like father, like son

that's my son after getting 26 stitches Saturday night, 12 January, 2013. he fell down on ice outside our house, he was getting out of the car. paramedics were called, and i was texted. i met the wife, jakob and ella at the ER.   i got there and my son was wrapped in gauze and waiting for registration and intake. it wasn't a pretty sight and my heart sank, he felt better that i was there.
he was pretty calm for a kid who just had a pretty traumatic experience. we walked over to the ER room and settled in for what turned out to be a four hour adventure. people were nice and it wasn't that busy. the surgeon gave my son his ipad and that distracted him nicely. the wound had stopped bleeding, so irrigation and prep was easy. he had a cat scan, and of course he liked it. he was pretty much enjoying this whole thing way too much.
the surgeon came back and did great work. and of course the dr. was a biker. he and i talked  about bikes and trails while he sewed. kinda funny how that happened, a bike rider working on my son's head. jakob kinda liked it too i think. he mentioned while we were waiting for discharge papers how maybe we could get the same room 'the next time we come'. He thought that maybe one accident a season would be nice, winter spring, summer and fall are seasons. when he looked at the stitches in a mirror, of course he said "awesome". my trips to the emergency room with this boy have just begin. i better keep my phone charged and in my pocket at all times. i am the emergency contact and this is not the first emergency call....

i could care

so january 2013 is here and i'm still riding a short commute and several other rides to an undislosed location. i like riding my bikes, i will try to do it more often. oh, i need a picture here i guess.

what about krampus?

 i took a test ride on a krampus from HC, it was a prototype since the real thing isn't available yet.
first impressions
700c wheel diameter
really fat (not extreme fat) tires,
nice handling.
i'm still not convinced if i want one.
i  remain unhooked. not unimpressed by the platform just the execution.
 i discussed my misgivings with mr. jimmy, i guess until i ride a fat bike in snow i really will not be convinced about the practicality and functionality of the krampus. i will with-hold judgement until we get some snow.

weak sauce

so after preparing and training and fixing it all just right. i didn't make it to state cx champs. well, shiver me timbers... friends of mine did and one even won the womens state champion medal. i even got a free skinsuit, not my birthday suit, but close. budgetary constraints prevented my race, and i just went out for drinks the night of no name alley cat. but i did meet someone who will inspire me for quite some time, she's nice. i got free stuff and i met people seems like a good weekend to me. fuck the mcf and their idea of racing! why the hell is the calendar bare for december and january? folks gotta stay in shape for worlds in Louisville in january.

on the new moon...

i will be starting to prepare for the one race of the season that matters on monday. not gonna race on sunday, but i may make a superfan appearance..... hanging out with and 8 yr old and 5 year old in the cold woods with a bunch of beer swilling heathens is still good parenting right?  45 days to december first and then it the MN state champs. i have raced( or maybe just competed in this more than once. the course may change a little, but it will be sure to included the stairs. old boys will be racing hard since UCI masters is coming in january. first time in history in the US.

 this the new 'old girl'.....peugeot UO-8.
still needs work, but i never may get to that......swapped out the crosstop lever  for a shimano 600 lever to match the crankset. mafac brakes,
 46 x 16....i know, kinda a big gun for cross, i'm looking for a 36 or 38 in 130 bcd. it'll keep me warm in the wintertime.

ready for action

8 week plan; up daily time in the saddle to 90 minutes. i got skills for cyclocross, i have two decent bikes, i have the time. i may race just to stay motivated. think i'll get right on that. October 14th theo wirth cyclocross.

building the home bike shop

i mean shop like "shop class" or 'machine shop'. i have work that needs to get done at home because bike shops don't keep overnight hours. it's not much; a truing stand, a table/bench, a spot for tools, a few spare parts boxes and maybe a bike vise/stand. i store wheels  and tires on a broomstick attached to the rafters. frames hang close by. i need a spot close to water since nobody uses flammable solvents anymore.  it would nice to have drainage for winter bikes. of course we'll have ample outlets for power tools, and a charging station., and a coffee pot.  a spot for recyclable metal and reusable rubber. internet access for ordering parts,a poster gallery and an awards cabinet, cause nobody wants that stuff in the living room. a liquor cabinet and beer fridge or a keggerator, plus a spot for water and water bottle storage. a book shelf, a reading chair and lamp, an area to store and dry my kit, messenger-bag/pannier storage. yeah, i'm gonna need a bigger space.

getting an old bicycle road ready

that's the bike that has been sitting at various residences since 2005. i took it into shop today to measure a seatpost and pull the crank and bottom bracket. i should stick with a standard freewheel and run it single speed... a flip/flop is tempting. it originally came with mafac racer center-pulls which i have on another frame and will re-mount. my handlebar choices are limited.

 i bought a set of 27" rims(sun mistral aero) today for a second pair of wheels built by my hand. the hubs,  front is an old model 72 i found in the back of somebodies shop and i'll probably pick up a rear from velo orange.

i built my first pair of wheels in 1983. i followed jobst brandt's book(1st printing) the bicycle wheel, it was also the last set of wheels i built. it wasn't that it was so hard, it's that it must have took me a week to read the book cover to cover. i read it twice and looked at the appendices as well. then i used the formula for choosing spoke length and started out.  it took me a while like it should and then it took longer. i liked my wheels, i stressed them....they stayed true.

a boring post on an uninspired saturday morning

mid season repair and replacement; let's highlight the shoes.

 it has been 10-12 years since i bought new bicycle shoes. they've been beat up for a while, the spd cleats seized from winter riding, the rubber bottom worn thin. still not gonna pay more than $100 bucks. i bought these during a period of massive purchases. i was living in chicago, first year as a messenger, wanted a pair of shoes with laces and velcro. still pretty much want the same pair if shoes.

