This is a typical Texas saying and a great motto in to mark this build. I have known this guy for years now and even been in some of the same races with him. Rich is a truck! What a motor...he gets on the front and just drills it. Loves the flat fast stuff which is what Texas riding/racing is all about. I have slowly sold him items for his old Cannondale to make it a little nicer and just loved coming by and hanging out from time to time...even though he races for another team...my doors are open to all...and so is my cash register. haha He came in one day for some tubes and walked out shaking his head in wonderment on how he just got talked into buying the most expensive frame there is. Why? He loves red and they make one of the "reddest" bikes there is. This is not a custom frame so before I really let the sale go through I needed to make sure this thing would fit. So we took measurements and looked at the geometry of the Time and sure enough we had a winner. No...not we can "make" it fit like so many shops do to their customers, this bike will actually fit him...in an XL size. Yup...Go big or go home! So now it was time to pick the parts. Well it comes with a stem and a bottle cage. Yeah...I know what you're thinking and I think it too. One cage? $6K and one freaking cage????? Ok...send me another one. hahahahaha Oh yeah and make the stem a 140mm and the limited edition red Time saddle. We went with Rotor SABB because it works well...and cause its anodized red...so yeah it works. The Rotor 3D crank spins inside that ceramic bottom bracket and turns a set of FSA chainrings. Sram Red shifters, front and rear derailleurs. We also used the new Time I-Clic Titan pedals. The bars...are Deda Presa bars and we used Nokon cables and Zero Gravity GSL brakes...not only cause they are awesome...but because they are red and black of course. What to do for wheels? With an aero frame like this you need aero wheels. HED Jet 9 with a custom spoke lacing or added stiffness and responsiveness for this 200lbs Cat3. Now usually Heds come with white decals but I of course I get my customers what they want. So HED finally started cutting colored decals. Red Heds with red Schwalbe tires held onto the bike with anodized red skewers that weigh under 50grams. What does this huge bike weight? 16lbs and we were not even trying to get it light...we just wanted it with the strongest and stiffest components there are...and yeah...some of them happen to be light. So sure...it looks good...but we all have seen alot of nice bikes that don't always ride well. So on Friday night we molded up his new Bont A-One shoes (in red of course) and did the fit. Rich went out on his weekend of riding in prep for his race season and on Monday morning he gave me a call. I was slammed at the shop and couldn't answer the call so he left a message. Later I checked my VM and his first sentence made my heart drop! "Hey man there is a problem with this bike" then there was the longest 2 seconds ever in a voicemail till he followed up with a " its just too damn fast!" and a chuckle as he rambled on about this machine that he can't believe he owns. Once again....I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
LOWDA's new Magis
No...that's not her name but its her nic name that suits her well. Laura Meichan is a loud one and the only thing to out do her voice is her legs on the bike. A mother of 3 and wife to 1, she has won State Crit and Time Trial championships as well as the yearly points competitions in road racing. For the 2009 season she retired (as in she only raced a handful of times) which gave her some time to do other things...like run and learn to swim. What did she do with her new found skills? She did her first triathlon and was hooked on the sport. How did she do? She has won her age group or masters in each race she has entered. Not fair you say? No its not...especially since she was on a road bike! haha
Over time Laura was able to make her kids not have seconds and start hunting for their food so she could save money for a new TT bike for her new found sport! After some time she is on her new rig! A Guru Magis with some Sram and Shimano parts. Why the odd mix? Well she had it on her Guru Geneo and we decided to upgrade her Geneo with Sram Red and kick the other parts over to the TT bike. This bike is 16lbs as it sits. Is it fast? We will find out tomorrow morning as she takes her 3rd ride on it in the Frost Yer Fanny duathlon tomorrow morning. No test like race day! I can't wait to watch her kill it tomorrow.
