Gettin' It Done

Catching Up, Part 2

2009-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

With a mild bout of denim induced saddle sore and acrimonious feelings towards singlespeed racing, i called the 2008 MTB season quits. I had raced nearly 20 events over an 8 month period, and was ready for a slight reprieve.

So, as the days grew cooler and the daylight hours dwindled, my thoughts - like so many competitive mountain bikers - turned to cyclocross. Yes - a long, exhausting season still can't take away the magic of riding skinny tires and leaping over barriers.

(seen here racing the morning after a 24 MTB hour race... luckily i was only the mechanic)

I was ready to race 'cross... but was NOT about to train for it. So, i adopted my slightly more lax "beer and ice cream" training regimen. As the name implies, i aimed to replenish all of the malt, hops, milk fat and chocolate that had been depleted from my legs throughout the racing season. Thankfully, my system responded well to the increased "hop loading" and "cherry garcia intervals"...

Mmmm... look at those beautiful aroma hops.

Catching Up - Part 1

2009-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ok... so where did i leave off?

The Cal-State Rim Nordic race sucked. Big time. I (foolishly) chose to ride 1.75" FRO tires on a sandy, rough course better suited to big volume rubber - or better yet - a dual suspension bike. Crashed whilst attempting to pass two of THE SLOWEST local "pros" in a loose corner. Broke my glasses, scuffed my skinsuit and rode the remainder of the race with my tail between my legs. *sigh*

Still bitter over my piss-poor performance at the Cal-State Rim Nordic event, i decided i'd have my revenge on that course by racing the Rim Nordic series finals two weeks later - this time with something to prove. This time i arrived with high volume tires, wider bars and bibs and a jersey (lest i completely ruin my skinsuit this time). I charged to the front from the gun in a desperate attempt to avoid traffic jams on the mostly singletrack course - knowing fully that i ran the risk of blowing up. But as luck would have it, the getaway sticks were feeling good and i opened a gap - with only local pro Sean Donovan ahead of me. I rode like a "big boy", and managed to keep it rubber side down on every descent; gaining time on the backbreaking climbs. And that was it - i rode'r in after 3 laps of soloing to post the 2nd fastest time of the day, and bring home the first 'W' of my semi-pro career. The race promoter even kicked down a cool $100 for my troubles.

The confidence boost afforded by my Rim Nordic win was just what i needed heading into the NMBS finals in Brian Head, Utah. This race was truly one of a kind. It left me wishing for bigger lungs, better technical descending skills and more free time to spend in rugged backcountry like this.

I heeded the words of my former team manager Dave, "ride conservatively in the first few miles of climbing... and watch the other guys crack half way through." Sure enough, i sagged the first climb, only to spring into action 20 minutes later as everyones proverbial load was blown in the rarefied 10,000' air. And so it went; i battled for a top 5 spot with a handful of other guys, but eventually came unglued just prior the final - and critical - descent down dark hollow. Think: steep, rocky alpine singletrack with an organic, rooty east coast twist. Even the "good lines" were bad, and the hypoxia didn't seem to help the matter. As such, i rode like a 12 year old girl down the root infested descent and ensuing climb, forfeiting several spots in the process. I finished the race to a stiff, cold headwind completely shattered, but relieved to have the NMBS calendar behind me.

Lastly, i rounded out the season by racing the California State Championships in the pro singlespeed division - wearing none other than my official "party outfit". This was arguably one of my worst decisions of the year, although (as usual) it seemed like a great idea at the time.

Here's what i took from my experience:

- riding singlespeeds IS fun
- racing singlespeeds (sans chamois) is TORUTURE.

Stay tuned for more tales...

Compelled to Write

2009-04-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

After nine months of doing my best "John Davis" impression, i've decided to get my lazy ass in gear and write a thing or two about bikes, training and travels.

So, for the handful of folks who have continued to check my blog every once and a while - here it is: the rebirth of aboone.blogspot.com.

Stay tuned for a "catching up since last June" post...

over and out
--Alex

NMBS #4 Highlights

2008-06-30T22:39:00.001-07:00

Another weekend, another round of the NMBS traveling circus. In lieu of a real post, i've decided to put up pictures that i think accurately encompass the weekend's activities. Stand by for a detailed race report. Enjoy!

Sweet view of the venue from the top of the course. Our condo was just to the left of the condos in the lower left part of the frame.

Front row, center callup is awfully nice (for a change).

JHK gave'r like hell, but couldn't pull out the three-peat. Maybe next year.

Tree Farm must think it's 'cross season, because he was killing it all race long in Saturday's XC.

...and in Sunday's STXC. Much to Tree's chagrin, though, Kabush launched the signature last-lap move and took a narrow win.

I think JHK's face says it all.

Back from the Dead

2008-06-22T12:03:00.001-07:00

After nearly killing myself by means of a 8.5hr mountain bike death march, followed by a heinous flu that caused me to sleep 16hrs in one day, i have finally returned to a state of normalcy.

Let's hope i can hold on to this long enough to squeak in a good result at Deer Valley this weekend...

Bigups!

2008-06-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was stoked when i stumbled across THIS article in Velonews.com today.

Tim Allen (the bike racer, not the comedian and star of Home Improvement) is hands down one of the most laid back, approachable dudes i have encountered whilst racing the NMBS series - especially in light of his freakish natural ability and down right frightening short speed. You'd practically have to pry it out of him that he scooped up a handful of convincing NMBS wins as a semi-pro, and made a huge splash as a first-year pro.

What immediately comes to mind for me is watching Tim tow Carl Decker and Rad Ross in the 'B' group for several laps of the NOVA short track... no small feat by any means.

Best of luck to Tim this weekend at World's.

Make sure to give him some love on the VooDoo blog.

Two-fer

2008-06-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok... the recent blog inactivity has been unacceptable, i know. But here is a quickie recap of recent happenings:

Big Bear Shootout #1 - Classic Big Bear course; long fire road climb from the gun that strung things out. I followed Ty Kady's wheel all the way up 2N10, only to get dusted (literally and figuratively) on the ensuing descent.

I had surprisingly peppy climbing legs, but rode like a retard on the first two descents. My sloppy handling cost me a bent King Ti cage, a punctured front tire (luckily Stan's sealed *whew*) and about :30sec. I gave'r like hell on the loooong penultimate climb and found my mojo on the final descent to finish 3rd, :28sec back from 2nd. Oh well... i'll get'em next time.

Ellings Park XC - Charged hard from the gun like it was a world cup and ended up leading the pro/semi field up part of the first climb. Entered the first twisty, fast singletrack descent only seconds behind Ty Kady, but well clear of the inevitable 'conga line' caused by inept descending skills and 40 tires' worth of dust. Mission #1 accomplished. Rode the first lap as if it was short track; big ringing many of the punchy climbs and taking risks on the descents - effectively opening a healthy gap between me and 3rd place. Mission #2 accomplished.

After that i focused on riding a sustainable pace that kept me apart from any chasers. However, at the end of lap 3 my Cynergy pal bridged up to me and we agreed to work together for the final lap. That plan blew up when i dropped my chain on a descent several minutes after our pact had been formed, costing me about :15sec. From there it was a 30 minute time trial around the course one last time, that concluded with the onset of hip flexor cramps and extreme pain-induced drooling. I crossed the line in 3rd place (again) about :30 sec in arrears of the next semi-pro (again).

