Bridgeland Triathlon

Unfortunately no pics yet. But what a great race. Very well run for a first time event. Congrats to the OnURLeft crew!
Shama Cycles athletes/clients/friends had a great day that day! The funniest story of the day by far was that of Laura Meichan. You might know her from the blog or out on the road as a Cat 2 road racer, former State Crit and Time Trial Champion as well. Over the past couple of years she has done a couple of duathlons which she loved and decided it was time to try a tri. Bridgeland was perfect cause it was close to home and a sprint. With the help of Trent Stephen's (www.CoachTrent.com) open water swim clinics she got her swimming in gear and kept up the running...the bike...well that is good if ya know what I mean. She had a time trial bike but sold it recently as her new Guru Magis is being made as I type. But since its not in yet she had to Merckx the bike and ride it on her Guru Geneo, a road bike. I let her borrow my HED Jet 6s and Lazer Tardiz helmet and she was ready to go. Race day! The swim started off well for her, actually getting in the front half of her wave until she felt her timing strap start to come loose. So she just took it off and put it in her Shama Cycles tri top pocket (notice the plug haha) and kept swimming for that T1 to get to her bike. She looks to check her swim time on her watch and its out...totally blank...of course it is. On the bike and pedaling away with no real data just feel she is passing girls and boys as she should until she hears this noise from the front wheel...maybe a flat. Arse! So she sees the parking lot where she parked and pulls into it since she knows she has a flat kit in her car. She pulls up, stops, and realizes that she does not have her keys on her like normal...Double Arse! So she gets off and started looking at the front tire and it seems fine, she looks closer and realizes that there is some one's helmet number stuck in her brake rubbing on the wheel. That was the noise...TRIPLE ARSE! In a fit of rage Laura mounts her Geneo and starts turning those pedals in anger. (thank you Phil Liggett) Having to re pass everyone she just passed before her 3-4 minute blunder she makes it to T2 and rushes to her shoes. Also she stops to put her timing strap back on her ankle. The run seems to be normal for her but after all the mishaps she finishes and is just beside herself. Not thinking that she will even be scored or ranked in the results due to the timing chip issue and for being one of the last waves off she called it a day and put her first tri behind her as most of us do. The drive home was one of reflection and a phone call to me to tell me her story. We both laughed and I gave her the pep talk any friend/sponsor should give. "you did great, I am proud of ya, next time you will do better" But there is more...keep reading.
After talking to Laura it was time to hit up my list of athletes racing and get their race reports. So I called Melanie Sun who was racing her new Guru Magis for the first time so I had to know how she did since I promised her she would be faster (standard sales pitch hehe) on a new bike from me. Of course she was faster...she tied for fastest female bike split of the day. OH YEAH! She told me about her race and how she loved the bike and she got 2nd in her Age Group but just could not run down 1st place who was just 50 yards ahead. Arg! But her big one is ClearLake coming up so she was happy. Then came the interesting news. She asked if I heard from Laura cause they were calling her name at the awards. What were they calling it for? 3rd in her Age Group???? Nope...Female Masters Overall. A-FREAKING-MAZING! Now I know there are some over 40 females who have been racing for years and never gotten Masters are maybe not as excited or happy for Laura as I am more like cursing her for beginners luck and not happy that there is yet one more girl out there making it harder for everyone else. Its all in good spirit right? hahaha So of course I had to call Laura with the news. NO FREAKING WAY was her response as well. We laughed and she quickly realized that maybe she will do more triathlons and next time on her new Guru Magis and hopefully not make any more mistakes.
Also out there was
Collen West, first tri on her new Praemio in prep for her first ironman next year.
Brett Cole clinched 3rd in his AG on his Guru Crono
Greg Witherow got back into the sprint spirit after Ironman CDA on his Guru Merus
Greg Bauer did not drown (swam 3 times and is a Cat 2 road racer) finished his first tri!!!
Greg Colvin who also did IMCDA hit the tri in his new position and had 2nd fastest bike split of the day.
Graham Schooley raced a Guru Crono (mine) for the first time since his bike was recently stolen and now has a Guru in his future.
John Theim rocked in a good race on his new position
Ryan Owens had his fastest bike split on his new rig...

