Getting out for a ride with Chris

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Snuck out for a ride this afternoon with Chris and we hit up some of the local snowmobile trails. It was great to get out and made me realize I've been missing the boat this winter when I get out on the cross bike- the snowmobile trails are the place to be!

We ended up riding about 1/3 of the TWAFHGGPT route, and Chris finished much stronger than his last time out on some of these trails. We both hit the deck a couple times trying to make it across glaze ice, but no damage was done. The 29'er with Rampages was the tool- the only other bike I would have wanted would have been a pugsley. We even took a short spin out on the lake, just to say we did.


When we got back we did a quick wash down of the bikes and then I noticed that a package was on the front steps, it was my SRAM order. Sweet! The funny part was I couldn't remember what I had ordered- but then it dawned on me- a bunch of stems to keep working on fit, chains and cassettes and a new crank for K's cross bike.


In the end- a great day, started with a skin up and ski down over at Shawnee Peak where I ran into another skier I know on his first trip skinning up. A good day at work followed by a great "lunch" ride. Hmmmm how to cap the day off....

ride on,

DEA

Utah trip

The NorthEast has been suffering through a very tough stretch of no new snow. We had a nice base but a few weeks ago we had a terrible day of warmer temps combined with 3 inches of rain. It decimated the snow cover to the point where it is looking more like April then February. To add insult to injury we have to watch the news and see places like Virginia getting storm after storm. They don't want the snow nor do they even have the capability to deal with the 3+ feet they have gotten and the next dump they are supposed to get later this week.

We want it and can't get it. (sounds like we have an issue)

With the snow drought I have made an escape from the iceball that is Hew Hampshire and head to Park City Utah for the week. So far we have skied/snowboarded three days.

The first day we spent at Solitude which is located about 13 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. We had gotten about 8" of fresh the night before so the riding was spectacular.




The next day we went to The Canyons. Only an inch of new snow but there was still some untracked pow in the trees, so that's where we went.





Yesterday we made the trek over to Snowbasin, the host of the alpine speed events for the 2002 Winter Olympics. It is an amazing place with really impressive views as well as top notch skiing. We were blessed with a bluebird day and skied from opening til close. Nothing like top to bottom skiing on 3,000 vert.




Today is an off-day for some recovery. Tomorrow we'll be back on the snow. Hope we get some fresh.

JJ

It Takes A Lot of Clothing

I wanted to get out for a ride yesterday. No big deal. The temps weren't crazy cold- upper teens lower 20's, but the wind was pretty strong. I didn't feel like being cold so I bundled up. It was a good ride, out for 75 minutes with a good chunk of climbing.

When I got back I started to strip down and as I did I started laughing. Take a look at this pic and you'll understand why. All this for one ride!

Super Weekend

Friday night we went to see High School Ski Jumping under the lights. It was awesome. I took a video clip with my phone which just doesn't do it justice. My 10yr old, D3 and I worked the jumping comp. as landing spotters to be able to let the officials know how far each jumper flew. We were about 6 feet from them as they either landed in front of us or flew past. What makes this even more cool is that I am told the New Hampshire is the last state in the Country that still has ski jumping in High School. A great Tradition for sure which I guess whichever school is the state champ can also lay claim to the title of National Champs as well.




Saturday we had some amazing weather for January in Pinkham Notch when my wife and I went to Great Glen Trails and took a skate-skiing lesson. We had a blast. You go so much faster than on classical skis. DEA can attest to my limited X-C skiing abilities but I found skating to be more intuitive and I liked the amount of speed you got for the effort you gave. I guess I have some more gear that I need to be on the lookout for. Maybe DEA has some in his garage??????

After 3+ hours of skiing we were wrecked. One problem with skating is once you are cooked there's no easy way to just shuffle along like you can do on classical gear. It's either skate or walk.

