Cookied

Today was the Monster Cookie that starts in Salem. It's basically a flat as a pancake rip from downtown Salem to Champoeg State Park and back. 62 miles. It tends to get a little spirited with the locals and today was no exception. Let's just say there was some discomfort during the ride. I'll see about posting some of the data tomorrow. I did get to test out my Edge 705 with the 'pro' mount and SRM on my race bike.

Faux Wheel

For those non-builders out there, disregard this post. For those out there that don't have a perfectly trued wheel here's an option I've come up with for checking the rearend alignment to the wheel.

It snaps onto an Anvil spacer (which everyone seems to be using). The wheel profile shown is 700x23. I'm going to have faux wheels done in MTB and 29er configurations too. Heck I might even sell a few.

Snow?!

Really? Snow in April? A week after I got a sunburn at Kings Valley. This is BS, I'm moving to San Diego.

Oops

Poor Tomeke. He learned a lesson that is invaluable. Don't start the celebration until you know for sure you've won. Especially if that rascal Chavendish is in the field.

Re-Vamped

So King's Valley sucked a$$. Well at least the weather was good and Doug O won with Zach W coming in a close second. My race was a joke. I made it halfway threw before not being able to hang on anymore. It sucks because I know I can hang, maybe even race in that field. I'm trying to find some more time to train and I'm looking at making every minute on the bike matter, no more junk miles.

I'm also trying to scrape together the cash to buy a fit bike. I'm pretty sure I can do it. It'll be pretty cool to have a bike I can fit people on before I build them a frame. I think I'll be the only one in the mid valley with one.

King's Valley

Alright tomorrow is King's Valley Road Race, a classic in these parts. I've attempted this race a bunch of times and have always had the worst of luck. Hopefully tomorrow will be different. I'm going into it with hardly any training in my legs and a few pounds over weight. I'm sure I'll be a factor in the finish....right.

Bicycle Paper Luv

A little more press coverage from NAHBS.
Check it!

ToW

I wussed out of doing the stage race this weekend. I just couldn't justify the entry plus all the driving, especially when I don't know how my fitness is doing. So instead of racing this weekend I'm getting in a couple solid rides. Good luck to Doug W and Mick (even if he is in a FRM kit this weekend) It's pretty cool to know that I don't have to be at every race now and I'll still have good guys out there to show off the bikes. Now if I could just get Damian racing before September.

Today was 3.5 hours. I was able to shang-hi the ride today so we could do some of the tougher climbs around Salem. For 'climbs', what we have around here is not very long, about 2 miles, but gains on average about 800feet in the 2 miles. One climb is just 1.1 miles long with a gain of 800 feet. Sick. So it was throttle it on the climbs and noodle it to the next. We'll see what tomorrow has in store.

I'm building this guy a TT bike. He's pretty stoked. He just got fit up by the pros at HSP on their Waterford fit bike. I got the info yesterday and I'm working on the frame design now. Kevin is certainly one of those people that needs a custom bike. All leg, no torso. Basically the exact opposite of Kenji :)

POC

I just got home from racing Piece of Cake. One thing needs to be said about the 1/2 race. The centerline rule isn't a suggestion. I've never heard an offical say, "Guy's, we'd really like for you not to cross the centerline today." No. It usually goes like this, "This is your first warning, you'll be dq'd the next time." At least that's what I've heard.

I've never seen such disregard for one of the biggest rules in ameteur racing. Especially after a dude got hit head-on today after he went across the centerline. Where was our officail when this was happening. Where was Mr Kneuven? He doesn't put up with that crap.

Snow?

Weather got you down? Here's a little pick me up.

Dropped

I've been getting busy finishing up the rear dropout design for my Ti Cross bikes. Here's a little peek.

MC Update

D-Dub's bike is at the painter so he won't have to race on a Taiwanese made plastic bike for much longer.

Thanks to Russ at HSP I'll be building an TT bike for one of their tri clients.

Damian's road bike is still in box form. Luckily he's gallivanting around the Rockies to be too worried about it right now.

Personally I'm about 90% healthy again from being sick...3 weeks ago. That bug kicked my ass. I'll be rolling the Piece of Cake this Sunday and then making a decision about Willamette that evening. I'd really like to do that stage race but I don't want to get my ass handed to me during the first stage.

