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).

My ridiculous team kit

Yesterday evening I went for my first post-injury ride, rain and all. As I was getting dressed in full orange-and-black glory it occurred to me that I wear a very expensive team kit. Let's see (MSRP in brackets):

Spiuk Nexion helmet ($140)

Spiuk Ventix multi-lens sunglasses, Euskaltel's custom design ($115)



Ibex Fausto jersey ($125)


Ibex El Fito knickers ($120)


DeFeet Levitator Lite Wool socks ($10)


Craft gloves ($33)


Total: $543.
The only part of my kit that is cheap and doesn't match the team colors are my shoes (and old pair of red Nikes). I gotta work on that.

Fall Fling's team classification

As far as I know there was no prize for the best team, either overall or by category, at Fall Fling. But if you're curious about who would have won such prize, here's the unofficial classification (I only included riders who participated in at least three of the four events).

OVERALL: The Team Unattached guys did surprisingly well overall. If only they had team tactics...
1st Team Mack (767 points)
2nd ABD (667 points)
3rd WDT (418 points)
4th Team Tati (404 points)
5th Team Unattached (324 points)

Men's Open: The hosts dominated their own party, both the guys...
1st ABD (323 points)
2nd WDT (146 points)
3rd Turin, Barker & Nester (94 points)

Women's Open: ...and the girls.
1st ABD (80 points)
2nd Team Apache (43 points)
3rd Team Tati (38 points)

Men's cat 3
1st United South Shore (166 points)
2nd Team Mack (156 points)
3rd ABD (133 points)

Men's cat 4. The Polish guys put on a strong performance in the most chaotic field. By the way, who is Tati?
1st WDT (193 points)
2nd Project 5 Racing (109 points)
3rd Team Tati (67 points)

Women's cat 4. Tati is the team with a dozen twin girls in "Darth-Vader-goes-to-a-Halloween-party" kits.
1st Team Tati (99 points)
2nd Kenda (41 points)
3rd Turin (39 points)

Men's citizens. Powered by Hague bars (both the invisible and the nutritious kind).
1st Team Tati (200 points)
2nd Team Sandbag (70 points)
3rd Bicycle Heaven (43 points)

Women's citizens
1st Northwestern (49 points)
2nd Yojimbo's (45 points)

Men's Masters 40+. Team Mack showed off the depth of their Masters teams.
1st Team Mack (304 points)
2nd Met Life (127 points)
3rd Amgen/Giant Masters (70 points)

Men's Masters 50+. But "the other " Polish guys show that they can make it to the podium too.
1st Team Mack (225 points)
2nd Amgen/Giant Masters (92 points)
3rd Warsaw Poland (79 points)

Men's Masters 60+
1st Redline Racing (55 points)
2nd Cycles Veloce (48 points)
3rd Mad City Velo (39 points)

Men's Masters 65+
1st Team Mack (48 points)
2nd Midwest Masters (42 points)
3rd Team Unattached (36 points)

Men's Masters 70+
1st Midwest Masters

Men's Masters 75+
1st Turin

Women's Masters 40+
1st ABD
2nd Team Apache

Women's Masters 60+
1st Midwest Masters

Women's Masters 70+
1st Midwest Masters

So much to lose

Most competitive cyclists have a BMI between 20 and 23, as I showed here. If my height is between 5' and 6' 8'', this is where my weight should be:

height (inches)	Min weight	Max weight
60	102	118
61	106	122
62	109	126
63	113	130
64	117	134
65	120	138
66	124	143
67	128	147
68	132	151
69	135	156
70	139	160
71	143	165
72	147	170
73	152	174
74	156	179
75	160	184
76	164	189
77	169	194
78	173	199
79	178	204
80	182	209

Now suppose that I need to lose x pounds in three months (180 days). I should meet a caloric deficit of 3,500x/180 per day, or approximately 20x.

Note: the ideal-weight figures might be slightly different for women.

This weekend's events

Yes, of course, the grand finale of Fall Fling and of the road season. Time trial on Saturday, crit on Sunday. The omnium is still pretty open in most categories, so we should see some aggressive racing on Sunday. The TT might not matter that much, if a bunch of specialists enter the race but are not contesting the omnium.

