Awesome Weekend...

What an awesome weekend it was!  The weather was great! Most of the weekend was spent enjoying the company of an out of town friend and riding the bike in this awesome weather on Friday and Sunday.  Today appears to be another nice day in regards to weather and I plan on busting out the sandals for the first time this year.  I'm looking forward to this next weekend in which I will make my way back down to Georgia for the 2nd Snake Creek Gap Time Trial race.  I'm feeling pretty good for the most part.  We'll see if the weather cooperates.

Here's a pretty cool video I stumbled across this weekend.  Enjoy and I will update more on the Uneventful Life as more eventful things happen.

Sunrise...

Yesterday morning fared a lot better than the previous.  My commute to school was quite pleasant.  There was still a dusting of snow on the ground with temperatures in the mid 20's.  The nice part about the commute was that the clouds were nowhere to be seen.  I started my commute right at the break of day.  About a mile from my house, I cross over I-24 on Hwy 96.  Within the city limits of Murfreesboro, there aren't many hills.  The only elevation change comes from crossing the highway overpasses.  As I crossed the I-24 overpass, I had a spectacular view of my town with the sun rising in the background.  This view gave me a renewed energy for a new day.  This view was a welcomed change from the weather we have been having over the past few weeks. 

This brings me to my next topic.  I read a blog post from the one and only, Dan Hensley, regarding the relaxing aspect of driving a car.  He made several good points but the one point that stuck was, "When was the last time driving home from work helped you relax after a long, rough day on the job?"  While I was riding my bike yesterday, I thought about this quite a bit.  That is what prompted me to stop my bike on the side of the road and take a picture of the sun rise in the distance.  I almost always have my camera with me when I ride my bike.  I love capturing some of these moments when I ride.  However, while I was taking the picture, I realized I was the only one on the side of the road taking in the sunrise.  Everyone else was zooming by me in their cars.  Most were traveling 10-15 MPH over the speed limit and several had a cell phone plastered against the side of their head.  I was content with this moment.  However, I wish others could have joined me in the enjoyment of the moment.

I don't want to come across all anti-car.  Because I'm not.  I own a car, my wife owns a car.  I just choose to use mine a lot less frequently than most others.  My point is that I want people to slow down their minds a little and seek to enjoy life.  If you can do so while driving your car, then great.  Just be courteous of us cyclists who are outside of the box and enjoying our commutes as well!

Cold As Ice...

Iced Cassette

If there was any day that I could have driven the truck into town instead of commuting by bike, yesterday was that day!  I know I gave everyone hell for not getting out and riding their bike in this weather.  I ended up eating my words during the entire commute to school yesterday morning.  Anyhow, I made my commute but morning ride was pretty frigid.  I got up a little earlier yesterday morning in an effort to get a head start since it was snowing pretty good.  Thankfully, I picked up a new softshell jacket the day before and decided to test it out.  I got started on the road around 6:45am.  I immediately started to feel miserable.  The snow was coming down so hard, I could only see about 50-60 feet in front of me.  The worst part was the snow was really wet.  As it would hit my face, the snowflakes kept building up on my chin fuzz and freezing.  Another thing that started to freeze was my cassette.  The roads were really slushy and all that slush somehow managed to make its way into my cassette.  Within 3 miles of my commute, I had lost the ability to shift.  I was stuck in my 28t cog.  This left me spinning pretty pretty hard for the rest of the commute.

I made it to class with little insult to injury.  Classes were fine and after a few hours, I came back out to my bike to find that the cassette was still frozen over.  I pulled out my bike tool and tried to chip away at the ice but it wasn't working.  I was able to pedal up the street to MOAB where I used their hot water and got the ice to melt.  I hung around the shop for a bit and let the water dry on the cassette so it wouldn't freeze again.  Afterwards, I made my commute home via the greenway for a few extra miles.  The commute home was fantastic!  It was no longer snowing and the path was really clear.  As I suspected, I hardly saw anyone out and about which made it nice for me.  I did come up on a female runner from behind and she did not anticipate my approach.  As I rode past her, she let out a yell of several profanities.  Not only was she startled but her outburst certainly startled me!  I politely apologized for startling her but she was even more embarrassed and could hardly respond.  Anyhow, I rode on and made it home safely and a lot more comfortably in the afternoon commute than my morning commute.  This was definitely a commute that I will remember!

Some Days Are Just Pretty Rad...

It's been a pretty cool day so I thought I'd share something that always makes my smile.

Its Snowing Out, Of Course...

Looks like it will be yet another snowy commute to school this morning on the bike.  Luckily, I threw on some 32c WTB Pathway tires that have a little bite to them for the road.  I also installed some new Velo Orange fluted fenders on the bike this week.  These fenders have been great!  They really cover both the front and rear tires really well.  On my rainy commute yesterday, I didn't get a drop of road spray on my feet or my drive train.  Anyhow, I'm not going to puss out this morning just because its a little cold and wet.  For those of you who are thinking about staying off the bike today, watch this and grow some balls!

Slacker...

So, I've been slacking on the blog.  School has played a major factor in that.  However, I'm becoming more accustomed to my new daily schedule and will become more frequent with the blog posts again. 

