Racing in circles, then drag racing

Tuesday evening's pleasantly moderate temperature made for a pretty enjoyable Westlake race. The only problem was that things get a bit boring when you miss the break with over 10 laps/20 miles left in the race and there is no way the field is going to bring it back.

Last night, Ray, Pate S., and I also drove to Granger, Ohio to do the Team Lake Effect Time Trial. After getting lost trying to find the place, we were able to arrive on time and sufficiently flog ourselves in the sub 10 mile race. I did the time trial last year with my regular road bike and no aero equipment, which was pretty much like bringing a knife to a gunfight. This year, my Soloist road bike is pretty aero, and I managed to borrow Ray's TT bars and his FlashPoint deep dish front wheel.

The downside, of course, of having aero gear for a time trial is that it leaves you less excuses for doing poorly. Did I say that out loud?

They are putting this event on next Thursday (6-19) as well and, like usual, it is a first class event.

Firewater

A few weeks ago, Katie and I met up with Greg D. at the Beachland Tavern to see Firewater.

The band is the brainchild of singer/guitarist/bassist Tod A, who always tours with a very talented group of multicultural/multinational musicians to back up his songs, which are a mix of rock/punk/klezmer/middle eastern/eastern european/gypsy/cabaret. Greg D. took some great photos at the Cleveland show, including the one above. Below are two live songs recently recorded in Chicago during their current tour.

Mill Creek Park

Today was the Mill Creek Park race. Most people would call this race a crit, but some would argue otherwise. Whatever.

It was hot. Really hot. The 2/3 race started at 11:45 with 25-30 racers. After a couple of breaks stayed away for a bit and were eventually caught, the winning move started with six, then dwindled to four riders. Ray H. (Team Columbus) and Thom D. (Spin) were both in that winning move. The rest of the field battled for the last two paying spots over the next 15 laps/miles after the winning breakaway rode off. I felt like poop most of the race and managed to finish with the main field, which had shrunk significantly over the course of 25 laps. Props to SBR's Chris B. for racing smart and aggressively today.

In the 4/5 race, SBR had Pete S., Gary B., Rick A., Dave T., Matt O., and John V. Gary took 3rd, Pete 6th, and the rest of the boys finished in the field.

Another good race put on by Team MVC.

One of "those guys"

When I first started doing group rides, I used to think that riders who had "race only" wheelsets were total weenies. I still think that, but have now also become one of them.

The progression took some years, but the point is that it happened. I used to think that it was dumb not to use the best gear I had for daily riding since it feels the best and, after all, I am riding for fun. Plus I wanted any advantage I could get in the crazy sketchy town line sprint on County Line road or in the race up whatever hill(s) on which we chose to beat each other to a pulp.

Then, as I amassed more gear, my best wheels were reserved for only the "good" or "fast" group rides that carried a zero chance of rain.

Today I realized that I have officially become one of those weenies whose stance on race wheels I used to mock mercilessly. I can't even remember the last time I rode my race wheels on a day where they didn't see the start line of a race.

I must admit that my "race" wheels are only marginally better and lighter than my regular wheels, and they pale in comparison to the high bling hoops seen on the machines of most local racers. But that is beside the point and does not detract from the fact that I am now one of "those guys."

I could write more on this pressing topic, but I now must go prepare my bike for tomorrow's Mill Creek Park race in Youngstown. And put on my race wheels.

Liquid Gold

I have no idea about the source of the information in this graph, but if it's even close to accurate, it's hilarious. I would suppose that, with oil nearly reaching $140 a barrel today, it may be close to overtaking Red Bull.

Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape

British writer Paul Howard recently wrote a biography about cycling great Jacques Anquetil, who won about a million races and several European Grand Tours in the 1950's and 60's. The book is called Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape, and was recently reviewed on cyclingnews.com.

The review includes a passage from the book where Anquetil discusses his preferred way to spend a night before a race. It sounds eerily similar to my pre-race routine:

"Here's the routine I'd advise for the evening before a race: a pheasant with chestnuts, a bottle of champagne and a woman."

