The weekend, the family and my comments

The racing scene - well, I don't have much to say because I was not part of it again. I know, man do I suck ass. Actually, I feel really strong and I wish I could have raced O'Fallon Road Race - but I had family duties.

The two big races were:
O'Fallon Grand Prix Road Race - Bill H gave a great race report and has started a blog - http://thebillhgenericracereportblog.blogspot.com/ - I have added him to my blogs I'm following.
Tulsa Tough - Heard it was an unbelievable time - will put this on the calendar for next year.

My riding:
Saturday - Showed up at The Hub for the ride but it was raining. I was so in the mood to ride and was willing to go - but I was alone! I missed Mathew by minutes which was a bummer - it would have been a wet bummer but I was in the mood. I should have gone alone, but eggs and bacon were calling and the rain was falling!
The day cleared up nice and Judy and my daughter Isabella - who is just starting to kick ass on the bike, went to Grant's Trial for her first big ride. She rode the whole trail!
Isabella rocks!

Sunday - Knucklehead:
Knucklehead ride was huge. 50 people showed up for the ride. It was such a huge group riding down Clayton. We saw a scooter driving the other way and we joked that he might turn around and start honking and passing out DQ's and time penalties!
Here are two pictures with me in the middle of the group.


When the group broke up - long/short - I took the short route and all The Hub riders - Kevin, Mark, Bill, Adam and Mark and his wife (in a state champion jersey) on a brand new Calfee tandem with HED wheels (this thing was bitch) moved up to the front. It was really cool with all of us in our kits leading the pack down Strucker Road. Adam said he was a few riders behind but have to move up because the scene looked so cool. We started rocking the pace as we hit the first major climb. The pack quickly blew apart the ride and by Clayton it was only us, Chuck from Velo, a Big Shark guy, and two other guys:

The ride down Clayton was super fun. My claim was leading a strong pull at 25 mph down past Mason rd. The best part of the ride was turning off onto Geyer and taking it easy into Webster - After jamming the ride, it's so fun to cool down and take it easy. On the way home we ran into the Big Shark ride headed west.

My Comments: Someone in the Webster/Kirkwood Times wrote a letter to the editor about group rides in Webster not stopping at stop signs. This opened up a huge discussion on the Message Board with all these people writing in about people stopping and other lines of bullshit or we will make the community hate cyclists. Ok - here I go - Shut the Fuck up. You know, I don't give a shit. I don't really care if people hate cyclists because some group ride held them up or some other bullshit. I stop when I need to, and when I don't, I don't. People who hate cyclists hate cyclists and that's it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an angry cyclist and I am always nice on the rode and if someone pisses me off, cuts to close, etc. I 'll let them know it. When people are nice, I let them know I appreciate that too. The fact that some woman wrote a letter complaining makes we want to kick her in her head - I mean, for real, shut the fuck up!

School's out - Alice Cooper Baby

Saturday: Rode with The Hub - I felt bummed that I did not do the Wild Horse Creek Time Trial. Honestly, I forgot about it. I knew I was going to bag on the Cherry Hills crit on Sunday because of the kids, but I forgot about the TT. I love riding Wild Horse Creek - too bad for me.

The Hub ride was pretty surreal. We began dry and it began to rain. Cruising out Clayton, Dave Smith hit this gigantic pothole dead on.

He blew out his tires on this monster. I almost clipped it on the Wed. ride, but luckily missed it. I knew it was coming and told Rock, who was riding next to me, it was coming. Wow, I guess I saved Rock's life - you hear that Rock, I saved your life! It took awhile to get Dave Smith going again and we were back in action. Going around Ladue onto Mason, David Mark wiped out on some slick road and went sliding into traffic - a Mercedes, driven by some old dude, slammed his breaks as David spread out, sliding on the wet road, straight at the car. The car and David stopped about two feet from each other! A crazy Saturday ride.

Sunday: Ok, Judy and I went out and I woke up feeling like it was a good day to sleep in. I wasn't planning on racing - but congrats to Danny for Second Place overall and Stephanie for 1st place overall!


Wednesday: I was unable to ride Monday and race Tuesday - but I have been looking forward to Wednesday. Having the entire day, Michael, Jeff and Mitch left about 10:30 to begin our Journey. I was hoping to ride a solid 100 but we rode 75 miles with a good 5000 vertical feet of climbing - good stuff. It is hard to remember our exact route - but the Hills were numerous.

