So today is August 6 and I have been in 'cross mode since the middle of July. I guess that isn't 100% correct because I'm in 'cx mode about 2 weeks after the season is over in December. It doesn't take me long to start thinking of the pain and suffering that will be in the coming months.

This year will be quite different as I'll be moving back up to the A's where I left off as a junior. Granted a lot has changed since then. Back when I used to race there was no separate "masters" category, rather you raced in the A's 35+ or under 35. That made for some nice sized fields and as usual it wasn't the under 35's putting the majority of the hurt on everyone.

This year the Ithaca GP is taking a similar approach on getting the "elite" field back up to where it should be, numbers wise. Also, the fastest 35+'ers can probably hang in the top 10 of the Elite race anyway, if they can stretch their effort to a full 60 minutes. It'll be interesting to see what happens! Speaking of the race, this year's event is coming off pretty well now. Sponsorship items have been showing up at my doorstep and online registration will be opened up in the next two days. John Osgood put together a shirt for us, which will only be sold as pre-orders available through the race reg website. Check the Ithaca site for pics, as they'll be posted asap.

Last night I went for a ride with the Alma Tuesday group, which was nice for no other reason than I got to ride with a group. Mike Seaman, Napper, Randy, Sally, Jeremy, and I headed out but after about half way, Mike and I were the only ones left. Considering the fact that we had both done good interval rides earlier in the day, our hammer fest wasn't at 100% but it hurt nonetheless. It felt good putting it down in a two man TT for about 25 minutes. Mike is definitely pretty fast right now. Hopefully my speed and endurance will come into form like it did last year.

I don't think I've ever been as excited for a 'cross season as this one. Despite knowing that I'm jumping into a category in which my expectations aren't to win, I'm looking forward to being back up with the fast guys of MI. I figure I have a lot of experience that most people moving up don't exactly have, so maybe that'll put me 5 minutes ahead of the learning curve for anyone else moving up. Speaking of that, it'll be interesting to see how much things have changed this season with a few 'crossers leaving and a few coming up. I understand that Joel Budacki along with Jay Moncel are gone, but who is going to make the leap up to the A's? Jer Walker is back in town and won't take long to jump back to his former form. Will Cory Stang or Patrick Russell move up? Roger Bowser has shown some form on the road earlier this year. Will Tony the Giant Killer make a move? If Justin Todd wasn't taking 3rd place he was nipping at the top 5 all year. David Morrissey showed some late season form as well as Jim Hilditch.

Not to mention the busting categories of the C class should fill a nice Killer B field this year. It is exciting to see 'cx get bigger.

This weekend I'll be hacking it out at the BTR and then over to Fort Custer on the 17th to race in my all-time favorite MTB TT. Kiss Cross came out with their schedule so it looks like my first 'cx race will be on the 14th at Highland Park in G.R.

Back on the bike...

jb

Europe Finally!

Ok so I guess it's time to update this about our trip to Europe.  I'll give you a brief picture show with the main areas we went to, as 15 days abroad takes a while to do completely!  

We started off in Rome for a night.  Here we are at the Trevi fountain, which was much larger than I ever thought.  Watch your wallets here...

Rome was all cobbled

Our ship, the Carnival Freedom, had an outdoor movie theater.  Nightly selections were tailored to the places we'd been or were going to (Gladiator, Elizabeth, etc.)

Naples was our first stop.  We went to Pompeii, which was really cool.  I remember learning about that in school and it was one of those things that I always thought would be neat to see.  If you get the chance, it is worth it!

Our next stop was to Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Originally this wasn't on my top sweet places to go, but it was on the cruise itinerary so I didn't really have a choice...man was I surprised.  This was probably one of the most amazing places I have ever been to.  There is a walled city that was absolutely blown to pieces during their civil war, which wasn't too long ago.  When they rebuilt the city required everyone to use bright orange roofing tiles, to remember the city's history.  I'd go back in a heartbeat.

After Croatia we spent two days in Venice!  Here is Kristie sitting by the Grand Canal.

Rialto Bridge...

Of course we took a ride in a gondola.  It was a great way to spend our 3rd anniversary!

After a day at sea we stopped on the island of Sicily.  We took a trip to Taromina, which is a very small town just past the place where they filmed the Godfather scenes in Italy.  It was HOT that day.

On our way over to Barcelona we sailed by the volcanic island of Stromboli (yes, I got hungry just thinking about the name).  Apparently they didn't learn much from Pompeii (see above pictures) because there is a very small town located just at the base of the ACTIVE volcano.  Hmm...

