project pink bike - not project runway

dan the man on the next speedgoat project pink bike.

sologoat out

195 heart rate

last tuesday was a first for me, the tuesday night RATL race up in cleveland - otherwise known as the world championships because it is well known that many a rider will kill themselves for a burrito prime. on a course that is flat (but with many a bump and a few turns) average speeds fly upwards toward 30mph - and with it being the last race of the year, it was going to hurt.

race started out fast and the pain train was rolling full tilt for the full 15 laps. at the beginning i thought i would throw down one of my solo stupid attacks but the speed was just too crazy and i thought it would be better to hang on with the group. this was confirmed as i glanced down at my heart rate monitor and saw 195 on more then one occasion.

with about 8 to go, i moved up to the front to keep out of the danger and to keep from having to chase back on in the corners. while going stupid fast, paul martin launched an even more stupid fast attack. at that point i decided i would go with all of paul or shawns attacks. from that point, paul attacked every lap until we had a 7 man break with about 3 to go.

a few more attacks, 2 are shed. we are all pulling hard and into the last corner, i laid down an early sprint attack from waaaaaaaaaaay out - had the gap of about 5 bike lengths until 200 meters to go. would fade back to 5th to collect a few $$ and some assurance of my fitness for the remainder of the season.

felt good getting back into the game. time to work on some bikes.

sologoat out

stop - hammer time

chris from niner smacking the crap out of a fork that fuzzy or dj has to ride next weekend. just joking.

and now for some randomness:

- in racing news i have decided to bail on the racing this week and give the leg a little bit of a break. in a mad rush to get back into fitness, i haven't taken a break in about 5 weeks.

- i will be heading out to durango the week before vegas to watch justin from princeton tec and a few other hundred people or so compete in the single speed world championships. i raced it years back and at the starting line some dude was smoking a cigarette and just downed a beer bong about 30 seconds before it started - and the night before a few guys got hurt as they were somehow involved in a fire jumping contest behind the bar where registration was at. i think alcohol was somehow involved in the injuries....

- on the cross schedule, gary dugovich has 2 planned this year along with another somewhat affiliated race in the area - and freddy fu will also have their race as well again and i am hoping like hell my fingers won't feel like falling off from the numbness.

- another cross bike added to the stable. this one carbon. stay tuned.

sologoat out

pivot mach 429 build up

complete build up of my pivot mach 429 up on the Speedgoat Blog. check it out.

rest week in store for me, racing coming up soon.

congrats out to gerry for taking another single speed win without having to eat people. check out his blog for the details of how to pedal for 100 miles with one gear and end up beating all but 4 of the geared guys in the field.

sologoat out

2009 cleveland cross series dates - UPDATED (again)

Cleveland cross series dates and races announced a few days back. See dates below, updates/directions to be posted later on the bike authority and lake effect cycling websites.

hats off to julie and the bike authority gang for developing the series - great to see the list of races expand out to 8 races all within an hour or so cleveland.

and - especially pumped up about the kent university races. should be pretty sweet to actually do a race in my neck of the woods, literally about a 5 minute car ride away.

dates are tentative - check back as the dates get closer.

now.... which carbon cross bike should i race this year.... hmmm...




2009 BIKE AUTORITY/LAKE EFFECT CYCLOCROSS SERIES SCHEDULE (AS OF 08-18-09)


1. Sept 13(Sun) Wendy Park, Cleveland Lake Effect Racing

2. Sept 26(Sat) Kent State University, Stark Campus Stark Velo

3. Oct 4(Sun) Leroy Township Cross Chagrin Valley Racing

4. Oct 17(Sat) Cross My Heart and Hope to Die, Willoughby Spin Bike Team

5. Oct 31(Sat) Chagrin Cross Weekend Solon Cycling Team

6. Nov 1(Sun) Chagrin Cross Weekend Solon Cycling Team

7. Nov 14(Sat) Kent State University, Kent Main Campus Cross Lake Effect Racing

8. Nov 22(Sun) Kirtland Park, Cleveland Lake Effect Racing

9. Dec 6 (Sun) Boughton Farm - Copley Lake Effect Racing (series finale bash!)


The Promoter will calculate the overall Series prizes using each racer’s highest points from 6 of the 9 Series Races. NOTE, HOWEVER, that you must race in 3 of the 4 Series Races (# 1, 7, 8 and 9) promoted by Team Lake Effect, and 6 of the 9 Series Races to be eligible for the overall prizes.


for full detail, check out the Team Lake Effect website - check it out HERE.

pivot demo weekend wrap up

back from the weekend pivot demo - everything went well, including the weather and we got a good turnout for saturday. even got to catch up with an old friend from back in my 'burgh days of racing the ACA wednesday night crits don mosites.

and - got a few tidbits of secrets of upcoming interbike stuff. very cool stuff. guess some of it could be predicted based on what's out there already, but either way - very cool.

