Mystery illness...

Twice now this year, I've come home from work having felt progressively worse all day. I get home, and discover I have chills and am immensely tired. I climb into bed, freezing cold. After an hour or so of huddling under the sheets, I warm up. Then I fall asleep, and sleep a good 10-12 hours. Periodically wake up drenched in sweat. Next morning I wake up and everything is fine.

Very odd. Very mild food poisoning? Major allergies? Extreme fatigue? I'm guessing from the chills/sweats there's some kind of fever involved, but what illness includes fever and such a short recovery period? Mystery.

Bikes and Babies and Cars

First, a nice picture of my niece "M". She's 9 months old. Hard to believe!Here is "M" with her mom, my dear sister-in-law Amy:They seem distracted by something...perhaps "M" was checking out the neighbor's beagle.

Next, a picture of the new Trek, with the Superwagon as backdrop.Here is my brother's new car. A (some year or other) BMW 7-something or other. Aside from the fatal flaws of not being a wagon, nor all-wheel drive, nor possessing a turbocharger (egad!!!), it's pretty nice.And here's another picture of the new Trek, which better highlights its shininess.Ooooh, shiny. Since this photo was taken, the stem has been flipped, providing about an inch lower bar position. As my gut diminishes, and my flexibility and fitness grows, the lower spacers may disappear altogether. It's got a really tall head tube, so even slamming the bars will provide a pretty upright position. If I want to get more aero than that, well, whoever is sponsoring me will have to provide another bike, because I'll be in the Tour de France.

Speaking of the Tour de France, pretty exciting race called the Giro d'Italia is going on right now. Yesterday's stage was pretty action-packed, with the underappreciated Carlos Sastre dominating the final climb to take 20-odd seconds out of pink jersey leader and renowned "stoic Russian", Denis Menchov. Levi Wheelsucker flatted on a descent, and exerted himself so much catching back on that he was dropped on said final climb, and His Lanceliness had to drop back to tow him to the finish; both dropped a couple of minutes overall. Race over for those two, unless there's a miracle. The fun resumes tomorrow, today was a rest day.

Yesterday's ride

Yesterday (Saturday) was a perfect day for bike riding. My initial intention was to just go out and tool around a bit, so I didn't bother with sunscreen. The weather was so nice it turned into a two hour jaunt, which naturally resulted in a very faint red skin tone. Bah.

Most motorists were polite and aware, but a few (SUV drivers, all) decided it was okay to fly past me with mere inches of clearance. Bastards. The mini-cycle-lane on Wild Horse Creek between Baxter and 109 is nice, but could stand to be a bit wider and maybe cleared of debris from time to time. The construction on Long Rd. does not do cyclists any favors, as well. Hopefully when it's finished it will be more friendly. May have to look into the plans for the widening, see if the Powers that Be included provisions for cycling, as that's a pretty valuable bike corridor for access to the sweet backroads of Wildwood.

Memory Lane

In other news

I nearly fell over, in front of witnesses. The combination of new pedals, attempting to use a badge reader to open a gate - cross-handed - and an impatient car behind me made for a wobbly moment. Trying to stop with both feet clipped in, and simultaneously swipe a badge reader across your body does not make for a stable bike.

Fortunately, I managed to whip a foot out of the pedal and put it down before embarrassing disaster struck. I figure everyone who has used clipless pedals has fallen over at least once, but car drivers don't always sympathize.

I've also determined the stock Bontrager saddle is not going to cut it. It's okay up to about 40 miles or so, but after that my tender regions do not enjoy it. Irritation to my nether area is something up with which I will not put. The redesigned Selle Italia Flite is on its way. White. I've ridden the Flite for years and years...but the new redesigned version is untested. Hopefully it fits. If not, I know a guy who will eBay it for me.

Time Impact pedals: not for me

Well, after a mere 10 miles of hill-grinding goodness (seriously, not a flat road in my test loop!), I've determined the Impact pedals are not for me. Already a hot spot on my right foot, which does not bode well for those century rides. I think my foot sits just a wee bit too outboard, it kept trying to slant to the outside, so the pedal is likely out.

Fortunately, a friend agreed to loan me his Shimano Ultegra pedals, of the new wide-body design, to try out while he tries out my Speedplays. Irony, no? I probably won't have them this weekend, so I may grind out more miles on the Impacts, and see how they fare. Maybe stick a shim in the right side shoe to level out my foot a little.