In Barcelona we walked all over the town, mainly to see this chapel by Gaudi.  Yes, apparently the term "gaudi" actually came from the guy that designed this chapel and other structures around Barcelona and Spain.  It looked like a sand castle that was dripping with water...

Apparently we don't have the pictures uploaded from Cannes or Florence, but they were both pretty cool places.  I can see why people like that whole area of Europe because it is pretty amazing.  

It was a great, long trip, but it is always nice to come home.  Kona played the entire time with Champ, one of her best friends.  When we got home she slept for 13 straight hours and definitely was exhausted beyond anything I had seen before.

I couldn't think of a better way to spend our 3rd anniversary!

Old Picture time...

Ok old picture time here folks! Here are a few from my former days...the first four pictures are all from the SAME location...WHERE and WHEN were these taken?

Your's truly running through the MULCH (hint hint) pit...carrying my IF Planet Cross! I took 6th that day behind Mr. Brent Bookwalter.

After the race I was an absolute popsicle. Who's over my left shoulder holding my pit bike? Who's over my right shoulder? For the record, my pitbike at that point was a Trek 930 26" mtb converted with stainless steel adaptors (hand made...) to run 700c wheels. I am OFFICIALLY the first ever 'cross racer on a 29er.

Who did I spot in I.F. colors?

Who was all smiles at the start?

Now for some serious old school...where and who are we? (I'll give you a hint...that's Robert in the maroon...)

Hope you enjoyed today's edition of old school cycling photos. Want more? I have a bunch.

E-bay

Check out my e-bay listings, but specifically check out this iPod touch!


Buy my stuff (please)!

jb

DVD & 'cross

When you get a chance check out www.cyclocrossvideos.com and their weekly contest to win a free dvd! I won last week's contest so check them out...

Training is back on track with one minor set back...my TCR broke so all of my hours are on my 'cx bike. Not bad to make sure I remember how that bike rides but I like my TCR. We'll see what happens but for now that means no road racing.

Yesterday I had a great ride with Matt Jankowiak in Saginaw when we were in town for my sister's birthday. It was good to see 4/5 of the family and get to ride with Matt too. We had a great time talking about old 'cross races in Michigan and how things were back when there were only A's and B's in the Tailwind series.

The 'cx bike is in great working order and I'm excited to race 'cross, but I have a long way to go before that first start. This year will be very interesting lining up with the best in Michigan for the first time since I was a junior. I'm looking forward to it but at the same time the goals for this year are very different than last year. Hopefully my fitness will come around and things will fall into place. If not, I'm only 25 and have lots more years to figure things out.

jb

Kristie's 2007 Trek XO2 is for sale. It has a 51.5 effective tt and a 50 cm seat tube (center to top). This pic has it shown with ultegra components, but her's is full SRAM Rival.

Frame - Alpha SL Aluminum

Fork - Bontrager Satellite Plus (carbon with aluminum steerer tube)

Shifters - Sram Rival (10 speed)

Derailleurs - Sram Rival

Cassette - Sram Rival 12-25

Brakes - Avid Shorty 4 Crankset - Bontrager Race Lite GXP 170, 46-38 chainrings

Wheelset - Reynolds AAlta Race Comp

Tires - Bontrager Jones CXR 700-34

Headset - American Classic

Seatpost - Bonrager Race X Lite Carbon

Seat - Bontrager Race

Handlebars - Bontrager Race Lite VR 42 ctc

Stem - Bontrager Race Lite (carbon face plate) 90 mm +7 degrees?

Pedals - not included

$1800...e-mail me!

(I'll post about Europe shortly...)

jb

Back

We're back from Europe, pics coming soon.

Easton Rocks

So my fork broke...not a big break but it was broken. Apparently it was slightly broken from about October of last year until December (state championships). I went on a dirt road ride a few weeks ago and the steerer tube started creaking more than usual, so I took it apart (for the third time) and finally noticed a hairline crack under where the headset/stem clamps on. I called Easton, and after I sent the fork in for inspection, a brand new EC90x showed up at my door! Now that is customer service...

Up to...

Wow talk about a hectic end of school year...biking went to poop after Hanson Hills, which wasn't exactly stellar in itself.

