bling

Actually, I don't think any of this counts as bling. And the fact that only the post is new (had the stem/bar, but never mounted the bar, so maybe its still new) but the first new part showed up today. Will give the frame a good cleaning (again) this weekend, hope the rest of the stuff shows up next week so I can build it up next weekend. Still unsure which wheels I am going to go with, but I have some time on that.

Spec's
Ritchey wcs alu handlebar (classic bend) - 400mm width, 26mm clamp
Ritchey wcs alu stem - 110mm legnth, 26mm clamp
Ritchey wcs alu steapost - 27.2 diameter, 300mm legnth

I ordered a 250mm post, but the 300 is actually better. For a few measly grams, if I ever need the extra legnth i'll take it. The 250mm would have been close to the min. insertion spot anyway. Plus, the 300mm is more re-sellable since it could fit more bikes.

With the cockpit (as on my 'crosser) I went with cheap, light, and sturdy. I know you can't normally get all three in one part, but wcs (esp the alu, 26mm stuff) is pretty cheap and still easy to find, light (not super light, but light) and sturdy. Solid parts that are definately crash-able.

plans plans plans

It seems like all I did today was pile stuff into my "to-do" list, not that I have a list. Summer internships/jobs, possibily writing a column in the school newspaper, oh wait, biking? Set down in paper (well, electronic paper) a concrete plan for the next 7 weeks. 7 week's of lifting (3 days a week) including core workouts and plenty of leg stuff to build some power (and maybe some yoga) and 7 weeks of pretty much "normal" riding. 2 long rides per week, 3 short rides per week, some short "medium intensity" intervals and some big ring efforts and some climbing. A few town-line sprints and the odd group ride (well, faster ride since maine doesn't have so many groups), 1 day a week of "other" activity which will likely be nordic skiing (skate skiing) or swimming or maybe broomball (though I doubt that counts) and I should be good to go. In no way will I be in "peak" shape for march 3rd, but I should be coming into some speed around the time of the big climbing races during the last 3-4 weeks of the collegiate season, and then peak during some ucsf stuff during june, hopefully some road races or maybe fitchburg if i'm feeling strong. Also set up a weekly day off (my week starts/ends on wed) which is also the day I will call my "coach" and review and tweak things as neccessary. A benefit (I guess) of not really being in top form for the start of the season is that I will be focused on helping out some of the bigger stronger sprinters on the team in the flatter races that make up the early collegiate season, and hopefully they will repay the favor and work for me later on, at least thats the plan.

Lots of stuff is in the works, lets just hope it all sort of plays out well. So far 07 is going wayyyy better than the start of 06, and knock on wood, I could really use a good year....06 was pretty much a bad year, or at best maybe on ok year.

In my super sweet night time discussion class "meaningful work in a meaningful life" tonight I was introduced to the concept of "flow", a pyschological idea stemming from work by mihaly csikszentmihalyi. Wikipedia or google it, seriously, its a pretty awesome idea and it apply's to sports. Check it out. Really.

I was hoping some of the stuff I ordered would be here so I could post some pretty pictures, but that will have to wait. Lots of shiny new toys are being ordered, have been ordered, or will be ordered in the next week. Pictures to come as things start showing up. As if I didn't have enough motivation from ordering nice stuff to ride fast/train hard, I made my desktop background an image (stolen from the ECCC site) that depicts the "numbers" area of a collegiate rider (happens to be an a-men princeton rider) that says "2007 Road Racing" and then below "the season begins march 3rd". It's a nice sight to see and it for some reason gets me excited to race.....alot.

awesome

enough said....(yes, I know, i'm a bit late)

week 1

First week of training is in the books. Taking tmrw off after 5 days in a row. Training log shows 7:09:41 in the saddle covering 100.04 miles. All but 1 day was inside so the mileage doesn't quite count, but who cares. I got outside one day between snow/ice storms, the roads were like 'cross sandpits but it was fun, and cold, although I was overdressed and sweating from the get-go. 33F, light wind, I wore: arm warmers, ls baselayer, ss windbloc baselayer, ss jersey, ls jersey, leg warmers, windblog baselayer pant, shorts, wool socks, neoprene shoe covers, headsweats cap over a normal cycling cap, shoes, helmet, glasses, glove liners, long windblog/waterproof gloves (non-lobster though).. It took me almost more time to dress/undress than it did to ride.