Rode out Conway to Valley
North on Valley to Orville (west)
to Wild Horse Creek
to a back way into Babler Park
rode the Circuit race around Babler (4 miles)
out Babler to Pond
to Old Manchester
to Glencoe
to Melrose - cross Hwy 100
to Bouquet
to Old Manchester
to Little Tavern
to Hwy T
to St. Albans for lunch. We stopped at that historic sandwich place in St. Albans - freaking good food - had a Chicken salad sandwich and salad (too much food!) and we sat outside in these awesome chairs and relaxed - super nice

out Hwy T
to Melrose (freaking climb right after lunch!)
to Old Manchester - should have done Melrose to Woods :(
to Hwy 100
to Hutchinson
to Clayton and back home! 75 miles on the nose.
I had planned to make it an even 100 with The Hub Throwdown - was planning on taking it easy, cheating up Conway, but in came the rain with a vengence - Ride cancelled.
Bummer.

Side note: Rode the Babler X-treme Circuit Race - and I can only say one word - FUCK! Man, this is one serious race. The hills were extreme - My race would be 5 laps, 20 miles or I could do 4/5 Masters of 4 laps - either way - I do not know if I'll be there in the end - I'll have to think on this one - Remember, I'm fat and suck ass

Ole'

This week in riding:

Sunday - took the day off after the century - I wanted to do knucklehead - but I thought Judy might kill me!

Monday - Went out for a short spin - 15 miles or so through Kirkwood. I'm going to cough this up as the most expensive spin I've had in awhile. While riding down Adams, right after Woodlawn - my rear tire has a blow-out. Something ripped through the sidewall - So after using a CO2 to fill up the tire enough so I could limp home - a stop at The Hub for a new Michelin Pro Race 3, a new tube because I'm running low - Damn.

Tuesday - Went for a ride after work with Michael and Jeff - instead of heading West - we thought we would head into the city to Forest Park. The weather was amazing and we had one thought - a nice easy ride!...and Wash U chick in sport bras. Well the weather was awesome, the ride was nice (with some spurts thrown in) but we totally missed the memo for the day. Zero chicks, zero sport bras, zero jogging - however, about 20 shirtless guys running everywhere we went...not that there's anything wron...whatever.
That night was Tuesday night crits. Rode down with Kevin, Adam, and his brother Tom. Felt really sluggish, even during the afternoon ride. The pace for the B race was really fast. About two thirds through the race I felt great - and then - BAM! I don't know what happened but I started to peter out (no Forest Park jokes) quickly. With three laps to go, I glance behind me and I'm the ass of the pack. With no juice to moter up - I hung on until the last lap and then dropped off the back. I guess this kinda sucked.

After the race Devin, BillH and myself headed to Taco Tuesday at the Tower Pub. This was an excellent time = Tacos, meat burritos (no Forest Park jokes), beer, Ole'. Sat around and talked with a lot of good people and headed home. It was a great night to ride home, and in by 10:00!

Wednesday Hub Ride.
Once again I felt sluggish. The pace was wickedly fast. I felt fine until we turned West on Conway. There was a deer running down the road on Mason and ran right out into the road and a car almost nailed it (no Forest Park jokes) - missed it by inches.
Well, something happened to me because I looked up and guys were flying up that little hill. I tried to put it into gear, but I could not catch up off the back. I was thinking they would slow-up down Mason, but not. Myself, BillH, Matthew, and a couple of Big Shark guys were blown off the back. We chased like crazy and came about 30 seconds (no Forest Park jokes) from catching them twice, but never could. I worked my ass off (no Forest Park jokes) during this ride and was exhausted. Nonetheless I was dropped and it pissed me off. I am having a hard time doing back to back efforts this year.

Thursday
Went in for root canal - I'm amazed at how far they drill into your (no Forest Park jokes) tooth - I said tooth. This was my first time and everyone said it would be painful - (Stop thinking about Forest Park jokes - shit) - but it was not. I took the day off and I was out of the dentist by 10:30. Since I had the day, I decided to meet Judy for lunch and rode out to her work. It turned into a nice 30 plus mile hilly ride on a great day.

A side note - This my sound juvenile (like this entire blog isn't), especially after the Forest Park theme, but I will say, I know nothing about Pearl Izumi Octane Pro crap except for two things - First, it's freaking expensive for clothes!
Second -
I love the back cover Velo News ads!

Judy's First Century - Indian Crossing

Today I experienced a wonderful day cycling with Judy. I am totally proud of her accomplishment!

Indian Crossing: The story of the day - Wind, Wind, and more f'ing wind!
Here is a crappy picture of the wind-


We began in a slight rain and horrible wind - from Portage Des Sioux ready for Judy to ride her first century


It seemed like every direction except one - we were getting pounded by the wind. Still we pushed on. I felt great the whole day and we peddled at a nice, easy pace.

