My mind is spinning!

It's a nutty time to be in the bike business these days... at least it is for me and my cohorts at Masi/ Haro...

Most of you have not even seen the newest bikes we have produced and many models have not even been shipped to us yet. However, my product manager (Wayne Doran) and I have already wrapped up all of the Spring '08 bikes and now I am working on creating that new catalog (and it seems like the ink is still wet on the current one). Now I have to wrap up selecting new colors and finish spec (like within the next week or so) for all of the new Fall '08 bikes. No wonder I always feel dizzy and disoriented (I thought it was all the hits to the head I've taken...)

I leave in a couple weeks, January 5th, for the next trip to Taiwan. I also made the decision today that I'll be back in Taiwan for the Taipei show in March... which means I'll either be in Taiwan for my birthday (March 18th) or on a flight back, most likely. I'm going to Taipei, rather than returning to Germany for Eurobike. As amazing as that show is and as much I really want to be there, I am still unable to sell into Europe. That means that my trip to Germany is solely as a spectator doing research. Now, it was worth going this year, but if I am only going to do research and find ideas/ inspiration, then I think I should go to Italy next year instead and keep going to different markets. Plus, our distributor in Canada (Norco) is having some good success with our newest bikes and it makes much more sense for me to travel to Montreal again and go back to the Canadian version of Interbike- Expo Cycle. Besides, I really do love Montreal and was sad that I didn't go this year. Norco is a great company and they have been very good for Masi in Canada, so I really want to return to Montreal and help them as much as I can with the brand there. Since the dates for Eurobike and Expo Cycle are so close, I had to make the painful choice to return to Montreal (but I'm taking my bike again and riding up the Mont and along the river once more).

Oy, I'm feeling jetlagged and dizzy just thinking about it all... I gotta go lay down.

Tim

Ugh...

My daughter went to a birthday party for a classmate today. One of the other fathers came up to me, knowing that I'm a "bike guy" and asked me, "so is it true that all the pro riders are on dope?"







Ugh.

Tim

Bike Doosh?

Are you a Bike Doosh?

So let us see if you qualify for the specific category of bike doosh. (Masiguy answers in bold red.)

1) Do you race:
a – road (yes)
b – cross (I'm gonna)
c – mtb
d – track (yes)

15pts

2) Do you have an “A” bike and a “B” bike?
a – no, just one bike
b – yes (yes)
c – both “A” bike and “B” bikes are carbon (yes)
d – with Campy Record (one of'em)

16pts

3) Do you use a cycling computer?
a – no (no)
b – yes
c – Power Tap
d – Power Tap on your track bike

0pts

4) Do you carry a mobile phone with you when you ride?
a – no
b – yes (yes)
c – Smartphone
d – iPhone

5pts

5) Do you:
a – match cycling socks to shoes (yes)
b – match shoes to jersey (yes)
c – match jersey to helmet (yes)
d – have multiple matching outfits, shoes and helmets (yes)

16pts

6) Is your handlebar tape:
a – black (yes)
b – white (yes)
c – some other color (yes)
d – installed fresh each month

6pts

7) Do you: (no to all)
a – follow a training plan
b – keep a training log
c – an online training log
d – and pay someone to review it

0pts

8) VO2 Max Test
a – never had one
b – once
c – more than once (yes... it was bad news)
d – every year

5pts

9) Campy versus Shimano
a – who cares (who cares if it works)
b – Shimano
c – Campy
d – SRAM

0pts

10) Helmet and sunglasses
a – you buy whatever from the team sponsor (yes... well, I get'em free)

b – Lazer and Tifosi
c – Bell and Rudy Project (yes)
d – Giro and Oakley (yes)

15pts

11) Do you:
a – ride your bike to the race (sometimes)
b – carpool with pals (yes)
c – drive alone in your Audi A6 sedan with the bike in the trunk
d – refuse to let Smithers use your lug nut tool at Sogn Valley last year (score 5 bonus dick head points!)

1pt

12) Triathlon
a – no thanks (no thanks)
b – once, never again
c – sometimes
d – live for them

0pts

13) On the training ride you:
a – are in there for a while but eventually get dropped
b – are in the group the whole ride feeling good
c – sit in and wait for the end of the hard stuff and then go to the front and ride hard (yep... but I suffer through the hills and wait for all the sprint points)
d – skip it because it is not hard enough for you

5pts

14) On the training ride you talk about:
a – art, music, politics (yes)
b – girls/boys (yes)
c – the latest pro bike race on Vs. (yes)
d – last weeks training ride (yes)

16pts

15) The purpose of the training ride is to:
a – work on your weakness (yes)
b – develop fitness (yes)
c – put the hurt on everyone else (yes)
d – show off your new bike (yes)