In other news, the Trek is great. Drivetrain is already quieting down; the bike is up to 87 miles on the odometer. Of course the same computer told me I hit 88mph today, so who knows. It may be time for a new battery or two.

One downside of carbon fiber...it does not trip traffic signals which previously posed no problem. I guess I can live with that.

Pedal changing...

Ah, change is in the air. Among cyclists, pedals are nearly as personal a topic as saddle choice. Back in the day, I naturally used Look pedals - being the first and only clipless pedal at the time. I then switched to Shimano for the float action. Then to Speedplay for the miraculous float and light action. Alas, the Speedplays are truly fantastic for riding...but the cleats are torture to even dab a toe at a stoplight. So, in my continuous quest for perfection, I'm trying out some Time Impact pedals - the pedals, incidentally, that came stock on the Giant TCR so many years ago.
I like the looks of them. Big, huge honkin' steel platform to situate my enormous feet on. Ample float. Even a little lateral float for good measure. They're on the bike, cleats are on the shoes...we will see tomorrow if my knees instantly fall off in protest.

Time has a newer version of these now...but they're plastic and look cheesy. And for some people at least, the front bit snaps off in short order. I'll try these, thank you.

Bike rides, missing cameras, and Pro Protest

Took the Trek out to Babler State Park to see what the fuss is about. Meh. Sure, it's a nice park, and it has some hills. But the hills - while steep - are not particularly long, and the rest of the lap is pretty flat/downhill. So sure, the brief hills are good for spiking your heart rate, the recovery is far, far too long. The hill by my brother's house is way better, because a) it's steeper than Babler; b) it's longer than Babler; c) way, way shorter recovery. Scenery is not as nice, though.

My camera, it is MIA. Last seen taking pictures of the Trek and niece M at my brother's place. Hopefully it is still over there, 'cause it wasn't in my bag when I got home! You can thank the MIA camera for the lack of pictures in this entry!

Pro Protest...Stage 9 of the Giro D'Italia was today, and the peloton staged a protest. I.e. didn't race. They tooled along at a modest pace for mostly the entire stage, then at the very end a few sprinter's teams got wound up and fought it out. "Ego Boy" Cavendish got the win. The protest was for overtly unsafe conditions - from various online sources there were cars parked on the course, too many pedestrians meandering around the course, and tram lines running parallel with the course. Tram lines + skinny bike tires = not good. Not having been there, I can't say for sure - but mostly I sympathize. Those guys race in some atrocious conditions, so it must have been really bad to lead to a mass slowdown. They are professionals, after all, their natural instinct is to go fast and race! To set that aside I figure they have their reasons.

Armstrong: Sandbagger?

Our esteemed cycling savior Lance Armstrong, who motivates thousands to don Livestrong gear and take to the streets, sidewalks, and multi-use paths on bicycles, lost 15 seconds in Stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia today. First "real" mountain stage - though not a killer by any means - after returning from 3 years of retirement, and he makes it to within the final kilometer before being "dropped"? Does he really expect me to believe that? I think he's sandbagging, to make people wonder just how strong he is.

It's still, in my opinion, too early to judge LA's chances in the Tour de France. I think his age will really show in how well he recovers each night, and what kind of strength he can hang onto through the last stage of a Grand Tour. It will be interesting to watch, no doubt about that.

Congratulations to the Italians on their podium sweep, it was well-earned.

Comments welcome. :)

2nd ride!

Yeow. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Just kidding! After being fitted properly - dropping the saddle and bars a bit - I took the new Trek out to the familiar Creve Coeur Park stomping grounds. Yep, it's pretty fast. Initially I thought I had a tailwind, but no...went just as fast on the return. Legs could only tolerate about an hour of that kind of abuse. The Trek seems to hold speed better than the TCR, though this is completely inexplicable. I hit 20mph, and actually maintained it. Weird. Must be psychological. I also checked the circumference setting on the computer, but no - it was right.

In other news, CC Park has been overrun with cyclists - many of them apparently new as evidenced by their random weaving - wearing Livestrong paraphernalia. It looks like Lance fever is back. We'll see how he does in his first serious mountain stage since the return. Giro, oh yeah.

