Tour thoughts

While I continue my bike shopping extravaganza, it's also Tour time. I love the Tour, but it seems like most cyclists I know dial back their riding in July because of it. Note: Watching the Tour twice a day removes any excuse of not having time to ride.

Anyway, some random observations:

Cancellara and Tiger Beat:

My 4 1/2 year old daughter has a monster crush on Fabian Cancellara. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but last night after dinner she said, "Daddy, what do you think Fabian is doing right now?" She then wanted to go out on a bike ride where she was happy to be referred to as Spartacus. Of course her last pre-schooler infatuation was with Darth Vader. Go figure.

Craig and Bob vs. Joey and Chandler:

Have you noticed the precious braclets than Bob Roll and Craig Hummer are wearing? My guess based on ads running on Versus, is that they're Road ID bands. But every time I see them I can't help but think about that Friends episode where Joey and Chandler buy matching gold bracelets. In fact, I think Bob and Craig could make a mint doing some gay porn together. Craig already has the outfit.

I love TTTs...sort of:

I'm a huge fan of TTTs. I loved them as a rider. Sort of. If you haven't done one before, the TTT is hands down my vote for the hardest event in cycling. I've had people ask why it's harder than an indiviual time trial. My opinion is that as you're nearing the front you start riding way above threshold, then have very little time to "recover" before your next turn. I put recover in quotes because recovery means riding at a TT pace. I still have great memories from my team days of following my Shaklee team in the team car (this dates me, I know), watching the boys absolutely kill each other. It was a beautiful thing.

Isn't it interesting, as enthusiasts, how we're drawn to the most atrociously difficult events? Seriously, the mountain stages are awesome, but I can't remember the last time I looked forward to doing a 15K climb.

Gotta love Columbia:

I haven't seen a team ride in such a dominant fashion since Mapei's classics teams in the go-go 90's. Sadly, I think they're going to be shattered in weeks two and three of this year's Tour. But Cavendish...holy smokes. His acceleration is absolutely unreal. I've often said that great athletes walk the fine line between confidence and arrogance. Judging by the interviews I've seen with him he hasn't seen that line for a really long time. Whatever though. For the time being he's backing up his hubris.

Contador vs. Lance:

How'd you like to hang at the Astana breakfast table? It would be almost as much fun as inviting Anne Coulter and Bill Clinton over for drinks.

On a more important note, hopefully I'm ordering a new bike today...

Supporting the economy

So, it's time to pick out a new bike. This is a big thing for me.

You see, I haven't bought a bike since 1990 (a very cool "jungle green" Landshark, by the way). And even then, I paid so little for it that it was barely a purchase. It's just that 1990 was the last time I paid ANYTHING for a bicycle.

I know, I know, you feel really bad for me. I can hear you thinking, "poor Rider 1 has to pay for a bike for the first time in almost 20 years. On the other hand, I'm so glad my purchases over the years allowed the bike industry to throw free stuff his way for so long. He totally deserves it."

Geez, why are you being so sarcastic? Give me a break!

As sad as I was to lose my last bike, I love new bikes. So I'm trying to look at the bright side and think about all the cool stuff that might like to live in my garage.

I have a reputation for being very pragmatic about the bikes I ride. The number one rule? It has to fit. Everything other criteria is distant. Also, while there's some truth to being able to buy your way to better fitness, unfortunately I'm also realistic about this. And it drives Rider 3 crazy.

Rider 3 has an exceptionally nice bike. A couple of them, actually. So does Rider 2, actually. Anyway, I've been known to say things like, "That bike is awesome. It won't hold you back at all on the next climb."

The typical reply is something along the lines of, "F*$k you."

Fair enough.

Other rules: New technology is great, but it has to actually solve a problem. For example, electronic shifting. What problem, exactly, is this fixing? I understand that the front derailleur is self-centering, but so what? Eventually electronic shifting might replace cables, but in the mean time I don't care to pay a $3,000 upcharge to beta-test product for Shimano. Another example, the Mavic R-SYS wheel. So let me get this right. It's arguably the least aerodynamic wheel on the market, has a disturbing tendency to self destruct, and isn't much lighter than a more traditional wheel. Oh yeah, and it's brutally stiff and fantastically expensive. Sign me up!

Speaking of light weight, there's no doubt that a light bike is an advantage. But it's not the end-all-be-all criteria. On the other hand, riding a steel frame that's three pounds heavier than a carbon frame, and that's not as stiff and not as forgiving, doesn't make sense either. Trust me, I have lots of perspective on this one. I've ridden and owned a ton of steel bikes over the years. I appreciate them for what they are, but from a performance and comfort perspective, they're just not as good.

I'm off on a tangent again. The new bikes are so, so good now. I spent this past weekend in Orange County visiting family. I also have a good friend down there that loaned me his new Cervelo with Campy Super Record. Riding a sub-15 pound bike is so much fun. That bike was stiff as hell, comfortable, and the new Campagnolo group is really slick. I'm fortunate in that I've ridden enough gear over the years that it takes me about two blocks to adjust from Shimano to Campy to SRAM or whatever. But the new Super Record stuff is really smooth. I'd be happy to go into more detail about this some other time if anyone is interested. Love the shifters though.