For all it seemed to be a great race for a first time race and we will look forward to this one again next year.

First real attempt at a shop ride...fun day

Rolling along on a beautiful morning. All I see in this picture is the white bibshorts...so Euro Cool!!!!

Jess, Wilmer, Kristen, Chris.
It was Chris's birthday that day...so at the Shell station 44 sweaty, smooth legged, Lycra clad men serenaded him with a song. There were 6 girls there too...

Above
Its a tough job but someone has to do it.
And YES those are white bib shorts Helen is wearing....quit possibly the single hottest pair of shorts I have EVER seen.
Below
The roll out...just a little late...

With the help of my friend Chris Lockwood putting out emails and a great map. Shama Cycles had its first real organized ride from the shop. Open to all...even triathletes and their tri bikes. We did the Lake Houston route and rolled out about 40 strong at 7am. More joined us along the way creeping our number to 50. The group stayed together pretty well and the pace was rather quick for our normal group ride. In all a great ride...that was followed up by Le Tour playing on the TV and food and drinks out for some post ride recovery. A very fun day and I can't wait to do it again. Look for weekly postings on rides to come soon.

La Vuelta de Acadiana- 2009 Stage Race

Chris Lowry second in the first stage to Matt Davis, current National AG champ.

Eric Attayi finishing first with Greg Bauer close behind...the pack is back there...way back!

Me on the front of the crit....that was FUN!

LOWDA on the podium after her crit win on stage 1.

Team work
Aimee giving Laura her feed. Aimee is the best team mate!!!

