Rites of Passage

I have finally got around to reading last months bicycling mag. There were a couple of excellent articles. One was "Riding is my Ritalin". The other was an article by Mark Levine, "Rites of Passage". For those who haven't read the article, I have posted it below. I really got a kick out of it. Below are 101 cycling rites of passage.

01. Realizing that the hill isn’t in the way; it is the way. 02. You go from one pair of shorts to a dedicated drawerful. 03. Being unable to sleep the night after you first shave your legs, because of the tingle of bedsheets against your skin. 04. When “thanks for the ride” goes from something you overhear to part of your lexicon. 05. You see someone at the beach tanned low on the quads and biceps, and give him a nod of recognition. 06. Bonking so bad you don’t think you’ll be able to make it home. 07. Discovering how a convenience-store Coke can resurrect the dead. 08. Starting and finishing a ride—the same one—in pouring rain. 09. When you hang out at the bike shop and no one expects you to buy anything. 10. When your bike computer registers triple digits for one ride. 11. Clearing a log on a the trail. 12. You embrocate. 13. Staying with the paceline long enough to take a turn at the front. 14. You’re on the bike for the fifth straight day, and your butt doesn’t hurt. 15. You try bibs and realize you can never go back to shorts. 16. You stop riding beside and behind the pack and instead ride inside of it—with no claustrophobia. 17. You swing off the front of a paceline before you get tired. 18. You blow a snot rocket without hitting your shoulder or leg—or the rider behind you. 19. You notice that someone else has the chain grease on his right calf. 20. You get stuck in your pedals and topple over at a stoplight. 21. Someone you introduced to the sport kicks your ass on a ride. 22. Riding a bike through a big, congested city and feeling smarter than everyone else because you’re moving. 23. You wake up to find the sheets stuck to your road rash—and still feel excited about riding that day. 24. Your boss stops by to ask you to explain what’s happening in the Tour de France. 25. You fix up your old bike to get someone into the sport. 26. Wearing out your first set of tires. 27. You ride through a pothole, and it’s no big deal. 28. Getting hopelessly lost—deliberately. 29. You stop midride to give your only spare tube to a stranded cyclist. 30. You realize you’re driving your car as if it’s a bike—drafting, looking for holes, getting away from the squirrelly guy. 31. Fixing a busted chain. 32. When you no longer have to stop to take off your jacket. 33. Feeling confident about taking off your jacket while riding—then catching the trailing sleeve in the rear wheel. 34. The first time you crumple your race number. 35. Planning a riding vacation. 36. Seeing a sunrise from the saddle. 37. Wondering how the biggest local hill would rank on the Tour de France climb classification. 38. In your head, Phil Liggett narrates your ride. 39. You got dropped, you flatted, bonked, got turned around—and when you got home you said you had a great ride. 40. You roll through a patch of gravel and, without thinking, reach back to brush the crud off your tire with your palm. 41. A rider you respect says, “You were flying today.” 42. Rolling through a stop sign—and knowing it was the right thing to do. 43. Doored! 44. When you crest the summit of a climb, start down and realize you’ve gone the wrong way. But keep going anyway. 45.Rubbing wheels—and staying up. 46. Letting go of your kid’s seat and not having to grab it again. 47. Getting a bike stolen and being surprised at how deeply it hits you. 48. Cleaning the cassette with your old toothbrush. 49.Sprinting the neighbor kids. 50. Chasing a rabbit down singletrack. 51. Falling asleep when you stop for a break on a mountain bike ride. 52. Endo. 53.Telling someone which bike to buy. 54. Overcooking a turn. 55. Breaking a collarbone. 56. Figuring out how to layer without overdressing. 57. Deciding which car to buy in part based on how it will carry your bikes. 58. Your first ride with a jersey instead of a T-shirt. 59. Riding on a day so cold the water in your bottle freezes. 60. Discovering that a shot of Jameson in each bottle keeps the water fluid. 61. Though you’re not clear on exactly how to do it and unsure of the outcome, you manage to fix your first flat. 62. Walking home in your cleats. 63. Getting so deep into the sport you think your helmet looks good. 64. Following a favorite pro racer—besides Lance Armstrong. 65.Finding out your favorite pro racer was doping. 66. Wrapping your bar tape so the handlebar plug stays in and no bare bar shows at the tricky bend at the brake hood. 67. Naming a route. 68. Bumping elbows, then being relaxed enough to make a joke about it with the person next to you. 69. Sitting in with the big weekend training race. 70. Developing that “V” of muscle definition on the back of your calf. 71. Espresso at the halfway point. 72. Crashing and immediately asking, “How’s my bike?” 73. Fixing your bike with a rock. 74.Paying for a coach. 75. Figuring out that training advice doesn’t get much better than “Ride lots.” 76. Clacking into a rough tavern in cleats and spandex. 77. Having a position on Bartali vs. Coppi. 78. Throwing up after a sprint. 79. Chasing back on after a flat. 80. Winning a town-sign sprint and remembering it forever. 81. Explicating your training in exquisite detail on a blog, then realizing nobody cares. 82. Watching the compressed CO2 from your only canister shoot off into the air instead of into the tube. 83. Matching your bar tape to your tire’s sidewall— then realizing on your next ride that your bike looks like it’s been decorated by a blind pimp. 84. Riding someplace you’ve always driven. 85. Outsprinting a crazed dog. 86. Summiting an H.C. climb. 87. Waving at a cyclist coming the other way and being ignored. 88.Getting annoyed by an uninvited wheel sucker. 89. Getting so fast you’re confident enough to ride slow. 90. Wondering if cycling matters too much.91. Not caring if it does. 92. Surfing traffic on adrenaline and luck in one of the world’s 10 biggest cities. 93. Sitting up, taking your hands off the bar on a downhill. 94. At the PTA meeting, looking around at all the fat parents. 95.Dropping someone half your age. 96. Outclimbing someone half your size.97. Passing someone whose bike costs twice as much as yours. 98. Looking inside the bottle you’ve been using all season, seeing mold. 99. Dismissing what used to be your favorite cycling magazine because it keeps repeating topics. 100. Reading The Rider. 101. Coming home from Europe with a cobblestone in your luggage. 102. Finding out no one makes your favorite handlebar-bend anymore. 103. Riding down a trail you couldn’t safely walk.104. Telling the joke, “God wishes he was Eddy Merckx.” 105. Cheating a crosswind by joining an echelon. 106. Feeling superstrong, then turning around for the ride back and realizing you had a tailwind. 107. Pedaling the Brooklyn Bridge, toward Manhattan, at night. 108. Being the person whose bike squeaks drive everyone nuts. 109. Reading a rites of passage list and finding that your own favorite one is missing.