16pts

16) The racing season is:
a – too long
b – too short
c – not enough of the races you like to do (why can't the entire season just be Keirin races?)
d – full of stupid races that you think suck even though you have never promoted a race

5pts

17) Relationship
a – In one, it’s great (I hope... I'm SO in trouble... prolly)
b – looking and hoping
c – just broke up, they didn’t understand your desire to train and race
d – no time, you have to train and race

0pts (maybe)

18) When on a date you talk about: (add 5 points for being total nerd)
a – your date
b – yourself
c – the latest pro bike race on Vs.
d – Campy versus Shimano

5pts

19) Your significant other comes to a race:
a – you drop out early to spend more time with them
b – try to make yourself look totally pro by being at the front (yes... until I blow apart and blame it on cramping)
c – ignore them
d – castigate them for not handing up the correct bottle on the correct lap (score 5 more bonus dick head points!)

1pt

20) Following the race you:
a – leave the bike in the garage and spend time with the family (yes... sometimes)
b – help make dinner and talk about the race (yes... usually)
c – sort out all your bike crap until past midnight
d – go for a recovery ride

5pts

Bonus Question
21) Are you:
Smithers? If so subtract all points and score yourself an automatic total of zero. The ability to recognize bike dooshery eliminates any possibility of personal dooshness.

For every “a” score o points, for every “b” score 1 points, for every “c” score 5 points, for every “d’ score 10 points.

0 points: You are so totally not a bike doosh, you are the coolest MF that ever walked the surface of the planet
1 – 20 points: You are not a bike doosh.
21 – 100 points: You mean well, there is hope, resist the temptation to join the dooshocracy
101 – 150 points: You are kind of a bike doosh, try harder el-doosh.
151 – 200 points: You are a total bike doosh, get a life bike doosh.

Masiguy scores... 130 points! Woo-hoo!

And you?

Tim

I'm a ramblin, ramblin, ramblin, ramblin, ramblin man...

It's been a while since I've cut loose with a full-on ramblin' post. So go grab a beer, or other bevvy of choice, and hang on...

Ivan Basso- You have got to be kidding me! No... really! "I know it's hard to believe, but trust me- all my previous wins were done clean... I was going to cheat with all that blood... but I got caught before I actually cheated. I know it was wrong, but..." (Not an actual quote, so please don't come suing my broke bike nerd ass.) Seriously? Really? On top of it, Bruyneel says that he's really disappointed that Basso lied to him. Umm... really? No sh@t Sherlock! I am trying to believe that he/ Discovery didn't know what the outcome would be if the investigation in the Puerto case continued... but I'm having a really hard time. No... really, I am.

Floyd Landis- Floyd's arbitration hearing has gone from pretty good, to ok, to not so good, to downright freakin bizarre. Now-former manager Will Geoghegan makes incredibly stupid phone call to Greg LeMond to try and intimidate him the night before he is to take the stand as a witness for the other side. Ok... that alone is one of the stupidest things I think I have ever heard. Really, this puts him in a league of nearly his own on the jackass/ idiot lists. What a dumbass! But... poor Floyd... I love you brother and want to believe the very best about you... but how do you not fire the asshole the second you know he did something so stupid? You find out what he did, just minutes/ few hours after the fact and then you don't do anything about it and try to hope it just goes away? Really? Man, that was a bad, bad move. Prior to this bombshell, I was totally in the "I am waiting for the evidence" camp. Now, I am terribly frightened for Floyd. Even if he is innocent of the doping charges, it is safe to say that his days of racing are likely over. With this ugly circus, which many believed would highlight a shitty anti- doping system, what team would want to sign him? This really does screw Floyd's chances pretty badly. Unless the anti-doping folks do something even dumber (dumberest), there's pretty much nothing to do but wish Floyd a great post-cycling career. Like I said, I love ya' buddy... but, man, that was a pretty stupid thing. That said, I'll still happily buy you a beer if I ever get the chance.

Thursday was the bike industry bike to work Industry Cup Challenge- sponsored by Specialized. Haro had it's best turn out yet, with 17-18 of 26 employees riding in to the office. Me, I rode in and back myself. First time since I've been with the company too... since I live 40 miles from work. So my commute was a whopping 80 miles. Heck, I used to ride 80 miles a day nearly every day when I was seriously racing, but those days are long since gone. I was riding super strong, for me, on the way in to work- making it in less than 2 hours (and that's with all the lights and stops). However, the ride home was a totally different story... taking me more like 2 hours and just shy of 45 minutes. I bonked, blew up, cramped, fell apart at the seams and generally stunk to high hell. It was almost laughable, except that I could find the energy to make any noise. There is one good climb on the way home (Torrey Pines, for you locals) and I was nearly swerving up the hill in the bike lane. I love the climb too- it's one of my favorites- but my legs were simply ca-flooey. I saw the Care Bears, Smokey the Bear and that duck from the Aflac commercials. One of them, I'm not sure which because I was totally hallucinating at the time, encouraged me to keep pushing on the pedals so I wouldn't fall over and have the little old lady on the old touring bike run over me. Thanks for the words of inspiration, who ever you were/ are. All that whining aside, I'd love to find a way to do that more often than every 2+ years. It's actually a really great ride and I have always had a soft spot for early morning rides. All those years of hard training early in the morning made a mark on me.