Cyclocross junkies will get their fix on Saturday in Wisconsin, and on Sunday in DeKalb (part of the Chicago Cross Cup) and Delafield, WI.

For the recreationally-minded, there is a wonderful urban tour of the south side on Saturday, leaving from Hyde Park. I am ashamed to admit that in my several years in the neighborhood I've never done it, and this year won't be the first (but at least this time I have a good reason). University of Chicago faculty will lead the ride, but as far as I know participation is open to everyone. E-mail dhays@uchicago.edu to register. Riders will convene on the corner of 57th and University Ave. at 10 AM. FYI, the weather forecast is sun/clouds and temps in the 60s. More info about this event here.

Euro Cyclist Club, rules 7-9

7. Cycling shoes must contain at least 80% white!
The following exceptions apply…
i) Colours combinations such as world cup stripes, or Olympic gold where title has been EARNED.
ii) Shoes which are custom-made for specific riders by companies endorsed by this group. These shoes will be accessible to the particular cyclist only, and shall follow the preceding rules.

8. If white cycling shoes are not available where you reside, white booties with prominent logos shall always be worn. When booties are worn, socks should protrude approximately 7 centimetres above the ankle, and shall always protrude at least 1.5cm from any booties worn.

9. Your bike frame must contain 2-4 colours IN ADDITION TO WHITE. All colours are acceptable as long as they combine tastefully. In addition to this, wheel selection must also match frame and fork.

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

CX 101 on video: clothes

-What head gear and shirt to wear in cyclocross biking

-What to gear for the elements in cyclocross biking

Race reports from Fall Fling (weekend #1)

Overall results as of Sep. 28

Race reports:

Tamara Fraser (W-3, XXX) (September 27, 2008)
Raced the Fall Fling road race today. We started out with about 10 in the women's masters category -- mixed 40+, 50+, 60+ and 70+. I was feeling good and had no problem following the moves. By the second turn of our last lap, we were down to 5 -- and none of us were going to drop any of the others. It would come down to who could sprint the best after all the attacking on the hills after turn 3.

But before we got that far, the two women ahead of me touched wheels, one went down and took me out in the process. Which, c'mon! -there were only 5 of us! It shouldn't happen. But a moment of inattention, a bit of nerves . . . and there you are.

Team Tati:
Our little squad of novices provided more racers than any other team besides race host ABD, and more than half of our riders were racing newbies as of Friday. Everyone raced safely, and with style.

For those who care about such things, we enlisted team tactics in every event with more than one rider -- resulting in road race wins in M4 and M5 and criterium wins in W4 and M5. Several riders are contesting for omnium placing, and we've added $100 to the party fund, thanks to a total of seven podium places out of eight contested events!

Avi Neurohr (M-5, Cuttin Crew):

Road race: I hit a bump with one lap to go, my speedometer sensor starts clipping the front wheel, and since it's not mine, I don't take any chances. I pull over and fix it, but lose 40 seconds on the pack, at the wrong time. I waved off Brean because it would have damaged both of our chances to finish well. So I practice my time trialing, come in 34th, and my hope for GC glory is dashed.

Crit: I decided to race Beginners/Cat 5 as well. Ten laps, and three in, Team Tati executed a move after the hill in turns 3/4, and came through with two hot riders. The second one sat up, and I was a couple spots back, and thought "No Fucking Way" and came around him. Unfortunately the guys in first and second either couldn't or wouldn't chase the guy off the front (Turns out it was Brian Hague, who did the same in the Beginners RR the day before). His 5 meter gap grew and long story short, that kid can TT, nobody would pull through, and we were all left fighting for second. Seven of us separated from the bunch to contest the sprint, and though I thought I'd saved enough through the last climb into the wind, everyone else did too. 8th place. BFD. I thought this Cat wouldn't be so tough, but a sprint is a sprint, and I didn't have it today.

The plan for the 4s race was for me to "get near the front" with 5 to go, my teammates to find me, and me to lead somebody out. I was not in the best form during this race, and was really worried I'd let them down, but I stayed up front, slipped back here and there, chased a break once or twice, worked a bit, backed off a bit, and decided to go for a prime even though the one guy chasing it was already 20 meters ahead when I decided (missed it by a wheel or so).