Parkour at Triassic

Over the weekend I went with the scouts to Triassic. Triassic is a bouldering playground south of Price in the middle of nowhere--well, actually it is by a town called Elmo which I never knew existed.

We did some bouldering and had a guy come and demonstrate Parkour. Here is a short video of some of the things he did. I'm still editing some of the bouldering video.

How fast can you change a flat?

High School Cycling

Most anybody who reads my blog knows that I live in Utah, specifically Utah "Happy Valley" County. My kids are still young and just starting to transition from cul-de-sac rides to some trail riding. I started thinking towards the future and my kids and High School Sports. The chances are pretty good that my kids won't be the starting pitcher or quarterback, but maybe they could compete on their bikes. I believe that team development and competition is good for kids. As far as I know, there aren't any high school cycling competitions. Considering the awesome terrain we have in Utah, I'm shocked there aren't any high school teams.

I found some leagues in California, and an announcement of some leagues beginning in Colorado under Tom Danielson, Allison Dunlap, David Wiens, and Ned Overend's direction. The National Interscholastic Cycling Assocation has already been formed and has a goal of coast to coast competition by 2020.

Maybe someday......

If you want to read more, here is an article on NICA.

Utah Cyclocross Race #3

The race went well on Saturday. I worked myself near the front for the start of the race and was able to keep up with the leaders for most of the race. I had my helmet camera mounted underneath my seat videotaping the riders behind me. Unfortunately the camera mount broke coming down Mount Heber on the second lap. Luckily a rider behind me told me the camera fell off and I was able to retrieve it after the race. I don't know why, but the video clip was unreadable--quicktime couldn't parse it.

The course had one run-up named Mt. Heber. There was also one set of three barriers. The course designer threw in several hairpin turns--many more than the Weber County Fairgrounds course. With the section of Mud, the course felt slower than Weber.

I rode on the tails of the leaders for most of the race, but eventually they put a gap into me. I ended up 7th this time. There were some sections of mud on the course. I did manage to grab some cash from slyfox.

I'm out of town the next weekend and will miss the Draper race. Halloween at Wheeler Farm is next on the list.

Cyclocross, "The worst of cross country running and cycling"

Check out this old school cross video. The announcer proclaims that the sport combines the worst of cross country running and cycling.

Here's a link to another vintage video.

I'll be up at Heber tomorrow riding in the newbie flight. I've been looking forward all week to the next cross race.

In observance of Columbus Day

I was able to borrow my neighbors Reynolds KOM rims and take them for a spin up the Alpine Loop (Provo Side) on Monday. With the rims on my bike, and removing the saddle bag, my bike weighed in at 14.5 lbs. I really enjoyed riding the rims. They felt light and accelerated up the hills well. The rims were mounted with Conti sprinters that gripped well on the corners and provided a smooth comfortable ride. I have yellow swiss stop pads on my bike and wow, the stopping power was sweet.