The bike I just had destroyed--a five-year-old Trek Madone--was a very nice bike. Still, it fit me well and handled exceptionally. Not the most forgiving ride though. It definitely had the tendency to beat me up. The new bikes are a different animal though. Manufacturers, for the most part, have figured out how to tune carbon.

So, spending some time at Two Wheel Transit last week I started considering a few new rides. Pinarello makes a very nice looking frame. It's also fantastically expensive, and I'm not sure about the wavy stays and fork. I know they're supposed to absorb road shock, and they look cool, but seem to be mostly about style. On the positive front, they're light, and the geometry would work really well in terms of getting my position right. Friends I know that ride them love them, too.

TWT also had a couple of nice looking Eddy Merckx frames. Mostly though, it looked like they piggybacked an order at whatever Taiwanese factory produces some of Pinarello's frames. Not on my short list, anyway.

Then there's the Seven or Parlee route. Very nice looking, simple frames, but it's not going to happen. Way too expensive, and really the technology is years behind what you get from a Trek or even a Cervelo.

Speaking of Cervelo, what do you think about their marketing? I love it when they say stuff like, "half of our employees are engineers. That says a lot about our company." On the other hand, they have like 35 people that work for them. So, yeah, half your company is engineers, but it's kind of a dubious honor. Kind of like when a company says, "combined, we have over 300 years of industry experience." In other words, you have a lot of inexperienced employees, or a handful of really old ones.

I really shouldn't pick on Cervelo so much. I love that they're so supportive of pro racing and they do make nice bikes. I've ridden a couple of them for enough miles to get a strong impression. And while they're not on my short list, I'm sure they make plenty of people happy. Good for them.

Back to my purchase. So then there's Trek. Originally I was thinking of getting something new, given that I've been riding Treks for 12 or 13 years. But Rider 3's bike is so freaking sweet. And then last week Trek released its new version of the Madone. I'm seriously leaning towards this now. It's very light, the geometry is perfect for me, and the technology behind the bike make it, I think, the best-engineered bike out there. Plus, Trek's warranty program rocks.

Lots of decisions. Any opinions?

A Eulogy

I can't put into words how I really felt about you, but I have to try.

When the accident happened, time seemed to slow. I saw my life (or at least my collarbone) flash before my eyes, yet I escaped unscathed. You, dear friend, didn't fare as well. Nay, instead during yesterday's State Championships 300 pounds (or more) of flying man-flesh--sinew, bone and fluids--came crashing down on your meager 7 kilos.

It's hard to believe, but you are now dead to the world. It's a hard word to say or process, so I'll repeat it again. Dead. Dead. Dead.

You started your life in Wisconsin, born just down the road from the mothership in Waterloo, barely in time for the 2004 Tour de France. But it was in Europe, where you were covered in mud and cow droppings where you really came into your own. Eventually you were adopted by me, but really it was your time with Jurgen Van den Broeck that defined your early life.

To me, you were always special. I think back fondly now on our time together. The 204 miles on a hot day in July two years ago. The field sprint wins. The suffering, me covered in sweat, you in energy drink, dust and tar. And of course, who could forget the time we were caught in that snowstorm. I laugh now, but today it also makes me want to cry.

Yet alas, Sunday completed your circle of life. No more Madone frame. It is now broken beyond repair. No more Aeolus carbon wheels. Today they're broken in half. No more SRAM Red shifter. No more rear derailleur. No more. No more.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Except in your case it's carbon to carbon. You're an element, and can't be broken down any more than you already are. So sad, but also comforting in its own way.

RIP good bicycle. RIP good friend.

From Team Two Wheel

Bike Racing in Cheney. And Spokane.

I pasted an e-mail below that I received earlier today. In case you hadn't heard, the State Master's Criterium Championships are in Spokane this weekend. Actually, they're in Cheney, but if you live in Spokane it's close enough to ride, and the race is being organized by a Spokane-based club, so I'm OK saying that the race is in Spokane. That makes sense, right?

The good people at the Spokane Regional Sports Commission somehow forgot to mention that on Sunday, Spokane is also hosting the State Master's Road Championships. I could be sarcastic and say something like it's hard to keep up with all of eastern Washington's road racing, but I'm sure it was just an oversight. The folks at the SRSC are very cool and are also great boosters of cycling. So instead I'd like to thank them for sending out a news release about bike racing. I think it's probably the first one any news outlet has received this year. Seriously, bike racing here needs more of this kind of attention.

Anyway, if you're interested in watching riders suffer at high speeds, head to Cheney on Saturday. For an added bonus, on Sunday find your way to northwest Spokane and watch a bunch of riders suffer up Four Mounds Road. For a map, click here.

All of this news about racing has me very excited. Kind of like the Tour de France, but with older riders. Except for Lance Armstrong. He's old enough to ride with the Masters here, but then again he's not from Washington state. And he's professional. And he's actually in France right now, getting ready for the Tour de France. Which starts in Monaco. Monaco is really close to France. Kind of like Cheney is really close to Spokane. Except people in Monaco tend to have a lot more money than people in Cheney. Or Spokane. Or France for that matter.

