WAHOO! ASYLUM's are in!
yep, they arrived at the shop today and as i type, they are being created into works of mountain bike art by my head wrench dan the man over at the 'goat.
ah.... all is well. it's friday, it's almost 5, and it's the end of the world as we know it. and i feel fine. (little R.E.M. at ya)
i'll update the blog later with the parts list...
gotta roll...
sologoat out.
4.29.2005
4.28.2005
04.28.05 - 3 hour jaunt
hola goat fan.
just back from a moderate tempo 3 hour ride, nothing fancy.
on the ipod list tonight:
1. dj dangermouse - grey album
2. paul oakenfold - transport full
3. dj tiesto - summerbreeze
finally made some updates on the k-monkey:
1. mavic speedcity wheels. 29r wheels with disc hub and conventional rim. heavy, but functional.
2. avid mecahnical brakes. disc brakes for somebody who doesn't want to deal with hyrdolics yet (though, they will be on my race bikes - dan the man can work on anything!).
3. cheap-o serfas grips.
not too much going on, pretty much fully recovered from iowa. putting that behind me, just planning out the next two months is getty nutty with my schedule, so i am meeting with jim b for a top secret mission on saturday. goal - train as hard as i can and not totally cook myself.
so this weekend, couple of back/back crits on saturday and then a road race on sunday. nothing like an enduro freak chasing around a bunch of cat 1's and former pro's all day. but, saturday AM the first race of the day is 3/4 race so i may have a little bit of a chance there.
asylums - apparantly, they are off at ano. not too worked up about them yet, got the hardtail asylum and a slew of other bikes to choose from.
that's it -
sologoat out
just back from a moderate tempo 3 hour ride, nothing fancy.
on the ipod list tonight:
1. dj dangermouse - grey album
2. paul oakenfold - transport full
3. dj tiesto - summerbreeze
finally made some updates on the k-monkey:
1. mavic speedcity wheels. 29r wheels with disc hub and conventional rim. heavy, but functional.
2. avid mecahnical brakes. disc brakes for somebody who doesn't want to deal with hyrdolics yet (though, they will be on my race bikes - dan the man can work on anything!).
3. cheap-o serfas grips.
not too much going on, pretty much fully recovered from iowa. putting that behind me, just planning out the next two months is getty nutty with my schedule, so i am meeting with jim b for a top secret mission on saturday. goal - train as hard as i can and not totally cook myself.
so this weekend, couple of back/back crits on saturday and then a road race on sunday. nothing like an enduro freak chasing around a bunch of cat 1's and former pro's all day. but, saturday AM the first race of the day is 3/4 race so i may have a little bit of a chance there.
asylums - apparantly, they are off at ano. not too worked up about them yet, got the hardtail asylum and a slew of other bikes to choose from.
that's it -
sologoat out
4.25.2005
04.25.05 - goat in iowa two
goat in iowa two
Originally uploaded by solo_goat.
now i am one the bike, headed back to the hotel after a one hour ride.
it is only 5:30pm when this shot was taken.
50 degrees and windy in iowa. little did i know, i would come back to 30 degrees and snow in ohio.
as an old song from they might be giants goes...
and now i know, that when it rains it snows...
sologoat out.
04.25.05 - goat in iowa one
goat in iowa one
Originally uploaded by solo_goat.
here is a pic of my pre-race warm up ride on friday.
note my smile - laughing at the fact that i stood on one side of the road and spit.
with the slight help of a 38mph wind, it cleared the road and the landed in the grass some 30 feet away.
oh joy.
4.24.2005
04.24.05 - TRANS(WIND)IOWA update
hey all - just got back from iowa.
check out the site: JEFF KERKOVE BLOG
or: TRANSIOWA BLOG
well, i didn't finish. neither did the race organizer jeff kerkove and neither did hailed moots man curiac.
wind was the culprit of our demise - it was blowing straight north to south with a sustained 22mph crosswind, gusting up to 35mph.
friday i went out for a one hour ride. huge storms were blowing out of the state bringing in a cold front with cold temps and sustained winds at 15mph, gusting to 38mph. i rode some of the roads that we were going to race on just to make sure i had made the right tire selection. the kenda mutano raptors in the 35 version were a good selection, but the winds were horrific. blowing straight north to south.
so i went back after an hour of riding and checked out the weather, wishing for the winds to die down and blow in a more west to east direction.
well, saturday came and i only got one of my wishes - the winds died down to gusts of 35mph. woopie.
raced started fast as some cyclocrosser's set the pace with their skinny tires. this pace soon had the group of 51 splintered. the first group had 4 guys on cross bikes, the next group (which i was in) had about 8 of us.