Despite narrowly missing 2nd place finishes two weekends in a row due to stupid mechanicals (my own damn fault, though) i'm still stoked about my results. Now it's time for a few weekends free of any racing - hopefully affording me a few epic MTB rides and time to catch up on my blogging.

Until then, keep'er rubber side down.

End of an Era

2008-05-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

A sad day has come for all Bearclaw's and Pasadena cyclists, alike.

Scarantino's Italian Inn closed its doors last Sunday - bringing to an end what was arguably the greatest, cyclist-friendly hang out i have ever encountered.

It's not hard to pinpoint what made Scarantino's such a natural fit for all of my cycling comrades: cyclist owned, cyclist patrons, great food, expansive European beer selection, REAL espresso, and the feeling that you "were one of the gang" every time you set foot in the restaurant.

Luckily, the silver lining to this cloud is that former owner and close friend, Jesse Scarantino, will now have far more free time to ride, hike and drink beer with the rest of us, as the 24/7 responsibility of running a restaurant has been lifted off his shoulders.

Scarantino's - it was fun while it lasted, and not soon forgotten.

Salud!

NMBS #3 Santa Ynez

2008-05-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, i managed to pull off my intended goal at last weekend's hot and dusty round of the NMBS with a 12th place in XC. Oh yea, the details...

The race started at 8am on Saturday with 47 semi-pro starters. It was apparent by the early-morning 70° temps that heat would be a significant factor in how things panned out. What's more, the race promoters shortened the race to a smokin' fast 2 laps (due to the heat), making it a full-blown drag race along Santa Ynez's rolling hills.

I had a mediocre start, riding around 2/3 of the way back until the first climb, where i managed to pick off a few weaker members of the herd. After that i decided it was time to party and rode aggressively through the remainder of the first lap - risking blowing up for the sake of moving catching more riders.

After coming through the feed in lap 2 out in no-man's land and properly dousing myself with a dedicated "cool-down" bottle of icy water, i took a look over my should - only to see a train of 5 or 6 other semi's working together. That lit a fire under my ass, and i made sure to give'r like hell on the approaching switch back ascent. Luckily i was able to shake the chasers, and as an added bonus i came upon a group of 4 semi's about 15 seconds ahead.

A few swoopy descents and bumpy flat sections later i finally caught up to the caboose of the 4-man train, which turned out to be Blake. Shortly thereafter i caught the remaining 3 riders who had stuck together and promptly rode away from them, deciding that "working together" with these guys would only slow me down.

On the courses final climb i caught yet another weary semi - but upon dropping into the final descent i was able to beat him in duel of the "no brakes game". From there it was a 2k time trial to the finish; mouth open, drool hanging, legs burning - all in the name of warding off any possible chasers.

I rolled across the line in 12th place - my best NMBS finish as a semi-pro to date - and nearly 10 minutes ahead of lyle (finally!!!).

As for sunday... i got blown out the back of the STXC, finishing "DFL +1" as Davis calls it. I guess i burned all my matches on Saturday. Oh well.

Third Time's a Charm

2008-05-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow i head off towards the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley for round three of the NMBS traveling circus.

I wouldn't say my expectations are too big, but considering i burped my tire in Fontucky and pulled a weekend-long DNS streak in Arizona - i only have room for improvement. A top 15 would be nice.

Anyway... that's officially my laziest post to date, but i'm ready to retire for the evening. Expect a full race report upon my return.

Catching My Breath

2008-05-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it’s been nearly 12 weeks since i first turned my pedals in the name of competition in 2008. It’s even harder to believe that i have completed nearly half of the races i will enter in this season. And while most racers would be ramping up their training right about now for the approaching months NMBS and regional races, here i sit in the virtual ‘midpoint’ of my 2008 racing calendar doing nothing.

Every year, as a part of my training calendar, i include 2 weeks completely off the bike - one before the start of my first base period, and one subsequent to my first ‘peak’. One might ask, "Why would you throw away fitness with a week of no training?"

Well - I’m of the opinion that you’re only as strong as you are motivated. How many times have physically gifted cyclists fallen off the face of the earth due to mental burnout? The list is a mile long. Moreover, i feel that your training is only as good as your recovery. And after nearly 3 months of hard training and racing, i’ve more than earned the right to give the ‘ol legs a break for a few days.

But perhaps the most important part of any planned rest period is the ability to remove onesself from their daily training routine, reflect on the races completed thus far, re-evaluate annual goals, and most importantly - decide how to achieve them.

For my sake (and yours) i have comprised a short list of my races to date, along with a brief description of how it went down:

Stump Grinder Winter XC
chain suck sucks. climbing in the big ring sucks even more.

Southridge Winter Series #4
pro starts are hard. tacky dirt and fresh singletrack are fun.

Bonelli Park
big motivation and over training = collossal 3rd lap meltdown

Keyesville Classic
long race on buff ‘real’ mountain bike terrain is a kick in the pants.

NMBS #1 Fontana
good legs and loose so-cal descents favor me... burping my rear tire whilst making a sketchy pass on lap 1 does not.

NMBS #2 NOVA
dry heat, 3-day stage races and stomach parasite DON’T mix. did not start.

Sea Otter Classic
long race of attrition with big climbs put me in the top 20 of 70 starters.

Whiskey Off Road (Marathon)
50mi grinder at 6000’ with loooong climbs suited my strengths.

All in all - i would say 2008 has treated me well thus far. No crashes or race-ending mechanicals *knocking on wood*. Only one ‘bonk’ at Bonelli Park, which really was more of a complete system shutdown. Top 20’s at Fontana and Sea Ottter ain’t too shabby.

Here’s to the rest of the season. Cheers!

Whiskey Off Road

2008-04-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Cycling is a powerful drug: with a single taste, one is continually dissatisfied with their last high.

"Long" 3 hour rides turn into 4 hour rides, which turn into 5 hour rides, which turn into 6 hour rides and so on. Training turns from a casual organization of rides with buddies into an obsession with optimizing power and performance. Cross country races that left you shattered just a few years ago no longer provide the same challenge to your lungs, legs and mental toughness. Satisfying personal goals to move up one category sparks the fire that drives you to make the leap from the amateur ranks to professional.

It is not without coincidence that my addiction to cycling has led me to events like the Whiskey Off Road - a 50mi 'marathon' XC in Arizona's high country. This event sounded brutally challenging, so naturally i had to see what it was all about.

Lee, Kevin and I departed at 7:00am on Friday morning - heading towards the small town of Prescott, AZ.

I couldn't figure out why my tires kept losing air on the drive out.

Upon arriving, we unpacked our things, kitted up, and headed out for a cruise through town.

After picking up our race packets and schmoozing with the local cycling folk, Lee and I rode up highway 89 for a few miles to open up our car-cramped legs. It also gave me a chance to dial in my optimal saddle angle.

Well lets see now... the race!

I started in a field of 110 '50 proof' racers at 9:00am - including the likes of "Jungle" Jay Henry and Floyd Landis. The race started in the middle of town with an official police escort up the road to where the singletrack started. I was able to pick my way through the camelbacks, threadbare Pearl Izumi shorts and hairy legs to the top 15 where i rode for the majority of the race.

Myself and the lead singlespeeder - a Sho-Air rider named Mike - rolled through the dry, Altadena-esque singletrack, eventually hitting a long fireroad descent that dropped us from around 6500' to 4200'. We then turned around and climbed WAY up from Skull Valley to the highest peak Prescott had to offer. After being dropped like a bad habit on the penultimate 17mi climb, I'm pretty sure my body decided to burn brain cells for fuel. As i rolled into the final 13 mile singletrack descent i could barely react fast enough to keep from going ass over tea kettle on the shaley alpine trails.

