Testimonial for today;

Michael Klasmeir is the Operations Manger for City Bikes (Washington, DC and Chevy Chase, MD) and can get his hands onto virtually any bike he would like to... and most of them for free due to the amount of business this chain of stores does. However, Mike paid for the Gran Criterium frame in the below pictures and then built up his own sweet ride.

Here's what he had to say about the bike after having the chance to finally ride it;
"Good looking bike/wheels... This is the new baby for now. I'm trying to justify the wheelset (clinchers) and after just one ride on them, I'm going to have a hard time saying 'no'.

I've got nothing but good things to say about this Masi. I'm a steel guy at heart and I think this bike has given me a transplant. Getting off the old Bontrager (yes, he made bikes) and onto this Masi has made a HUGE difference in my riding. I've been tooling around during lunch for the last few months on S-Works Roubaix, Six13 Team, Merckx MXM, Merckx Premium, Merckx Race, Cannondale Synapse carbon and nothing feels better than this bike. This thing is in the big leagues without the big league price (except for the way I have it built up).
Oh, like I need to tell you guys: Campy Record rocks..."

Yes, Mike and I get along pretty well, but he paid for this thing before I could even get my hands on something to give him for free, so his comments are ones he paid for, not me. Obviously, I'm very glad he likes the bike and even happier he sells the bikes. So if you're in Chevy Chase, MD or Washington, DC and you're looking for a Masi, go see City Bikes.

Thanks Mike,

Tim

And a view from the rear... 

Klasmeier's bike from the front... 

Michael Klasmeier's new Gran Criterium custom bike. 

Randomly rolling along...

So the Giro was incredible this year! Man, oh man, that was a good one. My favorite since Hampsten's win in '88. Savoldelli rode a smart race and defended very well with a limited supply of support. Basso was superb, if unlucky, and proved that he is a legitimate threat to win any 3 week race he chooses to enter. Selle Italia proved that a wild card team can enliven the race and be a part of the action. Between Parra and Rujano, they were the little team that could... and did. Di Luca was never even mentioned as a contender for a 3 week race and he rode as bravely and strongly as a Merckx or Hinault. He is another Campione to watch.

The little princess turns 4 today, so the weekend was a birthday festival of fun, excitement and sugar comas. Two birthday parties with the two sets of Grandparents and aunts and uncles showering her with gifts. The princess even let her loyal subject, "Daddy", feed her some cake. He was duly gracious for the generosity. However, she changed her mind and didn't want to go for a bike ride in her trailer, since it would mess up her hair and new dress. So instead, I got to sneak off for a 60 mile ride with my best friend and we cruised along the coast on a gorgeous morning before heading inland for some climbing "fun". Rode the Speciale Carbon steel bike and really enjoyed finally putting it to the test. What a great riding bike! I still stick to my previous comments that it is my favorite of our current frames. That steel and carbon make for such a great riding bike.

There is a little mention of Taliah Lempert and Michael Gamstetter on Just Riding Along. Links to both of them showcase their artistic talents. What great artists they both are. When I was writing and editing for the currently-defunct magazine, iheartbikes, I got to see Taliah's paintings and read her words about her work. I was truly impressed by her and encourage you to look at her work some time. Michael Gamstetter is part of the brain trust at Bicycle Retailer and I really had no idea he was so artistically talented and was very impressed by his gallery of work. His portraits are really amazing and well worth taking a look at (now I have to become important enough in the industry that he will need to do a portrait of me too... that would be cool).

Tim

What a week... what a day.

This has been a whirlwind week, so I'm really looking forward to the coming 3-day weekend. Lots of stuff happening and progress being made. I really can't tell you how excited I am about the new bikes we've been working so hard on. From the least expensive to the most expensive, it has been an experience. Worked on color and graphics for the carbon bikes. Selected saddle and bar tape colors. Tweaked components. Lots of stuff.

Had a nice long conversation with Chris Lesser at Bicycle Retailer about a piece they are working on about blogging in the bike industry. That should turn into quite an article and I can't wait to read it. Also started contributing to the Just Riding Along blog of Jonathan Maus (http://just-riding-along.blogspot.com/). I am really looking forward to collaborating with him to produce a forum of useful information for the bicycle industry. His blog has provided me with information that I have been able to use and I hope that will happen for others as well.

My daughter is turning four and so it is a 3-day birthday weekend for the little Princess. Daddy will be in complete servant mode for the weekend. She has already requested a bike ride in her trailer at the beach, so some of the work will actually be fun. Towing her around in her trailer is a fantastic workout, so I'll be trashed by the time the weekend is done and will need to come back to work to get some rest.