I on the other hand, despite having bike measurements that are almost identical to Lance's do live in Washington. And I'm not a professional, even though I used to work with professional cyclists. Which makes me eligible to race (the first part of the last sentence, not the last part of the last sentence), which I'll do. What's interesting (to me) though is that I've been to both France and Monaco. And Spokane and Cheney. Speaking of which, Monaco is really hilly. So is the race on Sunday. But alas, my time in Monaco won't have helped me for the race this weekend. Neither will the three days I spent in San Francisco earlier this week for work. San Fran is also hilly, but I didn't ride once, so the hills there won't have helped build power for the climbs in Spokane. Neither will the copious amounts of food I ate or alcohol I drank in San Franciso. Although it's also true that Spokane has similar kinds of food and fluids, and I could have masticated and embibed unhealthy food and drink here as well. But I didn't, because I wasn't here. I was in San Francisco.

Anyway, have fun this weekend and good luck if you're racing.

For Immediate Release	Contact: Suzanne Boyce 509-742-9396 suzanneb@spokanesports.org
June 26, 2009

WA State Masters Cycling Championships This Weekend In Cheney 200 cyclists, including local riders, compete for championship (Cheney, WA) While the city of Spokane is hooping-it-up this weekend, Cheney will be spinning with the best master cyclists in the State during the Washington State Masters Criterium Cycling Championships on Saturday, June 27, 2009. A technical 8-corner, 1-mile loop through downtown Cheney will be the course for 200 cyclists vying for "Best in Washington" honors. Michael Emde, local rider and recent winner of the Davis 24-hour Challenge held in the Sierra foothills near Sacramento, California, will be competing for another gold medal win to add to his growing list of cycling accolades. This race also features the Washington State Junior Tour Race Series, a chance for local youth racers to compete against the best in the State on a challenging course. Come watch the excitement! The schedule of events is as follows: Junior C/D 9:00AM Junior A/B 9:40 AM Master Women A 10:30 AM Master Women B 11:25 AM Kids Bicycle Races 12:15 PM (free for kids ages 9 & under) Master Men D 1:00 PM Master Men C 1:50 PM Master Men B 2:45 PM Master Men A 3:45 PM Click here to view the course map.

About the Spokane Regional Sports Commission The Spokane Regional Sports Commission provides leadership in economic and community development through sports. Our vision is to position the Spokane region as the premier site for adult and youth sports events, generating a significant economic impact and improving the quality of life, while bringing prominence and recognition to the Inland Northwest.

An Intense Father's Day Weekend

Regarding the title of this post, thankfully I'm not referring to a stress-filled weekend jam-packed with tasks and obligations I'd rather avoid.

Instead, I'm referring to my riding.

I had two beautiful days this weekend. For a number of reasons I needed to ride solo. First off, I wanted to try and do some harder efforts, and this always works better for me when I'm by myself. With others I end up riding too hard, or not hard enough. Or resting too long between efforts, or not long enough. No, I what I wanted was to ride where and how I wanted to ride. Plus, Riders 2 and 3 had other plans. Solo it was.

For the most part I generally prefer to ride with friends. I like the camaraderie and social aspect of riding in a group--large or small. But sometimes solitary time on the bike is a must. Especially after the past week. Work has been exceptionally busy and stressful (mostly in a good way though) and I was really looking forward to time alone. It's interesting how this ends up being time for reflection, even though I don't always spend time thinking about anything other than the ride, how I'm feeling on the bike, where that creak in my bottom braket is really coming from, etc.

Plus, like I mentioned a couple of times last week I haven't been riding much and intense efforts have been more difficult than usual. I raced last Tuesday, miraculously finishing fourth, but it wasn't a memorable showing, despite a relatively weak field. I could say that I botched the sprint, but it's funny how when you're feeling good and have decent form, sprints don't get botched.

Anyway, after getting a new spoke for my training wheel at Two Wheel Transit (and catching up at the shop with a couple of the Morning Ride guys that had just finished their long ride), Saturday I did repeats on a hill called Greenwood Road. It's not terribly long--say six to seven minutes depending on my fitness--but it's absolutely hard. The climb gets steeper as you ascend, with the most difficult pitch at the very top.

It's also a beautiful road. Smooth asphalt, great views of Indian Canyon and Palisades Park, thick old-growth fir covering the hillsides, and on the way down, one of the best panoramas of downtown Spokane around. It also gets very little traffic.

And riding this, I almost died. For once, not from some self-inflicted hypoxic state, but from some guy in a truck being stupid. Greenwood is a curvy, steep road with a sandy shoulder. So when you're piloting a 3,000 pound, 20 year old pickup it's probably not a good idea to be sending text messages, which is what the wanker driving the car seemed to be up to. You can probably guess that he drove off the road, I heard a screeching of tires on asphalt and came around the corner to see the guy drifting his truck sideways at 45 mph, with his phone still in his hand. Yikes. I'm sure he went home and told his friends about it, leaving out the part about the phone, but referencing his NASCAR-like reflexes. Except it was a right-hand bend, and in NASCAR you only turn left.