We left Great Glen and headed down from Pinkam Notch into Jackson where we stopped at the J-Town Deli where we had a wicked good lunch made fresh by the Anzaldi's who are very nice people and have some of the best food in the area. It's worth stopping in for lunch.

Sunday we had an early morning as D3 had a J5 Giant Slalom race at Wildcat Mountain. We lucked out again with a second bluebird day in Pinkham Notch. The skiing was great. The fresh snow earlier in the week had been expertly groomed into some fine cord. After a while it had broken up and we were just cruising around on the loosened up packed powder. Add temps in the low 30's and the sun and it was almost perfect. D3 had a descent first run in the GS race and was standing in 10th place. The times were pretty close together so that if he laid down a fast second run he could move up a few places. Unfortunately that was not to be. About a third of way into his run he ended up crashing onto his inside hip. It scrubbed all his speed but luckily he didn't have to hike or lose a ski. He got back up and finished the run but the fall had killed his shot at moving up and he dropped instead.

We tried to tell him that crashing is OK, (I've gotten pretty good at it) as long as you were giving it your all and having fun. Hope to have some pics up shortly as we had some awesome views of Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine from Wildcat.

Too bad the forecast for today is 2 inches of rain with temps in the 40's.

JJ

Riffing on JJ's NYR Post

JJ posted a while back about his resolution to "just be better". I've been thinking about that a bit lately as I have been watching from a distance another member (not founding, but member non-the-less) wonder about his future as and dedication to being a bike racer.

I've been getting better on a bike now for well over 30 years. As a kid I dreamed of racing bikes and in my mid teens I got my chance. I was lucky as there was a private school across the street from where I grew up (literally) that had a cycling team. I hung around enough and the coach asked me to ride with them a bit. As fate would have it I would break my leg very badly the next winter and by spring I was in need of some heavy rehab, and my cycling career began in earnest. I had a chance to race for two years with that team, and I got better each year. I had dreams of being great but then reality set in that being one of the top five junior riders in Maine didn't always translate into 7-11 having a contract waiting for you for your 18th birthday.

Still I got better. I raced on and off in college, a couple of incidents with cars that didn't share my enthusiasm for sharing the road tempered my desire to be a road rider. At the time I had had a mountain bike since '88, but didn't do much mountain biking, but being in Vermont in the early 90's I got a chance to ride that wave that was mountain bike fever, even landing a job at a great shop called Skirack. While my road riding languished a bit my mountain biking got better.

While working at Skirack I started getting a bit of a road itch again, and proform on bikes can make an itch a downright irritation that must be dealt with. So I picked up a Cannondale road bike and feel in love with the speed again. It was actually on a road ride (that involved a massive hail storm, a wrong turn that added 30+ miles to the ride, and a crash through a busy intersection that was very wet) that I made up my mind to call a girl to go out on a date with me. That date went very well, in fact I said to myself on that date that I would end up marrying that girl- and 16 years latter I still am married to her.

It was during that time that cycling had moved into not only a passion but part of my livlihood as well as a common theme between K and I. I talked her into buying her first mountain bike and into working at the Skirack as well. Soon she was railing around on a mountain bike with the same passion, and it wasn't long before I watched her take the most awful wreck I've had to watch while we were riding down the face of Jay Peak. She was pretty banged up, but survived. Soon she ended up with a road bike as well (those who live in North Conway may see it from time to time- a white Diamond Back with a Team Betty- Ride Like a Girl sticker on the top tube). But during this time my understanding of cycling and my appreciation for the history of the sport began to grow, and I guess in a way I got better.

Graduation, marriage, new jobs- soon I was running my own shop and was also the head wrench- I got a lot better at working on bikes.

Kids, house, another new job- soon I got good at squeezing in rides when I could and even got my hands dirty promoting events.

Another kid, another house, another new job- I got good at squeezing rides into even less time, and I got good a keeping our growing fleet of kids bikes and trailers working, and I even "owned" a bike race for awhile.

