South Side 'Cross

1. You got the cyclocross bug and don't wanna shake it off.
2. You really wanted to do 'cross this season and didn't do it because of X, Y or Z.
3. You need a good excuse to avoid church.

If you fit either of those descriptions, you are a prime candidate to participate in...

THE SOUTH SIDE ICE CROSS series

A bunch of folks got together on the Thanksgiving weekend and decided to do a scrimmage 'cross race, just for fun. The experiment went well, and now they want to share the share the experience with all of you Chicagoan 'crossers out there.

They do a modified version of the Jackson Park course. Only your honor, and modest goodies and refreshments, are on the line.

The format of the race(s) will accommodate riders of all levels.

The first race will be this Sunday, December 14, at 10am.

RSVP & more information: j@taticycles.com (J is the mastermind behind Tati Cycles and Team Tati.)

My baby is here

First of all, sorry about not writing anything for so long. Life gets in the way of life. From now on, however, I'll post only once or twice a week.

Today I received a great surprise: my new road bike is here!!!! Well, at least the skeleton of it, but that's the most important piece. Lo and behold, here I introduce you to.... LA MACCHINA. (The designer of the frame is J/Tati. He took the pictures too.)



Made to order by the finest titanium frame builder in Asia. The width, length, angle and thickness of every tube have been chosen to fit me and my riding preferences. Ain't that neat? A unique masterpiece that will last a lifetime.

A pretty stiff bottom bracket shell...

Massive chainstays.

Check out the ovalized downtube.

J marvels at how clean the welds are. So do I.

The massive, sculpted limbs, together with the finesse and nakedness of the titanium finish, conjure up images of Michelangelo's human bodies:

* * *

Now I need to make a decision about the finish of this bike. I've been saying for a long time that I was going to powercoat it in... a certain color. But after seeing the pictures I'm not so sure any more.

Let me give you some context. The seatpost will be black, made by Thomson. The stem will probably be black, also Thomson, but there's the possibility of powdercoating it white. The saddle will be white, most likely Fizik, but I might be persuaded to go for a Selle Italia. The fork will be black, probably Alpha-Q, like the one in the picture. The bar tape will be white, probably Fizik microtex. The group is a mix of Campagnolo Chorus and Centaur. The cranks are black. The brake calipers are silver, I think. The pedals will be either Look or Time. It is with much sorrow that I ditch Shimano, the only pedals my shoes have touched since I went clipless, a loooong time ago. But, as you will understand, I can't put a shred of Shimano on this bicycle. The rims, spokes and hubs will be black. I haven't decided the brand and model yet. Schwalbe tires, of course.

Accompanying this beauty, some day in the near future I'll procure a pair of Sidi or Adidas shoes, either black or white.

So, given this choice of colors/components, what's the best chromatic choice for this frame? (All options are on the table, including naked Ti.)

I know that this decision should be based purely on personal aesthetic sensibilities, but sometimes other people's comments help me figure out exactly what I want.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On Turkey Day...
Eat only half as much as you would like to eat, try only one of the pies, and go for a ride on Friday. "See" you on Monday!

What people said about Woodstock

Brady, Jim (Masters, Pony Shop): I remember after pulling for awhile and Jim coming through saying to him "we've got to stay with him, he'll be gone." But then the elastic broke.

Cartier, Jacques (M-3, XXX): However, I did have one good partner next to me, Brian Parker. This guy is the fricken Picasso of down hill decent on the cross bike. He was coming around the corners so smooth like he was painting a master piece and I was taking notes and eventually catching up on the small climbs and straightaways.

Fraser, Tamara (W-4, XXX): ...right here my teammate Mike hollers, "don't mess up these turns and you got it!" forshadowing my downfall. -- back up the hill, around the 180 at the top, braking into the first 'S' turn, braking for the second, which you can shoot right out of and into the finishing stretch . . . but I was trying just too hard and missed the angle on the second turn, the easy turn, and slid out. Mike was screaming for me to get up, and I tried, but stepped on the side of my foot, rolled my ankle and fell again -- Lara passing me, of course -- I finally got on the bike and finished in third. So frustrating. So disappointing.

Golz, Carolyn (W-4, Pony Shop)

Heck, Greg (M-3, XXX): I won... a bike at the Woodstock Cyclocross race.

Holland, Jeff (M-3, XXX)

Klug, Kevin (M-1, Killjoy): I guess it became a "training ride". Nonetheless, I figured I would ride hard and get some effort in. The course was not all that technical but it was fun anyway with some nice up and down and fast speed sections. There's something about riding a road bike off road really fast that is so much fun.

Kuhn, Lou (M-3, Pony Shop): Most of the race is a blur but I kept fighting back to Chris and got in front with just over 1 lap to go, after that I just held on rode the good lines and sprinted as hard as I could for the W.

Popper, Julie (W-4, Half Acre Cycling): I just couldn’t get my cleat in the darn things. I’m sure everyone saw this happen, and the field just rode away from me. By the time we hit the first singletrack, any chance of a respectable finish was gone. But again, who’s going for respectable?

Strout, Chris (M-3, World Bicycle Relief)

Photo from velosnaps.

News and links 11-24-08

• Triathletes in Chicagoland: Tati is starting a triathlon team. Learn all about it at the info meeting this Tuesday.
  
• And yet another ergonomic design for saddles, by Selle Royal (via Bike Rumor). (Read this New York Times article about the dangers for those who use inadequate bicycle seats, that is, the dangers for all of us.)
  
• "We are the cyclists: the intermediate stage between humans and pure energy."
  
• iPhoners out there: Mapmyride.com has launched an application that allows you to map your ride with your phone and sync it with your mapmyride account.

  The App is as simple as can be, though it does require the newer 3G iPhone with GPS. It records total time, distance, current speed, average speed and you can view your maps directly from the phone after the ride. One of the features they’re working on for a very, very near future update is to allow you to upload maps from your account directly to your phone.

  (Via Bike Rumor.)
  
• You'll get this only if you have played Guitar Hero (from cyclelicious):

Collected tales from Lansing

The official results are now posted (see left column). In terms of the course, St. Charles and Northbrook set the bar really high, so I heard that Lansing was a bit disappointing. Everyone was talking about the sandpit though.

