So maybe I missed the first 'cross race of the season in Livermore--but I have my first set of tubular tires stretching on my first set of tubular rims. I'll be out there, eventually.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
'Tis the tubular season
So maybe I missed the first 'cross race of the season in Livermore--but I have my first set of tubular tires stretching on my first set of tubular rims. I'll be out there, eventually.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Two photos
Two photos of my own, 'cuz I like them.
First photo, taken this summer with an in-phone camera:
Little did I know that my in-phone camera seems to want everything to look like a watercolor, sorta smudgey-like. In the end, it's a nice effect, but couldn't it be applied afterward, by choice? The pictures is of the beach at Cosens Bay, Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.
Second photo, taken last December in Mexico City with an actual digital camera, and my desktop background photo ever since (be warned, 2-3 MB file size when I uploaded):
The original 640x480 photo was taken hand-held, about 2 feet above my head, macro setting-point-click before the bird turned around, and came out looking quite crude. However, by some magic, when set up as a desktop wallpaper, all sorts of details "appear" as it's stretched, and the photo that you get by clicking through is actually from taking a screenshot of my desktop. The original is this:
First photo, taken this summer with an in-phone camera:
Little did I know that my in-phone camera seems to want everything to look like a watercolor, sorta smudgey-like. In the end, it's a nice effect, but couldn't it be applied afterward, by choice? The pictures is of the beach at Cosens Bay, Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.
Second photo, taken last December in Mexico City with an actual digital camera, and my desktop background photo ever since (be warned, 2-3 MB file size when I uploaded):
The original 640x480 photo was taken hand-held, about 2 feet above my head, macro setting-point-click before the bird turned around, and came out looking quite crude. However, by some magic, when set up as a desktop wallpaper, all sorts of details "appear" as it's stretched, and the photo that you get by clicking through is actually from taking a screenshot of my desktop. The original is this:
Monday, April 13, 2009
Petty office kitchen politics - win?
Work is nice: every Monday, they order a bunch of food and stock the office kitchen, to keep us well-fed and happy (and presumably working). So, with people eating a lot, it implies dirty dishes, which were accumulating in the small and awkward office kitchen sink with depressing regularity. There's a sign posted asking people to wash their dishes, with humor but sad ineffectiveness.
Last week, failing to find a single clean knife with which to spread Nutella for a snack, I decided something had to be done to make a point. Tempering my first instinct to simply throw all the dirty dishes left behind into the dumpster, I boxed them and hid them. (Not too carefully, a couple of knives were recovered by another spreader-seeker.) I also made the point to the few present at the time that any more dirty dishes left in the sink would also be "disappeared".
Results? Upon arriving at work the next morning, and indeed for the past week, I have failed to find a single dirty dish in the sink. Perhaps more of them are collecting on people's desks instead, but I don't have to live with that mess.
I was kindly asked to return the missing dishes this morning, and did so, washing them and putting them away. However, the threat of disappearing dishes has not been revoked. I'm interested to see how long it can last.
PS. Long time, no post. What drove me to it? The alternative activity for the evening is to do my tax return, due in the mail on Wednesday.
Last week, failing to find a single clean knife with which to spread Nutella for a snack, I decided something had to be done to make a point. Tempering my first instinct to simply throw all the dirty dishes left behind into the dumpster, I boxed them and hid them. (Not too carefully, a couple of knives were recovered by another spreader-seeker.) I also made the point to the few present at the time that any more dirty dishes left in the sink would also be "disappeared".
Results? Upon arriving at work the next morning, and indeed for the past week, I have failed to find a single dirty dish in the sink. Perhaps more of them are collecting on people's desks instead, but I don't have to live with that mess.
I was kindly asked to return the missing dishes this morning, and did so, washing them and putting them away. However, the threat of disappearing dishes has not been revoked. I'm interested to see how long it can last.
PS. Long time, no post. What drove me to it? The alternative activity for the evening is to do my tax return, due in the mail on Wednesday.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Better CX racing through technology
1. The front cantilever brake noodle. Changing the brake cables and housing probably helped too.
2. Ankle protection. I've been scraping the skin off the side of my ankle in CX races for near three months now. Hm, maybe time to do something about it? Bought cheap shinguards, cut off the shin part, kept the ankle protector, and wore it for the race. Bingo, no more scraping.
3. Doping. I don't usually drink coffee or tea, let alone espresso like the pros, so giving me a beverage that recommends limiting intake to no more than three a day is pretty much putting me on the juice. Why this brand? 'Cuz they sponsor CCCX and I can swipe a can or two at the finish line to save for the next weekend; plus, I'm a sucker for any non-alky foodstuff flavored like Irish cream (er, sort-of flavored like Irish cream in this case).
