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.