Well I attempted another stage race this year. This time building up a tt bike the week before the race...not the night before. The main draw was not even the race but the people going and staying all in the same house. In all it turned out to be a great weekend! For me it started off leaving the shop at 5:30pm to go home and pack and then pick up Joy and Jorge. Support crew/photography. Going out of state I was not sure if there would be a photographer and being the picture whore that I am I had to bring my own just in cases. So we made the hike into Louisiana and after missing the 1,2,3s and the woman's crit race that night we made it to the house about 11ish. Who needs sleep before a race at 8am. I found out the time of my race when we made it in. Yeah an 8am 60 mile race, then an afternoon 3.75mile time trial and a Sunday morning crit. OUCH! I was not the one taking this one serious. Thankfully I have racers who do. Highlight of the weekend...Laura Meichan aka LOWDA won the first stage which was the Friday night crit, second in the road race, second in the time trial (which put her 2nd into the final crit by 4 seconds) and then after winning back hot spot points on a solo break away and then winning the crit by drilling it out of the final turn and holding them all off for the win...LOWDA won GC!!! That had to be one of the most exciting races I have watched and most rewarding since it was one of my girls who won and yes...it was on a custom Guru! ha!
Next up...Eric Attayi won his first race as a Cat 3. Good for him you say? Yes...but this was no ordinary race. This was a SUPER FLAT 80 mile road race of which he was in a break for 60 miles. The pack brought the break back and with Eric rolling as the lone Shama in that race and since ruining GC chances with a wreck in the crit the night before...he offered to help a friend of ours who was going for GC...Chris Lowry of Sugar Cycles. Chris said for him and Greg to get to the front and lead it out in the last 5k. Eric and Greg got to the front and then began to ramp it up and line it out. Greg looked back and saw a huge gap...the pack did not react till it was too late and Greg and Eric rolled to the line with a 15 second gap. Eric and Greg were having a discussion of who would get it and Greg did not want to sprint against Eric aka The Juggernaut. Eric had won his first road race and as a Cat 3 and done it with some serious talent in the field. AMAZING! Greg Bauer (part time Shama wrench and Sugar racer) enjoyed a second place finish. From there Trey Copeland with Southern Elite finished the weekend as highest GC Cat 3. I happened to mention several people on Facebook but then got word from his wife that he felt left out when I forgot that info in my Facebook posts. HAHAHA So I am sure to list it here. ;-)
Next up...Chris Lowry...we were Cat4s together on the same team 4 years ago. Now...he is one of the more respected Cat2s in Texas and I am still a Cat 4....he takes racing WAY more seriously than me. Or maybe he is just fitter and faster than I am. Not likely but what ever!! ha So three weeks ago Chris came in with his road bike and tt bike. We hooked him up to the Retul and played with some cleat positioning and slight saddle adjustments. First test at a Memorial Park Crit his HR was lower for the same power. This weekend all of his training and hard work paid off with his first win in the final crit on Sunday. Brant Speed of Austin Flyers and a Herring Gas guy went off the front in about the first lap. They had 30seconds on the feild and disorganized attacks and efforts did not bring them back until Brant was reeled in on the final turn on the final lap. True Tour de France style. But I was routing for my Houston boyz no matter the team! Greg Bauer (team mate of Chris) attacked and drew out the studs on his wheel...Greg began to swerve all over the road trying to shake em and when he went left...Chris stayed right and drilled an open line right to the line. He held over 1000watts for 22 seconds for the WIN! His first win...yes FIRST! This made it all the more sweeter and everyone could not be happier for him!
Oh yeah...I raced too. Flat 60mile race...PERFECT! The pace was pretty easy and only got a little challenging at times so in lap 2 of 4 I started to get on the front and test the waters. I found my friends there with me (even though on other teams Houston/Texas boys were looking out) and was having a blast. From my last decent TT the weekend before I was thinking maybe I would get top 10 GC or something. We rolled into the 3rd loop and I heard the sound...the sound of a latex tube letting the air out of your tire. But it was cool...I have wheels in the wheel truck behind us and our pace was like 22 or something. I got my wheel and started chasing...actually I was not feeling that great after the stop and was hitting 24 to 25 for about 5 -6 miles getting with in 100 yards of the pack...and then I saw it happen...it went from a mob to a line...NOOOOOO!!!!!! It broke me...mentally...which for the next two loops broke me physically. There were times I road and felt I could not even do 16mph. I even stopped to stretch and have a talk with self while peeing on the side of the road. I made it in and finished so I could continue to the TT in the afternoon and the crit the next day. I was pretty bummed but what can ya do. I was riding my bike and that would just have to be good enough. I finished just in time to wait about 10 minutes to watch the 123s finish thier 80 mile race. Which was awesome cause I was able to watch Eric come through solo for the win for SHAMA! Ok....back to the house to eat and rest before going back to the TT. I was a little too relaxed about getting there and found myself slipping on my white shoe covers and new Lazer Tardiz tt helmet with 5 minutes before my start time. Who needs a warm up for a 3.75 mile tt??? (thumbs up and silly grin on face) This guy!
I get in line and I don't know the guy infront of me but he looked as serious as I looked and behind me was Todd Stamm, a friend of mine on my old team, so I quickly began to talk smack to him about how this is the last time he will see me till the finish. My time came and I quickly displayed my power by sprinting up to 30 miles per hour before sitting down and settling in to my aero bars. This lasted for maybe the first .75 miles. Then it began to hurt...bad! I had to back it down...shift...catch my breath and try to get the acid out of my legs that quickly reminded me they already gave me a 30 mile TT in the morning after my flat. I settled in again and found myself at 27 and was gaining on my 30 second man. AWESOME! I AM GOING TO KILL IT!!! I hit the line barely able to keep myself from throwing up the Raising Cane's chicken tenders I had for lunch. No sooner did I down shift and start to brake here comes Todd rolling up on me. That dude nearly caught me! Here I am feeling good about my TT and here comes this guy putting just under 30 seconds into me. No matter...I did the best I could and left everything out there. Time to party! We all seemed a bit more tired after that than the rr in the morning. Got back to the house and found the girls and Jorge drinking this wonderful frozen Daiquiri mix from a gallon jug that they got from a drive through. Yes, only in Louisiana!!!! We showered and 18 of us mobbed a nice eating establishment for dinner and good times. Probably one of the best parts of the weekend...just everyone cutting up and talking about the racing that morning as well as just about anything else. Post dinner...Sonics was calling my name and I had to get a Sonic Blast. Did I need it? No...but I enjoyed it none the less. Morning came...I got to the races in time to watch LOWDA attack for the hot spot points and then watch her sprint for the win! I was PUMPED! I saw my effort yesterday in the TT was good enough for 10th place. Had I not flatted I could be in my goal...a top ten. But I am not so what to do??? I notice my friend Todd is in first with the fastest TT. I talked to him and his team mates and said I am in for helping. I would rather see a friend keep his first GC win than try to race for myself since I am second to last in GC. I knew there were some strong teams there that would go for the hot spot and finish to take back time on him. The crit started and I waited a couple laps to warm up and feel the rhythm. Then I started having tons of fun. Attacking the other teams after they pulled, covering attacks and sitting in on them, and then I happened to be off the front when the hot spot lap bell rung. I was caught going into the last turn but then I just ramped it up even more giving it all I had to till the contenders came around me to sprint to the line...Blake (Houston boy sitting in 3rd) nipped 4th place on the line for the time bonus helping Todd keep his lead for now. That effort to the line was hard and I totally blew myself up and was expected to get dropped. As I barely turn the pedals over at 20mph I roll back into a tired group. I guess I did a good job to make everyone tired. So I recovered too and started attacking and driving the pace all over again. Finally I pulled out with two to go to watch the finish. I was done and did all I could do. The result of my sacrificed race??? Todd won GC overall and Blake Krause 3rd overall, so I was proud of that. Not to mention Jorge got some great pics of us all out there. Myself and others that raced could not have done it without the help and support of our team mates and loved ones out there. A special thanks to Aimee and her parents for letting us stay at their house and for Aimee, Joy and Lynn being the best hand up, pre and post race crew anyone could ever have. I drove home tired but happy with a great weekend of racing with great friends! Next year... I want revenge on that road race course!

