Airplane butt!

Wow that was rough! Flew first class this time and made the trip so much easier. All I wanted to do was sleep but they were too busy filling my wine glass and bringing me food. I think Michelle had the flight attendant trying to get me to pass out so they did not have to deal with me! We had one stop in Amsterdam at 6am in the morning. That is a huge airport! We made our destination this morning and after a taxi ride where the driver finally decided he had no clue where we were supposed to be. Finally he dropped us off on the side of the street and we were on our own. Luckily Michelle made friends with a couple of the locals and we found our first stop!  Here is our view from the patio:

So that is the Mediterranean in the background, so any guesses yet?  Sure wish I had a bike though,  The Pyrennes are just north of us and look like they need some exploring!!  Alright, we are sitting in Barcelona right now and sure could use a coffee. 

Today will be our first exploring day, but in the meantime here is Michelle's tower.  I think she was going to go up there and wait for a prince to rescue her?

 

T-Day

Happy Turkey Day Everyone! Hope there are 5 meals in your plans today!  I love this time of year, cause it is the off season and there is food everywhere.  Oh yeah if that was not a hint enough, I love to eat!  Welcome to the fat season! 

I will not be getting my Turkey dinner today but will instead be enduring a long flight!  We leave today at noon and get to our destination tomorrow at noon!  Oh ADHD, please let me make it through this!  I think Michelle has packed everything to try and keep me entertained, and if that does not work good thing the plane is serving! 

More to come on where we are off to and up to, but in the meantime I hope everyone enjoys their Turkey Burner rides!

Tru -motiv

Motivation!  That is what the boxes should be labeled.  Everytime we get spoiled and receive stuff in the form of support it makes me want to go out and train hard.  I know that my training has nothing to do with the support but it is about us representing and selling product.  So what bettter way to start that process for the 2012 season but to let you look at our new addition!  It came in the form of a couple boxes of brand new carbon pieces and have Truvativ written on them!  Sweet!!

Lets start with the handlebar.  Most of the team opted for a wider bar and what better bar is there but the Truvativ T30 10S flat carbon bar.  It measure in at 700 mm wide and no, most of us will not run it that wide.  The best feature has to be the generoous sweep they give the bar!  In the ever shortening USProXCT races this kind of comfort might not matter, but when you hang onto your bar for 7 hrs in a NUE race this is key!  Check out the curve!

Next is the stem.  Nothing too fancy here, but this is a stem we have used to build all the bikes up with over the past few years.  It has a good stiffness and is very comparable to a vast majority of the more expensive stems out there.  We will be using the Stylo T40 stem and most will be using a 100 mm length. 



Last in the collection is the seatpost and it adds a bit more carbon to the bikes! The graphics change to all the componennts is also very nice and should match our Specialized Epics.  For the Epics, it requres a 30.9 mm diameter post and most of our riders require a 400mm length and a 25mm setback due to some long legs on the team. 

Thank you very much Truvativ for the support of the team! 

So this is about all that has been happening on the bike front.  I have even slacked a lot with riding.  I did try to go out on the road bike Monday, but there was still a lot of orange out in the woods so I decided to give them their hunting space, they do carry guns, and let them have the 2weeks.  Anyway we get the remaining 50 weeks of the year. 

The morning abuse has been going good as well. Gabe has been doing some xFit style training with us which keeps my ADHD in check since we are alwasy doing something, nothing like calling recovery 400 m on a row machine!  Sarah makes fun of me though, cause I have a tendancy to strike up a lot of random converstions with 212 memebers.  This usually lets me know when she is suffering though, cuase she lets me go on chatting if she is tired!

Packing, that is what I have also been working on. I will elaborate more on this hopefully by the end of the week so check back.  Nothing at all to do with bikes, at least that I know of.  I did put some shoes, pedals, helmet, and a kit in there just in case I get the itch!  Till then, enjoy some turkey or the "Fat" Season as I call it.  Happy Thanksgiving! 

Random Ramblings

A whole lot of transition time has been happening.  Transitioning into more blacktop at 212 with a parking lot expansion.  Getting the blog updated with new sponsors, thanks Mark and the sponsors.  It is great to see the response and support of the team.  We are trying to create a group of great riders that actually like to ride and race their bikes for fun and are easily approachable at the events.  This also makes it easy on each rider as well cause the events are so much fun just hanging out, the race seems like a bonus!

So new on the sponsor front is SRAM, Truvativ, Rudy Project, and Keen.  This is already on top of the awesome support we have been receiving! Thanks to all the sponsors.   

More on this in the future.  I will work at getting a review of the product as we receive it.

So more on the transition time.  I have started working in the gym with Sarah and Mark.  Our Nemesis in the morning is one of our personal trainers at 212, Gabe!  He puts us through the ringer and is going to either kill one of us or make us faster? I will probably be the first to go, my ADD will kick in and I will drop one of those med balls on my head!  Other than that, the bike has not collected dust, here are some random shots from the last week or so in no order:

Occupy Iceman

No I will not get into opinion here, but if you ask I will tell.  Either way I plan to be the 99% this weekend that puts a wrap on the season and drinks too much beer at the after parties throughout Traverse City.  Hope to see you there.

I am also going as a spectator.  Seems weird to go to a race with no bike, but if you need a super water wench let me know.  If you are too far back in the pack you might get a brown bottle though!  Just saying by then I might not know any better, but then again you might not care either cause I do drink good beer. No PBR hand up from me. 

So from the team we have Scott, Michelle, Myles, and Mikee racing.  I can't wait to heckle Mikee and get him back for his torment at Kewauskum a few years back!  Gonna be a fun one. 

Other than that, my riding has slowed some due to playing in the dirt at 212.  We have been busy expanding our parking lot before winter.  Just wish the city would cooperate a bit more.  I have a meeting about that next week when I get home. 

Back on the bike front, Ryan, Michelle, Mark, Scott, Sarah, and I are registered for Cohutta.  We also booked our sweet lodging again!  I am already excited for next year!  That is until it starts snowing here!  Blah! 

Going back

Just a couple weeks though, since I have been slacking on the blog front.  Either way, it is that time of year to blow off a lot of things cycling related.  Which I have not been doing real well on the riding side.  With the weather trying to stay half way descent I still can not hang up my bike for the 2011 season.

Zoom Zoom!

Riding with a good friend of mine! Love it when the sun is out!

Bummer, the end of this trail!  Off to the next one!

Hmmm, decision??

 Our pre WORS banquet ride, has become the tradition. Of course there is a stop fro coffee. 

Even got the girls to go!

Why even mark this, isn't this a form of natural selection if you are this dumb?

 That's tongue in the ear hot!

I always wanted to try ordering from this menu, should I have the dragon or the tiger? 

 

 Ahh, this was fun, Tower Road up near Tigerton.