off-season isn't your grandpa's hibernation

and there i was riding my bike in the torrential downpour and gale strength wind trying to come to a stop at a stop sign at the bottom of a hill. as the stop sign rapidly drew closer and closer i eagerly awaited the engagement of my breaks. as time past i continued to wait and wait. at the very moment i started to evaluate what the appropriate evasive maneuvers would be my breaks engaged. i smiled.

the very next corner i took i almost laid the bike on its side as i passed through the low level gutter system. that thing was slicker then snot. short moments later i turned north on the bike path and head on into a 20+ mph wind, and just as quickly as the ride started it ended. it was my second shortest ride of the year, the shortest being the one i made it to the end of the street before turning around, but at least it was during the off-season!

the first real rain storm of the season always produces dangerous conditions and is a refreshingly pure reminder of how much dedication being a bike racer requires.

which leads me to my final point.

I LOVE FENDERS! 

the end

new hat

anyone who has known me for the last two years could pick me out in a crowd. not because i stand out as anything special, but because he/she would recognize me because of my hat.

growing up through early adulthood i never wore a hat. i never liked them and/or thought i looked particularly good in a hat. something happened a couple years ago though. i found a hat that i really liked and it looked good on me.

old faithful

i never named my hat, but like my early childhood blankie i didn't leave home with out it.

now over the last few months are started to feel the need to get a new hat. not because i want to get rid of my favorite hat, but because i've started to realize that different occasions require different hats.

the process has been very laborious. it's not easy to replace your favorite hat. not only does the style and color have to be right, but so does the price. after searching high and low on a recent trip to seattle washington i was able to find a new hat.

new hat!

i'm easing into wearing!

offseason writers block

my last race of the 2010 season was the mount ashland hill climb. the race was one of my higher priority races, i had a solid race but not quit the performance i was hoping for. however, this post isn't about the race.



after the race my teammate spencer and i got back on our bikes and started the "offseason" in style with an epic ride that included one of my favorite dirt road climbs.



since that ride we have done several epic rides including dirt and gravel roads. we have seen a lot of action on these rides as they have included more flats, remote areas, near crashes, crashes, and epic catastrophes then our "inseason" training rides did.

with more time comes more opportunity to document the rides, so hopefully the writers block (aka lack of interest) i have been experiencing lately will diminish and i'll have some new content soon.

team's facebook page!