Being a student has in fact increased the amount of riding I've been doing.  Having classes Monday through Friday, I now actually have a reason to get out and do a little riding.  There are a couple of commute distance options.  If the weather is shitty, I tend to take the 5 mile route to school via a busy highway into town.  If the weather is nicer (i.e. not raining), I'll typically take the 10 mile route via the greenway.  I've been averaging about 20-25 miles per day in commuter miles.  This has been a good way for me to keep up some base fitness throughout these cold months and stay off the trainer.  As for the weather that I've had to ride in lately, it's been awesome!  I thrive on cold and snowy conditions.  Something about a snow covered road or greenway brings back memories of being a child and playing in the snow.  We've definitely had a fair share of snow in Tennessee lately.  The ice, on the other hand, hasn't been very awesome.  I've had a few spills this year and one close call with traffic due to the ice.  I could definitely do without that!

Bike Commute Route

On Sunday, I decided to mix things up a little bit and get on the road bike.  The weather was a bit warmer than it had been for the last few weeks and it was finally dry!  I left the house with the intent to meet up with the Murfreesboro Bicycle Club down in Rockvale.  When I arrived at Rockvale Elementary School, there was a small group of the usual club riders.  Most everyone had done a hard ride the day before and the general consensus seemed to be that everyone wanted to go out for some base miles.  We all started together but I quickly got the urge to take off the front.  For most of the ride, I would hammer it from intersection to intersection and would wait up for the group since I didn't know the route.  When it was all said and done, I finished the 43 mile ride with an average pace of 21.1 mph.  This was definitely my fastest ride for 2011 but I haven't had many road rides to compare it to.  I was definitely satisfied with my stats. 

The next few weeks will of course contain a lot of daily commuter miles and some weekend hammerfests.  I've got the Snake Creek Gap TT coming up the first weekend of February as well as the first weekend of March.  I'm considering doing the Knoxie-Cross race following the February Snake Creek Gap race as well.  Then, I've got the Southern Cross race in Dahlonega, GA on the last Saturday of February.  My race calendar is going to be pretty full for the next few months.  We'll see how it pans out.  I'm really excited to be riding for the Ride For Reading Cycling Team this year.  Hopefully we'll make a good showing at some races and promote this awesome charity!

As for the blog, I'll try to check in at least a few times per week even if it's just to post something that is of interest to me at the moment. 

Weekend Getaways and Wardrobe Changes...

I must say, this has been a very relaxing weekend!  Saturday evening and part of this morning was spent up on Monteagle Mountain at a cabin with some friends.  The drive to the cabin was great!  There was still a significant amount of snow up on the mountain.  The driveway into the cabin was still pretty slick and covered with packed down snow.  While at the cabin, we enjoyed each others company with a great selection of beer and food.  The nicest part of the weekend was just being away from our day to day lives and unwinding. 

Driveway to the cabin

Now I'm back in the Boro.  Once I got back, I decided to head over to the local Goodwill based on a lead from a friend.  I stopped in to find a perfectly good pair of yellow Specialized mountain bike shoes for $10!  Checked the fit and got my spot in line to checkout.  These shoes will make a great addition to my totally rad style on the bike!  Hell, I figured Dicky got a new pair of kicks for the season, so I should follow his footsteps of less-than-awesomeness and get a new myself a pair as well.  Turned out to be a great decision.  Maybe I'll get a little ride time on them sometime this week.

My kicks look better than Dicky's

Also on the list of wardrobe changes, I'll be wearing a new cycling kit this season.  Recently, I signed up to ride for the "Ride for Reading Cycling Team".  As many of you know, Ride For Reading is a charity setup to provide books to underprivileged kids.  All the books are delivered by bikes.  The organization has a grassroots cycling team.  This year, I'm stepping up as the Team Coordinator and hopefully we'll get to quite a few races and events to support such a great cause!

Tomorrow is MLK Day and I will be off from school.  I expect to run a few errands to pick up some last minute school supplies and books.  After that, maybe a good long ride will be in store?  We'll see! 

When you motor away on the icey streets...

The blog posts have been not much more than a trickle lately.  It seems as though many of the blogs that I read are in the same shape.  My excuse, however, is that I am back in school.  Thursday, I attended my first class in nearly 7 years!  Things are going well so far.  I'm enjoying the class schedule that I have and think it's going to be a great transition.

Bundled up for my commute to school.

Being back in school doesn't mean I'm going to ride less.  In fact, I think I will be riding much more.  This week, I had to actually set my alarm clock.  I've been getting up around 5:45am, showering, drinking some coffee and on the road by 7:00am.  The temperatures have been pretty frigid around here for being in Tennessee.  Each morning during my commute, the temperature never got about 20 degrees.  I've adapted pretty well and it doesn't really both me too bad.  By the time I get out of class, the temps have been getting into the low 30's for a nice balmy ride home.  The commute to school is about 5 miles each way if I take the main highway into town or about 9 miles if I take the scenic route along the greenway.  Hopefully this next week will be a little warmer and melt some of the ice that is covering the greenway.  Until then, I'll have to stick to the main highway into town (which is pretty scary to say the least).

