Bull City Cycling

So I have heard...

2012-01-23T09:10:00.001-05:00

to no tubes, or not to no tubes?

2012-01-09T13:23:00.003-05:00

so i've been back on the cx bike for a few forest trail rides--only 4 1/2 months after the collarbone break! man, i've missed riding in the dirt. i'm still riding cautiously and slowly, but since i'm not really "training" for anything, slow is swell.

however, i am contemplating some equipment issues that are needlessly slowing me down. true, lots of bloggers complain about how radder equipment would make them faster, which is all totally, completely, and absolutely true. more new expensive carbon stuff = more faster! but i'm talking about something that even the retro-est of grouches would agree will slow you down: flat tires.

here's the situation: i was (futilely) chasing Linus over the Old Oxford Road cobblestones and i double-flatted with my tubeless tires (Stan's 340 rims with Michelin Mud2 tires, about 40psi). i converted to tubeless cx tires to hopefully avoid pinchflats and actually get a more tubular-like ride for training (without destroying tubulars on the trails and having to walk home, broke and disgraced). it appears that on both the front and back tire, i kinda tore one of the tread-nubs (technically speaking), creating a small puncture in the tire. the stans sealant eventually fixed it up, but after another ride yesterday, it either re-ruptured or i tore my tire a new a(ir)-hole. either way, the sealant eventually (kinda) sealed up the problem, but i hate regularly stoping mid-ride to fix this reoccurring problem.

so my question to you, dear readers, is: what's the deal here?
are michelin muds not the right tire for road and gravel road riding?
am i just riding wrong on too much sharp gravel?
am i doing something else wrong (wrong pressure or need more sealant)?
is going tubeless stupid for cx training?

i like tubeless for mountain biking. i also realize that these michelins are not technically specified for tubeless riding, but lots of folks have had good luck with them. any help is greatly appreciated.

slow frameset

2011-12-28T17:30:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it: I've always wanted to be superfast. And I'll also admit it: in the past, I've trained. Cardio. Weight training. Intervals. Distance. I've even attempted to hone my handling skills to non-sucking status. Admittedly, I've also made numerous unnecessary equipment upgrades, hoping that this would help to make me superfast. But none of these things provided the answer to making me superfast.

Which is to say, none of my previous searching provided me with a suitable excuse for not going faster. Until now.

A slow skeleton. The way I see it, I've been competing with Cat-5 bones all this time. The proof is in the x-rays. Four months post-surgery and my collarbone still shows significant "non-union" (to the non-southerners in our readership, "non-union" is not a euphemism for Confederate army supporter, but in fact means that the darn thing is still broken). Slow healing is obviously also a sign that my own internal frameset just isn't as lively and responsive as it could be (I mean they tried to upgrade it with titanium--hello, it's 2011, where the hell is my carbon fiber bone replacement?!?).

Unfortunately, I probably need to stick with the current model. However, bone can be replaced with cadaver bone, so if you know where Fignon's tomb is and you have a shovel I can borrow, holler back.

The good news is that the bone feels fine. The doctor seemed to suggest that it looks stable and that the odds of re-injuring the right collarbone by falling off a bike is about the same as breaking the left one. So, I guess that's kind of also good news. I'm still hesitant to get back on the mountain bike just yet, but maybe I'll start doing some push ups.

Go Break a Leg...no Really...DON'T!!!!!

2011-12-02T19:04:00.001-05:00

Greetings from the BCC carnage hospital. I couldn't let all the East Coast cool kidz BCC'ers have all the fun. 7 weeks ago right now at this very moment in time, I thought it would be a great idea to head out for a quick after work ride (remember sunshine after 5pm?!?!)on the way home to Denver from Super Bike Land (Boulder, CO). I figured a quick 1.5 hour mountain bike singletrack tempo riding around Flat Iron Vista would provide some nice preparation for upcoming cyclocross endeavors.