cross winds caused splits in our group. the road was so gravel covered that there was only about a 2-3 foot section of road you could really ride on so there was no hiding from the wind. sometimes, when i was actually seated on the bike, the wind would blow so hard that it would literally push me across the road 3-4 inches.
so, our group splintered, regrouped, splintered. this must of happened at least a dozen times. then at about 70 or so miles, i found myself alone on the road in iowa. for the next 55 miles, i rode and fought the wind. legs were feeling good, but i was getting demoralized with the constant unrelenting wind.
the first and only check point was at 128 miles. the next "unofficial" check point was a park 50 miles away (at the 180 mile mark) which you had to get to by 10pm because it was at a state park and they would not open the gate to let you in as it closes at that point.
curiac and the only other ohio'ian in the race caught me about 120 miles. i road with them for about 5 miles, and right before the check point they dropped me. they probably came in about 3-5 minutes ahead of me.
the check point was 128 miles. i came in at 11.25 hours. hmmmm.... let's do the math:
128miles/11.25hours = 11.377777777777777 miles per hour
11.377777777777777 miles per hour = slow as molasses
i was honestly expecting to be at this check point in 8.5 hours, roughly. with slight tail winds, a 15mph average would be very realistic. i was expecting curiac, kerkove and myself to be running a very tight race.
that was not to be - i decided to bag it. with my average speed at under 12mph, the constant wind and the fact that i have some races coming up next month, i packed it in. i am pretty upset, but am hoping that this decision will help me in the upcoming month.
good news is that my hands are in great shape (first race i did with disc brakes!) and my legs are feeling pretty good despite a hard 11 hours in them.
next week - 1 road race on sunday and two criteriums on saturday. a few more crit's, and then 3 solo events in may.
humbled by the wind, weary from my travels, but now more determined then ever...
sologoat out.
check out the site: JEFF KERKOVE BLOG
or: TRANSIOWA BLOG
well, i didn't finish. neither did the race organizer jeff kerkove and neither did hailed moots man curiac.
wind was the culprit of our demise - it was blowing straight north to south with a sustained 22mph crosswind, gusting up to 35mph.
friday i went out for a one hour ride. huge storms were blowing out of the state bringing in a cold front with cold temps and sustained winds at 15mph, gusting to 38mph. i rode some of the roads that we were going to race on just to make sure i had made the right tire selection. the kenda mutano raptors in the 35 version were a good selection, but the winds were horrific. blowing straight north to south.
so i went back after an hour of riding and checked out the weather, wishing for the winds to die down and blow in a more west to east direction.
well, saturday came and i only got one of my wishes - the winds died down to gusts of 35mph. woopie.
raced started fast as some cyclocrosser's set the pace with their skinny tires. this pace soon had the group of 51 splintered. the first group had 4 guys on cross bikes, the next group (which i was in) had about 8 of us.
cross winds caused splits in our group. the road was so gravel covered that there was only about a 2-3 foot section of road you could really ride on so there was no hiding from the wind. sometimes, when i was actually seated on the bike, the wind would blow so hard that it would literally push me across the road 3-4 inches.
so, our group splintered, regrouped, splintered. this must of happened at least a dozen times. then at about 70 or so miles, i found myself alone on the road in iowa. for the next 55 miles, i rode and fought the wind. legs were feeling good, but i was getting demoralized with the constant unrelenting wind.
the first and only check point was at 128 miles. the next "unofficial" check point was a park 50 miles away (at the 180 mile mark) which you had to get to by 10pm because it was at a state park and they would not open the gate to let you in as it closes at that point.
curiac and the only other ohio'ian in the race caught me about 120 miles. i road with them for about 5 miles, and right before the check point they dropped me. they probably came in about 3-5 minutes ahead of me.
the check point was 128 miles. i came in at 11.25 hours. hmmmm.... let's do the math:
128miles/11.25hours = 11.377777777777777 miles per hour
11.377777777777777 miles per hour = slow as molasses
i was honestly expecting to be at this check point in 8.5 hours, roughly. with slight tail winds, a 15mph average would be very realistic. i was expecting curiac, kerkove and myself to be running a very tight race.
that was not to be - i decided to bag it. with my average speed at under 12mph, the constant wind and the fact that i have some races coming up next month, i packed it in. i am pretty upset, but am hoping that this decision will help me in the upcoming month.
good news is that my hands are in great shape (first race i did with disc brakes!) and my legs are feeling pretty good despite a hard 11 hours in them.
next week - 1 road race on sunday and two criteriums on saturday. a few more crit's, and then 3 solo events in may.
humbled by the wind, weary from my travels, but now more determined then ever...
sologoat out.