The resevoir was all frozen, I didn't see another cyclist out on the roads (come on CT, stop being lame) and a cop pulled up along next to me and asked me if I was ok, if I needed anything, and gave me the advice "its friggen cold out, make sure you don't stay out to long and call us if you have a flat tire or anything, we don't need you freezing to death out here"......while he was nice/funny (gave me my speed readout as well) it was 33 F.....its not like it was -33 F.....


Whatever. Heading back up to school tmrw where I have a package waiting for me....is it ??? a. new laptop battery to replace the one I lost in a drunken haze at paris airport trying not to miss my flight back from the states, or b. new seatpost (ritchey wcs aluminum), or c. something I didn't buy this week....someone sent me a package? Going back to school is good because it means I get to start ordering things to put back together my road bike......fun. I have the frame (lemond tourmalet) which fits me, is comfy, cheap to replace, rides well for a cheap alu roadbike, etc....all in all a good road race bike for broke kids like me. I have wcs stem/bar, and the post I just ordered. I have a set of brakes (cane creeks) that I may use, or may sell, depending on if I buy a full grouppo or piece together something used. Then its either used ultegra parts (or Dura-ace if its cheap enough) or.....making the leap to sram rival. Then another big one, neuvation c50's.....thats right, 50mm carbon tub's.....or perhaps not buying a crazy wheelset and just getting another r28 (prbly the aero to have both of them)....I have plenty of tires lying around as well, but would need tub's....time to decide just how much I want to spend on this thing, especially with a new custom 'cross frame in the works. Though my dad offered to split the c50's with me, which would be sweet. At 175 rim replacement, I could even partially afford to wreck them....knock on wood. Any idea's please post.

And lastly my mom went to look at a new bike today. Looks like she is going to end up with a custom serotta, like my dad. Not fair they get 6k ti/carbon bikes w/ campy, mavics, etc., and I have to scrape together parts for an 1k alu bike (though with all these new parts, it'd be worth around 3k, although i'd have spent about 2k on it) oh well, I guess that's life, you get the nice bike if you really are that good, or when your old and can afford it (but don't exactly need it). Then again, a tourmalet running sram rival, wcs cockpit, c50's, and my other stuff (slr, keo's) would be a pretty sick bike, prbly weighing 17lbs, if not below 17. Plus it'd be comfy (fit to me), aero, wreck-able, and just an all around sub 3k bike that gets the job done....i'd have no excuses, just the engine.

january wrap-up

Well with only 2 on-bike days (the last two days of the month) there isn't much to report other than I started training for 2007 3 months before I did for 2006. For that matter, I owned a bike 3 months before I did at this point last year (and now I have 2).

I put in a solid 2:31:04, and 34.89mi according to my log, although that was on the trainer, so the miles don't really count. That is a blistering 13.8mph avg....at that pace I could win the world TT championships come summer. In non-bike workouts done in italy though, I was in the gym 3 days a week for the entire month, ran 3 days a week the entire month for min-1hr, max-1.5hr, and did my daily stretch and did core strengthening routine 30/31 days (missing new years day, of all days). So I'm not as out of shape as I would have been, but im certainly not where others who did a month of base are. I really have noticed the core and upper body stregnth in my 2 rides thusfar. No sore back, no sore arms, no problems riding in the drops for extended periods, etc. Obviously its inside and who knows what it's like outdoors, but it feels nice.

Speaking of outdoors, I was going to go out today but the roads were in terrible shape. If they clean up a bit tmrw I'd like to head out, otherwise I'll go to targetraining for the thus-evening 1.5 ride, and then head out if it stays warm (about 35 F) on friday or saturday. I really want to get outside in the "warm" before I head back to maine.

So here's to knowing I will have way more than 34.89 miles each month for the rest of the year (hopefully) and that january wasn't really all that bad of a month. It was nice time off the bike after a long road and 'cross season, and I am really loving being back into a "normal" routine including rides into my day.