I will try to add some posts over the weekend because I have a lot of stuff running around in my head that I can't quite catch right now. In case I don't "speak to you" over the weekend... enjoy!

Tim

How 'bout that Giro?

Is this shaping up to be one of the best Giri in a long, long time or what? What a refreshing change from some of the previous editions that were "good" but not "great". This one has been a blast and the blasting ain't over yet and that's the best part of all.

Races like this show that the sport is healthy and not dominated by one person to make things exciting and worth watching. Ultimately, that is good for both the sport and the industry. Don't get me wrong, I'm supremely impressed by what Lance has done and done for the sport and business. However, he is going to retire and then what? Then what happens to interest in the US? Danielson and Landis are both great riders, but how likely is it that they are going to win 6 (or 7) Tours? Not very. American cycling is better than ever, no doubt. But an exciting sport as a whole will hopefully do more to keep the American public interested in watching and learning. This industry can't afford for everybody to turn around and look the other way when Lance rides into the proverbial sunset of retirement. I wasn't a big fan of the Pro Tour format and still have reservations, since it will likely mean the end to some great smaller races and teams, but if the Pro Tour is going to yield this kind of racing then it is worth it in the end. A healthier sport means a healthier industry built around it and we'll hopefully see continued growth instead of an immediate decline.

Soon, very soon, I'll have some cool spy shots of the new full carbon frame we will be doing. This is going to be a really sweet riding bike and I can't wait to get on it. Spy shots of the new track frame soon too.

Tim

Not to be the bad guy here, but...

I don't want to sound like a big, bad Corporate Demon trying to squash anybody, but I have to post a warning to potential consumers shopping on eBay for a new Masi.

There are currently a few Masi bikes, brand new 2005 models still in the box, being sold on eBay. Please note that the bikes currently listed do not come from an authorized Masi dealer and therefore do not have any warranty. These bikes were purchased, from what we can tell, "grey market" from a shop that was closing and going out of business and are now being sold on eBay. These are great bikes and are being sold at a good price, but please be aware of the situation.

Here's the story; we adamantly support our dealers and do all that we can to protect them. We have signed dealer agreements with our retailers so that they know their rights and we have recourse if a dealer is doing something wrong. It is a protection for both parties and the ultimate goal is to make sure that our retail partners are serving consumers the best way possible.

So there you have it. The internet and eBay have been a mixed blessing for all of us who sell "stuff". Great deals are out there to be had- I have certainly taken advantage of many myself. Just know what you are buying, who you are buying from and the history behind the scenes.

Here ends my Public Service Announcement for the day. Honestly, this is offered as a protection to potential buyers.

Tim

Will Mahler of Ed's Bike and Ski in York, PA manning the Tech Booth at the White Rose Circuit Race. Check out those pretty Masi bikes in there... the other bikes are ok too... but look at those Masis (2nd {Vincere Premio} and 3rd {Vincere} from the left)! These guys are brand new Masi dealers and two of the bikes from their first order sold within a week of hitting the sales floor... nice start. 

Message to "unknown"...

I know who you are!

Ok, I don't really, but I do have an answer to your question about the track bike; yes. Yes, it will almost definitely have a flip-flop rear hub. Fixed or free will be your choice!

Tim

Something new...

As you may have noticed, there is a new feature to the blog now; a poll! How cool is that? I can ask stupid and/ or meaningful questions and you can answer them in an anonymous poll and don't have to leave any kind of trail so that I can track you down to your homes. It's a win-win; I get important feedback from my audience and you can be completely free from my tyrannical reign of power.

Ok, this first poll is about our carbon bike/ frame that we are developing. Right now our horns are locked in a feverish battle to determine what they should look like. In an attempt to keep the survey unbiased by my opinion (and I do have one, believe me) all I will say is this;

Paint them completely?
Leave them totally unpainted?
Partially paint them leaving areas of nude carbon exposed?
It really doesn't matter, so long as it is carbon?
Who cares about carbon anyway?

Please use the poll counter for your answers, to keep it "scientific" and what-not.

Tim

Time Trial/ Triathlon...

Oh, there are definite plans to make a speed machine for TT/ Tri use. Oh yes, we will have one.