2400 WATTS...can this bike handle it???

Sidero, the new Steel offering from Guru.

OH SO CLEAN!

Yes, that is one very high number. Yes there is a guy who can hit that and this is his new bike. A friend of mine came to me needing a bike that he can't break. After going through carbon bikes pretty easily and eventually some other steel frames he was just wanting someone to tell him that there is a bike that can hold him for more than a season of racing. Eric Attayi is about 6'3" and weighs about 260lbs. This kind of weight can test any frame, then add in someone who races and who LOVES to sprint and you have a problem...a big problem. Bent crank spindles, cracked bottom brackets, welds broken, carbon cracking...its not even fair to mention the brands since NONE of them usually test out to this kind of rider weight. With some power numbers in one hand and measurements in another I called up Robert at Guru and had a long talk with him about this customer and bike that needs to be built. After some back and forth we decided to go Steel. Guru had in some tubing and ordered some more for the diameter and wall thickness needed for the tubes on this bike. The welder there also used a process for welding used in titanium bikes to make sure the welds are that much stronger. Along with an AlphaQ GS-40 fork this became a pretty expensive frame build but still cheaper than a carbon bike. Two goals for this build, a bike made for crits, sprinting, and a perfect fit.
The bike came in and I did my usual pre fit and just loved how it was looking. Eric of course was too excited to weight and we built it up quickly. Campy Record parts graced this classic Steel frame. Along with a Thompsosn seat post, Deda Newton handlebars and Deda Zero 100 stem. We also used Jagwire cables in white, and white Lizard Skin bartape.
With the Easton wheels as shown here...17lbs 4oz. AMAZING!
The bike being built we put him up on the Retul and corrected a couple issues in his cleats and then fine tuned his position. The word from him after riding it for two weeks...he has never ridden such a nice bike and the fit and position is amazing. First race...I can't wait till he can get out and sprint!

A hard day at the office...with two customers.