Raced Livermore B and SSA on Saturday and it was fun, fun, fun (the best Bay Area race that no one does!). Raced CCCX B and SSA today and it was fun, fun, fun. Both bikes were working with no stupid mechanicals. I didn't have any major cases of stupid while passing or being passed. I had people to heckle me and cheer me on. My worst injury for the weekend is a set of puncture wounds from the neighbor's tomcat. Okay, the results were modest, I could go faster if I trained and did fewer races, but the weekend is not the time to worry about that.
I think the caffeine had me pretty well perked before and after the races, too, so thank you to all who put up with my inanity. Time to return to regularly scheduled programming...
2. Ankle protection. I've been scraping the skin off the side of my ankle in CX races for near three months now. Hm, maybe time to do something about it? Bought cheap shinguards, cut off the shin part, kept the ankle protector, and wore it for the race. Bingo, no more scraping.
3. Doping. I don't usually drink coffee or tea, let alone espresso like the pros, so giving me a beverage that recommends limiting intake to no more than three a day is pretty much putting me on the juice. Why this brand? 'Cuz they sponsor CCCX and I can swipe a can or two at the finish line to save for the next weekend; plus, I'm a sucker for any non-alky foodstuff flavored like Irish cream (er, sort-of flavored like Irish cream in this case).
Raced Livermore B and SSA on Saturday and it was fun, fun, fun (the best Bay Area race that no one does!). Raced CCCX B and SSA today and it was fun, fun, fun. Both bikes were working with no stupid mechanicals. I didn't have any major cases of stupid while passing or being passed. I had people to heckle me and cheer me on. My worst injury for the weekend is a set of puncture wounds from the neighbor's tomcat. Okay, the results were modest, I could go faster if I trained and did fewer races, but the weekend is not the time to worry about that.
I think the caffeine had me pretty well perked before and after the races, too, so thank you to all who put up with my inanity. Time to return to regularly scheduled programming...
Sunday, November 16, 2008
CX futility index
A measure of achievement for those not fighting for podium spots in cyclocross races:
1. For each given race in a weekend, find your finishing position (number A).
2. For each given race in a weekend, determine how many finishers there were in your category, not counting DNS/DNF (number B).
3. For each given race in a weekend, determine A/B, your race finish ratio (maximum value 1).
4. Total your race finish ratios from the weekend to determine your futility index.
Whoever has the highest total "wins". What they win, I don't know. It's not just a competition about being mediocre, it's about being mediocre over and over again. (A DNF doesn't count because it implies some recognition of futility.)
Needless to say, I don't have any wonderful race results to report from this weekend, though I feel happy to have not destroyed any equipment or suffered any injuries beyond scratches and bruises. I couldn't pull off the "double double", not having enough left to finish a singlespeed race at CCCX after racing twice at Saturday's night race, and so lost a possible full point in my futility index--I'm okay with that. Once the results are up from Pilarcitos, I'll report my numbers...
1. For each given race in a weekend, find your finishing position (number A).
2. For each given race in a weekend, determine how many finishers there were in your category, not counting DNS/DNF (number B).
3. For each given race in a weekend, determine A/B, your race finish ratio (maximum value 1).
4. Total your race finish ratios from the weekend to determine your futility index.
Whoever has the highest total "wins". What they win, I don't know. It's not just a competition about being mediocre, it's about being mediocre over and over again. (A DNF doesn't count because it implies some recognition of futility.)
Needless to say, I don't have any wonderful race results to report from this weekend, though I feel happy to have not destroyed any equipment or suffered any injuries beyond scratches and bruises. I couldn't pull off the "double double", not having enough left to finish a singlespeed race at CCCX after racing twice at Saturday's night race, and so lost a possible full point in my futility index--I'm okay with that. Once the results are up from Pilarcitos, I'll report my numbers...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
CX Santa Rosa #2 - Thick friggin' mud
By the end of my racing, I was sweating mud.
The forecast was for heavy rain on Saturday, not so heavy on Sunday--so we'll see whether Candlestick gets sloppy for tomorrow's race, but today's race in Santa Rosa seemed a lock for wet, soupy mud, and it was delivered. In the car on the way there, a little voice in my head was anticipating the conditions, as my best-ever results, a couple C wins, were at super-slop races. There wasn't much time for daydreaming, though, as Hwy 101 had little floods and heavy spray--definitely high-speed windshield wiper conditions.
I arrived a little after 11 and watched the women's race: dirty, dirty women...seemed sort of ominous. The spectators beside me were C racers who had finished and cleaned up, and reports were of inches-thick mud on the backside of the course.
With that little bit of intelligence, I went back to sit in the car, pin numbers and gear up for the 12.30ish start of the 35+B/B/45+B race. When time got close, I did a single lap to scout the course...and soon was filthier than I've been in a long time. Some of it soupy, some of it goopy, some of it spreadable like peanut butter, all mud. The bike was OK with it, except for one little catch of the chain that would come back to haunt me.