Side note

The top tube of the Trek is wide and flat. I feel the need to put something there. Like a couch. I can see why they're such a handy place to tape down a queue sheet...or to land an airplane on in an emergency. Very wide, very flat. Kinda cool.

First ride!

Just back from the maiden voyage of the Trek. About an hour, just tooling around the local area. Which is, I might add, nicely hilly. Nothing long, but some short hills with steep grades in places. So let's get to it.

Trek Madone 5.2, 62cm, nicely orange, outfitted with Easton Circuit wheels. For reference, my old road bike was a 2004 Giant TCR, XL size, bright yellow aluminum frame, same wheels that are now on the Trek. And my "old skool" ride, 1987 Centurion Ironman Master, 62cm, yellow and white, Mavic Open Pro rims, 32 spoke, Ultegra hubs.

The Trek is not noticeably stiffer than the TCR, neither had detectable bottom bracket flex, and they're both dead solid beneath you. The Centurion is, by contrast, almost nothing but flex. If you are putting any power into the pedals, it is flexing. Straight-line and downhill stability, the Trek has the edge on everything. The TCR was "twitchy", you had to be on it. The Centurion is, eh, unnerving? Unsettling? Frightening? Let's just say it doesn't go straight, and it doesn't like going downhill either. You are on it with white knuckles. The Trek, nicely, goes downhill and straight with great stability, and just goes where you want it to with minimal attention. It's a little "slow" compared to the TCR, but not sluggishly so. Solid would be a better word.

Weight-wise, the Trek is probably a good pound or two lighter than the TCR. Remember they have the same wheels, so that's not an issue. Acceleration on both is instant. Centurion, again, not so much. Heavy, and it feels like everything is time-delayed a bit.

Comfort. Now let's get into why I bought the Trek. The TCR was light, stiff, efficient, and reasonably confidence-inspiring. The Centurion is heavy, flexy, terrifying at times, and noticeably inefficient. But, it rides like a Cadillac: smooth and quiet. The TCR rang, literally, like a high-pitched bell. It makes you go numb if you don't shift around frequently.

I wanted the efficiency of the TCR, with the comfort and quiet of the Centurion. The Trek, I am happy to report, delivers. It's nothing astounding, nothing earth-shattering. But it is noticeable. You get the smooth, quiet, bump-dulling, all but vibration-free ride of the Centurion, with all the speed and efficiency of the TCR. With the added bonus of less weight and more stability and confidence. And of course a much lighter and more streamlined wallet.

So it would appear my goal has been achieved. Still a LOT of adjustments to position to make, and that will affect handling to a degree. Seat needs to come down and forward at least 1cm. Handlebars need to drop - maybe 2cm? And, depending on how that works out, maybe come in 1cm. I felt like I was riding a mountain bike I was so upright, and was definitely having to reach for the pedals. I am reserving judgement on the Bontrager tires, but they felt a little squirelly at 110psi. Could be because I was so upright, the rear was supporting way too much weight.

And the seat will most likely have to go. I've only got a couple hours on the Trek, but the seat already bothers me. I think the nose is too wide, and the back is too narrow. Nice padding, though...soft but not too soft, if you know what I mean.

Bicycle wheels

I've been checking out the HED Ardennes wheel. The rim is 23mm wide, rather than the normal 19-20mm. This spreads out the wheel, more like how motorcycle tires mount. Here's a pic of a Michelin Pro3 on the Ardennes vs. a CXP33 rim. You can clearly see the flatter, rounder profile the wider rim provides. Should, in theory, give better contact patch, smoother transition when leaning, less "flopover" effect...Interesting. The only downside would be if you raced, and had to rely on neutral wheel support. Brake pads would need adjusting.

I wonder if this will lead to tires getting wider. Wider tires = more weight, but if you gain way more traction, that might offset the weight. Especially in, say, criterium racing or mountain descents. What I'd like to see is a 25mm rim, and 25mm tire in a roll-down test with 23mm rim/tire and 19mm/23mm rim/tire. That data might be enlightening. And maybe some lateral g numbers, like they do for cars. And of course weight comparisons, for the weight weenie in all of us.

My new bike!