Debbie Dust (W-1, Verdigris / PACT-Dish Network)

I was happy to be finished - it was a bit of a suffer fest at times as evidenced by the (simultaneously cool yet nasty/gross) copious amounts of spit and snot stuck to the various surfaces of my bike.

Joe Kallo (Masters 30, UCVC)

As I was doing my practice laps I developed this (utterly genius, no doubt) strategy: I was going to serious bury myself for the first 2 laps. Just 2 laps. No matter what, I was going to remain over redline as much as I could muster. No thought of future laps, and nothing held in reserve.

Jesse Williams (M-4, Tati/UCVC)

I felt pretty good at the start and appeared to pass many of my competitors through the barrier/sand sections. I even managed to recover some of my entry fee by picking a dollar pass-up as I sprinted though the sand.

Lou Kuhn (M-1/2, Pony Shop)

Race #2 was an experiment of sorts, just 2 hours after my race and still in my roubaix skin suit hoping the embro that accidentally slid south is killing a bit of the bacteria that could be roaming about after sitting in chamois post 30 plus race.

I felt great for the first 4 or 5 laps, then noticed that they hadn't put laps to go up yet???? when they did it didn't help my psyche to see 6 to go. Sixty minutes is a lot longer than 45.

Holly Klug (W-1/2/3, Killjoy)

I am not the greatest rider on power courses so my goal for the race was to ride the pit to show off my "skillz" and try to hang on to June or Debbie's wheel as long as I could. Kevin said right before the race to "not do all the work" and let the other girls pull you around at the start. With this in mind, we go and I get the hole shot.

Jeff Holland (M-3, XXX)

I was caught and passed by Al, managed to catch and pass Ernie and Adam, and eventually settled in right behind Ryan. I chased him for a few laps, until he rode the sand instead of running it to get a gap on me. The next lap he went back to running it, but the damage was done. I never caught up.

Greg Heck (M-3, XXX)

For the next several laps I sit on the wheel of Jason Knauff of Burnham Racing. Since he has already won a couple of races I figured it was his reward to set the pace while I wheelsucked ( I am not embarressed to admit it!!).

The Wall Tax

The ice is here. Up on the Oak St. bend, the lakefront path now gets covered by a sheet of ice overnight. You know how it goes: high waves lick the pavement, soaking it permanently, and the low temperatures do the rest.

Beware, then, when you ride through that patch. Tamara took a spill yesterday (Tuesday), and witnessed the misfortune of another unaware cyclist. The slippery conditions were the topic du jour at the bike station today. A cyclist was taken away by an ambulance.

This problem is important enough. The treacherous ice sheet cuts the heavily transited north-south bike artery into two disconnected legs. The few brave ones who dare walking (or riding!) the ice risk coming out with bruises, cracked helmets and eyeglasses, and broken bones. I know a person who once chipped his hipbone as a result of one such fall and was injured for months.

The solution appears simple: set up a barrier so that the waves won’t reach the bike lane. A wall right by the edge of the lake, along the bend, seems like the obvious solution to me. A two-meter-high parapet would suffice.

I don’t see any aesthetic concerns: the lake would still be visible from Lake Shore Drive and its west side, because the lake sits so much lower. And the wall would only block the lake view from the path along a brief stretch.

An alternative answer would consist of dumping blocks of concrete in the lake, right by the edge of the path, effectively pushing the shore outwards and making the waves break further away from the path, instead of on the path. Basically, something similar to what we have at the Promontory Point. This second solution is probably less effective, and I can’t imagine it being prettier than the wall, but I understand why some people would prefer it.

The main point is: this is an easy problem to solve. Cheaply. A few tens of thousands of dollars would make cyclists happier and safer for decades to come. Would riders be willing to pay a tax to fund the project? If you spread the cost over all the cyclists from Chicagoland who use the path, it shouldn’t take much. I bet that a 0.1% sales tax on all bike-related products sold in the city, during one year, would buy you not a concrete, but a golden wall. Plus, Mayor Daley happens to love both bicycling infrastructure and sales taxes. No opposition from that front. (Or even better but less humorous: organize a fund-raising ride.)

What do you say? Would you be willing to pay the “Wall Tax”? Vote "YES" on "Morning Roll's Proposition"!

(Is this problem more difficult than I think it is? Am I missing something?)

News and links 11-18-08

• Japanese fixie trickery. A lot of the tricks don't look that spectacular, but I just like watching the Japanese doing bike stuff...
  

trailer for FUMIKIRI from JAN on Vimeo.

• How to commute in the winter without spending tons of $$$? (Hat tip to Brian Morrissey.) I'll follow up soon with a review of a couple of winter gloves. Stay tuned.
• Panniers for surfboards? Only in California. Via cyclelicious.

Sorry I can't keep you entertained any longer today. Later on this week:

-Collected stories from Lansing.
-Expensive and technical is not always the best.
-Ingredients of an epic ride.

Keep riding!

Euro cyclist club rules #25-27

25. Any physical activity, other than cycling, is STRONGLY FROWNED UPON. This includes any form of running or swimming and their derivatives (this includes walking). The ONLY TWO other sports with a recognized degree of euro are cross country skiing, and long track speed skating.

26. MTB gloves are FORBIDDEN in all instances. Cycling gloves will be slick, white (in accordance with kit), and have minimal padding. Padding will be beige or white in color. Wearing NO GLOVES is entirely acceptable and encouraged. In the case where said euro cyclist is wearing a leader’s jersey, special gloves will be made to match the color of the jersey while blending the team kit colors simultaneously.

27. In a circumstance where any cyclist (or triathlete) ever displays aggression or disrespect towards you, you are required to ride up uncomfortably close and slap them in the face with your team-issue gloves.

(From the Facebook group "The official rules of the Euro cyclist.")

Nifty stuff

• The all-in-one tool for the fixed-gear or single-speed bike. ($30). Available in January.

  It comes with a 15mm hex for removing your bolt-on wheels; a 5mm hex for seatpost and handlebar bolts; 8, 9, and 10mm box wrenches for older style brakes and seatpost clamps; a lock ring tool; and most important, a bottle opener. It also comes with a small eyelet for pinning on a piece of extra chain to create a compact chain whip.

  From VeloNews, through Jeff Holland.