Our snow covered campus

As for my weekend, I'll be relaxing today and tomorrow up on Monteagle Mountain at a cabin with my wife and some friends.  I'm going to take a few days off from the bike and just enjoy things a little bit.  Word has it that Monteagle still has about 3 inches of snow covering the ground.  That should make for a beautiful setting to enjoy the weekend.  As for Monday, school is out but I plan on swinging by the bookstore to waste a few more hundred dollars on unneeded reading material for class and will probably go for a nice bike ride around the Boro.   

I've been really stuck on listening to some GBV lately.  They played a show in Nashville last night but unfortunately I missed it.  So, here's a little something for me to leave you with for the weekend!

Snake Creek Gap Reflection...

 
I've been meaning to update the blog earlier this week.  Between playing in the fresh snow and making gallons of snow cream, I just haven't found the time to do so.  Since I'll be going back to school tomorrow, I figured I might as well give everyone an update.

On Saturday, I raced in the Snake Creek Gap Time Trial in Dalton, Georgia.  The wife and I packed up the car on Friday and drove to my in-law's house for the night.  Saturday morning, I woke up earlier than necessary and made the 45 minute drive to Dalton.  Once in Dalton, made a much needed pit stop at the local Race Trac gas station and met up my buddies from the Macon Crew for some breakfast.  It was definitely nice to catch up with all these guys since I haven't seen most of them since moving from Georgia back in the Summer. 

Not too much later, we were at the registration for the race.  I shot the shit with several other familiar faces and loaded my bike onto the trailer to be taken to the start line of the race.  Around 9am, we all loaded the bus and made the trek to the start line.  The bus ride was somewhat nerve wrecking as there were 40 guys on each bus probably average 175 pounds each.  Each time the bus would go down a hill, the bus driver would apply the brakes which would cause the bus to shudder really bad.  Anyhow, we made it to the start line.  Luckily, I got my bike and made it in the first 1/4 of folks for the start.  The race officials allowed about 4-5 people to start at a time in about 2 minute waves.  At the start line, the race official asked my last name.  I informed here, "Deane."  She responded, "Like James Dean."  I responded back, "Well yes, that is actually my name."  I felt really proud at that moment!  So proud, I knew I had to blog about it.

I started in the same wave as my buddy Mike Brown.  Mike gave me some advice to avoid starting to hard from the line.  Well, I didn't listen.  Pretty soon, Mike B was no longer to be seen in my vision.  I came to the first stream crossing which has been notorious for being flooded.  Luckily, the stream was low enough to ride across.  After crossing the stream, the race course continued to climb the ridge on an old fire road.  For the most part, everything was in great condition.  There were a few slick muddy turns here and there but nothing too bad.  Since I was riding a single speed, I had to watch myself on the climbs in an effort to make sure I didn't blow up too soon.  One of the APB riders came around me and I decided to catch his wheel for a little drafting assistance up the mountain.  We began to average a pretty good pace up the double track and soon came to where the actual singletrack trail starts.  During the first 17 miles, everything went pretty well.  I felt great and was very surprised when we made it to the halfway point so quickly. 

At the halfway point, volunteers had our sag bags laid out for us.  I scanned 20-30 bags looking for my bag.  It was a target shopping bag with my name drawn on it with a neon sharpie.  I had no luck finding my bag.  I then asked one of the volunteers and he replied that they are all right there.  I was bummed as I really wanted my Oreos and I had a bottle of diluted Gatorade that I was in need of.  Instead, I settled with refilling my water bottles with water and stuffed a few Fig Newtons in my jersey pocket from the aid station.  Luckily I didn't waste much time at the sag station and got back on the trail pretty quickly.

I had been warned about the second half of the course.  Many of my friends who have previously raced the Snake had advised to be on the lookout for the last 8-9 miles.  I was told that the last section of the trail had a lot of rocks that would jar the hell out of you.  With this knowledge, I decided to conserve some of my energy before that section.  At this point in the race, I was wheel to wheel with Jonathan Woody of Harpeth Bicycles.  He and I yo-yo'd back and forth a bit for several miles.  Woody was riding really strong and I enjoyed keeping pace with him.  After peaking over a ridge and making my descent, I pulled away from Woody just a bit made my break.  I was feeling great!  One concern that hit me was my water level.  I had been drinking a lot of fluids throughout the race as to not start cramping.  With my water bottles getting low, I was slightly concerned.  Luckily we came up on a water truck at the top of the last double track climb.  I filled up one bottle and hit the trail for the last section, the rocky section. 

At this point, I had caught up with good friends Monty and Charlie (Macon Crew).  Monte was having some mechanical issues and Charlie and I passed him for a moment.  All three of us yo-yo'd back and forth on our positions but soon enough I was in the front.  I was a bit concerned with leading through the rocky section as I had to take it a bit slower than others.  You see, I don't have suspension on my bike.  The rocks wer

I knew the race was close to being over.  I did feel a bit tired on some of the brief inclines but I still had a little bit of energy left.  About 1.5 miles from the finish, my buddy Mike Brown caught back up to me.  I was shocked as hell!  I just couldn't believe in my head that I had stayed in front of him the entire race and at the last moment, he catches up to me.  He could tell that I was wearing down a little bit and took the chance to get around me.  He made the pass and I tried to stay on his wheel but couldn't hold on enough.  We made it to the paved road that descends about a mile to the finish line.  I had Mike in my sights the entire descent but being on a single speed, there was no chance of me being able to catch him while doing 35mph down the road. 