Cheesy downhill mtb video game

Enjoy.




Go here for full version with instructions and without annoying blogger format that cuts off right 20% of screen. Does anyone know how to fix that little problem I seem to have with the layout of this site?

Patriots

The word "patriotism" is commonly used today. Some use it as a tool to inspire and unite this country to do great things. Others use it as a weapon to tear down and create divisions.

A person demonstrates true patriotism through his or her meaningful actions. Patriotism should not be measured by one's stated stance on issues at the dinner table or on a call-in talk show. Nor should it be measured by whether a person wears a U.S. flag lapel pin or not. And no, it was not patriotic to spend money we didn't have shopping in the wake of 9/11, regardless of what the President said.

So why don't bicycle advocates use the "patriotism card" to promote our cause? A person on a bike is either riding for (1) exercise/recreation; (2) transportation; or (3) both.

Riding for reason number 1 fosters a healthy lifestyle, reduces stress, and undoubtedly reduces overall health care costs, the majority of which are paid by the taxpayers through Medicare, Medicaid, bad hospital debt tax write offs, and taxpayer funded health insurance premiums for federal, state, and local government employees and their families, as well as the military and their families.

Riding for reason number 2 decreases our dependence on foreign oil, decreases the demand for oil (which in turn will cause prices to fall, in theory), greatly helps the environment, and reduces the stress on our nation's road and highway infrastructure.

Riding for reason number 3 is, of course, a no brainer and the best of both worlds.

Given the benefits of riding to our "national security" and the state of our national health (all of which you knew already anyway), I would argue that riding a bicycle is one of the easiest things a person can do to be patriotic. If people are going to exploit this word to further political agendas, the least we can do is use it to promote something meaningful, healthy and productive.

So, if anyone from the League of American Bicyclists or Congress is reading this, go ahead and use my idea. For free. I hope to see "bicycling is patriotic" billboards by the time gas hits $6 a gallon. Just give me the credit, and maybe a few flag lapel pins.

Bike shortage = wicked

This recent article from the New York Sun talks about the high demand for bikes these days and how retailers, especially those in New York City, are quickly selling out of utilitarian commuters. I particularly loved the quote from the owner of Dixon's bike shop, who sold 25 Jamis hybrids over Memorial Day Weekend: "They're all gone. It's wicked."

The real question is whether these people will continue to use bikes as transportation when/if gas prices ever go down.

Race for Alex

Today was the Race for Alex, a circuit race held in Columbiana County Ohio.

Chris B., Gary B., Mike L., Pete S., and myself lined up for SBR at the master's 30-39 race. Did I mention that I am a bit troubled about being old enough to race masters? Anyways, I managed to join the winning break on lap 1, and then it was off to the races with two other riders from the Pittsburgh area. Another teammate of one of my breakaway companions managed to bridge to us a few laps later (what a beast!), and the four of us were never caught. I was worked over on the last lap and took 4th, the first non-paying place. Still a good race, and a good time.

Chris B., Tom K., and I also did the 2/3 race, which felt pretty comfortable until lap 3, when gaps formed all over the place. The three of us were dropped around the same time. Oh well, doing a masters race before the 2/3 race is a recipe for disaster (at least for us).

SBR also had Pete S., Gary B, Mike N., Mike L., and David T. in the 4/5 field. Pete grabbed 5th, and Gary finished in the front group. David T. finished in the field, Mike L. crashed out, and Mike N. quit to assist Mike L. after the crash. No worries though, everyone was ok. Not sure about everyone's bikes though.

Tom K. also did the masters 40-49 race and finished in the field.

I was also very pleased with the attendance at this race. Over 50 in the 4/5 field and about 44 in the 2/3 field. Like usual, it was well run, had good payouts (not that I would know personally), and raised money for Alex C., a recovering spinal cord injury victim.