Over time Laura was able to make her kids not have seconds and start hunting for their food so she could save money for a new TT bike for her new found sport! After some time she is on her new rig! A Guru Magis with some Sram and Shimano parts. Why the odd mix? Well she had it on her Guru Geneo and we decided to upgrade her Geneo with Sram Red and kick the other parts over to the TT bike. This bike is 16lbs as it sits. Is it fast? We will find out tomorrow morning as she takes her 3rd ride on it in the Frost Yer Fanny duathlon tomorrow morning. No test like race day! I can't wait to watch her kill it tomorrow.
LSU fans die hard!
I got a call from my friend Josh Foster one day saying he had a friend he was sending my way. He wasn't sure he would really be able to afford my typical creation and was wondering if I I could just maybe help him pick out a bike that he could afford if not from me. Josh knows me and knows that I will talk to anyone and love to help people get on the best bike for them...whether its from me or not. So his friend Josh Stibrich came in and we chatted about him being new to tris and not sure he can really spend the money on one of my big fancy rigs. So we talked and looked at some other options and then we hit the color options and he joked about "well if it was purple and yellow" and then it was over! haha I can get Guru to do nearly anything...including getting my customer's college colors on their bike. So Josh went home to "think about it" or as we all know...ask the wife. Next morning we were a go! Sound too easy? She went to LSU as well so it was an easy sale at that point. Sure, I did my due diligence on frame design and such but that is so boring for most. After nailing down the frame geometry with Guru, came the fun part....trying to figure out how to keep the theme of the purple and yellow frame into the rest of the parts that makes the bike. I of course turned to Zero Gravity brakes to get a yellow color they don't typically offer. Sure maybe the brakes are a bit above the rest of the level of the components but we are going for looks here on these. Then I turned to Velocity wheels for a special set up. With more purple on the frame and knowing they there are not yellow nipples, we chose a yellow rim and purple nipples. We also got some yellow Jagwire cables and purple Deda bar tape. The rest...Sram Rival cranks, front derailleur and rear derailleur. Oh yeah...Hed Vantage 8 aerobars with Sram carbon brake levers and shifters for the hands and forearms while his...errrr.....sit bones rest on a Selle SMP Forma saddle. The fit came off great and I look forward to seeing the rig at many local events this season....I don't think any one can miss this rig....its loud and proud! GEAUX TIGERS!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Finally a tri bike for a girl killing it on a road bike
I really get a kick out of some of the people I get to work with. Most of the time I get people who are on poorly fitted bikes and or bikes that just don't fit and they are typically mid age groupers who move up quite a bit if not podium makers with their new rigs from Shama Cycles. But what do you do when some one is already winning overall and masters in every race she enters? How do you tell some one that is winning that they need to be faster??? Easy...you say "Hey Diann, I know you are killing it on your road bike with clip on aerobars that I fitted you on 3 year ago...but its time to get a real tri bike and get really fast and start gunning down more of the men." After saying this for about 2 years FINALLY I got my way and she came in this past December to pull the trigger. OH CRAP! Now I have to deliver more performance to some one who is already very fast. Well...I have done it before so I like the challenge and will do it again. We picked the frame and parts, choosing the Guru Crono as the frame of choice, then the HED Vantage 8 aerobars for their adjust ability and Sram Force components with Rotor SABB ceramic BB, Q-Rings, and Zero Gravity brakes and Selle SMP Forma saddle. Best part of the build was the fitting and letting her learn how to shift with bar end shifters. Oh man...the irony. Oh yeah, her HED Disc, she won that at the Tour de Greune Time Trial...on her road bike! Once again my name is on the line and I look forward to being there at her first race and watching her KILL it on this new machine. Oh yeah...as you view the pics....her husband was getting on the bike to see if it can fit him as well...not quite....haha
Driveway 2010
Typically the Driveway Crit is a weekly Austin crit race from March till September and its tough for most working guys from other cities to make it. Though thanks to Holland Racing myself and all my closest friends in lycra got to suit up on a COLD COLD morning and race on this glorious tarmac cutting through the land in what is probably the best course around. Today was a great day for Shama Cycles. Jason Codiane got 2nd in the 35+ 4/5 race and Joyce Baysinger got 2nd in the woman's 3s...which was her first race back from a bad training ride wreck several months ago. We also had some other great finishes and team work going in the race and I think everyone on the team had a great day and was happy.