Check out this video from last Saturday's cross race-Men's elite. Watch long enough to see Ali carry enough momentum to bunny hop 2 barriers on the uphill.

CX Newbie

Saturday was my first cyclocross race at the weber county fairgrounds in the "c" (beginner) flight. Combined with the 55+ masters, the group was 45-50 riders. The weather was perfect--a few minutes right before the start, the sun came out and warmed everything up.

I arrived early enough to scope out the course. It ended up that there were 3 obstacles. One of which could be riden over, but I dismounted everytime. One set of obstacles was on a short hill/run up.

I had heard that cross is an all out effort - no holding back. I quickly found that to be true. My heart rate was pegged to nearly to my max for the whole ride. The picture below not only shows the circuit, but the color represents my heart rate. The dark red sections are where my HR was at its highest.

My Scott CX was awesome. The only adjustment I'll make for future races is getting rid of the water bottle and cage. The race was competitive enough for me that I only took one swig of water through the whole race. Next time, I'll have my son hand me up a water bottle if I need it.

The tufo tubular clinchers were awesome. I was glad I put some stan's in the tubulars as the goatheads were very abundant around the course. I found several stuck in the souls of my shoes.

I watched a few minutes of the 35+ B and C's, and the 45+ A/B. I was especially impressed with the 45+ old guys. Below is a pic of the 35+ C coming over the first obstacle in the circuit.

I had a blast and am definately doing it again. I ended up 8th in the C flight. The atmosphere was relaxed and competitive. I'm contemplating if I should do the 35+ C race right after the "C", stick to the "C" flight, or only do the 35+ C??? I'll decide by Thursday.

My Dad came to stand with my two oldest kids. They thought it was pretty awesome. My oldest son told his Grandpa on the 3rd lap "my Dad doesn't look so good."

Since getting back home, my oldest son has been out in the back yard practicing his dismount and remount in preparation for next weeks race. We'll see if he actually does it. At a minimum, he'll come and ride the course with me to scope it out. My wife is generally supportive of my addictions, but with our son showing some interest, I definately have the green light.

Obama SNL

Love this one.

Cyclocross newbie

I'm going to give cross a try this Saturday. I went to the Timp Cyclery clinic a week ago and got a few pointers. I don't expect to win, or even to be close to the podium--I'm just trying to not embarrass myself.

I rode the alpine loop this morning. Some patches of ice were on the road above Aspen Grove. Here is a pic from the summit parking lot.

Most of the aspen trees are still green and haven't turned yellow yet.

Product Review: Castelli Radiation Jacket

So I picked up one of these Castelli Radiation Jackets. Supposedly the jack reflects back 80% of your body heat and still remains breathable. The removable inside liner is removable and looks like its made out of an emergency blanket.

I've made a few rides with the jacket and here are my thoughts:

Pros: The jacket is windproof and does keep you warm. I had to open the vents on the front. The vents are easy to access and effective. The removable hoodie was nice, but did not work as well as some of the other caps I have worn. The jacket is form fitting and didn't feel bulky in the least bit. I wear a large and it was just a little loose. I also liked the addition of a small pocket over the right hip. It is perfect for a camera or phone and easily accessible.

Cons: The biggest con is the price. I found mine on bonktown at a severe discount, but it still was some coin. The other problem, I believe easily remedied, is the space blanket material against bare skin. I did not like the feeling of the space blanket on my bare arms. I will wear a long sleeve baselayer in the future and I believe this will be a non issue. I only had one choice of color, the glowing yellow/green -- would have preferred red or black.

My goal is to ride through the winter. I think this jacket will make it possible. Next, I need to find some better shoe covers to keep my toes from freezing.

Pending Lawsuit

Here is an email that I received from a good friend/mentor. He is around 65 years old.

As you can see from the photo I have no choice but to file a lawsuit due to severe injuries sustained when I went down at 15 mph in a slime covered gutter in Long Beach when biking with my California Buddies.

The Suit will be against the California Bike Group and will include the following:

1. Bike manufacturer, bike components, tire and tube manufacturer, marketing organization that led me to the Bike Palace. Misrepresentation that it was a good piece of equipment..

2. City of Naples, concrete company that poured the gutter, and sanitation department.

3. My bike buddies for not warning me about the green slime in the gutter. For having full knowledge that I am an incompetent biker and still inviting me along. For not warning me ahead of time of the risks, and not giving me anything in writing attesting to same. Also I will include your wives because none of you should be allowed to bike anyway. Also for not calling an ambulance and letting me take a second fall within a couple of minutes. I also will file suit

because none of you insisted that I wear a helmut or protective clothing. None of what happened is my personal responsibility according to my lawyer, the state of California, County of Los Angeles, Nancy Pelosi, and President Obama.

Because of the above injuries, I have become sexual disfunctional and have been watching TV nonstop; obsessing about green slime.

What time are we going on Saturday.

Jose

Stolen bike

Awesome.