Cold is relative.

That's what someone north of the arctic circle once said, in a small town in upper Alaska.

"Cold is relative."

para. ..."Zero degrees, for example, is warm here. And that's on the Fahrenheit scale, too.. I'm talking zero degrees. Zero degrees means the truck will probably run better. Zero degrees means the tires probably won't stay square for too long. