Fun Friday

It’s been a long week for me for some reason.  I’m very happy it’s over.  Things are looking up though, especially since this time next week me and the little lady will be in Arizona.  I just gotta make it through the rest of the day, which isn’t looking real easy at this point.

I hear ya.

It is Fun Friday however, which means that I can spit out a sorry excuse for a blog (sorrier than usual) just to get out of here.  I haz excite for the weekend.

It’s been cold here again, and I even saw a little sleet yesterday.  Does that mean snow is on the way?  Maybe.  I think the ever so accurate weather people say that there could be some here next weekend.  I won’t be here, luckily.

Lunchbox will though, and I know he will enjoy it.

Watch that again.  It made me chuckle, which is what Fun Friday is all about around here.

See y’all Monday, probably with another report from the party in the woods at the short track.

Caps Not Hats

I’ve been a hat person since way back.  Hats from my favorite sportsball teams, skateboard companies, and even bike company hats the last few years.  I just like having a hat on my head for one reason or another.  Maybe it stems from growing up in Florida, where anything to give you a little shade from the sun was appreciated.  It continued while I was in the Army, since we were required to wear some sort of head covering while we were outside.

It’s not like I’m bald and trying to cover it up.  I just dig hats.  But for some reason, I never could get into the whole cycling cap thing.  I thought they looked dumb and wondered why people wore them (especially after trying one on a few years ago.) 

I did think Wesley Snipes pulled it off quite well though.

I actually thought it was just a roadie thing, but a few of my friends (not roadies) were wearing them.  They pulled it off just fine, but I thought, “Not for me.”

  

Well, that has changed.

  

It started when I got a couple of Walz caps from the HMFIC at DeFeet.  They had the DeFeet logo on them, so even though I wasn’t a cap guy I felt the need to wear them in support of the brand.  Well, slowly it turned into “wearing a few times” to “I almost always wear a cycling cap.”

Photo cred:  Lunchbox

My, how times can change.

I started wearing one of my caps during my TotalCyclist classes and really enjoyed having something to soak up the copious amounts of sweat.  It smelled pretty bad after each class though, so I ended up washing it a lot.  I started worrying about the DeFeet logo wearing off, and since that particular cap was a one time deal I needed another solution. 

I decided to go full on and order directly from Walz.

Made in ‘Merica.  That’s what I’m talking about.

I got something specifically for riding so I wouldn’t mess up my nice ones with the DeFeet logos. 

Ordering was easy, and the price is right.  Shipping from all the way out on the left coast was much quicker than I expected too.  I’ve been wearing this cap during rides and TC classes, saving my other ones for casual wear (and helping me to promote the crap outta DeFeet.)  These are high quality caps, and while I’m probably not in any real danger of wearing out the other ones, it’s nice to have a few now.

I still wear “regular” hats from time to time, but most of the time you’ll see me in a cycling cap, from Walz of course.

And I don’t even ride a fixie or have a handlebar mustache anymore.

Plum Tuckered Out

I was pretty tired when I got home from the short track race on Sunday.  I felt like I raced or something, when in fact I never even hopped on a bike that day.  Standing around in the woods all day was enough I guess.  Maybe I’m getting too old.

It all really started on Saturday.  I woke up early for another Total Cyclist class since the weather was shitty.  It was a good idea, because I knew I would get in a ride and not be lazy on a day when all the trails around here were closed (and it was snowing up in the hills.)  It really hurt though.  I put a lot of effort into each class, hoping to come out of it stronger, faster, etc.  I see some people that are just going through the motions, carrying on conversations, playing with their phones, etc.  I figured that since I’m paying for it, I might as well get (more than) my money’s worth.  I want to be dead when I finish, and I achieved that goal for certain.

I stayed there well after class until my head quit spinning, stretching to try to get my legs to respond, and hopping into a hot shower to feel a little bit better.  Eventually I got out of there and made my way up to The Cycle Path.

While I was there, I spotted one of my stickers.

I didn’t put it there.  Srsly.  I would’ve put it in the bathroom.

I was there to get some information about shipping bikes out to Arizona.  You see, D-Wayne is kind enough to let us ship our bikes out there to his house, and he even offered to put them together for us before we arrive.  I figured my local shop would be more than qualified to ship them out there.  It makes it easier for me that way.  I guess I’ll be up there one night this week (with bikes this time) so they will get out there in time for Single Speed Arizona next weekend.

Holy shit.  I’ll be out there next weekend.  Wow.

So anyway, I know my Saturday crap doesn’t really sound like enough to wear me out.  The real reason I was tired on Sunday was because the little lady and I stayed out really late.  I went to see my friend's band play again. 

You know, FIRE

  

Yes, I’ve seen them a lot.  I like good ol’ classic metal, so I go every time they play.  They put on a good show, and seeing live music helps keep me inspired to play my guitar (I played for hours last night.)  They’re getting a good following now, even with me hanging around being a groupie. 

Maybe they’ll come to one of my shows if I ever play one.

It could happen.

Anyway, early mornings, death by Total Cyclist, and a late night out makes for an even longer day at the short track.  I’m getting too old for this shit.

I ain’t gonna stop, either.

Back At It

The Winter Short Track Series.  I was there.  This time with a giant hot dog.

We didn’t do the party thing like last year.  I really didn’t feel like dragging all that stuff out into the woods, especially since I wanted to bring Carl along.

We did some heckling though, and even though there were no piñatas, bubbles, glitter, etc., we still had a good time. 

I got some decent photos too.

Here’s fellow Niner Ambassador Bonnie K. tearing up the Expert Women’s field:

And from The Hub, here’s Jordan:

…and Jana:

The women enjoyed the cheers for sure, but when the next group of men came out we let loose.  The party started expanding, even without us bringing all the accessories.

Here’s Big N’ Buttery in the “rock garden”:

And TomTom, who took to the single speed race despite the fact that there weren’t too many real single speeders in it.  He almost died, but had a good time hitting the “pro line” in the “rock garden.”

My man Evan from The Cycle Path probably had the best ride on the pro line though:

But after bending his derailleur a little while later he was asking for a beer handup:

It seems lately that a race photo isn’t complete without Creepy Baby Hand.

We haz:

…especially if you’re a dirt roadie:

Another fun day in the woods.  A weird one though.

Maybe I’ll race one of these.  Probably after I get back from Arizona though. 

Fun Friday

More rain.  Lovely.  So much for getting outside and getting rad this weekend.

I really hate this weather.  I’d rather have snow because I could actually go out and ride in it.  Snow is fun.  Rain is not fun.

Unless you’re a Stormtrooper.

It’s Friday, which is supposed to be a fun day.  Maybe it’s not raining where you are, or maybe you don’t care.  I care.  There will be short track race watching on Sunday, but I’m pretty sure tomorrow will feature more riding indoors and a Star Wars marathon.  I’m also heading out tomorrow night to listen to my friend’s band play some METAL.

Metal and Star Wars.  Maybe the rain won’t be so bad.

Enough about me.  I’ll cut this post short so you can get to doing whatever it is you wanna do this weekend.

I wanna take the easy way out.

See y’all next week.

Making Plans

This weekend, the first “race” of the season starts. 

The 2015 Winter Short Track Series kicks off on Sunday and I plan to be there.  However, I don’t plan to race just yet.  Sure, I’ve been “training”, but not for this.  In fact, if you’re the type that trains for a race series like that, then maybe you should set you goals a little higher.  It is a great course and a great event though, and I’m so glad we have something like this around here. 

But I plan to do what we did last year, and maybe if I’m feeling a little froggy I might jump in and race one or two.  As you can tell, I’m just not that into racing it yet, even though it could be fun.  I might get out there this weekend and feel the need to mix it up, in which case I’ll show up the following week ready to “race.”  For now, we’ll just get the party in the woods going again.  Lunchbox has a whole new array of costumes, and I have some friends to heckle.  The folks out there really need someone to yell at them while they ride (I sure do) and I’m happy to provide the service.

We’ll play nice, even though some people act like they are out there going for the national championship.

Come on and hang out with us, or race if that’s your thing.  It will be fun either way.

I am considering racing soon.  Real soon.  I’m not counting my trip to Arizona in a few weeks as a race though.  I’m looking at something a little more “serious.”

The 12 Hours of Santos is coming up next month, and although I was burned out on the whole racing thing last year when I went down there, I’m thinking about giving it another shot.  I’ll be a lot more focused this time around, and I actually enjoy riding bikes again.  I had fun during the event last year for the most part, but my inner demons took over and I lost the love.  Hopefully I can get down there and get my groove back.