all city champs weekend

bike jerks

night riding

headlight, tail flasher and me.

biking in the winter

it's not that hard, just get on with it. the first day i started working as a messenger in chicago it snowed over a foot. i rode to the place through the unplowed chicago streets at 8 am, they gave me an ID, pager and radio. I worked as messenger for two winters; the summer was for amateurs, once april 15th rolled around the amount of packages needing to be delivered decreased and the available couriers increased. 

tragic yet true

i have a serious parts 'issue', i cannot be left alone on payday with a list of shit that any 1 of my 3 bicycles needs to operate semi-PRO. so i spend alot of time in the bikeshops lusting, craving stuff that i may or may not purchase. i'm not gonna say anything more about bike parts, 'cept that i need some bad, ASAP. the point of this post is to relate the total bullshit that i hear while i'm looking for something or consulting with a crack mechanic on what would solve a drive train issue that has reared it's expensive head.

so even as the skinniest  and most fit people at the table, road bikers and most bikers are constantly watching their weight/diet/VO2 max etc.
i overheard this recently ' dude, this fall carbohydrate and coffee thing is making my skinsuit, like, way too tight'.
Yes. i did almost want to bitch slap that guy with a 700X 23 tire, restrain him with toestraps and force cheeseburgers down his gullet. F-ing roadies!

what really matters.....

it ain't shit if it doesn't keep you from going insane.  my day will begin with an alarm at 3:30am, i will rise and get ready for a 12 mile commute. at 4:30 am i will leave the house and start riding on a bicycle loaded with work clothes, the tools of my trade and a few other necessities. it will be chilly, i could even see some rain. it's fall in minnesota and winter will be coming soon, i'll ride through that too. it's my life

i am going to work, i am leaving my family while they sleep. for an hour i will be riding and nothing else will matter, but how my bicycle is performing and how my heart and muscles are pumping blood and utilizing energy to get me from one place to another. i will be at peace.

that is all and that is nothing. 

the meister, 2011 edition

alright then....

i have a good feeling about this years cyclocross campaign. i have been riding more, i have a better perspective and  i only work monday thru friday, which is virtually unheard of in restaurants. i also won't be traveling by car to any races, the schedule is slimmer(2 races) but i think i like it better. so i will ride to Wirth Park in mpls for the first one on October 9th. a little more than a month later i will ride to Basset Creek in crystal for the state championships.  i don't know if i'll take part in any of the weeknight clinics or races, i work at 6 am and i'm pretty exhausted after i finish cooking, then cleaning up and planning for the next day. what's a working man to do? it's nice to spend time with one's wife and children on a daily basis as well.

 i broke in a brooks saddle this week. it's a sweet ride, pardon me while i explain the reason; i don't have to adjust my junk everytime i get on the saddle, 'things' slide right into the correct position without the usual manipulation. that's enough about that.

sunday morning

re-building the cyclocross bike. i have the tires, the chain is fitted and i'm considering my chainring size. new bars this year, new saddle, new brake levers. it's the third bike i have rolling this year, and that may be something i haven't had for a few years. our family has 5 bicycles, not counting the trailer and the trailer bike; plus two bikes we don't ride and a restoration project i have yet to tackle. my wife and i are car-free and loving it.

among my friends this is a small stable. this year a friend of mine had collected so many bicycles that he had to open a bike shop, not the only reason he opened it, but it was a determining factor. i spent Saturday morning visiting a few mechanics trying to organize my thoughts on repair and maintenance and bought a few bit and pieces at each stop. grips and brake pads, bar tape, tires and pleasant conversation on the state of the industry; i even had a chance to consider a few new projects.

what is the state of my preparation for racing after my accident? pretty darn good, i'm 20 pounds lighter and commuting 125 miles a week fits nicely into my training schedule. when i get the cyclocross bike built i will be trading these skinny thighs for a pair of sprinters thighs. it's going to take a major schedule re-adjustment to add a nightly high intensity work-out into the mix.  i'm not going to be on the podium but i don't think i'll be DfL either. i'll let you know how it's going after my first race in October. until then i will be preparing by biking, consuming Belgian beer and eating french fries, and maybe a few mussels.

all city champs weekend

i'm too tired to write about it. so, here's the link to bike jerks

riding and building is not training

So i have determined that the first cyclocross race i will enter isn't until sometime in october. i didn't spend the summer riding, nor will i race my way to form for CX championships in November. Too many things to do on the weekends and too little cash. racing every weekend would be ideal, but i hate driving to venues, setting up and then driving home. i will ride my bike to a couple of races, race and then ride home. the alternative would be to drive in a car, pre-ride, warm -up and race, and then drive home. if i ride there i'm already warmed up when i get there, i know the venue so i can skip an extensive pre-ride. it's flawless(on paper).

Whence cometh the training? and where are the 'practice races'?....let me see, how do i put this best....'been there done that, let move on to the other questions'. i'm sure i'll hit a few stairs and practice a few dismounts, but i've been doing this for a while. Can i say it's just like riding a bike without offending anyone? i do have other commitments in my life and i work riding into my life.

I ride 12 miles to work in the morning, work a fairly physical job for 8 hours and then ride home 12 miles. I fitted my road bike that  i use for commuting with cyclocross handlebars. Luckily i have the weekends off, and there are nights to train and perfect technique. I plan on enhancing my base miles of 125 a week with a  few intense work-outs on a cyclocross bike, or maybe i'll ride trails on my mtb. This is not rocket science folks, it will be a great season.