I finally crossed the finish line with a time of 3:58:12.  I was super stoked to find out that I broke a 4 hour finish.  Mike had crossed the finish line in 3:57:36.  He finished 36 seconds ahead of me!  Regardless, I felt great with my finish.  The course wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be.  I definitely look forward to the next race in February.  I can't be any happier with the race conditions of this race.  The temps stayed in the low to mid 40's for most of the race.  We'll see how things play out for the next two races.

Tomorrow, I'll probably blog about the fun in the snow that I've had this week.  I think you all have read enough about my uneventful life for one day.

This week...

The Uneventful Life

Sorry for no updates on my uneventful life this week but honestly, things have been pretty uneventful.  Most of my week has involved watching the first 3 seasons of Entourage on DVD, eating and going for casual bike rides into town.  Boring, I know.  I decided to rest up some this week yet get some easy rides in before the Snake Creek Gap tomorrow.  I'm registered, I'm going and it may still be cold.  To all of my Georgia friends who think I will probably back out, it's not gonna happen!  The car has been recently repaired and there doesn't appear to be anything that will go wrong with it.  My wife is 100% supportive of this adventure as well.  She is even taking off early from work today so we can hit the road to stay at her parent's house tonight.



Tomorrow morning, I'll make the 45 minute drive from my in-law's place to Dalton, Georgia where I'll prepare myself for probably one of the hardest mountain bike races I have done yet.  The Snake Creek Gap Time Trial is a 34 mile course where you are shuttled to one end on a bus and you ride the course back to the finish.  The course covers some of the hardest terrain in North Georgia.  I'm completely prepared for the race.  I'm on the peak of my fitness and I feel pretty confident!  Hell, if Dan Hensley can finish it, I sure as hell can finish!  Anyhow, life is life and it's meant to be spent having fun!  With a cooler full of beer and 34 miles of some tough mountain biking, how can fun not be had?!?

One other important topic to mention on today's post is regarding an important registration date.  The Southern Cross Race is coming up on February 26th.  Southern Cross involves 50+ miles of North Georgia gravel and dirt road racing that finishes on a true cyclocross course at Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega, GA.  If you want to race Southern Cross and get a really rad t-shirt, you need to register by 5:00PM EST today (Friday January 7, 2011)!

New Year...

Well, it's here. Happy New Year 2011! Now time to get into the habit of writing the correct date on all my checks.

December 31st was my birthday and the day couldn't have started off any better. I got a 40 mile road ride in with some friends. The temps were in the low 60's which made for a sweat in my long sleeve jersey. The headwinds were a bitch but it was all good in the end. When I got home, the wife had a gift sitting on the kitchen table all wrapped up. I gladly ripped open the present to discover a brand new Brooks Swift saddle! I've been wanting a new Brooks for a while. I was then surprised with another present. I immediately opened it to find some matching Brooks leather bar tape! Now I can really get my touring bike looking nice!

Happy Birthday Me!

Later in the day, my folks showed up and we stopped by the local bakery for some cupcakes. We then hit the road to Loveless Cafe for dinner. If you have never been to Loveless Cafe, you are missing out! They have the best homemade biscuits. I selected the BBQ and Eggs as my dinner of choice. My selection fared very well! After stuffing our bodies with such great food, we retired to the apartment for an evening of relaxation and liquid spirits! I now prefer to stay in on New Years as you don't have to fight the crowds and high priced alcohol. Overall, this was the best birthday I think I've ever had and I was glad to enjoy it with my family!

Dinner at Loveless Cafe

On New Years Day, I said my goodbyes to my parents and they hit the road back to Knoxville. The wife and I made a quick trip to REI for the "Scratch and Dent" sale to only find an overcrowded store and all the good stuff already gone. Once back in the Boro, I met up with my buddy Eric D. We hit the local pub for some beer and food. Eric is started a local courier company in Murfreesboro that focuses on the use of bikes for delivery. If you are in need of a fast delivery in the Boro, check out Clean and Green Couriers.  Things are in the beginning stages but they have an awesome business plan that I am sure will be successful!  Anyhow, I got a quick ride in on the new saddle and loved every minute of it!  I'm looking forward to it breaking in a bit and then it will be really comfortable.

Sunday road ride

Sunday was mostly spent on a long road ride.  A small group of us hit the road towards Pulltight Road out in the county.  The ride included a fair amount of climbing.  I had never been this far out into the county and really enjoyed the ride.  The "Pulltight" climb wasn't as bad as its reputation.  For the most part, its pretty quick and steep.  We did the ride at a pretty casual pace and just enjoyed the conversation and Ellis' bitching.  We ended up with 54 miles of riding and blue skies. 

The climb up Pulltight Road

This week is gonna be spent getting things organized and ready for classes starting next week.  I'm definitely going to incorporate some riding plans in there.  My goal for 2011 is to ride 6,000 miles.  We'll see if that happens.  Anyhow, Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Me and Goodbye 2010...

Well, I didn't think I would have the time to post anything up on the blog today but I happened to wake up earlier than expected.

