My Morning Ride...

Originally Posted by charles

It was really brutal...honestly the worst part was I just wasn't geared right. The weather didn't bother me too much except for the wind...it was SO gusty and with the deep carbon rims I was getting blown all over the place. I don't mind that weather either except I get a little nervous about visibility...I know too many people that have been crunched by cars.

I hear ya... There are places around my old training grounds where if it was morning and there was fog, you could see across a small valley, but the valley itself was pea soup, and you would descend into it not being able to see more than maybe 20m aheat at a time.

BTW, been hit by cars six times so far. But I have been extremely lucky. I have lost four friends over the years, two who were run over by dump trucks, one rear ended by an a-hole who took a run at the group from behind in his pick-up and and one guy who slid in the rain in a crit, jumped the hay bale and went through a store plate glass window and bled to death. It can be a terribly dangerous sport.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

I hear ya... There are places around my old training grounds where if it was morning and there was fog, you could see across a small valley, but the valley itself was pea soup, and you would descend into it not being able to see more than maybe 20m aheat at a time.

BTW, been hit by cars six times so far. But I have been extremely lucky. I have lost four friends over the years, two who were run over by dump trucks, one rear ended by an a-hole who took a run at the group from behind in his pick-up and and one guy who slid in the rain in a crit, jumped the hay bale and went through a store plate glass window and bled to death. It can be a terribly dangerous sport.

That is 6 too many my friend. I've been hit twice, run off the road far too much and was a bike messenger in school in NYC so that we won't even count for vehicle run-ins. Definitely can be a dangerous sport.

Originally Posted by charles

That is 6 too many my friend. I've been hit twice, run off the road far too much and was a bike messenger in school in NYC so that we won't even count for vehicle run-ins. Definitely can be a dangerous sport.

It sure can, but I have to say, the drivers are far better these days, as opposed to say 20 years ago. Either that or I am way better at reading traffic.

In my yout I would routinely have an incident a week (being cut off, having someone flip the bird, yell at you to get off the road) whereas the past 5-10 years, maybe once or twice a season.

Did you say you are riding tubbies on the Moot.

I have tubs on my 1983 Pinarello but run clinchers on the 1993 Pinarello.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

It sure can, but I have to say, the drivers are far better these days, as opposed to say 20 years ago. Either that or I am way better at reading traffic.

In my yout I would routinely have an incident a week (being cut off, having someone flip the bird, yell at you to get off the road) whereas the past 5-10 years, maybe once or twice a season.

Did you say you are riding tubbies on the Moot.

I have tubs on my 1983 Pinarello but run clinchers on the 1993 Pinarello.

Absolutely...jeez being a roadie 10 years ago was just asking for it. I'd say that's right on the money, about twice/year I have some kind of issue.

Yup, the Moots runs Lightweight carbon tubulars...VERY light...around 1kg for the pair. I love them. It wasn't easy getting the bike down to 14lbs.

Originally Posted by charles

It wasn't easy getting the bike down to 14lbs.

Or cheap.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Or cheap.

I remember when you could get a top of the line Colnago with Super Record for about a grand. To get the same now you have to be pushing, what $8,000 or so, right.

YIKES!

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

I remember when you could get a top of the line Colnago with Super Record for about a grand. To get the same now you have to be pushing, what $8,000 or so, right.

YIKES!

That sounds about right...lots of folks are finding good deals on ebay. I saved a ton by building up the Colnago myself and finding good deals here & there. But you can go to wrenchscience.com to spec one out and you'll see what the "cheap" street value is out the door...I built this one up real quick to see...hey you get free shipping! Not a bad price for a loaded C50 tho...

Frame Colnago C50 NS03 45.00 51.80 SLP 2.43lbs
Fork Colnago Star OEM spec'd Carbon S 43.00 385.00g
Brake Set Campagnolo Record-D Skeleton | Black 279.00g
Brake Shift Campagnolo Record QS Ergopower 324.00g
Crank Campagnolo Record Ultra Torque | Carbon | 39-53 643.00g
Bottom Bracket Campagnolo Ultra-Torque | Aluminum 49.00g
Front Derailleur Campagnolo Record QS 69.00g
Cassette Campagnolo Record | Steel/Titanium | 12-25 205.00g
Rear Derailleur Campagnolo Record | S 184.00g
Chain Campagnolo Record Ultra 230.00g
Pedal SpeedPlay X/1 Ti | Black/Ti 150.00g
Headset Chris King NoThread Set | Black 126.00g
Stem Deda Elementi Magic | Black | 100.00 | -10.00 147.00g
Handlebar Deda Elementi Magic | Black | Aluminum 290.00g
Handlebar Tape Deda Elementi Soft Touch | Black 15.00g
Cable Campagnolo Stainless | 120.00g
Housing Campagnolo Campagnolo | Black 160.00g
Seatpost Colnago Carbon Carbon 240mm Setback 165.00g
Saddle Fizik Aliante Sport Ti | Black 200.00g
Tire Set Continental Grand Prix 4000 | Black | Kevlar | 23.00 410.00g
Tube Set Butyl Presta 20.00-28.00 | 36.00mm 200.00g
Wheelset Campagnolo Eurus Black 1550.00g
Skewer Campagnolo QR20 | Silver | 90.00g
Skewer Set Campagnolo QR30 | Silver | 115.00g
Rim Tape Velox Cloth Rim Tape 7.50g
Bike Weight: 16.39lbs Bike Sub-Total: $7,515.97