• Another review of the Shimano Di2.

  I’m going to split the difference on this one: We don’t need Di2 the way we need more efficient cars. The Segway was an invention that hasn’t made the world more interesting. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to still be stuck on Nuovo Record. Great as it is, I’m glad for integrated brake and shift levers—now there’s an answer to a question someone asked. (...)
  I’m going to cut to the chase: Di2 rocks. The shifting is simply the fastest I’ve ever experienced, faster, I dare say, than I would have imagined possible. While rear derailleur upshifts aren’t much faster than current Dura-Ace, the front derailleur upshifts are honestly smoother and faster than I thought possible, even when out-of-the-saddle and stomping the pedals in a Tom Boonen-goes-bye-bye effort. As a matter of fact, the faster your cadence, the faster the shift.

• Classy wheels.
• 
  

Stories from Northbrook

The results are posted here (riders sorted by their overall standings, not by their results at Northbrook).

Joe Kallo (M-4, UCVC)

I was also hurting a whole lot, and not paying attention to my hup hup. In the last two laps, I kept shifting the wrong direction because of the way the SRAM shifters work (well that, and my dumbass decision not to dress properly), so I gave up shifting.

Beverly Bike-Vee Pak

After ascending the stairs you had the pleasure of riding the most challenging section we have ridden all year, three off-camber muddy, greasy turns where if you had too much speed, or hesitated just a bit you found yourself upside down. And believe me, more than a few people were trying to ride that section who had no business doing so, and some were making it look easy.

KillJoy

I was almost successfully making the turn when I decided to go against everything I have learned in mountain biking and grabbed my brakes mid turn. This obviously caused my wheels to lock up and there was CRASH #1! I was able to get back on my bike quick even though it literally knocked the snot out of me (hopefully there isn't a pic of that).

Jeff Holland (M-3, XXX)

Great technical course, true cross weather, too bad I didn't bring my A-game. I had a good start, until someone plowed into the back of me about 200m into the race, which sent me right into Jacques. He managed to stay up, but it caused me to have to stop and remount. After that, I kept sliding back from the leaders. Add a crash where I wrapped my seatpost in some marker tape and went down, and a crash on the last lap down the hill trying to avoid another crashed rider, and I rolled in for 22nd place.

Pony Shop Cyclocross

On to the race...Thank you to the Garner Northbrook Bike Club and Flatlandia Cycling Team for setting up a fantastic course, which had two rarities, no man made barriers, and 2 stair run ups per lap. I never really thought about the lack of barriers, didn't miss them at all, the course had a really good flow to it, with lots of turns, but more importantly off camber turns, very tricky. The weather helped add to the technical challenge of the course and made it really feel like the Motherland.

Tamara Fraser (W-4, XXX)

As I came through the start/finish, steeling myself for another lap or two, the officials were standing in front of the lap counter. "How many more?" I asked, they called back, "You're done!" Woooo!

Jim Brody (Pony Shop)

On the 3rd lap I started getting passed in the technical stuff, first Mike and Randy from xXx, then a DICE rider, then James from Turin. I tried to stay with each one, but then I'd have to slow down in a corner. Just too tentative in the corners, wasting massive amounts of energy braking and then having to re-accelerate.

Race results and 2009 calendar

In case you haven't noticed, I have started to post the results of all the races held near Chicago after Sept. 21, on the left column of Morning Roll.

I have also updated my calendar with all the events that the Illinois Cycling Association has scheduled already for 2009--the dates are still tentative, though.

And, to wrap up this administrative post, let me note that I have added three new blogs to by blogroll (see the right column): Ben Popper's (M-1, Rock Lobster), current leader of the Chicago Cross Cup, Jim Brody's (Pony Shop) and the Pony Shop Cyclocross blog itself. (Hat tip to Patrick for the latter.)

Correction: Ben Popper is not the leader of the Chicago Cross Cup. Hat tip to Joe Kallo for the heads up!

Katy

Today I'm going out of town for a friend's wedding, so no riding this weekend :(

I'm secretly hoping that the ceremony turns out as in this video (5 minutes). Don't miss the part where Katy gets down to her Skivvies and hops on a pink bike. Later on, a pack of furious bridesmaids, also on pink bikes, join her in a mad hunt for the groom.



Don't you love Katy? I'm not sure which video I like best, the one above or this one.

Euro cyclist club rules #22-24

22. Campagnolo shall be THE ONLY acceptable componentry and is hereby deemed superior to ANY Shimano product in ALL circumstances. You are expected to have nothing less than an ENTIRE campy gruppo. Crank substitutions are NOT permitted. There is a case by case exception for SRAM RED.

23. You shall NEVER, under any circumstances, acknowledge the presence of a cyclist riding a bike costing less than 2000€ in a public place. This could be severely detrimental to your image.

24. You shall NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, associate with triathletes. It is FORBIDDEN to have any number inked onto your body before a race.

(From the Facebook group "The official rules of the Euro cyclist.")

News and links 11-5-08

• Fixie hipsters. Just fun to watch. About 4 minutes. From cyclelicious.
  Empire from Empire on Vimeo.
• How to shop for bike-ish things: girl's version. Best paragraph:
  

  Trying on a full outfit will give you the true feeling of how it will ride. Don’t look in the mirror first. Rather, sit down, or squat down into bike position. If you mountain bike, shift around a lot, and feel for seams that rub you. Roadies should imitate “the drops position”; the garment should fit best in this position and it should not ride up. OK, now look in the mirror.

• A bike light that you can charge via a USB port. (Hat tip to Bike Rumor.) (And what is the practicality of this feature? Are you gonna use the batteries of your laptop to recharge the battery of your light!?)
  

Rave reviews of the St. Charles course

Tamara Fraser (W-4, XXX)

Raced cross in St. Charles yesterday. It was a VERY technical course, which did not play to my strengths. But it was still super fun.

A Mission Bay woman gave me trouble for a while, then a Tati girl remained tantalizingly out of reach for two laps -- every time I got close, I'd screw up at a barrier or in the gravel or in the off-camber turns, and she'd get out ahead of me again. I finally caught her on the last lap, passing her on the way up the hill and somehow managing to stay ahead of her through the barrier and run-up.

That Tati girl. Again.