No more new kids, same house, another new job- I got bitten by the racing bug again. I found a new crew to ride with. Jay Challenge presented itself- I was back trying to be a racer again. Epic year of training, stories, and racing. I made some of the best friends I'll ever have- so I'm going with I was still getting better. Heck JJ and I even end up getting the opportunity to ride for Team Bikeman!

Still no more kids, and we still have the house, but now live in another house, and yet another new job- my infatuation with single speed and cyclocross has gotten to a point that I might require medication. I'm now in a place where I need to build trails to ride trails. I'm getting chances to expose kids to cycling, and remember that school that had a cycling team way back at the start of this? Well I work there now and am working on bringing a cycling team back in the coming years. So I'm still feeling like I'm getting better.


I guess my point is that we get better every year, as long as we get out and ride. We may not get faster, we may lose some technical skills, but all in all if we are riding we are getting better in some way. Now get out and ride.

DEA

A shake up of the fleet

It's that time of year when I start dreaming of what I will be riding next year. Unlike past years I don't have any designs on a new race bike. The Mamasita will continue to take up the role of SS race bike, the Chilli Con will serve in the cross department and the Primero will help me out with the handful of road events that I sign up for. However with my advancing age the time has come to bring gears back into the fold, at least part time, in the mountain bike side of the equation. Since I'm bringing back gears I should also consider suspension- so throw some squish under my hands and butt and we're in business.

The game plan is to own one of these:


This of course is the Salsa Big Mama. I'm still torn between the XT version vs the SRAM version. The hangup that I have is with the fork. I'm a big fan of Fox forks, and the SRAM version comes with a Rock Shock fork (or course). The reality is I wouldn't ever notice the difference- but I just had such good luck with the Fox on my SC Blur and the Kona that I had in the previous decade.

I of course still lust for a Big Dummy. But not sure if that is in the cards this year.

That being said I may be in the bike sales world for a bit. I'm looking at maybe (see how committed I am) to selling my Salsa El Mariachi SS. I will also be looking to sell a Trek WSD 1.2 woman's road bike (42cm). I built up K a cross bike spec'd with an older DA kit and with the number of wheels we have lying around and the fact that she puts in maybe 10 days a year on a bike I'm not sure if she needs two road style bikes. I'll get some photos and pricing thoughts pulled together soon, once I talk myself into actually saying goodbye to a bike. Usually JJ ends up with my retired bikes, but I don't see that being the case with this!

That's about it. Work is busy. Skiing is good.

Until next time, Ride on.

DEA

Resolutions

DEA's post made me think some today about the past 10 years. New Years Eve of 1999 we were with some friends at their condo in Vermont Skiing and enjoying ourselves waiting for the end of the computer age.

We still lived in Ohio at that time and I was still an Assistant County Prosecutor. A year later we moved to New Hampshire. About 5 months after moving my wife went to a women's 5 mile running race and I went along with our young son. I was introduced to this very nice woman who had done the race as well and who has a daughter about the same age as our son who went to the same daycare.

Her husband was not there as he was some sort of cyclist/athlete type. Apparently there was some sort of bike race that same day where not so bright folks ride bikes uphill for 21 miles for the fun of it. I was thinking that this dude must be pretty hard corps and a little too much for me. He arrived a little while later and I was introduced to DEA for the first time.

Wow, how things have changed.

I don't think I would have been able to predict how the past 10 years would have gone and come even close to how they actually played out. Not sure there's much I would like to change, except maybe a few specific crashes and trips to the ER.

Looking forward to the next decade???? I imagine I would do just as poorly guessing where I'll be in 2019 so I think that I should focus on the short term instead. So maybe I need a New Years Resolution to sort of set the agenda and see how I do in keeping to that and being a way to control and decide how things go over at least the short term.

A friend of mine said if you publish your new years resolution that it might make you more apt to stick with it since everyone knows what it was and will guilt you into doing or not doing what you said you would. So with the threat of widespread public humiliation I was thinking of some really good ones, but they were either too hard or too easy or unrealistic or just stupid.

