n Plus One

Back to Blogging

2010-04-20T09:29:00.002-04:00

As "Video Killed the Radio Star" (Buggles, circa '79), so did Facebook kill my blogging entries. Race report, ride reports and non-cycling life were plastered on Facebook for all my "friends" to read. Posting a sentence or two on FB to summarize my ride or what I had for dinner was easier than blogging. Also just a few fellow cyclists (mostly from Gamjams or the 757 region) family and the

Chuckatuck CX @ Lone Star Lakes

2009-09-09T22:51:00.000-04:00

Chuckatuck CX at Lone Star LakesSunday, October 18, 2009SPONSORED BYCITY OF SUFFOLK PARKS AND RECREATIONALL ABOUT BIKES RACING Only the above listed races are permitted and sanctioned by USA Cycling. No other races or activities at the event are sanctioned by USA Cycling. Held under USAC permit (pending).On-line and race day registration only. NO mail-ins. On-line registration closes October 16

GamJams Reviews: Headlight

2009-08-25T09:27:00.002-04:00

This was originally posted in January 08. It is reposted for the www.GamJams.net Lights Review.With the warmer than usual weather experienced in the '757' lately, I've been able to get off the trainer at night and ride outside. Seeing the various lights (and having light envy) on other bikes and with the recent Roadbikereview.com light review, I decided to do my own review on my light setup. I

Jeff Cup - Burrito - Flash & Boom

2009-03-31T16:02:00.012-04:00

Suffered on climbs but worked on my cycling tan. I can't use excuses like flats, dropped chain or lost contacts - just didn't have it today.Photo by Jason O. WatsonWhile OTB I was thinking post-ride dinner.Exit 171B.Joe enjoying it...Photo courtesy of Shawn B's Facebook page.Back in C-peake while almost home - A Flash and a Boom! It was so bright that I thought someone shot a camera flash in my

GamJams Review: Seatposts and Saddles

2009-02-26T08:03:00.003-05:00

My perfect seatpost would be:a. The adjust-ability, sturdiness and strength of a Thomsonb. The bling of a Bontrager XXX Litec. The lightness of an AX - Europa Carbon Seatpost (85g)d. The setback of a Ritchey WCSSince that seatpost doesn't exist, I'll make do with what I have. On my road bike I have a Specialized Pave Seatpost that came on my S-Works Cross frameset. Besides the funky (gimmicky)

Bike Thieves Suck

2009-02-25T14:48:00.003-05:00

The mainstream population put down their Big Mac and $9 frappy-latte coffee drink long enough to finally find out that LA is back in racing because they heard on E! or another entertainment site that his TT bike got stolen (and eventually recovered) at last week's ToC. A bigger story and more egregious, that won't get close to the press coverage, is David Zabriskie's house break-in last week

Dismal Dash Time Trial Registration Open

2009-02-12T10:56:00.004-05:00

Enjoy a weekend of racing in Suffolk and kick off the first BAR races in the 2009 VA Cycling season. Race the Sleepy Hole Smackdown on Saturday and the Dismal Dash Time Trial on Sunday.The Dismal Dash Time Trial registration is now open on Bikereg.White Marsh Shopping Center1226 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA 23434General Info: ChampionChip timing provided by Kale Running. First rider starts at 9

GamJams Review: Winter Tights

2009-01-01T14:31:00.002-05:00

Winter Tight Review:Adidas Adistar Windproof TightsThese are my favorite winter tights. The Adidas Adistar Winter tights are cut looser than most other tights. They are windproof in the right areas and are not bulky. The thin fleece fabric does not feel like they'd keep you warm but they do by keeping the chilly wind off your thighs, knees and shins. The 4-way chamois is nothing spectacular and

GamJams Review: Trainers and Rollers - Trek branded Cyclops Fluid 2

2008-12-11T21:42:00.003-05:00

A few years back, my wife gave me a trainer for Christmas. It was the Trek branded Cyclops Fluid2 trainer. She definitely did her research on this model before she bought it. She wanted one that was quiet (so I won't wake up the house at 6am or 10pm during the cold winter), smooth, low maintenance (just like me) and reliable. Needless to say, on initial use, those features were right on. I

Gatewood Ridin'

2008-12-08T08:52:00.003-05:00

Got a chance to ride with the All About Bikes Chesapeake shop crew on their weekly Sunday morning moutain bike ride. The destination this week was Gatewood in Newport News. I met the crew of Jeff, Larry, Alex, Dennis (Alex's dad), Todd and Keisha about 9am at the trailhead and headed out soon after. Gatewood doesn't offer the technical sections or climbs of YRSP, New Quarter, Freedom or other