Joe Kallo (Masters 30, UCVC)

Above all, I couldn’t stop smiling over what an awesome day of cyclocross we had. All ten CCC races could be held on this course and they’d never hear a complaint from me. Well done guy and gals.

Beverly Bike-VeePak

Today's race had it all! The course laid out for us today in St. Charles by the Chicago Cyclocross Cup was a doozy. Not necessarily very difficult, but there was no place to let your mind wander. From the winding climb just off of the start, to the off-camber section on the back of the course, to the twisting downhill and of course the best section on the course for me was the improvised beer garden. This section was an absolute blast to ride through everytime. Riders were shouted at, heckled, encouraged, some beer hand-ups were given out, bells were rung, pictures were taken, money was handed-up, you name it, it happened all within these 25 yards. Incredible fun!

Curtis, Robert (M-5, Bicycle Heaven)

Awesome race. Robert Kelley and Matt Stewart from my team (Bicycle Heaven) set up the course and all I have to say is....OMG!!! Actually more like OMFG!!

Didriksen, Erik (M-4, XXX)

This week's ChiCrossCup race was in St. Charles and the course was set up wonderfully - kudos to the organizers!

Stuff to do this winter

A few weeks from now, the 'cross season will be over and we'll face three long months of coldness, snow and darkness. But do not despair, we have quite a few events around Chicago to keep us bleeding lactate over the winter:

ABD Indoor time trials

January 11: Flat
February 1: Rolling
February 22: Flat
March 14: Rolling

VisionQuest Indoor time trials

Dec 14: Bong 40k
Dec 21: Masters National 39k
Jan 04: Tour de France Stage 4 Cholet 29k
Jan 18: Bong 40k
Jan 25: Masters National 39k
Feb 08: Tour de France Stage 4 Cholet 29k

Stair climbing (OK, not cycling, but not bad for your quads...)

Nov 11: Go Vertical (Sears tower)
Jan 25: Step up for kids (Aon tower)
Feb 22: Hustle up the Hancock (Hancock tower)
March?: Climb MS (Franklin Center/AT&T corporate center)

October's riding stats

This month's stats are not representative because I didn't ride at all during the first ten days of the month. Here they are nonetheless.

Hours	31h 02'
Kilometers	790
Time in HR zones 1-2	28h 15'
Time in HR zones 3-4 (pre-LT)	2h 21'
Time in HR zones 5 (above LT)	0h 26'
Average cadence	84
Calories burned	18,200
Weight gain (loss), in kg	(0.99)

My cadence was a bit too low (I used to average 90), and the amount of weight lost is insufficient. I didn't spend much time above LT, but for this time of the year that's fine.

Euro cyclist club rules #19-21

19. All stems must be a minimum of 120mm and a rise of no higher than -10 degrees. Stems shall be positioned no more than 0.5cm above the top of the headtube. ALL stems shall ALWAYS be oversized, made out of ALUMINUM, and airbrushed in kit/frame colours.

20. A rider will ALWAYS have liniment applied to his legs before appearing in public.

21. Facial hair will be restricted to (at maximum) a goatee, and even this is discouraged. Moustaches, beards, or any combination thereof are EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED in all instances. Stubble is, however, advisable in virtually ALL euro-situations. It is important to note: this DOES NOT apply to the legs!

(From the Facebook group "The official rules of the Euro cyclist.")

News and links 10-29-08

(Most of today's links come from Bicycling magazine. Yes, I admit it, I occasionally browse that shallow publication. But at least I don't pay for it. Somehow it appears in my mailbox every month. I swear by Fausto Coppi.)

• At WorldCommute.com you can "estimate your savings from riding a bike for transportation, track your fitness, figure how many pounds of carbon emissions you've preempted the release of, and compare your efforts to those of others around the world." Cateye maintains the website.
  
• A Kenyan world-class climber? Singaporen Nicholas Leong is training two Kenyans from Eldoret, home to the world's best marathoners, in the mountains of France to see if they can be pro-caliber climbers. So far their times up Alpe d'Huez are close to those of Armstrong, Pantani and Sastre. The question is whether they can develop the skills and endurance needed to shine in competitions that last several hours, or weeks...
• A gift idea: Roadie: the misunderstood world of a bike racer.Veteran race announcer and long-time cycling enthusiast Jamie Smith sets out to explain the sport he loves and the roadies who live for it in this lighthearted treatise on bike racing. Finally, a book to explain those people who roll out for a ride dressed in technicolored Lycra at the crack of dawn on Saturday, and return at sundown with a glow of satisfaction and even stronger tan lines.

  Perfect for anyone who has ever known a roadie, considered becoming a roadie, or walked away from a bike race completely puzzled, Roadie addresses all of the curiosities that accompany the sport of cycling, from shaved legs to colorful jerseys and unbelievably expensive bicycles, shoes, and components. Every seemingly neurotic tendency is explained and celebrated with humorous illustrations from nationally syndicated cartoonist Jef Mallett (also rumored to log thousands of miles of riding per year).

• Rabbit-like peripheral vision with the Nike Hindsight eyeglasses. The glasses "extend cyclists peripheral vision with lenses that bring objects from 25° behind the cyclist into the cyclist's field of vision." (From cyclelicious.)
• The University of Chicago Velo Club folks got themselves a crisp new website. Check it out! Membership is not open to everyone though.
  

The weekend's (lack of) adventures

On Saturday I found myself the only roadie in the team. The rest of the troupe was CXing at Palos. My initial plan was to do an easy 50 miler. But, not having ridden my bike the previous two days, my good ol' impulses commanded that I ride a bit longer. And so before I knew it I was a man on a mission to Highland Park (105+ km round trip), all by my onesie self.

No traffic to speak of on the path. Just sprinkles, cold, some wind, and a a few piles of sand.

I reached port on the verge of bonking. Perfect timing. Scurried away from the cold and into Perfect Blend for a cup of hot cocoa. Yum. Just what I needed. It warmed me up real nice, "from the inside out," as the pros recommend.

As I was sitting down, the ginormous posse of XXX riders arrived, filling the small café to the brim and overflowing into the sidewalk. Double perfect timing.