The first 65 miles, Judy and I peddled through with little problems - except for the head winds. I tried to block as best as I could. After lunch, the last 35 miles was a chore - we started out directly into the wind and seemed to never stop. At some points, it was like hitting a wall. Nonetheless, we kept pushing forward - there was no quitting in Judy's plan! At .12 miles shy of 101 miles, we finished her first century!


The big question for me was what bike do I choose - race bike out of question - fixed gear - thought about it - I even ordered a single speed 15 cog so I could set the flip-flop hub so I could coast. In the end I chose my cross bike - Jake the Snake - with road tires - good call. I chose this bike because I was worried about a single speed in the wind!

This ended up being a really nice day - not one bit of problems with riding together. I kept my pace in check and comments mostly positive and helpful - and my fat ass blocking the wind. Judy's attitude to the whole event was super positive and bent on completing the ride. The highlight of the day was actually talking about exercising, especially her arms - She wants to slim down her arms and I gave her some great exercises she can start working on. The low point - with almost no sun - Judy got roasted! I wore a jacket with the sleeves pushed up to right below my elbows and I have the goofiest arm tan (worse than the farmers we saw today!)

Rain, Sun, Ride

An OK week on the bike - The week has had some horrible storms - with more on the way

Sunday (Mother's Day) - Hey - Mom on her bike.

OK, I stayed home and did my fatherly duties - Dad of the year, Thank you.

Monday - Rain

Tuesday - a beautiful day. Went riding with Michael and Jeff L. after school on a nice long ride. Rode out to the end of Conway, cut over, and came back Clayton. I felt really strong and did some nice long pulls. I had a really strong pull down Conway to the end and a strong pull down Clayton - I felt good!

Came home and had a chance to ride with Jude, so I decided to skip the races. We went on a nice 25 mile ride to prepare us for our century on Saturday. She did great!

Wednesday Rain - No Hub ride for me - My sister was having a baby!
(I think there was a break and the Hub ride went off - Judy's ride was cancelled).


Thursday - Rode with Jeff after school on a nice paced and shorter ride. Beautiful day and it felt good to be out. Took it easy except for a nice pull up Conway. We were back in the door by four!


On STL Today website was a photo submitted of the Tuesday Night Crits - which featured the A race and Hubbers Chris Miller (Blog Follower) and I think Alex German.

Cool Stuff!

A Down on Luck Drunk in Shock Treatment (Dura-Ace, that is)

Must say - this week has had little to do with actual cycling. It became such a super busy week that cycling had to take a backseat - keeping me in a perpetual state of suck-assing.

Monday - took the day off and tried to fix up my lawn.
Tuesday - Kid Stuff at their school - No riding after work or World Championships Cits.

Wednesday - Finally, on the bike! Did The Hub Throwdown and it did not disappoint. The ride was brutally fast - and I was tired and sore from the gardening - I guess I'm getting old. The ride was super fast as always and I was feeling pretty good but I new I was struggling by giving more effort than usual. I stayed with the ride until Conway when I fell off the back - not far - but I was smoked. I was hoping I would catch back on at the Ballas light - but no luck for me. As I crested the hill, the light turned and I could not catch it. Adam Eaton was right in front of me and he missed it too. We turned on Ballas and cut up to Clayton to try to catch them - but no such luck - the pace was too quick. Adam and I rode the rest of the ride back to the shop. Although it was the first ride I have truly been dropped on this year, I had a good ride, nonetheless.

Wednesday night - After the ride it was Poker Night at The Hub. A good time - especially for a Wed. night when I have to work the next day! This isn't bet the farm poker - a $10 buy in keeps you with a good two to three hours of fun. I got those 16oz Bud Light Limes (um, um, good) and kicked back the four pack. I was feeling pretty good (if you know what I mean) and I was like, I just had four beers WTF - then I started thinking - maybe close to a six pack (ouch)!

My end came in dramatic fashion: The table: A, 3, 4, 5, with one card left. I had the 6 and 7! I'm like - Oh Yeah. The pot became huge and I was playing it cool. The last card came - and it was a 3. Still have the straight - I go all in ($5.60 - huge, I know). Two other guys stayed with me - a huge pot. We put our cards down - Bitch tits - out. Me - a straight. Dave Smith - two fours = Son of a bitch - that gave him three 4's and the damn pair on the board = A Full House - Shit, I'm now drunk and with no luck!

Thursday - Could not ride
Friday - Could not ride
Saturday - I can ride - however, I hosted a huge work party, so needless to say, instead of riding the Saturday morning Hub ride, I spent my morning praying to the porcelain god. My kid had a birthday party by Mesa and I was finally able to get in and check out the electronic shifting Dura-Ace - one word - awesome.