It’s about a week and a half after the little lady and I get back from AZ, and if I get my time off approved from work I’m in I guess.  It seems like a good way to test the waters so to speak, and maybe I can start this season off right by suffering in the woods for twelve hours. 

I like suffering.  I just didn’t feel like doing it much last year.

Fun?  I will haz it.  Just as long as I keep my head straight going forward.

Just A Few Things

Every now and then, I get the urge to get some new stuff I may or may not need.  In the case of helmets, it usually becomes a necessity.  I’ve either crashed a few times, they get worn out, or they are just plain stinky.  All three of these were the case lately, so it was time to act.

I’ve been pretty loyal to the same helmet for years, having several of the same model (albeit in different colors) the whole time.  After checking out the loaner helmets at the last two Niner demos though, I got a chance to check out a brand I'd never tried before.  I tried a few on (they were clean), and I liked the style and fit.  Sensing a chance to make a controlled change, I ordered a new helmet from Kali Protectives.

I dig it.  It looks cool (which may or may not be important), it fits well, and doggone it, I like it.  The kicker is that I haven’t actually worn it yet, since I’ve been spending a lot of time either riding indoors or out on the road.  I guess this weekend I’ll get the first crack at it when I actually go for a mountain bike ride.  The time and place have yet to be determined, but I know I’ll get rad wherever I go. 

Mountains, local, whatever…I’ll get out to ride some dirt somewhere.

Next up is a neat (to me) thing that was designed by my buddy D-Wayne.  It was a long time in the making, and even longer for me to actually get it.

Check it out.

Now I have a t-shirt with the cartoon version of myself to wear around.  It may be a little narcissistic of me to wear a shirt with my own likeness on it, but who gives a shit.

I like it.

If you like it, you can order one at this link:

B-43....or King Chris??

If you happen to like Eastwood better (and who doesn't?), then you can get his Team Glow Worm shirt instead:

Team Glow Worm

Or, just take your pick from lots of other designs there that are equally rad.

Go buy stuff.  Support my number one supporter.  That way he can stock up his beer fridge in time for me to arrive for Single Speed Arizona in a few short weeks.

The “season” is starting to take shape.  There are a few more things coming up that I’ll get into later.

Three Day Weekend

For some, but not me.  Yesterday was a holiday for a lot of people, so I took a day off from here.  It’s not like you missed much anyway.

Over the weekend, I was on call for work.  No big deal, but I couldn’t really plan anything good.  Instead of trying my luck riding on a trail somewhere local, I went to TotalCyclist first thing Saturday morning.  It was a guaranteed hard ride, and it’s really close to work in case some shit goes down and I have to go in.  Luckily I didn’t, but at least I got in a ride of some sort.  That’s probably the main reason I keep going there. 

With the rest of the day in front of me, I went shopping.  I had some errand type stuff to do, which included getting a new smarter phone.  Mine was pretty old and it was acting up, but I’d been putting up with it for so long because I didn’t feel like changing everything over to a new one.  I’d been in the market for a new camera too, but it turns out that my new phone killed two birds with the proverbial one stone. 

It takes pretty good pictures I guess.

Not the best example, but it was all I could do on short notice.  Going forward, I could quite possibly have mo betta photos for this blog.

The rest of the weekend was quite dull.  I washed my truck, rearranged and cleaned the living room, and watched some sportsball.

It was a lot of stuff to do I guess, but it didn’t wear me out.  I can’t say the same for Carl.

Today’s post is much about nothing.  It’s sorta my way to ease into the week I suppose.  Tomorrow, I’ll have some stuff to talk about when I mention some new items I’ve recently acquired and maybe even some plans I’m working on for another out of town race.

See y’all tomorrow if this dog lets me get up.

Fun Friday

The weekend is here again.  Time to go out and get rad.

I’m on call for work though, so I’m not sure how rad I can get.  Most likely I’ll be riding inside tomorrow morning at TotalCyclist, and maybe later getting out on some trails close to home. 

It sucks, but that’s the way it is.

Speaking of work, I found something weird on The Internets (yes, really.)  Actually, it was a suggestion on Facetimesuck which dared me to click on it.  I was not disappoint with what I found.

Dress sweatpants?

You know, when you get all fancy for your office job yet want to be active at the same time.

I hate you, The Internets.

The real issue here? People probably actually buy that stuff.  If you make it, there will be a market for it.  Maybe I’m just jelly that I didn’t think of it first.