Sunday was Father's Day, so I headed out after a tasty breakfast with my family for a series of 15 minute threshold efforts. Or something around threshold anyway. My heart rate monitor hasn't worked for a couple of months now, so I ride by feel, which is probably better anyway. After 25 years of riding I hope I have a decent sense of when I'm working hard.

It was humid, but the upside of the thunderstorms we've been having is that Spokane is greener than I think I've ever seen it in late-June.

I felt surprisingly strong, ticking through the first effort without more trouble than usual, especially on the heels of Saturday's hard ride. Heading up the Fish Lake Trail--a flat rails-to-trail that brings you to the town of Cheney--I had my second near miss of the weekend. I made the rookie mistake of riding with my head down for 10 seconds or so--something I rarely do. When I looked up what was in front of me? Like 20 meters in front of me? An exceptionally large coyote. I still can't think of a single positive outcome from T-boning a wild animal. Luckily I think it was more scared than I was and it scampered up the hillside.

The rest of the ride was perfect. The rolling hills of Salnave Road were beautiful, the fisherpeople on Silver and Clear Lake must have been at home waiting for the next rainstorm, and the temperature was cool. Armwarmers in June are a rarity, but with the humidity I ended up a bit dehydrated by the end.

No racing this week for me. I'm heading to San Fran for a surprise work trip for a few days. Should make for the perfect runup for State Championships.

On another aside, did you catch Fabian Cancellara and his big ol' cottage of wattage in the Swiss Tour final TT? Holy crap--the man can lay it down. How many bikes a year do you think he breaks? Given how many 40-50 year old docs and lawyers I've seen destroy Specialized Tarmacs, I can only imagine that Spartacus is a one-man R&D department for the big red S.

Avoiding raindrops

This is a game I used to have to play in Boulder all the time. You leave on a ride at a time when the weather is looking especially ominous, then spend your time sprinting away from storm clouds. In its own way, it's actually kind of fun.

I came home from work a few nights ago intent on getting out for a ride. It was a long day with perhaps a few extra frustrations thrown in. But it was especially humid, there was occasional thunder and rain was definitely on the way. Yet it was sunny at my house. To add to the excitement I broke two spokes on a long ride over the weekend, (piece of crap three cross traditionally built wheel only lasted 13 years) so I was rolling around on my all-carbon race wheels. Regardless of what some people seem to think, cork pads and carbon do NOT work all that well when it's wet.

Anyway, it looked sunnier to the south, so south I headed into Spokane's Hangman Valley. I ended up keeping my eye on the various rain clouds, heading left or right where I could to avoid them.

Not only was it a great ride, but I stayed completely dry. Good for me. After all, I wouldn't want my fancy wheels to get dappled with road grime. They're much too fancy for that.

I realize my camera phone is lousy, but here's a pic from the Palouse Highway, overlooking Hangman Valley that probably does a better job at what I've been trying to describe. For all of you non-Spokane readers I wish you could see this valley. It's so green and beautiful right now. You're missing out.

From Team Two Wheel

The best answer

It's a question that everyone gets at one time or another: "So, have you been riding much?"

More often than not this innocent question leads to some diatribe on mileage, volume, and godforbid, a rundown of Training Stress Scores.

I have a much better suggestion. And it's simple.

Roll up the sleeve of your jersey and respond, "this much." How deep is the tanline?

Barnone it's the best indicator of your summer riding.

Guest post: An accessory for every occasion

Note: While this could set a dangerous precedent, Wife1, wife of Rider1, has offered to contribute a post today. Enjoy.

The great challenge for cycling spectators and spouses is that once the athletes are festooned in spandex shorts (or maybe my favorite - the sexy singlet!), logo-filled jersey, shorty socks, helmet and glasses, they all look the same. If I could remember what color jersey Rider1 wore that day, or even which bike he rode off on, I could use that as an identifier, but honestly, between the different arm warmers and wheels and other assorted bits and pieces, there are way too many colors of which to keep track.

But now – problem solved!

From Team Two Wheel

Thank you, Rapha, for providing a quick and easy solution to my dilemma. Now, with one small purchase, I will be able to tell Rider1 apart from all his friends. Behold: the cycling neckerchief.

So small! So silky! And yet, so sartorially superior! With this swatch of cloth, Rider1 will no longer suffer the chilly neck, and the family support crew will have a new cheer: Daddy, Daddy! He's so natty!

Rapha explains that the silk scarf doubles as a luxury brow wipe. In a pinch, it will doubtless wipe other things luxuriously as well. Cheerio!

Things to make you feel better

No, we haven't given up the ghost on this blog. In fact we're all still very excited about riding, but life in general has been hectic for all three of us lately.

This weekend, for the first time in something like a month, we linked up for a ride together. Quicksilver is flying. Good for him.

I suffered mightily at times, and Rider 3 experienced a bonk so deep that I'm pretty sure he met Allah.

Our State Championships are in a couple of weeks. Like I've written about before this is a race I had initially hoped to prepare for and do well in, until life got in the way. Lots of business travel and a less than fun sinus infection conspired against saddle time, so I'm off to my bag of tricks.