Now if you read my posts below about Belterra Circut Race...you will remember that I had one glorious lap worth anything and just a tough day overall. Ahh...the Driveway....24hours later and a new day on a course I love and have raced many times before. First race was the Master's 35+ 4/5 race with my team mates and other friends. The race starts and I look for who's up front...from the back of course. I settle in with a friend, Marcus, from another team and we chat as the guys on the front kill each other with attack after attack. Marcus is not a crit lover as he had a bad wreck at Memorial Park like myself but a couple years ago..plus he won one of the races the day before so his weekend is good already. We are both opportunists I would say...comfortably riding the back staying out of trouble and minding front to see who's doing what and what looks real or not. First lap...we hit the power climb and there is a wreck mid pack and of course I look around for my guys and as I come up to go around it I see my team mate Clark stopping dead into it but not going down. I pause coming around the turn and think if I should stop to help pace him back up as he is much fitter than I and a better chance at a good finish, but then I question can I even pace him up...am I even strong enough to do that. Not sure and fully thinking he will take a Free Lap I keep going...and about 1/8 of a mile after the wreck...I see Clark coming up on me. HOLY FREAKING CRAP! Then he keeps going and gets right back up where he was within the same lap! (yeah I fit him, haha) So the race moves on and I am feeling good and I hear the Prime Bell and start to really look alert. We hit about 1K out from the finish line for the Prime Lap and I see a slowing in the front and stand up off the outside and go! I get towards the top 10 and begin to sit down to keep my move past the pack going and my white bib shorts get hung up on my saddle tip. FML I have to pause and lose my momentum while I "re sit" back down on my saddle and just try to keep it going. I hit the climb and hit around the corner and have one turn before the line....I look down under my right arm to see who's wheel is on mine....its my friend Dave McLaughlin of Jack&Adam's Velossimo team and this dude is riding VERY well and I know he must have grabbed my wheel as soon as I went by him in the top 5 knowing each other from racing here over the summer. So I come around the turn super tired and sit up as I see Dave just launch for the line with a couple guys trying to go after him. Yes Dave....you are welcome for the perfect lead out and I hope you tell me how great that coffee is that you won. But don't worry....I am not bitter. ;-) Heck, after the day before and just coming back into racing I was happy to show my face on the front and still get back in with ease. Not to mention...Joy (my fiance') was there watching so I had to "look cool" to her. The race moves one and towards the end I see Clark off the front with a couple other guys that get caught with in the last lap...which sets up an attack from Dave McLaughlin and this time its Shamanite Jason C on his wheel and they roll into the finish 1 and 2. That was awesome!