Wow, I would hate to see what that would be in Canadian dollars from a local shop. Gotta be pushing CDN$10,000.

When I went to get the Montello, because they dont stock my size and the guy I deal with is the Canadian importer (and friend) he said since they have to make it anyways, he may as well measure me up. So I got my frame custom built for CDN$975 (it would have been $900 but the chromo nero finish was an extra $75), when a stock Montello frame was going for $1400.

I got the Record gruppo for $1200 when it was retailing at just over $2K. Once I put a saddle and pedals on it, the total cost was about $2500, so I saved about $15-1700. When I raced in Pinarello team colours, I used a supplied team bike but why not take advantage of connections for my training tool.

Thankfully, I dont really have the need to get a new bike. I love my Montello and the Ergo-Record just gets smoother with age (bloody stiff when new).

I am curious to try a bike with the new carbon Record group though. But I would hate to drop it. YOu cant really buff gouges out of CF.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Wow, I would hate to see what that would be in Canadian dollars from a local shop. Gotta be pushing CDN$10,000.

When I went to get the Montello, because they dont stock my size and the guy I deal with is the Canadian importer (and friend) he said since they have to make it anyways, he may as well measure me up. So I got my frame custom built for CDN$975 (it would have been $900 but the chromo nero finish was an extra $75), when a stock Montello frame was going for $1400.

I got the Record gruppo for $1200 when it was retailing at just over $2K. Once I put a saddle and pedals on it, the total cost was about $2500, so I saved about $15-1700. When I raced in Pinarello team colours, I used a supplied team bike but why not take advantage of connections for my training tool.

Thankfully, I dont really have the need to get a new bike. I love my Montello and the Ergo-Record just gets smoother with age (bloody stiff when new).

I am curious to try a bike with the new carbon Record group though. But I would hate to drop it. YOu cant really buff gouges out of CF.

I didn't need a new bike either...but it happened... That was a sweet deal you got! Frame pricing is completely out of control now.

My C50 is campy record and the Moots is 07 compact campy carbon and the power transfer difference is noticeable BUT the frames are so different it's really tough to tell. I do know that the design of the 07 campy is MUCH easier to deal with! I really love full Ti tho...rides like a dream. Nice to be able to use lemon pledge to clean the frame too.

Originally Posted by charles

Nice to be able to use lemon pledge to clean the frame too.

Bastid.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Bastid.

[sheldonsmith]

This is my favorite riding pict taken by my Dad at the Nevada City classic two years ago. I am chasing the old euro pros in this pict. Finished 20th and was lapped just near the end. This was taken in the 40-45+ age group. This is a one hour, big-ring, HR 95% race. Felt pretty decent of my result considering the amount of training I can squeeze while navigating life's other obligations. I used to be a Cat I back in a previous life (finished 8th in the Pro-Am race back in the early 80's) , but now just cycling in the AM before work and an occasional training race keeps me sane.

Didn't realize that there were so many cycleheads in this group. Cool!

-Sheldon

[Lol-x]

Wow I haven't looked at this tread for a while and it has gone quite a way.....

I remember those chrome black Pinarello frames, very nice, I remember seeing it in the shop brand new, I think it was Columbus SLX at least the one I saw.

The Liteweight wheels are the business, very light and are said to be magic to ride. I am a clincher guy so I will make do with my Campagnolo Nucleons which I have had for several years without any problems, more than I can say for the Mavic Ksyriums I had previously.

Titanium is a great material, no doubt about that, but my Cannondale has not disappointed me as those guys know how to build with aluminum.