So I am left with the resolution to just be better.

Happy New years

JJ

Getting Ready for 2010

Wow, 10 years ago we were all madly planning for the digital world as we knew it to end. So much for that! 1999 ended smoothly and 2000 rolled in and our computers with their MASSIVE 500 megabyte hard drives survived.

At the time I was still in the ski and bike industry and was thinking that I would end up being either a ski or bike rep. At the time I had been talking with Cannondale (they were just getting into the motorcycle and four wheeler business) and had also talked to this place called Seven down in MA. I couldn't be farther from where I thought (well I could but it sounds better to say that I couldn't be) but have ended up right back to where I grew up.

Ten years ago my fleet of personally owned bikes and skis was very small, due to the fact I had a fleet of demo bikes and skis at by beck and call. I do miss that! I also miss weighing 180 lbs without trying. Oh well.

As we shifted from 1999 to 2000 K and I had a 9 month old baby girl and that had meant that the days of K being my daily riding partner had ended.

I'm realizing that in those ten years a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same. I'm still a bit of a cycling fanatic. I still go into way too much detail when I try to explain how road cycling is a team sport. I still get all wide eyed when new bike parts end up in my possession. I still love the sensation of riding a bike, and in some ways I think I enjoy it even more as those hours on the trail or road are even more valuable to me.

Now when I go to races I have a three person pit crew. I now go to some races and help my oldest get ready to race. I have also settled into the reality that my "fast" days are behind me- now the battle begins to not get any slower!

Here is to what is ahead in 2010 and to all that has happened in this past decade. What a crazy time it has been.

DEA

Post TWAFHGGPT Blahhhhhs

The ride came and it went. I had a blast and I think those who went had a great time as well. But now that it is over I've had a bit of a cycling hangover and haven't touched my bike in almost two weeks. That is a long time for me, especially since ski season hasn't started yet (at least for me).

Part of it is that I've been a bit sick for the last week, but I think not being on the bike has contributed to the icky sickys sticking around longer than usual. It's also the end of the semester at work and things have been busy so I guess there are plenty of excuses for not getting out on two wheels.

Ok enough bitching. The 2010 season is only a couple weeks away from starting. All the big teams are rolling out their new kits and bikes and I'm sitting here with a bag full of TWAF t-shirts from 2006 that are still in their "new" condition. So here is my big idea- I really don't need all these t-shirts, but the inner capitalist in me has a hard time just giving them away. So let's make a deal. Offer up a trade, what you've got and how many TWAF t-shirts you want for it. This will either be very interesting or I'll hear crickets. Time will tell.

I other news Lance isn't building RadioShack around him. Riiiiiighhht, and he was happy riding second fiddle to Alberto last summer, leaving and vowing to come back and go for the win. I miss the days when he just put it out there he was going to France to win, granted that was a a decade ago- but this is Lance we are talking about- the Dick Clark of cycling.

Ok enough out of me, ride on and get your holiday shopping done would'da.

DEA

Photos from the TWAFHGGPT

Great letter on Velonews.com

(ripped without permission from velonews.com)

How ‘bout we all ride without brakes?

Dear Editors,
My pickup has a standard transmission, and with careful anticipation and shifting technique, I have found that I really don’t need brakes, so I ditched them. I have really good night vision, too, so I don’t turn my headlights on at night. I also note that both my creativity and my driving get better after 2 or 10 beers.

While “The Man” smothers my hipness by trying to criminalize my expressions of individuality, the true surprise stems from the “holier-than-thou” indignation of the other drivers on the road. It’s as if their lack of exemplary shifting skills and uncanny night vision gives them some sense of entitlement to dictate how I drive! What a downer!

