Seems like this time of the year everyone is looking for something. A little bit more form for the last road race of the season, a hard-to-find headset brake cable stop for the cross bike, gluing tape for the Dugasts, a cx racing schedule that fits with increased school or workload, a ride to the Gateway Cup, the knee warmers you haven’t worn since April, a bike, or a new team for 2011. My always intuitive wife asked me, “What do you like about riding for team x,y,z?” and “What are you looking for in a team?” It’s a good question and the answer is not always obvious. Equipment, roster, reputation, longevity, money, coolness of kit, fit of bike all go into the mix. It’s a moving target too. From year to year one is required to revisit goals, humbly asses what is possible, and try to make the best choice.
Podcast listener, WMU Dude, found this when he looked over a fence in SW Michigan. Here’s hoping you find good things over your 2011 cycling fence.
Wednesday, August 25, 4:55 p.m.I hurry home from work to change and ride to the 6:30 Gears 4 Beers training ride in Loveland. As I pull into the driveway I remember, “bike on top, don’t pull into the garage.” So I proceed straight, not turning into the garage. We have one of those somewhat portable basketball goals with the water filled base and adjustable backboard, which is normally set low since I have little kids. Just before I come to a stop I hear a cracking/ripping bad noise and the basketball goal falls to the ground next to my car. Simultaneously I see my bike fly off the roof of my car as if it’s been flung from a catapult. Apparently the nose of the saddle has hooked the net, I continued forward tipping over the goal, as it falls it ripped my bike from the roof.
5:00 p.m. After banging my head on the dash I finally get out of the car to inspect the damage. My car is virtually untouched — that’s good. My bike, however, is not so good. Part of the right fork dropout remains clamped in the Thule rack still on the car. I walk over to my bike. It lies there like a wounded soldier on the battlefield, bars twisted, hoods ripped, levers at a crazy angle, rear wheel cracked, and the fork destroyed. Motherforker!!!!!!! No ride tonight. Wait not only can’t I ride tonight, I’ve got the state road race on Saturday and I have no replacement bike.
5:05 p.m. I go inside, explain what happened to my wife. My kids rush outside to inspect the damage. ”Cool… I’ve never seen the basketball net this close up before!”
5:10 p.m. No training tonight so I might as well be productive. I need some sort of cathartic activity. It’s too early to start drinking so I climb up on the scaffolding and continue the house painting project.
7:15 p.m. After 2 hours of scraping, sanding, and listening to an exciting Reds v. Dodgers game (it went to extra innings and the Reds won) I relay via Twitter the bike/basketball incident.
8:15 p.m. Lots of responses and chuckles to my Tweet. One guy in St. Louis, MO replies that he had the same bike (different color) and that his wife drove into the garage with it on top of the car destroying everything BUT the fork. Further, he offers the fork to me. It is incredible. It’s somewhat of a weird size 1 1/8″ to 1 1/2″ steerer, 2009 Specialized Tarmac SL. He offers to send it to me. He won’t take any money for it, not even shipping.
Friday, August 27, 12:30 p.m. The fork arrives via FedEx. The fork is still attached to what is left of Chris’ broken frame.
Incedentally, the gentleman who sent the fork is named Chris. Chris works at Gateway Harley Davidson in St. Louisand orchestrated the special Stage One prize for the 2009 Tour of Missouri, which was won by Mark Cavnedish. A very nice Buell moto.
5:00 p.m. I fit the new fork to my bike and go for a ride.
Saturday, August 28, 1:45 p.m. I win the Ohio State Masters Road Race with donated fork. I now call the bike Salt ‘n Peppa or Ebony and Ivory. Here’s me getting a hand-up from The Pilot. Notice the black fork. (photos courtesy of Jeffery Jakucyk – Sports Photography)
“Where have you guys been????” “When is the next podcast?” Well, we have been doing what we are supposed to be doing — namely, riding and racing our bicycles. There has also been time for the occasional beer, wakeboarding and waterskiing. A few highlights:
1) I took another crack at the Masters National Championships in Louisville. My teammate and partner (snicker away homophobes) won the tandem road race in convincing fashion. We were smarting from poor race tactics and non-communication last year when we came in 3rd so we regrouped, trained, shared, raised the rainbow flag of tandem pride and won ourselves a gold medal. To those of you who do laugh — and I know you’re out there — all I have to say is try it sometime beeotch. We did the road race the next day. I was 15th, OB was 10th.
2) Next, teammate (and tandem partner) O’brien and I embarked upon a reign of Masters and 1/2 racing terror the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Dean Carson and Kurt Buchwald dominated the Junior racing scene in the late ’70′s. Either OB or I won every race we entered. Culminating with a mustachiod two arm salute at the PUR Tour 1/2 crit.
3) At this point in the post I must make good on two promises (of plugs). First, there is an alternative to ebay, etc for getting rid of your used or new cycling equipment. Two local guys started a new site called Bicycle Monkey in auction fashion but with a charitable twist. Check it out, you’ll like it.
Second, my teammate (and partner… tandem that is) is going full gas with his coaching service. He is definitely not your meatgrinder, puppymill, you-must-fit-into-this-box kind of coach. He’s got tons of racing experience and is a good, hands on communicator. If you’ve been looking for a coach, he may be the one.
3) Lastly, a tale of woe turned joy. Last night after work I hurried home to change and catch the Wednesday group ride. Bike on roof rack, I cruised into my driveway. I’ve got little kids who like to put the adjustable basketball net all the way down. I do too for that matter. Anyway, my seat hooked the net and pulled the goal completely over. When it toppled it ripped the bike from my car leaving remnants of the fork still attached to the roof rack. Upon further inspection I discovered my rear clincher (Velocity Aerohead OC 28h) was cracked. Bummer… Self inflicted stupidity. I waited about an hour before tweeting the incident. Within 15 minutes of the tweet a guy in St. Louis offered to send me a replacement fork. He had wrecked his Spesh Tarmac and ruined everything BUT the fork. How cool is that? Moreover, he wouldn’t take a nickel for it. Then today I calledTroy Watson, owner operator of Ligero Wheelworks, who built the wheels for me a few years back. They’ve been bombproof with well over 25k on them. He’s sending me a replacement rim at a killer discount. My faith is restored.
We will get to a new ‘cast very soon. Still a few road events to go before we ramp up the 2 Johns Cylcocross Cast.
A monthlong hiatus doesn’t mean the emails stop coming. In the latest all email podcast, we try to catch up and address all that passes through the in box. We are asked for advice on bachelor party v. cross race, Lonestar Lamentations, multiple Fred Guy emails, insulated bottles, future newfie, The Gynea does La Marmotte, still don’t get ‘teflon dreams’ & more. The musical interlude marks a moment of technical difficulty, we promise to cover anything we missed in the next full podcast.
The other day I went bowling. My scores aren’t good. Not being a natural, it would take time & practice to make decent improvement at rolling a ball down a lane, knocking down all the pins, and that didn’t bother me. But I began considered something I hadn’t thought about before while bowling & it was prompted by being provided the speed of the ball in MPH. All I wanted to do then was see how high I could get that number. A fellow bowler then says, ‘give someone a metric & all they want to do is beat it’… which leads me to an article forwarded to me today. Click below for something well written to think about while the Johns are on Holiday.