Charles the roads look very smooth in your neck of the woods, that makes me want to go for a ride there. Kind of reminds me of this section of road I found out of the capital city in Sweden a few years ago. I was out doing about a 50km explorative ride and came across this section of forrest, it was maybe only 500m to 1km long, but it was pure bike heaven. I think I rode that small section about 6 times backwards and forwards. I dream of that time and the euphoria of the occasion. I was riding my Eddy Merckx titanium.

These days, it is difficult to get out of bed early in the morning to ride, but with the Christmas/New Year season I've been doing quite a few ridess. The big challenge is to maintain the riding frequency when I go back to work.

I've only ridden in club races, but I now sponsor a rider or two and yesterday one of my riders won: Belinda Goss, so wish her well for the next two days she might win the pro-series. Robbie McEwan's in town and racing in the mens race, that guy is too cool.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007...s/bayseries072

Hey Sheldon, where and when did you race? We may have crossed paths at some point. I raced Cat 1-2 from 1985 to 1999 and raced all over Ontario, Quebec, NY, Vermont, Mass, OH and MI.

Steve, yeah the original Chromo Nero Montello was speced with SLX but since mine was custom, I also selected the tube set.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

Wow I haven't looked at this tread for a while and it has gone quite a way.....

I remember those chrome black Pinarello frames, very nice, I remember seeing it in the shop brand new, I think it was Columbus SLX at least the one I saw.

The Liteweight wheels are the business, very light and are said to be magic to ride. I am a clincher guy so I will make do with my Campagnolo Nucleons which I have had for several years without any problems, more than I can say for the Mavic Ksyriums I had previously.

Titanium is a great material, no doubt about that, but my Cannondale has not disappointed me as those guys know how to build with aluminum.

Charles the roads look very smooth in your neck of the woods, that makes me want to go for a ride there. Kind of reminds me of this section of road I found out of the capital city in Sweden a few years ago. I was out doing about a 50km explorative ride and came across this section of forrest, it was maybe only 500m to 1km long, but it was pure bike heaven. I think I rode that small section about 6 times backwards and forwards. I dream of that time and the euphoria of the occasion. I was riding my Eddy Merckx titanium.

These days, it is difficult to get out of bed early in the morning to ride, but with the Christmas/New Year season I've been doing quite a few ridess. The big challenge is to maintain the riding frequency when I go back to work.

I've only ridden in club races, but I now sponsor a rider or two and yesterday one of my riders won: Belinda Goss, so wish her well for the next two days she might win the pro-series. Robbie McEwan's in town and racing in the mens race, that guy is too cool.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007...s/bayseries072

The Lightweight's are something special no doubt...I love tubulars eventho they're generally more of a pain in the neck. The roads here aren't bad however in that pic they're particularly nice. That's the climb up to Beech Mountain (Lance's famous training ground) so the road is super smooth and feels like you're climbing a wall. It's a great ride tho and a blast to ride on a road littered with "Go Lance"...love him or hate him you'll get a charge either way.

I love Robbie...one of my favorite riders... Nothing like seeing him on the flat stages...he gives hope to the rest of us small guys.

[sheldonsmith]

From 81-85, rode with Kent Bostic, Kevin Lutz, Todd Gugulski, Mark Caldwell, Glen Winkler on the Ten Speed Drive Team, a distributor based in Florida. The team was California based. During these years we mostly chased the 7-Eleven crowd and the Raliegh (Phinney, Shuler, Heiden, Keifel, Bauer, etc). When we traveled east, we did SuperWeek, Pepsi-Lowenbrau, Summerville, Ashville Stage Race, Central Park NY, Nationals (Wisconsin), Tour of Texas. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, my original coach/trainer was Otto Jacome, who you see still working with Greg Lemond. Otto was Greg (and Father Bob's) first real coach. I rode with Greg in his last amateur race in the Giro di San Francisco. He was a first year senior and I was a second year junior. I finished 18th; Greg lapped us all... After 1985, I rode with the Collegiate crowd with Cal Poly-SLO. Won a few state and national medals.....

This was all past life.... Below is my last European cycling trip riding the Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix Courses the day before the events (we watched the races the next day)... The picts are Arenburg Forest, Roubaix Velodrome, and the top of the Koppenburg. The bottom picture is below the start banner at Roubaix. There is a story on how I got the VIP pass but I will save that for later....

I can talk cycling forever.... Might even get a ride in today.

