Time to get ready for Cross Season!!!!!

For this year, I've decided to put my all into Cross season. I lost most of the MTB season to my injury, and did not even get to do many road rides because of my injuries.

Now with everything healing well, I'm ready for the leaves to change and the course to muddy up.

Equipment-wise, I'm running my Labadie Cyclocross bike. No need for anything new as it works well. I think it has character as well. I'm also going to stick to geared 1x9 for a while. The setup I have on there shifts better than any other bike I own. Its really good. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Wheel and tires however, I'm stepping up, and I'm stepping up big time!!! Its finally time to go tubular!!!!

I'm building up a set of 50mm carbon tubular rims on OffTheFront hubs and shoe-ing them with a Challenge Fango on the front and a Grifo in the rear.

This setup should chew 31ounces (almost 2 whole pounds) from my current clincher setup, while also providing significant improvements in handling from the lower tire pressures that are possible with tubulars....

These wheels really appeal to the gearhead and weightweenie inside of me. The lacing you see is just a temporary lacing of the wheels, as I am still short the rim washers necesary to build these things right. They should be here by early October, hopefully in time for me to build them up and have them ready for the first or second race.

Oh yeah..... one other detail - I'm building these for 1/5 the cost of a set of Zipps......



Legened of Stanky Creek

This race has been approaching in my mind, and one I really wanted to do well at. My Journeymen Racing team has been planning to hit this race in force, and we did just that.

I missed the TT on day one, but the team hit it and podium'ed in pretty much every class. It was a hot day for all involved, especially my friends in the lower classes. Because of the volume of riders, the start times kept getting pushed back later and later, and so everyone just sat there in the heat.

Sunday arrived, and I was ready to rock. Someone forgot to turn off the heat though. The result was the hottest weekend in Memphis in a very long time.

Part of the reason I'd been thinking so much about this race was my result last year of  DFL!!!!!! I did not want to do that again. The other reason was that the race would be my 2nd ride on a mountain bike since my road wreck back in May. However, I felt pretty good, so I was hopeful.

My cat was down on numbers because several of the guys had moved to cat2. Out of that group, Brad broke a chain, Bill ate it hard in a corner and retired, and Billy kicked but and finished on the podium. Unfortunately, in the process, Billy broke a custom titanium 29'er frame at the bottom bracket!!!!

The race started and I hit the woods in 2nd place. 1st place rapidly dissappeared off the front and down the trail. By 1 mile in, I could not even see him further up the course - time to cat up bro!! 3rd place was on my wheel hard by 2 miles in, and I decided to give him the trail. I kept on, thinking I was still on the podium, but down a place.... It felt bad. Then, at mile 4, I saw 2nd place standing in the middle of the trail fussing with his bike.

I stopped and asked what was up (makin sure he was not hurt) and found his seat falling off the post. I offered him my mini-tool and watched him start to fix his bike, then all of a sudden it hit me- I did not have to stay there. So I said "Ya know what, I'm gonna ride on to the finish. C ya there!" I took off. That gave me a significant boost.

At mile 6, Ken caught me. He was in the age group above me, so I really did not want him to beat me!!!! I rode his wheel for a while until the fire road. When we hit the fire road, he stopped at the water station and I flew by. Within 10 mins, I had pulled almost a mile on him. I was burning up the trail and going as hard as possible.

At the finish, I pulled out a wild sprint and came across the line with dust flying everywhere... Of course, no one was around me...... LOL. It was fun though.

I came home with my first podium in a race in over 12 years. I even have a medal to show for my efforts.........

Le Tour De France

In the eighties, Greg Lemond began his meteoric rise in popularity in the cycling world and in the US in general. He popularized cycling in a country which ignored any sport which did not involve a ball. Instantly, the feuds, the drama, the pain and the suffering of cycling filled the radar screens of many Americans including myself.

Over the next few years, I became addicted. I began to ride and even race. I watched the Tour as it came on television each July. Velonews and other cycling magazines sat well worn in piles all over my room. Within a few years, I was a mechanic in a shop and was racing in road, mtn and cyclocross.

I was in highschool during this time, and was making important decisions about my future. Though I did not know how important those decisions were at the time, I think they had a very profound effect on my future.

One of the decisions I was faced with was what language to take in school. As a huge cycling fan, I opted for French. I decided that one day in the future, I would go to France to see Le Tour in person. I figured learning French would make the trip more enjoyable and more comfortable.

In my first French class, a cute blue-eyed brunette caught my eye. Now 18 years later, she is my wife, my best friend and mother of my beautiful daughter.

I love to look back and find the decisions that brought me to where I am in my life. I love to dig back in my own thoughts and find the point where my life took the turn that made life what it is for me now.

Cycling has improved my health, my spirit, and my relationships. It is an integral part of my life and will always have a place in my heart. Most importantly, it has given me my best friend!

Back In The Saddle

Well, I'm back on the bike finally. Was just short of 6 weeks ago that I broke my wrist (right), collarbone (left) and dislocated my shoulder (left).

In total, the left shoulder is fine. I feel the collarbone on occasion, and cannot lift anything heavy, but overall, its getting better. I guess I just have a new barometer!

Right wrist has been the problem. Pain from the break, as well as stiffness from it being immobilized. I definitely have less mobility with the joint now, so I guess the question is how much will I get back over time.

I think I'm going to wrap my bars with some seriously thick bar tape as well as putting a gel base under it. That should help with the wrist.

So what goals do I have for the late summer and fall?

6 Hours of Herb Parsons
Stanky Creek TT and CC
Tour De Cross 4 race cross series
Mud Island Cyclocross champs

Should be a fun time!

Back in the Saddle Again!

MRI's

I spent today having a very large needle stuck into my shoulder. Injections of contrast dye into the joint capsule are no fun. Then as the radiologist is putting the needle in, he comments "did you know your collarbone is broken?"

Kinda like the punchline to a bad joke.

Broken Wrist
Dislocated Shoulder
Broken Collarbone

Injuries Stink Continued

So I'm finally home from the doctors office.

The first doctor said that I'd definitely dislocated my left shoulder, but was in pretty good shape other than that. He referred me to an orthopaedic specialist.

The ortho had worse news. I definitely dislocated my left shoulder, but my right wrist is also broken! On top of that, I have to come back in for an MRI on my shoulder to see what I really damaged.

Minimum of 4 weeks off the bike. Can't take a bath (cast can't get wet). Can't pick up my daughter!!!

Injuries really do stink.