Today is my birthday.  I plan on spending it by doing a little road ride with the Murfreesboro Bicycle Club and then my parents should be in to town.  Probably hit dinner at the Loveless Cafe (best biscuits in the world) and maybe head out for a few drinks before retiring for the night.  I'm not really into going out for New Years anymore.  The drinks are overpriced, the bars are crowded with people who don't drink enough to control themselves and I have a case of beer and a bottle of whiskey at home that will do just fine for me!

Having my birthday on New Years Eve has always been pretty cool.  For one, I was a huge tax right off for my folks.  Also, growing up, I always thought everyone was throwing a birthday party for me all around the world!  Most importantly, having my birthday on New Years Eve has always given me an appreciation for the things that passed during that year.

I have many things to be thankful for as this year ends and I get to celebrate my 25th year on this planet.  I have met one of my biggest goals by dropping a lot of weight.  Over the last nine months, I have dropped nearly 70 pounds.  This has been a huge improvement to my riding ability and my overall health!  Also during this last year, I have finished first place in 8 races and I've been on the podium 10 times!  This is something I never thought I see!

 

Another awesome experience of 2010 was moving back to Tennessee.  My wife and I had been hoping that opportunity would come available for a long time and when it did, we were pleased.  Moving back to Tennessee has helped me to meet some really great people and start fresh.  My wife has been a huge support of everything I've done in the last year.  She has worked and given me the opportunity to take some time off before going back to school.  I cannot express enough about how much I love her!

Another privilege of the year was working with David LaRoche on his election bid to become a State Representative.  This opportunity gave me a lot of awesome experience working on campaigns.  But most of all, I got the opportunity to work with a really great guy who believes in our community and regardless of the outcome of this election, he will continue to help strengthen our community!

LaRoche Campaign Headquarters

So, there have been many great things about this last year.  Yes, I added three more bikes to my collection but that is not what is most important.  What is most important is the people I know.  With out them, I would not be as pleased as I am.  Today, I will go on my bike ride with friends.  Tonight I will go to dinner with my family.  At midnight, I will raise my glass to you all!  Thank you for such a great year and I look forward to our next!

Something New...

I was schmoozin' around Facebook yesterday and came across yet another video of a CX race I did this season.  This is one of the best put together videos I have seen of our local race series.  Anyhow, I make my cameo appearance at minute 1:17.  Watch and enjoy!



As for the other things going on in my life, I hit the trails at AEDC again on Tuesday with my buddy Koonce.  There was still some snow covering about 50% of the trail and the rest was starting to get a little soupy.  The one nice thing about AEDC is how well it drains.  I didn't feel too guilty riding a wet trail considering most of the trail is covered in pine needles and we weren't leaving any ruts.  However, considering the possible conditions if we chose to ride a second lap, we ended our ride after one loop.  Overall, my body is feeling pretty good on the mountain bike.  I think I'm going to be somewhat ready for the Snake Creek Gap TT that is coming up next weekend.  I am officially registered!  This will be my first year racing this series.  I know I'm in the best shape I've ever been but I'm still haunted by all the stories I hear from everyone about how difficult this course is.  Regardless, I will suck it and ride!

Not much else has really been happening in the last few days.  I'm doing a little tinkering with the new Nature Boy CX bike at the moment.  I'm going to try some gear changes and throw a 39 tooth chainring on.  We'll see how this feels.  I was just mashin' too hard of a gear for the muddy courses and loosing a lot of efficiency.  I have the Tennessee CX State Championships coming up in a little over two weeks.  I've got to get back on the CX bike and do a few more workouts between now and then.

Tomorrow is my birthday so I doubt there will be any bloggin' going on.  Instead, I will be enjoying the day with my wife and my folks.  I hope everyone has a happy New Year and consumes many beverages!!

Happy New Year!

SNOW!!

Monday's riding plans put us on top of Monteagle Mountain in Sewanee, TN.  I met up Nathan Taylor and Chris Williams and we decided to head up the mountain in search of some snow covered trails.  Once we got on top of the mountain, all the roads were covered with snow and ice.  We had the car loaded down with bikes and everyone we passed seemed to look at our vehicle as though we were freaks of some sort!  Well, maybe we are. 

University of The South campus

 We drove through the University of the South campus and took in all the sites as we approached the trailhead.  We got to the trailhead around 10:30am and unloaded our bikes in the frigid temperatures.  I think we all wore every article of clothing that we could put on in anticipation that this would be one cold ride.  I did, however, figure out the secret to warm feet!  TOASTY TOES is the answer.  I will be wearing these in some of the upcoming races during the winter months.  Toasty Toes paired with two layers of socks and a grocery bag keeps your feet dry and warm for at least 8 hours. 

Chris and Nathan rolling up the fire road

After bundling up like Ralphie's kid brother Randy, we hit the trail for some fun riding in the snow.  The first mile or so was on what I think was a fire road but really it was just a wide path covered with about 4 or 5 inches of snow.  This little trip down the fire road helped us to get acclimated to riding in the snow without having to worry about hitting any trees or rocks.  We finally made it to the beginning of the Perimeter Trail and it was on!  The trail was actually pretty rideable.  The snow contoured nicely to the berms of each turn in the trail.  For the first 2 or 3 miles on the Perimeter Trail, we actually followed some animal tracks.  In some areas, we would come across snow drifts that piled over a foot of snow. 