Well, it was going great until about 45 minutes in....when I escaped a slow, twisty rocky section of trail for a wide open descending, flow inducing meadow section. Powering, accelerating my 29er Specialized Epic up to full speed.....I look long down the trail, ensuring a clear path.....then POW!!!! and Oh dear.......under full power a perfect storm of devastation erupted. As I was looking down the trail, my right toe clipped a rock........the following chain of events was odd. The power, mixed with the violence of the impact jammed my heel into the crank.....binding my foot and forcing my forefoot to rotate 90+ degrees laterally (in case you are wondering....this isn't normal) and my tibia (big bone in lower leg) and fibula (small bone in lower leg) both snapped. Amazingly, due to the high speed I was going (Garmin indicated a bit over 20mph on the singletrack) and the physics of everything.....I didn't crash. My momentum kept me going and I eventually coasted to a stop......and wilted off my bike. Laying flat on my back on the singletrack looking at the sky......I pushed my trusty steed to the side and knew what I was about to see. I tilted my head up......and yep.....my right foot was facing the wrong way. AHHHHHH!! A moment of panic.....a yell for help......a grab for the cell phone.

911......"hello.......I've just broken my leg badly mountain biking and I'm alone on the trail"

Interlude of facts:
Its October 14th, 2011
This is a my celebratory 35th birthday ride (birthday was a few days earlier)
Its 5pm and warm
I'm alone
I'm near town on a moderately tame trail system
I've ridden this system a lot
My cell call to 911 is dropped (thanks AT&T)
It's going to be getting dark soon
The sun is dropping below the Flat Irons
The temperature is dropping
I can't move.

This is where things get fuzzy. I panicked a bit, because I was alone......but my second call to 911 went through and the respond with "we are on the way". I respond....."hey.....i'm out in the woods.....3+ miles from the trailhead." They claim to know how to get to me. I unloaded in furious fashion as many details of my location on the first call.....in case I passed out or went into shock.

About this time, two high school mountain bike racer kids came on site. They were great. These kids stayed cool and just talked with me. I asked them if they would stay until someone else showed up.....and show up they did. Over the next 45 minutes or so, about 15+ mountain bikers stopped to help and check on things. I was in no shape to move and going into shock....shaking and chilled. It had been a hot day, but in Colorado in October....once the sun goes down......the temps can drop quickly!! We have zero humidity usually. A wonder lady named Cathy stopped and helped hold my foot in place. I was shaking and causing my leg to flop a bit....which was driving pain. She held it in place and just talked to me. I passed my iPhone to the high school kids and said...."hey....snap some photos!"

In the distance I could hear sirens. It felt like an eternity, but help was on the way. I had called my wife April and left her a message......the Boulder Sheriff's office called her too. Freaked out....once again my new friend Cathy talked to April on the phone from the trail. Basically what I am saying is that while we are all quick to say how horrible things are in the world today with society and all.......there is still greatness and kindness in so many. The help and attention I received on the trail that day was amazing.

After about 45 minutes of laying in the trail......the search-rescue team arrived with paramedics, a ranger, a sheriff and assorted other folks. All in all I'd say my phone call, deployed at least 15 experts to come to my aid. I felt guilty and constantly was apologizing and thanking all of them over and over again. They splinted my leg, IV'd me, wrapped me in blankets and loaded me in a gurney with mountain bike wheels and hand brakes. They used 4 people at a time to roll my 4x4 stretcher up the trail to a nearby access point. While I was far from any and all trailheads, I was close to a fire access road that flanked the rear of the open space park. Loaded in the ambulance, I watched through the rear window as the park ranger handed my Epic 29er off to my friend Jay, who Angel Cathy had also called for me from the trail.

I arrived at the hospital around 6:30 pm (only 1.5 hours after my incident). Normal hospital ER stuff followed......with the exception of the horrendous swelling in my leg. I was a ripe candidate for compartment syndrome, which is scary!! If the swelling did not stop....they were going to have to filet my leg open to release the pressure. Ugh. Oh and I need surgery. But not until the swelling stopped and went down..........so upstairs to sleep in the hospital for the night (somewhere in there around midnight......my poor wife went to find us food......Taco Bell). The Next day (Saturday) I was sent home to rest for a WEEK with a broken leg to allow the swelling to go down. My surgery would follow the next Friday October 21st.

Surgery was successful, but actually a bit painful. I was knocked out of course, but the surgery ended up being nearly 3 hours, instead of the 1.5 hours they told me. Off to recovery and another night in the hospital. Yay. That was a long night. My body rejected almost all of the narcotics they gave me.....well I should say it didn't respond to any of them......morphine, percocet, dilaudid, or vicodin.....but oxycontin worked!