4.20.2005
04.19.05 - visions of iowa are dancing in my head
or should i say, visions of a DRY IOWA are dancing in my head. looks like it is clearing out for transiowa, but i will take a wild venture to say it could be muddy.
nothing can be as bad as my first 24 hours. literrally 6-8 inches of mud in some sections. yes, it sucked.
anyhoo, check out the transiowa blogspot here:
TRANSIOWA BLOGSPOT HERE!
and, check out the jeff kerkove's spot here:
JEFF KERKOVE BLOGSPOT HERE!
just for yo' info, jeff is the organizer of the enduro dream of a race TRANSIOWA. check it out - have to see his "hey, your shirt is too small" photo gallery.
and as i pack for iowa, here is the hammer/e-cap stuff i'll be using:
1. hammer gel
2. enduroltye caps
3. race caps
4. hammer heed
5. sustained energy
6. anti fatigue caps
everything i use can be found here:
HAMMER GEL/E-CAPS HERE!
AND - for those wanting a little discount on their first order (15% discount!) go here:
note: if the page does not apply your discount, please type in the note section and/or call and give them the referral number of 69187 for your discount.
now:
gotta run - have to pack up some stuff, get lights charged, yada, yada, yada, and do a little race across the state of iowa. oh joy.
next update - iowa results.
sologoat out.
nothing can be as bad as my first 24 hours. literrally 6-8 inches of mud in some sections. yes, it sucked.
anyhoo, check out the transiowa blogspot here:
TRANSIOWA BLOGSPOT HERE!
and, check out the jeff kerkove's spot here:
JEFF KERKOVE BLOGSPOT HERE!
just for yo' info, jeff is the organizer of the enduro dream of a race TRANSIOWA. check it out - have to see his "hey, your shirt is too small" photo gallery.
and as i pack for iowa, here is the hammer/e-cap stuff i'll be using:
1. hammer gel
2. enduroltye caps
3. race caps
4. hammer heed
5. sustained energy
6. anti fatigue caps
everything i use can be found here:
HAMMER GEL/E-CAPS HERE!
AND - for those wanting a little discount on their first order (15% discount!) go here:
note: if the page does not apply your discount, please type in the note section and/or call and give them the referral number of 69187 for your discount.
now:
gotta run - have to pack up some stuff, get lights charged, yada, yada, yada, and do a little race across the state of iowa. oh joy.
next update - iowa results.
sologoat out.
4.18.2005
04.18.05 - where have i been?
freaking out about the start of the race season, that is where i have been.
prep time for all the races encompases many an enduro riders life, so when we aren't putting in the hours (or possibly tapering for an event), we tend to go nuts. or at least i do. when you put in 30 hours on a bike in a week, then you cut it to half of that, you have more energy than drinking 100 expressos on an empty stomach.
hence, that is why you should rest.
hmm....
news on the homefront:
1. asylums - back from being polished, off to ano. think i am going to run all black bikes. was supposed to get them both at same time, but due to time constraints, i may end up getting one about two weeks later. oh well.... definetely got the hook up this year with bikes/parts/help in general, so i can wait a few weeks more for cool stuff.
2. heart rate monitors - got my sigma pc-14's to start working. i had a brainiac moment and decided to put a new battery in the strap. dah. works perfect.
3. cateye - running the same little light mr. kerkove is running for his helmet "map reading" light. i have used these before - take three AAA. believe it is the EL200 - because it was the version before the new EL300 which he is running on a slick mount on the fork. anyhoo - cateye makes some pretty cool lights for commuters/racers alike. and - they have some pretty neat-o tail lights as well.
4. lights in motion - doing my last little check of the vega systems. got two of them running downstairs in my basement at the max 4 watt setting to verify the claimed two hour burn time. the lowest setting claims to be an 8 hour burn time, which seemed pretty close to me, but my curiousity was killing me so i had to verify their claims. stay tuned for the results.
5. getting a fit on my IOWA bike tomorrow - better late than never, eh? well, lets just say that a certain somebody you know got one of these wobblenaught fit a week before winning at snowshoe 24 hours last year.
6. just got my mechanical avids for the k-monkey. she will be so happy.
that's it - gotta run. dad is driving with me out to the west side of chicago on thursday, then off to iowa early on friday. should be interesting. hope to get there early, maybe register and get some grub and meet the other riders.
IOWA should be fun - curious to get another look at mike c's 29r (saw it at vegas last year), meet some of the other guys.
gotta go - one more post before IOWA.
sologoat out
prep time for all the races encompases many an enduro riders life, so when we aren't putting in the hours (or possibly tapering for an event), we tend to go nuts. or at least i do. when you put in 30 hours on a bike in a week, then you cut it to half of that, you have more energy than drinking 100 expressos on an empty stomach.
hence, that is why you should rest.
hmm....
news on the homefront:
1. asylums - back from being polished, off to ano. think i am going to run all black bikes. was supposed to get them both at same time, but due to time constraints, i may end up getting one about two weeks later. oh well.... definetely got the hook up this year with bikes/parts/help in general, so i can wait a few weeks more for cool stuff.