My B wave started at a gap behind the 35+B's (logic? don't know) with a short sidewalk stretch before hitting the good stuff. A makeshift plank bridge crossing a waist-deep creek led into the really tricky bit of mud, and the wiser little voice in my head told me to get off and run...so I did, and started passing all the riders trying bravely and "honorably" to pedal through the stuff. A more rideable stretch followed, then more thick muck that I ran--and it seemed as though, just maybe, I was leading the B's and tickling the back of the 35+B field!
All for nought, though. When it came back to the rideable sections, that little skip of the chain came back. I can't tell if it was a sticky link or a front derailleur issue, but if I tried to power down (which happens a lot in the mud), the chain would jam between the cage and the rings and forward motion stopped. After much swearing and a couple forced dismounts, I figured out that backpedaling could get the chain to reseat itself, so better; but there's a reason they don't teach you the cha-cha (two steps forward, half a step back) on a bike: it doesn't move you very fast. Soon, I was losing positions, and more positions, and more forced dismounts...
I would've liked to ride more. It felt good to be pushing under those conditions, and being able to run the ugly bits was really helpful in the B's, but if the bike don't roll, y'ain't gonna do so good. We'll see where I ended up in the results.
Once the B's were through, I suited up for the singlespeed race right afterward. Dave C. pointed out to me that the SS bike was perfect for the conditions, and he was right--who needs gears in all that goo? Things didn't start well in this race, as I almost immediately took a great glob of mud straight into my left eye, which took some furious blinking to clear out (I'm still scraping mud out of my eyesockets now). Three laps in, Josh S. lapped me, my back and a knee were whining, and I was too tired to be able to solve those sections of the course that perhaps I could've ridden earlier with a working drivetrain, so I pulled myself and was done.
Cleanup was a bitch. I would hose myself off, turn to cleaning the bikes, look back at myself and I was dirty again. So: sweating mud. Even after a shower, I'm sure I'll be picking grit out of crevices for a while. And there's yet more 'cross racing tomorrow!
Sorry, no pictures: it was pouring rain and after just a little bit of riding I was filthy enough to dirty anything I touched. Several photogs were prowling the course, though, so I hope some of those shots (though not those of me) end up circulating. Alternatively, I am totally empathizing with the top-flight riders in Belgium today: there are some glorious mud shots in this gallery at cyclingnews.com.
The forecast was for heavy rain on Saturday, not so heavy on Sunday--so we'll see whether Candlestick gets sloppy for tomorrow's race, but today's race in Santa Rosa seemed a lock for wet, soupy mud, and it was delivered. In the car on the way there, a little voice in my head was anticipating the conditions, as my best-ever results, a couple C wins, were at super-slop races. There wasn't much time for daydreaming, though, as Hwy 101 had little floods and heavy spray--definitely high-speed windshield wiper conditions.
I arrived a little after 11 and watched the women's race: dirty, dirty women...seemed sort of ominous. The spectators beside me were C racers who had finished and cleaned up, and reports were of inches-thick mud on the backside of the course.
With that little bit of intelligence, I went back to sit in the car, pin numbers and gear up for the 12.30ish start of the 35+B/B/45+B race. When time got close, I did a single lap to scout the course...and soon was filthier than I've been in a long time. Some of it soupy, some of it goopy, some of it spreadable like peanut butter, all mud. The bike was OK with it, except for one little catch of the chain that would come back to haunt me.
My B wave started at a gap behind the 35+B's (logic? don't know) with a short sidewalk stretch before hitting the good stuff. A makeshift plank bridge crossing a waist-deep creek led into the really tricky bit of mud, and the wiser little voice in my head told me to get off and run...so I did, and started passing all the riders trying bravely and "honorably" to pedal through the stuff. A more rideable stretch followed, then more thick muck that I ran--and it seemed as though, just maybe, I was leading the B's and tickling the back of the 35+B field!
All for nought, though. When it came back to the rideable sections, that little skip of the chain came back. I can't tell if it was a sticky link or a front derailleur issue, but if I tried to power down (which happens a lot in the mud), the chain would jam between the cage and the rings and forward motion stopped. After much swearing and a couple forced dismounts, I figured out that backpedaling could get the chain to reseat itself, so better; but there's a reason they don't teach you the cha-cha (two steps forward, half a step back) on a bike: it doesn't move you very fast. Soon, I was losing positions, and more positions, and more forced dismounts...
I would've liked to ride more. It felt good to be pushing under those conditions, and being able to run the ugly bits was really helpful in the B's, but if the bike don't roll, y'ain't gonna do so good. We'll see where I ended up in the results.
Once the B's were through, I suited up for the singlespeed race right afterward. Dave C. pointed out to me that the SS bike was perfect for the conditions, and he was right--who needs gears in all that goo? Things didn't start well in this race, as I almost immediately took a great glob of mud straight into my left eye, which took some furious blinking to clear out (I'm still scraping mud out of my eyesockets now). Three laps in, Josh S. lapped me, my back and a knee were whining, and I was too tired to be able to solve those sections of the course that perhaps I could've ridden earlier with a working drivetrain, so I pulled myself and was done.