14lbs 11oz
6/4 titanium frame, AlphaQ full carbon fork
Sram Red shifters
Sram Force Front D, rearD, brakes
Rotor Agilis Cranks, Qrings, SABB ceramic bb
Parlee carbon braze on clamp
Extralite seatpost collar
Tune aluminum seat post
CaneCreek headset
Selle Italia Diva saddle
Deda Zero 100 bar and stem
Lizard Skins bar tape
Nokon cables
HED Ardenesse wheels
Michelen Pro Race tires
KMC gold chain, KCNC skewers
Mavic Wintech computer
Elite cages

Walt, rolling on his Guru Merus, we played with his position too

Lisa, just enjoying the ride, one of the few times on the hoods.

above
Walt and Lisa sharing feelings or whatever couples do on rides.
(really she is talking trash about dropping him next hill)
below
Man that kit looks good! Oh yeah, so does Lisa and her bike. ;-)

Well today was one of those days that really wears you out. The kind of work day that when you are done you just want to CRASH and sleep and not be bothered. I had to ride my bike for work. Yes, I know what you are thinking "in this heat?". I know...but I am committed to great customer service.
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Lisa Tilton-McCarthy picked up her new Guru Praemio today. This bike is a new frame with a couple old parts from her Crono, which is also being upgraded. Her goal is a Kona slot. A goal I have committed to helping her with anyway I can. She is an awesome athlete and just needs work on the bike. Her run is killer so if she can just stay on the bike she can seal the deal on the run. So we took her 2 year old Crono which still looks brand new, selected some upgrades for it and had to have some where to put her old parts. What to do...what to do??? Its obvious! Get a titanium road bike that compliments your tri position. I mean...everyone does that right? ;-)
So here we are. A 6.4 titanium road bike that weighs 14lbs and 11oz with out even trying.
The goal of the bike is to have something to train in, in groups and be in control a little better for those long rides. We worked with Guru to design the frame to compliment the fit of the Crono I sold her just two years ago. This way training on this bike transfers to the Crono. We also designed it to be raced as well. There are those events in triathlon were sometimes a road bike might be better. Cap Tex Tri for example, tight course, corners, climbing, and lots of people on the same course. If you are at all nervous in your aero bars around people on a course like that then you are on your bull horns and defeating the purpose of the tri bike. We chose titanium so she can put it on the trainer, use it on crappy days, rough road rides, and travel for fun with out having to worry about damaging a carbon bike. Basically a bike that she can relax with and not worry about it falling over at a rest stop or in the back of her car.

THE RIDE!
As I always try to do, I like to ride with customers on thier first ride. One its just plain fun. But really it allows me to see things that you can't see on the Computrainer or Retul. This way if we need to stop and adjust the saddle tilt or handle bars as the true position is found we can do that. We did 72 miles today and this is her first time to ride a road bike. One bike triathletes crack me up. First lesson of the day...shifting. haha Just spinning in the parking lot she was amazed at the bike but I was worried about 72 miles in a new position that she was not used to, not to mention starting out at noon in the heat of the day. We took off and about 5 miles into the ride till about mile 60 she comments "now I know why you roadies ride all the time, this is a blast" "this is so easy" I can ride in my drops and it feels just like my tri bike" "Oh my god these hills are so easy to climb standing up, this bike is so light" The only things we adjusted as the saddle just slightly up and tilted. Everything else was perfect. Needless to say she was loving life and the new bike. At every stop Walt and I would have to chase her down when we started up again cause she would just take off! We finish the ride and she was so excited and full of life, I was dead tired from logging in 9hours in two days.

The ride was actually best for me though, I find no greater satisfaction in my work than days like today. Riding with a friend/customer who could not be happier with their new bike and riding it. This is why I do what I do.
I LOVE MY JOB!!!!

Next up, her Crono reborn and ready for Hawaii 70.3 on the 30th of May!!!!

GulfCoast Half Ironman and buying time!

The new Rotor Agilis cranks, Aero QRings, SABB ceramic BB. I like the new red spider.

Silver Tiso ceramic pulley wheels spin so much better than stock wheels, Campy, Shimano and Sram should be ashamed of themselves....
Below, we also put on some new Elite Custom white/red bottle cages.
btw, Zipp 999 will be the race wheel of choice on Saturday...not the ones below.