As luck would have it, though, i managed to catch a second wind (maybe all those gels i scarfed finally kicked in) a few miles into the descent home. A drift here - a roost there - and i was jamming down a killer stretch of forested singletrack, mojo in full swing. Upon hitting a short intermittent climb, i passed two other '50 proofers' who had obviously cracked, and were walking their bikes. I rode past them without dabbing once, and kept it pinned all the way to where the trail spat me onto the paved road. From there i locked my fork, threw it into 11, and put my head down and time trialed to the finish.

I finished to an enthusiastic crowd in downtown Prescott - placing 11th out of 110 starters.

The boys got back to the motel about an hour and a half later, and we all headed into town and collapsed in the courthouse lawn, followed by a much-deserved mexican food dinner.

All in all - i have to say this was the hardest race i have ever done in my life. I've never had to dig so deep just to keep my legs moving. But as with any race like this - the satisfaction of knowing you finished, despite near-bonk hallucinations and severe fatigue, far offsets any temporary pain felt in the moment.

Sea Otter Brief

2008-04-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell:

Started towards the back of a ~70 man field and rode conservatively through lap 1, working with another L.A. based rider.

Decided it was "business time" upon starting lap 2. Subsequently hunted and surpassed groups of weary semi's who'd spent too much money on lap 1.

Came within spitting distance of Lyle in the final 3 miles, only to finish :45sec in arrears.

17th place. 6 minutes faster than last year's time.

In lieu of pictures, i have posted the workout file for all ye bike-data nerds to analyze. Enjoy!

Off to the Otter

2008-04-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Only 24 hours left to prepare for another year of madness at the Sea Otter Classic.

Just for fun, i've included a list of names commonly used to describe this event:

-Sea Slaughter
-Sea Donkey
-Sea Beaver
-that f*cking muddy @ss race that ruined my whole drivetrain two years ago.

See you all there! Cheers.

Dealing with Disappointment

2008-04-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Risk is an inevitable part of mountain bike racing.

We take risks every time a leg is thrown over the saddle and the cranks are turned forward. Crashes. Flat tires. Bonking. Mechanicals. All are accepted medium of cycling risk. One could even argue that without these, the sport wouldn't be quite as interesting. But it is the risks we unknowingly take that often burn the most when they knock us off our feet.

But when millions of these little guys are reproducing asexually in your lower intestintal tract, it puts a serious damper on your riding plans.

What really rubs salt in the wound is knowing that you're trained, tapered and highly motivated to race your heart out.

Oh well. Shit happens, i guess (literally *ahem* in this case).

More fuel for the fire, right?

Ha cough Ha

2008-04-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Oh boy...

Velonews.com burned us all BIG TIME with their incredibly witty April fools article stating, "that the site will be abandoning its new design after a four-month trial period, starting some time after April 1".

Take a lesson from your tongue-in-cheek cycling brethren - BikeSnobNYC - and put a little bit more effort into your attempt at comedy, Velonews. After all, irony is only funny when, well... when it's ironic.

The Velonews article reads, "To fully comply with the many, many emails we're received on this issue - most typed in capitals and without punctuation - we will revert to the site as it was presented originally, in 1996."

Sorry, Velonews - your new website DOES leave a lot to be desired. Better luck next April...

NMBS #1 - Fontana

2008-03-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

Too lazy to give a race report, so i'll tell the story in pictures.

XC - 18th out of 50 (?)
STXC - 15 out of 25 (?)

The start was fast. And dusty.

At first i was stoked to grab lyle's wheel.

And then he grabbed mine...

But ultimately he beat me by about :30sec in the end. damn.

Killa' on the Loose

2008-03-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

Whilst browsing through the list of pre-registered athletes for next weekends NMBS round #1 at Southridge Park, Fontana, i happened to see a name that usually doesn't pop up on this side of the pond too often...

World cup heavies dont usually mingle with the likes of North American NORBA riff-raf, but frankly - i'm curious to see how Liam will fair.

After all... this ain't no world cup XC course. I bet Killeen never had to dodge broken 40 oz. 'Old English' bottles, avoid flying paintballs, or maneuver around cardboard hobo encampments before.

(special thanks to Sager for the pic)

Thoughts? Anyone?

Keyesville Classic

2008-03-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday i made the 3 hour trek to the Keyesville Classic AMBC in beautiful Kernville, California.

As of Saturday night, the weather forecast showed ominous ~45° snowy/rainy race conditions. Lucky for us racers (and spectators, for that matter) the most snow that we ever came across was en route to the venue - about 2 hours away.

Still, despite surprisingly pleasant weather, i gave myself the obligatory PRO hot embrocation rub-down before my warmup. If nothing else, i'm sure my competitors appreciated the pungent smell of essential oils wafting from my shiny calves on the starting line.

Lyle and i agreed to 'hold hands' for the first lap or two, as the combined Pro/Semi-Pro field was to race 4 ~9 mile laps. After last weekend's explosion i wanted to make damn sure that i had some gas left in the tank when the 2:40 mark rolled around.

I tried to play it cool for lap 1 - despite lyle opening a slight gap - and found myself riding for the remainder of the race with two other semi's.

I managed to shake two dudes (one of which is a Trek/VW regional pro... sweet!) in the final sustained climb with a road cycling-esque attack + time trial to the finish.

I finished a respectable 15th out of 24. Not too shabby considering more than half of these dudes were PRO's.

Lee had a solid ride, too - showing that guys old enough to be my dad can still roost with the best of 'em.

Lyle put in a strong ride - with the 'stache in full force and the mullet-a-flyin'.

Big props to Brooke for throwing down a mean 3 hour battle in the expert race.

Team manager, Dave Roth, blasting his way to a solid finish on what he considers "the best race course all season long".

Wes couldn't quite figure out where to stash his pump, so he rigged up some sort of custom helmet-mast.

Imagine the embarrassment his competitors felt losing to a dude with a roof rack on his head...

Arguably the best part of racing is spending time with your close friends. In which case, this weekend couldn't have been better.

Me, Wes and the beautiful soigneur/feed/photographer Kandace hanging around the expo post-race.

Looks Like Someone...

2008-03-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

...DOESN'T have a case of the mondays!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, i am officially using my hard-earned vacation days today and tomorrow.

How's that for stickin' it to the man?!

...weekend racing updates soon to come.

Painful Realizations

2008-03-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things that can make one a better cyclist. These are a few things that don't:

Ti rotor bolts do NOT make you faster.

White carbon-soled Italian shoes do NOT make you faster.

Affiliation with badass Olympic hopefuls does NOT make you faster.

Wind-cheating skinsuits do NOT make you faster.

No, these things are not what make a good bike racer.
These are simply things that good bike racers have.

Sunday was a first hand lesson in what a 'hard day on the bike' really is. I knew i was toast by the end of my second of three laps as i felt the twinge of fatigue and cramping settling into my quads. Add to that a bit of dehydration, chills, nausea, and a bone-dry drivetrain - and you've got a combination for pain.

No blingin' shoes or go-fast skinsuit could make up for my lack of fitness. Nor could they replace the invaluable race experience earned the hard way by guys like JHK.

I had to take it like a rat and ride for survival.

Oh well, more fuel for the fire.

Different Names for the Same Thing

2008-03-04T11:56:00.001-08:00

Bonk. Hitting the wall. Cracking. Imploding. Blowing up.

Cyclists have funny terms for things that happen while riding a bike - the funniest of which usually refer to bad things. This morning i took extra care to brush up on my cycling lingo as i prepared to flog myself up Angeles Crest Highway.

After eating a sparse breakfast consisting of a small piece of buttered toast and a cup of coffee i said to myself, "Today is the day i'll put my superior cycling-jive skills to the test," I then headed out the door to do 32 minutes of criss-cross intervals.

What could possibly go wrong? Hah!

By the 25 minute mark i knew it was all over except for the shouting. My legs felt like they were on fire (ok...), a steady 'dangler' of drool swung to and fro from my lower lip (not so good...), the prolonged 'pain face' had begun to tire my jaw muscles (uh oh...), and my sense of balance was declining rapidly (oh shit!).

I had officially hit the wall.

After promptly pulling into the nearest shady turnout on the road, i sat in the wake of my explosion contemplating after how many minutes into my session had my breakfast been burned up in its entirety - and, in turn, brain cells had begun to take the place of ever-essential glycogen.

After a few moments of deep though, i arose like a half-drunk college student on a "dollar beer" thursday night, mounted my steed and cautiously rolled down the hill towards my discretely stashed backpack containing all kinds of tasty treats.

Lesson learned, i guess.

With Love From Italy

2008-02-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

Rather than blogging, as of late, i have been taking full advantage of the 70° + temperatures afforded us in LA.

Along with soaring daytime temps comes subtle changes in ones cycling wardrobe. Craft Pro baselayers are eschewed for DeFeet Un-D-Lite's. Wooly Booly socks are, once again, shoved to the back of the sock drawer for another year of hibernation. Full leg warmers are neatly folded and tucked behind the lighter, more comfortable knee warmers that reign king in spring and early summer. And with the risk of violating the "no white after labor day" rule, new cycling shoes are brought out in all of their pristine, opalescent glory - as if to say "F*ck off, winter! I'm ready to party!".

Being an extremely (cycling) fashion conscious individual, i realize the gravity of pulling on a fresh pair of these badboys in February.

Wikipedia even makes it clear how bold a move it is to sport disco-biscuits like these:

"Popular fashion etiquette dictates that white should not be worn after Labor Day. Originally it was white shoes that were taboo."

But after waiting nearly a month to receive these magnificent gems from England, i'm willing to throw caution to the wind and break with tradition. After all...

"Fashion magazines are jumping on this growing trend, calling people who 'dare' to wear white after Labor Day innovative, creative, and bold. Slowly but surely, white is beginning to break free from its box, and is becoming acceptable to wear whenever one pleases."

You're goddamn right i'll wear them whenever i please!

I'll even flaunt the fact that they came with white buckles, straps, mesh and gold trim.

So the next time i question whether or not i should pull on my fresh euro-trash kicks for a training ride, all i have to do is look at the little Italian flag on the heel and ask:

What would Dino Signori do?

Bringin' the Pain

2008-02-23T15:37:00.000-08:00

Raced my first PRO cross country today at the Southridge Winter Series. Finished 11th out of 15 (one should note: my time was 2 seconds faster than 1st place in semi-pro). Not too bad considering these are ACTUAL pros that go much, much faster than i do.

Besides, 7 minutes out of first ain't too bad, right?

The course is in great shape... hopefully it'll stay that way for another month when NMBS #1 rolls into town.

But right now it's time for a hot shower and a much-deserved power nap.

Bruyneel: Cultural Learnings of Kazakhstan for Make Benefit Glorious Sport of Cycling

2008-02-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

Am i the only one who can't take anything Astana does or says seriously?

The big story on Velonews.com today had me in stitches - contrary, i'm sure, to the intended message:

"Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel traveled to Kazakhstan this week to huddle with sponsors to gauge support following the devastating news that Tour champ Alberto Contador would not be allowed to defend his title come July."

I was even privileged enough to get an inside media report from the meeting:

Could it be that Sacha Baron Cohen has left such a lasting impression on my view of Kazakhstan that i associate all things 'Kazakh' with this:

Or could it be Johan dropping lines like:

"I am very appreciative of the unconditional support the team has received from our Kazakh sponsors and Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov"

Danial Akhmetov? Seriously? Wasn't that the name of the 'Minister of Information' in Cohen's movie?

What's next? Will Astana's big-money sponsorship fall through mid-season? Thus leaving Levi, Horner and the rest of the gang to take bottle hand-ups from Johan in a team car like this:

No pussy magnet on that model, fellers.

Well, looking on the bright side, at least there are still loyal Kazakh cycling fans...

Up and At 'Em

2008-02-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

This weekend kicked off my 2008 racing campaign.

I headed North to Santa Ynez for the Stump Grinder Winter XC - held on the same course that will host the 2008 NMBS #3.

The race-mobile in all its glory.
I was too busy flogging myself to get any race / action pictures... sorry
A bone dry, dusty course + 2 deep stream crossings = heinous chain suck. I ended up riding for over an hour in the 44 x (insert #11 - 34 here), as it was the only gear free of the dreaded 'suck'. Oddly enough, i cleaned every climb without dabbing and the ol' legs never cramped (but came damn close).

Next time i'm using a generous amount of Dumonde Tech regular - despite the seemingly 'packed, dry course'. Stupid chains...
I narrowly escaped finishing 'DFL', riding in to 4th place (out of *ahem* 5 pro/semi's...) I even managed to take home some ka$h money. $7 dollars?! Sweet!!
Then it was down the coast to Isla Vista - home of UCSB, girls in Ugg boots/mini-skirts and Free Bird's.
Honestly, the best burritos i've ever had in my life were from Free Birds. Saturday was no exception.
Wes made sure to replenish the fluids and carbohydrates he lost whilst riding to victory in the expert race. (and don't worry - it's Hef, not Bud)
Then we made our way back down the beautiful Southern California coast. Not a bad way to cap off a solid day of racing.

Despite my mediocre finish and mechanical problems, Saturday's race got me fired up and ready for the 2008 season. Let the racing begin!

Rhymes With "Schmanlines"

2008-02-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

Today marks the end of 13 consecutive days of training. Yep, that's 41 hours of relentless saddle time without a day off.

And what do i have to show for it? This...

And some of this...

If crisp tanlines were an indicator of early season fitness - i think one could safely say that i should expect strong results in Arizona, Fontana and Sea Otter.

Unfortunately for me, they aren't... so come Tuesday it's back in the saddle.

Harden The F*ck Up!

2008-02-03T11:36:00.001-08:00

That's what i told myself as i rolled into a 3.5hr ride in 45° rain on my mountain bike this morning. Why do these hairbrain decisions seem so good when made from the warmth and comfort of my home?

I guess the theory goes: if you train in conditions equal or worse than your hardest race, you adapt, super-compensate and perform well when it counts...

...or you just become cold, miserable, and give up on training all together.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the former is true.

In With the New

2008-01-28T09:02:00.001-08:00

Along with a new racing season comes a sense of renewed motivation, fresh legs, crisp tanlines and new team clothing.

Subaru/GF's latest threads:

Pretty sharp, eh?

I think Margot (my full-time style consultant) from Helen's Cycles would certainly approve of this fashion-forward ensemble.

After all... black is the new, uhhh, black...

An Ode To Thee

2008-01-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Wind,

Thank you so much for picking up in the hour preceding my commute home the other night.

