Day 2

Vegas day 2

I don't really know how to explain interbike except that it's just like any other tradeshow but better. I think I found the product of the show, well it excited me the
most. A new power meter that should be coming out soon, it has strain guages in speedplay pedals. It has the same accuracy as a powertap , all for $1,000. I think this has huge potential.

I was walking Around and stopped to check out the SRM booth and I heard my name and see a friend and highschool racing buddy Mike Hall. I found a wheel SET that weighed in at 650 or 680 grams total. Curtis spotted landis so I got a poster signed, wether he cheated or not he used to be fast. Then the best news of the day, Dave Zabriski was over at the garmin booth. I got him to sign my I phone. CVV was there as well but the z-man is my hero, and that made the trip worth it for me, yeah sounds gay but I don't care. Then I headed over to the shimano di2 clinic to learn something. I did if you go to interbike go to the clinics, they gave away a full Di2 group.

Well the night is young and I'm headed to help jared at the UCI crossrace.




-- Post From My iPhone

United

Vegas blog day 1
United

The trip started out pretty boring till a United "crew" member pissed me off. I'm in Denver waiting on my conecting flight and I had a question about the flight, so I walk up to the service counter and wait for the 2 women to finish there very important about there personal lives. The one woman looks at me as to take my question, she waits till I'm finished then proceeds to gesture up and down to show me what she is wearing , a little badge that says "crew". So I proceed to tell her I don't know what that means. Here is a great way to deal with customers, if you don't want to talk to the person just turn around and walk away.

Met up with some of the guys from haymarket and shared a cab over to there place. They wanted to take a nap so I walked about a mile to my hotel to check in, a nice 4 star marriott.

After We walked 137 miles we met up with Jared and I proceeded to get drunk and lose a $100 at blackjack.

All in all the first day in Vegas was good. I stayed up for 41 hours ( if you don't count the nap on the plane) , went 14 hours without eating and ddnt get any fingeres cut off. Interbike starts tomorrow so a little less shananagans but just as much walking.


-- Post From My iPhone

My seasons over...

I changed my mind about doing the TT in PA this weekend. It doesn’t look like it gives enough points for me to move up to first in the USA cycling rankings, I‘d move up to 2nd just for showing but for what. After seeing that the start time isn’t till noon I realized I didn’t want to waist a whole day to move up to second on some result that no one looks at. Plus I’m still getting to know the guys on my new team and they are having a team ride / BBQ that I would rather go to. I still don’t know if they have told there teams they are leaving yet so I won’t give out any names. But I’m super excited about having teammates next year. I was really envious of guys on The Bike Rack (not for there fashion) and even NCVC riders, for having teams. I really enjoy the tactics of racing but playing with only one card isn’t as much fun.

Already thinking about Valley of the Sun, it’s only 5 months away. I hope all this excitement helps me through my base training. I think I made it last year just out of ignorance but now I know how bad 4 hour rides on the trainer are and how bad 27 hour weeks can be. I hope I see gains over this winter like I did last year, I know they wont be as big but it would be nice. Last year I knew I had a bad base, my VO2 test even showed that I jumped right to zone 3. But after doing George Opria’s plan I went from riding base at 175 watts to around 240 or so. I don’t know my threshold power since I sold my power tap at the beginning of the season but I’m guessing from others I ride with its somewhere around 340 or so. I think it sounds realistic to hope for 20 watts but I probably won’t know since I have completely de-evolved as a cyclist, going from having 2 computers on my bike to none in one season. If I can get a good deal on an SRM I might go back to riding with power but they are so Fing expensive.

I think I had a good season, 2 championships and a bunch of W’s (mostly TTs). It seemed like there just weren’t that many breaks this year, it’s not for me not trying. I was probably off the front with Tim Rugg at least 10 times this year alone. Oh yeah I also picked up a MABRA champ GF haha. She makes breakfast and I clean the bikes, fair trade.

