Weds night ride

Rode with Spin again. Huge group. Fast group. Fun group.

2 Great Days, 2 Great Races

Saturday
85 degrees and sunny.- with quite a bit of wind.
RATL #2
Warming up, my teammate/co-worker Steve Heim says 'when are you going to attack'.... Well, I had no set plan to attack at any certain time, but the 2nd lap felt like a better time than never. Got a fun little jump, before Brent Martin from Stark caught up. Shortly after Matt Turi of Stark and Matt Bockbrader of Spin came and joined us. Matt B. hung with us for a couple laps, but after that it was just us 3 (Martin, Turi, myself). We had 1 1/2 minutes over the field. And then they started some tactics, trying to attack and get a 1, 2. My legs answered them all and wouldn't let them go this way. On the final lap Brent takes off HARD! I tried to stick with him, I was going 32mph to keep up, but was being dropped like I was standing still. Brent took 1st, I took 2nd, and Matt took 3rd. Speaking of which, the dude rides 20 miles to the race, does our race, and gets a podium, is looking strong in the masters-until that fiasco, and then rides home. Baller. Good job to all the SBR guys as well!


Sunday
90 degrees and sunny.
New Martinsville, WV Road Race

So a 46 mile road race with some killer climbs, 10lbs of winter meat still on my bones, and the decision to combine cat 1-3s with the 4-5s; things were looking pretty bleek.

But the race must go on.

The first climb 10 miles in- which makes Boston Mills Road look like a little roller i attack. This sparks a 6 man group. It lasts for a few miles until the field catches us. I felt like being the carrot at the end of the stick.

So I attack hard. In fact I attacked so hard that I went solo 26 miles ala jeremy grimm at last years valley city race for the win. It ended up being a hilly time trial. With about 8 miles left the cop told me i had over a mile on the next guy. So I get pumped and start hammering. Ended up with 1st in 4/5. And 1st overall. Proud to rep the orange and blue down there. congrats to joe who i went down there with on his 2nd place in the 4/5s.

Had some free beer and chilli afterwards. Yum.

Next week is going to be RATL #3 and Covered Bridge #3

weds spin ride

Haven't been on the bike since sunday. I had Weds. off so I decided I would ride with Spin. Weather was looking crappy, but I decided to take my chances and go. We ended up having 4 guys including myself in our group. It was windy! My french bread stouffers pizza I had for lunch was feeling like it was coming up a couple times tonight too. Especially after spafford and

hospital hills.

Luckily, I kept all my food down. Was a real nice ride with humphrey, aussie, and jason. 35 miles

This weekend looks like RATL #2 on saturday. And either covered bridge 2 or heading down to WV for a road race on Sun.

RATL & CVR #1

RATL-

70 degrees

23 starters

2 primes

1 wimpy drag race

A couple laps in, and the bell rings for the prime. I'm at the front and pick up the pace a bit. End up picking it up a little too much and form a small gap and what do you know? I run into Greg Flecher from stark. We just looked at each other and said, lets do this. Greg and I worked and held off the pack with the help of our teammates doing a good job controlling things back in the field. We decided to go for the drag race at the end. Ive ridden with greg alot, and know he'd kick my butt. But I'm quite happy with my 2nd place. And JV held on for 4th.

CVR-

55 degrees

few more starters

1 prime

1 box of matches burnt

Felt like being aggressive. 1st lap Brett takes off and I go after him, and we get the pace going pretty good. I rode the front and tried doing a couple flyers, all of which were countered. Lots of attacks from everyone actually, with no one ever really getting away. Aussie Rob from sssmst did a nice little time trial though and held it until about 400m from the finish. Last lap I'm up front again. Brett who went down with ted pablo (hope hes not too hurt!) took the lead to help save my legs for the leadout. After Brett goes, my last match dies, and Stark flys by. And then everyone else zooms by.

Despite the lack of placement. I think our team did a great job by being pretty aggressive.

Can't wait for some races with some climbs!

Deer Creek RR, the reester bunny ,& alpe d'huez

Saturday was the deer creek road race. I hitched a ride down with ted pablo and brett sudetic. We got there and saw a TON of cars. Huge turnout. It was also extremely windy. Brett and I had decided that we could go together off the front and try to make it stick.

Well... I just was either mesmorized by how large the field was or something. I raced very, very passively. In fact, I must have been in the very back of the field because I didn't even notice Brett go. I didn't attack at all. Ended up just finishing with the field. Wind slowed the field down to a pitiful pace and I did nothing about it. I Will be more aggressive next time. So, 0 points in this years first race. 13/41.

Sunday was candy day. I ate a 'reester bunny' Instead of a chocloate bunny, it was a giant reeces peanut butter cup shaped as a bunny.

Monday I got out for a good windy 63 miles. I climbed alpe d'huez-(bedford reservation), and avoided the rain. Legs got a good beating.

Next weekend I plan on doing RATL#1 & Covered bridge race #1.

Spin

Spin tonight. A little chill may have scared off a few people. We ended up combining the As & Bs. No hammerfest, just a nice little ride. After Cedar point rd the pace picked up into A pace. Then up hospital hill, and down paris roubaix again, which was yet again quite sketchy. Guiness and Dogfish Head 60min followed by Rockband and more 60min ended the night.

old man

I tweaked my back at rays tonight bunnyhopping up the drop off in the mongoose section. I feel like an old man. There hasn't been much riding as of recent- busy at work, and then it looks like some crap weather at the beginning of this week. Like snow!

I snuck in a real quick ride on my 17 mile loop Sunday morning- it was better than nothing. Threw in a few sign sprints. Looking to ride Wednesday with Spin, and then kick off the season with the Deer Creek Road Race this Saturday.

wind

Rode with the Spin group tonight. First shop ride of the season, and there was a pretty nice turnout. It was uber-windy heading out, so it made for a nice ride home. There were a few short climbs, I felt pretty strong on them, but man I really need to get serious about dropping that winter weight off. We also went paris-roubaix style. Turning off of riverside after climbing hospital hill onto a brick road.

I thought we would just ride easy on the bricks, but all of a sudden everyone just takes off like a madman, and we're cruising on the bricks at 30mph. I think my organs are still shaking.

Went over to Sullivans afterwards for some tasty Guiness. The best after ride beverage in my book.

Lots of working this weekend for the sale. So there probably won't be too much riding.