2. heart rate monitors - got my sigma pc-14's to start working. i had a brainiac moment and decided to put a new battery in the strap. dah. works perfect.
3. cateye - running the same little light mr. kerkove is running for his helmet "map reading" light. i have used these before - take three AAA. believe it is the EL200 - because it was the version before the new EL300 which he is running on a slick mount on the fork. anyhoo - cateye makes some pretty cool lights for commuters/racers alike. and - they have some pretty neat-o tail lights as well.
4. lights in motion - doing my last little check of the vega systems. got two of them running downstairs in my basement at the max 4 watt setting to verify the claimed two hour burn time. the lowest setting claims to be an 8 hour burn time, which seemed pretty close to me, but my curiousity was killing me so i had to verify their claims. stay tuned for the results.
5. getting a fit on my IOWA bike tomorrow - better late than never, eh? well, lets just say that a certain somebody you know got one of these wobblenaught fit a week before winning at snowshoe 24 hours last year.
6. just got my mechanical avids for the k-monkey. she will be so happy.
that's it - gotta run. dad is driving with me out to the west side of chicago on thursday, then off to iowa early on friday. should be interesting. hope to get there early, maybe register and get some grub and meet the other riders.
IOWA should be fun - curious to get another look at mike c's 29r (saw it at vegas last year), meet some of the other guys.
gotta go - one more post before IOWA.
sologoat out
4.13.2005
04.13.05 - sologoat "grrr-ing"
04.13.05 - double fun day
got a double in today, one in the AM, in the PM. ah, gotta love those early morning rides. i've been brewing up some java before i ride so the minute i get back i got some hot goodness to warm me be up. this morning was 40 degrees! what the?
grrr.... at least it's not raining.
ordered up a ton o' hammer gel/e-caps stuff last night. plenty to get me through the next couple of months. my shopping list will be posted tomorrow.
FSA stuff just got in, northwaves are shipping next week and the spare to my spare lights in motion li-ion arc battery is on the way out. those guys are so cool. don't know if it's the west coast or what, but when i call out there i end up talking to those guys for 15 minutes. the last two times the topic of conversation was 29r's and TRANSIOWA.
SPEEDGOAT is hiring some people - 2 full time, one seasonal. beth and chris are getting hammered out there, the mechanics too. they always have time to give a hand to me though... hmmm... i wonder if they need product testers for the moots 29r's or that indy fab road bike in my size...
road race again coming up this sunday, should be fun. they are extending the distance by 12 miles i believe. and saturday is an "all business" ride finished off with a bike fit from jim b from WOBBLENAUGHT. looking forward to it as i truely belive the fits give me more efficiency all over - more power with less fatigue and effort. that seems so horrible...
hmmmmm......
that's it - gotta eat!
rock on - sologoat out
grrr.... at least it's not raining.
ordered up a ton o' hammer gel/e-caps stuff last night. plenty to get me through the next couple of months. my shopping list will be posted tomorrow.
FSA stuff just got in, northwaves are shipping next week and the spare to my spare lights in motion li-ion arc battery is on the way out. those guys are so cool. don't know if it's the west coast or what, but when i call out there i end up talking to those guys for 15 minutes. the last two times the topic of conversation was 29r's and TRANSIOWA.
SPEEDGOAT is hiring some people - 2 full time, one seasonal. beth and chris are getting hammered out there, the mechanics too. they always have time to give a hand to me though... hmmm... i wonder if they need product testers for the moots 29r's or that indy fab road bike in my size...
road race again coming up this sunday, should be fun. they are extending the distance by 12 miles i believe. and saturday is an "all business" ride finished off with a bike fit from jim b from WOBBLENAUGHT. looking forward to it as i truely belive the fits give me more efficiency all over - more power with less fatigue and effort. that seems so horrible...
hmmmmm......
that's it - gotta eat!
rock on - sologoat out
4.10.2005
04.10.05 - end of week update
whew - been a long week.
update on the shorts - tried to get it out two days ago and blogger was going nutty. went to post and the site went down. bummer.
quick on the shorts - garneau wrap around shorts, ergotex pad and their best short. enough said. couldn't skimp on these, as i hate a bad pad and short. gotta be comfy.
saturday ride was with an old teammate ej down in my old neck of the woods in pittsburgh. just south of the 79/76 interchange is a decent sized park called north park (no affiliation to the tv show south park). to work on my skillz, i took the k monkey and tried to stay on his wheel as we rode through the trails at north park and he floated across everything on his asylum. he's been tinkering around with the large version of the frame which i believe is now in it's 4 generation. the bikes i will be receiving shortly are mediums. ej is basically our "test dummy" for how light we can get the bikes and to see what will work and what won't. well, ej is king of bling and he now has his full suspended asylum 29r down to 23 pounds. sick-o. i do belive this qualifies as stupid light.