Trashmore State CX Championships

2008-12-01T12:11:00.006-05:00

Six inches of mud on downhills, long grinds on a soggy uphill climb, mud in you eyes and agonizing slick run-ups. Gotta love this year's Trashmore's State Cross race. Epic.What's not to smile about? A few shots courtesy of BJ. See the rest of her photos here.Last two pics courtesy of Jeni.The unofficial post-ride bike wash area. Photo courtesy of McSilly.Thanks to Tripower for putting up an

Cross Bike For Sale

2008-10-18T12:19:00.003-04:00

For Sale - Cross Bike Size 52 (53 Top Tube) - Excellent conditionHere's the build list:Frame - Motobecane Fantom Cross 53 TT c-cFork - Carbon w/ chromoly steererShifters - Shimano Ultegra 10sp (brand new w/ new Jagwire cables/housing)Front Der - Shimano UltegraRear Der - Shimano UltegraCrankset - Truvativ Rouleur Cross Compact (46/34) GXP BBCassette - 105 12/25Brakeset - Tektro OnyxWheelset -

"B" is for Butt-Kicked in Richmond

2008-10-14T11:21:00.007-04:00

Photo courtesy of KD - www.demoncats.comRacing Bs kicked my butt.Finally kicked off the VA cross race series with the Festival of Cross in Richmond. Shawn and I traveled up 64 both days. The weather was nice - not your typical cross weather - sunny in the 70s.Chimborazo was Saturday's race site. They changed the course from last year. Gone is the singletrack sections (both the downhill and

Sandman Triathlon Report/Experiment

2008-09-15T14:52:00.006-04:00

Purpose:Attempt to race on muscle-memory. Let's see if I can get through this triathlon with minimal training on swimming or running (and barely riding) since the early summer and relying on muscle-memory.Results:Swim (1k meters) - 21:37Bike (14 miles) - 39:28Run (5k) - 28:1232nd of 53 in AGConclusion:FailI have been surfing a lot in the last month so I felt good in the water and I did break out

LA is Back

2008-09-08T14:56:00.002-04:00

Lance is back for 2009, albeit in a limited basis and he's doing it pro bono too. I may have to take a road trip to Tour of GA next year.Velonews Link:http://www.velonews.com/

The Irony

2008-08-17T21:11:00.002-04:00

In today's Coastal Crit, I won my first prime....a GC for a large pizza and 2 drinks...I'm lactose intolerant.Meanwhile teammate Jimmy Parrott did Anniversary shopping during the race and picked up primes for his wife, Jessica. During his solo flyer, he picked up 3 primes: 1. Pink Tifosi Sunglasses 2. Boat Cruise out of Rudee Inlet and 3. 1 night stay at a VB hotel. I ended up doing 2 races - 40+

Cheap Shot of the Month

2008-07-28T18:31:00.000-04:00

Chasing the Uphill Dream....

2008-07-22T16:05:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged (doesn't everyone start their blog like this when they've been an absentee blogger). I have some cool topics to pick from. Should I blog about my new venture into training with Power? No, save that for another day. How about the correlation of CAT 4 crashes and me? No, season is not over yet and I don't want to jinx it. A top 15 finish blog entry? No, it was a

State Senior Crit and PLT 1: Just Watching

2008-06-09T09:29:00.004-04:00

Yeah, the race entries and results would show that I raced this weekend but it ended up more of being a spectator this weekend at the Senior State Crit and PLT TT.Senior State CritAnother great race put on by TriPower. The temps were in the high 90s at race time. The good thing about the heat is that it doesn't take long to warmup. We roll at the start and my front tire is almost flat - I call

Chain Love

2008-06-03T09:39:00.002-04:00

If you're a gear and bike addict like me and browse thru the cycling catalogs and online classifieds, then you'll be happy to see a new site launched by Steep and Cheap that is specifically for cycling and to fuel your addiction.http://www.chainlove.com/If you're not familiar with Steep and Cheap, it's an online portal where they place outdoor gear on their site one item at a time. When they sell

A Day of 3 Part 1 and Part 2

2008-06-02T21:09:00.004-04:00

Day of 3 Part 1: Swim + Bike + RunRaced the Breezy Point Sprint Triathlon on Sunday and finished my first ever tri. If you recall, my first attempt at a tri ended up being a swim only event for me.Got there early enough to setup transition area, get my chip, socialize, reset up my transition, socialize more, get the wetsuit on and warmup.My age group started in the 2nd wave behind the Elite group

The Groms Development Team

2008-05-27T10:12:00.010-04:00

Took a few days off from any training this Memorial Day weekend to relax, even out the cycling tan and hit the Outer Banks with family and friends. I also managed to create a few groms in the process.What's wind-blown ankle slappers to me is EPIC to these groms.It's all about the stoke.