This rider sits next to me and asks:
-So why "Tati"?
-He was a French actor and director who made funny movies... And there were bicycle in most of his movies.
-So you're all French?
-No, I'm Catalan. But we're all rude, like the French...hahahaha

Nice folks those XXXers.

Came back home without incident. Just a bit cold and my legs definitely beaten after more than four hours on the saddle.

Mental notes for next time:

1. If there's room in the CXers car, try going to Willow Springs with them and do the TT course several times while they do their thang. The bike ride might get boring, but the company surely will not.

2. Failing that, join the XXX ride, or at least bring your i-Pod.

3. Order a smaller cup of cocoa. I guess it was the milk, but several times on the way home I felt like my delicious hot beverage wouldn't stay in my stomach.

What should I do?

My feet get colder than most people's, I think. When I was a child, my mom used to observe all the time how cold my tootsies were. I don't know if it's poor blood circulation or what, but riding outdoors in the winter is agony. For me, neoprene booties and wool socks are no match for the fierce Chicago winter.

But I really want to ride outside several times a week through this winter. What can I do?

a) Take it like a man. Sure, but I don't see myself doing that every day. One thing is to brave the cold once I've forgotten the pain that lies ahead. A very different thing is to get out there in the morning with a fresh memory of frozen toes from the evening before. I'm afraid it won't happen. Plus, my feet might fall off, which is not good in the medium to long term.

b) Cut my feet off. Hmmm, sounds like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Definitely counterproductive in the short, medium and long terms.

c) Bite the bullet and buy a pair of Lake winter shoes ($250), which supposedly keep your feet toasty in temperatures down to 10F (I guess that means that, for me, they will work down to only 20F, which is still pretty good).

Any other ideas, dear reader?

Euro cyclist club rules #16-18

16. Kits will always be freshly washed, and one shall ALWAYS have applied a subtle quantity of eau de toilette. It is, AT ALL TIMES, FORBIDDEN to ride in an unwashed kit, as it is extremely detrimental to your image.

17. Saddles must be white only and must be manufactured in Italy or France. Exceptions shall be made in the following cases…
i) Saddles containing WorldCup Stripes or Olympic Gold when EARNED
ii) Italian Flag color combo when rider is ITALIAN (born in Italy)

18. Handlebar tape is required to be cork as well as being WHITE IN COLOR. Bar tape will be kept in pristine white condition. This state shall be achieved either through daily cleansing or frequent replacement. These jobs will NEVER be performed by the cyclist as you must maintain your image.

(From the Facebook group "The official rules of the Euro cyclist.)

Money well spent

For those of you spending your first winter on a bike, here are a couple of suggestions for winter gear. I'm not claiming that these are the best products in their category, but I've used them and they're really good stuff for the money.

Performance neoprene shoe covers ($30)

These puppies will keep your feet warm (when temps are above 30F) and dry. The inside has a fleece-like texture. If you buy these, get one size bigger than the one your normally use.
I put them on over my regular shoes and work really well if you combine them with wool socks, such as the DeFeet Blaze.

The UCVC folks posted recommendations for clothing, over at UC Vélo Café, for a full range of temperatures (read the comments).


Blackburn Mars 3.0 tail light ($15)

Seven LED's and three modes (constant, blinking and "chase"). Two of the LED´s and on the sides and are yellow. It comes with a clip-on thingy, so you can attach it to your clothes or helmet, as well as with the hardware that lets you attach the light to your seatpost. 2 AAA batteries included. It runs for 50 hours on steady mode, and 150 hours on blinking mode.
My favorite feature is that I can really believe that it's water-proof. And it seems to be made to last. In order to install the batteries you need to loosen three little screws and then pull the two sides apart quite hard. No snap-on, snap-off lousy attachment. The edges of the cover are covered by rubber (see pic). Having the three screws securing the two sides of the light also means that if you drop it by accident, it won't disintegrate into fifty little pieces all over the place.
Oh, and this light is very bright. A teammate who was riding behind me today asked me to "Please, please, for the love of God, turn it off, I'm having a seizure!!!" Which I took as a compliment.

Urgent announcement

"The University of Chicago Velo Club will have its annual membership meeting today, October 22nd, at 6 PM in Harper 130. Many people have been inquiring about the meeting, and I know that it's a bit late this year, but it will be worth the wait! If you are a returning member, or if you are considering joining the UCVC, you should attend this meeting to see what UCVC 2009 is all about!"

From Dan Houle, the presi (actually the co-presi).

Race reports from Carpentersville

Julie Eisenhardt (W-4, Half Acre Cycling)

This course and I didn’t have much love for each other. The barriers were knee-high to me and there was no chance of me clearing them if I ran, so instead I approached them with a ladylike side-step, dainty and slow. But there was this over-the-hill bump just before you hit the barriers, coming off some pavement, that I’d fly over and absolutely loved.

Joe Kallo (Masters 30, UCVC)

The highlight of my Masters race was my first front line start for a big kids race. I suppose the lack of a pre-race hangover was making me feel cocky because I decided to line up along side people I had no business toeing the line with.

Sophia Lee (W-4, Tati)

The corners weren't too bad, and it wasn't very technical of a course, but there was a sand pit! I just ran through it, although many of the more experienced riders in later races actually did ride through. Anyways, I got third in my race! Thanks to everyone who cheered for me. I tend to be "grimacing," but inside, I do appreciate it, and I do go faster.

Tamara Fraser (W-4, XXX)

We had 21 women [yay!] in the cat 4 race, and the start was hot. I need to practice sprinting from the whistle -- getting out ahead at the start is SO important in cross. I ended up in a pack tearing over the grass and through the narrow corners -- something I was not completely comfortable with. I overcooked a corner before the first barrier and lost about 15 places. I spent the rest of the race catching and passing, catching and passing. Which, I have to say, was extremely gratifying.

Jeff Holland (M-3, XXX)

By the time we were half-way through the first lap, I was off the back, in DFL. [sigh...] I kept going, eventually catching and passing a Big Sharks junior who had blown up. A few laps later, I was lapped by Ben Popper, and slowly I'd be lapped by the rest of the field except for Ernie, who I was closing in on. A few laps more, and I was hurtin' for certain. At this point, I refused to quit. It was more about finishing and maybe beating Ernie.