An hour later is the Cat 4 race. I am kinda worried about this one and I spend about 30 minutes in the van trying to stay warm and re-applying a second layer of Sports Balm Medium warming rub. Can I mention how bad this extra cold winter down here in Texas SUCKS?!?! We start off and once again I am on the back with Marcus just chillin. We flow through the turns lap after lap and with 5 to go there is a break that goes off the front with a couple of strong guys part of strong teams. Its on a long section with a slight decline and I decide to go chase it down to either make the break or help shut it down. I get down to the u-turn and I am all out and only half way to them in no mans land and I begin to think to myself "What was I thinkinig? Second race with no real race fitness??? STUPID STUPID STUPID!" So after that motivational pep talk with myself I find myself slowly gaining and right before the power climb I catch on. Now it should be a sigh of relief and feel easy in a draft...but I am so blown I am worried about staying on and the only thing that made me even kill myself that bad to get there was trying to avoid the shame of going back to the pack with my team mates who have been doing all the work for Shama Cycles thus far. We hit the top section and I think...I am in a break with 4 to go and Joy is watching. OH YEAH! So now I am a new man and two guys drop back and one guy stays committed and we come through the spectator area motoring on our own with the pack in chase. I am feeling GREAT! We hit the descent and I am killing it...we hit the turn around again and I hear the wheels and heavy breathing. I look to my right and left and I see the pack has caught us and they are gap mouthed. On a super high (or moment of poor judgment) I stand up and sprint off with all I have. I settle down with my head down and just drill as hard as I can. Fully committed I hit that power climb and shift down and it happens....I hit the wall! HARD! I am done and blown and I hear that sound again...wheels. Powerless and done I pull off to the side and let everyone pass...and I can barely think let alone pedal. Hoping I did something I just pull out satisfied with my weekend and wanting to watch the finish. Sometimes we look for the finishes...and sometimes we just look to see what we can do and where our limits are at...yeah...I found my limits...and had a blast doing it with a great group of friends and team mates.
This is why I ride....
Now if you read my posts below about Belterra Circut Race...you will remember that I had one glorious lap worth anything and just a tough day overall. Ahh...the Driveway....24hours later and a new day on a course I love and have raced many times before. First race was the Master's 35+ 4/5 race with my team mates and other friends. The race starts and I look for who's up front...from the back of course. I settle in with a friend, Marcus, from another team and we chat as the guys on the front kill each other with attack after attack. Marcus is not a crit lover as he had a bad wreck at Memorial Park like myself but a couple years ago..plus he won one of the races the day before so his weekend is good already. We are both opportunists I would say...comfortably riding the back staying out of trouble and minding front to see who's doing what and what looks real or not. First lap...we hit the power climb and there is a wreck mid pack and of course I look around for my guys and as I come up to go around it I see my team mate Clark stopping dead into it but not going down. I pause coming around the turn and think if I should stop to help pace him back up as he is much fitter than I and a better chance at a good finish, but then I question can I even pace him up...am I even strong enough to do that. Not sure and fully thinking he will take a Free Lap I keep going...and about 1/8 of a mile after the wreck...I see Clark coming up on me. HOLY FREAKING CRAP! Then he keeps going and gets right back up where he was within the same lap! (yeah I fit him, haha) So the race moves on and I am feeling good and I hear the Prime Bell and start to really look alert. We hit about 1K out from the finish line for the Prime Lap and I see a slowing in the front and stand up off the outside and go! I get towards the top 10 and begin to sit down to keep my move past the pack going and my white bib shorts get hung up on my saddle tip. FML I have to pause and lose my momentum while I "re sit" back down on my saddle and just try to keep it going. I hit the climb and hit around the corner and have one turn before the line....I look down under my right arm to see who's wheel is on mine....its my friend Dave McLaughlin of Jack&Adam's Velossimo team and this dude is riding VERY well and I know he must have grabbed my wheel as soon as I went by him in the top 5 knowing each other from racing here over the summer. So I come around the turn super tired and sit up as I see Dave just launch for the line with a couple guys trying to go after him. Yes Dave....you are welcome for the perfect lead out and I hope you tell me how great that coffee is that you won. But don't worry....I am not bitter. ;-) Heck, after the day before and just coming back into racing I was happy to show my face on the front and still get back in with ease. Not to mention...Joy (my fiance') was there watching so I had to "look cool" to her. The race moves one and towards the end I see Clark off the front with a couple other guys that get caught with in the last lap...which sets up an attack from Dave McLaughlin and this time its Shamanite Jason C on his wheel and they roll into the finish 1 and 2. That was awesome!