Cleanup was a bitch. I would hose myself off, turn to cleaning the bikes, look back at myself and I was dirty again. So: sweating mud. Even after a shower, I'm sure I'll be picking grit out of crevices for a while. And there's yet more 'cross racing tomorrow!
Sorry, no pictures: it was pouring rain and after just a little bit of riding I was filthy enough to dirty anything I touched. Several photogs were prowling the course, though, so I hope some of those shots (though not those of me) end up circulating. Alternatively, I am totally empathizing with the top-flight riders in Belgium today: there are some glorious mud shots in this gallery at cyclingnews.com.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Surf City film
Putting together a cyclocross video was sorta fun the first time, so when I felt no inclination to actually race this past Sunday, it was pretty easy to fall back on Plan B and wander around, camera in-hand, to see what I could film. Did I miss stuff? Heck yeah, like the hecklers on the runup and the entire elite men's race, but one man can only do so much.
Love it? Hate it? It may not be "hardcore"; instead, it seems sorta like a promo video. Probably someone else would make different edits given the footage I have.
I did learn:
--Do not mess with your iPhoto folders when using iMovie--my first draft was all for nought when I tried importing some pictures and messed up the file structure.
--No matter how cool a song seems at first, after listening to dozens of bits and pieces of it for a few hours, it gets old.
--The dismount at the front of the cluster at about 1.42 is nifty, and smoothly executed. Had he been practicing foot-over-top-tube?
--Youtube compression plays hell with video resolution. I don't know if uploading a more detailed (and larger) file would help. The audio seems all right, at least.
--Without me publicizing a darn thing, in the 30 minutes since uploading the video to the time I'm now typing this, it has 5 views. Ah, the randomness of the internet...
Love it? Hate it? It may not be "hardcore"; instead, it seems sorta like a promo video. Probably someone else would make different edits given the footage I have.
I did learn:
--Do not mess with your iPhoto folders when using iMovie--my first draft was all for nought when I tried importing some pictures and messed up the file structure.
--No matter how cool a song seems at first, after listening to dozens of bits and pieces of it for a few hours, it gets old.
--The dismount at the front of the cluster at about 1.42 is nifty, and smoothly executed. Had he been practicing foot-over-top-tube?
--Youtube compression plays hell with video resolution. I don't know if uploading a more detailed (and larger) file would help. The audio seems all right, at least.
--Without me publicizing a darn thing, in the 30 minutes since uploading the video to the time I'm now typing this, it has 5 views. Ah, the randomness of the internet...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pink
I tried to get some clips and photos at the Surf City race today, and we'll see if I can cobble together some of the footage; but the only photo that I can tell turned out in full, unretouched, uncropped glory is the following, which perhaps does capture some of the spirit of the event. (Click on it for full-size...)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Training plan of champions
Took a week off to sit in a car, drive to Vegas and back, and hike around the mountaintops.
Did one 'cross race (CXSR #1), more than adequate to blow my engine and render me hopelessly incapable of following up in the singlespeed race (didn't stop me from trying for a while--it was free, after all--and hurtin' some of the soft tissue...).
Flew to Ottawa for a long weekend and Canadian Thanksgiving--including massive amounts of dessert (why have just one?):
So, my last three weeks or so have not been a paragon of cyclocross preparation. With Pilarcitos #1 at McLaren Park looming this Sunday, the holy c#$@ instinct to actually do some prep kicked in this morning. 20 minutes of hill intervals were enough to make my legs rubbery and leave me feeling vaguely nauseous once off the bike--those are good signs, right?
Did one 'cross race (CXSR #1), more than adequate to blow my engine and render me hopelessly incapable of following up in the singlespeed race (didn't stop me from trying for a while--it was free, after all--and hurtin' some of the soft tissue...).
Flew to Ottawa for a long weekend and Canadian Thanksgiving--including massive amounts of dessert (why have just one?):
So, my last three weeks or so have not been a paragon of cyclocross preparation. With Pilarcitos #1 at McLaren Park looming this Sunday, the holy c#$@ instinct to actually do some prep kicked in this morning. 20 minutes of hill intervals were enough to make my legs rubbery and leave me feeling vaguely nauseous once off the bike--those are good signs, right?
Monday, September 22, 2008
One week's vacation
All the kiddies should be stuck in school and their parents should be making sure that the kiddies go to school, leaving the roads and parks open for me to go see some Things I Have Not Yet Seen.
A far from comprehensive list but one that's relevant to the week ahead:
Hwy 120 through Yosemite NP
Death Valley NP
Las Vegas
Interbike (Actually, I probably won't get in, but I can be in its presence)
Cross Vegas
Hoover Dam (maybe)
Sequoia and King's Canyon NPs
Would've left already except that glass class starts up again tonight. Hopefully I can wake myself up early tomorrow and get on the road.