also had some good talks with chris cocalis with pivot - very interesting guy with a lot of knowledge. and a former fellow accountant.

more pics up on my flickr account.

that's it - gotta roll. haven't been home in 3 days and i got to relax a little.

sologoat out

08/06/09 update - tired

been a hectic week at work and on the bike - finally starting to get in some good miles and efforts. still finding it odd to be in the gym in august. low key racing should start up next week as i make my first ever appearance up at the local road racing training circuit up at west lake.

the speedgoat pivot demo is this saturday - come out, ride a pivot, meet pivot owner chris cocalis and walk away with some free schwag. starts at 11 on saturday.

also - cross season just around the corner and plenty of parts to obsess about, including the new super kewl chain guide made by pauls. and belive me, it is as cool as you would think as any part ever made by pauls.

also - thanks goes out to lance at TRP Brakes - i'll be running the euro x carbon's this year along with the carbon cross levers.

it was interesting watching 2008 cross worlds last year and to see a comeback of the cross levers on some of the bikes. i can bunnyhop pretty good but never really felt all the confident with my hands on the brake hoods or on the drops - the trp levers will now let me adjust my speed and keep my hands in a position where i could attempt to hop over the barriers.

prepare to watch me hop with grace or take a tremendous header. should be fun either way.

with that - gotta roll. see you on the trails.

sologoat out

win some princeton tec lights

you can submit a photo of your princeton tec light setup and win some new product here.

check it out.

and - don't forget - pivot demo on saturday with pivot at speedgoat. special guest chris c from pivot will be on-site.

i'll be leading some of the group fun rides/intervals. get ready for linn runn uphill time trials, or just chill out on some of the sweetest single track PA has to offer.

sologoat out

see you in vegas

07.24.09 update

well, it's been about a week and 4 days or so back on the bike and i'm starting to turn the pedals over better every day as i can finally put in a good amount of hours in on a daily basis.

physical therapy started up as well for me and is going great. feels kind of odd to be in a gym working on the legs during july, but after weeks of sitting around, i was really just looking forward to doing some type of workout. i think the physical therapy people get a kick out of watching me do leg workouts for 2 hours.

are you tired yet? ah... no. ok - do another 4 sets.

so, instead of writing about heading out to nine mile, i am writing about leg press workouts and getting some juice shot through my knee. good luck to all who are racing..

but things are getting better everyday and i expect to do some road races in about 10 days. and maybe drop that guy that was riding around my neighborhood on an moped again.

and - pivot demo day in speedgoat's backyard coming up on august 8th. i'll be heading out to help out and will be the lead on some rides - or we could head out for some 30 minute hill efforts up linn runn. whichever you prefer.

sologoat out

great post up...

over at molly cameron blog, "training versus talent" - check it HERE.

molly is one of the top US cross riders - raced in a two man group with him a few years ago at cross vegas as he was taking sips from a can of pabst. during the race.

three laps later, so was i.

sologoat out

caffelatex blog entry up at the 'goat

caffelatex_01
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

check it HERE

sologoat out

back on the bike

full blog write up on the speedgoat blog. you can check it out HERE.

sologoat out

071009thisisofficallydrivingmecrazy

not too mucho going on these days, but offical rehab to compliment what i can do on my own starts up next week. in order to avoid jinxing myself, i prefer to not speak any more of when i can get back on the bike full time.

contemplating a full week training camp based out of the home and maybe a trip or two details are kind of open at the moment.

in the meantime, back to setting up the basement for the trainer - sucks to think i'll be riding stationary when it's 85 degrees out in ohio.

as the saying goes - whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

sologoat out

070209 update

070209 LEG
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

still not much going on these days, busy with work, reading and getting stuff ready for some intensive rehab back on the bike. i keep hoping that tomorrow i will wake up and this nightmare will be over.

everyday it's getting better - got a ton of movement in the knee compared to just a week ago.

with june and some of july being a wash of no racing, i'll save up some cash and spend a little more time out west this year and stay at interbike for the full 3 days of the expo. and crossvegas is a must this year.

latest hobby for me lately is looking for new techo toys - latest one is the roku player which lets me stream my videos from netflix straight to my tv from my wireless setup. pretty sweet so far.

next up will more then likely be the western digital wd tv. hook it up like a vcr, then plug in your external hard drive with the video you loaded up from euro cross videos and ride away. looks like a pretty cool device.

and - other hobby is checking out the 2009/2010 cross bikes. i've been a fan of redline bikes and they have come up with some new paint and build ups for their 2010 Pro and Team models which are now running SRAM. what is looking suuuper hot is the new 2009 Ridley X Night and X Fire. very nice completes, also running SRAM, and the with the X Night running4RZA brakes and Alex Tubeless wheels.

also got a few new additions to the sologoat garage - most noteably, my custom vicious mootivator painted in speedgoat colors is back up for sale. check it out.