As much as it freaks me out to admit, it is time to create the next Masi catalog. I've already begun putting some ideas down. I'm sketching out what and how I want to say all the things that will hopefully entice all of you who have not already purchased a Masi to realize that you simply must have one. (You know you want one... or a new one.) If you've got great ideas, suggestions, requests, or whatnot... lemme know. Let me just say that you are going to like what you see... I promise. Really.

A&F Pro Development team- I love my team! These guys just keep rocking! Not only did Mark Hekman win Athens Twilight, but he held on to win the overall for the Southeast Crits race series. Sweet! I mean... super sweet! These guys then went on to roll strong at the Joe Martin stage race. Mark finished a very respectable 18th overall- not bad for a guy who is a crit specialist. The team rode strong in support of Mark, since he is clearly on a roll. It isn't a win, but it is another strong performance from a team that keeps on fighting it out with the biggest domestic teams in the US. Way to go guys!

Saturday afternoon I got out for a little ride. Just an hour to spin the legs loose after a hard Thursday. I didn't ride on Friday because I had a very super top secret meeting with Shimano. I could tell you, but... you know the drill. Special warm and fuzzy thanks to our man Daniel and his Shimano credit card... sushi is so yummy. I guess this makes me something of a whore, since our very good friend from SRAM, Brian Billington, visited just the week before and went for a ride with us and then went to lunch with us. Jeesh... I guess I am a slut. Anyway, to my point... on my ride, I stopped by Adams Avenue Bicycles to visit with my good friend Andrew Lee. Andrew and all the guys at Adams are just amazing guys. I love'em... in a totally normal, bike nerd way.


Andrew and his crew are some of the finest mechanics around this town, which is part of why I stopped by to see them. I had a technical issue to ask them about my drivetrain- for some reason, no matter what I do, the chain skips on the 11t cog. It never skips anywhere else. The shifting is totally perfect on every other gear. No skips, no nothing. The lockring for the cassette is the proper one for an 11t cassette, so the chain isn't hitting that. If you shift up the cogset slightly, you can see grease marks on the integrated spacer for the cog, indicating that the chain side plates are hitting the spacer. It is a general theory that this is why the chain is skipping- if I apply hard pedaling force, the chain slips over the 11t cog, as if the chain isn't grabbing the teeth. It's weird... excluding Daniel and Brian, anybody got any ideas? The cogset, though a few years old, has only seen a few rides and the 11t is nearly virgin since I haven't been able to ride in it. You guys at Campy got any ideas?

Ok... I think I'm done for now. Maybe...

I'm "that guy"...

About two years ago, I was still the guy who used to be really fast, but due to work and lack of training was now just fast without doing too much work to be that way. Still competitive at the races and capable of the periodic "upset" win.

Now I am the guy who is no longer fast and who simply talks about how he used to be fast and was even once really fast. I am now "that guy"... the one who really should just admit that he's not fast anymore and just needs to take a step back and be honest and just race with the B group now and not the A group.

It's a sad reality...

So, as you might've guessed, my first night of track racing in two years did not go all that well. I didn't race any of the weekly evening races at the track last year because my work schedule was just too heavy and I couldn't justify leaving work an hour early to go race my bike. And all the travel ate into my training (can you feel the Excuse Wall being built). I only did one race at the track last year... one... and that was time trials, for crying out loud! Needless to say, my legs went into shock last night.I went to the track specifically to race Keirin. I thought we were doing Sprints too, but it was just the Keirin, which is probably a good thing- I didn't have to embarrass myself in two events that way. My first round Keirin ride was a 5 man ride... one of those riders being Angelo Martorell who rides for the Mexican National team and has competed at both World Cup and /world Championship events and raced in Europe... he's good... really good. Angelo and I have raced against each other for about 10 years now, or close to it. The thing I like most about racing with Angelo, who is actually a very nice guy for a sprinter, is that he and I are almost always trying to be in the same spot on the track and almost always end up making pretty good contact. It seems like every time I'm in a Keirin with Angelo, we end up playing the gladiator game and bang off of each other like Keirin should be raced. Elbows, knees, headbutts... good physical Keirin. Last night was no exception... I was sitting second wheel behind the rider directly behind the motor, when the motor pulled off and we had two laps to race. As soon as the motor was gone and we were into turn 2, I moved slightly ahead to try and box in the lead rider a little and as soon as I did, Angelo moved up into my spot. As soon as I settled back a little bit, he was under my armpit with his helmet and elbow. I reciprocated and our delicate dance began! He elbowed me, I elbowed him, we both kind of kneed and butted the other for a little while and then I simply said, "nice to see you again Angelo!" He looked up at me and just shot me a grin.