so, i chased him around for 4 hours. skills started coming back pretty quick, but i need to hone them razor sharp....
sunday - a silly road race in ohio. wasn't expecting much as i knew coming into it that i was going to be feeling a little flat if my training was going as planned. well, i felt like i had good stuff, but i was flat.
it was a circuit race, 7 laps of an approximate 6 mile loop. approximately 40 riders or so, inlcuding no less than about 7 category one riders, of which 3 of them were full time pro's at one time. with the temps at around 50'ish and everybody feeling frisky under clear skies, we set off.
rough roads lead me to loose my only water bottle of the day on the begining of the second lap, leaving only a hammer gel flask for me to gulp down when there was two to go. there was a few attacks early on, but my goal was to wait for the big guns to go. they made their attack on the third lap and had a gap - i immediately jumped over to the gap with another guy. the major contenders sat their looking at each other, and two miles later the main group caught, but dropped about 20 riders or so.
2 riders escaped on the last lap and noboday chased. two cat ones got up the road and it stayed that way. into the last corner where there is still about a mile to go to the finish, somebody attacked and had a little gap. not known for my spriting ability, i jumped about 20 seconds after him hoping to catch him, get his draft for a few seconds, and then sprint away.
well, i just about caught him and saw that former national champ and navigators rider paul martin was on my wheel. he rode behind me for a second, then jumped and road away for third. pack was soon on my heels, and i rode in on their coat tails to finish around 12'ish.
oh well, it's a road race. bigger fish in a few weeks.
sunburned and thirsty,
sologoat out
update on the shorts - tried to get it out two days ago and blogger was going nutty. went to post and the site went down. bummer.
quick on the shorts - garneau wrap around shorts, ergotex pad and their best short. enough said. couldn't skimp on these, as i hate a bad pad and short. gotta be comfy.
saturday ride was with an old teammate ej down in my old neck of the woods in pittsburgh. just south of the 79/76 interchange is a decent sized park called north park (no affiliation to the tv show south park). to work on my skillz, i took the k monkey and tried to stay on his wheel as we rode through the trails at north park and he floated across everything on his asylum. he's been tinkering around with the large version of the frame which i believe is now in it's 4 generation. the bikes i will be receiving shortly are mediums. ej is basically our "test dummy" for how light we can get the bikes and to see what will work and what won't. well, ej is king of bling and he now has his full suspended asylum 29r down to 23 pounds. sick-o. i do belive this qualifies as stupid light.
so, i chased him around for 4 hours. skills started coming back pretty quick, but i need to hone them razor sharp....
sunday - a silly road race in ohio. wasn't expecting much as i knew coming into it that i was going to be feeling a little flat if my training was going as planned. well, i felt like i had good stuff, but i was flat.
it was a circuit race, 7 laps of an approximate 6 mile loop. approximately 40 riders or so, inlcuding no less than about 7 category one riders, of which 3 of them were full time pro's at one time. with the temps at around 50'ish and everybody feeling frisky under clear skies, we set off.
rough roads lead me to loose my only water bottle of the day on the begining of the second lap, leaving only a hammer gel flask for me to gulp down when there was two to go. there was a few attacks early on, but my goal was to wait for the big guns to go. they made their attack on the third lap and had a gap - i immediately jumped over to the gap with another guy. the major contenders sat their looking at each other, and two miles later the main group caught, but dropped about 20 riders or so.
2 riders escaped on the last lap and noboday chased. two cat ones got up the road and it stayed that way. into the last corner where there is still about a mile to go to the finish, somebody attacked and had a little gap. not known for my spriting ability, i jumped about 20 seconds after him hoping to catch him, get his draft for a few seconds, and then sprint away.
well, i just about caught him and saw that former national champ and navigators rider paul martin was on my wheel. he rode behind me for a second, then jumped and road away for third. pack was soon on my heels, and i rode in on their coat tails to finish around 12'ish.
oh well, it's a road race. bigger fish in a few weeks.
sunburned and thirsty,
sologoat out
4.07.2005
04.07.05 - the low down on the new shorts
just came in today. here's the details.
3 logos - work for me (XPERT), work for a buddy of mine (MS Jacobs) and our other sponsor (ASYLUM).