A far from comprehensive list but one that's relevant to the week ahead:
Hwy 120 through Yosemite NP
Death Valley NP
Las Vegas
Interbike (Actually, I probably won't get in, but I can be in its presence)
Cross Vegas
Hoover Dam (maybe)
Sequoia and King's Canyon NPs
Would've left already except that glass class starts up again tonight. Hopefully I can wake myself up early tomorrow and get on the road.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
That's not supposed to happen
It's a bad thing when your chainring bolts get loose at any time, let alone in the middle of a cyclocross race. It made for some good spectating and a pseudo-heroic finish, I hope.
CCCX #1 was held at the Fort Ord DOD building, a roughly counter-clockwise loop of the roads and sandy singletrack. My B race at 10am went OK, but the field was clearly much stronger than the LAPRD field. The CCCX course was also hillier than LAPRD's, so I got to say hello to my back muscles for the first time this year...Got 11th out of 18-19, and frustrated that I couldn't figure out how to ride up the sandy climb.
After two hours, lunch, and some advice from Josh Snead on how to ride the sandy climb, I lined up for the singlespeed A race. I had a reasonable start, but spun out/slowed down before the first corner and that was the last I saw of most everyone else in the field. It gave me time to think more about lines through the loose stuff (having my speed governed by the fixed gear ratio probably helped too).
Last corner, just after getting lapped by J.S., I hopped back on after the last barriers, pushed on the pedal, and rather than moving forward, I bent the bejeezus out of my chainring (see pic above). Since it was the last corner, I picked up the bike to jog over the finish line, no effect on final results. I had heard suspicious pinging noises from my drivetrain somewhere and thought I might've broken a spoke, but it seems to have been a chainring bolt or bolts coming loose. I lost two of five in the end. Yes, I feel a fool, but let my story be the cautionary tale: when's the last time you checked if your chainring bolts were tight?
Thanks to Gannon M. for advice on tire inflation, J.S. on the riding advice (worked a charm), the SS field for the commiserations/mocking, and Rod for not making me do another lap post-Chainring Incident. We'll see if I "man up" to a 42t or replace my girly-man 38t...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Big X
I moved to California ten years ago today.
I was supposed to have moved to California ten years ago as of yesterday, but a little confusion while coming through the immigration desk the first time meant that I got to watch my flight leave the gate and take off while I was standing in line to come through immigration the second time.
Two suitcases and a bike box...and now all this crap around me is mine!
I was supposed to have moved to California ten years ago as of yesterday, but a little confusion while coming through the immigration desk the first time meant that I got to watch my flight leave the gate and take off while I was standing in line to come through immigration the second time.
Two suitcases and a bike box...and now all this crap around me is mine!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
larp'd #2
Livermore was blessedly cool compared to last week--the forecasted high was only 92F/33C. Heck, I may have even felt a chill before the races started.
Men's B: bigger field than last week. Similar pattern: 8-9 guys in a group at the front after the first lap, then hanging on to see who could last. After a couple more laps, I saw the group split in front of me...never good to see that gap. I wasn't rolling as well as last week, both in my own head and compared to how the others were rolling, but just how so will remain unknown: I flatted just before the bell. Thanks to the spectator with "cool hands" who helped me after I flubbed switching out my rear tire. Still picked up 7/12.
Sarah Maile came out and raced against the B's (and beat me!). Josie JM and Sarah Kerlin showed up for the women's race just beforehand, and so it could have been a three-way battle--but oddly, JJM and SK finished at the front of the women's race hand-in-hand without a sprint, and SM held off until the B race. Maybe it's just too early for racing for those with the real goods, so a little detente for the time being.
I lined up on-time for the singlespeed race--I know at least Gianni was swiveling and looking for me at the start line this time! Cesar "Big Dog" Chavez showed up for the SS race, though, so G and I both knew we were done for. AJM lined up in stars-and-bars trimmed kit and that's the last I saw of him for a while...
At lap 3 or so I was running second-to-last when my rear tube blew. Never good on a singlespeed bike, especially since I had no spare wheel. But there was a spare tube in the car...
Picked up the bike.
Walked back to the car.
Got a tube, pump, tire levers, wrench.
For some reason, walked over to the pit tent to fix things.
Realized I had dropped the tire levers somewhere.
Watched the leaders go by...again...
Was somewhat pleased to find that a forgiving rim-bead combination allowed me to get the clincher tire off with my bare hands (whatcha gonna do...?).
Tube out, tube in, bead back in, pump it up, off we go!
Oops, chain fell off--what a fool. Back to the pits to adjust to loosen the axle bolts and try again...
Watched the leaders go by...again...
So it wasn't much of a race, even less so than last week's. I got back on the course, though, and rode 'til the end, good enough for third! Yes, out of three.
Men's B: bigger field than last week. Similar pattern: 8-9 guys in a group at the front after the first lap, then hanging on to see who could last. After a couple more laps, I saw the group split in front of me...never good to see that gap. I wasn't rolling as well as last week, both in my own head and compared to how the others were rolling, but just how so will remain unknown: I flatted just before the bell. Thanks to the spectator with "cool hands" who helped me after I flubbed switching out my rear tire. Still picked up 7/12.
