Expression Web...

I'm currently doing battle with Microsoft Expression Web (which is not nearly as "plug and play" as front page was, but I think I'm getting the hang of it and making the pages look the way I'd like), and finally getting around to redesigning the BTR site. It needs it!

I'll be tidying things up a bit, which probably means some articles will be removed, or links to images that have been created over the years will no longer work.

If you've got a favorite article on the site, save it now, cuz come the next few days, I'll be making the swap to BTR version 2.0, and I'm not able to guarantee what will and will not make it.

Heres a screenshot of what I'm thinking things will generally look like:


Work on the site will have to take a backseat tomorrow, though, as I'll be headin' up to Long Beach to do some bike racin'!

See you there!

BTR 2.0 - It's coming...

The Triple

Last sunday was a pretty crazy day of bike racin'. It started out with an early morning drive down to fiesta island where I pedalled the new Trek TT bike (which, according to Damon at trek, turned out to be a limited run version -> dubbed the "lance" version), for around 10 minutes on the trainer prior to rollin' to the line and givin' it full stick.

Super fast day down on the island - nearly dead calm and really warm (especially compared to last year). I didn't really know what to expect from the new TT bike, especially after having ridden to my fastest times down there on a non-conforming (according to the UCI) softride.

I was pleasantly surprised to come within 30 seconds of my fastest time on the new bike with 20 fewer watts. I went the 20k in 29:13 and averaged 261 watts on the SRM, FWIW, and measured a density altitude of around 280 meters - so yeah, pretty fast conditions. Similar air density and calm conditions have netted me similar times with 15ish more watts - yeah, partially anecdotal, but it seems as if the Trek is FAST! And I'm pleased with how things went.

Last year, I did the double on this same race weekend. Fiesta TT in the morning, then 35+ at the Roger Millikan in the afternoon. This year, I decided to give the triple a go - fiesta, 35+, then the 3's race. Full day of bikin'!

Felt good in the 35+ race, crazy, but I can't really remember many details of either of the pm races - field was sold out - lots of dudes out there!. My general perception was that I felt really good in the 35+ race, and was slotted in really good position for the finale - but got hung up and had to touch the brakes from about the 10th wheel position on the second to last corner... Not going to make that lost momentum up in the last little bit. Wound up top 20 or so, but a wee-bit disappointed with how it shook out.

The 3's race was a bit sketchy for me - lots of slowing down in the corners and general sense of nervousness on my part. It makes me really appreciate the 35+ stuff. basically hung out for awhile and went hard once trying to mix it up a bit... then, recovered and slotted my way into a little group that formed after a prime with 6 to go or so. whoa, I spent all my fun tickets gettin' into the move, and then couldn't take a single pull with those guys - sorry fellas. I just sat on the break as my legs began to seize (actually had to modulate the effort to prevent full-on cramps) and we were eventually reeled in with a couple laps to go. I went straight to the back and actually recovered quickly (like less than a lap), but when i tried to move back up, I could see it wasn't going to happen - so I decided to sit out the finale...

I got in something like 1800KJ on the day and covered 60k or so during the crits at 40+ kph. combine that with the mornings effort, and crap, it looked like I racked up 80k of some serious speed on the day. Dang - it's only february...

Finally!

It's been pretty crazy around here the past couple weeks, but today I finally got the new tt bike built up. Still need to slap a chain on it before I can take it for a spin (I need to go to a bike shop and pick one up...)

Not a moment too soon, cuz tomorrow I'll be toe'n the line for a 20k tt at fiesta island.

See you there!

High Road

I might get into trouble with this, nah probably not, because it'll probably show up on some cycling news site pr piece here in awhile...

Anyway, during the multisports.com wind tunnel testing we did yesterday, steve hed rolls in with his crew and some of the fellas from the "high road" squad.

Steve lent some insight with one of the last people testing of the day. Nice treat for those folks!

The above is a crappy cell phone shot of the team bikes.

Whose bike is this?

13 years ago...

Holy cow! 13 years ago, I did this race called the "snakebite crit" here in SoCal. I'd done lots of miles prior to this crit in 1995 prior to tothe line in the Pro 1,2 event. My notes from the training diary looked like this:



Nice rest week, huh!?

D'oh!

Well, 13 years later, I toe'd the line today, again, at the ol' "snakebite crit" - only these days it is called the "red trolley" crit and instead of the P 1,2 race, I signed up for the Masters 35+ deal...

Man, going into this race I feel as if I am really far behind where I was last year with my training and bike riding capabilities. Ya see, I took this two week break in mid December to hang out with family (pops and the mrs' family)... So, yeah, that meant that I was on the "fat and shi&$^ program for a bit there! I totally enj0yed the experiences and wouldn't trade it for anything!

I mean, really - cookies and tecate (well, not necessarily in the same sitting...) taste good! Yeah, I'm weak, but this is life, and I'm going to experience it!!! :-)

Anyway, today was not a whole lot fun on the bike... As a matter of fact, it was downright miserable...

Not so much because of how hard everyone was pedalin', but just because it was 50 degrees F and raining. And not just a light mist... It was rainin' like a cow pissin' on a flat rock!!!

There were sheets of rain just 20 minutes prior to the start and I wound up picking road grime out of my teeth after pedalin' around in circles for 45 minutes while watching the second half of the super bowl and enjoying an adult beverage!

Small field and it didn't take long for the race to go up the road. I covered a move on the first lap (since it included an Amgen guy- Joel Stangeland, and a Ca Pools guy). Anyway, I spent my limited supply of fun tickets gettin up there and then the Ca Pools guy takes a pull that just about made me cry...

oh yeah, did I mention it's february 3rd and it was raining and miserable, out??

Yeah, so you can see in the power file screenshot below, the nice warmup I got (I was huddled up shivering against an office building trying not to get wet - dumb move, I should have never gotten out of the cab of my truck).



I spent maybe a lap or two off the front until Joel sat up (and i wasn't comin' around him) and we watched the ca pools guy just ride away... More guys dribbled up the road and I pretty much just followed wheels until I recovered a bit. by that time, I didn't have any idea what the heck was going on in the race - all I knew was that five guys were up the road, and I wasn't there.

We eventually got lapped by Thurlow (who I didn't immediately recognize because he now rides for Amgen - I saw this amgen guy who I told myself "hey he pedals like thurlow" - and yep it was thurlow... Dude is still fast.

I went hard a couple times trying to stay warm and race up more goin' hard time - I need more of that these days. I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things it seems after some time off around xmas/new years.

It's coming around a wee-bit though.

Here's the results:

http://www.scnca.org/schedule2008.asp?category=Masters+35%2B&event=Red+Trolley+Classic&rank=1

I'm signed up to do some more bike racin' this weekend - fiesta island 20k TT sunday morning, then in the afternoon it's the Roger Millikan crit. That day oughta be interesting!

Have fun out there, folks!