My buddy ej and myself will be the only ones sporting these during the 2005 season. kept them basic to keep the price down, speed up the time of delivery and to put the extra money into a better short/pad. went mostly black - everything goes with black.
short is garneau's best sublimated type of short, the ergotex with the largest area for sublimation. garneau's best pad, the erogtex, was used.
that's it - nothing fancy, just give me a nice pair of shorts dawg.
and - also got some new eggbeaters in today as well - more on those later....
and - as long as cleveland doesn't get a surprise snowstorm again, this week will be my first race. hmm.... maybe mother nature knew my new shorts were coming and wanted my first race to be in them....
gotta run - gotta sleep.
sologoat out
3 logos - work for me (XPERT), work for a buddy of mine (MS Jacobs) and our other sponsor (ASYLUM).
My buddy ej and myself will be the only ones sporting these during the 2005 season. kept them basic to keep the price down, speed up the time of delivery and to put the extra money into a better short/pad. went mostly black - everything goes with black.
short is garneau's best sublimated type of short, the ergotex with the largest area for sublimation. garneau's best pad, the erogtex, was used.
that's it - nothing fancy, just give me a nice pair of shorts dawg.
and - also got some new eggbeaters in today as well - more on those later....
and - as long as cleveland doesn't get a surprise snowstorm again, this week will be my first race. hmm.... maybe mother nature knew my new shorts were coming and wanted my first race to be in them....
gotta run - gotta sleep.
sologoat out
04.07.05 - Garneau Asylum Short Front/Side
Asylum on the sides - MS Jacobs at the bottoms of the legs.
Asylum (otherwsie known as Speedgoat) and a buddy's company out of pittsburgh, MS Jacobs.
04.07.05 - Garneau Asylum Short Back
XPERT logo on the back panel. gotta like when work supports what you love to do.
04.07.05 - a good day to sleep in
was super tired last night, so i went to bed early at 11pm. i'm sort of a night owl, so to go to bed earlier than 11 is very unusual for me.
yesterday was a double work out day for me. been mostly riding the IOWA vicious 29'r. i have been dying to post pictrues of the bike, but you will have to be at IOWA to see the first glimpses of this beauty. it was actually the owner's bike at speedgoat, but it didn't quite fit him. so it was sitting at the shop, went to mechanic to mechanic as they rode it and decided it didn't fit them.
too bad it fits me.
all i can say is disks, 29r, steel and a paint job to die for. everybody that sees it is amazed - the vicious guys really did this one up. yesterday it was actually "checked out" at least 3 times -- and they were not even bike geeks.
i can't define bling bling, but we know bling bling when we see it.
other randomness - bike swag shipped from FSA, 2 weeks on the asylums, quality order from the shop coming in for TRANSIOWA goodies, hammer gel stuff about to be ordered, still changing my race schedule, i've had 3 huge cups of breakfast blend from starbucks and i am wired.
gotta run - sologoat out
yesterday was a double work out day for me. been mostly riding the IOWA vicious 29'r. i have been dying to post pictrues of the bike, but you will have to be at IOWA to see the first glimpses of this beauty. it was actually the owner's bike at speedgoat, but it didn't quite fit him. so it was sitting at the shop, went to mechanic to mechanic as they rode it and decided it didn't fit them.
too bad it fits me.
all i can say is disks, 29r, steel and a paint job to die for. everybody that sees it is amazed - the vicious guys really did this one up. yesterday it was actually "checked out" at least 3 times -- and they were not even bike geeks.
i can't define bling bling, but we know bling bling when we see it.
other randomness - bike swag shipped from FSA, 2 weeks on the asylums, quality order from the shop coming in for TRANSIOWA goodies, hammer gel stuff about to be ordered, still changing my race schedule, i've had 3 huge cups of breakfast blend from starbucks and i am wired.
gotta run - sologoat out
4.05.2005
04.05.05 - a miracle happened on irma street
yes, it was a miracle. sunday i left my house wearing a light winter kit. temps in the AM was around 35.
two days later - as i left my house today, i was wearing shorts and a regular jersey over a light base layer. hence - a miracle.
starting a next phase of my training schedule for IOWA, concentrating on rest. as you build up hours, you beat yourself down. to come back stronger, you have to rest just as hard. as a guy, we all know we cannot back down from a challenger even if we are riding a 35 pound k monkey and he is on a stupid light road bike -- but you got to. there is bigger fish to fry....
parts update: FSA has sent out my swag, and here is what coming some things changed!
FSA K-FORCE RISER BAR
oversized at 31.8, carbon/kevlar composite, 170 grams with a 3/4" rise.
FSA K-FORCE MEGAEXO CRANK
Monocoque carbon 2 piece oversized crank coming in at hefty 770 grams. shimano is 29 grams heavier with their xtr. darn. i have a lighter crank.
