BSKlaw.com/Bikeworld.com Team Blog

New team kits?

2008-11-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, Cipo, I'm glad you did it...

2008-02-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Now that I am over the shock of Cipollini deciding to come out of retirement to race with a bunch of ex-dopers on Michael Ball's Rock Racing team, I have to admit that I am actually glad Cipo made this decision. Initially I thought there is no way Cipo, at 41, would stand a prayer next to the younger sprinters in the Tour of California like J.J. Haedo and Tom Boonen. I imagined Cipo's return to pro cycling after a three year hiatus would be reminiscent of Jordan's disastrous foray into pro baseball after retiring from the Bulls or Drew Bledsoe's last season as a pro quarterback. Much to my surprise and enjoyment, however, Super Mario pulled off a podium spot earlier in the week, two spots behind Tom Boonen. Seeing a guy like him race again is quite cool, especially when he shows he can still pull it off.

Seeing interviews like the one below is well worth the disappointment of seeing him race for Ball's team. My favorite quote: "I am 41 here in the body, but 20 in the brain."

Please don't do it, Cipo!

2008-01-18T08:30:00.001-08:00

Mario Cipollini's apparent intentions to race with Michael Ball's Rock Racing squad made me lose all respect for the guy. Why would a great sprinter like Super Mario, with 42 Giro wins, want to make a lame return from retirement to race with a bunch of dopers like Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla, and Santiago Botero? It's worse than Jordan's disastrous post-retirement foray into baseball.

Promoting 'Cross Races....

2008-01-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

...is a hell of a lot of work. Over the past few days, I have planted no fewer than 700 international orange wired flags in the nearly impervious, rock-hard Texas soil, blistering and cutting my hands to shreds in the process, all in an effort to bring out a cyclocross course from an otherwise empty field at Ft. Sam Houston, somewhat like a sculptor chipping away at a hunk of marble, slowly revealing the form embodied in the rock. Or something like that...

The course had a serious flaw in that it had to traverse a gravel parking lot that was used even on weekends. Getting it closed off seemed to be impossible, so I was attempting to route the course on the perimeter of the lot, basically using car bumpers as one side of the course. Not exactly the most aesthetic of cyclocross courses to be sure. Even worse, the dirt at the edge of the lot was rutted and torn up, which would have translated into a bone-jarring section.

Today while working on the course, a footbridge near the parking lot caught my eye. I had ridden the course dozens of times, but I had never seen this bridge tucked away in the trees. My problem was solved instantly. Instead of traversing the parking lot, I could route the course across this bridge. Not only could I avoid the treacherous parking lot, but I could incorporate a pretty cool feature found on many euro courses!

Southern Plains

2007-12-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Part of my holiday travel plans include a few days in eastern New Mexico, Clovis to be exact. Feeling the need to get in some good base miles, I headed out to some of the rural roads in the area.

The wind out here is incredible. The forecast called for 25 mph winds directly out of the West. Out here, you need a more precise forecast of the wind direction--you need a compass direction. If the forecast calls for wind direction of a few degrees less than 270, you make sure to head south and west. If it calls for wind direction of a few degrees greater than 270, you head north and west. With wind this strong, even one or two degrees off of an absolute cross wind can translate into a vicious headwind or an awesome tailwind. The forecast here called for wind out of around 260, so I headed south and west.

Going out was a bear. 325 watts could only get me up to 14 mph into the headwind. When I settled into a tempo range, I was lucky to get up to 12 mph.

The drivers out here, when you encounter one, are extremely friendly. Virtually every car that passed me switched lanes to give me the widest berth possible. The biggest danger was certainly not the cars, but the massive tumbleweeds blowing across the road at 25 mph.

After a few hours of pavement, I got bored and decided to explore the dirt roads that criss-cross this country as part of a massive grid that allows farmers to access their fields.

Within a few minute of leaving the pavement, it's an entirely different world. Nothing but absolutely straight roads disappearing into a vanishing point out on the horizon of the plains, the sound of the wind, and quiet farm fields.

It's amazing what you will see out on these farm roads. All kinds of animals--rabbits, deer, rodents, quail, snakes (in the summer), coyotes, and massive crop-feasting insects. Dead cattle. Old car parts. All kinds of trash. Spent shell casings. Beer bottles. You name it.