To answer a comment posted to the blog regarding TT/ Tri bikes, I do intend to add one to the mix. We are discussing bringing a complete bike and a frame set, or just a frame set to market. Aluminum frame with carbon aero fork. Similar to the aluminum race track frame, it will have aero tubing and will have a cutout in the seat tube for the rear wheel. For now, unless we do some really small sizes, we do not have any intention to bring out a 650C wheel version though. Geometries are still in development and I hope to have a sample frame to start doing some races on in the near future. For the time being, we will be working with aluminum only, but it is possible that an aluminum/ carbon or all carbon frame could be in the offering within a year or two. Doing it right is really important to me, so if I have to go slower to do that, then that is what we will do.

I hope that satisfies the curiosity.

Tim

Track revisited;

Ok, been getting inquiries about track bikes/ frames. So here goes; nothing yet. Not even my sample to test yet. However, that sample is supposed to be shipping to me on Monday next week. Soon after that I should be fighting for a finish line on it.

Here's the idea;
Complete steel bike for around (less than) $600.00. City fixed gear/ single speed road bike with brakes and a cool parts mix. Something really cool to ride as a winter training or an everyday fun bike. Still capable of doing laps on the old oval, but not too aggressive for first time trackies.
Aluminum full-blown racing frame and fork. Something suitable for anything you want to throw at it and ready for a World Cup track event. Aggressive and built for speed. If you want to go slow, don't bother getting this thing! Aero tubing and rear wheel cutout in the seat tube and replaceable dropout inserts.

ETA is still TBD, but I'll let you know ASAP.

Tim

A page from the book of Dumbass.

When I first got into cycling, I was ravenous for all things related to Europe and the epic racing and riders. I was just a skinny kid in a bike shop that never shut up about racing and riders.

I was lucky enough to work in a shop that had a guy working there who had raced in Europe a little, when he rode for the old Austro-Daimler/ Puch team of the late 70's. He still had his team issue bike and wool racing kit. I followed him around any time he was in the shop, constantly asking questions. We also had another guy in the shop who was still racing regionally and was state champ in something like 4 states in the Southeast. I tried to ride with him as often as I could, but he usually dropped me fairly early on and I rode alone. These two were my heroes and I thought they were the coolest guys I would ever get to meet.

One day, while discussing leg shaving, the Champ said to me, "you know, Merckx shaved his ass and crotch too, to cut down on saddle sores and chafing from the chamois." How could that be? I never heard that bit of lore and I read everything I could get my hands on. I asked the Veteran if it was true and he just shrugged and walked away from the conversation. The Champ insisted it was true. What was I to do? Merckx was my hero and was "THE MAN" in cycling.

That night, after shaving my skinny little legs, I took the risk and shaved those other saddle contact points. It was a little tricky, not losing appendages I really wanted to keep and hoped to use one day, but I was able to make myself like my hero. The next day, I used my chamois cream (this was a real leather chamois after all), and rode off thinking I was as close to being like Merckx as I would ever get. Things felt oddly good for the first ride and I thought I was really on to something. The second day, things were a little different as the hair began to grow again and the skin was a little irritated. No big deal I thought and I greased up the chamois for another ride. Things go a little uncomfortable about 40 miles from home. The return trip was down right bad. I cringed with each pedal stroke and couldn't wait to get to work, off of the bike and out of my bike shorts. Be the time I got to work, my ass was on fire and I was WAY beyond uncomfortable. I scurried in to the shop and into the bathroom to change my clothes. I tried to get a look at my posterior in the bathroom mirror and was shocked by the technicolor monkey ass and bright red rash. I walked painfully into the workshop area and put on my apron (yes, I was actually a mechanic). The Veteran could see my discomfort and was trying to find a way to ask me what was wrong, but the Champ was giggling to himself, "so, Merckx, how's that ass treating you?"

Word to the wise; never shave your ass.

Tim

Bike to Work Week... and I suck!

Ok, this is Bike to Work Week, something I have supported for decades it seems. On top of it, today is our company designated Bike to Word Day as part of our effort to participate in the Commuter Cup sponsored by one of our industry competitors (the name starts with "S" and ends in "pecialized").

I didn't ride in today, haven't ridden in this week and likely won't the rest of the week either. Yes, the dedicated road guy and former commuter-extraordinaire (I didn't have a driver's license for 6 years because I only rode a bike... by choice, not court order) has not been participating. I have to hang my head in shame and express my mea culpa. The commute I face is about 90 miles round trip. With a wife and two children, I have a hard time justifying that kind of dedication of time during the week, especially since I'd be getting home as my youngest was heading to bed. Not to mention just being plain old dog-tired after a long day at the office.