Gulf Coast Half Ironman is over in Florida and well, its prettier than racing in Galveston I guess. (snickering) Plenty of Texas athletes make the trip over every year to do this race. This weekend happens to be Mother's Day weekend so I am not sure how some guys are pulling it off, though I do know that Trent Stephens and Fred Johnson are leaving Friday morning, EARLY, to get there, race, and then as soon as transition is open to get bikes out, they are packing up to haul butt back to Houston to celebrate Mother's Day with their uber understanding wives who just had the kids most of the weekend by themselves. But I am sure it will all be worth it. HA!
Trent came in finally for some upgrades I have been dying to get him to do. He is a Campy man and has been as long as I have known him. Now that I have been having my way with his Crono race bike the only things left that are Campy is the rear D, cassette, and cranks. Until yesterday...now its just the rear D and cassette. I believe the Rotor SABB ceramic bottom bracket spins way smoother than nearly any other bottom bracket out there, let alone a stock Campy BB. To change this requires a Shimano style crank. Since no true Campy man would ever own anything from that Japanese rod and reel manufacturer...the obvious choice for a crank was the Rotor Agilis crank who also makes the SABB bb and the QRings that we all ride and love. A perfect combo from a company based in Spain...which borders Italy where Campy is based...so its as good as one can get with out being Campy. ;-) Next to come will be a Quarg power meter to replace the spider in that crank.
While we were at this craze of lightening up the bike with lighter cranks, using an aero chain ring set, and freeing up some watts with the ceramic bb, we also installed a set of Tiso ceramic pulley wheels in the rear D. Tiso is made in Italy which really just means that its nice...but you are gonna pay for the privilege. With it all installed and set up and shifting dialed in I could notice right away his drive train had way less drag in it. Lets see what translates to the race this Saturday....
Oh by the way, this bike has TRP 960SL brakes, Sram Red front D, Sram TT900 bar end shifters, and now the Rotor cranks. This bike is now more of a mutt bike than anything else. But don't we all love mutts just a little bit more than pure breeds?
Have fun and check back for the updates on Greg, Fred, and Trent's race weekend.

The Kona Project

Above
Possible sprint and quarter position
Below
Possible half and full IM position

The heart of a bike...the frame. Tailor made to Andrew Strong's measurements and requirements. Being able to "tune" the titanium frame with specific tube selections is key for triathletes and something Guru excels at getting just right for every client of mine.
Also...the welds are beautiful!

So Andrew Strong is a friend of mine as well as an athlete I sponsor. Andrew has made it to Kona for the past two years...which has also been his first two years of competing in the Ironman distance races. So yes...he is a natural...but he also trains intensely and is VERY dedicated. Swimming is not his strong point, with 1:30+ swim times and qualifying for Kona still...yes his bike split is violent and run is vicious. The past two years he has done this on a Cervelo P3C and was wind tunnel fitted on it by John Cobb. Does it get to be any faster than this???
I believe it does. My business is based on the simple fact that fit is key. So if the bike fits better you are going to be more stable, more comfortable, and more powerful.
I am taking Andrew Strong, a man with strong Kona ambitions this year, off of what most consider to be "the fastest bike in the world" and putting him on a titanium frame that does have higher drag numbers in the wind tunnel...will he be faster?
I believe he will. This is what my business is and the proof will be in the real world...Ironman Brazil. This is his first chance to qualify for Kona. The fitting method right now will start from his current fit and then we will implement what I have learned under Dr. Andy Pruitt during my Specialized years and from Dan E's FIST method. I will be looking at everything with a Retul and Computrainer SpinScan.
Stay tuned as I put my reputation on the line for a proven athlete on a proven set up!
Soon I will have postings of the complete bike.
I look forward to seeing how this goes. Should be a fun little test!!!

Riding Chappell Hill on Good Friday part 2

This is my daughter...taking pictures of herself through out the ride. Gotta love it!

My friend Steven was along for the ride as well...he rode tough on Saturday with us again.
Steve Quick and myself chillin behind the trailer...she took the picture and actually captured alot of great shots! Amazing what kids can do.
After 30+miles into the wind and hills, I could not go any more. Chris Lockwood took over...I think in a way he regretted it but at the same time loved the challenge and the pain. The last 13 miles in to the finish of Chappell Hill...well I not ashamed to say I am glad it wasn't me.

Getting ready for the races....

Trent is rolled in the Elite wave this weekend with his disc and 808 front of course.

