Cap Tex Triathlon 2009

Mike Shearman is all smiles pre race....
below
Lisa, Teresa, Beau, ?, Walt

Well one of the biggest races of the year for most Texas triathletes is Cap Tex Tri in Austin. Ok, maybe not the biggest but definitely the most fun...especially for Houston athletes that love to trek to Austin for a weekend to party and race on Memorial Day Weekend! I have heard some race recaps from the weekend and while I did hear about the racing...I hear more about pre race and post race than anything else. Which just means it really was GREAT WEEKEND!!!!
In the Sprint Race
Lisa Tilton McCarthy won her Age Group, not on her newly redone prized possession Guru Cron but on her new Guru Praemio, custom road bike built to be able to tri on too. Which worked great on this multi loop course.
Walt Yarrow won his Age Group on his Guru Merus. He went full aero for the sprint and killed it!!!
Mike Shearman took 13th in his AG (same as Walt's) on his Guru Ventus which he just started riding again like two weeks ago. Which isn't right since he bested his friend Spencer who works more than Mike...though we think everyone works more than Mike??? haha

In the Olympic Distance race
Ann Hughes rocked a great race in her first attempt of this distance, she was 3rd in her AG on her white with purple Guru Crono.
Jacqueline Fein cruised into 3rd place on her Guru Crono!!!!
Teresa Demetriou enjoyed her race as well.
Richard Cairns rolled to a top ten in his AG on his road bike and my Edge wheels.
Beau Freyou rocked 3rd place in his AG. Way to go Beau!!!
Kendall Gray enjoyed his effort out there.

Guru Crono with Quarq and Edge

Fred's Crono race ready for the Champions Tri in Austin. New Agilis cranks, QRings aero version, Quarq Saturn power meter, SABB ceramic bb, Tiso ceramic pulley wheels, Edge 68 rims, Tune hubs, DT Swiss aerolite wheels, and a couple other little tricks here and there.

Beautiful Italian made pulley wheels with ceramic bearings. Gold KMC chain.
We call this bike Goldmember...so of course it gets a gold Shama Cycles stem cap.

Getting Ready to Race!

Things are moving along, bikes being built, clients getting fitted, and just having some good ole fun doing what I love to do. Usually being so busy on everyone's bike but my own it was time to get myself ready for the weekend. Sunday is a road race in New Braunfels and myself and 7 other team mates are rolling up to race that day. The fun part is 5 of us have decided to HTFU and race twice. The Cat4 race at 9am which is 45 miles and then again at 12:09pm in the 4/5 race which is another 45miles. I have raced twice before in one day...not very well and only in crits which are usually only an hour tops each race. So needless to say this is NUTS but I have been riding 60-90 miles kinda often and maybe it won't suck that bad. To race like I am nuts I need a bike that is nuts! Bring in the Guru Geneo with Sram Red. I LOVE my Fulcrum Racing Zero wheels which are amazing and VERY race worthy. But I own a high end bike shop so its expected that I have the ultra cool stuff right? At least that is what I told myself when I ordered a pair of Edge 68 tubular rims and Tune hubs. They weigh in at 1146 grams and I had to find a tubular tire worthy. I have used Zipps before and loved them. But is there something better? After tonight's ride I think there is. Challenge Criterium Setas. Its a 300tpi tire with a sewn in tube made of silk. Yes silk. I glued these up last night and looked forward to rolling them today but as usual the day got away from me. So off to the West End ride at 6pm. Yes, that is right, I was THAT GUY who shows up on a training ride (in town on the worst roads in the dark) with carbon race wheels...not to mention tubulars made of silk that one cost 4 times as much as most tires. I am quite the bike snob and would totally make fun of some one who does this. So of course as all the guys make the obvious comments...I wind up making fun of myself. Especially since in my rush to leave I grab my flat kit...for clinchers. (right?) On to the ride.
Well I don't know what everyone else was doing but I guess I was feeling good cause I was absolutely flying! Speed was easy and those wheels were amazing and the tires were truly special. I could not believe how easy the ride felt. One, I am feeling pretty good on the Guru these days and with the addition of these wheels its just a whole nother level. It truly felt like I just bought speed. I had a hard time controlling my excitement and just kept trying to go!! Now I am praying for no rain on Sunday cause I can not wait to get out on this bike and wheels and see how it goes.

Brett Cole's Crono

Vision, Syntace, Ritchey stem, Silver Shama badge, Gunmetal Deda bar tape.



Here goes another one. In an earlier posting I have a shot of Brett holding the frame when it came in. He since came back for a "pre fitting" to look over the position to cut the steerer tube and the aerobar extensions on his Vision Tech carbon clipons.
Its now done and I am so impressed with how it came out I can't wait for the good camera to archive it...I just had to share tonight. Full Sram Force with carbon brake levers and shifters. Though we did upgrade to the Ceramic BlackBox bb and a KMC chain and some very nice but still all black Jagwire cables. I was more than happy not to have to do another Nokon cabled bike...I love the way they look...but was getting burned out on killing 2 hours just to thread those things all pretty like.
This bike weighs in right at 16lbs and 9oz. With the pic of the Edge tubulars...its down to 15lbs and 4oz. That is just SICK! Not to mention on the prefit this bike is so dead on perfect I can't wait to see this guy nail it at the tris coming up. I can't wait!
More to come on this one soon.