No, not THAT bag of tricks, although I'm sure you could fill one of Rapha's fancy soigneur bags with all kinds of illicit substances. Although if you buy one of Rapha's fancy soigneur bags you probably won't be able to afford many illicit substances. Maybe some No-Doz.

Anyway, this weekend I started stewing on the things that give me motivation and potentially help form come along. Quickly.

I know some people go for retail therapy: Buy, buy, buy your way to better fitness. Good for them. It actually makes me feel worse though. When I'm suffering, I just get angry and feel undeserving of new equipment. What can I say? I have issues.

So, here's my initial list of the things and stuff I do in a pinch. Most are obvious, but hey, it's my blog post, right?

• New bar tape. Clean, white bar tape always makes me feel better. Put it on two days before your big ride or race. Fresh cork is a good thing.
• New chain. I guess these first two bullets are sort of retail therapy, but they're pretty minimal. Anyway, a new chain always feels smoother. Plus, it's time. Has anyone else noticed how quickly 10 speed chains wear out?
• Eat right: Even I can focus my diet for a couple of weeks. It's amazing how much better I feel when I'm strict about what I eat. The low-glycemic trick works every time for me, and I usually lose a few pounds to boot. Brocolli is your friend. Chocolate chip muffins are not.
• Be consistent: OK, this is a no-brainer for most in the chamios-sniffing set, but life often makes it difficult for me to ride as consistently as I need to. But when I ask, my family tends to be really supportive. 6 days a week for a couple of weeks does wonders.
• Ride when your competition isn't. There's something about small compromises that go a long way. If you know your friends are at home watching the Dauphine or the Tour, ride then. Watching races when my form is bad just makes me feel worse.
• Play to your strengths: Are you a sprinter? Go do a sprint workout. Downhill with a tailwind, preferrably.
• Leave your computer/HRM/SRM at home. Numbers don't help when you're not feeling snappy. If I've been off the bike for a while and know I don't have good form I ride alone. At my own pace. No computer, heartrate or wattage numbers for reference. Even better, ride a course you don't know well. Just focus on riding a pace that works for you and enjoy yourself. After an hour or two of feeling like I'm riding someone else's bike, I almost always find that my legs start coming around and finish the ride feeling mentally refreshed.

Tomorrow night will be the first training race for me in a long time. We'll see how it goes.

Riding Again

I am not nearly as PRO on my bicycle as my teammate, but I am glad to report that I am at least riding a bicycle again after an extended hiatus.

Last weekend I got back on the bike, I think for the first time in May. It was too long of a break and I have had some serious backsliding on my form. Not that it was that great, but believe me when I say that four weeks off is not good for one's race-readiness. So, last weekend I took off my semi-permanent t-shirt that reads "Help, I've fallen off my bike and can't get back on" and pedaled around a bit.

In a classic bit of idiocy, I was getting quite pumped up about getting back to riding, but I pulled a very rookie move. On Friday, after getting home from a bit of time single skull rowing (the second time on the water since my college days of rowing 6 days a week for four years), I watched the Mt. Vesuvius stage of the Giro. It was an impressive display with attack after attack after attack on those steep slopes. I have never, ever been able to accelerate and recover on a mountain slope. My style is pure big diesel: find an RPM I can sustain and then plow along (usually at 4 - 10 mph) until it's over. So, after four weeks off the bike, but knowing that I was going out Saturday with some inexperienced cyclists who I thought wouldn't be testing me too much, I decided to "attack" every steep "ramp" between my house and the starting point. The total elevation gain was significant (Latah Valley to upper South Hill for those of you around here) and I enjoyed gunning up the one block or two block long ramps. I was pretty toasted by the time I made my way up 14th to Bernard, but glad to be back on the bike.

The not glad part came the next day when my thighs were reminding me of what an idiot I can be.

I was also happy that my weekend plans, after eliminating cycling for a number of prior weekends, allowed for riding again on Sunday. At least my brain was happy. My legs were heavy and sore. So what did I do? Sure. I took a trip up to the top of the Valley Chapel hill. Who said "slow and steady wins the race"? How about "all in for idiocy" as a replacement? Or how about, "no pain, no gain, so this much pain must be great for me"?

Anyway, it's nice to be back on the bike.
Rider 3

I am so PRO

Yes, I realize that I've just used that all-cap abomination, but this time I can back it up. No, I haven't "upgraded" to a compact crank. But trolling the internet cycling news pages has proven that, without a doubt, I am totally PRO.

Need proof? Well, of course you do. Because like any good reader of the blogosphere I'm confident that you would never take a blogger or news reporter at face value. Unless you're a fan of Rush Limbaugh, but don't get me started on that one.

Anyway, back to my newfound PROness:

• Rider 3 alluded to this once before, but one day while reading up on Lance's fancy Trek Madone I realized that we are literally millimeters away from having the same bike position. Seriously, I could probably hop on his bike and be mostly comfortable. Wow, Lance could totally be my gregario. How PRO would that be? And I just used gregario in a sentence. Also very PRO.
• Today I learned that Alberto Contador hasn't raced since mid-April. Holy crap! Me too! Alberto es mi hermano! Como estas, Alberto? Let's practice our pistol-shooting victory salutes together. Again, totally PRO to have the same-ish race schedule as AC. (Even if I have actually raced since mid-April, it feels like it's been that long.)
• And then I learned that after doing some TTT training with his Silence Lotto team, Cadel Evans did an extra hour of work on his own. Check this out. Last time I rode with the Morning Ride guys, I felt like I too needed to expend some extra kcals and tacked on an extra 20 mile loop. That's right, more proof of my PROness.

