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Monday, June 18, 2007

OK, gotta get some work done, but ...

Monday shorties:

Olds ~ look out world.

I suppose what strikes many about Shelley's riding style is that she makes it look so effortless ... so self-contained and serene as the pain floods through her body.

it's ridiculously intimidating.
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riding solo for most of Nevada City is NOT something for the weak of mind. There are too many sections in the race where you can succumb to the body's begging, pleading for release from the suffering.

it takes a desire and strength that is only found in a few, rare athletes.
- - -

PROMAN is on fire right now. Tracy Ford unleashes an ungodly sprint at Folsom for the win, then they go 1,2,5 at Nevada City? Oh baby ...



- - -

Un-lucky and lucky me ~

My trusted steel Frayer finally died. I guess after i endo'd over that guy in the Mt. Hood crit ... my seat tube fractured above the stays junction. Paul Sadoff found it when he was measuring me for my new cross bike. Thank the buddha he found it ... or i would have just ket riding and wondering what that "pinging" noise was until it snapped and gave me a dedaccai enema.

thousands and thousands of miles on that bike. i can't tell you how bummed i was.


So, Sabine offered me her 3 bike-old Steelman frame to use until i can get my replacement. That Steelman knows how to design a bike. It carves descents. Geometry makes a huge difference in how a bike handles. It may weigh-in at 20-thousand pounds ... but, i'm telling you ... that bike is buttah.
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In the same crash at Hood, i ended up bashing my Williams 19 wheelset pretty good. I repaired the front, but the rear was seeing tacos ... and i was heartbroken. I had a set of junker Easton's to ride this weekend, but Willaims found out and sent me over a set of his chi-chi 30s to use for Folsom and Nevada City.

Those wheels are f'ing fast. The 19's were all about the first few pedalstrokes launching the bike forward in pure acceleration. But the 30's are big rev speedsters. At Folsom, when Jeff and I were off the front in that first race ~ i felt like i could keep punching down for gears on those long straightaways.

i'm one lucky sum'bitch.
- - -

38 comments:

Velo Bella said...

I probably took about 7 pictures of Shelly while she was out front, and I think she had that same "serene" look in every single one of them.

banks said...

Sorry for your loss. Will there be a memorial service?

dr-nitro said...

Yeah, sorry for you loss as well, but what is up with the white jersey? That and the guy in the studded belt striking a pose?

Velo Bella said...

Thats my awesome baby!



And Michael looks good on it too.

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

that studded belt guy ... i can't stop looking at him.


and is it wierd that Sabine and i ride the same sized bikes?

dr-nitro said...

Either he just got out of the Folsom state pen, or he drove out from the Folsom St in SF.

EB said...

Studded belt guy just looks standard upper-hwy-49 to me.

I'm jealous that you & Sabine ride the same size bikes. Life would be a lot easier if Mr. Man & I could swap bikes when necessary.

jen said...

the same size bike thing.

how many times have i wished i had that setup?

too bad a 54c will *never* be a 59.

sigh.

Anonymous said...

When are you going to spill the beans about Nevada City?! It's as if there is a media embargo...Taz gave a peak and said 'who'd believe they'd let me and the blog-god out in a break'. What went down?

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

oop, sorry Jack.

yup, we BagBoys went 1-2 on Saturday and Sunday. Folsom was fun with the SN boys and all the other non-Nez crit junkies.

fast hard racing where me and Poulsen got away from the field for the top-2. CVC's Easterling and StanleyMorgan's Granshaw were in a 4-up break with us, but we separated it on the final lap and came away with the "yeehaws".

At NevCity - there was a bit of a course design change on the 2nd corner on the descent. It sent a LOT of riders into the haybales on Sunday.

Dan and I got away after a bunch of guys went nutz in the first 5 laps. Pace was fast and we sort of waited for the testosterone to flush out before we went out and did our best.

so, after a few more crashes - it was just him and me and we settled into a nice pace, enough to keep us away from the rest - but not too fast so we could still consider starting the p1/2.

we didn't.

we partied instead.


good times.

shawndoggy said...

yeah towle was even callin' out yer blog yesterday ... pretty funny.

shawndoggy said...