Hanging out at the overlook

  With each miles came more and more confidence in our riding.  Finally we were to the point of just letting loose and riding our bikes like we would any other day.  It didn't really matter if we crashed because the snow would cushion our landing.  The only major problem that we encountered from the snow was the ice packing up in our pedals which would make it difficult to clip in.  As for my bike, it did great.  I was most impressed with my tires.  I'm running a WTB Weirwolf 2.55 front tire and a WTB Exiwolf 2.3 in the rear.  These tires did great staying on top of the snow and they tracked pretty well when things got slick.

Me

 Unfortunately, our ride ended a little short when Chris' chain broke.  We were able to shorten the chain a link but the chain wasn't to be trusted.  We pedaled out on one of the fire roads and made it back to the car.  Regardless of how long we got to ride, this was definitely one of the most fun rides I've been on!

Fixing a broken chain

 After getting back to the car, we headed into town to grab some food.  The first restaurant that we found to be open was "Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant".  Mexican food sounded great after a few hours on the bike.  Well, this place was horrible.  The only thing we managed to get was chips and salsa when we were seated.  We sat at our table for about 15 minutes and no one ever came back over to take our order.  Instead, our waiter sat at the front counter talking to his friends.  We up and walked out and headed a little further down the street to the "Smokehouse".  This place was pretty cool.  I really think Cracker Barrel must have copied this place.  This place appeared to have been in business for a long time and you walk through an old country store before making your way into the dining room.  We chose their country buffet and a Budweiser.  We felt the Budweiser was quite fitting considering where were chose to dine.  The highlight of our meal was one of the sauces we found on the table.  You know, everyone needs a little "Blazin Rectums" on their fried chicken!

Shut Up Legs!

Lately I have taken to the great wisdom of Jens Voigt.  You know that feeling when you're on the bike, pedaling into a head wind, the air is frigid yet your legs are screaming?  I had that experience yesterday.  I focused my thoughts on the above video and that made a slight difference.

I initially set out to ride my Surly Cross Check that I had recently built up as my commuter rig.  This has been my project for the last week since I replaced my Cross Check with the Nature Boy as my primary CX rig.  Everything worked great on the new bike build and I'm looking forward to the many rides I'll take this bike on in the future.  However, yesterday's ride was just miserable!  The snow was falling and I wanted to take advantage of the chance to get a little riding in.  I set out for a route South of town along the Stones River.  Every direction I pedaled felt like there was a head wind!  There was no escaping it.  To add to my discomfort, my toes were freezing as well.  This is a weird feeling when your legs are burning and your toes are freezing.  That must be what Purgatory feels like.  Anyhow, I made a few wrong turns and get displaced for a moment which just continued to add to the misery of the ride.  On the final stretch home, I looked down at my legs and said, "Shut Up Legs" and voila!  At that point I was good to go and made it home without any further fuss. 

So, next time you're on a ride and your legs are screaming, just look down and tell them to shut up!

December 25th, 2010...Best Day In A Long Time!

For the most part, Christmas Day started off like any other.  My wife and I woke up to a fresh blanket of snow outside the window of our apartment.  We had originally planned to make the 3 hour drive to see my folks in Knoxville and then drive South to Cleveland, TN to see the in-laws.  With the fresh snow, we decided to just stay in Murfreesboro and spend the holiday by ourselves.  This decision turned out to be the best decision we have made in a long time.

My wife and I don't really get too caught up with the Christmas holiday.  I know it's important to many and that's fine.  A few years ago, we made the agreement to not purchase Christmas gifts for each other.  Instead, we have a few simple traditions.  This helps to avoid the stress of all the shopping and makes for a more simple holiday.  Our family is also understanding of this decision and we do not expect presents from them either. 

 
In years past, we have always tried to make a day trip to see our families for Christmas.  With the snowfall this year and a trip over the mountain, we figured it would be best to just stay home for this year's holiday.  My wife and I enjoyed each other's company by cooking a nice lunch and then we set out in the car to do a little driving through the Middle Tennessee countryside.  The roads turned out to be fine.  We drove along some of the backroads that I tend to frequent on some of my longer bike rides.  We also ventured out to explore a few new roads.  Along the way, we came across a really old church that has been standing since 1832.  We made a brief stop and took a few pictures of the church and its cemetery. 

Further on down the road, we visited the town of Bell Buckle.  This is a really neat little stop.  This town must have been an old train depot and has now been turned into a little country tourist destination.  With it being Christmas Day, there was not a soul in site.  All the store fronts were lit with holiday lights.  We made a brief stop, considering the cold, and took a few more pictures. 

Our drive continued to take us further into the countryside at which point the snow began to fall some more.  As we were driving, we came across a sign that said "Confederate Cemetery".  Curiosity got the best of us and we again made a stop to look around.  The cemetery was on top of a steep hill.  This turned out to be an amazing and tranquil place to spend a moment.  There were a few marked graves with standard headstones.  And then there were unmarked Confederate graves with stones stacked about three feet high on top of them.  The fresh snow lightly dusted the graves and gave an eerie appeal.  This sight got me to thinking.  I was fixed in the moment thinking about the death of these soldiers.  They died by the bullet and here they lay beneath the frozen tundra.  It was a moment of solitude and in a strange way, quite peaceful. 