Fat Cyclist

2008-05-19T14:06:00.006-04:00

Most of you have seen the Fat Cyclist blog on other sites (Gamjams.net, StormyWorld.com, Bikingwidow.blogspot.com) but if it reaches out to one more person, then it's worth taking 5 mins for this entry.A cyclist (fatcyclist.com) is documenting his wife's battle with cancer and his personal story on his blog. Read about it here:http://www.fatcyclist.com/2008/05/01/like-dandelion-seeds/While your

If I Were a Bike...

2008-04-29T15:27:00.008-04:00

(Chicago Critical Mass - April 08)If I were a bike, I wish I lived in Chicago.Spent a few days up in Chicago for some business and got the chance to take in the sights and sounds of the Windy City. What grabbed my attention as I was riding in a taxi from Midway down Lake Shore Dr to my hotel up on Michigan Avenue? Was it the famed Soldier Field? Nope. The skyscrapers that dotted the skyline? Nope

Right or Left Side?

2008-04-13T20:51:00.007-04:00

Finally I can pin on a number again. Left side?My off the bike hiatus is over and decided to do my 1st group ride of the year on Thursday and then a TT on Saturday followed by crit on Sunday. Nothing like racing into shape. I have been on my TT bike for a few training rides to satisfy my triathlon curiousity (see Smithfield report below) but nothing that put me into race shape. It's pretty bad

BOTMC

2008-04-08T18:51:00.006-04:00

Book of the Month ClubBook review coming soon...Buy it at Velogear.comThe book is written by a long time roadie/racer turned events announcer. This book gives a humorous insight to the inner-world of the roadie's mind, habits (think shaving legs), training and bikes (why so many?). This book will help your (spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, co-worker, neighbor, dog, etc) understand the

Smithfield Triathlon Report

2008-03-30T23:38:00.003-04:00

This will be a quick report:DNF - Flat coming out of T1

Meowww Winners

2008-03-21T13:56:00.002-04:00

"Ken" was the first to identify the bier as Trappist Achel. Mr. Gamjams correctly identified the owner of the legs as Vanderkitten's Liz Hatch (with the lead out going to Peddlin' Around Kyle).Thanks to those who played and I will try to get a contest for the one or two women that read my blog to enjoy (yes, that would be you J up in UMW). And no it won't be a pic of the Polish National

Meowwww

2008-03-12T22:29:00.010-04:00

1. Identify the owner of the legs (10 points) Hint #1: Check out the Post Title again (here, kitty, kitty, kitty, here....). Hint #2: It's NOT about having good hair (but very close).2. Identify the brew (25 points).

Stealing Vids

2008-03-07T14:42:00.002-05:00

Check out Scott's (Casey/JRVS) blog (http://baconandraisins.blogspot.com/2008/03/ode-yall.html) of the 1989 World Championship race in ugly, rainy conditions. This will make you want to get in the rain this weekend and ride after you watch the video and read his always entertaining blog entries.

Snowball #1 Video

2008-02-26T09:11:00.002-05:00

Video of Snowball #1 by teammate Joe Younkin

Snowball Crit #1 Pics

2008-02-24T18:22:00.002-05:00

No racing for me...behind the lens for now.See pics of the Snowball Crit #1Special thanks to Virginia Beach Velo & East Coast Bicycles for getting this race at the VA Beach Sports Complex Crit Course.

Rider Down in GA

2008-02-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

I got word that a business partner on one of my work projects was involved in a cycling accident while on a team training ride in Georgia this past Sunday. I was informed he would be out of work for awhile while he recovers. I was sent the link in the local GA paper. As I opened the link that was sent, I was only told half of the story. One of his teammates was killed while Jeff survived. Jeff is

Sheldon "RIP" Brown

2008-02-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Harris Cyclery friends and customers,It is with heavy hearts that we convey to you the news that Sheldon Brown has passed away. Our thoughts go out to his family at this time. The cycling community has lost one of it's most passionate members.Just saw this on a popular bike mechanics forum and MR's site. Sheldon Brown passed away from a major heart attack. If you ever tinkered with your bike

I Finally Podiumed!

2008-02-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

Got to the podium. Too bad it was in my running shoes and not on the bike. But I'll take a podium spot in any sport at this point.See my race report on the East Beach 5K race on my running blog.