J (M-4, Tati)

But I was in the lead. I was in the lead of a lap versus some teammates after all of the races had ended. And being in the lead, I wasn't about to allow a tiny detail like riding in sock feet slow me down.
But I did slow down, and it probably wasn't because I was in sock feet. I would like to think that it was because my feet don't have Eggbeater cleats in them, but that's not the reason. If my feet had Eggbeater cleats in them, they wouldn't hurt as much today, or have nice purpley bruises in the shape of Eggbeater pedals on the soles.

Beverly Bike-Vee Pak

This time through approaching the sand I can hear my two year old son saying "go fast Daddy" so I had to clear the sand. My wife is shouting "more speed, more speed" so I have to obey. I shift up and sprint looking for the line on the left. I hit it clean, and power though, I probably smiled as I came out of the pit and could hear the crowds reaction. I also opened up a decent gap again.

Debbie Dust (W-1, Kenda)

So I was first loser on the day. An acceptable finish because really, I worked hard but I didn't bury myself too horribly, suffer that badly and I didn't break a nail or fall off my bike a single time (yay!!).

News and links 10-21-08

• Did you ever think about using dry leaves, moss and mud to protect yourself from the elements in the winter? Here's how. (Via cyclelicious.)
• A surprisingly attractive commercial for Hutchinson tires. Love the paint job of the Masi bike and the white dress over red tights. Only 3:47. (Via cyclelicious.)
• Note to self: try the Dumonde Tech chain lube (original formula). Cyclelicious claims that it won't make your chain dirty, water doesn't wash it away instantly, and you only need to use it once every 400 miles.
• Annual ranking of bicycle-friendly states. IL ranks 8th, right after CA and before NJ. The friendliest state is WA, the least friendly is WV.
• Sweet, white BKW/Rapha knee warmers ($70).
  

EPO

CERA (Continuous Erytropoiesis Receptor Activator), also known as third-generation EPO, is a product invented by the Switzerland-based Roche labs. CERA is part of the highly-profitable group of drugs against anemia. This new drug does not add anything, from a therapeutic point of view, to the previous version of EPO, known as Aranesp, or second-generation EPO.

CERA possesses, however, very desirable attributes for dopers: it stays longer in plasma (about 136 hours, or three times longer than first-generation EPO does). One shot a month has the same effect as the annoying microdoses, the best way to take EPO and avoid detection by antidoping tests. Moreover, CERA barely shows up in urine.

Mircera (the commercial name of CERA) was approved for therapeutic use in August 2007 in the European Union, and in January 2008 in the USA. The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA), however, suspects that it's been in use by athletes since 2004. Something similar happened with the first-generation EPO. It started circulating in the international peloton in 1987, but it wasn't approved for therapeutic use until 1989.

There's hope, though. It took the WADA ten years to get a test for the first EPO. Only four years for CERA. The new challenge, paradoxically, is to develop methods to detect the old EPO. Labs all over the world produce copycats of EPO, illegally. These copies are slightly different from the original product, and go undetected by existing tests.

2009 will mark the 20th anniversary of the official introduction of EPO, and Roche's patent will expire. Very soon those shady labs will be able to produce generic EPO, legally, and therefore the substance will be available at a much lower price. Detecting these rogue versions of EPO is the new challenge.

Euro Cyclist Club rules #13-15

13. Hair shall be kept neatly short, and matching helmet shall be worn (again with prominent logo placement). Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES shall a clashing helmet colour be worn with your euro kit. Helmets are not to be worn when venturing indoors at any time. It is, however, acceptable to wear your helmet while outdoors on a patio.

14. In RARE cases, it has been deemed acceptable to have long hair. In this event, hair shall be neatly slicked back in maximum euro-styling, and helmet SHALL NOT be worn. It is IMPERATIVE rule 12 is followed in these special cases.

15. When riding, sans helmet (with short hair), a team issue cycling cap (white in colour), shall be worn. The bill shall remain in the downward position at all times. Cycling cap can be worn forwards or backwards to coincide with specifics of current hairstyle. During spring training, cycling toques shall be worn at all time in place of caps.

(From the Facebook group "The Official Rules of the Euro Cyclist.")

This wekend's events 10-17-2008

I suppose that most Chitown folks will head for Carpentersville for their weekly fix of CX racing. "Mature trees, off-camber turns, a short hill, asphalt and a famous sandpit" sound hard enough.

I wanted to remind you about two alternative events:

1) Badger Prairie in Verona, WI, which is 2h and 45min away from Chicago, on Saturday.

2) Gibbs Lake County, WI, which is about 2h and 15min away from Chicago, on Sunday.

Happy CXing!

In praise of the Morning Roll

The day starts well for most people when they don't spill their morning coffee, get to school or work on time, and don't find unpleasant e-mails in their inbox. Our day starts well when we ride our bike. Which means that our day starts well almost every day.

There are few things in the world that we enjoy more than a bicycle ride. The breeze on the skin, the slight burning of the lungs, the fast pumping of our hearts. The speed, modulated by the power of our very own legs. The excitement of zooming through the bends of the road, street or bike path. The glee flooding our heads as we get off our bicycles, mission accomplished.

Then we sit down to devour delicious muffins and bowls of oatmeal, feeling no guilt whatsoever for such caloric indulgences. Because our morning roll earned us a morning roll.

And then we walk diligently to our classroom or office, a smile in our brain, sometimes on our face too. Feeling different amid the river of bodies that zombie their way from bed to chair. "I am a cyclist. I've been up for hours now, riding my bicycle. I have already proven my mettle today. I am alive and awake. I am a cyclist. I am special."

And then at night we get our kit ready. And we diligently set our alarms for 5.30am (or earlier!) and we get in bed with a quiet smile in our brain, transporting ourselves to a very near future where we hop on our bikes and ride away, and watch the sun rising, and everything is fine.

Thank you, bicycle. I love you and I always will. Every day, eight days a week.

CX 101 on video: Recap

Here's a compilation of aaaaaall the CX tutorials I've been posting over the weeks.

I know that they don't cover every aspect of the sport. And some of you CXperts out there may have cringed at the advice provided by Mickey Denoncourt. But if a few of you learned something by watching these videos, as I have, I feel that I have accomplished my mission.

Dismounting I

1) Dismounting I. Part I . Introduction to dismounting and remounting.