Best,

Sheldon

[charles]

Originally Posted by sheldonsmith

From 81-85, rode with Kent Bostic, Kevin Lutz, Todd Gugulski, Mark Caldwell, Glen Winkler on the Ten Speed Drive Team, a distributor based in Florida. The team was California based. During these years we mostly chased the 7-Eleven crowd and the Raliegh (Phinney, Shuler, Heiden, Keifel, Bauer, etc). When we traveled east, we did SuperWeek, Pepsi-Lowenbrau, Summerville, Ashville Stage Race, Central Park NY, Nationals (Wisconsin), Tour of Texas. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, my original coach/trainer was Otto Jacome, who you see still working with Greg Lemond. Otto was Greg (and Father Bob's) first real coach. I rode with Greg in his last amateur race in the Giro di San Francisco. He was a first year senior and I was a second year junior. I finished 18th; Greg lapped us all... After 1985, I rode with the Collegiate crowd with Cal Poly-SLO. Won a few state and national medals.....

This was all past life.... Below is my last European cycling trip riding the Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix Courses the day before the events (we watched the races the next day)... The picts are Arenburg Forest, Roubaix Velodrome, and the top of the Koppenburg....

I can talk cycling forever.... Might even get a ride in today.

Best,

Sheldon

Awesome! Damn sad to see Phinney tho... :(

Did you have to walk the Koppenburg? I've done that route a few times...talk about a horrible climb.

[wmthedirector]

u h. old men loooooooooooooooooooooooool

Originally Posted by sheldonsmith

From 81-85, rode with Kent Bostic, Kevin Lutz, Todd Gugulski, Mark Caldwell, Glen Winkler on the Ten Speed Drive Team, a distributor based in Florida. The team was California based. During these years we mostly chased the 7-Eleven crowd and the Raliegh (Phinney, Shuler, Heiden, Keifel, Bauer, etc). When we traveled east, we did SuperWeek, Pepsi-Lowenbrau, Summerville, Ashville Stage Race, Central Park NY, Nationals (Wisconsin), Tour of Texas. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, my original coach/trainer was Otto Jacome, who you see still working with Greg Lemond. Otto was Greg (and Father Bob's) first real coach. I rode with Greg in his last amateur race in the Giro di San Francisco. He was a first year senior and I was a second year junior. I finished 18th; Greg lapped us all... After 1985, I rode with the Collegiate crowd with Cal Poly-SLO. Won a few state and national medals.....

This was all past life.... Below is my last European cycling trip riding the Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix Courses the day before the events (we watched the races the next day)... The picts are Arenburg Forest, Roubaix Velodrome, and the top of the Koppenburg....

I can talk cycling forever.... Might even get a ride in today.

Best,

Sheldon

WOW, way cool. I remember reading about Bostic. He was a beast!

My wife's cousin is on Canada's national team now and making great headway. His family thinks he's wasting his time but I have no doubt he will be able to turn pro. He's 19 and already ridding in two world championships and won a few national championshisps.

I'm sure we can keep this thread going nicely.

Anyone ever race the Tour of Sommerville? I hate that race (love it too).

[charles]

Originally Posted by Atomic

WOW, way cool. I remember reading about Bostic. He was a beast!

My wife's cousin is on Canada's national team now and making great headway. His family thinks he's wasting his time but I have no doubt he will be able to turn pro. He's 19 and already ridding in two world championships and won a few national championshisps.

I'm sure we can keep this thread going nicely.

Anyone ever race the Tour of Sommerville? I hate that race (love it too).

I've never done Sommerville...but I know that love/hate feeling. The Blood, Sweat & Gears ride in Western, NC is the same way.

Anyone here ridden Mount Washington in NH?

[sheldonsmith]

yep, did Summerville (I mispelled it above). It rained and my teammate caused one of the biggest crashes there to date by sliding on the first corner into the curb, then tried to get back in the field while the 200+ group was still completing the corner (thus taking down more riders...) Embarrassing..... all caught on local TV. I cant remember who won, but it was a duel between Phinney and Bauer, each on separate teams at the time (I think it was Phinney who won)..... I finished in the mid - 20's....

Good to hear about the worlds.... As long as he is making progress each year, he is not spinning his years by...

Originally Posted by sheldonsmith

yep, did Summerville (I mispelled it above). It rained and my teammate caused one of the biggest crashes there to date by sliding on the first corner into the curb, then tried to get back in the field while the 200+ group was still completing the corner (thus taking down more riders...) Embarrassing..... all caught on local TV. I cant remember who won, but it was a duel between Phinney and Bauer, each on separate teams at the time (I think it was Phinney who won)..... I finished in the mid - 20's....

Good to hear about the worlds.... As long as he is making progress each year, he is not spinning his years by...

I remember guys talking about that crash. Had a couple of older team mates who were there in that one (and they both went down ).