It's been a while since we've truly had a chance to catch up, but it was wonderful reacquainting myself with your unmistakable personality.

I guess one could even say that in your absence i have missed your sweet caress. The way you blow fist sized particulate into my retinas; the loud air-raid howl that fills my ears with your presence; the constant anticipation of being blown sideways whilst riding with a full backpack; the luxurious skin exfoliation afforded by your gentle touch.

Yes, i guess it's safe to say that you make me feel special inside. After all, when else can i climb Verdugo Boulevard's benign 2% grade in my 39x27 - yet feel like i'm being spat out the back of the pro peloton ascending a French Col?

I hope we can do this again some time soon, for i know that spring brings your departure to colder, far-away climes. Until our next meeting, thoughts of you will fly through my head like dusty pollen swirling in your nighttime flurry.

with love,
Alex

Brother From Another Mother

2008-01-11T08:16:00.001-08:00

In the spirit of Lyle's last post, i felt compelled to share with the world this incredible image i happened to stumble upon:

Yes, I know what you're thinking as you stare at the guy on the far left...

"could that be an exact genetic replica of Lyle Warner?"

All the clues add up:

rock climbing helmet - check
unkempt sideburns and 2-day stubble - check
ridiculous facial expression - double check

Note the similarities.

Any scientific input from my readers as to the cause of this freak genetic duplication would be greatly appreciated.

After all, the prospect of having more mullet-ed and mustachioed bike bum/barrista/professional joke tellers running around is, frankly, frightening.

Inter-whats?

2008-01-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Today was a reality check.

Lactate salts and oxygen debt recklessly plowed into my training plan like a retiree en route to the farmers market, throwing any self-confidence about my fitness by the wayside.

Oh sure i can log 22hr weeks and bust out 6.5hr dirt rides.... but can i ride up a hill for 10 minutes at threshold? Shit no.

Well, as i like to say about training "you have to feel like crap before you feel good".

Let's hope all this crap isn't in vain.

Keeping 'em Crossed

2008-01-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't my cycling mentors be proud...

After years of training, racing, traveling, transforming my entire lifestyle into that of an aspiring elite XC racer - it comes down to this:

Yes. I've decided that skinsuits, carbon fiber goodies, and intervals just aren't my thing. Well, not all skinsuits...

Beer, mustaches, unsightly tattoos and 1-f*cking-speed bicycles are my new calling in life...

...assuming i get a race entry bid, that is.

Until then, i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

If You Can't Beat 'em...

2007-12-23T22:51:00.000-08:00

I have become everything i once despised.

White Sidi's. Shaved legs. Obsession with skinsuits.

I was overwhelmed with a strange sense of deja vu upon looking at pictures of Predictor Lotto's winter training camp in Spain.

Wait a minute - wasn't I just sitting at a coffee shop the other day... in a fully matching team kit... with fellow stick-thin riders wearing the same matching kit... sipping a double espresso with my legs propped on a table... debating the merits of average vs. normalized power?

Money In The Bank

2007-12-22T18:36:00.001-08:00

Another Saturday, another EPIC mountain bike ride.

Today's 6.25hr, 8800' grinder was one for the record books.

You know that you gave'r every last ounce of energy when you get home stoned as hell on endorphins, quivering with muscular fatigue, and are consumed with thoughts of how to maximize the caloric value of everything you eat.

In lieu of my utter exhaustion (despite taking two 30 minute power-naps, eating a whole box of cous cous and a pound of marinated Mahi Mahi, and chugging a healthy serving of Endurox and FRS+) i will give you the visual overview of today's adventure. Besides, who wants to read my boring musings anyway?

Started out at the 'ol standby: JPL gate.

The arroyo was lush.

View from the climb to Mt. Lukens. See Catalina Island off in the distance?

Looking out over the Valley / Santa Monica mountains.

Looking West from the top of Strawberry Peak

Looking up at the North face of Strawberry Peak from the bottom.

These dudes were playing Cricket in the Red Box parking lot! Bloody 'ell!

Ice? I thought this was L.A.?

Those radio towers in the distance are where the 4th picture was taken from... 4 hours earlier. Definitely puts things in perspective.

Looking down over Altadena all the way to the Pacific (that shiny gold thing in the distance) from Middle Sam Merill.

Happy trails!

Rain Sucks

2007-12-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

6:00am. Awake. Espresso machine warmed up. Bread already toasting.

The call is made:

"Hey Jesse... ready to ride?"

"Uhhh, dude it's still raining down here."

*quickly walk outside - only to discover steady rain*

"Damn..."

I managed to outsmart myself again, assuming that Weather Underground's forecast of "rain stopping in the morning" would hold true. Those lying bastards!

So i'll do my best John Davis impression and ride the rollers until my brain goes completely numb...

Long Live Base Miles

2007-12-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

Winter base period is a special time.

There is always a new 'epic' ride to look forward to every weekend, eating as many calories as you can stomach is a good thing, and heart rate and power zones only comes in two flavors: endurance and recovery.

And the best part is - living in sunny LA - i am afforded the option of training in the mountains year round without the risk of being found in March by a forest ranger, decomposing under a log wearing only a wind vest and knee warmers.

That doesn't mean that i dont appreciate the beauty of a powdered mountain top.

I just don't want to be there. Looking is fine with me, thanks.

Long rides are always better with good company.

Anyway... that's enough blogging for now.

Time to log in the best kind of training hours: sleep.

Just Give'r

2007-12-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

What do you do at a 'cross race while trying to stick to your meticulously planned out "rest week" schedule?

Simple. Dress up like an Okie, drink shitty domestic beer and heckle your teammates.

Stay tuned for a full race report from the Bakersfield double-header cyclocross weekend...

God Bless America

2007-11-26T23:01:00.000-08:00

Where else but in this great nation of ours will you see something as awesome as THIS whilst shopping for bike parts?

My guess: some sleaze duped his wife into posing with his leftover front derailleur "to put up in the workshop"...

...or there exists a mythical creature known to few men - a babe who digs bikes (and SRAM, for that matter) but also has the wherewithal and computer savvy to make damn sure that every male searching ebay for a front derailleur payed a visit to her auction.

Either way - that's freakin 'merican, man!

Too Much of a Good Thing?

2007-11-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

I'll make a great pro some day.

Not because of my crisp tanlines, neurotic training mentality, or 10" biceps - no, that's not it.

I say this based on the sheer quantity of tires that i burn through in a given season.

Some people will ride the same tires all season long (*ahem*, Brooke) and not speak a word of it. But no, not me. I'll spend hours pondering which combination of rubber and tire pressure would optimize my training and racing experience. I've even come to the point of wanting to 'custom cut' stock tires to better suit my riding style...

...Hah! Like it would make me any faster.

And since i am NOT yet a factory sponsored pro, i bear 100% of the financial burden of my rubbery addiction. Damn.

Maybe i should just train harder, eh?

Euro Trash

2007-11-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Dear ol' Mom...

She loves coffee almost as much as she despises technology.

Luckily for me, though, I embrace both coffee and technology. And what better marriage of the two than an Espresso Machine?

After a nice dinner with my folks last night, mother-what-loves-me sent me home with the espresso maker given to her as a gift nearly 10 years ago.

I think she's used it twice since then.

This marks a giant leap forward in my Euro-trash cycling lifestyle. Sweet.

Next on the list, some of these...