My repainted bike has arrived, and is in my grubby little paws. I want to thank the folks at Ghisallo Sports for their patience with me, fretting and fuming over my elusive bike. And to Trek, well, thanks for finally getting it back to me. The bike arrived at the shop this morning, and to slake my urgent bike-thirst, they built it up immediately and I bolted from work early to pick it up in the afternoon.

These pictures, I will tell you right now, do not do the orange paint justice. It is much brighter, and more sparkly in real life. Hopefully I will get some outdoor, sunny pics tomorrow.The pictures also don't do a good job depicting the enormous dimensions of the frame tubes. The stem looks spindly by comparison. May need to get a large carbon stem that matches the gargantuan frame tubes a little better.And of course, the obligatory shot of the beefy bottom bracket. Mmmmm, beefy. And I love those angular, triangulated stays. The clunky fork crown (above) I could do without, but oh well.I still have to go in for final fitting on Monday. This should be reasonably close. Close enough for a test ride. The saddle looks a little nose-down, may have to fix that. I'm more of a level saddle kind of guy. The bars might come down a bit, they're nearly level with the saddle. I'm not that inflexible, yet. And I'll see what these 2009 SRAM Rival components are made of. Probably remarkably similar to the 2007 SRAM Rival components on Velotron, although I think they've made some changes to the shifters. I like the bend of the handlebars, too. Plenty of room for my big paws in the drops. If only someone made handlebars with a larger diameter throughout, for those of us with gigantic mitts. Sure, I could double-tape them, but that's lame unless you're riding Paris-Roubaix.

Philosophy

Had an interesting email exchange with a guy. That, possibly aided by my addled concussion-stricken brain, started me thinking. He stated he'd wondered why I would be so nice to a stranger. First of all, thanks - always nice to hear. But second, it's kind of a sad commentary on society. When we live in a society where we all are wary of each other, and kindness is an unusual (and worrisome) exception instead of the norm, what does that say about us?

When did I become nice? I wasn't always this way. I had a job that profoundly changed me. Lonely, physically demanding, mentally impossible, ethically challenging. There were times when I'd be awake for 3 days straight. Days without food. Exhausted. Thirsty. Hungry. Sick. Unable to take a break. Traveling alone. How did I get by? How did I manage? My friends, family, and kind strangers. Some of the airport staff on my common routes came to recognize me. On days when I'd walk up with that thousand-yard stare, mechanically forcing myself along, they'd go that extra little bit to bring me back into the world. And trust me, my friends, that extra little bit, a little conversation, a helping hand, even just a smile can make a difference in someone's life. "You look thirsty, sir, would you like the entire can of soda instead of this tiny cup?" Yes, thank you, you are an angel. Small things, laughable really, but to someone just barely hanging on, it can turn their whole day - or their whole life - around.

I remember one particular flight. Embraer RJ45, nice Lear style regional jet. Des Moines to Chicago, I think, redeye. Seat 2A, best seat in the house. I always had the best seat in the house, because I was Super Executive Ridiculous Platinum Elite Level on every airline. I was exhausted, hungry, my shoulder may have been dislocated. Not tired, not a little sleepy; I was freaking bone weary, would pass out if I could, beyond reasonable human endurance exhausted. I could not sleep on the planes. I definitely had the "stare" going on, eyes open but not connected to the world. Sitting slumped in the seat like a sack of coal, because I couldn't muster the energy for any kind of posture. Stewardess finished her chores, settled into her jumpseat a bit in front of me. I stared at the bulkhead. She said "Rough day?" Just those words, that contact, brought me back to the world. We chatted. Nothing serious, nothing meaningful, just chitchat. One of my best flights. I will always remember her, though I never knew her name. She was no doubt also tired, could easily have gone into her own little world, as I had. But no, she chose a better way, chose to try and make my flight more pleasant, connect with a fellow human being. And that is a fine example for us all. During those times, because of those people, I became a nicer person.

Squirrels. They have a tough life. Lots of predators always trying to eat them, not enough acorns to go around, some of them will starve to death in squirrel-agony. We are not squirrels. Don't act like a squirrel. Be a human being. Act like a human being. We are better than just looking for food and trying to not get eaten. The people around you, treat them as human beings. They are not squirrels. Heck, be nice to squirrels, too. They're just trying to get by, and they have a rough life.

Update!

As it happens, I actually have a very mild, hardly mentionable concussion. Headache, impaired fine motor control...apparently signs of concussion. Doc ordered me to stay at home from work. I'm not arguing! Still have headache, but am confident I will be right as rain in the morning.