So there's my whining, sniveling excuse and justification for my lack of participation in Bike to Work this year. It is something I support very profoundly, just not with my ass and legs this year. To all my commuting brethren- I apologize.

Tim

New toys came in today... so now I shamelessly plug the fine folks at Shimano for making a sweet shoe. I admit it, I love them. Got them today and took them for a ride (after pacing around the receiving area waiting for the UPS guy to show up) and I really dig them. I have a super narrow foot and my old Shimano shoes didn't fit nearly as well as these do. Nice deep heel cup and a very comfortable insole and internal fit of the sole. I can't wait to give them some real punishment. They are probably much faster than me actually. 

Details, details, details...

I spent some time today talking to my friend Kendall over at Ritchey. How weird too because I went on my lunch ride today in my Ritchey socks... creepy.

We were talking about the new bikes coming and all of the incarnations things go through to get to a final bike. My cohort in crime, our Product Manager for all brands here, Mike Varley and I stared at so many widgets and doo-dads on the way to putting together the bikes. I acknowledge up front that there will be people who will wonder why we selected this part or that part, since that happens all the time, but I really think things look spectacular. You start off thinking you'll use bar and stem "A" and then move to "B" and then "C" and then maybe back to "B"... before you go to "D". Tires? Don't even get me started on tires. I've ridden some good ones and some bad ones, but I am confident with the tires selected. I've ridden several different saddles too. As Mike said once, "you better stop soon or your ass won't know where home is." Touche'... or should that be tooshy? Colors are even harder to decide, so I decided to take a page out of some other people's books and am doing them all in black. Or maybe white. Although I really like red too... dammit... I guess I have to think about that some more. Colors are always tough and some people will say we did it right and some others will wonder what the heck we were smoking (some bad tires).

Ok, so let's say the bikes are done. Great. Nap time then, right? Wrong! Way wrong. Now it is time to start planning things like Interbike and catalogs, new websites and other sales functions. The fun is just now beginning. Getting the bikes to bed was merely the beginning of the silliness that is now on the horizon. One of the things that amazes me is that Mike used to do all of this by himself... for Haro bmx, Haro atb, Del Sol cruisers and Masi. I get dizzy just thinking about the colors for my bikes. I can't imagine trying to work it all out for all of the brands. That's probably why he's so skinny (it has nothing to do with the better diet and more miles than me).

I need a beer.

Tim

I can live with that...

Ok, tied for 9th at the time trial today. Not too bad, especially with legs that didn't exactly feel great. I'll take it. I'll hopefully have a picture or two, soon, to post from the race.

I don't know if I was bogged down on too big of a gear, or just had too little power to turn the gear over, but I never really felt like I was getting on top of the gear and really rolling it. I found myself unable to accelerate a couple of times and then had to drop it to an easier gear to get going again. My legs just weren't quite there... but they weren't entirely gone either.

I got humbled by an older rider who rode up to me while I was cooling down, who asked me about my ride. I told him what I thought my time was and he said "Wow, you were flying!" I hadn't thought I'd been "flying" and this guy would have loved to have ridden my time. All things really are relative. Speed is what you make of it and after that conversation, I felt great about my ride.

Enjoy your ride too,

Tim

Another Masi in action! San Luis Rey road race, as ridden by Team Becher+. 

The Demon has been exorcised!

Finally got a full ride in on the fixed-gear road bike today. No flats. No broken chains. No bee stings... no nothing. 90" gearing is a little big in a hilly area, but I managed to drag my carcass over all the local hills just fine and didn't get too spun out on the downhills. Overall, it was very enjoyable.

It's been a long time since I've ridden a fixed on the road and it is such a blast to do it again. I had forgotten how much I enjoy it- for many of the same reasons I like racing on the track. One gear. One thought. No noise. No gears to think about. No nothing but riding.

With that said, we are developing a fixed gear commuter/ intro-level track bike for the next product range. Needless to say, I can't wait for that first sample to show up... in a 60cm of course (there are benefits to being the "head" of a bike brand).

Tim

Hello. My name is Tim and I'm an idiot.

Tuesday night = track racing night! Sprint night again too. Woo-hoo!

Have you ever noticed that riding is bicycle is made exponentially easier when you have pedals? Ever noticed that without pedals, a bike is rendered virtually unrideable?

I had to work on the track bike yesterday to correct a chainline issue, so I removed the pedals when I removed the crank arms and worked on the bottom bracket. However, in my haste to get the bike put back together before leaving for the race, I failed to re-install said pedals. D'OH!