Mike Seaman and I made the trek to the hills and it was a difficult day, at best. It was good to catch up with a few mtb/crossers (those that you rarely see road racing) there. 11th in the Expert 19-29 was all I could manage but that result was higher than I felt like I would get once we started. It was funny because there were four members of team 'fast' that took it out like a bullet. Two of them finished behind me after completely blowing up once the first lap was complete. I'd be telling a lie if I said I didn't want to do better, but my goals are realistic and focus on the months of September - December.

The race has been moving right along lately. We recently picked up more sponsorship from Gin Optics as well as got Cyclocross Magazine on board. I'm patiently waiting to hear back from a few others, but one HUGE help was landing Enervit...stay tuned for what their sponsorship is!!

Bike racing is funny to me...I go in shifts to liking road racing or mountain bike racing better (currently road racing is losing big time) but cyclocross has been on top by far since I went to my first race with Dennis (1998 State Championships at Pontiac Lake). I raced on my Trek 930 with a water bottle cage. I distinctly remember that hill right after the start...Some things just never leave your head.

My Easton EC90x fork is currently back at Easton to inspect a crack, so despite the fact that my 'cx bike is not running well I'm in 100% 'cross mode. Part of me wishes I could get this ramped up for early season road races, but part of me doesn't. I don't think I have enough mental energy to stay sane.

Good talk, see ya out there.

jb

Expensive 'CX News

If you didn't have any better way to spend $149...here's a new one:

Shimano Dura Ace 46T Chainrings

June 2, 2008

"You’ve seen them on the bikes of Sven Nys, Erwin Vervecken and Bart Wellens to name a few and you’ve asked “where can I get my hands on those babies”. Wait no longer. Now available, exclusively at Cyclocrossworld.com, are the Shimano Dura Ace FC-7800 46T 130 BCD Chainrings. These factory chainrings were produced in extremely low quantities for the top Shimano sponsored cross riders. The chainrings are super rare and are in very limited supply. This is one of the best shifting and stiffest cross rings on the market and a perfect compliment to your Dura Ace, Ultegra or 105 10-speed crankset. They will also work on many other brands of cranks for that matter, but they look really sweet on the matching Dura Ace stuff. Why settle for anything less?"

Hmm...any bikes in MI going to have these? (Not mine!)

Milk Jug Racing - Cannonsburg

Again if you didn't make it to this race, you missed a fun time. Instead of an individual tt we started as a group, making the push to the first singletrack quite a challenge (my first mass start mtb event since the Iceman...which was 6 years after my last one...).

Let's just say that Cannonsburg has changed radically since I last raced there in 2000. I wouldn't doubt that only about a half mile of course is re-used in the new design. Unfortunately for me, the new course is incredibly twisty through trees, so I did my part in trying to hit a few.

I ended up 6th in the A-race...not bad considering who all was in the field. Nate Versilus crushed everyone on a singlespeed. Mike Seaman and Rick Plite remained slightly out of reach for me over the 16 mile race. Too bad that was the last race of the series. For a combined total entry fee of $30 ($15 per race), I walked away with $20 to the Daily Grill, a huge bottle of Hammer Gel, two pair of sweet DeFeet socks, and a bag full of Clif bars and Hammer gel.

Needless to say it was a fun race; I'm looking forward to racing at Hanson Hills on Sunday!

Man I can't wait for cyclocross...

jb

Milk Jug Racing

Wow, talk about my kind of race. Laid back, $15, TONS of prizes, and a fun atmosphere. Too bad I missed the first one.

Tonight Big Rich and I drove out to Ionia to race in the Wednesday night milk jug race. We met Napper, Seaman, and pretty much the rest of the Alma biking crew for a fun but slippy mtb time trial. On our pre-ride, which unfortunately was only 3 miles of the 8 mile loop, the rocks were quite slippery and threatened to put your face in the dirt at any moment. Since this was my first ever ride of the course there were surprises around every corner. I started fourth behind Seaman and little Chris. In the end I took 3rd in the A-group, losing to little Chris by only 7 seconds.

Sorry about the no-blogging lately...too busy riding I guess.

See you at Kensington and Frankenmuth.

jb

Dangerous Dave and Brutal Bob...

http://www.premierecycling.net/game.html

My best is 653.3 m

Have fun waiting until warmer weather and RACING!

Kristie's birthday

Today is Kristie's birthday! Too bad I have to teach and she has conferences...what a great way to celebrate...at least Kona has a free day today.

(Happy birthday)

jb

Finally...outside

Here are a few pics of my first race back in 2006 after a FIVE year layoff from the sport...too bad about that bike. It was an absolute rocket even though it only had Daytona components...