Pffffttt.

Fancy pants.

See y’all next week with tales of cycling, beer, and relaxing.

Maybe.

Things Are Happening

Just not every single day around here.  I wasn’t here yesterday, and I’m good with that.  I decided that it’s okay to take random days off during the week, especially if I don’t have much to talk about.  Besides, I’m not feeling too great still.  I didn’t sleep too well Tuesday night, so yesterday morning I decided that blogging could wait.  It’s my own fault though after spending Saturday out in the cold, waking up feeling bleh, then going outside in the cold again another day to clean some bikes.

Almost out of  ProGold Degreaser and Wash.  It works, so I’ll get more.

I scrubbed things, removed dirt and grease, and adjusted things that needed adjustment. 

A clean bike is a happy bike.

Darth Maul has never been happier.

Having a single speed is easy, maintenance wise.  Clean, lube the chain, add Stan's sealant to the tires, check random bolts for proper torque, etc.  It wasn’t much of a challenge, so I grabbed the little lady’s filthy bike, that hasn’t been cleaned in far too long even though I recently installed a drooper post.

New parts installation usually means a wash first.  Meh.

I used the last of the ProGold wash and got her bike all shiny and new looking.

With all those gears, I had to spend some time remembering how to adjust everything.  Shifty bits now shift properly and all that.  I felt like I accomplished something, especially since I also washed The Executor (my Niner ROS9.)

Sorry, no photos of that excitement.  You’ve seen enough clean bike photos.

I am pretty excited, but not about clean bikes.  I got some pretty cool news.  Since I ‘m not very good at segues (even though I did just mention Niner), I’ll show you a screen shot from an e-mail I got Tuesday night.

Yes, I am now a Niner Ambassador.  And yes, they picked me for some reason.  Over 1,300 applied, and they somehow narrowed it down to less than 75 people (worldwide.)  I’m sure there were more than a few folks that were just trying to “score some free stuff” or whatever, but I bet there were a lot of good people on that list that should have been selected but weren’t. 

So yeah, I feel pretty honored.  I met the requirements I’m sure, but I don’t feel like I’m better than the ones who didn’t make it.  I may act like a douche on here sometimes, but I know I’m not all that.  It’s just fun to pretend sometimes.

And it will be fun representing Niner this season (officially now), along with all the other great supporters you see over there on the right of this page.

I’m not exactly sure what this “season” holds, but there will definitely be more riding, some training, a little racing, and a whole lot of fun on two wheels.

The Easy Way Out

After spending the day in the cold air at the Whitewater Center on Saturday, I started feeling kinda shitty that evening.  I woke up Sunday feeling even worse.  I had the chills and body aches, but with no other outward symptoms I figured I would be fine.  Maybe I pushed myself too hard “training”, because it sure as hell wasn’t due to the fact that I had too much beer. 

Some people did though:

Yeah, we “partied” out there.  And by “partied” I mean heckled and drank beer.  We’re pretty good at that.

And we got a few good photos for a new Facebook page out there (that I don’t want to mention because I’m nice sometimes.)

I feel a little better now, but still kinda shitty.  With another TC session this morning, it’s all I can do to create a decent blog post (that’s most days.)  So, here are some more rad photos:

And quite possibly the raddest was of Bill The Thrill:

And presented to you in gif form:

Big shout out to Eastwood for those awesome photos.

What an fun day.  

I’m tired.  See y’all tomorrow perhaps.

A Nice Day Out

There’s no need to talk about all the cyclocross shit going on out in Austin.  I don’t care.  Besides, plenty of other people are talking about it.  I’ll talk about what I’m good at…me.

Saturday started off pretty good.  It was freezing here, so I ended up at TotalCyclist early in the morning just so I would get in a good ride.

I worked my ass off in that class. While I am indeed “training” (without any specific goal) I’m just trying to push it as hard as I can while I’m in there.  I paid dearly; because once the class was over I was worthless.  I stretched for a while, took a shower, and took my sweet time heading over to the Whitewater Park to watch some folks race in the drained man-made river.

There are lots of photos out there on The Internets, and I took some too:

Oh look, it’s Big n Buttery!

And the Faster Mustache guys:

And gulp, and skinsuit?

 And, in contrast to the above photo, the coolest aero helmet ever:

There’s some really cool stuff I got from Eastwood, but I’ve put up too much today.

Let’s pick this back up tomorrow.