I've never claimed to be the brightest candle still in the box and tucked away in the corner kitchen drawer that all the odd pieces of crap are stuffed in, but I'm not usually stupid. So much for a fun evening of racing and hanging out with my friends for a little while.

Next Tuesday will be better... I hope.

Tim

What's with this little black cloud over my head?

Ok, which one of the bike gods did I piss off? Was it Velodromus, or Cadencio? Maybe it was Flattius Maximus? Man, I don't know but somebody is angry with me!

Two days in a row now I've gone for a nice walk with my bike. Yesterday I went out on the fixed gear road bike, but I didn't have a pump or any CO2. I figured it was a risk but I was only planning to be gone for an hour and was just cruising around not too far from home. No sweat! Well, I got a flat of course. I never ride without something to fix a flat with. Never. So I of course get a flat. It's only fair right? So I ended up walking about 2-3 miles to get home... in my bike shoes and mostly uphill. (No it wasn't snowing and there wasn't a headwind both ways.) I got home to the knowing and sarcastic smirk of my wife... how I do love her. Washed the stink of stupidity off and moved on.

Well, I figured that since my fun fixed gear ride got abbreviated yesterday and since I spent the time working on the wheel today, I might as well try things again. I had air now, so it should be all good. Plowed my way around on one of our usual lunchride routes and drug my big ole behind up a mean climb in my too big gear (what was I thinking building a 90" [50x15] gear for a road bike?). I got to the top and thought to my self, "I've earned this downhill" and began my descent. Just as I was thinking it was time to start slowing down because I was going awfully fast on the road on a fixed gear, I ran over a small piece of very sharp sheet metal that cut the tire from one bead across to the other bead. I went from 120 lbs of pressure in the tire to ZERO in a nano-second and the bike swerved and veered and squirmed as I tried to maintain composure and bring the bike to a stop without getting bucked off. Once I got to a stop and realized I was still alive, I made sure I hadn't, in fact, crapped in my bibs. To say I was a bit startled by the experience would be a slight understatement. So I grabbed the cell phone out of the jersey pocket and called in for an office mate to come pick me up and prevent me from making a 10 mile march in my cycling high heels.

I'm riding a different bike tomorrow. Maybe there is a curse on the fixed gear bike. I hope not all of my fixed gears though, as I am supposed to be racing at the track tomorrow night. I need to conduct an exorcism, perhaps, and remove the stinky demon trying to keep me from enjoying my ride. My wife is Catholic, so I'll ask her how it's done.

Tim

Frame repair;

Got a question from an owner of a vintage Masi frame about repair. Probably one of the very best things you can do to have a frame repaired (Masi or otherwise) is contact Brian Baylis. Brian was one of the artisans at Masi California and is widely regarded as one of the very finest frame builders and painters in the country. Plus, he's a really great guy. I've known Brian casually for several years, having many mutual friends, and he is now running a restoration company. Check his website for details for repair information; www.vintagecyclestudios.com.

I hope that helps.

Tim

TGIF!

It's Friday! Yippee! Don't get me wrong, by now you should know I love my job. Still, it's been "one of those weeks" and I'm happy to be heading into a weekend with the family.

Got to take the newly built Speciale Carbon out for a nice little ride today and that has got to be one of the all-time best riding bikes I've ever been on. I'd say that if somebody else's name was on it too, it just rides like a dream. The bottom bracket area isn't quite as stiff as the Gran Criterium, but the overall ride is awesome. The steel front end actually helps to "tame" the stiffness of the carbon stays too, creating a comfortable ride with ground-hugging reliability in turns. I really can't wait to get out and ride it again...

The letter and drawing below came in to the Haro side of the business, but I fell in love with it. As a parent, I have an incredible soft spot for this kind of thing, but it is so darned cute all on its own. I encourage my 12 year-old son to express himself clearly and to not be afraid to express his ideas, so I am proud of this young girl's attempts.

Spending time with the family again this weekend, seeing as to how it is Mother's Day on Sunday. May still try to sneak a ride in (probably), maybe on the fixed gear bike. Gotta' get that leg speed back.

Tim

The drawing nearly brought tears to my eyes! 

Quite possibly one of the cutest things I have ever seen! 

Look at those sweet lines. Such a pretty bike. This is the 3VS frame and there are a few of them left- Easton Scandium tubes and Easton Carbon seat stays. Light, stiff and fast. 