More Facts:
I've never broken any bones before (just 2 fractured fingers)
I've never had surgery before
I've never spent the night in the hospital (now I've spent 2!!)

I left the hospital with some new hardware....a titanium tibial rod INSIDE my tibia and 6 titanium screws.

And if anyone is wonder.....that is $9500 worth of titanium in my leg.....so your custom built titanium Dura Ace road bike with carbon wheels is a GREAT DEAL!!!! Enjoy it.

Now in closing the next chapter. Six weeks post surgery....and still on crutches. Doctor told me today I have 6 more weeks of crutches at least. I can start standing lightly on my right leg as of today. I've been back on the bike for a few weeks now (stationary trainer, flat pedals and no resistance). The doctor has also given me the green light to add resistance now. Total recovery for my bones is 3-4 months.

It was a freak incident....not even an accident. Everything is different now.....everything.....well except for I registered for a 100 mile mountain bike race today! 2012 Bailey Hundo in Bailey Colorado....June 16th, 2012. I'll be there riding hard one way or another. Doctor said it was a great idea.....and I think he wants to race it too!! Now I just have to beat him.....gotta love Colorado.

Bailey Hundo 2012 (Comeback Kid Fund)

2011-12-02T19:01:00.000-05:00

Bailey Hundo 2012 (Comeback Kid Fund): The Bailey HUNDO is a charity race focused on raising money to make sure the future of cycling is bright! All funds raised go to our nonprofit partners: Colorado Mountain

i typed for miles

2011-11-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

writing about cycling is tough. first, you need to write about training, finding the perfect balance between bragging about how hard your workouts are (providing a metric of your awesomeness) and also how you haven't had time to really train enough (providing a pre-excuse for sucking). then, you need to write about rides that turned "epic", by playing up the incredible sequence of events and intense conditions that you were able to overcome while downplaying the lack of foresight and planning that probably got you in such a stupid situation in the first place. next, write some shit about your equipment and how it's awesomer in awesomer ways that other bikes and that you don't care if people thing your bar tape is starting to unravel. then, you can write about that race where things were going sweet until those other dudes did some "negative racing" and that one guy did something squirrely and you missed the break and there went your chances for certain victory.

okay, so writing about cycling is very easy. however, following my patented formula becomes substantially more difficult when you don't actually ride a bike anymore.

it's been sad, watching the dust collect on my (obviously awesome) bikes and the air slowly leak out of the tires. it's been sad reading through the results from local races and see the guys i should totally be able to beat if the course just suited me better and not being able to write about how i should totally been able to beat them if the course just suited me better. i drank a glass of cytomax the other day, just to see if i remembered how.

but i still feel hope. my injury is temporary and i will ride again. friends are out getting rad, consistently and thoroughly. new bike shops are opening up all over town. cycles marguerite is totally happening, and happening right.

although it's been frustrating, i think this time off the bike will prove to be a valuable experience. once i can figure out precisely how it's a valuable experience, i'll write all about it.

Dirk Hofmann

2011-11-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

Get familiar!

BMC Development Squad

2011-11-02T13:10:00.003-04:00

Check out this article on the new BMC Development Squad: HERE See if you can pick out the former NCCX CAT 4 winner of a few years ago....

bone machine

2011-11-01T21:14:00.003-04:00

i've got some sweet new gear to test out:

this baby is the 4000+, so you know it's dope.

okay so the backstory:
collarbone is still not healed. the x-ray looks like it did one month ago, which looked like it did two months ago. the doc squinted his eyes and said that he could see some healing, which may be true since i'm not an expert. on the other hand, if you look at a piece of toast long enough, you may be able to convince yourself that you can see the image of jesus

so 10 weeks in, and i'm still not fixed. and although this is slow, it's supposedly not alarmingly slow. however, it did mean that they decided to give (sell) me an ultrasound bone stimulator. this, of course, is a cue to all our friends in new jersey to exclaim heartily "hey! i got yer bone stimulator RIGHT HERE!!!" thanks guys.

either way, still not real cycling for me. in the meantime, i'll be cranking out mad ultrasonic power and give you a full product review soon(er or later). if it works, i may try it on my brain to get smarter and my muscles to get faster and...well, let's see if it works, first. until then:

(does anyone else think that Andrea from Trips For Kids kinda looks like Kim Deal?)