I Can't Have My Cake and Eat It, Too

2007-11-12T08:12:00.001-08:00

Last week commenced my 'official' training year with a moderate block of workouts. It was only a 15.5hr week - relatively tame by most standards - but the rides made damn sure to get the most out of the time in the saddle. Some of the highlighted events were:

* Wednesday - 3.5hrs endurance + 53x15 big ring repeats up Angeles Crest. ouch.

* Saturday - 4hrs MTB endurance (ended up around 7000' of climbing)

Now sprinkle in a little bit of balls-out cyclocross racing on sunday morning and you've got yourself a deadly combination.

2hrs of easy endurance pace would have been just what the doctor ordered for a lazy sunday morning... but i had to do it the hard way. 45 minutes of death and pain whilst trying to convince myself that somehow - ohhh somehow - CX will improve my short speed and fast starts for mountain bike racing.

F that.

My legs felt like cement from the gun, and despite being 3rd wheel into the barriers and latching onto the early (and eventual) winner for 2 laps - i just couldn't give'r enough to make the top 3.

Luckily for me, the loamy dirt corners favored my MTB descending skillz (yea... with a 'Z') and i was able to ward off stronger riders to ride in for 4th place.

At least i had the satisfaction of seeing my MTB buddy, Bobby Langin Jr., convincingly take the win, as well as friend and training partner Roger Woton bust a move on some punk UCLA kid with 2 to go for second place. Bigups to those guys for making it look easy.

Now all i can do is wait to see if Chet will kick me off the team for my sub-par performance...

Mud, Fog and Flat Tires

2007-11-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

Somehow i got the notion a few months back that it would be a GOOD idea to race around the clock on a singlespeed with my closest teammates at the 24 Hours of Chamberlain Ranch. Well, just like putting a firecracker under your neighbors trash can, most misadventures start as a good idea and end... uhh... well, they end a little differently than you anticipated.

The trip started with a quick jaunt to Santa Monica to pick up team mate Josh Wiggin's better half (and our official team cook), Heather. A painless drive up the coast and into Santa Ynez put us at the race venue before 11pm, where the fire was already a-ragin', and the beers were a-coolin'. Good way to kick things off.

The race started Saturday morning at 11am with a typical Le Mans start - but the catch was that all riders had to run with to their bikes with their front wheel, install it amidst a chaotic scramble for the hole shot, and hope that no one squeezed their front brake in the last 5 minutes.

I rode in 3rd (despite stopping to scope out a sliced sidewall... thank's Stan's), just a few moments back from a Helen's / Subaru-Gary Fisher geared rider, Adan.

By early afternoon, the sky started to cloud over and the sprinkles began to fall. It didn't seem like a big deal, as the dirt was dry and the rain was relatively light.

Wrong! The next lap out was the most frustrating ride, errrr, walk of my life! I could not ride my bike because of the constantly packing mud and grit between my tires and the fork arch. What's more, my shoes turned into disco-Stu platforms, ruling out the slightest possibility of clipping in to my pedals. I had to walk up damn near every climb, then (even more depressing) walk down the following descent. Agh!!

Thankfully, race promoter Mike Hecker was taking his obligatory 'hot lap' during this sticky, unrideable 2 hour stretch and decided to cut the original 11 mile lap down to a more ridable 4 mile loop.

After that, the night laps were a haze (literally AND figuratively) of diminished visibility, stomach distress, and ever-increasing fatigue.

Oddly enough, my legs felt fresh with each turn i took out on the course, but the lack of sleep and attempt to shovel 1000's of calories into my body in the wee hours of the morning did not jive with my system.

By 7am i was barely able to get motivated enough to kit up and take my final leg on the course. I was cold, exhausted, and felt like i had just ate 10 thanksgiving dinners (despite undoubtedly being in a severe caloric deficit). But i did my duty to the team and rode in circles for another short bit, trying to soak in the beautiful sunrise.

A trip to the shower, followed by awards (we rode the most laps of ANY team: SS, geared, 4-man, 5-man, etc.) and camp tear-down, and i was back on the road to Altadena.

By the time i got home, i felt like i had been hit by a bus. I though i was going to have a heart attack just unpacking my duffel bag, so i literally dropped my crap on the floor with no regard for anything other than my exhausted body. I hit the bed at 5pm on sunday and didnt wake up until 8am the following morning. Yep - that's 15 hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep.

In hindsight, i'm glad that i took part in the 24 Hours of Chamberlain Ranch. It's races like this that allow you to see your true character, and push you to give'r more than any cross country race ever will. Most importantly, i was stoked to spend time with Dave, Wiggy, Jeff and the rest of the Helen's / Subaru-Gary Fisher crew whilst doing the thing we love most: riding our bikes.

Rats!!

2007-11-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

Now i normally wouldn't make a point of blogging at 7:00 in the f*cking morning, but what else am i supposed to do when i can't sleep and have 3 hours until i have to be at work. My bout of temporary insomnia - in case you're wondering - isn't related to anxiety, or sickness, or nightmares or spooning with smokin' babes...

It's the god forsaken rats that have made their home in between my ceiling and the second story floor. They take it upon themselves to scratch and waddle and nest and chew and scratch some more around... ohhhh, say 5am?

"But they're only little rats" you say. Yeah, well, teeny tiny rat paws amplified across a 12'x'12' hard wood ceiling is like having 'the horse whisperer' shouting into a 10,000 watt PA. Worse yet, the sporadic nature of their noises make it that much more distracting - ruling the "oh i'll just sleep through it" option out. Hence the early morning blogging session.

Little shits.

Night Time Fun

2007-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

With the available daylight hours decreasing faster than my chances of landing a date (and in preparation for my upcoming 24 hour race this weekend) i dusted off the 'ol lights and took to the local singletrack with Jesse and Hector.

I had almost forgotten about the therapeutic qualities of ripping... ok, maybe not ripping... your favorite backyard trails when you can only see 10' in front of you.

Never once did i worry about a rogue driver running a stopsign and careening straight towards me (more on that later), nor did i have to deal with irate Sierra Club Gestapo confusing me for the over-padded and under-talented "freeriders" (yea right...) that give mountain bikers a bad rep.

All in the nick of time, i might add. I was able to squeak in a few night sessions to dial in my nocturnal cycling gear just before the Angeles National Forest officially closed today because of the widespread fires (probably Trogdor the Burninator again)

Chance it, you say? Illegally poach your fave ride despite the forest services request? Sure, only if you're willing to fork out the $10,000 fine and possible imprisonment.

More blogs to come from jail...

Stand By

2007-10-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging activity...

Here is something to tide you over for the mean time:

Brrrraaaaappp!!

Oops

2007-10-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

I inadvertently ate a piece of meat at dinner tonight.

...No wonder that thinly sliced vegetable (thats what the placard said) tasted so salty and delicious

Stay tuned for more gut-wrenching (get it?) updates on how my weak vegetarian stomach handles things.

Two in the Books

2007-10-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

My second cyclocross race went down like this:

Got up front early and stayed the hell out of trouble...

And by the end of lap #1 it was me and my arch-nemesis (not really, though) off the front with a healthy cushion of 30+ seconds on the other 34 riders.

I rode out front for most of the race...

And he rode out front for a lap or two.

But i couldn't seem to make my super-duper-awesome-last-lap attack come together...

So i crossed the finish line in a blur of oncoming cramps and drymouth, just a few seconds shy of the enemy.

I could give you the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" shpiel - but he was the better rider on the day.