Even so, it is still hanging in my basement reminding me of its original owner and what he taught me about riding/racing/life. Lots has changed since I was a junior in the Michigan circuit. One thing that hasn't is the Spring Training Series...

So I'm a bit of an indoor training type of guy if given the option of training outside in sub-32 degree weather versus a nice, controlled environment. This isn't because I don't like being outside (believe me, I would MUCH rather ride outside...) but it is because my toes happen to freeze very easily when the weather and wind turn up.

This year I did manage to buy some P.I. typhoon booties which have worked very well, but not well enough for me to go spend hours on the roads in them. Just well enough to take the bite out of an hour or hour and a half of trainer break time. Sometimes that is just enough to break up the monotony of it all.

Anyway, last week's weather couldn't have come at a better time in my spring training since it was a large volume week for me. I managed to get long rides outside for 4 days despite teaching at Delta. Friday's ride was the best...almost 3 hours after a looooooong school day.

I love the feeling of anticipation to find out who has been putting in the time for the April/May/June races now. Then again I love that feeling before the first 'cx race even better, but at that time you have a pretty good idea based on road and mtb form.

We have a new addition to the bike family; I'll make a post shortly with pics when it comes in! Good thing I have a bike room...

jb

p.s. Kristie's birthday is on Thursday so I can't say what Kona got her for that, but it is SWEET!

Ithaca GP

Check it out...new sponsors!

www.IthacaGP.blogspot.com

Grand Tours as viewed from a mtb'er

On my way back from getting blasted around Hanson Hills on Saturday with Randy and Sally Vernon we started discussing the grand tours. Randy, a mountain biker, mentioned that watching the Tour de France has become just like watching professional wrestling.

Think about the last 9 tours. Lance x 7, followed by the first real open tour in 7 years (Phloyd is either innocent or an absolulte idiot), followed by another Johan B. team taking control. A bit repetitive indeed. Don't get me wrong, I still (personally) enjoy watching all of the tours, but 60 minutes through a Belgian park is quite a bit more entertaining.

TdF meets WWF Smackdown! Interesting point from a mtb'er...

Training and E-bay...

First, here is a shameless plug for a new e-bay auction I'm listing. Buy it and I'll give you a high five and a hammer gel next time I see you.



Second, now that I am back to normal health I have been resuming training with my new training partner. Unfortunately when the weather gets nice she'll have to stay home, as I think she would be a bit of a drag after more than 5 miles of running behind me...

Despite what the picture would lead you to believe, I've actually lost weight since 'cx...I look like a tubbo here. Probably should lay off ice cream sometime soon anyway...

Enjoy the snow while we have it!

jb

Normalized

After my last post and my quick but hefty bout with the flu, I managed to come down with pneumonia for (what seems like) the 10th time in my short life of 25 years. I can almost count on the fact that I'll get it every other year. I love looking forward to that...

Anyway, after a crazy number of snow days I managed to get healthy but obviously my training was sidlined for a while. Good thing I don't give a rats rear about any races before the 'cx season. Don't get me wrong, road racing is entertaining but 'cx is what's fun. As long as racing is still fun I don't foresee taking another 5 year break. From what I remember about why I stopped racing as an 18 year-old, one of the primary reasons was because I raced almost all of the spring training series races through the end of the 'cx season with 2 peaks. Wow. Talk about burned out...

Granted I'm a different person now from when I was 18. My mind can probably handle that and still want to get on the bike come the following February-ish. But why? Let's face it, unless you're one of the 2 people I know that are either currently a pro or an aspiring pro, you and I aren't going pro any time soon. Therefore, why not focus your season entirely on the part that you care about (and are possibly good at)?

Enough of my rant for today. Hope you have a good weekend and are on the bike or skis with all of this snow!

jb

p.s. be sure to check out the Ithaca GP, as we got a new sponsor!

The Kone

So despite all the time off I still managed to get whatever bug everyone else has. So much for 2 good weeks of training.

Instead I figured it would be a good idea to get the 6+ inches of snow off of our driveway. Too bad it is going to be in the middle 30's on Tuesday so we'll (again) lose all of this snow.

After recently watching the cyclocross movie, Transition, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd...next time you're watching it take a look around 22-ish minutes (Deleware and Phili races) for TGM'er JEFF WEINERT! In Deleware he scored a front spot on the start line and pokes his head in and out of that coverage. In Phili he has a 2nd row start and gets a nice close up while riding with Trebon (or Wicks...somebody in orange).

jb