Sarah Maile came out and raced against the B's (and beat me!). Josie JM and Sarah Kerlin showed up for the women's race just beforehand, and so it could have been a three-way battle--but oddly, JJM and SK finished at the front of the women's race hand-in-hand without a sprint, and SM held off until the B race. Maybe it's just too early for racing for those with the real goods, so a little detente for the time being.
I lined up on-time for the singlespeed race--I know at least Gianni was swiveling and looking for me at the start line this time! Cesar "Big Dog" Chavez showed up for the SS race, though, so G and I both knew we were done for. AJM lined up in stars-and-bars trimmed kit and that's the last I saw of him for a while...
At lap 3 or so I was running second-to-last when my rear tube blew. Never good on a singlespeed bike, especially since I had no spare wheel. But there was a spare tube in the car...
Picked up the bike.
Walked back to the car.
Got a tube, pump, tire levers, wrench.
For some reason, walked over to the pit tent to fix things.
Realized I had dropped the tire levers somewhere.
Watched the leaders go by...again...
Was somewhat pleased to find that a forgiving rim-bead combination allowed me to get the clincher tire off with my bare hands (whatcha gonna do...?).
Tube out, tube in, bead back in, pump it up, off we go!
Oops, chain fell off--what a fool. Back to the pits to adjust to loosen the axle bolts and try again...
Watched the leaders go by...again...
So it wasn't much of a race, even less so than last week's. I got back on the course, though, and rode 'til the end, good enough for third! Yes, out of three.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Double dippin' in the hot, hot sun
A cyclocross race in Livermore when the forecasted high was 38 C/101 F was a dubious proposition, and doubling up under the conditions was really just not wise...
But you know me.
First race of the 2008 'cross season (at least a month before it could really be considered 'cross season) was hosted by Shane & Co. of the parks and rec dept. in, yes, Livermore. My start time #1 was 10.30am, and it was already hot enough that basic motions like walking led to sweating.
The course was wide and flat, leaving lots of room to pick different lines and pass people--nice.
After my lousy start and a lap, the B field was a bunch of 10 at the front, with me hanging on to the back.
A lap or two later, I had passed and moved up, and there were maybe five. Fitness and heat were taking a toll.
And then I was chasing two.
Halfway through the penultimate lap, #2 pulled up--flat!--and I took his spot. Unfortunately, #1 had decided to stop toying with us and had shot out of sight. One more heat-blasted lap, and the second step on the podium was mine!
Um, except that I had the single speed race to prep for in 15 minutes, and missed the podium. Instead, I was slapping a bag of ice on the back of my neck, drowning myself in Gatorade, etc. I hadn't mentioned anything to CaseyK about doubling up, though, so in the middle of repinning my number the race was started and away without me.
A minute later I was off playing "catch-up", but there wasn't too much response from my legs. Given the gap, the fatigue, the heat, and the $5 entry fee, I was pretty content to do practice laps for an hour. On the bright side, 1) Josh Snead lapped me a second time about 100m from the finish line, so I didn't have to do that last lap, and 2) with only 5 single-speeders starting, everybody was on the podium!
End of race: more water, more Gatorade, more ice, shade, shade, shade. Some folks had the strength left to hop the fence and stand under the sprinklers in the neighboring field. There were some blasted-looking bodies strewn about the finish line. Some familiar faces, too, and it was nice to catch up.
But you know me.
First race of the 2008 'cross season (at least a month before it could really be considered 'cross season) was hosted by Shane & Co. of the parks and rec dept. in, yes, Livermore. My start time #1 was 10.30am, and it was already hot enough that basic motions like walking led to sweating.
The course was wide and flat, leaving lots of room to pick different lines and pass people--nice.
After my lousy start and a lap, the B field was a bunch of 10 at the front, with me hanging on to the back.
A lap or two later, I had passed and moved up, and there were maybe five. Fitness and heat were taking a toll.
And then I was chasing two.
Halfway through the penultimate lap, #2 pulled up--flat!--and I took his spot. Unfortunately, #1 had decided to stop toying with us and had shot out of sight. One more heat-blasted lap, and the second step on the podium was mine!
Um, except that I had the single speed race to prep for in 15 minutes, and missed the podium. Instead, I was slapping a bag of ice on the back of my neck, drowning myself in Gatorade, etc. I hadn't mentioned anything to CaseyK about doubling up, though, so in the middle of repinning my number the race was started and away without me.
A minute later I was off playing "catch-up", but there wasn't too much response from my legs. Given the gap, the fatigue, the heat, and the $5 entry fee, I was pretty content to do practice laps for an hour. On the bright side, 1) Josh Snead lapped me a second time about 100m from the finish line, so I didn't have to do that last lap, and 2) with only 5 single-speeders starting, everybody was on the podium!