The biggest weekend of tri racing in Houston, maybe even in Texas. 2600 athletes over 2 days in 2 distances. Sprint, quarter, and half. So needless to say I was slammed all week with athletes wanting their bikes tuned up for the race, race wheels put on and check shifting, a last minute upgrade and even picking up a new bike before race day. Gotta love

Ann was race ready with her set up. Purple never looked so good on a bike.

Full titanium frame, Zipp carbon basebar, Profile Carbon T2aerobars, Shimano Ultegra SL group, Rotor SABB ceramic bottom bracket, Adamo saddle, HED clincher wheels, Nokon cables, Deda Zero stem, Qrings, Xlab Sonic wing...20lbs flat!

Well, Greg Witherow committed the ultimate RACE SIN this weekend. He raced on a bike that he only got the Friday before the race...a brand new custom Guru Merus. Which means he only rode about 30 minutes on it on Saturday before racing it in the Half on Sunday! Did he pay the price??? No sir! Half Ironman PR by 33 minutes. Last year he did the Aquabike half at the same race where he left it all out on the bike last year, this year conserving on the bike in windy conditions to save the run...still 5 minutes faster. All on a bike he still needs a little time to get used to. Another example where custom just can not be beat. Good job Greg! You make me proud!

A weekend of riding in cold wet Houston

The Saturday ride...I am back left, Jeff is cold back right, Andrew is good left, and Gary is staying as warm as can be.
Above: Post charity ride breakfast at the Pearland IHOP. They were not down with egg whites and no butter there.
Below: Myself on the left and Steve on the right. As you can see above he is still wearing his kit like a good Shama Cycles faithful. I know how to push myself and my business but this guy puts me to shame sometimes...what am I talking about...almost all the time. LOVE THAT GUY!!!

In the midst of the horrible weekend weather of cold and rain I was able to sneak in two rides with out getting rained on. Good training and good hard miles with friends. You can't really complain about that. I rode the Ti Guru Praemio (which with the new HED Ardenesse wheels I am trying out weighs 15lbs) both days as I think I might race it in the stage race this coming weekend. Just to further get the feel for my customers as to help selecting whether they should do ti or carbon. Yes, its a tough job but someone has to do it. ;-)
Points that stand out from the rides?
Saturday was a pretty good 50 miles. Parts were easy, then parts were fast. There were 4 team mates on the ride so we did hill repeats Houston style by going back and forth over this series of 4 overpasses team style. LOL It was great. We were thinking of riding longer as we headed close to the park but we felt a couple rain drops and the cold was settling in. So we packed it in for the day.
I went to the shop at 11 am and went home at 2am. That whole work thing gets int eh way sometimes of quality napping and recovery time.
Sunday morning I was up at 6:20 am to meet up with Steve and his lovely wife Evelyn to head down to the Great Escape MS150 charity ride. No clue of what mileage or anything. We met up with another friend/hammerhead down there and we knock out 7omiles with a vengeance. Matter of fact...I think we won that ride. LOL I know what you are thinking, but of the 70mile groups, we caught the "leaders" at mile 30 something which was tough cause we started like 10 minutes after the ride got underway. We knew this cause we finally stopped at a rest stop after that and asked who all had been through. We were the first ones to roll through is what we were told. I ate like 4 cookies in celebration of having the lead. Only to watch the two guys we just passed roll on by and take the lead away from us. But oh what fun cause we had a "carrot" again. We rolled back out and the three of us taking turns made quick time and caught the two and kept it rolling. By this time we had already started to run into riders out on the shorter routes and kept it safe as we sounded like a broken record with the whole "ON YOUR LEFT" business.
Towards the end of the ride I was REALLY CRACKING! Maybe I didn't eat enough cookies...or maybe I ate too many...but I was trashed and was so ready to be done. Finally the school was in sight and I could dismount. Proud of my riding and happy to have missed the rain...it was time for IHOP!!! Which was great...till I went to stand up from the table...my legs...oh my poor legs. Did I break them? Why aren't they working? What is this pain? ahhhh nothing like a good weekend of hard riding. Which at 12am Wednesday morning I am still feeling. Gotta love it!!!!

