Ch..ch..ch..changes... -- Log

Wowwee...so much has happened in the last few weeks!

So, as you've seen, i've gotten a new frame - exciting stuff! It rides wonderfully, handling much the same as the DeRosa. The main difference is the overall stiffness (climbing and sprinting), and (i feel like a record since i tell everyone this) the frame really soaks up road jitter...so running over bumpy terrain is much less of an annoyance. The frame looks sharp as well. ;)

Nothing too exciting training/riding-wise. This past week was my 'crap week', for some reason i just couldn't perform...got a lousy TT time and racing was kinda sluggish..the Shish was sluggish..hah..

I've been slacking in my training details, not really paying attention to much the last three or so weeks, so i've buckled down and will be paying attention to my schedule again...mainly focusing on the hours i'm spending on the bike, and fluctuating 'em in a sane manner, so that there are some builds and breaks. (Instead of just 'going' as i've been.. I haven't been wasting time, just not really progressing tho.)

On the bright side, i tagged along with the Oak Bay group ride on Saturday morning (meet behind the store at 9am!) and i must say, it was one of the best group rides i've been on for a looong time!

It was well-organized, which i can really appreciate. Lotsa cool folks, including a few familiar, veggie-friendly faces (hey Clare!) And the ride itself was beautiful. Road over to the water, and up and out to Saanich, a good warm-up, then we split off and the speedier folks went off for a longer stretch, and we picked up the pace quite a bit, including a rotating paceline.

I always have hated these things...and this ride i kept finding there was no-one on my wheel, so i'd pull off the front, and bam, i'd be stuck in the front for a minute until someone else picked up the pace....and then i'd have to go even harder to jump on the last wheel...arrgh! And always at the top of a hill. ;)

We continued up W.Saanich Rd, and the wonderful Wain Rd hill... Clare and a few others had attacked there, and i just held my pace, knowing i'd be better to catch them this way... I made up about 40m, and paced Clare up the crest of the hill, then sat up, assuming we'd be slowing down....but now, she (and three others!) continued on! D'oh!!

Another dude rode by and so i got on his wheel, and the two of us chased for about 5km, finally caught them in Sidney. Another pair of riders was behind us as well...might have been more wise to wait for them and all work to catch the lead group. Was very fun to do tho, i enjoy pursuing. =)

The entire groups meets back up in Sidney, and we ride back into town at a respectable pace as well (with a few fun sprints along Interurban), and then some of us continued on along the water. Damn fine i say. If i feel like 'workin' it', i can play with the Speedies, and if i've had enough intensity for the week, i can cruise with the rest. Very civilized -- thank you Oak Bay bike shop!!

Now, the most exciting news is that i've been hire by Friends of Animals, an animal rights group (yes, rights and not welfare) in the US, and so will be working ~20hrs a week on local issues - how amazing is that?? There was a mention of me in Monday magazine last week (scroll down to "Activists vs Island Farms, Carriages). As you read there, the horse carriages downtown will be a big focus, as well as Island Farms. I've got a few other projects in mind as well, more will be revealed. =)

I've been polling folks in James Bay, and i was surprised to find 1/3 people i talked to (53) have personally witnessed an accident or incident with the carriages....insane. I've also got some particularly damning evidence against them as well..more on this soon.

In the fun department, i've also stumbled on some neat stuff on the web, including this advertisement:



It's for a company selling fixed-gear bikes - hilarious how 'normal' people look with killer sprinters legs. ;) Read more about it here.

I'm always intrigued by bike tech as well, and now Zipp has found that putting dimples on hubs reduces drag - the equivalent of taking off a few spokes! More here. (I love this stuff.. I also think it's really cool how Shimano and Cane Creek lace their wheels so the nipples are at the hub, reducing rolling resistance..)

The Tour de France has been interesting as well, with the removal of several big names... None of the top five from last year are present. And after the dismal Stage 7 ITT performances, i thought this quote really put it all in perspective:

"It's lucky Jan Ullrich is not here, otherwise the Tour would be over," Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel told Reuters.

heh...

I guess my money is on Landis for the win, assuming he makes start times and his gear holds up. =P

Final bit on this entry is some more cool shots (thanks Roland!) of moi, in a couple matched sprints with Chris. (Sprint night on the track last Monday - we all do a flying 200m sprint for a time, for seating. Chris got 13 seconds even, and i came in at a near PB of 13"27.) This is also the first time i'm using a disc/tri-spoke wheel...trying it out from another rider, considering purchasing..

So, in the first heat Chris and i are off..i believe i was in the front, and swung down beside him, holding him up at the rail...



Yes, watching him....keeping him where i want him...



Patient....



Patient.......hold him steady...



Then GO!!!!! All i've got goes into the pedals...



I manage to get some decent ground on him...!!



But he gains some ground...



And has me at the line of course... He's much more of a sprinter than i...but i learned something here, and apply it the the next race..

Similar beginning, he leads out so i sit on his wheel. I do so the entire time....then he jumps, and i respond:



Gaining...



Gaining...!!



Gotta come up and around...!!



Ooooh...getting close!!!!



Another 30m to go, so close!!!



But he gets me in the end....match goes to Chris, 2-0 - nice racing man. =)

Gonna try a pursuit tomorrow night with the tri-spoke, lets see if it helps with my time at all...