My friend Trebon

2007-12-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

Can someone find me a cyclocross related blog that has not embedded the Youtube video of Trebon's crash at Nationals? I sure as heck can't find one.

Night Rides

2007-12-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

If one thing could sum up why I love riding for this team, it would be the winter night rides we do together. The thing about racing in Texas is that the season is so long. The first race of the year is in January, and the road season runs through October. That means November and December are the months to get in the long, low-intensity endurance rides. That means rolling out at 4:00 on weekday afternoons, riding for a couple of hours in the fading daylight, and then cruising home on dark roads with nothing but your headlight to guide your way.

My favorite place to ride is south and east of town. No Hummers or yuppies blowing down busy roads on the way to the 'burbs out here, just quiet country roads occasionally interrupted by a friendly driver on the way home.

There is something surreal about riding at night on dark country roads, especially in December. The nights are usually quite perfect for riding, with temps in the 70s and 60s. With no concrete to retain and radiate the heat all night, you are exposed to the radical changes in temperatures as you meander through the countryside. One second you are riding along in balmy, 70 degree air, and the next you drop into a creek bed and get blasted by a pocket of 55-degree air lingering at the bottom.

I like the incongruity of riding in shorts at night in December, while taking in the many double-wides clad in christmas lights.

I like the odd looks you get from motorists and people going about their business at the convenience store we stop at south of town. People are always friendly, but somehow a little unsure of guys in tights and headlamps.

I like the narrow, quiet roads we take on the way back to town, roads so dark and still that they would be a little creepy if you were riding on them alone at night. Roads through towns with names like Calaveras ("skulls" in Spanish). Roads through towns like Elmendorf, which is where the carcas of a strange, dog-like creature (labeled the "chupacabra") was recently found, leaving DNA scientists baffled as to what it is.

Roads that cross the venerable Say-Town institution known as the "Ghost Tracks."

After logging around 60 miles of country roads, the ride culminates in a pass through downtown San Antonio and finishes off with the infamous Pig Stand sprint, a 3/4 mile drag race on a wide-open, usually traffic-free road in the heart of San Antonio.
Sure I always look forward to the time change in March, but nothing can come close to a ride on dark country roads at night with good friends.

Milan San Remo

2007-12-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Much has been written about how aesthetically pleasing a bicycle race is. Many focus on the team time trial as being the most impressive of all cycling events. I would find it hard to disagree. The imagery of eight cyclists powering down beautiful roads at 50 kph in a perfect synergistic harmony is rivaled by few, if any, other athletic events.

To me, however, one of the most impressive displays of athletic agility and prowess is not found in the TTT, but in the last few kilometers of one particular race--Milan San Remo, or "La Primavera" as the Italians know it. Nothing embodies the core attributes of being a pro than this 10 minutes of bicycle racing.

My personal favorite part of the race is the ascent and descent of the Poggio. Year after year I am absolutely impressed by the shear, raw power demonstrated in the attacks on the ascent of this climb. I am equally impressed by the agility and finesse with which the riders descend the Poggio on the serpent like roads overlooking the Adriatic.

Take a look at this clip from the '05 MSR:

Wurstcross '07--double 5

2007-11-14T06:42:00.000-08:00

The weekend before last I lined up for my first 'cross race of the season. I opted for a double header and figured I would do the Masters race as a "warm up" followed by the 3/4 race later in the day. Initially, I figured I would sit in on the Masters race and just get a feel for the course. But that was not to happen. I got lucky and lined up first row. I got luckier at the start and grabbed the holeshot before the first turn. It didn't last of course, but I stayed in the mix to get 5th overall.

After an hour of rest, I lined up for the 3/4 race. I got second in the holeshot and ended up riding with a group of about 5 guys. A couple of guys slipped away, and I ended up with 5th again.

I was completely shot after the second race but happy with the performance. It reminded me of just how much I love the discipline which is psyclocross.