When we came out of turn 2 on the bell lap, I jumped hard from my #2 spot and... blew a hamstring. I cramped pretty badly, but truth be told, even without the cramp, I doubt I could've done anything when they accelerated. I thought I'd try to go for the win and see if I could hold them off, but the cramp shut me down completely and then the grim reality that I simply wasn't as fast as them set in.So I spent the next part of the evening trying to stay warmed up and tried to stretch the hamstring back out. Since I didn't advance out of the first round of the Keirin, I had to wait for our consolation bracket finale ("losers bracket"), which was a 10 lap Snowball. One of the young guns took off immediately from the gun and got a nice little gap and took the first three lap points. Since he had a nice gap, I figured I'd chase him down and either just bring him back with the group or work with him and stay out front... but I only succeeded in closing the gap and then blowing apart in fantastic fashion and pulling out after 6 of the 10 laps.

Realizing my night was essentially done... I put on my jacket and shorts and headed into the stands to sit with friends and have a few beers and watch the Keirin final and the 30 lap Scratch finale. It was pretty cool to hang out in the fairly full stands (for us) and hang out. I got to see good friends and have a nice tasty beverage.When I got up into the stands, I found my buddy Dan- "Nut Punch"- Large with his lovely girlfriend Alicia (not sure if I spelled that right). It was Dan's birthday, so he was surrounded by friends and the beer was flowing. Best of all, Alicia has a fantastic sense of style! It should also be mentioned that Dan is a great mechanic at Adams Avenue Bike Shop and recently served as a wrench/ moto driver for Mavic at the Tour de Georgia... Also in the stands was my very good friend PP (today is his birthday). PP is a good guy... and I managed to not crack any of his ribs last night. His current project is converting diesel engine cars to vegetable oil cars. It's pretty cool... his smells like Thai food!Once the races were over, it was time for pizza at Lefty's! We had yummy pizza and beer and made Dan feel a little better about being so damned old (except he's younger than me).And this is Richie (again, not sure of spelling). Richie is a new transplant to San Diego from the fine little village known as New York City. Yes, he sounds like a New Yorker and heckles race announcers like one too. BUT... he can ride a bike... very well.
The picture doesn't do justice to the fact he was doing no-handed wheelies on his fixed gear- with just his sneaks on- no clips, no nothing. It was impressive.

So all in all, even with realizing how slow I am (currently), I had a great time at the track and can't wait to get back and try to improve on my performance of last night. I still race and still will race simply because I love to do it. I love racing. Even if I am "that guy".

It was also great to see all the other friends who I didn't get pictures of; Gordon, Tony, Scott, John, Schanda, etc, etc, etc... (I'll get pictures next time).

I look forward to the next race I get to, though next week I'll be out of town again. Hopefully it won't be more than two weeks before I am back on the track again... even if I have to race the B group (and hope for better luck).

Tim

You KNOW you want one...

Ok, this is simply too cool to not mention... trust me.

Thanks Squirrel!

Tim

PS- You know you want one. Really...

Goofy is good... sometimes...

My good friend CK has successfully convinced me to further showcase what a dork I am... as if I needed prodding.

Sometimes, it is good to just remember who we are and not take ourselves or our situations too seriously. Sometimes, silly is good.

So, in the spirit of the moment, I give you Masi Geek!

Me with my first bike (and probably my first helicopter). Notice the bars- stem turned backwards so I can reach the bars! It was painted like denim with a blue to orange fade with orange sparkle vinyl seat. Maybe I should do that with one of the new Masis... hmmm...

Here I am in 1986 at the Alabama State Olympics, taking second in the road race. Notice the lean, trim look. 16 years old, 6' 2.5" tall and a whopping 125 pounds! Oh yeah... the ladies were swarming... like flies... over somebody else.

And even at the ripe old age of just 4, I knew cycling was my thing (dig that shirt!). And yes, I've always had a thing for red.

Taichung in January- Notice the concentration and excellent balloon shooting skills.


They're all gone and when you are that good a shot...

... they give you a prize!

Yes, the world is safe from attacking balloons, as long as the Masiguy has a bb gun! You can all sleep soundly now. I know you feel safer- I do too.

Get silly and remember to smile now and again... it's good for you.

Tim