Schleck Brothers-Tour of the France Interview

2011-10-21T06:37:00.001-04:00

If it ain't moto, it's worthless

2011-10-10T19:10:00.002-04:00

-Ross Shafer, Salsa Cyces, circa 1997

In the spirit of the last post, which waxed nostalgically to the moment when I was getting into bikes, this one is for Ross.

The Kiddo Uno from Indusnow Distribution. on Vimeo.

Legend

2011-10-05T17:07:00.001-04:00

Props if you can identify this legend. The term is overused, but this guy was legend before we even used that kind of language.

lazy bones

2011-10-05T16:03:00.000-04:00

i hope you are enjoying my clavicleblog.

last week i had my one-month-after-my-two-week-after-surgery check-up/irradiation session. x-rays are fun. they're the only way to really see what bones are doing (except for the way that involves removing pesky skin and muscle tissue). plus, if decades of comic books and possible misinterpretations of nietzche have taught us nothing it is that which does not kill us will surely give us super powers, unless of course it just makes us weaker, which it probably will. i find it funny that they point this giant tube at my shoulder--6" from my head--and give me a little lead blanket to cover my junk. shouldn't i be more worried about cooking my brain? sure, i care about my junk, but as a cyclocrosser, obviously not much. but that's just my pesky brain talking. i'm sure a few more trips to the hospital will take care of that silly thing.

as best as i can tell, the x-ray schedule is designed to answer a series of questions:
1) in emergency room: is this thing broken? yep, you broke it.
2) after surgery: did we put everything back together right? yep, looks good. wait, are those my car keys in there?
3) two weeks after surgery: hey, buddy, have you done anything to fuck up our handywork in the past two weeks? did anything fall out? we used 6 $200 screws* so i don't think so. are your sure my keys aren't in there? i still can't find them. [*approximate cost of titanium hardward--i did see the itemized bill in my online medical records, but it has mysteriously disappeared.]
4) one month after the two week x-ray: is everything healed up yet? no? we didn't think so. see you in another month.

so this most-recent xray looked nearly identical to the one taken a month ago. i can post them both and you can do one of those "find the differences" games, but you would lose. apparently, when they do clavicle surgery, they clean up some of the area around the bone, which makes it heal a little more slowly than it would without surgery. can anyone confirm if this is true? or are my bones just lazy? actually, based i've read on stuff online, not seeing signs of healing 6 weeks after surgery isn't surprising. and given the fact i learned this from the internet, it gives me much confidence in its accuracy.

so with this week's musical interlude, let's turn these Layzie Bones into some Bizzy Bones so i can get back to tha crossroads (which is to say bike rides out near Dodson's Crossroads, not the mythical space where the living pass on to the afterlife (although i would like to see a giant ghost Easy-E hanging out in the clouds over Orange County)).

cyclocross is happening

2011-09-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

everywhere around me, people are enjoying the simple thrills of cyclocross. and although i am jealous, i am not bitter. i'll be back soon enough.

but while things are just ramping up down south, our friends up north are already in full swing. here's an article about our friends from Fort Garry Bike Club up in Winnipeg and their awesome event. while portland and new england battle over which region is the belgium of north american cyclocross, winnipeg may just be the czech republic of north american cx. you can quote me on that...whatever that means.

okay, but now that your race is over, where the heck is the vicarious cyclocross competition? c'mon you hosers, since i can't race, i need to get my fix somehow.

Premium Downer

2011-09-22T08:39:00.000-04:00

This depresses me on so many levels.

one month

2011-09-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

cyclocross can fuck you up. you know what i'm talking about.

that was not me, but i feel his pain. which is to say, he does not feel my pain. he walked away, but i staggered gimpily away with a broken collarbone. which is to say, i staggered gimpily away with my own private embarrassment of crashing (Linus was the only witness, but i've paid him off to never testify against me), but that other guy walked away an instant internet sensation, head hung low. which is to say, in summary, i do not feel his pain.

so here's my one month post-surgery update:

first of all, i'm still not back on the bike yet, so if you're keen on reading about my awesome cycling exploits, i'm sorry to disappoint you (however, you should have been disappointed about that a long time ago). in fact, i'm not shaving my legs until i get back on the bike. until then, i am not a cyclist. i'll spare you a photo, but take my word for it.