Pics:

The holeshot

The rock wall dismount

'Crossing the Fort

2007-11-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed. The team has received the green light to host a 'cross race on that beautiful swath of grass located between Williams Road and Nursery Road on Ft. Sam Houston. The date is January 13, the day after the State Championship race at University of Incarnate Word. iDiot and I rode the course the other day, and it is awesome. The course is situated smack dab in the middle of a broad, gentle hill, so lots of climbing and descending will be the order of the day. The military was even kind enough to install concrete obstacles that will work nicely as a flyover. Expect a good, long run-up as well.

The best part is that the race will benefit the Fisher House at BAMC (the same place to which Denzel Washington donated a lot of money after visiting last year). The Fisher House is a housing complex for family members of wounded soldiers undergoing treatment at BAMC. This allows wounded soldiers to have their family living nearby without having to incur additional living expenses.

Here is a map of the course for now:

Ft. Sam Cross Race v.1

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Playin' Hookie

2007-11-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, the forecast called for highs in the 70s, low humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. Not riding on a day like this would be criminal. To hell with the fact that this day was a work day and that I had lots to do. The soul needed a little cleansing, by god. So I tended to some business out of town for the morning and, on the way back in, made a pit stop north of town to begin a 3-hour ride.

It's amazing what 3 hours in places like this can do for the soul:

And, of course, pit stops at stores like this, in Waring, Texas:

I was looking forward to a little jaunt down some of the beautiful dirt roads in the area. Much to my chagrin, however, I discovered this at the gate accessing the dirt section:

Gone were the simple clasp chain and the friendly "please close gate behind you" sign that had adorned the gate for god only knows how long. Exhibit A of what happens when yuppie, hummer driving city assholes move out to the country.

When I made it around to the point where the dirt road exited to pavement, it all came clear. If there was any question as to the ethnicity of the asshole who chained the gate, this sign cleared it up:

If Silva owned this piece of land, would he have called the road Hispanic Creek Road?

12 oz of pure bliss

2007-10-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine that just 60 days ago, it was so hot here that on one long, Saturday ride I cramped up so badly when we stopped to change a flat that I could barely stand. Now, with the first cold front having passed through town, it's time to dig out the cool weather gear--the leg warmers, arm warmers, thermal base layers, shoe covers, but, most importantly, the embrocation cream. The Belgian knee warmers. The stuff that warms my soul.

I don't know what it is about this stuff. Is it the sweet scent of Eucalyptus oil? Is it the tingling sensation you feel when applying it? Or is it the soothing warmth that begins to penetrate deep into the muscles? (I know, this paragraph could just as easily appear as a poorly written product description in some sordid "adult gifts" catalog--not that I would know or anything). But I really love the ritual of putting this stuff on before heading out for a ride in the crisp fall weather we have been experiencing of late.

It's probably that this stuff reminds me of some of my most epic--and favorite--rides. The night ride last December with Tim, Lopresto, and Jeff where it was cold, dark, and rainy; the ride where we got chased by dogs and stopped by a train on a dark road on the Southside of town. It reminds me of the rides when it is so miserable out that no sane person would be out on a bicycle in these conditions--the days you certainly won't see MS150 trainees out riding. The days when South Texas looks and feels more like Belgium in February. The days that the cold overpowers the embrocation, leaving you doubt whether the stuff is even working (but a brief stop inside a warmed convenience store causes your legs to burn and reminds you that, indeed, it is still working).

Hiccup #1

2007-09-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

The project to convert the 1976 Raleigh Grand Prix already hit a little speed bump. First, after inflating the tires and taking it for a little spin around the neighborhood, I discovered that the fork is bent, which causes the bike to pull to the left when you take your hands off the bars, much like a car that is out of alignment. No two-arms-up victory salutes on this bike for me (come to think of it, there probably won't be any on my modern carbon fiber road bike either). Nevertheless, I proceeded to strip the parts off and begin the transformation from 70s 10-speed to Twenty First Century retro fixie:

After going through the painstaking process of removing the cottered cranks, I got on the interweb to find out the best way to mount modern cranks on this bike. It turns out that Raleighs of this vintage use their own proprietary 26 TPI thread pattern that makes it very difficult to find replacement bottom brackets, unless I want to shell out about $150 for a Phil Wood BB and specially made Raleigh retaining rings (which I don't). Fortunately, however, the Sheldon Brown website I linked to in the previous post is a virtual cornucopia of information on these old bikes, and I discovered that I can use the old BB with a modern, square tapered spindle. Now the only challenge is to locate the spindle I need.