Oh well, maybe i'll get 'em next time... at least i still won beer

I Think I'm Falling in Lust

2007-10-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

Our love is a forbidden one:

Why, oh why, do I have to import you all the way from Europe to feel the sweet caress of white lorica upon my feet...

The Muck: Part II

2007-10-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Well, just when you thought i would shut up...

The adventures continued long past saturday's racing - which by the way - i failed to mention that John McKeen took part in (happy now?) Johner gave 'em hell in his first ever 'cross race - racing Elite, i might add - to finish very respectably.

Now, in my rush to get back to the 'dena, i foolishly skipped the team-relay podium and its associated prize: a case of New Belgium beer.

Apparently Chet Bearclaw himself pulled up to the race on a jet-ski right after i left, drank most of our beer, and went home with some other dude's girlfriend. Man, he does get the bitches.

Oh, and i can't forget to mention how well my $150,000 college education is applying itself to the real world - NOT! In my hurry to carpool home with John... i failed to remember that i drove my car to Jason's house... and that my KEYS were in Jason's glove box. Cool life, Alex.

Sunday morning came, and so did another trip to the Muck.

Nate, the Danimal and I headed into the oh so lovely neighborhoods of Fullerton on our 'cross bikes to warm up. Well... 20 minutes into our 'spin around the block' we were completely ass-backwards and heading deeper and deeper into suburbia. Lucky for us, a realtor setting up roadside signs pointed us back towards the race with just enough time to hit the head one last time and pin on my number.

Gentlemen, go on the whistle...

*tweeeeeet*

1s - whistle blows while i'm fumbling with my HR monitor

5s - able to clip in (finally) despite heavy mid-pack traffic

30s - fighting to get through the barriers in front of hordes of bikes and bodies

1.5m - *crash!* on rolling high speed dirt patch

1.51m - remount and violently bang left brake hood back into place

10m - passed most of the field

30m - towing a train of 2 other riders, 10 seconds back from 1st place

40m - allow wheel-suckers to pull for a lap, only to decide that it sucks (it's the MTB racer in me)

44m - heading into last barrier *BANG!* from behind me. wheel-suckers farmed it BIG TIME into the runup. the opportunist in me used the chance to open a gap. i punched it on the remaining climbs, coming within 3 seconds of the leader.

45m - fatigue, euphoria, thirst, hallucinations

First cross race ever and i added a speed hole to my top tube... go figure

Well, I finished 2nd (out of 41) - a mere 3 seconds out of first place - which aint too bad for my first 'cross race.

Maybe that's why Mark Scott kept yelling "Sandbagger!!!" from the sidelines.

Until next time...

The Muck: Part 1

2007-09-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

And thus begins 'cross season...

An exciting new way to punish myself with exercise induced oxygen debt and lactate burn.

Saturday kicked off with the team relay. It's like this - 4 members of each team run successive 'hot laps' around the course, passing off a Clif Shot 'baton' in the transition. The prize: a CASE of New Belgium beer.

With stakes like this, team Beerclaw - errr - Bearclaw had to bring an 'A' game.

JL kicked 'er off, followed by yours truly, then Chad, and finally J-Lo brought it home. We managed to squeak by ahead of the other teams to score the booty, whilst frothing at the lips for cold post-race refreshments. (Lyle stood in for me on the podium)

Next it was on to the Elite 1/2/3 race.

Fritz, Lyle, and Jason gave 'er for 60 hellish minutes in a field stacked with nearly 40 guys - including the likes of masters national champ Mark Noble, USGP bad-ass Brent Prenzlow, and US 'cross worlds team member Chance Noble. All 3 of our elites finished in the money, picking up 6th, 12th, and 8th respectively. Not too bad for the 2nd race of the season.

Stay tuned for 'The Muck' Part 2...

'Cross be With You

2007-09-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'm at a loss for words right now, so I will leave you with a visual portrayal of a sport that only drunk-ass Belgians in lycra could dream up...

The bike:

The Skinsuit:

The Team:

The 'Running Assistants':

The Hot-Sauce:

The Pre-Race drink:

The Post-Race drink:

F*ck Hollywood

2007-09-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Driving: 40 minutes - 11.8 miles

Parking: $20 flat rate

Walking: visually molested by fashion-forward storefronts and bilboards

Eating: $100/person Sushi joints

People Watching: 45 year old wanna-be cougars dressed like my friends 17 year old sister. woof.

This town sucks! I need to move to Boulder or something...

Busted

2007-09-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

Cool.

Not Cool.

Maybe Landis is guilty - maybe he's not
That's between him and his conscience to know.

For now, i'll put my faith in JHK, Kabush and the rest of the hard-working clean MTB racers that uphold the integrity of our sport.

Thanks for leading the DOPERS SUCK crusade, boys.

Fall Has...

2007-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

...errrr- Fallen? Felled? Fenagled?

You chose your verb of choice, but the fact of the matter is that it's here. Plain and simple.

Remember all my pissing and moaning about the scorching 104° heat and solar death rays just a few short weeks ago? Yeah, well - i guess i should be careful what i wish for...

I had to dig deep into my stash of 'seasonal' cycling garb before riding to work yesterday to find these:

...and these:

...and in lieu of today's grey, drizzly skies - i might even have to sport one of THESE:

Despite the shortening days and cooler temps, i must admit that i enjoy early fall more than any other season in the San Gabriel valley. There's something special about the golden light casting its long shadows across the trail, the cool misty air that hugs the foothills, and the way the poison oak dies back - affording us a few shorts months of reprieve.

Ahhh...it certainly is a magical, less itchy time of year.

Daily Rant

2007-09-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Man, sometimes i am amazed at how stupid people can be! Today i had a particularly close look into the life of one such moron - you guessed it, folks - ON MY BICYCLE.
Here i am, tootling along Sierra Madre blvd. at a leisurely recovery pace on a Sunday morning when *POW!* a green VW bug turns across my lane into a driveway right next to me. Luckily i saw her turning and was able to narrowly avoid getting broadsided.

Per my usual 'fight or flight' response to near-death cycling experiences, i promptly turned around and pulled into her driveway to tell her how i really felt.

Me: "you almost f*cking hit me!!!"

Dumb Broad: "ohhh... well i didn't see you"

Oh gee whiz - well in that case - how can i be mad at her? If only i had known she hadn't seen me i would not have said such mean things. After all, it was high noon on a straight, level road. And never mind the fact that i was positioned in the EXACT location that she was about to drive her 3500lb death-box into. How silly of me to assume that she would be looking close enough to spot me...

All the while, i was overwhelmed with a sense of dumbass-LMU-sorostitute deja-vu. Stunna-Shades. VW bug. Blonde hair. Air for brains. Go figure - she probably got lost on her way back from the Alpha Phi (say: all-for-free) Sorority house.

Well, as you can guess multiple F- and C-bombs were dropped subsequent to our initial dialog.

At least by the time i was home, any trace of anger had fizzled out. I hate to sound so bitter, but still, the moral of the story is: look where you're driving, for christ's sake!

'Bout Time

2007-09-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Two years of almost getting the series overall title. This time the jersey is mine!

De-nied!

2007-09-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

During my adventures at the National Championships back east i happened to stumble upon a pair of these at the Mt. Snow bike shop.

Hot damn! I gotta get some of those!

After all - pink is the new white...or is it the new black?
Screw it. Either way, i was jonesing for some hot pink shades.

Then came the bright idea of asking my friend and cycling mentor Dorothy Wong about how she landed an Oakley sponsorship (which she's had as long as i've known her). She provided me with the inside scoop on who to contact at Oakley, and i took the liberty of polishing up the ol' racing resume - complete with up-to-date photos and results from my 2007 endeavors.