End of race: more water, more Gatorade, more ice, shade, shade, shade. Some folks had the strength left to hop the fence and stand under the sprinklers in the neighboring field. There were some blasted-looking bodies strewn about the finish line. Some familiar faces, too, and it was nice to catch up.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Make it stop
Labor Day weekend--
Friday night: Athletics game from behind home plate, thanks to a friend getting "Diamond Level" tickets. Upside, free ballpark food. Downside, probably showed up stuffing my face on TV. And what do I do with this bobblehead?
Saturday: laps of Redwood Park on the 'cross bike. New tires to test. Clockwise on the ridge trails, it's all good except for the hill climbing up West Ridge--mmm, trudging uphill in bike shoes...It was good to get offroad but starting in a pack of riders will probably still freak me out come race time.
Sunday: morning swim followed by afternoon culture, Chihuly at the de Young. Showed up and there was a huge line just to buy tickets, but not 10 seconds after getting into the line a guy walked up to us and scalped us some tix for face value--sweet! Popular exhibit, crowded, lots of gaudy glass baubles on display, incredibly hyperbolic curation. Eating dinner afterwards, the miso soup was brilliant--umami!
Monday: back into SF for the Giro di San Francisco. A crit course giving spectators lots to watch. Checked out the cat 4/5's thinking I might be able to keep up in some crits and road races next spring. Watched and wandered al fresco au velo from 10am 'til 5pm, listening to the occasional meaty thuds of cyclist hitting asphalt. Happy to see pab and xbunny, 'cuz it sounds like I won't see them at the 'cross races this fall.
It's not even 10 and I want to/need to/will go to bed now.
Friday night: Athletics game from behind home plate, thanks to a friend getting "Diamond Level" tickets. Upside, free ballpark food. Downside, probably showed up stuffing my face on TV. And what do I do with this bobblehead?
Saturday: laps of Redwood Park on the 'cross bike. New tires to test. Clockwise on the ridge trails, it's all good except for the hill climbing up West Ridge--mmm, trudging uphill in bike shoes...It was good to get offroad but starting in a pack of riders will probably still freak me out come race time.
Sunday: morning swim followed by afternoon culture, Chihuly at the de Young. Showed up and there was a huge line just to buy tickets, but not 10 seconds after getting into the line a guy walked up to us and scalped us some tix for face value--sweet! Popular exhibit, crowded, lots of gaudy glass baubles on display, incredibly hyperbolic curation. Eating dinner afterwards, the miso soup was brilliant--umami!
Monday: back into SF for the Giro di San Francisco. A crit course giving spectators lots to watch. Checked out the cat 4/5's thinking I might be able to keep up in some crits and road races next spring. Watched and wandered al fresco au velo from 10am 'til 5pm, listening to the occasional meaty thuds of cyclist hitting asphalt. Happy to see pab and xbunny, 'cuz it sounds like I won't see them at the 'cross races this fall.
It's not even 10 and I want to/need to/will go to bed now.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Swimming doesn't make me a bad cyclist
...does it?
I've been in a bit of a running funk after finishing the half marathon in San Francisco three weeks ago, leaving me with lots of time to contemplate going for a swim. The Temescal pool in Oakland is just a short walk away and is open for lap swimming at all the right times (i.e. mornings until 8.30am, weekends at noon). It's oddly a 100 ft pool, but it's been so long since I've swam regularly that intervals and splits are pretty meaningless.
Swimming, even doing laps in a small pool, even while sharing a lane with 5-6 people with other agendas, is fun. It's engaging to focus on all the little motions and positioning that make a difference between my pace and world record pace, much more so than simple strength and conditioning (though some of that wouldn't hurt either).
From a bike-centric point of view, I can claim that I'm improving my core strength before 'cross season. Also, if I have a little bit of upper body strength, maybe it'll help prevent me breaking a collarbone--how many cyclists have bone strength in their upper limbs comparable to osteoperotic chickens?
I've been in a bit of a running funk after finishing the half marathon in San Francisco three weeks ago, leaving me with lots of time to contemplate going for a swim. The Temescal pool in Oakland is just a short walk away and is open for lap swimming at all the right times (i.e. mornings until 8.30am, weekends at noon). It's oddly a 100 ft pool, but it's been so long since I've swam regularly that intervals and splits are pretty meaningless.
Swimming, even doing laps in a small pool, even while sharing a lane with 5-6 people with other agendas, is fun. It's engaging to focus on all the little motions and positioning that make a difference between my pace and world record pace, much more so than simple strength and conditioning (though some of that wouldn't hurt either).
From a bike-centric point of view, I can claim that I'm improving my core strength before 'cross season. Also, if I have a little bit of upper body strength, maybe it'll help prevent me breaking a collarbone--how many cyclists have bone strength in their upper limbs comparable to osteoperotic chickens?
