Thursday, January 31, 2008

Fingerprints? Am I being arrested?


That's Amy's bike in front. Yes, you feckers, it is nicer than mine. Anyway, we moved into our own place the other night. It's small, but really nice. It doesn't have the internet yet, but we're working on it. Like everything else in Venezuela, getting the internet connected will be a huge bureaucratic rigmarole that will take days of queuing and almost certainly involve giving fingerprints, and possibly also DNA samples and retina scans. No joke.

Now that we've moved in I can unpack the bikes and finally go for a ride. I have a route worked out that will take me from our place north into some quieter and hilly suburbs. Hills? Jaaaaysus...

So, until I figure out how many tissue samples we have to give before we get the internet, I won't be updating the site as often as before. But, stay tuned, because coming soon: a report on last summer's VeloCity Tour event in Chicago which includes a story about me making a pig's mickey of a finish by showing off; more inane banter; a report on my first ride in Caracas (report contingent on me surviving); some exciting sponsorship news from Team Pegaus; and an interview with Declan O'Loughlin of Pezula Racing, a brand new Irish professional cycling team. Not bad, wha'?

In the meantime, keep the rubber side down!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Think you know cold?

Tour Da Chicago, Stage 1. All photos by Chris Dilts.

Beard of Icicles, MFer!! Ben Fietz of the Chicago Cuttin' Crew.



Andrew Nordyke of the Chicago Cuttin' Crew.




The temperature, in Celsius, on the morning of the first stage of Da Tour. Mental.

Me Wantee!

The brand new Dolan DF3, seen here in world champion colours. Gorgeous. Head over to velodrome.org.uk for more details.




Monday, January 28, 2008

nezuelaUpdate*VenezuelaUpdate*VenezuelaUpda

I saw my first roadie yesterday! Been here a week, and had only seen some mountain-bikers and BMXers until last night, when walking to get some food we saw a guy on a beautiful Felt F2, wearing full Felt kit. He was a young guy too, so possibly a racer? Is there a Felt sponsored team in Caracas? Does this guy just really love Felt? Interesting... It puts my mind at ease, because it means that there is at least one other road cyclist in this area. I was starting to get worried. You would too if you saw the way the feckin' drivers here ignore all stop signs and signals! The intersections are pure chaos.

Also: today at 2pm we have a meeting with a guy from whom we want to rent an apartment. I know, I know, that's probably more important news than my seeing a roadie. Whatevs. So yeah, at 2pm today we could be signing a lease on an apartment. The place is small, but nice, and the building has a pool. With luck, photos soon.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Tour Da Chicago 2008.

"Da Tour is what street racing in Chicago is all about." I stole that quote from Yeoman. An annual series of messenger-run alleycats that starts in January and goes till March, Da Tour runs right through the most brutal and bitterly cold weather of Chicago's winter. The winners of each race get points, and the Tour has an overall leader with a prized, though rank, jersey, just like any other Tour.


2007 Tour winner Andrew Nordyke, wearing the jersey. Photo by Luke.

The time-trial prologue was a week or two ago. The first stage was this morning. It was 11 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago this morning. That's -12 degrees Celsius. WTF?!? Tough as nails...

Each stage is a different themed alleycat. Last year's Tour involved a race around the various little islands around Chicago, a race that involved collecting bricks at different checkpoints with bonus points for carrying extra bricks, and of course The Stairmaster.


Stairmaster 2007. Photo by Chris Dilts.

The Stairmaster is the only race that happens at night. It keeps the same theme, but not the same route, each year. It's a mental race around downtown Chicago where the racers have to carry their bikes up and down loads of sets of stairs. Last year we did two laps around downtown, with about 15 sets of stairs per lap. I was fucking wrecked after it. It was the only stage I did, because I'm lazy and incapable of getting up before 10am, but it was deadly buzz. Almost 100 people showed up to it.

Anyway, here's the official word from the Tour's page:

The Tenth Annual Chicago Winter Alleycat Series.
We're back and ready to dive into this wintry mix. The race schedule for 2008 looks like this:
Prologue (time trial) - January 13 @ 8 am.
Stage 1 - January 27 @ 8 am.
Stage 2 - February 10 @ 8 am.
Stage 3 - February 24 @ 8 am.
Stage 4 - March 9 @ 8 am.
Stage 5 (stairmaster) March 22 @ 7 pm.
Starting locales, race formats, and other details to be announced in the days and weeks ahead.