i have gotten back on the trainer. three whole times.

the first time was about 2-weeks post-op and i felt pretty hardcore because i was going to stay fit through my recovery. it sucked. i couldn't put any weight on the handlebars with my right arm so i alternated between sitting upright and grabbing the stem with my left hand. i guess it might have looked kinda gangsta-style. well, upon further consideration, it did not look kinda gansta-style. the scar tissue on my shoulder prevented me from wearing bib straps on both shoulders so i kicked Andre The Giant-style.

it was never quite clear to me why Mr. The Giant sported this style, but this was one of at least three things about 1980s professional wrestling that i never quite figured out. i should also note that if you are in a similar predicament, the second suspender of bibshorts actually makes a decent sling if you kinda wrap it around your elbow.

since then, i've been able to support myself with both arms and have done some intervals. but riding the trainer still sucks. i'd almost rather be slow than ride a trainer. it's also difficult because i don't have a cycling computer or a heartrate monitor so i can't really tell if i'm actually working very hard. it kinda feels like i'm working. i seem to sweat a lot. but i also sweat while playing Ms. Pac-Man and during conversations. i'm sweating now writing this.

i've been data-free for the past summer, and i've liked it. there are enough local group rides that when i need to work hard, there are fast people who will kick my ass and when i need to chill, there are enough chill people who will refrain from kicking my ass. but it's too easy to slack without some sort of feedback. so i ordered a cycling computer.

in the meantime, i've been back to running. running is good fun, but it's a poor-man's cycling (literally). not to mention, the apparel is not as cool as cycling--or professional wrestling, for that matter.

yesterday, i ran into my clavicular-doppelganger, the Tomax to my Xamot, Geoff, at wholefoods. he broke his left collarbone a couple of weeks before i broke my right one. however, he had some concerns about how his was healing. apparently, our amateur drunken diagnosis session at Linus and Margaret's party on saturday night was confirmed by a visit to a professional doctor: his collarbone was healing kinda fucked up and they would need to operate. this is shitty news for Geoff, since he was about 6 weeks into his recovery and would have been mostly healed if they had operated in the first place. but, now, they need to go back and plate him up, sending him back to week zero.

best wishes for a speedy re-recovery, Geoffy. and to everyone else, keep riding and enjoying the hell out of it!

Winning

2011-09-10T23:40:00.000-04:00

Long before some Hollywood jackass (not our own jackass, Hollywood) started using the term "winning", it was the title of one of the primary cycling magazines I remember seeing growing up. It shaped my concept of cycling: steel bikes, lycra, toe clips, no helmets, downtube shifters.

Oh, and winning. It wasn't until I actually started racing a decade or so later that I realized that winning is something that is very rare for most cyclists, and that winning isn't even something I find necessary for satisfaction. I know I have a very small chance of winning any road race and no chance of winning any cyclocross race (I usually hope not to get lapped).

But that's just me. We are surrounded by winners. Let's take a look.

First, is Cam, a fixture of the Durham cycling community, and his team at Road Scholars Porsche restoration. They recently took 1st place at the Pebble Beach Show for their restoration of one of the first Porsches ever produced!!! This ain't no local-cat-five-crit of a car show. This is the real deal.

Here's Cam showing Jay Leno the details of their work:

The car is beautiful, but most impressive is Cam's cool demeanor dealing with a (possibly drunk) Leno. I was always more of a Letterman fan myself.

Then, of course, this video has been circulating of the World Championship-winning downhill run of Danny Hart:

The riding is beautiful, but most impressive is the announcing. There are at least a dozen highly quotable moments in the exuberant commentary--see if you can find them all.

There's actually another video up of a guy pre-riding the course in much dryer conditions and actually looks much more difficult and scary than in the previous video.

Closer to home, JD had a nice showing at the Shenandoah 100. Hopefully he'll give a good writeup of the event.

Other than that, I have no idea what's happening in the local world of cycling. Some people are still riding on the road. Some people are still riding the singletrack. Some people have started cyclocross. I dunno. Someone clue me in.

new hardware, new members

2011-09-06T14:38:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned, I had a little bicycle related mishap. And with any such mishap, the first question is "is my bike okay?" If the answer is no, then the logical response is "Sweet! Time to upgrade!!!" So after my crash, I upgraded to titanium.