New Project

2007-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

As if the 4 bicycles I have in my garage aren't enough, my neighbor just gave me the vintage Raleigh Grand Prix that had been gathering dust in his garage since the 1970s. Here is what it looked like the day he rolled it off the showroom floor:

As you can imagine, the bike my neighbor gave me looks a bit more worn than this beaut. I don't think he ever had the thing serviced, and I am willing to bet it's still got the original chain. The plan is to slap on a Brooks saddle, a new crankset, and a fixed gear wheel. Fixed-gear base miles, here I come!

Post script: after tooling around on the interweb for a while, I have come to realize that the Grand Prix is an excellent choice for a vintage fixie conversion. I Googled "Raleigh Grand Prix" and came across a smattering of excellent websites on these bikes, such as this one here photodocumenting a conversion, and this one here on old Raleighs in general.

That feeling in the air.....

2007-09-12T11:01:00.001-07:00

Man I love the first signs of fall. Last night's ride at the Helotes Toos was awesome. It was a nice 80 degrees when we rolled out, and it probably was in the low 70s by the time we finished. At the obligatory post-ride stop at the Shell station, I actually felt a little chilly.

I really love riding in the Fall. Although "Fall" in South Texas is a relative term, those of you who ride around here must admit it is nice change. Sure, this summer has been mild with all the rain, but Fall means there will those cool fronts will bring in some of that dry, cool air to keep things nice. No more of those rides where you have to wring out your socks at the end because of the sweat, and not because it was raining. Now that DST has been extended, it now means we will be doing the Toos into November.

Sure it will still be warm for a while. I remember doing races around Halloween and the temps climbed into the 90s, but at least we can enjoy it for a while.

The thing about Fall is that one of my favorite cycling seasons--the 'Cross season--is right around the corner. For me, it looks like the first race will be in early November at the Wurstcross. Fall also means some of the classics will be coming up, like the Tour de Gruene Team Time Trial.

Time to update this beyotch

2007-08-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoy the new look of the team blog and the first point since Hammerfest 2006, yes 2006. Hopefully we can do better than one post a year from here on out.

Hammerfest pics

2006-05-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

John Taylor on the lower slopes of Mt. Locke:

Lopresto tearing up the road to McDonald Observatory:

The team at the finish line of the hill climb:

Thanks to Muffin Camp for the excellent photos.

Hammerfest '06: return of The Pterodactyl

2006-04-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

John Taylor has officially earned the nickname "the Pterodactyl." Interestingly, his ability to fly up mountains on his bicycle is not really the reason he earned his name. The real reason is probably best told in a different forum--at Hill's and Dale's after the Toosday Nighter over a beer, for example.

What a weekend! As you know, John Taylor, Mark Lopresto, Phil Nava, and I tried our hand against the headwinds and big mountains of West Texas at the Hammerfest this last weekend.

The fun began early Saturday morning with the 16 mile time trial, 9 miles of which was up a false flat into a typical West Texas headwind. Lopresto had the best result with 8th place in the Cat 4 race. John Taylor laid down a good time in the Pro 1/2s, despite puking twice during the race. 

I had a bout of bad luck during my run. We had adjusted my seat height the night before and apparently not tightened my seatpost clamp enough. During the race, my seat slipped down about 6 inches. I finished a disappointing 33 out of 50.

Things began to look up after the brutal, 16-mile hill climb to McDonald Observatory Saturday afternoon. John Taylor had a good run up the hill and even dropped Jason Sager, a pro MTB racer and Cat 1 road racer. Lopresto got 10th place in the 4s, and I got 16th out of 50 in the 3s. Phil has a pure sprinter's physique and hates long climbs. Nevertheless, he was a good sport and persevered through Saturday's stages.

Sunday's race was a 74 mile road race around the challenging "scenic loop," which included two major series of climbs, with a lot of stingers thrown in between for good measure. John and Mark had excellent races. John got 9th place in the Pro 1/2 race. This is an excellent result considering the talent on display in his field. Team Hotel San Jose had 12 really stong guys in that race. For John to singlehandedly get a top-10 result is really incredible.