Monster.com

2008-01-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

It's Plug Time

2008-01-28T10:32:00.000-05:00

No not hair plugs for men (although it has crossed my mind a few times).I'm talking about local races on wheels and foot.First off, it's the VA BAR Suffolk Weekend Kickoff (sounds like a good name, huh?). Saturday, March 15th is time for the VBW Smackdown. No taps-outs allowed here as Joshua and the VA Beach Wheelmen bring back the old crit course back to life in the Sleepy Hole section of

Vah Beach Approves Cycling Safety Resolution

2008-01-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

It's a good step towards safer roads. Ed's note: Read the stupid comments at the end of the column to get your blood boiling such as this typical one: "Face it! You are NOT Lance Armstrong. I'm sure if you hit a top speed of 25mph it will only be for a few seconds before your spandex squeezed lungs will let you know you shouldn't have eaten that other donut.")http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/

n + 1, Where n is the number motorists angry at cyclists

2008-01-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

A recent article on the proposal in VA Beach for the Multi-Modal Accommodation Resolution (shown with a picture of some local cyclists 2 to 3 wide*) spawned over 60 reader comments in the local paper on cyclists vs. cars on the road. One Pilot editor puts his perspective on the situation.*There were only five cyclists and approaching a stop sign so they began to fan out. The picture makes it look

L. H. (Ronnie) Thomson

2008-01-17T08:24:00.000-05:00

The Master of the Thomson MasterpieceAs an owner of several Thomson seatposts and stems, I can say that these are the best engineered components on my bikes. The seatpost clamp design only requires a few turns to adjust the seat angle and the stems don't budge or slip under pressure.Thomson is so well-respected in his hometown of Macon, GA that the local cycling club organizes an annual Thomson

Yoga! Yoga! Yoga!

2008-01-16T12:35:00.000-05:00

After suffering from a Grade 1 (minor) hamstring pull the other night at Velocity training (pic courtesy of KH) while attempting to outsprint a CAT 3 BAR Winner (ok - so it was off the bike), I decided to rethink my need to increase my overall body flexibility. Prior to cycling, I only did strength training by putting as much weight on a bar and push, press, squat or curl. Stretching and

Random Articles - One Even Cycling Related

2008-01-15T20:47:00.001-05:00

I thought Virginia is For Lovers?It's only been 3 years but VA is back in the news with a bill that is being proposed in Richmond. Remember the "droopy drawers" bill that got national attention a few years back that VA tried to pass? Now we have the "balls" to hit some drivers where it hurts. Read about it.More Bike Lanes (just not on my route)1/2 around the world (at least from me), read how a

Lights - My Current Setup and Reviews

2008-01-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

With the warmer than usual weather experienced in the '757' lately, I've been able to get off the trainer at night and ride outside. Seeing the various lights (and having light envy) on other bikes and with the recent Roadbikereview.com light review, I decided to do my own review on my light setup. I hope this info will be helpful to those looking to ride at night.Roadbikereview.com is doing

Team Ride Video

2008-01-07T01:02:00.000-05:00

Video of the AAB Racing team ride from Chesapeake, VA to Knotts Island and back.For a bigger picture, it can also be viewed at Stage 6.

Sunday Ride Preview

2008-01-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

I took the Oregon Scientific ATC2K video camera out on Sunday's team ride and will have a video soon. It was a great ride with 15 riders with two VB Wheelmen riding along too (Goyet brothers). Sunny, alot of wind and temps in the high 60s at ride time. We traveled along the "country roads" of Hickory, Pungo, Creeds, Blackwater and onto Knotts Island in Carolina and back. I don't why, but this

What a difference a (few) days makes

2008-01-06T09:39:00.001-05:00

After a few indoor training sessions, it'll be great to get outside without freezing. Thanks to Bonnie at the Greenbriar Y for pushing me during her 12:00 spin class on Friday. For you YMCA members in Chesapeake, check out her class - not a bad workout. You'll also see her on occassion on the AAB Saturday morning rides too. Just check out the 3 day forecast temps. Some morning and lunchtime rides

IF...THEN...ELSE

2008-01-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

The geek in me comes out:COBOLIF TEMP <= 35F THEN PERFORM 200-TRAINER-SESSIONELSE PERFORM 300-RIDE-OUTSIDEJAVAimport java.util.Training;public class Train{ public static void main( String [] args ) { Temperature temp = new Temperature( System.in ); System.out.print( "Enter a temp > " ); int temp = temp.nextInt( ); if ( temp <= 35 )

Fun With a Helmet Cam

2007-12-28T23:04:00.000-05:00

Santa brought me one of these for Christmas.Finally got around to messing with it and took it out for a few spins on my "Tour de Park" loop. It's a route from my house to around Oak Grove Lake to the Chesapeake Arboretum and back. Depending on how many laps around the lake, the miles can range from 20mi on up.I ended up doing two 20 mile loops today because my first attempt I had the cam on my

Fun With DMV

2007-12-18T15:32:00.000-05:00

VA Drivers love their vanity plates. There are over 150+ specialized plates a vehicle owner can purchase in the Old Dominion.Back when I spent more time on the surfboard and less time on the bike, I had this plate. "Dude! No, it doesn't mean to surf high, Officer...Haven't you heard of Hatteras Island?"After too many stoners drove up beside me and gave me the thumbs-up on their approval of my