1/4 of the way throught the final lap, I managed to find myself in 4th, so THAT part of my mission was accomplished. A couple of strong guys from Mack were ahead of me, and two guys got separation while one Mack guy blocked me. I was determined not to let that happen again so I closed it up. I had no idea if either of my teammates were on my wheel, but I suspected I wouldn't make it to the lead out. Sure enough, I caught the leaders, but was swallowed with half a lap to go. Had one or both of them been on my wheel, it might have still kept them in the mix, but it didn't quite work out like that. Mike never made it up to me, Brean was close, but he had chased something down pretty hard with two to go and wasn't his usual sprinter's self. He came into turn three pretty hot and had to ease up, and got swept in too. He finished 24th, Mike at 30th, me at 32nd, and Trey (in his first crit) at 37th. Not exactly noteworthy, but Brean might still be one spot out of the money overall.

Patrick Brock (M-4, Team Extreme):

Okay position at the start, but got stalled as a rider in front of me didn't get clipped in on the first try. Field swarmed and relegated to the near rear of the field. Found the spots to move up in turn 3 and 4, but then would get pinched in turn 1. Tried some different lines but the field was too big to get the best lines and move up at the same time. On the bell lap I was 15 wheels back and the rider in front of me sat up and exploded. I was instantly swarmed. I yelled at him to move up as a big gap was being formed and I was unable to move myself as I was now boxed in. Finally was able to get around him after turn 2, but lost too much ground. Rolled in for 41st.

Ed Ekstrom (M-4, Tower Racing):

A Tati riders pulls to the front on the inside launching a teammate. This is where it’s nice to have teammates along for the ride. (Anyone up for next week for either the 4s or 40+?) I was about 6 or 7 back when I saw this happen. No one jumped. I considered it, but hey, its only one guy on lap 2, we’ll see him again. Even his coaches on the sidelines are saying “Not Yet.” I stay near the front following the teachings of BRB. A couple more attempts to jump, only to get eaten up within a lap. On lap 8 I am getting excited, I see a Tati uniform up ahead; we are back into a race for 1st place. We swallow up the Tati rider. Throughout the race, I see some team tactics at work from a couple of Teams. I do my best to bypass the blockers and stay up front. The effort pays off; I am riding 3rd on the final lap. After turn 2, I am riding 2nd. Before the race, I had planned on hitting it on turn 4. However during the race, I think back to the Chicago crit. – go earlier. I hit it shortly after turn 3 into the wind. As soon as I gun it, I see a line of 4 blue jerseys to my right who were in the process of passing on the outside. The first blue pulls off, I am about even with the rear wheel of the new leader now and gaining. I am feeling fresh and there is no way I am losing to this guy. I round turn 4 and give it everything and sprint the final 250m to the finish line thinking I have to keep this up just a little while longer. I pull away for a 2 length win. I did it. I won my first race. I give Case an update after the race – Tower wins. Pasquale asks how I did, I coolly mention that I won.

Hammering Hank (M-4, Tower Racing):

On the last lap leading up the hill it was pretty much all together. Or at least there was no breakaway. I am sure there was some carnage off the back, but it was still a very large group intact. This made it a challenge to get into position for the sprint. The centerline rule was being enforced (Mark M. got thrown out) and several riders were pulled. We had a nice lead out set up with me as the designated sprinter. We attacked a bit too soon and when it was my turn to go, we were to far out for me to crank it up. I waited for some wheels and followed several attacks, but didn’t have enough to finish strong. I have never been in a better position to win a race. Thanks to my team mates for setting me up.

Seth Meyer (M-1, XXX):

So I was trying to count how many rides (not even races–times just riding my bike) I have done since May this summer (the last time I was as gung-ho as I had been for years), and I think the number was 18. Needless to say, I didn’t expect much from kitting up for the Fall Fling Road Race today.

(...)

Actually, what was quite encouraging was when I was trying to bridge to the break of three with a couple other dudes, and I clocked 342W normalized for those five minutes. I was stoked to record that for the first time in a race back in March! Of course, even with some of the power there, what I learned was recovery time was not! I pretty much blew up, died, and rode the rest of the race at the back of the field–a sure sign I’m out of form–but at least I know something’s there.