Although I generally like steel, I opted for the weight savings of titanium. And since my insurance is (hopefully) paying for most of this, it seems like a worthwhile upgrade. To be honest, though, "opted" isn't really accurate since they just went ahead and decided the best components for my collarbone. They also told me that they used 6 screws, while I would have suggested using only 3, like some pro mountain bikers do on their disc brake rotors, but again, I was not consulted. Upon examining my x-ray, I noticed an extra bonus 7th screw (although technically #4 might be a nail or pin). Once again, I'm all for structural integrity, but I want to get weight savings wherever possible. I was also somewhat puzzled by this mystery bit right here:

It isn't attached to the plate, and it looks suspiciously like a brake cable end-cap.

Since this component was added to my right side of my body, I took the opportunity this weekend to balance the weight with some hardware on the left side.

In this case, I'm more of a traditionalist and opted not for fancy new materials, but the tried-and-true (although slightly heavier) metal, gold. I feel so fortunate to have found such a wonderful wife who supports me even through idiotic bicycle accidents. We were so thrilled to be surrounded by so many fantastic people, including BCC members: Jay and his family, Ali and his new wife, and Linus and his future wife. Jay and Linus were able to sneak a ride in before the ceremony, avoiding both rain and wrecks.

Unfortunately, my brother, sometimes BCC member sometimes known as "oishikatta", was unable to attend; however, he wrote a memorable speech (read by a friend) that featured an in depth comparison between cycling and marriage. It involved some quotations, commentary on strategy, and more physics than I anticipated in a toast. A fitting tribute from one bicycle geek to another.

I should mention that my brother, sometimes known as "miniweesh", was absent for good reason. His wife was delivering an even mini-er "weesh", their first child (and my first nephew), Cole Russell. Yet another welcome addition to the extended BCC family.

Old Tymes

2011-08-26T21:04:00.000-04:00

No bikes, though.

anatomy of a beatdown

2011-08-24T18:41:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday marked the first meeting of the season for the Forest Hills Park Cyclocross Association (FHPCXA). Most of the Trustees were in attendance and it looked to be more of a fun social ride, rather than on of the typical bile-inducing workout sessions. An excellent way to kick off the 2011-12 season.

With grand ambitions, Linus and I were discussing the logistics of an October 22nd Durham CX race (stay tuned). Rolling easily at the back of the pack for the first portion of the first lap, shortly after we turned from pavement onto grass, well, that was the end of it.

We were turning toward the left, just slightly and my front wheel seemed to hit something. I felt like it slid out, but that would have dropped me down on my left size. Instead, I must have hit a rut or a root and toppled over the far side of the bike or handlebars, landing squarely on my shoulder. It didn't seem too bad at first and I checked my right shoulder to make sure I hadn't dislocated it (again). It felt fine but something else wasn't quite right. Surveying the rest of my body, I quickly noticed that my collarbone was much lumpier than it typically is. Okay. This is happening.

The FHPCXA quickly sprang into action. Although my memory of the specifics are a bit hazy, I am thankful I was riding with such a helpful and experienced group. I was swiftly helped back to the parking lot, strung-up with an innertube sling, reassured with several other personal accounts of broken collarbones and other tales of assorted injuries and subsequent recoveries.

Soon enough I was back to familiar territory, the Duke Hospital ER. The staff was very helpful and got things moving pretty quickly and my gratitude to them for that. Since the bone didn't look like it wanted to go back to it's normal place on its own they decided to do surgery, but since the bone wasn't actually sticking out of the skin, they decided to wait until Thursday morning. Even with heavvvy medication, a broken collarbone does not make for a good night's sleep. Add to that the fact that nurses stopped by every few hours to check my vitals, which is good for death prevention, but I had to keep telling them that yes, my resting heart rate is in the 30s now and just because the machine is set to have an alarm go off for heart rates lower than they typical Durham couch potato, there is nothing to worry about.

I'm guessing that trauma clinic reports are a lot like race reports in their similarity and tediousness ("and then this nurse stopped by and gave me jell-o!") so I'll cut to the chase. One titanium plate, 6 screws, and about 24 hours later, I ambled out to the curb to meet the awaiting Kathleen (who was with me the whole time and was so supportive). I was still wearing the hospital "reverse-robe" since I couldn't really get a shirt on. I hadn't showered in 3 days, which included a bicycle ride and lots of drug/pain induced sweating. I was wearing pants (I ditched the chamois the first day, in case you were wondering), but I reckon I looked like a patient trying to escape the hospital, or at least the bill (I haven't seen that yet, but I'm sure that'll be worth of a blog).