My 2009 results

Cat 3
Mabra I.T.T. Champion
Mabra Crit Champion
3rd MABRA BAR
Currently Ranked 3rd in the Nation for Time trials

1st Church Creek Time Trial 1 (40k 54:45)
1st Church Creek Time Trial 2 (40k 53:37)
1st Deep Blue Time Trial (12 mile 23:40)
1st Hagerstown Challenge Criterium
1st Carlisle Time Trial (40k 52:47)
2nd Tour de Ephrata G.C.
2nd Tour de Ephrata Time Trial
6th Tour of Washington County G.C.
6th Tour of Washington County Criterium
6th Tour of Washington County Time Trial (flat tire)

Cat 4
3rd Mount Joy Road Race
2nd Jeff Cup Road Race
1st Farmersville Road Race

6 days till Vegas

Where are all the turkeys?

Well the last Circuit race of the season is finally over. I felt surprisingly good for barely riding my bike over the past couple of weeks, just not good enough to win. I did the 3 / 4 race and it seemed like the easiest race I’ve ever done, time just flew by, I could hold my position and I even had fun taking a prime. On the first prime lap I bridged to a small group of about 5 or so, an NCVC rider attacked the break. It took me about 10 seconds to remember there was a prime. He had a good distance on us but I thought I could grab it. I started winding up and kept seeing him looking back, I passed him just as he was running out of gas and I was just hitting full speed with about 5 feet to the line. I got cussed at but it was worth it, no turkey this year just $10. I guess there was some screw up with the turkey order this year so there were no turkeys in sight.

So the BAR doesn’t change, Win 1st, Steve 2nd and myself 3rd. I’m not too upset since I knew it was a small chance of me winning Turkey Day and it wasn’t a goal of mine until a month ago. It would have been nice but its also pretty bad ass that Win and Steve held there placing even without racing in the 3’s over the past couple of months. I’m just going to ask that they add more Time Trials to the BAR for next year. I’m also pretty nervous about wearing the MABRA jersey in the first 1/2 crit next year. Back to being a nobody for next season, at least for a little while. I think my overall goal for next year was to gain acceptance in the elite field.

I think all the sprint points on the Haymarket ride have helped me with tactics of winning the sprint, not saying I’m out winning sprints, just that I know the theory. It would be nice to be a pure sprinter in this area but I’ve learned how to win sprints my way. If you seen me sprint I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, who else has a seated sprint? If you can ever make it out on a Wednesday night, it’s a blast. It’s not a huge group like the Reston rides but the riders that do show are fast and when the pace picks up you don’t have a lot of room for recovery. Plus there is only one traffic light on the whole ride and that’s right when you are leaving the shop.

I think the team might start some buzz once everyone starts to announce that they are switching to Haymarket. Its going to be a nice well rounded team, the road racers seem willing to help the crit guys and vice versa. And I think I will be an all around work horse for the team next year, but I hope my time trialing puts me in GC contention in stage races since that will probably be how I get my point to be a 1.

Make It Stop

So I’ve barely been riding due to a saddle sore but still managed a win at deep blue, granted I only had to beat 3 other people. I did end up with the second best time of the day. It was a pain in the ass (or taint )all around, I spent 5 hours in the car over $20 in tolls and about $30 in gas plus the $26 entrée fee to race for 23 minutes but I guess it was worth it to lock up a podium spot for the BAR. I haven’t lost a TT event yet ( I have lost TTs in stage races) which makes it almost feel less fun. I feel like a dick thinking that all I have to do is not have a mechanical and I’ll win. Next year will be different though, I’ll have to fight for placing which will make it feel nice when I do win (If I win). Deep blue put me 3rd in USA cycling’s ranking for the country so now I might try and do one more TT to see if I can’t work my way up to 1st. I don’t think you get anything from USA cycling but it might be cool to put on my race resume. Well I get to remember what not winning feels like this weekend at turkey day. Not that I’m not going to try just don’t think I have much of a shot. If I do some how win, it will also give me the cat 3 bar. If I finish 2nd or lower I’ll still have my 3rd place.

The rest of the weekend was nice, I got to meet some of my future teammates. Then I just relaxed with the girlfriend and her family which was a nice break from running around racing. I am Looking forward to the off season.

Going to Vegas!

Just booked my airfair to Vegas for interbike.. Should be a good time. Jared from Haymarket Bikes got me a ticket and hotel room, I hope don't have to put out.. I've been wanting to go since I started working at my first bike shop when I was 14. I'll try and do a daily blog and upload pics if i can figure out how to so it from my phone.