Basket-less

Friday night as I was riding around with the ShowersPass team a little chainring bolt fell off. I didn't know this happened....and then this happened

The chainring just crumpled instantly, a good sign to lay off the EPO. Luckily I was only 2.5 miles from the ShowersPass headquarters which had beer and pizza. Home is only another 1.5 miles from there. I decided to turn this scenario into chance to finally get my commuter stripped and re-powdercoated.

Monday morning I dropped it off at Brooker Enterprises and I should have the frame and fork back in less than two weeks with a fresh new powdercoat on it. I got really used to the baby blue color so I went with a really close match. I also am going to use this opportunity as time to rebuild it with some new parts and fix things that were in need of repair. Here is what is going to be new on it:

• New chainring obviously and this time I am going to put on a carbon chainguard for style
• New pedals, the ones that are on it now are have been broken for years
• New Ruckus Comp. brakes (really a first prototype)
• New bar tape instead of the oury grips
• New bottom bracket
  
• New SS chain
• Replace the basket with a portuer style rack
• New Ruckus Comp carbon fenders
  
• I am in debate of paying for a new set of commuter wheels as well...really wanting to do it to finish off the package
  

In all I am really excited to get my bike back and rebuild it. This bike means a lot to me and is by far my favorite.

Limp arms and a smile

The past two weekends in a row I have put in over 100 miles each with some tough climbs on the road, I have also been trying to put on 100 miles or so during the week.

Yesterdays ride shook my arms into a spaghettificaion state (no black holes present). I got talked into riding 10 miles of fire trail (bumpy off-road) on my road bike. While rough on the body and the bike I loved it. I need to put my cross bike back together so I can do some fun rides on it. Every now and then I need to remember that bike riding is a lot of fun; all the base training miles have beaten my brain into mud.

Today was the lunch time lawyer ride, small group due to the holiday. I was feeling pretty good so I decided to have some fun.

First hot lap I sat 3rd wheel following a strong rider who was pushing it. I flashed Andrew a hand signal that I was going to pound it and that he should follow. I jumped hard and he followed perfectly. I pulled for a brief moment but it was enough to slingshot him into the lead finish.

The 2nd hot lap I was curious to see what would happen, so I attempted to pull the entire lap and just pound it out. I got a small gap on the group and held it for most of the lap, I knew they were reeling me in though. I tried to keep it going but I was spent and sat up. Not strong enough.

Still feeling fairly spry on the hill brutalizer I decided to pound into it and see what would happen. I held a large gap for awhile and then got caught by 2 guys that are really freakishly good climbers. They gapped me by a bit but then I started reeling them back in, not fast enough for the finish though.

Training rides are for dumb mistakes and trying/playing tactics. Today I figured out that I should sit in for a little more and then make a move towards the end more. I know this is obvious, but sometimes you just have to learn it the hard way.

A soild week

Really I should have wrote this yesterday on my rest day.

Right now I am watching cyclocross worlds, I wish I got to race on a course like that. Flat, fast, nice turns....sadly the organizers of the cross crusades intend to make every race a slug out between the riders and the pits of mud. I m not complaining at all, I just need to get a lot better at handling technical terrain.

I got in all my rides this week as planned and am no worse for wear. I am much further in training this year than I have ever been in my life. I feel in 2 more weeks I will be at my previous peak, which isn't much of peak but more of a gentle hill. This is making me really excited to start the racing season again. What I am not excited for is my road bike, it is in desperate need of a tune-up right now.

Currently I feel as though I might be on the verge of coming down with a cold. One of my roommates was sick this week, I tried to avoid it like the plague but who knows.