Sen Obama

Did anyone catch his PDX speech today? Holy crap, it got me all choked up with excitement. It was the first time I've ever felt like a candidate was speaking directly to me. Is this guy for real? Can he really do all the things he's talking about? I sure hope we get the chance to find out.

K$ got to see him when he was in Salem and I have to say that I'm a little jealous now.

BB #3

I'm so glad I don't need to ride around that stupid lake for 11 more months.

Team Marcroft Cycles had 3 guys...well 2.5 guys as I'm still not feeling all that well after being sick. Mick, Doug and I were there and ready to go. Race went like this.
Lap one:
-Fast, I'm in a break. I drop out of the break. CMG rides tempo.
Lap two:
-Zach Winter bridges to the original break that I dropped out of. CMG rides tempo. Break @1:00
Lap three:
-More CMG tempo. Break @2:00. Doug breaks his drivetrain.
Lap four:
More CMG tempo. Break @1:10
Lap Five:
-Omer bridges with Joe King when the break is @:45ish
Lap six:
-The break is getting hammered. It's down to just Omer and Sagers. We stopped getting time splits. They are out of sight. I'm hanging by a thread on every 'serious hill.' Oh, and more CMG tempo.
Lap Seven (last lap)
-Pretty fast. I get dropped on the hill 4km from the finish. Mick gets boxed out in the sprint and chills. Omer wins from the break.

Next up, Independence Valley RR in Washington. Time to take this show on the road.

Preview

BB#2 Prep

I'll take one sore throat and an overall feeling of exhaustion. That should do my fitness wonders.

I'm going to use the wonders of the human mind to thwart off the attack on my system, "I'm not sick, I'm not going to get sick. Stay strong." Will be my mantra for the next 24 hours. If that doesn't work and I am overcome with the illness, I'll mope around the house whining about getting sick until K$ tells me to man up and deal with it. At which time I'm usually felling well enough to get out and ride again.

I'm off to go mix up some more of this.
Drink it up

Represent

Who's the guy in blue and red, and what did he do to make the guy behind cover his face?
Sharp
Look closely at the head badge. Look familiar?

Bananna Belt #1

Aside from the racing, the one thing that really stood out on the day was seeing this guy in his kit. Holy crap, could you BE any skinnier Doug. I think the bike saddle was wider than his body.

Blazer B-ball

If there's one thing in this world I truely hate it's the Lakers. I hate them with every ounce of my soul. The reasons are many and just.

Last night the Blazers, with a full roster, took it to the team in gold and purple. It made me feel good to see those youngsters play team basketball and remain composed for the entire game.

Here's a clip that makes me smile evertime I watch it.

Ripped from Cyclingnews

I thought this was good. The Lion King breaks it down for Ball.

Cipollini and Ball's relationship on the rocks

The relationship that was started last fall in a Las Vegas discotheque could come to an end if Mario Cipollini does not get his say in the management of Rock Racing. The Italian, who came out of retirement at the age of 40 to race in the Tour of California last week, and his lawyer met with the owner of the team, Mike Ball, yesterday to discuss the coming season.

"We need to sit at the table and make clear who is in command," said Mario Cipollini in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport's Luigi Perna. The Italian from Lucca and lawyer Giuseppe Napoleone were scheduled to meet with Ball later in the day.

"The boss is Ball, but after him it is me. Therefore I want to manage the squad starting now. I can organise the participation in [Milano-] Sanremo. To find men to race is not a problem. ... If Ball does well it will continue, otherwise goodbye. I now understand that the name Cipollini still has value, in the United States and elsewhere."

Cipollini was happy with his return, but not with the fiasco surrounding the team and Ball's backing of Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero. The riders, all allegedly linked with Operación Puerto, were barred from racing by the organiser, but continued along daily by riding behind the race caravan and signing autographs for fans at the stage villages.

"For a week I had an infinite amount of patience ... Maybe it was my great desire to return to racing with an important project. However, we can't go forward like this. We are not able to continue to pull along this heavy weight that ruins our image, and now Ball also understands this. It is not enough to advertise and show off models."