Don't worry though, my buddy has the dubious distinction of starting to pedal out of a hairpin too early at the Canadian Tire Classic in Toronto, his pedal hit, he went down and he manged to have Sean Kelly fall right on top of him. Kelly gave him a shot in the head too. Twenty years on, he still can't live that one down.

[amanda]

Originally Posted by charles

April and broke my collarbone...separated shoulder...road rash...etc, etc. The usual nasty bike stuff when spandex meets pave. How big are you? My buddy is about 6'4" and he drops off the hills like a falcon...I'm pretty small so I generally just meet him at the next stop sign. :)

Wow your crash sounds like the one this guy had at work. He had just ridden the Melbourne race 'Around the Bay in Day' or whatever its called... he's riding into the city to his apartment after being on the bike all day. Gets front wheel caught in a tram track, handle bars do a 45deg twist .. and his 6'9" stature goes head first into the ground over handlebars.... 3 weeks in hospital, punctured lungs the whole lot! OUCHeeee...

Apparently his bike seat sits as tall as I am - I'm 5'5'" He's all legs mind you!!

This is an interesting thread. I find riding in the traffic too scary, so stick to bike paths mainly, we are lucky in Melbourne to have an awesome bike track infrastructure especially for families!

[charles]

Originally Posted by amanda

Wow your crash sounds like the one this guy had at work. He had just ridden the Melbourne race 'Around the Bay in Day' or whatever its called... he's riding into the city to his apartment after being on the bike all day. Gets front wheel caught in a tram track, handle bars do a 45deg twist .. and his 6'9" stature goes head first into the ground over handlebars.... 3 weeks in hospital, punctured lungs the whole lot! OUCHeeee...

Apparently his bike seat sits as tall as I am - I'm 5'5'" He's all legs mind you!!

This is an interesting thread. I find riding in the traffic too scary, so stick to bike paths mainly, we are lucky in Melbourne to have an awesome bike track infrastructure especially for families!

Punctured lungs! Riding on regular roads is a blast but riding in traffic is NEVER fun. I was a bike messenger in college in NYC so I lost any fear of cars a long time ago.

[Dan Pierce]

I love reading all of the cycling dialog here! I started riding on purpose in 1999 when I turned 40. Been riding all year every year since, about 3 to 4 thousand miles per. Great racing stories guys. I just try to survive each ride. Had a few small wrecks and bruised my ego but was able to walk away each time.
If any of you cycling-watch nuts goes riding thru Northern Ky I'll be the old man you're passing.
dP

[Langnam]

I think I'll keep this thread alive a little longer.

I used to race starting in 1978 and made it up to Cat 2 in 1983, my last year of competitive biking. While I did very well running, I couldn't get the equivalent ranking in biking. Man, it was hard! I did race once with Greg LeMond. He's my age, I think, and was a really nice guy, until it was time to put the hammer down. Then, he would just disappear.
Here's my racing rig. Bought in '78, repainted and refurbished in '87. Reynolds 531 Double butted throughout, hand filed lugs and Campy super record except for the crankset. The crankset was a Campy clone built by Galli.
I ride exclusively the mountain bike now and will be out in the woods tomorrow with a friend.

[charles]

Originally Posted by Langnam

I think I'll keep this thread alive a little longer.

I used to race starting in 1978 and made it up to Cat 2 in 1983, my last year of competitive biking. While I did very well running, I couldn't get the equivalent ranking in biking. Man, it was hard! I did race once with Greg LeMond. He's my age, I think, and was a really nice guy, until it was time to put the hammer down. Then, he would just disappear.
Here's my racing rig. Bought in '78, repainted and refurbished in '87. Reynolds 531 Double butted throughout, hand filed lugs and Campy super record except for the crankset. The crankset was a Campy clone built by Galli.
I ride exclusively the mountain bike now and will be out in the woods tomorrow with a friend.

Hey Langam...where are you going to be riding? I'll make sure to intercept and take that beautiful Sohne off your hands since that's way too sophistimacated of a watch for a dirty mtb'er.


jk! Have a great ride!

[Langnam]

Originally Posted by charles

Hey Langam...where are you going to be riding? I'll make sure to intercept and take that beautiful Sohne off your hands since that's way too sophistimacated of a watch for a dirty mtb'er.


jk! Have a great ride!

Charles,
When I'm in the woods, I slum it with my Breitling Navitimer Premier

[charles]

Originally Posted by Langnam

Charles,
When I'm in the woods, I slum it with my Breitling Navitimer Premier

Just watch out for watch obsessed bears!