Friday, November 30, 2007

Beer Season

In years past, I have made a concerted effort to avoid alcoholic beverages except for the extremely rare treat. This off-season I have decided to take a different approach and allow this pleasurable indulgence on regular occasions and not deprive myself. I read an article that JHK and Mrs. Irminger regularly indulge in fine wines and they are some of the fastest on a MTB in the US. This change of tack will, of course, cease once the race season approaches, but until then I will be tipping my classic German beer glass (RAL, thanks for the glassware) with some of the world's finest ales, porters, and stouts.

This evening I am partaking in a Duvel Belgian Golden Ale. I figure the Belgians are some of the fastest riders in the world, so maybe it's in their beer. Even if it's not, Duvel is a delicious ale. Duvel has a classic yellow ale color with crisp bitter flavors and a hint of sweetness. The head rises up from the glass after the initial pour like a slow eruption of viscous lava from a volcano. The head ultimately comes to rest with the appearance of meringue on a lemon pie or perfectly steamed milk destined for a fine cappuccino. In short, this beer lives up to its world renowned reputation. A worthy tip of the glass.



Cheers,

Blue Star

Musings on CX

CX is evolving from the obscure to mainstream in the US. The rapidity that is happening is amazing. The New York Times even has an article today. Who would have thought that riding a short off-road course on unsuspended (read, uncomfortable) bikes for an hour or so in miserable weather would become widely accepted?

I wonder why XC mountain bike racing isn't sharing the same growth in interest. I suspect it may be the duration and length of the event. Short CX race equals doable for most, even if they are out of shape. If you are sucking wind and cannot turn the pedals over one more time, you just pull out and the car is usually a few hundred yards away. Plus, you have the rest of the day to hang out, drink a beverage, and watch others ride in circles. Whereas long XC mountain bike races with thousands of feet of climbing can sometimes make finishing a harrowing feat and the car is often miles away. If it is a really bad day, the venue could be nearly empty by the time you reach the finish. Then again, I'm probably wrong, because marathon and stage race endurance MTB events are also gaining popularity at a pace nearly equal to CX.

Whatever the reason, it's all good that more people are getting out on bikes. Gotta love the bike!

Blue Star

Monday, November 26, 2007

Turkey Day Weekend

A long weekend of mastication, imbibing, and riding.

Some bird...


Some good wine (meant a hangover on Friday)...


Some CX at a frustratingly moderate pace...


That was Thanksgiving 2007 in a nutshell.

Blue Star

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Oh So Semipro

Yesterday, USA Cycling sent me an email...

The following request to change your NORBA category has been approved and processed by USA Cycling: Change category from Expert to Semipro.
Yep, I'm now officially a semipro mountain bike racer. Except for dreams of being an NBA basketball player as a kid, I never really thought the word "pro" would be associated with anything I do. Being 5'10" with a moderate vertical leap squashed those hoop star visions after high school though. I guess I'm a pro lawyer, but law school and the bar exam involved much less physical suffering than racing a mountain bike faster than 99% of the population.

2008 is going to be a good year on the bike. A physcial and mental challenge like none I have faced before. I'm confident I can coax some more watts out of my body, let's just hope its enough to be competive at the next level. More importantly, I'm just enjoying the ride while it lasts!

Also, I have some things brewing on the sponsorship front. But I'll keep that under wraps until things are finalized.

Blue Star

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Rain, Feeling Blah, & Semi-pro Upgrade

Lots of rain to deal with today. Radar does not paint a pretty picture for a comfortable outdoor ride. With 4 hours on the schedule, I'm torn between getting rained on or riding the trainer.



For now, I'm going to sit on the couch and watch my favorite football game of the year: Ohio State v. Michigan. Maybe I'll get inspired to ride.

Skipped my workouts yesterday. I've been beat down lately and not sure why. Most of last week, I was really tired and felt as if I was in a fog. Lots of fatigue and even had to soft pedal to get home from a three hour ride on Wednesday. Not sure what the deal is, but I visited a doc yesterday to see if there is anything wrong. He took some blood and did some other tests. Hopefully, there is an easy fix besides taking an extended break from the bike.

I bit the bullet this week and submitted my semi-pro upgrade request to USA cycling. According to the rules, I have sufficient results, so I should get it. Assuming I get the updgrade, I figure the worst that happens is I get smoked by the competition and I get faster trying to keep up. The only thing I'm worried about is qualifying for the National Championships at Mt. Snow in July. It will be much harder than in years past to get the necessary result. I love that race and will do everything I can to get in.