All Work and No Play

2007-12-17T13:15:00.001-05:00

It's been 72 hours (and counting) since my butt has been on a saddle and it's making me feel like "Jack". Granted it's been blowing gale force winds and rained (another similarity to the movie except the rain is snow). My new neighbor has a limp similar to "Scatman Crothers". I couldn't even get myself to take a few circles around the block - just like the little kid did on his Big Wheel doing

Mitchell Report

2007-12-13T13:32:00.001-05:00

Looks like the hammer is dropping on the old pastime today with the release of the Mitchell Report (Clemens and Pettitte named already). This will be the equivalent to Operación Puerto in cycling. Like Floyd, do you think Barry Bonds will be doing a US tour to defend his drug accusations to save his home run record? (Ed's note - I'm a big Bonds fan. I saw him play when he first came to the

It's Casual Day Everyday

2007-12-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

Commute to work: 30 seconds - would have been 25 seconds but I gave the bambino an extra hug.Began this week with a trial run of working from home everyday. If everything goes OK - I'll do this everyday beginning in January and give up my cube downtown, sitting in traffic and wasting gas. I already work from home 2 days a week so this isn't a big adjustment.Besides the obvious advantages of

Banana!

2007-12-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I find this pic so funny - maybe because I ate dirt a few times this cross season.Photo by Matthew Cardinal.For us Mid-Atlantic crossers that had the luxury of 70 degree, sunny and dry race conditions, see more pics on how the other half lived in the soggy PNW at race.cx.

Choice of Words

2007-12-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

I should be more careful in choosing how I word my blog entries - (Man's)Ass and a Pole. While searching thru my Sitemeter stats I came across this below. I'm sure the searcher was disappointed when she(he?) saw no man's rear-end and had to settle for a cross race report.I'd hate to see how many extra hits Trek rider "XXXTodd" gets.

Macadamia Nuts and other goodies

2007-12-06T01:17:00.000-05:00

Since I failed to ride today - it snowed some (a trace) while I'm visiting my mom here in Frednecksburg. I got lazy so my bike and trainer never left my truck. Rather than spinning and sweating on my mom's hardwood floors, I did the next best thing: dropped in a DVD and ate a bunch of chocolate covered macadamia nuts, dried mango and other contraband she smuggled back from her trip to Hawaii and

Smile For The Camera

2007-11-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

The photos are back from the "photo-shoot" several of us were a part of earlier this month. The photos taken will be used to promote Chesapeake tourism - hopefully they won't include this mean looking photo on their brochure or website. See more photos at the All About Bikes Racing website.

A Party No-No

2007-11-25T17:09:00.000-05:00

You know the rules about parties - no shop talk, no politics and no religion. That way nobody gets offended, bored or overzealous and everyone has a good time.Well, that rule holds true in my blogger world too. Although I seperate my blogs by topic (cycling - personal and race team, family, and other personal interests), I will sometimes come across a topic that relate to all of my blogs. I will

What a Difference a Year Makes

2007-11-18T22:57:00.000-05:00

Travel back to November 26 of last year when I did my first cyclocross race at Trashmore. I was riding a 24lbs Specialized HT Stumpjumper. I practically stopped to unclip to dismount and the same for the remount. I got lapped by the leaders and finished 24th out of 31. I remembered every lap hurt.I had a good time "racing" (racing used very loosely) and could feel the cross juices enter my blood.

Don't Be a JAM

2007-11-09T14:16:00.000-05:00

JAM - no, not the kind you spread on bread to make a PBJ nor the 70/80's punk band, "The Jam" and not the abbreviation for "just a minute" for you online chat-a-holics. If Java Application Manager entered your mind then you've found this blog in error and go back to Sun. And it's definitely not referring to GamJAMs.net from my previous post.JAM - Jack Ass MotoristScenario: Thursday night AAB

Be A GamJams Ambassador

2007-11-07T20:45:00.000-05:00

Mike May, creator of GamJams.net - the blog of blogs for the VA, MD, DC (VCA and D20) racing scene has put together a package to be an "Ambassador for GamJams.net". Check out the details here:http://www.gamjams.net/ambassadorapplication.htmlBasically, if race and blog about it, Mike will hook you up with some swag from sponsor deals to try out products and blog about it. Maybe it's a wheelset or

2 X 2 Part 2

2007-10-28T18:56:00.000-04:00

Another double-shot X 2 weekend - this time in Richmond.Raced 35+ and C races @ the muddy Chimborazo Saturday and the same races on Sunday at drier Bryan Park for the Ciclismo race.Race resultsSaturday: 10th 35+ (sounds great, huh, but there were only 12 in my category)7th or 8th in the C race (out of 23-25)Sunday:10th 35+ (woo-hoo, another top 10 - who cares if there were only 12 with one DNF)