An hour later is the Cat 4 race. I am kinda worried about this one and I spend about 30 minutes in the van trying to stay warm and re-applying a second layer of Sports Balm Medium warming rub. Can I mention how bad this extra cold winter down here in Texas SUCKS?!?! We start off and once again I am on the back with Marcus just chillin. We flow through the turns lap after lap and with 5 to go there is a break that goes off the front with a couple of strong guys part of strong teams. Its on a long section with a slight decline and I decide to go chase it down to either make the break or help shut it down. I get down to the u-turn and I am all out and only half way to them in no mans land and I begin to think to myself "What was I thinkinig? Second race with no real race fitness??? STUPID STUPID STUPID!" So after that motivational pep talk with myself I find myself slowly gaining and right before the power climb I catch on. Now it should be a sigh of relief and feel easy in a draft...but I am so blown I am worried about staying on and the only thing that made me even kill myself that bad to get there was trying to avoid the shame of going back to the pack with my team mates who have been doing all the work for Shama Cycles thus far. We hit the top section and I think...I am in a break with 4 to go and Joy is watching. OH YEAH! So now I am a new man and two guys drop back and one guy stays committed and we come through the spectator area motoring on our own with the pack in chase. I am feeling GREAT! We hit the descent and I am killing it...we hit the turn around again and I hear the wheels and heavy breathing. I look to my right and left and I see the pack has caught us and they are gap mouthed. On a super high (or moment of poor judgment) I stand up and sprint off with all I have. I settle down with my head down and just drill as hard as I can. Fully committed I hit that power climb and shift down and it happens....I hit the wall! HARD! I am done and blown and I hear that sound again...wheels. Powerless and done I pull off to the side and let everyone pass...and I can barely think let alone pedal. Hoping I did something I just pull out satisfied with my weekend and wanting to watch the finish. Sometimes we look for the finishes...and sometimes we just look to see what we can do and where our limits are at...yeah...I found my limits...and had a blast doing it with a great group of friends and team mates.
This is why I ride....
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Belterra Circut Race P/B Shama Cycles
WHAT A KICK IN DA PANTS!
This was the simplest course one could hope to race on. L Shaped, two u-turns with little hills at the U-turns. 187ft of elevation gain in each of the 2 mile laps. I thought to myself, "tough, but no problem". I mean I didn't get dropped in any of the races last year on much tougher courses. How did I prepare for such an easy Saturday race? Well I raced the Sunday before in New Braunfels. That's good right? Then I got 3 hours of sleep on Thursday night and 4 hours Friday night due to work and due to building up my brand new Guru Photon Friday to...you guessed it...race on that coming weekend. So no riding in 5 days, 7 hours of sleep in 48 hours and a new bike. Crazy? No. My first lap was crazy. We are not even a mile into the race and I see my friend (from Joe's Pro Bike) Michael Hall go off the front unchallenged. I think to myself, "why not, its the one race this year Shama Cycles is sponsoring and I have to at least show my face somewhere". So I jump like a man possessed after him and quickly find his wheel as we ascend the first climb. We uturn with a gap on the peleton and I take over on the down hill...letting God's gift of gravity do its trick. Yes, while the 14lbs1oz bike might fly away if left unattended, the 200lbs engine atop it still descends like your IQ while watching Jersey Shore on MTV. We take a turn or two and find ourselves approaching the start finish area and I get to the front (or Michael lets me) and I come in on the first lap in front of a two man break in the first lap. I am so proud! I hit the second hill with ease and begin our descent. THEE Shama is off the front on a Shama sponsored race. We make the left turn to head back away from the spectator area and I hear the carbon wheels swooshing as they grab our wheels. I quickly accept the break/rest to be given by the pack and jump in on the back. But some how I am not getting a break, I am not resting, I am still working...and working hard. The adrenaline from my GLORY LAP has faded and my large gorgeous quads are full of lactic acid that won't flush out. Oh the pain. I come through on the second lap hanging out in the back proud to see my Shama kit on better men towards the front of the pack. We start our third