The weekend. Rides and Races

The crew post race at some place in New Braunfels. Andrew's meal was wrong but none of us cared cause we were too hungry...he has great team mates! Our ritualistic Buc-ee's stop. Luling at 7:00 am. Two Rice Treats, 1 bag of Beaver Nuggets, 1 cinnamon roll, 1 gallon of water, 2 cookies, 1 apple lattice, 1 blueberry scone. ALL gone by 3pm.
Above is some friends on a ride Saturday morning, 60miles was not in my "pre race schedule" but whatever. Beautiful day with great friends.


What a weekend! Great longish ride on Saturday, great day at the shop with some business and race prep for the team. Relaxing evening. Then 4:00am wake up Sunday morning for a team trip to New Braunfels for a road race/races. Some of us raced twice...or started two races at least. We roll out of Houston at 5am 8 deep for some fun on the road. My first race and the majority of the guys as well, was the Cat4 race which was 45 miles. Not too cold and 80 guys starting. I have been rolling ok lately and wanted to see how I really was doing, plus its my first race in the Shama Cycles kit on a brand new custom Guru Geneo tricked out to the max with Edge rims. Just a totally nuts bike that got lots of looks. So the pressure was on to do something. If nothing else....a REALLY good photo!!! haha No seriously...
4miles into the race two guys jump off the front into the wind. The field does not react and I am in the back looking at this and realizing on these crappy roads and wind the back is NOT the place to hide. So I jump around the field bridge up to the two guys infront. A three man break. We roll for two miles and hit the last hill that is kinda steep and with a photographer at the top. Time to suck it up and pull out my Zoolander "Blue Steel" pose. With that done I am feeling pretty good. The other two guys start fading and the pack is closing. I look back and here comes two guys charging up and as they get to me I see my friend Andrew Ennis from Team Bikesport. Excited (cause this little Scottsman is strong) to see my friend I jump on with the two and the break of three is rolling again. The wind was brutal and the road surface made a carbon bike worthless. I lasted with these two guys for about 20 miles before I kinda blew up and fell back to the chase group. The Guru was floating flawlessly, just those two sub 150lbs guys hit those hills like I can't...which broke me down. So I am back in and not a minute later I seem to have recovered and on the front of that group taking turns with some team mates and others chasing down the two who I just couldn't stay with. Not that I was bitter or anything. LOL Just racing.
We caught them and then it was on again. More work in to the wind and just plain pain. In that last lap I lost the lead group and fell back to a chase group. Thankfully my team mates stuck up in the lead group. I pushed myself pretty hard and realized how far I can go. It was awesome to have this kinda day. Oh wait...then I had to finish and reload and get re pinned for the second race. To keep it short....everything hurt from the first one and I only completed one 15mile lap. Still happy with my performance and test in the first race. I sat in to watch the finish of my team mates in that race and the Cat3 race that was going on. Very happy overall. Now, then I left New Braunfels and made a trip into Austin...to Kirklee. My frame was finished and ready to be picked up. Wow...just beautiful! Better than I would have thought! I can't believe it. Its 1400grams with the headset, fork and Seat clamp. I just can't wait to build it and more importantly ride it. Now I am tired and time to retire for the night. Or at least log off for now.
I would like to thank my team mates who raced today.
Andrew Strong, Trent Stephens, John Cascio, Jason VanLoo, Jose Caballero, Ahmed King, and Jeff Gardner.
Your support for me and Shama Cycles is humbling and very appreciated.

My Kirklee with my Geometry painted in.

LOVE THE LOGO!!!

Today I just got some pictures of my Kirklee that is a "showroom" bike that just happens to fit me...EXACTLY! hehehe This bike will tell the story of custom frame making. Guru, Kirklee, and Parlee all make each frame for each person to fit them exactly. This sometimes is hard to realize from just talking about it so I had this frame finished in a very special way. The design notes, or CAD drawing measurements that go into each frame for tube lengths and angles were all hand drawn on this frame by Brad at Kirklee and then custom paint sealed it in by Dave Simms.
Its a project bike that shows off what Kirklee can do as well as showing each client what it means to have a custom bike that is tailor made for them.
These are pics of it at Kirklee in Austin...next week there will be pics of it in Houston getting built up.

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.