Here's a few photos of past Tours. Enjoy. And for the people racing, stay safe and keep the rubber side down.

Miles, all wrapped up at the start of the prologue. If you look closely, to the left of the photo you can see the irrepressible j.dot of dispatch 101. Whatup, son?

The start of a stage, Ben Popper in the foreground. Photo by BenVC.

Stan looks cold, and frankly a little miserable. Photo by Andy.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Team Pegasus

The annual Team Pegasus party is in Milwaukee today, so I'm missing it. The team is basically a bunch of friends from Chicago and Milwaukee that likes to ride bikes. We race track, road, cross, mountain bike. If it has two wheels and pedals, we will race it. And, we'll look good doing it. Which is the most important thing, right? Here's a few photos of the team in action. I miss you guys.


Obviously, this is only the important members of the team. Not pictured: hangers-on and losers. Photo by Kat.


Michelle and Aaron warming up at VeloCity 2007, Kenosha WI. Photo by PeteD.


See what I mean about looking good? Damn, son! ChrisP's glamour shot. Yes, I spell glamour with a u.


ChrisE (cough, raver, cough) at the Washington Park Halloween Cyclocross Classic. Photo by Callie.



Ben, Chris and Henry standing around at VeloCity 2007. Photo by Trevor.

Josh showing how it's done at the ChiCrossCup race in Jackson Park. Photo by Amanda.



Great photo of Henry sprinting at Northbrook by Trevor.



Shawn and Henry going into turn 3 of the Brewer's Hill criterium. Photo by Josh.


KatySnaks on her way to becoming Wisconsin State Cyclocross Champion! Photo by Kat.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Hello, I am in Venezuela.

Yes, you read that right.

Amy and I are in Caracas, Venezuela! We're here so that Amy can do her dissertation research on the Venezuelan public healthcare system. I'm just along for the ride, basically. We had a mental week, which consisted of packing to move here for a year, moving everything else out of our apartment and into a storage space, and saying goodbye to some of the greatest people ever. Our going away party was a blast. $15 all-you-can-drink and a loose Aerospoke makes for a good night out.


I'm going to miss everyone a lot. They're a bunch of degenerates and elitist misanthropes in the main, but they're good craic, and a few of them even know how to ride bikes. They got me a Campagnolo peanut butter wrench as a going away present. They even got my name engraved on it.


Classic!

Well, that's it for now. We only arrived a few hours ago, but the place we're staying at has WiFi so I thought I'd do a quick update before I crash. Coming soon: photos of me trying to re-assemble our road bikes; a report on how much my shitty wheels flex on Caracas hill climbs; more race reports from last summer's track season which are kind of made up because I can't really remember that long ago; and any random rubbish I feel like writing.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Hellyer Keirin Video



This is a video of me in a keirin race at Hellyer Velodrome on August 1st, my second keirin of the night and the race I went into most detail about in my race report below. Thus, the video is somewhat redundant. However, it does include nice moments like Amy narrating the race to Dorothea, the dog we were looking after, and Amy getting so excited at the finish that she actually missed me crossing the line. You'll just have to take my word on the result...

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Another Belated and Overlong Race Report - August 1st – Hellyer Velodrome.

It was our third week in California. I had raced surprisingly well on July 19th, but then I got the flu, and had to miss a week. So, a few days before we were due to leave, Amy and I packed my bike and the dog into the car and drove down to San Jose from Palo Alto, for my second night of racing at Hellyer Velodrome.

I was, as usual, incredibly nervous, to the extent that I was hoping that some catastrophe would prevent us from getting there. They have earthquakes in California, don’t they?? In the car, on the way to races, I’m usually sullen and silent, pre-occupied and miserable. Once I’ve actually raced I’m usually elated, particularly if I’ve done well, but till then I’m a nervous wreck. I have no idea why I get that way. I would love to know if other racers get as nervous as I do.

On this night, however, my nervousness was replaced by excitement earlier than usual, because when we got to the track I saw a motor-pacer, and realised we would be racing keirin!

I’d never raced in a keirin before. Basically, a keirin race is where the riders are paced around the track for a set number of laps by a (usually fat) man on a small motorbike, who pulls off the track with a lap and a half to go, leaving the racers a short, fast sprint to the line. It’s hectic, and the winner is usually decided by a very small margin. It’s huge in Japan, where keirin racers are like human greyhounds, and where betting on the races is a massive business, the tax on which funds the local schools. (Hey, America! I have a plan to save public education! It involves lots and lots of velodromes and NJS bikes!)