And, for an extra dose of gruesomeness, the good doctor informed me that the robot didn't actually "cut" me. Looking at the zigzag pattern of the wound, he surmises that the robot folded the hair on my scalp and then just tore through. Which makes sense, as the robot did not assault me with one of its many razor-sharp edges. It opted for a brute force attack instead. Which also explains why it bled for so long...wide, jagged edges do not close up as easily as nice clean cuts.

Good times, good times.

Oh, and I've been informed my bike should arrive in the hands of the local shop tomorrow. Hooray!

For my bloodthirsty friends...

There have been a few requests to see the aftermath of my bloody robot duel...so:

Robots are not all fun and games, heh heh. Washing my hair, matted with blood and Neosporin, was a good time I assure you. But it clotted up nicely and doesn't look infected, so it's all good. Never mind what looks like gray hair, it's an optical illusion.

Robot attack!

First things first. Still no bike. No word from anyone on when it may arrive. I've appealed to Trek themselves for info, and the email may or may not have included the phrase "bleeding out my ears".

Secondly, vicious robot attack! I may or may not have been at work. Actually I'm sure I wasn't or I certainly would have reported immediately to the clinic to fill out paperwork. While bleeding. At any rate, out of nowhere a bloodthirsty robot attacked me. Me and the TeMo have had several run-ins through the years. It generally wins. Razor-sharp edges, mysterious protrusions to impale me with, high-speed motors...oh yes it wields a wicked array of weapons to use against me. Most times, I am nimble and attentive enough to avoid the initial attack, and then I flee to safety. Or power it off. This time, probably being distracted by my still non-existent Trek, it caught me unawares. I will spare you a photo, but needless to say I am now sporting a fresh two-inch gash on my scalp. No stitches required, but it took a while for the bleeding to stop. Now it's slathered in Neosporin or whatever that stuff is, busily healing. Hit me hard enough to make my eyes water, and for me to promptly sit down. No concussion; at least my pupils are dilating normally, and I'm only seeing two or three copies of everything.

That's not the actual robot that attacked me, for the protection of its identity, but it's similar. You can see the evil, bloodthirsty TeMo sticking out the front. It looks innocent enough, but it will attack you as soon as look at you. And it's fast. Real fast.

Never let a robot sneak up on you. They're after blood, and if they catch you...they'll get it.

Rage update

Still no Trek. I am still carbon fiber free. Unless you count the soles of my cycling shoes, anyway. Tomorrow I will go irritate the kind folks at the local bike shop, and try to get some information. Maybe have a little conversation with the Trek people. Maybe take a little drive up to Wisconsin for a little personal consultation on proper customer service. At this point I'm thinking Trek needs to waive the custom paint upcharge, to compensate me for my rage. All this rage has been detrimental to my health.

In other news, I ran into my friend Nigel from Scinomix. I met Nigel at my first job out of college, he's an alright dude. If you need a robot built, he can make it happen. And I'm happy to say he's taken up cycling; we talked about the MS150 -I'm sorry "Bike MS" - he and his wife plan to ride in their second this year. I tried to talk him into forming his own team, so I get a cool Scinomix jersey.

I also ran into TK, to conduct a little eBay business. TK's an alright dude, too, though I haven't known him long, and only from eBay transactions. He's a long time Cat 2 racer, and I doubt I could keep up with him on a bike even if he tied one leg behind his back. Sadly we couldn't talk long as the Super Wagon was obstructing important Bread Company commerce, and I had to depart.

Always nice to talk with cyclists, even though I am carbon fiber deficient. Where's mah Trek?

My rage, it is building

Still no Trek. Monday will be two weeks since the original arrival of the butchered bike. I am normally a pretty forgiving, easy going guy but this is pushing it. "Front of the production line" my ass. I see his Lancliness has gotten a couple new bikes:

Front of the production line? Those bikes look awfully fancy compared to my single-freaking-color paint scheme. And, as if by a miracle, Project One replaced Lance's custom TTX when the original was stolen during the Tour of California in THREE DAYS. And it was not a single color bike, I assure you. I'm not Lance Armstrong, but two weeks to paint a frame? Somehow, I think I'm being deceived. I don't take kindly to deception.