FSA OS-115 STEM
aluminum body, titanium bolts, carbon faceplate. comes in at around 138 grams. dang, another light part.
all the specs for FSA are here: FULLSPEEDAHEAD
and, if you want the true, down to earth reviews and confirmed weights, go here:
SPEEDGOAT.COM
orignal part list was incorrectly linked to the wrong bar - and the post, well. the offset is a little too much.
i'll be running the Easton EC70 Carbon Seatpost
with the saddle of armstrong's choice: SAN MARCO Concor Light
the one linked above is the cro-mo version -- i'll be running the ti version.
and - asylums are two weeks out. i can't wait! the are going to sweet...
and - garneau stuff should be on at my door thursday.
whew.... now all i have to do is race this stuff....
that's it - enjoy the nice weather brotha's.
sologoat out.
two days later - as i left my house today, i was wearing shorts and a regular jersey over a light base layer. hence - a miracle.
starting a next phase of my training schedule for IOWA, concentrating on rest. as you build up hours, you beat yourself down. to come back stronger, you have to rest just as hard. as a guy, we all know we cannot back down from a challenger even if we are riding a 35 pound k monkey and he is on a stupid light road bike -- but you got to. there is bigger fish to fry....
parts update: FSA has sent out my swag, and here is what coming some things changed!
FSA K-FORCE RISER BAR
oversized at 31.8, carbon/kevlar composite, 170 grams with a 3/4" rise.
FSA K-FORCE MEGAEXO CRANK
Monocoque carbon 2 piece oversized crank coming in at hefty 770 grams. shimano is 29 grams heavier with their xtr. darn. i have a lighter crank.
FSA OS-115 STEM
aluminum body, titanium bolts, carbon faceplate. comes in at around 138 grams. dang, another light part.
all the specs for FSA are here: FULLSPEEDAHEAD
and, if you want the true, down to earth reviews and confirmed weights, go here:
SPEEDGOAT.COM
orignal part list was incorrectly linked to the wrong bar - and the post, well. the offset is a little too much.
i'll be running the Easton EC70 Carbon Seatpost
with the saddle of armstrong's choice: SAN MARCO Concor Light
the one linked above is the cro-mo version -- i'll be running the ti version.
and - asylums are two weeks out. i can't wait! the are going to sweet...
and - garneau stuff should be on at my door thursday.
whew.... now all i have to do is race this stuff....
that's it - enjoy the nice weather brotha's.
sologoat out.
4.03.2005
04.03.05 - cleveland set a record last night
record snowfall for the year - smashed it by 4 inches.
whoopy.
so, instead of the first race of the year, i woke up to literally 4 inches of wet snow and winds gusting to 40mph. needless to say, i didn't have nice things to say this morning.
so, i bundled up and headed out the door for a 2.5 hour hike contemplating puting in my miles tomorrow and flipping my easy monday workout for today. 45 minutes into it, i noticed something very odd. the wind seemed to be dying out, snow was melting. and could it be - yes, blue skies out yonder. so i headed back to get the k monkey.
didn't get the hours i really wanted, but got in a good 5 hour solo ride and what i swear is a 35 pound karate monkey. legs felt awesome today - maybe because i had to ride rollers due to the rain/snow mix of yesterday, but considering how i felt and how many hours i had in this week, i was pleasantly surprised how my legs were turning over.
this week i had some major miles/hours as i am building up to my first major event of the year at TRANSIOWA. should be an interesting event. needless to say, training schedules are pretty important for events like this -- after a few years of tinkering with it, i finally have a pretty good workout schedule down. believe me, it is well worth the time and effort. otherwise, your riding is just too inconsistant. you'll find yourself peaking for a group ride and then when the event comes up you really want to do well at, you die.
been there, done that. i think i died a few times during my first 24 solo. and when things were getting really bad, when i was deep in the woods at snowshoe at midnight sick to my stomach and completly out of my mind, there was a fireworks show going on over my head. very surreal moment that i don't care to relive.
anyhoo - think the bikes should be hear in about a week or two. no rush on them for me, as i have another bike ligned up for TRANSIOWA and i really don't need the asylums until after that....
gotta run -
sologoat out.
whoopy.
so, instead of the first race of the year, i woke up to literally 4 inches of wet snow and winds gusting to 40mph. needless to say, i didn't have nice things to say this morning.
so, i bundled up and headed out the door for a 2.5 hour hike contemplating puting in my miles tomorrow and flipping my easy monday workout for today. 45 minutes into it, i noticed something very odd. the wind seemed to be dying out, snow was melting. and could it be - yes, blue skies out yonder. so i headed back to get the k monkey.
didn't get the hours i really wanted, but got in a good 5 hour solo ride and what i swear is a 35 pound karate monkey. legs felt awesome today - maybe because i had to ride rollers due to the rain/snow mix of yesterday, but considering how i felt and how many hours i had in this week, i was pleasantly surprised how my legs were turning over.