I'm on to something here, and it's something big.

Today's Haiku

Nothing screams high performance bike riding and racing more than a poorly written haiku.

Sitting at my desk:

Summer head colds are no fun

No racing tonight

From Rider 1

Nice work Rider 1. I'll join in that fun.

Too much time off bike;
heavy legs and heavy gut,
no racing tonight.

Joyfully written
by Team Two Wheel Rider Three
to tell his story.

Predictions

This is a new realm for me, but I want to make a few bold predictions about cycling events that will take place on Sunday. You may know that I am a long-time follower of professional cycling. It is hard not to cynically dismiss the sport when yet another doping scandal emerges, but I continue to find myself drawn to it. The backdrops are beautiful and one can rarely predict what will happen, however, today, I am going to predict what will happen. Also, I am not going to go all namby-pamby on you and give you a list of potential winners, I am going to tell you who is going to win. Feel free to contact your bookie after reading this column.

Giro d'Italia - Dennis Menchov will win. No, this is not a bold prediction as it has been assumed that he would win even if he was behind Danilo DiLuca going into the time trial and he is ahead by 20 seconds. But I am predicting that the projected rain will in fact fall on the tricky, technical and cobbled Rome time trial course which will cause Menchov to switch to his road bike and the safety of better handling and tires with more grip. DiLuca will keep his time trial bike knowing that he has to have every second he can get. Also, DiLuca will go all out for the first time check to try to spook Menchov into taking chances. Unfortunately for DiLuca, he will be overcooked in the first few minutes and lose time to Menchov for the remainder of the course, EXCEPT, when Menchov falls on the course, but he will still manage to keep his advantage over DiLuca and win.

Also, in a surprise win that has more to do with weather and fatigue, Lithuanian newcomer Ignatas Konovalovas will win the time trial, narrowly defeating Brad Wiggins who was the last hope for Garmin-Chipotle redemption.

In other bold predictions, I think that Taylor Phinney will pull away from a group of about a dozen to win the Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, a running of this famous race for U223 riders, and that David Millar will post his first win of the year in a race in Scotland called the Edinburgh Nocturne, a race which a Pro Tour team should be embarrassed to attend.

My prognostication abilities are now worn out for the day, so please don't contact me to ask whether Susan Boyle or dance troupe Diversity will win Britain's Got Talent(okay, I say Diversity) or whether Adam Lambert is will announce in Rolling Stone that he is gay (okay, I say no). Now, please, I really am tired and I want to get my rest for checking the news reports in 24 hours to see if I am right.
Rider 3

Friday Round-up

I have a confession. I have lost the right to be a cycling blogger as I have apparently fallen off my bike and can't get on again. It has now been one solid month since I was on my bike. Those of you who are astute will notice that this month contains Bike To Work Week. Those of you who are close readers of this blog (Hey Dad!) will also notice that my lack of riding has not stopped me from jabbering about cycling most of the time, but I have to confess, the well is running dry. I think in addition to having something to say about riding, it is also the time on the bike that gives me the time and space to ponder something to have to say and the combination of organizing my life to have time to ride and the ride itself combine to allow for the creativity and energy to say something. Apparently stress and tequila are not suitable substitutes for sleep and cycling. Who knew?

Anyway, my lack of riding hasn't keep me from still thinking about cycling every day. So today I thought I would share some of the things that have crossed my way and made me think about cycling recently.

Websites - I love that the Giro is being covered daily on Universal Sports. But I can't obsess about mountain stages and watch them from 4.30 - 8 am the way I can with the live TdF stages on Versus, so I have to decide whether to NOT look at any cycling websites during the day and watch coverage that night, OR, steal a lot of the entertainment factor of watching and read about it ahead of time. The best compromise is reading the Live Coverage on CyclingNews.com. They do a minute-by-minute coverage that must be like what people experienced sitting next to the radio and filling in the gaps with their imaginations. I can't see the stage, but I can see it in my mind. It is oddly fulfilling.

BikeSnobNYC - BikeSnobNYC is a man among men. Actually, I would guess that in real life he is small and slightly effeminate, but not too effeminate. Like Rapha effeminate, where you get the masculinity of being dainty, but only sorta. Anyway, the point is that he is a cycling commentator to be admired as he stands above the rest. While he gets a bit too deep into NYC arcania sometimes for me to fully comprehend (being a farm-fed westerner and all), and his knowledge of graphics arts and 80's and 90's punk/rock/metal music would indicate a professional or semi-professional knowledge that again is too deep for me to fully grasp, he is spot on with his observations of our cycling silliness. Also, today, he has a link to many male cyclists fantasy. Let's just say that Menchov didn't have the right viewpoint to fully grasp, no, fully appreciate his podium companions.