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bike meets world
New baby:
Getting my hands on this one took longer than I would've thought: Cervelo is still a small company with limited production runs. When I put a deposit down in the spring, the hope was to get one from the immediately upcoming shipment, but someone underestimated how many long, lanky folks like myself would want this model in this size and I lost out. A few months have since passed, but it's finally here, built up, and I took it out for a maiden voyage this morning.
It's so quiet. The Easton wheelset doesn't make a whisper--heck, the freehub on the back wheel doesn't even tick when you pick it up and spin it. No creaks or pings or squeaks, nothing to indicate that the bike is holding me back in any way. (In other words, no excuses.)
Is it any faster than my beloved, venerable, deep red, steel-framed Cramerotti? On paper, it better be. I rode a hilly 39-mile loop over to Moraga and Orinda that I've done a couple times on the red bike before, and finished about 8 minutes faster (stopwatch auto-pausing at traffic lights, etc.), about a 5% improvement. Was it the bike itself? New bike enthusiasm? A better bike fit? No exercise for two weeks leaving me well-rested? All of the above? ...My general feeling was that it hasn't and won't transform me into a brilliant climber--that takes training and weight loss--but it has something special on the flats and descents. Slow is still slow, but the fasts are faster.
For the record, the bike count is now back up to five.
Getting my hands on this one took longer than I would've thought: Cervelo is still a small company with limited production runs. When I put a deposit down in the spring, the hope was to get one from the immediately upcoming shipment, but someone underestimated how many long, lanky folks like myself would want this model in this size and I lost out. A few months have since passed, but it's finally here, built up, and I took it out for a maiden voyage this morning.
It's so quiet. The Easton wheelset doesn't make a whisper--heck, the freehub on the back wheel doesn't even tick when you pick it up and spin it. No creaks or pings or squeaks, nothing to indicate that the bike is holding me back in any way. (In other words, no excuses.)
Is it any faster than my beloved, venerable, deep red, steel-framed Cramerotti? On paper, it better be. I rode a hilly 39-mile loop over to Moraga and Orinda that I've done a couple times on the red bike before, and finished about 8 minutes faster (stopwatch auto-pausing at traffic lights, etc.), about a 5% improvement. Was it the bike itself? New bike enthusiasm? A better bike fit? No exercise for two weeks leaving me well-rested? All of the above? ...My general feeling was that it hasn't and won't transform me into a brilliant climber--that takes training and weight loss--but it has something special on the flats and descents. Slow is still slow, but the fasts are faster.
For the record, the bike count is now back up to five.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Bicycle Film Festival 2008
I came, I saw, I...was sometimes entertained, sometimes puzzled. Maybe there aren't that many cycling films out there, maybe there isn't that much separating film from Youtube these days.I went to two screenings on Saturday, the 5pm and 9pm. 5pm session first: three films, two shorts and a long. The two shorts sounded promising as they were intended to be tributes to Pantani and Coppi, but...well, the filmmakers may have considered themselves seriously, but the Pantani film was little more than messed-up footage from the 1994 Tour de France, while the audience could only laugh--out loud--at the pretentious abstraction of the Coppi film (corpa...nervo...ossa...corpa...nervo...ossa...corpa!...nervo!...ossa!...)(sigh...) and hope for it to end quickly (not quickly enough).
The long film was "Les ninjas de Japon", which cuts between following five road racers from Japan and following the 2006 Tour de Burkina Faso in West Africa. It's an interesting juxtaposition of scenes in a highly developed country and in a badly underdeveloped country, neither of which resembles the USA or Canada at all. Well worth seeing if you have a chance, in my opinion, even if you're not a cyclist.
Then, the 9pm screening, whose program was clearly aimed at the urban fixed gear scene. Thorough reviewing was already done by Beth, so I'll stick with a few observations:
(a) While film of fixie riders pedaling at high cadence may be impressive to the cognosceti, to most of us it just looks like a guy pedaling fast--which is NOT THRILLING in itself, regardless of your choice of music.
(b) Lucas Brunelle is to messenger biking what Warren Miller is to skiing, but it's a lot harder for Average Joe to go heli-skiing. Heaven knows how many idiots will be encouraged to skid through red lights by LB's work. At the same time, I admit to the visceral thrill of watching a rider make an awful decision and almost get smeared (literally) by a bus.
(c) The obvious crowd favorite was a 10-12 minute film featuring fixed gear riders on the streets of San Francisco, "Macaframa". There was much of the above-mentioned guys pedaling fast, ho-hum. Regardless of how not-interesting the cycling was inherently, the cinematography--great panning, tracking, deep focus, a little slo-mo--was really, really good. Darn good. Those kind of shots could make riding Muni seem sorta cool, while in this case some guys on bikes were sorta there.
In terms of things that I think you, my faithful reader, could spare some change to go see, stick with "Les ninjas de Japon", though it's unlikely to visit a nearby theater anytime soon. The rest was ignorable. If the filmmakers are reading (ha!), two words, even for a 3-minute film: character development. Make me give a damn, please. "Belle Epoche" managed it in 3, why can't you?
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