2) Dismounting I. Part II. How to dismount a cyclocross bike.

3) Dismounting I. Part III. Doing a step-through technique.

Dismounting II

1) Dismounting II. Part I. Dismounting a bike at speed in CX racing.

2) Dismounting II. Part II. How to dismount in sand from a CX bike.

3) How to dismount your 'cross bike. (Scroll down about two thirds down the list of videos.)

Remounting

1) How to remount your 'cross bike. (Click on the "how to" section and then scroll down to near the bottom of the list of videos.)

2) How to remount a cyclocross bike at a run

3) How to dismount and remount in cyclocross racing

Off-the-bike skills I

1) How to carry and shoulder your 'cross bike. (Again, click on the "how-to" tab and scroll down to the end of the list of videos.)

2) How to carry a cyclocross bike on a shallow run.

3) How to shoulder a cyclocross bike for a steep run.

Off-the-bike skills II

1) How to go through barriers in a CX race
(Velonews.tv has its own video on going through barriers, but as of the time of writing this post, I couldn't play it. Maybe you'll have better luck: How to get through barriers. Click on the "how-to" tab. You'll find this video near the end of the list.)

2) How to run in sand in CX racing

On-the-bike skills I

1) How to pedal when cyclocross racing

2) Tips for riding light

3) How to work with obstacles

4) How to descend a hill

5) Body positioning tips for hill descents

On-the-bike skills II

1) How to brake in a turn on CX bikes

2) How to make sharp turns on a CX bike

3) How to go through closed corners

4) How to go through open corners

On-the-bike skills III

1) Tips for riding steep climbs

2) Riding off-cambers

3) How to race in mud

4) How to race in sand

Training techniques

1) Sprinting drill

2) Doing double sets

3) How to practice starting

Racing tips I

1) Overall advice about racing

2) How to prepare for a cyclocross race (warm-up)

3) How to start a race

4) How to pace yourself

5) How to pace yourself on a run

6) How to pass people (better on straight sections)

7) How to use the pit

8) How to finish a race (raising your arms, right?)

Racing tips II

1) How to analyze the course

2) Pre-race strategies (eat, drink, warm-up. Mickey is a big fan of coffee too.)

3) Terrain considerations

4) Race tactics

CX bicycles

1) What kind of bike is used in CX?

2) Road bike vs CX bike

3) CX gearing

4) Chainrings and chain retention tips

5) CX handlebar width

6) Seat height

7) Handlebar controls

8) Setting up the brakes

9) Tweaking the brakes

10) Tweaking the cable routing

Tires

1) How to adjust cyclocross clincher tire pressure

2) How to adjust cyclocross tubular tire pressure

3) How to select a cyclocross bike tire tread

4) Why you should have a spare set of tires

Clothes

1) What head gear and shirt to wear in cyclocross biking

2) What to gear for the elements in cyclocross biking

News and links 10-13-08

• Sophia Lee is cool enough to share her blog with the rest of us mortals. (I'm just kidding: Sophia is waaaay cooler than most cyclists I know of.) She writes about racing, riding and what appears to be software for architects. Oh, and she doesn't eat donuts before racing. By the way, I keep finding blogs by cyclists from the Chicago/Illinois area. My most up-to-date blogroll is permanently posted on the right margin of Morning Roll. In particular, I would like to highlight two recent additions to the list: Joe Kallo, a Hyde Park resident, owner of a beautiful pink fixie, and recent addict to CX; and Radio Freddy, 50% of long-time favorite Belgium Knee Warmers, who apparently lives in the Chitown area. (Can anyone confirm this?)
• Chicago's "cycleway" project, on Oct. 5 and Oct. 26, got watered down, from Time Out Chicago. (Note to the TOC writer: it's "Bogotá", not "Bogatá"; and it´s "ciclovía", not "ciclovia"--accent marks exist for a reason: they alter pronunciation or distinguish between otherwise identical words.)
  
• Get married to cycling. Yes, I mean it. Padraig of BKW draws a parallel in several paragraphs of typically delicious prose.
  
• Jackie Chan fends off foes riding a celeste Bianchi. And apparently the Tati folks are not the only ones wearing knee-high argyle socks. (This video is only three-minutes long.) Hat tip to Cyclelicious.
  
• BikeRumor keeps flooding us with pictures and reviews from Interbike. DudeGirl clothing got my attention the other day. DudeGirl makes snazzy yet feminine cycling jerseys (which I like)...
  

...as well as skimpy outfits for runners (which I find horrendous):

Euro Cyclist Club Rules #10-12

10. You shall race only on Bora’s or Lightweights. Fulcrum Racing One, Corima Aero+ or Zipp (404’s or 202’s) wheelsets are considered stylish enough to be used as training wheels ONLY. Regardless, Ceramic bearings shall be used at all times on both training and race bikes.

11. ALL wheels shall be equipped with tubulars, regardless of your ability in gluing them.

12. Ridiculously stylish eyewear (see endorsed products list) is to be worn at all time without exception. Glasses are to be worn over helmet straps at all times.

(From the Facebook group "The Official Rules of the Euro Cyclist.")

Racing reports from Fall Fling: weekend #2

Project 5 Racing

The P5 cat 4 duo of Greg Nash and Scott Ouimette bookended the 2008 season with some outstanding performances at the season ending Fall Fling 4 stage Omnium race. Scott and Greg opened the series by posting 4th and 5th overall in a controversial Road Race that saw the double points system tossed out due to blatant yellow line rule violations by fellow competitors. The next stage brought on a crit and the dynamic duo were game to makeup points on this stage and did just that by placing Scott in second on the day. By virtue of their finishes in the Crit Scott was able to move into 1st on GC while partner in crime Mr. Nash moved up to 4th overall.

After the TT this past Saturday the tag team partners went into the final days crit stuck in a log jam for 3rd overall. Sundays final crit was a daunting task but our boys held their own battling deep squads fielded by Team Tati and WDT. In the end the filed allowed a lone man to escape and it came down to who was going to take the 2nd place points on the line. With some heroic efforts Greg and Scott worked their plan to perfection with Scott winning the field sprint and moving into second overall in the final GC with Greg netting the final podium spot in 5ht place on GC. Awesome job guys!