Individuality should be valued and we should all have a choice regarding what kind of bikes we ride, but we have a responsibility to minimize risks when that choice has the potential to impact others. Riding in city traffic can be dangerous, and while I concede that most bike-on-car crash scenarios will turn out badly only for the cyclist, it’s not hard to imagine other cars or pedestrians becoming involved just because the cyclist couldn't stop three feet shorter.

I am sure that many riders could ride a fixie safely in traffic, just as I’m sure that many car drivers can drive safely at 180mph, but that said, who would want the speed limit raised to 180mph on the roads of their favorite weekend ride?

Victor Becker
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

A Great TWAFHGGPT

A great day spent out on the gravel of Western Maine. JJ took some photos that either he or I will get posted soon.

The final roll call:

JJ
A1
DEA
NK
Chris Ames
Mike the Weeble (it just may stick)
Brian Roache aka Ginger Dirty Hippie Boy (not sure that this one will stick)

Mike the Weeble took out the top points for signs and KOM's, however that being said he was on a cross bike racing against SS guys, so on town lines he should have cleaned everyone's clocks- however A1 took a VERY impressive town line win at the end of the ride. Anyone who witnesses the sheer speed at which his legs were turning over in those lime green wind pants must have not known what to think. All I could think was a French Canadian that was OD'ing on amphetamines.

I think we all got at least one sign so nobody got skunked. NK had an "issue" which made it a typical TWAF type of ride. He had to bow out early, something about a Pats game (which we made it back for kick off), I think NK just needs to put in some time on the bike, which he will next summer- as he lives 300 yards away, he'll have no choice.

All in all a great time. Look for video from Mike the Weeble. Of if you are me, hope that you don't!

That's it from here.

DEA

It's the Final Countdown.....

The TWAFHGGPT is set for this Sunday. The weather looks to be cooperating and the grinding will take place.

Questions that have been coming my way:

Road/Cross/Mountain bike? Mountain or cross will work Road- only if you are Michelin Mike, and even that might be dangerous.

Is this a race? No, it's a ride. Nobody will be left to die. It's a fun laid back ride. The weather is looking good so hopefully the pace won't be dictated by a need to stay warm.

Will I get wet? Maybe, but if you are careful and it isn't raining or snowing you should be able to stay dry.

Should I bring a tube? Yes, preferably one that fits you wheel.

What should I bring for afterwards? Whatever you'd like. We'll the the grill ready to roll and there will be SOME beverages of various types- so bring what you'd like.

Is there a sagwagon? Sort of. JJ will ride at the back and push anyone along who doesn't feel like riding.

How long? About 20 miles, about two hours. Or it could be something entirely different.

What should I wear? Clothing. If temps are in the 40's- you'll want warmer gloves and shoe covers of some sort- an old pair of wool socks works well- but they will be sacrificed for the cause. A light wind jacket. A beanie under your helmet. A vest in your pack just in case. Tights.

Do I get a nick name? Oh you very well may.

That's it for now.

DEA

TWAF Holiday Gravel Grinder Promo

A Ride With K

The weather had me wondering if it really was November. Blue sky, mild temps, dry ground. Hmmmm, maybe there is something to this global climate change that has an upside (until it stops snowing, grumble, grumble).

I guilted my wife into going for a ride. At first she was enthused, then not so much. Then she was enthused, until I said we'd be out for over an hour. But she rallied and we headed out the door. The temps were comfortable, but she doesn't ride very often so she wasn't sure what to wear- it took a bit but soon we were moving and she was comfortable with the hat and glove selection and we began to pick of the kilometers.

This was her maiden voyage on the cross bike I had built up for her. Big Al and World Bikeman.com HQ had pointed me to a screaming deal on a KHS cross frame and an Origin 8 Carbon fork. I looked at it as a deal I couldn't pass up and used it as a good way to hang an older Dura Ace kit on a bike, and not have it be my bike- everyone wins!


Here is bike post ride (K manages to stay much cleaner than I do on a ride- how does she do that?)