You guys made it look too easy (on a course where nothing is easy). Poor Angerman... saw him do the butt check on the 2nd corner to create the gap and then struggle for an eternity to get going again cuz his chain had dropped. It was agonizing, and I told the kids.... that's the race.

Among the mere mortals, Trujillo was on fire and Marshall looked good too.

Chico Cyclist said...

Dude, that is awesome!! Not only do you win it in a break with Taz, you do it on the heaviest bike in the field.....that's borrowed from your Sweetie. That just rox!!

Anonymous said...

Settle down.

Hooptie said...

So bummed I missed this one, thanks to Hutch for the tactical advise ("attack Proman!") that lured Shelley off the front.

Anonymous said...

So does Proman give you kickbacks for always giving them compliments?

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

hey ... that's not a bad idea.


Nicola, hook me up with some sponsor stuff. What is PROMAN, anyway? ... male model agency? tanning salon?


mmm, PROMAN could totally be my porn name.

Itinerant Rick said...

Nuttin' wrong with a Steelman.

Ms Chatterbox and I can ride the same size bike, but she needs a shorter top tube so for off the shelf she usually has to drop down a size. My old bike, once set up for tri's, will become her TT bike starting next month. Always good to keep them in the family.

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

kickbacks?!

that is a pretty bold accuation!

oh wait, they did share their cupcakes with us at the track...

Velo Bella said...

Those gals are earning those compliments

X Bunny said...

ok--i'm not sitting in the bleachers with the dog at the track anymore if i don't get any cupcakes

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

we did have to sing to get them...

Velo Bella said...

Don't worry. I heard the cupcakes were really small.

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

And VB is right. Proman has been the dominant team in just about every P/1/2 crit I have seen this year...

Anonymous said...

Good job, you and Taz really crushed it! That course is fun, I'll be sure to come back next year and give it another try!

veloandvino said...

I just choked laughing at the dork who crashed into the same haybail twice..that was good..

btw-Proman builds huge, i mean trumpx10 towers over in europe.

X Bunny said...

i'm going to expect a lot more than singing when i get home....

Anonymous said...

"Brent Steelman" sounds a bit like a romance novel character.

Taz said...

Mike rocked Nevada City. We definitely pushed each other to a new level this year. I had to sprint out of that frigg'in corner each lap just to stay attached to that f*kr. Then my climbing speed finally added something to the game in return on the hill. Holly molly though, that was fast. Thanks to everyone for cheering. Even the guy after the neutral water who said "Mike, I read your blog!" Awesome!

DHOLLA said...

You hear that E RIggs might have broken a hip?

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

WHAT?

keep me posted, Dan.

Anonymous said...

I been waiting to get the word on him too. If so, I feel for him. I've been hearing screwy advice so far.

BTW- That "2nd corner" is the same corner i've always known at Nevada City. No alterations there..

P.

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

gettin' screwed like that sucks.

no, they had to alter the inside of the corner because of some grates placed down. me and sabine saw them trying to board over them in the morning until finally they just pushed the corner out to cover it up. we just shook our heads and said ... 'yup, more crashes this year.'


so it goes.

Kevin said...

I am a notorious chicken, but the second corner at Nevada City isn't one that I really worry about. Not that I haven't come extremely close to "berm shotting" the hay bails in the past, but it's a pretty straight forward corner. Sure, it's off camber and more than 90 degrees, but you're going up hill so it's pretty easy to modulate your speed. All you need to do is pick the right line going in... The first corner has more of a pucker factor for me.

If you want fun, try taking it from the OPPOSITE direction with more speed like we did in 1986 through 1988 or so. Though I don't remember much carnage going that direction. It made for a much more interesting uphill sprint finish too.

Kevin said...

Oh yeah, I did hit drunk spectator (beer in hand) in turn two in 1990 or so. I'm not sure why she thought that hopping the snow fencing in a fairly blind corner was a good idea...

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

i've had a few things sound like a good idea when drunk ...

Taz said...

Does anyone from the race remember the old lady crossing the road on the start of the decent. Scary stuff...

Anonymous said...

Like a fine racehorse, the Frayer deserves to be fixed up and allowed to spend his days cavorting with beautiful lady bikes.

Assuming he is a he...