lap and I look up and involuntarily I am off the back. CRAP! I am tired and want to give up, but I see some other guys I know come by me and I jump in to work with them. Now begins the "off the back" race as I eat my Humble Pie. Well I would have eaten some if I could breathe and chew at the same time but sine I can barely breathe my pie will have to wait. I finally start to feel good and start laying it out working hard each lap to catch up to some of my team mates ahead of me who have experienced my same fate. I start pulling entire laps closing the gap and catching my guys. Then I wonder "hmmm, maybe if I had sat in and warmed up would I still be there?....NAAAA I got a shot of me off the front!" haha So I carry on and have some fun coming into the last lap I sit up and decide to let others take some pulls while I rest up for a final K attack. We come up to the finish line for the last lap and I am feeling good in the back of this 8 man group I help create and they call it as our last lap. Ok, now I was not going to win and I was going to place in the last half of the group anyway. BUT SERIOUSLY???? I pull these guys for lap after lap and they cut our race short as I get scored behind them? I just had to laugh at myself for being up set about it at all...well I didn't laugh right away...I was too busy yelling at the refs contesting the final lap decision. Kidding...I swallowed it and rode off the course to watch the finish. I quickly began to cough like an old man from the cold dry air in burning my lungs as my heart rate tries to slow down. Questioning what happened (dropped) from the first race...I quickly got ready and signed up for round two of punishment. I mean...I am here...I can't go anywhere else for a while and I have two legs that work. I jump into race #2 and in the first lap I see these two guys jump off the front. One of them looked like a straight up MS-150 rider with his saddle bad and basic blue jersey with black shorts and yellow helmet. There is a guy who races (cause he is wearing a perfectly matched team kit) on his wheel so I quickly jump to to catch their wheel. We hit that first little climb and OMG this MS150 guy is accelerating and I am blowing up! WTH???? Then right before the 180 team mate and killer climber Bill Krause jumps around me and goes right up to the two and so does everyone else. My one Glory Lap dreams were quickly crushed on the descent back and I just rode in the back of the pack and as we started in on our second lap and the pain crept in and my lack of fitness was exposed to all as I pulled out of the race after 1 freakin lap! Oh man. Ok, so I have not trained, slept, or anything right for racing. Oh well...that is why I have a team that races for me and that is why they did great that day with two top tens. Plus lets face it...we just flat out had a great time. The sun was out and it was some great racing with some great friends in Austin....and that is why I really race.
This was the simplest course one could hope to race on. L Shaped, two u-turns with little hills at the U-turns. 187ft of elevation gain in each of the 2 mile laps. I thought to myself, "tough, but no problem". I mean I didn't get dropped in any of the races last year on much tougher courses. How did I prepare for such an easy Saturday race? Well I raced the Sunday before in New Braunfels. That's good right? Then I got 3 hours of sleep on Thursday night and 4 hours Friday night due to work and due to building up my brand new Guru Photon Friday to...you guessed it...race on that coming weekend. So no riding in 5 days, 7 hours of sleep in 48 hours and a new bike. Crazy? No. My first lap was crazy. We are not even a mile into the race and I see my friend (from Joe's Pro Bike) Michael Hall go off the front unchallenged. I think to myself, "why not, its the one race this year Shama Cycles is sponsoring and I have to at least show my face somewhere". So I jump like a man possessed after him and quickly find his wheel as we ascend the first climb. We uturn with a gap on the peleton and I take over on the down hill...letting God's gift of gravity do its trick. Yes, while the 14lbs1oz bike might fly away if left unattended, the 200lbs engine atop it still descends like your IQ while watching Jersey Shore on MTV. We take a turn or two and find ourselves approaching the start finish area and I get to the front (or Michael lets me) and I come in on the first lap in front of a two man break in the first lap. I am so proud! I hit the second hill with ease and begin our descent. THEE Shama is off the front on a Shama sponsored race. We make the left turn to head back away from the spectator area and I hear the carbon wheels swooshing as they grab our wheels. I quickly accept the break/rest to be given by the pack and jump