My wife and I got back into the car and began discussing our day thus far.  We were really happy with how our holiday was going.  We continued to drive back towards Murfreesboro and journeyed onto some more backroads.  We ventured down an old dirt road for a moment until the road crossed a stream.  We decided to turn around and not push our luck trying to cross the flowing stream in our small car. 

 

This decision played for the best as it brought us to the next highlight of our day.  As we were driving, we noticed a pull off to the side of the road and you could see the Stones River below.  We pulled over and parked the car.  We followed a faint trail that led to the river.  At the river was a beautiful scene that captured the essence of the day.  The snow was gently falling into the water and we just paused to capture the moment.  It was just my wife and I.  Alone.  We were happy and at peace.  It was a moment that was not planned but just happened.  It was perfect!

My wife and I got back into our vehicle and proceeded back into town.  We decided to catch a movie.  We don't normally go to the movies as they are typically overpriced but we figured we could make this exception and enjoy a flick.  The movie was True Grit and actually turned out to be pretty good.  I have always enjoyed movies that Jeff Bridges is in.  Matt Damon's part was ok but he has definitely done better. 

The night ended with a glass of eggnog and a nap with each other on the couch.  These words vaguely describe our wonderful holiday.  It was truly the best "Christmas" I've spent in years.  The day was not filled with hustle and bustle.  No concern of gifts and guests.  We lived for ourselves.  I am thankful!

Happy Chrismahanukwanzakahfestivus

To whatever you celebrate, enjoy!  

My Family

Happy Holidays...

I may have talked about this before but I don't really get too caught up in the whole Christmas thing.  To me, it's just another day in the uneventful life.  With that said, my holiday season will be spent riding the bikes and enjoying the company of my wife during her time off from work.

Yesterday, I got a start to my mountain biking "marathon".  My buddy Koonce and I hit the trails at AEDC.  This was my first visit to this trail system.  I was instantly hooked!  AEDC is in no way a difficult trail.  There are about 13 miles of single track and some additional fire roads all in a dense pine/hardwood forest.  The terrain is pretty rolling with a lot of bermed turns.  The best part about this layout was just hitting the trail and riding as fast we could without getting too caught up on our technical skills.  The entire time I was out there riding, I kept dreaming of bringing the CX bike out.  This place would be perfect to do a little cross workout.  Overall, I was really pleased with the AEDC trail and I look forward to another visit soon.

On the note of CX, I think my season is pretty much over.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I will not be doing the Columbia CX race in January.  Unless some money happens to fall in my lap, I may not be able to make it to the State Championship race weekend either.  Reality sucks sometimes but I have had a great season!  I won the "Cross The Way" series and had an all right finish at Sewanee Cross.  A lot of new friendships have blossomed since moving to Tennessee and I look forward to the many rides to come in the new year!  

So, yeah, I'm bummed that my CX season is pretty much over.  I got serious with myself back in March and set some goals.  You see, I weighed 250 pounds in March 2010.  I was unhealthy and insecure with myself and riding ability.  I lost over 70 pounds over the course of the year and committed myself to "training" for a goal to race CX this year.  I accomplished every cycling goal that I set out for myself and beyond!  I am happy.  The New Year will bring with it another set of goals and many more miles on the bike!  I hope that 2011 will be as good of a year as 2010.  Even though I am bummed with the fact that my CX season is over, I am satisfied with how everything turned out.  Next year I will plan to race more CX races and possibly chase points for the State Championship.  

This is what I'm happy about this time of year.  I can reflect back on my life as the year ends and be satisfied.  I don't have to spend $100, $200 or any amount of money to get this satisfaction.  This satisfaction comes from hard work and perseverance.  I have an amazing wife who was supported me with my goals and has stood by me to cheer me at my races.  I am thankful!

Happy Holidays!

A Race I Missed...

Bilenky's Junkyard Cross was the last weekend.  I was hoping that I would have been able to go but money and transportation became an issue.  Maybe next year.  Until then, here's a video to try and best live the experience.


Bilenky Junkyard Cross Helmet-Cam from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Fun Filled Weekend...

Not too long after my Friday post, I got the call from the good folks at Harpeth Bicycle Shop to let me know my new bike was ready.  I didn't expect for it to be fully assembled but once I arrived, everything was setup pretty nicely!  After shooting the shit about the uneventful life, I loaded the bike in the truck and headed back to the Boro to make a few small changes to my new rig.