Lopresto got 6th in the 4s race, which had a strong field of guys who should definitely be in the 3s. He finished in the money ($40!) at 8th place.

I had another bout of bad luck during the road race. I was feeling good after a relatively decent climb on Saturday and was looking forward to the climbs on the road race. 40 miles into the race, up the first major climb, a guy who was riding near the front decided to dismantle his brake in the middle of the road. He stopped pedaling and then swerved to the right. I was behind and to the right of him, so I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him. The guy behind me, John McAllister, ran into my rear wheel and took us both down. His handlebars ended up in my brand new Race X-lite rear wheel, which resulted in two broken spokes and a taco'd wheel for me. The wheel was so warped it was rubbing on my frame. Unfortunately, the wheel truck was ahead of the pack behind a breakaway of two guys, so I couldn't change out wheels and chase down the pack. I sat around with John Mc for about 10 minutes until a lady whose husband was racing in the masters stopped and lent me a wheel. I chased as hard as I could for the last 30 miles but could never catch the pack. Still, I had a blast racing and hanging out with Mark, John, and Phil.

Again, props to John and Mark for their excellent results at an extremely challenging race. If this race is any indication, we are going to have a good year.

John, Phil, Mark, and I will be out at the Toos tomorrow, hoping that the altitude training this last weekend will still be with us. I hope to see you out there.

--Clay 

Sign up on bikereg.com

2006-04-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everybody know that sign up for the State RR Championships, Ft. Hood, TX <http://www.theracingpost.us/State%20Champ%20%20Road%20Race.htm> is now available on www.bikereg.com . I hope to see a lot of you out there come June 25. Also, you can still sign up for the Houston Grand Criterium. http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=3207 .

hope y'all have a great day,

Dave

Hammer Fest Room Available

2006-04-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

We have an extra room at the Wayside Bed & Breakfast if anyone is
interested. It's about $60/night and we have it from Fri evening to
Sunday morning. Email if you want it joe@peakfitnessnow.com

Thanks,
Joe

Peak Fitness Vanderpool Training Ride 4/2

2006-03-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

We're heading out to the hills of Vanderpool this Sunday for about 56
miles. We're meeting at Soler's in Helotes at 6:30am. If you're
interested in joining us, let me know so we can look for you.
joe@peakfitnessnow.com

Hope to see you there,
Joe

Props to Berchelmann

2006-03-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

Props to David Berchelmann for getting lucky #7 in the RR and the TT at the Cleburne collegiate race last weekend. That's two good results in the last two collegiate races for David. Keep it up!

As David mentioned in his comment to the previous post, there is a crit in Houston on the 14th of May. Hopefully we can get a few of us out there for this one:

http://www.houstongrandcriterium.com/index.html

John at Fayetteville

2006-03-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

For your viewing pleasure, here is another pic of John in the field at Fayetteville. Nice Michael Jordanesque tongue position, John. ;-)

State Championships

2006-03-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

As you may know, this year's skill-based (as opposed to age-based) State Championship Road Race is scheduled for June 25 at Fort Hood near Killeen. This is a change from previous years, when the States were in Bryan in October. There will still be a State Championship race in October in Bryan, but it will be the age-based race.

Here is the flyer for the June 25 race:

http://www.theracingpost.us/State%20Champ%20%20Road%20Race.htm

Take a look at the course profile. There are some major climbs in this race. The Pro1/2 race is 112 miles, the 3s race is 78 miles, and the rest are 44 miles. This should be a challenging race.

Unlike the course in Bryan, where the finish usually comes down to a field sprint, I imagine the climbs on the Ft. Hood course will break things up a bit. Looks like we need to schedule a Vanderpool training session soon.

Fayetteville

2006-03-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

Props to John Taylor for mixing it up in the breakaway on the first day of the Fayetteville Stage Race. Here is a pic of John in the break:

Welcome

2006-03-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog page of the BSKlaw.com/Bikeworld.com Bicycle Racing Team of San Antonio, Texas. From time to time, we will post team news, race report, photos, and general information.