BFF

This year's Bicycle Film Festival looks really good...Road to Roubaix, The Six-Day Bicycle Races, film shorts on bmx, messengers, David Millar (I hope they show him clubbing in Europe!!), etc. The above photo is from the Six Day Bicycle Races movie.

Looks like Toronto and Chicago are the two closest stops for this event.

Race!

Don't forget to check out the two upcoming Mahoning Valley Cycling Club events...the Race for Alex on Sunday June 1 (a circuit race) and the Mill Creek Park Race (a criterium) on Sunday June 8. These are both very well run events on good courses. Link to info for both races is here.

Here is a photo of the break from last year's Mill Creek Park race:

The week in pictures, W.Va style

Arrive at cabin.



Ride.



Cook.



Eat.



Hike.



Repeat, several times.

The Brave Sir Reuben...

...earned his first agility title on Sunday.

The plan has come together

Finally.

And reservations have been made. After talking about it for a few years, this is the year I'll be doing the four-day Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont from August 29 - September 1.

Now I just need to learn how to ride hills like those New England folks.

Thanks USCF

As I've already discussed on this blog, my trip to the (canceled) Bull Run Farm road race north of Cincinnati was a pretty big debacle. To add insult to injury, I also managed to lose my USCF racing license that day when I got it back from the promoter after turning in my timing chip.

A replacement license....a piece of paper with my info printed on it....costs $15. Wow, that really gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Sure, it's a donation to USA cycling, but I prefer my donations to be voluntary, not coerced. And I prefer that they be to organizations in which I have confidence with the way they are currently being run.

Lame.

Food for Thought

I tend to eat a lot. Biking makes me eat more. No surprise there. Did you ever wonder how all of that excess eating affects the world food supply? Yea, I know, we can drive ourselves nuts worrying about all of this stuff. But it's at least worth thinking about. And discussing. While out on the next ride, burning a bunch of calories.

And yes, I know, there are a million other reasons for food shortage issues....inefficiencies in the distribution chain, bad governments, subsidies to not grow crops, etc. etc.

Here is an excerpt from a recent article in the New Yorker:

The problem is not just the number of mouths to feed; it’s the quantity of food that each mouth consumes when there are no natural constraints. As the world becomes richer, people eat too much, and too much of the wrong things—above all, meat. Since it takes on average four pounds of grain to make a single pound of meat, Roberts writes, “meatier diets also geometrically increase overall food demands” even in those parts of Europe and North America where fertility rates are low.
***
Even now, there is no over-all food shortage when measured by global subsistence needs. Despite the current food crisis, last year’s worldwide grain harvest was colossal, five per cent above the previous year’s. We are not yet living on Cormac McCarthy’s scorched earth. Yet demand is increasing ever faster. As of 2006, there were eight hundred million people on the planet who were hungry, but they were outnumbered by the billion who were overweight. Our current food predicament resembles a Malthusian scenario—misery and famine—but one largely created by overproduction rather than underproduction. Our ability to produce vastly too many calories for our basic needs has skewed the concept of demand, and generated a wildly dysfunctional market.

Deep thought

Driving through the country and watching people spend hours obsessively mowing their multiple-acre yards/farmland before the grass has hardly even grown since the last time it was mowed makes me feel better about spending several hours a week riding and racing bikes.

That thought occurred to me while driving to southern Ohio on Saturday after racing in the final Race at the Lake.

The 1-2-3 race averaged around 26.9 mph and featured a bunch of dudes much more fit than I making people like me hurt a whole bunch for about an hour. How's that for a race report?

Here is a video of the riders entering the final lap:




Here is the finish:

Well said

Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia.

~H.G. Wells

Westlake

Today was my first Westlake race of the year. We had four SBR's in the A field, including myself, John E., Chris B., and Tom K.

I managed to grab the first prime. Then, somewhere around halfway into the race, a well represented break got away without anyone from the team in it.

The field managed to catch the break with less than a half lap to go, and a mass field sprint ensued. Not much else to say, other than we didn't crack the top five.

I think we raced for about 40 miles, and averaged somewhere a bit above 26mph.