Anyway we headed out on part of the TWAFHGGPT route and soon found an old car. Here Karen is checking it out, thinking it just needs a bit of work.



We tooled along enjoying the gravel and great weather, and I kept pointing up to where we were heading. K wasn't so sure and I kept expecting her to be way behind me and walking, but instead she was glued to my rear wheel and forced me to ride harder than I had planned- oh well.

We eventually got to the top and enjoyed some great views (unfortunatly the 15 day forecast says on TWAFHGGPT that we will have snow and clouds so maybe no view).

We ran into a group of four wheelers, and much to my surprise it was a group of women. Not sure why that surprised me, but it did- good to see them out having fun.

We tooled on down to Vacationland Campground and followed a snowmobile trail to another road that took us down the western side of Crystal lake. At first K thought for sure I was going to get us lost, so I asked her, "do I ever take you on routes where I'm not sure where I am going?" Her answer was just a look. Ok so maybe she has a point. But in this case I knew where we were.

We cruised it home and spent the rest of the day watching football, running around outside with the dogs and kids on the athletic fields that are empty right now as the kids are all home for Thanksgiving break, and then I found some Geary's Winter and the Pat's game and went into full on American Male mode.

It was great to get out with K and I think she'll do it again, as long as I promise to know where I'm going.

Ride On. DEA

State Lines

Getting the state line is not near as much fun when you are riding by yourself. Regardless Sunday afternoon was like a carbon copy of Saturday. Did another hour and twenty in the woods. Almost 1k of climbing over 10 miles.

JJ

DEA making me feel guilty

I was sitting on my couch watching the Ohio State/Michigan game when I saw the DEA had put up a post mentioning he was going for a ride. It was a beautiful Fall afternoon, unseasonably warm in fact. I hemmed and hawed about going so I txt'd A1 to see if he wanted to go. I figured that if he was in I would go. He was not. He had kid duty. I was on my own. It was about 3 and I thought I had about an hour and a half before sunset.


One goal of the ride was to avoid having to cross any significant water. I got the SS and started out. It was really a nice day. Hard to believe it was late November. I wore my blaze orange shirt over my jersey as it is full on deer season here in New Hampshire and I didn't want to end up on the hood of some pickup truck being mistaken for a trophy buck.

It was pretty quiet in the woods. Did not see any hunters but did see a couple pickups parked with no one inside so I knew there were some armed fellas in the woods with me. Always seems that my head is on a swivel when I know this.




The ride was good. A touch over 10 miles of riding in an hour and 17 minutes of riding with 935 feet of climbing. Even better, Ohio State beat Michigan and I didn't get my feet wet.

Hoping to get out tomorrow with A1, we shall see. Have to make a run to Sunday River to take my oldest there for a 3 day ski racing camp. Just doesn't seem like we should be skiing yet.

JJ

Thinking riding, writing skiing

It's that time of year when I need to transition into a ski writer for my weekly ski columns in the Mountain Ear (they usually end up over here a couple weeks later). Of course right now I am getting ready to head out for a ride while writing about skiing- it's sort of messing with my head. See I have a last minute goal to put in another 300 outdoor miles in before 2009 goes the way of fiscal respnosibility in Washington. This week looks to be in my favor as it'll be warm and skiing will be on hold, but I'm not planning on piling in 300 miles in a week. Once we get to cold temps and snow on the ground my two wheel desire will transition to a two plank desire and I'll be all about skiing for awhile (except for the Gravel Grind of course!)

With that said- today it's about the bike. So time to kit up and head out the door. I'm hoping I may get in some time on the trails tomorrow with JJ- time will tell, I'll just need to convince him that it isn't ski season just yet first!

DEA

Gravel Grind promo

Ok so I shot some video with my cell phone that will likely make you sick trying to watch, but figured I'd post it (unedited.

However- some great views and good gravel- keep the 6th open!

TWAF Holiday Gravel Grinder