So, I end this with a plea: Since I am down on my luck, drunk, and Dave Smith has all my money - Can someone give me $5000 so I can new components!

Oh - John Kozad is left Velocity and is working at MESA! Good to see him again. John is heck of a nice guy and was a major player in acquiring parts to start my fixed gear.

Beer, Chicks, Bikes, a Douche and a Missed Race

The weekend review:

I was unable to ride on Thursday - bad weather and my kid had a lot of homework.

Friday - I met up with Judy, Cory, and Andy and we rode to the Trailnet Happy Hour at Ice and Fuel in Kirkwood. It was kind of a crappy evening - but we had a great time. I kicked back 5 pints of the Blue Moon and was feeling pretty good.

Highlights included pissing off Judy by wearing her jeans (hey, I was cold - and I looked good - I will tell you, chick jeans have a tiny zipper, so if you decide to wear chick jeans, make sure you unbutton before you pee - Franks and Beans) and Cory's creative use of Chocolate Mint - Details, Andy and I demand details, dammit!

Saturday Hub Ride
Great ride. I was feeling a little hung over from Friday - Judy and I went out after the Happy Hour - but I was still feeling OK. There were a lot of people there for the ride - and the pace began on the pretty relaxed side - I was not complaining. The we hit Geyer Hill and the pace picked up dramatically. By the time we hit Clayton headed West - the ride took on a serious tone - guys began dropping off like crazy. Conway Hill and the outer roads became brutal. The overall average was 20.7 - super fast for a Saturday ride. By the end, the ride was seriously whittled down.
I rode fine the entire ride, but I need to start pushing myself to pull - I'm just afraid that I will gas myself and fall off. Wed. is out of the question, but I think I need to start working myself up to front. For the sprint, I got behind Chris Miller who jumped right away. Bill, Greg and a Big Shark guy went with Chris. I came in 4th I think. It was a pretty fun ride. Got home in time for Judy to go riding with Cory. Judy has been feeling very sick - and she felt miserable on her ride :(

OK - I wrote about the Beer, Chicks and the Bike - Now for the Douche - So we finish the ride and a are chilling out at The Hub and this guy calls Ron about a tandem (he sells Comotion) - but he is looking for a used one to save money - so Ron is out of the question. So Ron says that I have one and might be looking to get rid of it. I love the tandem, but with the kids, Judy and I don't get a lot of chances to ride it anymore - We have a Cannondale RT1000 - around 1999 or so - and I'm not looking to sell it, but I thought I would ask a grand, pretty fair to low price, but the money would be nice. This guy calls me and I explain the bike to him in detail: Components, frame, paint, age, gears, etc. The Douche does not ride and explaining things to him was painful. Example... ME: So, the bike is complete except for pedals. Douche: It doesn't have peddles? ME: Well, no, I mean, I don;t know what shoes you wear Douche: What do you mean, how does the bike not have peddles? ME: I don;t know what type of cleats you have Douche: Oh, I don't ride clip in peddles, I wear tennis shoes. ME: Well, I'll get some platforms...asshole.

So I explain the bike in detail and he wants to see it today. I have plans, but hey, the money would be cool. So I set up a time of 3:00 at The Hub. Douche shows up with his wife - and I go through this whole deal, and all he keeps on saying is, we have never really seen one and we wanted to look at it. I say, wouldn't you like to test ride it - they say they are afraid to ride it on the road or up any hills -they have only ridden on the Katy Trail and have rented one once- SSSHHHIIITTT! - So we walk the bike over to a parking lot and they get on the thing and tootle around the parking lot - I had to turn my head because I thought they might go down. They finish and the guy once again says he really just wanted to see one. He said he did not like the road bars and wanted a straight bar (which I told him what bars the bike had)! So they talk to Ron about what it would cost to trade out bars and then they finally leave.

OK - so here it goes... I am not a fucking bike shop. I wasted a big part of my Saturday for this douche - the middle of the day. I did not get to Mesa's re-opening to see the electronic Dura Ace, the Alpine Shop swap sale or Gringo Jones. I told him what the bike was, in detail. I went through the parts, frame, everything. For its age, which he knew, the bike is pretty cherry. So, I did not waste my day for you to look at my bike. God, what an asshole - I hate this douche!

Sylvan Srings Crit was today - but I could not go. Family first - my daughter's 1st communion was today (she looked so cute) so the race was obviously out. No big deal - Sylvan is one hard ass crit for a suck-ass like me.