If you're in South Texas or Louisiana, our sales rep Nathan Frazier has this as his "demo" bike... some guys are just rock stars!  

Finally!

I'm a crappy mechanic, I admit it. I can work on my own stuff and feel relatively confident that nothing will fall off when I'm done and riding, but I do get nervous working on somebody else's bike.

It took me two days (with multiple breaks to actually "work") to build my newest bike. It's the Speciale Carbon frame that I have been holding on to for months now. I love this frame... I mean I LOVE this frame. I had been holding out for a selection of super-trick, super-sexy parts (like somebody at Shimano or Campagnolo trying to buy me off with a new Record or Dura Ace group), but I just couldn't keep staring at the frame sitting at my desk. It was tearing me apart to look at it all day every day and not be out riding it. Yes, I'm that big of a dork!

This month there is a 3-day stage race I am supposed to do and I was thinking of using this bike in the hilly road race. I threw a compact carbon crankset on, to help get my fat sorry arse over the climbs. It'd be a little heavier than the Gran Criterium, but the better climbing gearing might be good for me. Plus, the steel frame might just get me to the climbs feeling a little fresher. Who knows? Maybe I'm spending too much time thinking about bikes and the possibility of riding a different bike in each stage of the race. (Kind of likely.)

A rumor has been circulating (by me of course) that my first track frame is being painted this week. In theory, I should be riding that rascal soon. I'm all tingly with anticipation! I'm really looking forward to seeing that sweet rig roll at the track and so are a number of other people there.

Gotta run and look at that bike again...

Tim

My beloved Speciale Carbon! This really is my personal favorite of the frames we make. The steel front coupled with the carbon rear delivers an incredible ride quality. No, it isn't a featherweight (but still only 19.25 lbs for a 60cm), but not at all heavy. I mean, I didn't really throw the lightest stuff on. Man I can't wait to ride this thing tomorrow! 

Finally built up and ready to roll. 

Masi sales rep Bob Marhefke (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa) rides this deliciously gorgeous beauty. PURDY! Looks fast just sitting still doesn't it? 

Score one for the Old, Fat, Outta Shape Guys!

Well, I wasn't gonna go race at the track last night, just because my head wasn't in it and my legs felt crappy, but my wife talked me into it. She basically told me to get out of the house so she could go with the kids and have dinner and go to the library. So off to the track I trotted!

Like I said, I just didn't feel motivated to race and my legs didn't exactly feel up to the task. I really pounded myself in training last week, so the legs are not great this week. At least that is what I thought...

The motorpaced event was the typical goober-fest. Not trying to insult anybody, but because there are riders of varying levels of fitness and experience, it just gets a little sketchy. So I did my 20-25 laps of warm-up and then headed back to stretch.

We did a 6 Laps + "Danish" next. "Danish" is another name for a Win-and-Out. Effectively, we did a 6-lap go-til-you-blow and then the Win-and-Out. I just missed out on making the winning move, but had the satisfaction of being one of the main animators and was in it for the win. That was cool!

Next was a Miss-and-Out, which I hate, especially when there are about 20+ riders in the race. Just means you're going to be fighting for position for a long time. I hung in for longer than I really wanted to and then eliminated myself to rest for the final. The best part was that just before the race started, my wife showed up with the kids and I got to have my special cheering section. My daughter will be four this month and she can really scream! I could hear her voice all the way on the backside of the track. She was jumping up and down and screaming those little lungs out... now that is worth the entry fee right there.

45 lap Points race finale. As a non-endurance specialist, this has never been my event. Still, it is great training and with the State Master's Criterium Championship coming this weekend, I needed the workout. On lap 8 they announced a "Beer Prime" and I wound up the 50x15 and bolted for the finish line. I had nearly a half lap by the time I got to the line and won my Red Stripe ("Hooray for beer!"). I kept it rolling and got myself second in the sprint for the points on lap 10. So I got a beer and points... I also won a pair of socks... the Masi socks I donated for prizes! D'Oh! So I tossed the socks into the stands for the spectators and hung out and drank my beer.

Overall, not a bad night. Next week is Sprint night again and I hope to erase my stupidity from the last one.

Tim

Quick thanks...

Just gotta' throw out a quick thanks to my new blogging buddy fixedgear (who comments here frequently) for some technical blog help he provided over the weekend. As I mentioned when I first began this little journey, I'm truly technically challenged (still searching for the "any" key on my computer).

So- many, many thanks for the help.

Tim