this week i had some major miles/hours as i am building up to my first major event of the year at TRANSIOWA. should be an interesting event. needless to say, training schedules are pretty important for events like this -- after a few years of tinkering with it, i finally have a pretty good workout schedule down. believe me, it is well worth the time and effort. otherwise, your riding is just too inconsistant. you'll find yourself peaking for a group ride and then when the event comes up you really want to do well at, you die.
been there, done that. i think i died a few times during my first 24 solo. and when things were getting really bad, when i was deep in the woods at snowshoe at midnight sick to my stomach and completly out of my mind, there was a fireworks show going on over my head. very surreal moment that i don't care to relive.
anyhoo - think the bikes should be hear in about a week or two. no rush on them for me, as i have another bike ligned up for TRANSIOWA and i really don't need the asylums until after that....
gotta run -
sologoat out.
4.01.2005
04.01.05 - the real post of the day....
hey all - been a pretty nutty week both riding and working. things are a' changing at work. long story, but it's all good.
gettting in a ton of miles this week, right on schedule as planned. weather looks iffy for tomorrow, so i may have to change some things up.
my secret prayer to mother nature:
please, oh please let me get in my hours tomorrow. i promise i will not swear at you anymore, but me and my riding buddies are in dire need of mileage and hours. we fear whistler and need as much training in as humanly possible. thank you.
enough silliness....
great news - the guys over at FSA hooked me up. dan the man (my main mechanic at the 'goat) got me: two sets of SLK Carbon MegaExo cranksets, two K-Force Lite carbon seatposts, and two K-Force XC Riser handlebars. sweet.
vega light has been working good - though, when the battery starts to go, it switches from the 4 watt to the 2 watt automatically. how much battery life is left when it does that, i don't know. think i am going to charge her up fully one night and just for giggles, turn it on and start my heart rate monitor stop watch. i'll post results next week. and, dan the man also says that the vega should be able to be hooked up to the helmet, but you may need to play around with the mounts.
and - don't know how many of you out there are using HR monitors. been using the SIGMAS for years and i just can't get any consistancy out of them. thinking of the cateye, the polars or the ciclosport. siding on the ciclosport because it has some really cool features, but it is a little pricey.... was wondering what y'all have been using out there....
and finally - think i am going to see SIN CITY tonight. flick looks friggin' awesome. if you haven't seen the trailers, check them out. WIRED MAGAZINE just did a nice write up on it too. just speaking on purely cinematic terms - it looks awesome.
probably not as awesome looking as carbon FSA cranks, but still awesome....
i'm pumped - it is friday, i have some good rides in this week, and i just drank some starbucks expresso and i am completely wired.
rock on.
sologoat out.
gettting in a ton of miles this week, right on schedule as planned. weather looks iffy for tomorrow, so i may have to change some things up.
my secret prayer to mother nature:
please, oh please let me get in my hours tomorrow. i promise i will not swear at you anymore, but me and my riding buddies are in dire need of mileage and hours. we fear whistler and need as much training in as humanly possible. thank you.
enough silliness....
great news - the guys over at FSA hooked me up. dan the man (my main mechanic at the 'goat) got me: two sets of SLK Carbon MegaExo cranksets, two K-Force Lite carbon seatposts, and two K-Force XC Riser handlebars. sweet.
vega light has been working good - though, when the battery starts to go, it switches from the 4 watt to the 2 watt automatically. how much battery life is left when it does that, i don't know. think i am going to charge her up fully one night and just for giggles, turn it on and start my heart rate monitor stop watch. i'll post results next week. and, dan the man also says that the vega should be able to be hooked up to the helmet, but you may need to play around with the mounts.
and - don't know how many of you out there are using HR monitors. been using the SIGMAS for years and i just can't get any consistancy out of them. thinking of the cateye, the polars or the ciclosport. siding on the ciclosport because it has some really cool features, but it is a little pricey.... was wondering what y'all have been using out there....
and finally - think i am going to see SIN CITY tonight. flick looks friggin' awesome. if you haven't seen the trailers, check them out. WIRED MAGAZINE just did a nice write up on it too. just speaking on purely cinematic terms - it looks awesome.
probably not as awesome looking as carbon FSA cranks, but still awesome....
i'm pumped - it is friday, i have some good rides in this week, and i just drank some starbucks expresso and i am completely wired.
rock on.
sologoat out.
04.01.05 - i just signed a million dollar a year contract with speegoat!
they will retain the right to use my image and race results until midnight 12.31.05.
i just have to ride my bike, drink good coffee, ride sweet single track and rock out with my ipod.
wow, i finally made it...
april fools!
ha ha from sologoat
i just have to ride my bike, drink good coffee, ride sweet single track and rock out with my ipod.
wow, i finally made it...
april fools!
ha ha from sologoat
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