that's it - gotta rip some old radiohead singles, drink a beer, and dream of the day i get to ride all day.

sologoat out

update

062809_leg
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

not much has been going on the last week or so other then rest and getting ready to get back on the bike. ordered up a stationary trainer that will be first used for rehab and then for cross season as i normally just use rollers for my winter training.

last x-ray has the fracture healing up good, swelling is going down, i can move the knee quite comfortably now but feels a little funky if i try to walk on it. rehab will start within the next two weeks, though i've started some rehab on it without trying to put weight on the bone.

new kits are finally in. we came up with something a little different this year and i will be running two colored kits, same layout. the ergon green kit will stay and we added the speedgoat orange kit as well. should be pretty sweet. and - hoping to possibly get some of the green in skinsuits this year for cross season.

the past few weeks has been as much pain on me physically as well as mentally - very odd not to be on the bike every day. but, i am making some progress in the house projects as i hope someday to officially have a kitchen table.

sologoat out.

sitting still, going crazy

2009 Big Bear - 10
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

2nd weekend in a row off the bike and i'm going stir crazy. trips and races cancelled, i'm getting a very rare opportunity to catch up with work, family, and life in general.

good news came this week in the shape of a clean MRI. bones heal, but busted up ligaments don't. at this point, i can bear weight on the hairline tibia fracture and bend to some extent as well. next good news is when i can get the hinged air cast which i am going to push for sometime this coming week. believe it or not, the cast i have now is actually causing more discomfort from cramps in my leg then the break. i used to think lactic acid hurt, but this is an new extreme level of pain.





so, if all goes well, maybe back on the bike trainer by the end of the month. we'll see - i'm not going to push anything as i need to focus my efforts.

thanks for all the well wishes - more updates as they come.

sologoat out

mid week update

2009 Big Bear - 05
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

still no official 100% word from the doc until i get my MRI tomorrow AM, but the word from the doc is i got a hairline fracture in my left tibia. so small in fact that i can't even see it in my x-rays.

at this point, swelling is all gone and i can stand on it. racing endurance, i've come to learn with pain, but the mental pain of just not being able to walk across the room is starting to wear on me.

race schedule has changed and i'm waiting until next week to plan out the rest of the year. i am most bummed out not to be at the firecracker 50 and being able to hit up the post race ride and training with the toastman.

so, no breck - instead, a netflix subscription and a roku box to wirelessly stream it to my flat screen tv.

pass the brews

sologoat out

2009 Big Bear - a DNS

2009 Big Bear - 03
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

it's friday and i'm back in ohio very disappointed.

thursday pre-ride was going well. got at the venue early and headed out for a ride around 3pm.

course was wet, but holding up well as usual. after the first downhill where you started climbing after climbing a stream, laird re-routed the course to go away from the mud and water and up to higher groudn on an old service road.

after that, past the run way, was a 100 foot section that was typically super muddy - they added crushed stone making it rideable even in the worse conditions.

lap was going smooth unitl i decided to try some different lines right before the big downhill about half way through. i went to jump a log paraelling the trail and my front wheel sunk down and shot me closer to the log - i stuck out my left leg to catch myself and i basically stiffed armed the ground my left leg.

the pain and the thought of what i just did nearly had me puking right there. i rode out the rest of the lap in pain, barely able to get my left foot out of the pedal.

i then went back to the hotel, elavated, iced and compressed -- all with the thought that if i couldn't walk normal in the AM, it was a no-go on saturday.

8am today, i decided it was a no-go. with about 30-40% of the movement back and about half the swelling down, i decided to see the doctor instead of the start line on saturday. better to be sure and not race, then to chance it and only do more damage.

at the momemt, i am feeling crushed - it's hard to take in all the thoughts of training for a race i couldn't start in.

thanks for the well wishes already coming in. with that, off to watch the pens and elevate the leg.

sologoat out

060709 ride

060709_ride
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

ride, work, sleep, eat, repeat. various hours, various intensities.

been about my life the past few weeks as i prep for what i consider my home town 24 hour race, big bear. it's in WV, but it is where i got my start and somehow will always be home. i can still remember back at my first 24 solo at snowshoe where there laird knight had fireworks going off over our heads at midnight. by far, the most surreal moment of my life to date.

bikes are just about done, caffelatex going in tomorrow. blog posts up on the 'goat blog this week - cane creek, tifosi, limar, jagwire... hats off to all the sponsors this year - sh*t is tight in the sponsorship world and they came through. can't say enough thanks to all of them.

big bear wil be a challenge - the field is more deep then ever before, the rain is a comin' and i'm looking forward to going back to my roots of racing and hopes of catching a ride on one of those rigged up golf carts they have down there with the base kickin, the dub wheels, neon lights and everybody on board with a cold miller in their hand.

hells ya west virginia - see you soon.

sologoat out