FatCyclist - Yesterday's post on racing, but not racing, is the best of Fatty. He sees and wonderfully articulates the stuff we experience on group rides, but may not understand or appreciate until Fatty elucidates it in his own way.

Boulder Report - I usually make snarky comments whenever I mention Bicycling Magazine, but today, I am going to forgo that opportunity and just compliment them on the Boulder Report. Great commentary, great writing, very interesting.

Competitive Cyclist - The What's New is the official column/blog of CC. They are the ones that mentioned the Boulder Report, but they are also a great look at the inside world of the cycling business (not to mention occasional forays into full-blown 80's racing nostalgia).

Livestrong Videos - The Boulder Report does a great job of discussing LA's media mastery, including his refusal to talk to reporters but tweeting and vlogging to his heart's content, but putting aside that issue, take a look at the videos with some great cycling personalities. Micheal Barry is today, and his bookishness comes through strongly. Jens Voigt was earlier this week and his humor comes through strongly. Dave Z. was a bit earlier and what can you say about DZ other than he should have a radio or tv program like Mystery Science Theater 3000 where he just says stuff. I would be inclined to get stoned for the first time in a couple of decades and just listen.

So, here are some of the ways I have been keeping cycling close in my heart, and now, this weekend I get to keep it close to my ass again. I am truly looking forward to it.
Rider 3

Ride to the Demo Ride

Like we discussed in yesterday's post, today is day one for the Trek Demo Trailer in Spokane.

If you're interested, we're planning to leave Two Wheel Transit at 5:30 to ride out to Riverside State Park, demo some bikes, then ride back downtown. Just in case, the shop's address is 1405 West First Ave., on the west side of downtown Spokane. Two Wheel's phone number is 509-747-2231.

And isn't the weather incredible this week? I rode the Hangman Valley loop last night after work. I can't believe how green the valley is and how perfect the temperature has been for riding. My euphoria somehow got the better of my good sense though. It felt so good riding that I decided to ride the long climb out of the valley in my 53 x 17. I did it, but 14 hours later my lungs still hurt from the effort.

Trek Demo in Spokane

Here's a reminder that if you're in or near Spokane, that you should definitely stop by the Trek Demo in Riverside State Park this week.

The Trek crew is setting up near the Bowl & Pitcher on Thursday from 4 - 8 p.m, and Friday from Noon-4. 

I'm pretty excited to try some of the new gear. If you've been reading this blog you probably know that I spent some time in the bike industry. And in fact I spent time in the bike industry working for Trek (among other teams) and that I still ride a Trek. 

But my road bike is four or five years old, and my mountain bike, well even though I still love it, is often referred to with "vintage" as a modifier. 

From Team Two Wheel

A dirty, dirty bike

Last summer I spent some time riding in Colorado on the newer full suspension mountain bikes (and was totally impressed), but it will be my first time on one of the new Madones. Word is that they'll have the 6.9 Madone on hand, so perhaps there will be a chance to give the new Dura Ace a try too.

I'm interested to take a spin on the new road bikes. I've heard good things about them, but am looking forward to a nice apples-to-apples comparison. Also, since they're there I'd like to try out the Gary Fisher Superfly 29er. Yes, I know we typically write about road bikes on this blog, but mountain biking is still near and dear to my heart. 

So, more to come, but in the mean time here's a link to more information, maps, details, etc. And please note that the location is in fact at the Bowl & Pitcher, not Nine Mile. Call Two Wheel Transit at 509-747-2231 if you have questions:

http://www.trekfactorydemo.com/region.php?region_id=5&type=7

I can't help myself

We could talk about the Giro, or Tom Boonen's coke problem, or my lack of riding, or the perfect Spokane weather for riding, or the explosion of cycling information via Tweeter, or even about organized rides coming up, or races coming up, or my own lack of racing, or new equipment I am talking myself into needing, but instead, I find myself thinking about the ubiquitous Lance Armstrong again.

I had doubts about his ability to come back at age 37 and in a new environment including more testing and the passport control, but I am beginning to believe he is going to be an impact player in the Tour this year. First, he is not far off the pace in the Giro and is indeed getting stronger as the race progresses. Second, he definitely had to pace Levi up the climb yesterday, showing an eclipsing of form from one to the other. Third, Bernard Kohl seems to have proven that the passport program is as easily defeated as the prior systems, so that shouldn't be a stumbling block. Fourth, the serendipitous collapse of Astana will allow Bruyneel and Armstrong to reconstitute the team around LA's gi-normous marking potential and, showing that he could be the least lucky rider in the world, allowing them to dump Contador just a few weeks prior to the TdF, providing the all-for-Lance, Lance-for-him approach that they favor. I think this all ads up to LA on the podium. Yet to be seen if he can make it 8, but in January I scoffed at the notion. Today, I'm not so sure.

On the topic of LA, however, I have to ask: what is the deal with his bikes? Aren't they getting crazier and crazier? Does he need a new custom painted or custom decaled bike for each race? And if so, why not for each stage? Let's really get to it and starting having LA ride a different bike every day. In fact, why not individually decorate and have him ride every production Madone 6.9 in his size and then sell those as one-off custom bikes through Trek dealers? For an extra fee he could run off a few bikes on sizes up and down, just for people making enough of a donation to Livestrong, no?