7:51am
Email goes out to Steve at Oakley

7:52am
Walk to kitchen to refill coffee mug

7:54am
Reply email from Steve at Oakley:

Dear Alex,

Thank you for your interest in our company, our products, and as a
potential sponsor for your personal endeavors.

Each year we consider many athletes to represent our brand. We review
our current athletes performances and those of thousands of new
requests. We wish we could support all those that show loyalty to our brand,
but unfortunately we cannot. So it is with our regret to inform you that
we must decline your request.

Please know that we wish you all the best. Our sports marketing team
attends almost every major sporting event in the world. We will be
keeping an eye on you.

Respectfully,
Steve Blick
Oakley Sports Marketing

Ouch! Speedy customer service is one thing, but couldn't they have at least given me a courtesy 24 hour delay? At least lull me into thinking that the president of Oakley is standing in a board room somewhere saying "Well, gentlemen... i really think we should pick up this Boone kid, even if it means we have to drop Lance altogether"

Instead i had some guy fire back a form denial letter in between swigs of coffee and turning the page on his morning paper. Apparently he thought i would be better off paying full-pop for a pair of hot pink shades that would inevitably garner some attention to his product.

*sigh*

Well... at least i tried.

Who Needs Gears?

2007-09-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesdy. The decision is made. Me + Lee Bird. MTB. Saturday. Early. Epic.

Come Thursday I'm seeing a whole lot of this:

Now, I've lived in Pasadena most of my life... so one would assume that i've acclimated to the *ahem* warm summer temperatures. But still, come on, folks - 104° is freakin' hot! Especially when a many-hour MTB ride is in the works.

Friday. Doubts. Fear of dehydration and possible death. 109° forecast?!

Friday night. Commited. Braving the heat. Oh, but wait...

Somehow, in the midst of a heat-induced delirium, i decided that not only would i absolutely take part in this scorching hot grinder - but that I WOULD DO IT ON MY SINGLESPEED!

Sure, what the hell. There's only about 2 hours of non-stop climbing from the getgo. It'll be a breeze.

6:00AM. On the road. Second thoughts. Too late now.

The route (for those of you hip to the Angeles Forest) was as follows:

Up Lower Sam Merill
Continuing up Mt. Lowe Toll Road to Redbox Road
Descend Valley Forge Trail
Climb truck trail to Redbox and Angeles Crest
Descend Redbox Trail
Climb to Angeles Crest
Descend into Lower Arroyo from ACH
Exit Arroyo and home.

Making that last chug up the brutal switchbacks from Redbox, all i had to keep me going was a friendly reminder from the folks at NINER...

Easy for you to say!

4 hours, 5500' of vertical climbing, 2 cliff bars, 3 gel shots, and 4 water bottles later i returned to the 'ol homestead. Cold beverages and salty snacks welcomed with open arms.

Ouch.

Now it's off to the pool...

Up In Smoke

2007-08-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Beemer: "Hey dude, is the fire near your house?"

Me: "What fire...? Oh yea. Shit."

5 minutes later :

The Pasadena Star News says the cause of the 15 acre fire is still under investigation, but i have my own theories...

Theory 1 - I was riding the Sunset Trail so incredibly fast (and fashionably) that a streak of fire from my tires ignited a nearby bush.

Theory 2 - A wingalinged dragon was 'burninating the countryside'.

Theory 3 - Some asshole smoking a cigarette decided to use mother nature as an ashtray.

Well, who knows what the real cause was...
but all i hear are the words of straight-edge band Casey Jones ringing in my head:

"If you're smoking in here, you better be on fire"

Welcome Home, Old Friend

2007-08-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

So it would be downright cliched of me to say something like "you don't know how much something means to you until it's gone" But, damn, it's so true.

It all started about three weeks ago when 'master mechanic' Alex decided it was time to put new cleats on the ol' SIDI road shoes. Good.

Having opted for 'fixed' style cleats, initial setup was naturally more time consuming. A twist here... a nudge there... tighten things up and keep rolling. Good.

Day 3: slight overpronation of left foot. Stop to adjust. Loosen all three bolts. Move cleat. Re-tighten to even torque spec...

Shit.

Well, despite the fact that my biceps are akin to those of a 12 year old girl, i still managed to over torque - and thereby strip - the bejesus out of my SIDI's mounting hardware. Hey - no problem. Didn't like those $300 hand-made italian shoes anyway...

...i'm such an idiot.

Three weeks pass. I'm an emotional wreck without my SIDI's. What's more, i look like a dunce riding around in (god forbid) BLACK cycling shoes. My old Nike road shoes just don't make sweet love to my feet the way SIDI's do.

But alas! A much awaited call from my local SIDI dealer informs me that replacement hardware has arrived from Veltec (despite being shipped, lost, erased from the system, and shipped again).

So i check myself out of grief counseling, toss my Nike's into a far corner of the closet, and make a B-line to the bike shop. The prodigal shoes' homecoming was everything i could have imagined. And after a short 'surgery' to replace the faulty hardware, i'm once again reuinted with my true love.

For anyone who's ever owned a pair of all-white SIDI shoes, surely, you know what i mean when i say: Welcome home, old friend.

If You're Feelin' Like a Pimp, Go Ahead and Brush your SIDI's Off

2007-08-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

There comes a point in every racers blossoming career when he or she realizes that skill just isn't enough. All of those hard hours in the saddle and genetic irregularities just won't cut the mustard when it comes down to elite-level competition.

It is at this pivotal moment that one comes to accept the fact that style matters more than ability. Below, I will highlight several of the most fundamental elements of MTB style:

Here, we see a textbook example of what an elite mountain bike racer SHOULD look like. But don't think it's all fun and games, kids...

This is the same (unnamed) racer as in the photo above, two years prior. Stained jersey, holey shorts, leg hair, Seattle grunge-scene beard, FUPA. The aforementioned are all NOT approved elements of cycling fashion.

But alas! There is hope yet for this individual. Let's take a look:

1) Matching EVERYTHING. He probably even wears Subaru/Gary Fisher undies when he's not on the bike. Absolutely a must.

2) White shoes. Nothing says "I'm here to party" like some all-white disco biscuits.

3) Freakish body proportions. That's right (John) - the optimal phsyique resembles a Tyranisaurus Rex: skinny on the top, all unusually voluminous on the bottom.

For bonus points, a 5:1 ratio of quadricep-to-ankle diameter should be observed.

4) Sweet-ass haircut. The more fashion faux pau, the better.

5) Complete disregard for equipment. Even if you're paying for it all yourself, ride as though your mechanic will replace said part(s) once you cross the finish line.

It's just that simple, folks.

All Growds Up!

2007-07-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well... here i go, headlong into the world of blogging (happy now, John?)

Guess I might as well kick this one off in high style:

Yes - that's right. I'm no longer sitting at mountain biking's proverbial 'kid's table'. I guess USA Cycling agreed that it was time for little Alex to get a taste of the big, mean world of elite MTB racing - SEMI PRO.

I can honestly say that i'm pretty excited about the upgrade. Not like racing is ever easy - but when youre happy to get 5 guys in your field, it means it's time to fry some bigger fish. If nothing else, I'll have the pleasure of seeing Lyle's blingin' white SIDIs at the starting line.

So long top 3 finishes, hello top 30...

...if i'm lucky, that is