That's all for now.

Blue Star.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Bike Handling

I consider bike handling a skill that I have in my quiver of race weapons. This video shows skill can be elevated to art. Simply masterful.



Blue Star

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Disc Brake Powertap

Saris finally released some details on the disc brake-compatible Powertap hub. Looks sweet, but I'm curious if there some added weight with all 8 bolts to hold on the proprietary rotor. Although I have been told additional intel to suggest that the final production model will get the carbon cut outs of the existing SL model.

Lace the Powertap hub to a DT Swiss XRC 330 carbon rim, throw in some ceramic bearings, match it with a DT Swiss 190 based front wheel, and you have the ultimate MTB wheelset.

Blue Star

A Moral Failure?

Check out this recent article in the Seattle PI about a cyclist from West Seattle that was shot with BBs while commuting home. One of the BBs lodged in his lung and the other bounced off his aorta and settled on his diaphragm. Luckily, he is recovering and even riding to work again just days after the incident. For an even more detailed account, you can check out the cyclist's story on his blog. Reading the article and his blog made me nauseous and has me wondering about the moral turpitude of people who could commit such an act.

As a cyclist logging thousands of miles on the road every year, I count my self as lucky to have experienced only a few "incidents" of my own when interacting with motorists and have never been injured as a result. I've had people yell profanities at me through open windows, had things thrown at me including a mostly full bottle of beer, been buzzed at high speed by large pickup trucks while blasting their air horns, sprayed with gravel by a car that purposely drifted onto the shoulder in front of me and floored the accelerator. These things, unfortunately, are common place and there is little a cyclist can do besides shake an angry fist at the offender as s/he speeds away.

I just can't comprehend why people have such hostility to cyclists. Is having to drive 10 mph for a few seconds while waiting to pass such an inconvenience that warrants acting in a way that puts the cyclist at risk for injury or death? I don't know anyone whose time is that valuable. Are fat assess sipping their super-gulp soda on their way to pick up some french fries at the local drive-thru that resentful towards someone actually doing physical exercise? Even a brain twisted by the desire to get a fast food fix can't be that perverse. Is someone's homophobia so acute that seeing a man in spandex for a few seconds requires retaliation for such an affront? I can't imagine someone that depraved. These rhetorical questions may touch on some truth, but I think the bigger theme that may underlie such actions is that our society is experiencing a moral failure. People are indifferent to the lives of others in this hectic, take or be taken, succeed-at-all-costs world we live in. People are so wrapped up in getting ahead, they forget it is an actual person they are pushing out of the way to get there. It is an ugly race to the bottom. If you think I'm wrong, then read the content of some of the nearly 200 indignant Sound Off Comments to the PI article.

I don't have an answer of how to fix such a fundamental failure. If I did, I think I could solve many of the world's greatest problems, which I believe originate from this same disregard for the lives of others. But I will keep riding my bike, ignorance be damned! However, I won't be alone. Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan was just approved unanimously by the City Council. The City will be spending $27 million for cycling projects including 118 miles of new bike lanes and 19 miles of trails. A step in the right direction. I only hope there is an educational component that goes with the infrastructure.

Stepping off my soap box.

Blue Star

Friday, November 02, 2007

Weigh

What does a super-wife get her husband who is a bike nerd? A pair of Ultimate Digital Scales for weighing anything and everything. Any self-respecting bike nerd's workshop needs these.

I got one of these...


and one of these (the scale, not the stem)...


Most won't comprehend the sweetness of such instruments, but I'm as excited as a kid on Christmas. What to weigh first? Thanks SLR!

And some relevant lyrics by Phish (or click here for an audio sample)...

Weigh
I'd like to cut your head off, so I can weigh it, what do you say?
Five pounds, six, pounds, seven pounds.
I'd like to go to your house and gather all your razors and pick all the little prickly hairs so I can weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds.
I'd like to gather all your friends and squish them all into a small
swimming pool so I can weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds
Why weigh on a sunny day?
So much to do so why, oh why weigh?
On a sunny day, why oh why weigh hey?
Why weigh, why weigh?
I'd like to hear my options, so I can weigh them, what do ya say?
Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds
Why weigh on a sunny day?
So much to do, so why, oh why weigh?
On a sunny day, why oh why weigh hey?
Why
Oh Why [x11]
Why weigh?

Blue Star