Here is the latest "creation" in the world of art meets sport meets mega-conglomerate marketing (and we know it's working because we are talking about it - next up, what is the deal with Kate & Jon?):

From Misc Bike Pics

From Misc Bike Pics

And, of course, you have to have a matching helmet, right?

From Misc Bike Pics

Maybe next they could set up a poll and ask fans what graphics they would like to see on LA's next bike. Any suggestions?
Rider 3

PS - Happy 20th Anniversary to Rider 3 Wife!

A long break

It was a long break. And no, I don't mean break as in breakaway, I mean a long time away from the bike. And as good as that steak at NY's Four Seasons was, it didn't do a lick of good for my form.

Like Rider 3 alluded to the other day, work and family obligations have joined forces to conspire against saddle time. Other than feeling a bit out of sorts, I survived this bike vacation and upon returning to Spokane was itching to get back on my bike.

And this past weekend had a nice present in store for me: Perfect weather. 

Late-May in Spokane is something special. Rolling hills of green wheat, gentle winds (as opposed to the gale force variety that's typical in the early spring) and sun. This weekend was perfect. At least the weather was perfect.

I rode solo on Friday for 90 minutes or so. It felt like I was on someone else's bike. My seat felt too high, the bars way too far away and small hills felt like big mountains. Three weeks off will do that.

Saturday was better, but Quicksilver (who is leaner than I've ever seen him, btw) and Nate made my life pretty miserable. A 30 minute block at threshold will do that...I followed up Saturday's ride with some solo time on Sunday, doing a series of hill repeats that left me more than a little shattered. But I also started feeling like myself, like the cobwebs were finally getting cleaned out.

All of this was just a warmup for Monday. I was tired and sore, but the day was just so perfect. About 25 people showed up to help celebrate Memorial Day. 

We rolled out of town, the sun shining on the group happily chatting away. Conversation died down a bit up the day's first climb, but resumed a mile or so later once we crested. 

It was fun to catch up with Tony, a teammate from last season and one of the nicer guys in the group, as we rolled along at the front, warming up our legs and getting things moving at the right speed. 

The Rambo Road/Tepee loop is one of my favorites in the region. For some reason it's not popular with local riders, but to me it should be a Spokane staple. The loop has a bit of everything. Flat farm roads, some steep climbs, an arrow-straight and fast downhill, ponderosa forests, basalt cliffs and coulees, river vistas, and plenty of green meadows. Some of the ride is exposed, other times you're under a canopy of trees. 

I'm not sure why I didn't bring along a camera. It's too bad because there was great light and amazing scenery.

Anyway, I love days that underline why this sport is so perfect. Three hours after I left home I found myself tired, but not completely wrecked. Nothing a plate of mexican food didn't fix, anyway.

By the way, some foreshadowing is in order. We just took delivery of our new Giro Ionos helmets and Havik glasses. Initial thoughts are all positive, but we'll get up some more detail once we have more time in them.

Random Cogitations

Per the Blogging Code, we are required to post random collections of thoughts on regular intervals. Here are my latest random, but now collected, thoughts on various topics.

Giro d'Italia - I know the Tour de France is the grand-daddy of them all, but is there more beautiful scenery than that behind the race in Italy? The country-side is breath-taking, the roads wonderful and ridiculous and totally inappropriate for 180 cyclists and the 100 support cars it takes for a major tour. I do think that promoters need to take into account the safety of the riders, but I can't blame them for cramming the Giro onto some of these great roads. There just isn't a better way to instill a desire to travel for me than to watch this race.

Race Coverage - Speaking of watching this race, isn't it time for another rant about how hard it USED to be to find information about professional racing? Now settle down while I light my pipe and tell you kids about the old days. Why, we used to have to adjust the rabbit ears on the television to catch the CBS Wide World of Sports scant weekly coverage of the Tour de France! You don't know what rabbit ears or what Wide World of Sports are? Why you young whipper-snappers, let me tell you a thing or two!

Okay, I'll skip that particular extended rant, but we have a SECOND television channel covering professional cycling, we have live streaming internet coverage FREE, and there are multiple websites offering live and/or same-day results, analysis and discussion. It is wonderful and overwhelming.

Lance Armstrong, Danilo DeLuca, Ivan Basso - Should these guys be grouped together?

Jens Voigt - I smile every time Jens comes on the screen. Indeed, WWJD?

Horrillo - Horrible. Best of luck to him.

Weather - Getting nice in Spokane. I MUST RIDE MY BIKE! WORK BE DAMNED, FAMILY BE DAMNED, OBLIGATIONS BE DAMNED!

Turns out it is not nice to damn one's work and family, nor is it easy to damn one's obligations without the benefit of a medically identifiable addiction. Oh well. I know cycling time is coming back soon.
Rider 3

Distracted!

Okay, I am back, and I have some cycling thoughts, but in the meantime I need some help from my local Spokane cycling brethren. I lost a pair of grey and black smartwool socks on the way to work the other day. They fell out of my pocket along with a pair of wool underwear.

If you have seen them, please let me know.
Rider 3