in on the back. But some how I am not getting a break, I am not resting, I am still working...and working hard. The adrenaline from my GLORY LAP has faded and my large gorgeous quads are full of lactic acid that won't flush out. Oh the pain. I come through on the second lap hanging out in the back proud to see my Shama kit on better men towards the front of the pack. We start our third lap and I look up and involuntarily I am off the back. CRAP! I am tired and want to give up, but I see some other guys I know come by me and I jump in to work with them. Now begins the "off the back" race as I eat my Humble Pie. Well I would have eaten some if I could breathe and chew at the same time but sine I can barely breathe my pie will have to wait. I finally start to feel good and start laying it out working hard each lap to catch up to some of my team mates ahead of me who have experienced my same fate. I start pulling entire laps closing the gap and catching my guys. Then I wonder "hmmm, maybe if I had sat in and warmed up would I still be there?....NAAAA I got a shot of me off the front!" haha So I carry on and have some fun coming into the last lap I sit up and decide to let others take some pulls while I rest up for a final K attack. We come up to the finish line for the last lap and I am feeling good in the back of this 8 man group I help create and they call it as our last lap. Ok, now I was not going to win and I was going to place in the last half of the group anyway. BUT SERIOUSLY???? I pull these guys for lap after lap and they cut our race short as I get scored behind them? I just had to laugh at myself for being up set about it at all...well I didn't laugh right away...I was too busy yelling at the refs contesting the final lap decision. Kidding...I swallowed it and rode off the course to watch the finish. I quickly began to cough like an old man from the cold dry air in burning my lungs as my heart rate tries to slow down. Questioning what happened (dropped) from the first race...I quickly got ready and signed up for round two of punishment. I mean...I am here...I can't go anywhere else for a while and I have two legs that work. I jump into race #2 and in the first lap I see these two guys jump off the front. One of them looked like a straight up MS-150 rider with his saddle bad and basic blue jersey with black shorts and yellow helmet. There is a guy who races (cause he is wearing a perfectly matched team kit) on his wheel so I quickly jump to to catch their wheel. We hit that first little climb and OMG this MS150 guy is accelerating and I am blowing up! WTH???? Then right before the 180 team mate and killer climber Bill Krause jumps around me and goes right up to the two and so does everyone else. My one Glory Lap dreams were quickly crushed on the descent back and I just rode in the back of the pack and as we started in on our second lap and the pain crept in and my lack of fitness was exposed to all as I pulled out of the race after 1 freakin lap! Oh man. Ok, so I have not trained, slept, or anything right for racing. Oh well...that is why I have a team that races for me and that is why they did great that day with two top tens. Plus lets face it...we just flat out had a great time. The sun was out and it was some great racing with some great friends in Austin....and that is why I really race.
Guru Geneo refreshed
So towards the end of 2008 Laura Meichan came to me for a new road bike for her 2009 racing season. Being the super elite Cat 2 retired road racer that she is we had to choose the best and go with what she was comfortable with. We chose the Guru Geneo and of course had it made in a custom geometry to fit her better than the previous bikes she has raced on. While she did not race nearly as much as she did in years past when she did race she made it count and always did well and even won some races. Since being spoiled on a custom road bike she quickly lost love for her time trial bike and with venturing into triathlons and duathons (winning her AG or Masters in everyone) she wanted a new triathlon bike. So we have a year old road bike and wanting a new TT bike. With road being her main thing we decided to upgrade the Geneo from 7800 Dura Ace to Sram Red with Gore Sealed cables. We dropped some lbs and improved the function of her shifter area with the better ergonomics of the Red shifters and adjust ability. Her first ride was hilarious as she had crash course on a hard ride of the new shifting system.
Next up...building up her new Guru Magis with her old Dura Ace. Watch out cause she is gonna hurt some age groupers on that one!
Next up...building up her new Guru Magis with her old Dura Ace. Watch out cause she is gonna hurt some age groupers on that one!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
