com/2007/02/14/36-inch-wheels-the-next-big-thing/

And the Winner Is...

I've been wanting to try the singlespeed thing for several years now but never took the plunge until now. I narrowed my choices down to three frames: Gary Fisher Rig, Bianchi Rita, and a Niner One 9. I sold every old bike part I could find in my basement on Ebay then I placed bids on each of the three frames.



And the winner is...

















THE NINER ONE 9!

I consulted teammate and friend Warren Schimizzi on gear set-up, tires, rims, and hubs. Two weeks later the bike was built and ready to ride. I hooked up with Ron, Warren, Paula, Donnie, and Chris for my first ss ride. This ride included some road but mostly single/double track. My first impressions are that the bike handles well and is very light. I can't wait to ride it again!

Sunday, I hooked up with Chris B. from SVMBA to ride the new Southside Scramble race course. About five miles of new singletrack has been added which is called Crooked Stick. This year the experts will complete two laps, sport/singlespeed one, and the beginners will race in a modified single lap.

There is also going to be another race there June 6. This is going to be a part of the Southern Classic Series. Pretty cool stuff! Check this link out!

http://www.southernclassicmtb.org/

Awesome Dates and a Great Video!

If you have not heard yet, the Va. Derailer Series has new, and what I consider improved, race dates. Yep! Three in the Spring and the remaining in Sept. and Oct. This means no racing in the hottest part of the summer. One of the hardest, most difficult races I have ever raced was the 2005 Southside Scramble in 96 degrees in August. Last year, it was even hotter! So, this series will now take place in much cooler conditions! That's great news! And, of course, there has been a new race added which is catching a lot of buzz!

http://www.vaderailerseries.com/

Check out this video from last year's Southside Scramble. Just click on the Southside Scramble video, not the trails highlight video you'll see first. See if you recognize the RCO racer hammering down the singletrack. Who is that madman?


http://www.danville-va.gov/departments.asp?menuid=2820&sub1menuid=2836&sub2menuid=2901&sub3menuid=3312

Best Downhill Ever?

This trail is called Greens Lick. It's located a little off the BRP outside of Asheville, NC. It's smooth and well-maintained by the locals. From the parking lot it takes about an hour at a steady pace to get to this point. Many of the turns are banked, so you can flat out fly! But what makes this trail so incredible is that it was constructed with some major places to jump. There were so many that I lost count. Several of jumps have landing ramps, so you have hit it right. They come at you fast, one right after another. It almost has a free ride feel to it, which can be a lot fun! There are several videos posted on this trail, so check them out if you get a chance. Of course, it's always better to actually go there and ride it!

I have been wanting to go back here. There is a pretty cool campground nearby. Spring maybe? I hope so!

Let It Snow!

Schools were closed today! So, what did I do? I completed a short neighborhood run in the snow, took a spin class at the RAC, got an oil change for the truck, picked up some new contact lenses, and called Ron G to order a Thompson mountain bike seatpost and stem. I love Thompson components! I can wait to get these on my bike!

Game

We left Roanoke at 6:32 A.M.

We were in our seats at 2:15. Actually, we stood the entire game!

Jessica Simpson was there!







One of the Hogs!





Just before kickoff- video!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRcrvWPwvzQ


Couple of game shots! You can't tell from the pictures, but it rained the entire game!










Final pics!





Game Costs

Gas to and from Springfield- $51.35

Metro (round trip)- $15.60

Use of restrooms at McDonalds- . 50 cents

Game tickets / Food and beverages- $558.78

Apparel - $82.12

Beating Dallas by Sean Taylor's number (21) and making playoffs = PRICELESS!