So anyway, I was very excited. Amy took Dorothea for a walk in the park, and I took myself and my bike down into the infield to set up. As I mentioned before, I was riding my street fixed-gear, because I hadn’t brought the Concept with me. I changed the pedals and the cog. I took off the camo top tube pad. I removed the spokecards. It went from fashion bike to track bike in about 5 minutes. I raced in the C group again.

First race. Six racers. We were held on the line. The motorpacer moved past. The whistle sounded. We started, and moved down the track to get in a line behind the pacer. I found myself in second last place, behind some riders from Montano Velo (a few of whom, it turns out, Josh knows.) Each lap, the pacer increased speed until, with a lap and a half to go, he pulled off the track and we went for it. I have no memory at all of what happened. I came second, but I don’t know how. I think the pacer had said he would bring us up to 30mph, so the sprint must have been pretty fast, but I think I was so excited that I blacked out or something.

Second race. Six racers again. I started on the outside, against the rail. When the pacer came by and the whistle sounded, I was a little slow in starting, and found myself in last place. Actually, I was pretty happy. Not having to worry about someone behind you allows you to relax a little bit. I sat in and drafted the field, thinking about what I would do. I decided I would just feckin' go for it when the pacer pulled off. After four and a half laps the pacer pulled off the track, and the sprint began. Maybe actual keirin racers don’t sprint with a full lap and half to go and instead leave it to the last minute to really drop the hammer, but all I knew was that we were all going for it! Into turn three, and I got past the racers directly ahead of me, going around them on the outside until I found myself in front as we came out of turn four and approached the line. With a full lap to go, I just put the head down and went for it. Someone grabbed my wheel, and by the time we exited turn two we had opened up a gap on the other riders. I felt good, but I knew I would tire before the line, so I was just hoping the guy on my wheel would too. As we went into turn three of the last lap, I could feel him right behind me, and I knew he was getting ready to make a move.

Coming out of the final turn of the final lap, I'm in front, gritting my teeth and expecting him to make a move. Photo by Jason at Montano Velo.


I pushed hard, spinning like crazy. I could feel my heart in my throat. I was trying to sense him move around me on the outside, but coming out of turn four, and with the finish line in sight, he hadn’t yet made his move. Into the straight, and I felt him ease off a bit. I had won. I couldn’t believe it.

As usual, having done well I wanted to call it a night. What a feckin’ baby, wha’? But, there were other races to do. Third race. Another keirin. I don’t remember a thing about this race, except that I started in the middle of the line, and came third.

Then a ten lap scratch, with eleven racers. I was dead tired, and could only manage to come fifth. I didn’t care. I was saving myself for the miss’n’out. But, I made a pig’s mickey of the that, when I forgot that they were pulling two racers per lap and not one, and got pulled after only a few laps. Eejit!

Anyway, I had done better than I had any business doing, and I was delighted. I came 4th in the omnium. Amy had videoed my second keirin race, so I watched that as I calmed down (I’ll post the video soon) and then we packed up my stuff and the doggie, and headed back to Palo Alto. We got lost on the way back, and feared for our lives at one point when we found ourselves driving vertically up a mountain in the dark, but we made it back eventually.

All in all, I had a blast racing at Hellyer those two weeks. I missed having friends and team-mates to race with, but the weather was lovely, the park was beautiful, the velodrome was nice, the riders were friendly, and the races were a ton of fun.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Lakefront-Roubaix


Team Pegasus training ride on the Lakefront Path in Chicago, January 6th. A mixture of melting snow, road salt, dirt, and pacelining left us a little gritty.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Six Days of Rotterdam.

The Rotterdam Six Day Event begins today, at 6pm [GMT]. Cycling.tv is covering it LIVE for FREE, so if you want to see some world class track action, get yourself over there.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Happy New Year, Here Are Some Track Photos!


Ed Rudolph Velodrome, Northbrook, Illinois. I'm in there somewhere.



Chris (237) and I at Northbrook. Notice I have my number upside-down. Rocket scientist.



Northbrook again. Chris is at the back of the pack on the outside, a perfect position from which to make a move. If you look closely, you can see me on the inside. I got boxed-in pretty badly in this race and couldn't do anything. It's so frustrating when you find yourself in a bad position.