Chicago Bike Racing

Who remembers this happening before? In Sunday’s Fall Fling criterium, Brian Hague (Team Tati) lapped the 4’s field -- by himself.

I can’t remember it happening in the 3’s or 4’s. I’ve seen P/1/2 breaks go up a lap, but usually when one team has a huge numerical advantage, and never solo. Shoot, I’ve never even seen someone do this at Matteson or on the track. I can barely catch my nephew chasing him around the kitchen table.

I’m told that after lapping the field, Hague went straight to the front and pulled for several laps. This memorable performance from the reformed triathlete and cross-country runner -- he put in a 5-mile run between the citizens and 4’s races -- comes after two weekends of dominance during which he won three of the four citizens stages. It’s a shame the season is ending now, but I’m eager to see how he does in 2009.

That wasn’t the only success for Team Tati. In the women’s 4’s, Elena Dorr placed 2nd but more important put enough spots between her and GC rival Morgan Moon (Team Kenda Tire) to climb into the top spot overall.

Avi Neurohr (Cuttin' Crew, M-5)

So it is with some relief that I made it back to the podium this past weekend. ok, it was a beginners' heat. In ABR. In a time trial. (Technically, I've had less than 15 mass starts, so I can, in good conscience, race that division in ABR.)

But...it wasn't a gimme. There were some strong riders out there...some guys 15 years my junior, some with all the high end gear that can shave a minute or two off in the course of 9.8 miles. I dusted off the single speed and killed it in 22:56, for second place, averaging 25.6 mph. (It would have been good enough for 10th in cat 4, but I think I would have gotten over my laziness and set up and tested a proper TT config for cat 4.)

Our team aspirations of putting someone on the overall podium in the Fall Fling weren't panning out. Rather than show up for the final stage running low on money, time, and energy, I decided to go out on a high note.

Jared Rogers (XXX, M-4)

Jared Rogers reports from ABD Fall Fling Series: So my final exam for the 2008 year was the ABR Fall Fling Series as a recently upgraded Cat 4. In 2 minutes 2 seconds, here are the cliff notes from each race: Westlake Village Road Race: 40 miles of rollers, of which I did not see all of. On the 2nd lap I covered an attack by some rider but then failed to cover the counter by a Tati rider up a slight incline. Despite the field being slowed down by a combine, I would never catch back on. Somewhere around my 4th lap I came up on Tamara and another women who had crashed. Will Pankonin was there so I decided to do what I could to help until the ambulance arrived. The women who was injured was okay when I left and I rode in for 38th or something like that. Chris MacFarland would take 9th. Fall Fling Crit No 1: 40 minutes and 2 laps of riding in the wind. Lots of attacks and lots of slowing into a wall of wind. Never quite got my positioning right and spent too much time trying to fight my way from the back. Last lap when things got strung out I was able to move up a lot, but nothing that would put me in the top 50% of the field. Oh well, there was always next week. Maple Park ITT: This was my first ITT outside of the FCTT we did this year. I was really looking forward to this and getting to use my new aero bars. Overall, it was a windless ride on smooth country roads. I pushed my self pretty hard but managed to get caught by the Pro 1/2 that was 1 min. behind me as well as the WDT rider who was 2 minute back. Both would go on to turn sub 23 times and I came in with a 25.59.80 for 30th. It was my fastest time of the entire season (albeit with aero equipment) and I think I have another discipline I want to take up. Fall Fling Crit No 2: 40 minutes and 2 laps of being out of breath. A Tati rider launches off the front from the start, puts time on us each and every lap, catches up to the back of the field and then proceeds to take the field sprint. Boy do I have a lot of work to do in the off season!

Team Tati

Tim B, who is young at heart, exhibited keen (and appropriately TATI) style on Saturday by sporting a purple lycra Pearl Izumi helmet cover and vintage downtube-shifter equipped Cannondale TT bike with Cinelli Spinaci. On Sunday, he raced M50+ and emulated teammate Brian Hague's off the front efforts by putting fifteen seconds on a field of very tough masters. That the strategy did not entirely work out is less important than the fact that he created some fun and excitement in an otherwise mundane race.

Edward Ekstrom (Tower Racing, M-4)

I go through my typical pre-race 2nd guessing. Did I eat too much this morning? Drink one too many beers last night? Ride too hard yesterday? Did I hydrate enough? At this point, none of it matters, its time to race the last crit of 2008. We line up near each other and hit the start. I follow Tom up the inside to get near the front and try to keep it that way. Somewhere around lap 4/5, they call a prime for sunglasses - I could use sunglasses. If I have a shot, I’m going for it. After turn three, I am in 5th. I see a familiar Tati uniform (it’s that same guy who drove off the front last week) 20 yards off the front. He does not seem to be sprinting just motoring at a high pace. I’m going to try and catch him. No one else challenges except for one, who quickly gives in. Tati looks back and starts to accelerate. I gun it as if the race depended on it. Fly pass Tati after turn 4 and keep going. After a look back to see if the glasses are in jeopardy, I ease up at the line. Hearing Tower Racing takes the prime brings a smile to my face. Tati keeps going. He’s going to do it again. Damn that kid is strong. I wonder if I should follow as we have a good gap at this point. I decide it would be too much effort. I need to work on riding hard while winded (next year.)

I drift to the back and get a great vantage point of my teammates up ahead. Go Tower!
As it turns out that Tati Guy laps us with three to go. I see Tom follow Tati as he drives through the pack a lap up on everyone (impressive). I follow Tati the last lap and a half in 2nd place. Get into a minor scrape when a WDT rider attempts to crowd me out of 2nd place. I’m not moving. He’ll have to move up or drop back. He actually bumps me this time, I push back, fortunately, he backs off this time and drifts back. I don’t like it when this kind of stuff happens. He apologizes later after I call him out.

I decide to leave even earlier than the prime. I take off just after turn 3. I round turn four in 1st. I am doing everything to hold off the pursuits behind, but begin to fade. I get passed by one rider with 25 yards to go and barely hold on for 2nd in the field sprint - 3rd overall. End result: Raced over 26 mph average; Tower is on the podium; I have a pair of sunglasses; $30 goes to Tower Racing Charities (which U.S. Cellular® will match).