58 Minutes

2007-10-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

Since it had been pouring buckets all day, I decided to bring the trainer inside and watch the Hokies.Got the trainer setup and got the blood pumping with the intro. TURN IT UP!You all know what happened - 58 minutes of great Hokie football - no need to rehash it on a blog. I did manage to get a good spin on the trainer to hopefully loosen the legs up for the mudfest this weekend.Both races in

(Man's)Ass and a Pole

2007-10-23T08:40:00.000-04:00

Since the family is out of town, I did not require the mandatory hall pass to travel to this weekend's cross races in Catharpin (Manassas, aka Man's Ass) and Pole Green.Having grown up just down the road from this area and not having been back to Man's Ass since my childhood days, it was great to see that Catharpin did not end up like the rest of N. VA - overcrowded with suburban houses. It was

4 Race Weekend

2007-10-21T23:32:00.000-04:00

Saturday @ Paramount Cross in Catharpin:12th 35+15th CSunday @ Pole Green:11th 35+7th CToo tired to post anything more except a pic. Yes, I ended up crashing 3 times this weekend.

Urban Cross Report: Mandy and a Broken Candy

2007-10-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

Teammate Shawn and I traveled up to beautiful Charlottesville to race the Urban Cross at IX. As we drove 3 hours to race :30 minutes, I mentioned how spoiled we were this past road season with so many races in our backyard. Our longest road trip to race was to Richmond. Now we know how those other racers felt having to travel down congested 64 East practically every other weekend to race. We got

Urban CX at IX

2007-10-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

Bashed Candy and blood on the bike.Need I say more?Race report to follow soon.

No Seagulls Here

2007-10-04T10:35:00.000-04:00

Since I won't be doing the Seagull Century with the rest of the Mid-Atlantic cyclists this weekend, I've mapped out my own little metric century in my neck o' woods that I plan to do at some point this holiday weekend.The Hickory/Pungo MetricHickory/Pungo 62Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

(N Plus One) + 5

2007-09-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

Mike D. is in the process of moving and needed a place to store the bikes temporarily. Just got a little more crowded in the N Plus One garage but the wife can still pull into the garage. Not pictured are the 2 mountain bikes hanging on the opposite wall.

The Joy After the Pain

2007-09-26T11:11:00.000-04:00

Time to relax and take in the sites* after cross practice atop Trashmore. (*I'm talking about the moon and not Young Mark's behind.)Photo courtesy of JB (who made me go thru most of the pain).Besides my fitness, this is what I need to work on most:Find more of these instructional videos on VeloNews TV.

Trashmore Craziness

2007-09-12T13:48:00.000-04:00

Checked out the Tuesday cross "practice" that Crazy and K-dog set up. About a dozen folks showed up including Brownie and Shawn from the team as well as the boys of VBW and Chris, Tim and a few other TP guys. I told Brownie before we started, "at least this won't hurt as bad as the Pungo Death rides on Tuesdays." That was 100% WRONG. Crazy spurted out the route - run up this big hill, ride down

The Quarry Ride

2007-09-11T01:03:00.000-04:00

Went up to see mom in the 'burg this weekend and brought my roadie and mountain bike. There are tons of roads with rolling hills up in her area. But there's one problem - there's too many cars. Found a group ride that heads into Quantico Marine Base on Saturday morning and decided to hook up with them. I grew up close to there and know the area pretty good but somehow I went S when I need to go N

VA CX Series Posted

2007-09-04T09:27:00.000-04:00

2007 VA Cyclocross SeriesWooHoo!A few more races added this year and add to that some MABRA races and that makes a fun fall. (Pending approval from the "house" budget and travel committee)Unfortunately, there's some conflicts in my schedule. IronCross or Urban Cross. Yorktown Du that we're sponsoring is the same weekend as the Pole Green weekend. The Tidewater Mtn Bike Challenge falls on the

Labor Day Ride

2007-09-03T13:25:00.000-04:00

Met up with Kim and the group out of GB Cyclery for a fun and fast ride to S. Mills. Total miles ended up with 65 and a 21.5 avg speed.GB Cyclery to S. Mills 65Find more Bike Rides in Chesapeake, VirginiaSunday I caught up with the Virginia Beach Wheelmen team on their cx training ride in the 'switch. These guys (and girl) will be a team to watch in the race series this year. I rode a lap or so

Pungo Death Ride

2007-08-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

My wife actually talked me into doing a ride Tuesday. I think she said, "you know you only have like 5 weeks until THAT cross race you keep talking about." (referring to the IronCross). So I hit the Tuesday niter. Good to see Fat Frogs well represented as well as the usual faces. Used the IBike powermeter again. You'll see the speed go from 20 to 30 about 25 minutes into the ride for about 5

What Was I Thinking?