In any event, thanks to all for your tremendous support and I hope to see you back on the bike very soon.

still not stoppin...okay wait, stop

2011-08-22T21:04:00.000-04:00

gimmie a minute here...

It's called racing

2011-08-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

From the fine folks at Hawley:

Max Power Can't Stop

2011-08-12T09:55:00.000-04:00

My brother just pointed out that Jan Ulrich has been riding amateur cycling events under the pseudonym Max Kraft, which apparently translates to Max Power.

the video quality wasn't great on that last one, so here's another version, quite possibly in German.

Some might call it sandbagging, but unlike Riccardo Ricco, who snuck into a Cyclosportive event while on doping suspension and actually tried to help his friends win, Jan seems to be just out having trying to learn how to have fun riding bikes again and not wrecking the event for other folks. Sometimes, competition can take all the fun out of a beautiful sport. Here's to Jan, who may have ended up on the wrong side of history. But hopefully, in time, he'll be recognized a great talent and tough competitor who emerged during a troubling time for the sport.

Maximum Kraft(werk), non stop.

still can't stop/won't stop

2011-08-08T23:48:00.000-04:00

the roadway beckons

cyclists hear this message

and heed its wisdom

proper.

buckin' the trend

2011-07-27T23:08:00.000-04:00

We're stuck on 666 posts, so I'd better throw another one up to prevent satan from getting all up in our business.

And what better way than with a race report from the (in)famous Huck-A-Buck presented by Happy Fun Racing. This race is always a good time (even without beer laps). Announcers, hilarious local riders, good prizes, fast trails, ample parking. A happy fun time.

Actually, what am I saying? The Huck is usually on the hottest day of the year so it usually feels like hell (a true sign of the devil). Luke "Li'l Pow" kicked things off with the very small guy's race. Luke suffered a bee sting on the drive over but that didn't stop him from racing. True Bull City style (even though he's from north Raleigh). He's a tough one, like his old man.

And speaking of the old man, JD stripped the derailleur off his 29er and joined me in the singlespeed group. He did, however, neglect to put a bell on his bike, which seems to be an important thing for the Happy Fun guys. Here's the math:

Bell = front row start
No bell = tough luck

I was sporting a bell and got a good start position, but was almost too lax in my start and nearly got boxed-out by the Grassroots Bikes dude on the Surly Pugsly. Those bikes are designed to ride through snow, but since late July in North Carolina is the opposite of snow, I didn't want to get stuck behind that guy.

Settled in behind Robbie (former ACCCCCCCCC rider from WVU) and Sean, who set a fast first lap pace. Second lap or so, Robbie crashed and Sean started feeling the effects of the heat so I decided to give it a go and quickly found myself out on my own. JD wasn't so lucky, suffering an early crash or two. This probably wouldn't throw off his rhythm in one of his typical 100km race, but in a short xc race, it puts a fellow at a great disadvantage.

And yeah, so applied force to the pedals and the wheels went round and round and I didn't fall over and then I won. yay! I don't win a lot of races, so let me gloat.

Okay, I'm done gloating. Partially because the two dudes who beat me last time weren't here this time. Also because I know that I have many more whuppin's to receive in the not-so-distant future. Also, much praise is due to JD and the rest of the BCC mountain bikers who make outstanding training partners and are constantly blazing off to fast starts. Since I'm consistently forced to follow JD, Ben, Daniel, Linus, and others on their speedy starts, it's helped me to learn to settle into a reasonable (if not comfortable) rhythm. This one's for you, team!

Okay, as always, mad props to the promoters, Happy Fun Racing and all the sponsors. Also here's some additional product placement for fellow singlespeeder Rob who recently launched True Blue Wrench Works in Carrboro for all your repair needs. He spun off from Back Alley Bikes (Jason was also out racing and shredding w/ gears) who is also a fine wrench. Do support our neighbors on the short side of the Triangle.

And, since we're past post #666 and since I haven't posted a musical interlude in a while, here's the bull city's finest. Hail Satan!