 At the house, I started pulling parts from various drawers in the bike room.  One thing that I have neglected lately is my bike room.  I have wheels, tires, bike frames, tools, small bike parts and bike clothes strewn all over the place.  This is definitely something that I need to get under control as I have resorted to handling any bike maintenance in the dinning room.  So, back to talking about the new bike.  I changed up a few things on the Nature Boy.  First was the brakes.  The brakes that came on the bike, Tektro CR520, are crap!  I'll put them to the side for now and probably throw them on some frankenbike build in the future.  For the time being, they are being replaced with my Avid Shorty 6's until my Paul brakes come in later this week.  Another change that was made were the wheels and tires.  The wheels that came on the bike aren't horrible, they're just a little heavy and they're bolt on wheels.  I had a wheelset that I've been waiting to use for a while.  The front wheel is an old Campy Record hub laced to a Mavic Open Pro rim.  The rear wheel is an older Dura Ace hub also laced to a Mavic Open Pro rim.  Both wheels have 32 spokes which should make for a strong enough wheelset for cyclocross.  As for the tires, I got a new set of Vittoria XG Cross tires from a buddy of mine who broke his collar bone recently and isn't in the position to use them right now.  I also have a set of Maxxis Raze tires that will now go onto my spare wheels and will be used as pit wheels.  I stripped down my Surly Cross Check of some of its parts to exchange over to the Nature Boy.  These parts included a Thomson Elite seatpost and an Easton EA70 stem.  I've got a certificate for a new Thomson product that I have recently mailed in and I will anticipate a new Thomson stem for the bike.  As for now, the bike is setup pretty nicely and should be fine for any CX endeavors.
 

Before the bar tape change

After the bike and owner got a nice night's rest, Saturday was full of fun on bikes!  Saturday morning, I took the new steed out for a spin around town.  I started the ride with a trip to MOAB for some new bar tape.  On the way to the bike shop, I took the short route near Murfreesboro's shopping centers.  This made me chuckle quite a bit because I probably passed 150+ cars waiting in stand still traffic to get their holiday shopping complete.  It felt liberating to be on the bike and not in a car even though the temperatures were in the low 30's.  As always, it's a great time visiting my local bike shop.  The guys at MOAB know their way around a bike really well and they are a great crew to shoot the shit with.

Riding through tons of traffic

The rest of my ride on the new bike included scoping out the construction area of the new greenway extension.  The new section is really nice and I'm looking forward to it's completion.  This will connect a lot of new subdivisions to downtown via a car-free path.  Hopefully, this will encourage more people to consider the bike as an option for commuting.  The unfinished section is mostly hard pack and gave me a chance to place with the bike in its natural environment.  Everything felt great!  The bike is a little more twitchy than my Surly Cross Check but I found this to be more to my likings. 

New (finished) section of the greenway

Saturday evening, my wife and I headed up to Nashville for the roller races at the Nashville Bicycle Lounge.  There was a decent crew that showed up.  We all got started off with a qualifying race in which I was paired up with the shop owner and good friend, Dan Hensley.  I'm going to be humble here.  Dan spanked my ass in the qualifying race!  Dan didn't care about qualifying for anything as he was the host of the event.  He only wanted to humble me a bit before I raced everyone else.  Well Dan, you accomplished your objective!  I don't know how many heats that I raced in but I came out in victory (aside from my slower qualifying time than Dan's) at the end of the night.  After several beers, tired legs and a moment of liquid regurgitation, I left the bike lounge with the Golden Saddle.

Sunday was race day.  Saturday night really took a toll on my buddy.  My legs felt horribly tired and my stomach was killing me.  Anyhow, I still packed up the bike and headed up the mountain to Tracy City for the CX race.  The race was at someone's farm.  The course was in a cow pasture and a small wooded area.  When I arrived, everything was frozen.  It appeared as though the area was experiencing freeze, thaw, freeze issues.  I pre-rode the course and realized that I was in for a world of hurt.  My bike was geared with a 42 tooth chainring and an 18 tooth cog.  This was an easier gear that I've been pushing all season but this course had some longer climbs than what I've been racing.  Also, the course was really bumpy when it went through the cow pasture.  I got to the start line for the Single Speed race along with 6 other guys.  Most of the guys were Cat 1/2 racers and two of which are former CX State Champions.  Off the start line, I had a good position into the course.  I felt strong and was riding smooth until the course crossed a gravel road and the course tape was missing.  I ended up off course for a brief moment and was passed by the entire field.  By the time I made it back on course, everyone had a good 30 second lead on me.  During the race, a lot of the frozen ground had now thawed into cold, sloppy mud.  The new tires did great on shedding the mud but the tread wasn't the best on hooking up in the corners.  One part of the race that I really enjoyed was the run-up.  It came after a long sweeping downhill into a mud pit.  The run-up itself was a steep grassy/muddy hill that was slowly eroding away with each racer's pass.  I was able to pull in the 4th place guy and held my position for the remainder of the race.  Unfortunately, I was unable to even keep sight of the remainder of the field.  After the race was over, I felt worn out!  I went to the truck to change my race number so I could race the Cat4 race.  By the time I made it to the truck, the Cat4 race was starting.  I ended up missing the start time but I guess it was for the best.  I felt so tired and all I could think about was drinking a little beer!  I sat back and watched a few more races, washed the bike and hit the road for home. 

Muddy Bike

 The weekend was great overall.  I wish things would have felt a little better at the CX race but it's all good.  I have no complaints about the bike but I do think I'm going to tweak the gearing a little bit.  The next few days are going to be spent taking casual rides and working on some of my bikes.  Also, it looks like I'll be racing in the Snake Creek Gap Time Trial series this January, February and March!  This is my first year racing this series and I'm really looking forward to it!  As for CX, there are a few more races coming up in East Tennessee but I'm not sure about my commitment to racing them.