2007-08-26T19:42:00.000-04:00

Now that the race season is over for me, I decided to do "other" things with my Saturday mornings rather than hit the group ride. Also, I'm forcing myself for some time off the bike too. Fortunately there was a 3' swell going on so I threw the longboard on top and hit 79th street. (I came very close to packing the cx bike too just to do some runs at Seashore but I'm committed to taking time off)

Look Who's 40

2007-08-22T14:20:00.000-04:00

I can't remember alot of things today like project deadlines at work, first names of people I just met or laps left in a crit without peeking at the lapboard but I do remember the first time I ate a Big Mac 35 years ago. Now that the season is over I can enjoy one of these again. (But a Five Guys burger is much better)Big Mac museum commemorates town's contribution to famous burgerAssociated

Final Season Races Wrap-Up

2007-08-13T10:27:00.001-04:00

Headed into the final weekend of races (for me) with limited training the past 2 weeks. With out of state (WA) family in town and daily trips to the beaches with 6 kids didn't leave much time to ride. The only time I found was the 4 bike-commuting trips to downtown Norfolk during that time.I had low-confidence in my fitness going into Saturday's CAT4 race at the Chesapeake Criterium. I had made

Chesapeake Crit CAT 4

2007-08-11T16:37:00.000-04:00

My first CAT 4 Crit at the Chesapeake Criterium. Picked up a 14th place. Here are some pics of the race. Weekend write up tomorrow after the PLT Time Trial.

How Appropriate to Wear My Disco Kit Today

2007-08-10T10:36:00.000-04:00

I wore my Disco kit on this mornings ride to celebrate the official break up today. Disco announce back earlier in the year that they would end their sponsorship.Discovery gives up sponsor huntRumour had Starbucks stepping up as a sponsor but that fell thru.It will be intersting to see who signs with who. Big George is pretty much with T-Mobile. Will Slipstream have the money for Levi after

Ebay Scam

2007-08-06T12:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest ebay scam that I got in my inbox:Notice the url for the product - looks legit - http://cgi.ebay.com/...Too bad that it redirects to a link http://luptat......dkfdi.pochta.ru/ that will cause all hell to break loose on your pc. The .ru is a java runtime extension. By clicking the link on the email, it will trigger some demons that will hide in your pc.And how did the scammer know

Plus One

2007-08-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

Finished my new commuter/cross pit bike build.Motobecane Fantom Cross Frameset ($cheap)Ultegra/Tiagra/Truvativ Components (take-offs)Shown with cross tires (Schwalbe Marathons for commuting)$250 total (w/ commuter tires)

1st CAT 4 Race

2007-08-03T18:59:00.000-04:00

Entered the PLT TT #2 as a CAT 4. I looked at the age-graded category but the 40-44 field was stacked with some fast old guys that can TT. So I stuck in the 4s and was guarenteed a top 15 (as long as I finished since there were only 15 registered).I debuted the new Zipp (used but new to me) and my dorky TT helmet.The new equipment must have helped because I put in my PR for the course at 57:54 (

Daily Commute - Test Run

2007-07-22T19:58:00.000-04:00

So I decided a few days ago that I'd like to start commuting to work a few days of the week on the bike. Several decisions had to be made:1. Which bike?2. Which route?3. Can I go all day without a shower?4. Bike parking?Initial Answers:1. Rebuilt my Fuji Newest thinking that would be a good choice for a commuter. I picked up some 700x28 Conti Gator Skins for the extra durability and flat

Woohoo

2007-07-20T13:26:00.000-04:00

Request to change category from Cat 5 to Cat 4Status: Closed and ApprovedDate Closed: 07-20-07

Slow and Scary vs. Fast and Fun

2007-07-16T23:24:00.000-04:00

Those were the two CAT 5 races this weekend - Slow and Scary vs. Fast and Fun. P-town (read previous post) was a C pace ride compared to the Peake on Sunday. I sat in and barely worked on Saturday's race. I sat back waiting for a strong wheel to go but nothing happened until the final lap. And taking those turns on Saturday with the field in a pack was a scary moment each time around.On

Tour de P-Town

2007-07-14T21:08:00.001-04:00

Hung out in P-town to ride around the 1 mile course through beautiful historic Olde Town. Home of the Commodore Theatre. The only theatre I'd go since they don't allow cell phones and it's a dinner theatre so you don't have someone kicking your seat. But that still doesn't stop someone talking back at the screen. OK, back to racing. Beautiful day for a race - some wind to cool you down but not

Time to CAT Up

2007-07-02T14:53:00.000-04:00

"Your license is pended awaiting approval by USA Cycling of a category change."I better keep these standing because they'll just go down in the 4s.Your USCF Individual Time Trial Cat 5 Standings 1 Rank in your zip code (23xxx) 12 Rank in your state (VA) 4 Rank in your riding age (40) 17 Rank in 5 year age range (40-44) 26 Rank in 10 year age range (40-49) 95 Overall Rank Your USCF Criterium

Short Track Racing at the Southside Speedway

2007-07-01T20:36:00.000-04:00

Popped up the road to the outskirts of Richmond for the Go Fast Turn Left #2 (was actually the first one since the GFTL #1 was cancelled). Held at the Southside Speedway - dubbed "The Toughest Short Track in the South". It was a good setup to watch the entire race since the track is .33 miles. This maybe my last 5 race since all my other teammates have CAT'd up and left me solo in this race. I

Amphib Assault and a Painful Peter (Teeuwen TT)

2007-06-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

I finally got to race after a month of no race weekends. Last week's TCC crit was held under TS Barry conditions (where only 9 CAT 5 guys raced). That course is sketchy during dry conditions.The Amphibious Assault Crit or Senior VA State Criterium Championship was held at Little Creek Amphibious Base. The course was around about a dozen amphibious assualt vehicles (hence the name of the race).

Windy Downtown Crit

2007-05-06T19:37:00.000-04:00

First off, thanks to Tripower for putting on a great venue today. They had a tough task to get pedestrians wandering onto the course and keeping the tents from blowing away in the Elizabeth river.The weather alerts starting coming in Saturday night with high wind adviseries. Winds from 25-40 were forecasted with gusts up to 55. At least they're calling for the rain to end overnight. During our

Snowball Crit #1

2007-04-29T22:52:00.000-04:00

Hit the rescheduled February Snowball race today. Beautiful 75 degree day with some moderate winds.After last weeks disappointing effort at Casey, I was determined to get a better finish today. There was about 34 in the field today and the majority was from 4 teams. We had 6 guys and Fat Frogs had about 10 it seemed. The Kitty Hawk guys showed up and the Casey crew were strongly represented.I got

Tom Poo-nen

2007-04-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

And you wonder why nobody wanted to help him chase down the leaders at last week's Paris Roubaix.

We Are Hokies...We Are Hokies...We Are Hokies

2007-04-17T22:28:00.000-04:00

My prayers go out to my friends at Hokie Nation.

Tuesday Pungo Death Ride

2007-04-10T11:07:00.000-04:00

Tuedsay Night GB CycleryShare your bike routes @ Bikely.comThe goal is to make it past Blackwater before falling off the back. Last week I made it almost down to the firestation. Hopefully we won't have the wind as a factor today(which seemed like a headwind no matter which direction we went). There was a good showing

Langley Speedway - Racing is a Team Sport

2007-04-01T20:57:00.000-04:00

Cycling is a team sport. I'm not thinking of my 30+ finish but being able to help my teammates out by putting in my effort. I was thrilled that Steven and Joe got 3rd and 4th respectively and hopefully I contributed to their placing in the final laps by moving towards the front of the peloton and blocking so the pack won't catch my teammates. I know I was able to slow the pack down to the mid 20'

Demoralized by the Canal

2007-03-31T22:47:00.000-04:00

Once again, I get to the race site (5 miles from the house) 2 hours before my start time and I still don't get in a good warmup. I did set up the trainer next to Joe and he was jammin' some club tunes out of the Honda.As far as the team did, Skinny Steve got a 6th, Joe 11th and just out of the points (16th) was Chris K. and his phat new Orbea TT bike. Chris G ( Mr. white shorts) had a top 20 and

Birthday Weekend

2007-03-25T20:41:00.000-04:00

It wasn't exactly my birthday yet (it's Tuesday the 27th), but I had a pretty good weekend.Saturday started with the usual Saturday morning ride and with the nice weather and the season just kicking off, it was to be a hammerfest. I decided to take the Team Issue out after just upgrading the drivetrain to DA. Everything shifted fine but within the first few miles up to the meet up spot, I

1st Race of Truth

2007-03-18T17:56:00.000-04:00

A Time Trial or TT (aka The Race of Truth). The truth caught up to me around the 50 minute mark or around mile 18. After a short tour of downtown Suffolk and asking the locals how to get to the White Marsh Rd ("ya go dan dis road here and hang a riiight at the Feather 'n Fin"), I finally made it at the race start around 710a to help setup. Even with getting there almost 3 HOURS BEFORE my start

1st Race of the Season - Snowball Crit #2

2007-03-14T11:03:00.000-04:00

It was a nice day for racing with temps in the 50s and sunny. Some windy conditions but the course was protected by trees and buildings.I felt good warming up. I had a cold 3 days prior to the race and didn't know how my conditioning would be.As far as the race went, my teammates got a 1st, 2nd and a 5th (out of a field of 45) and another 4 teammates finishing within the pack. I, unfortunately,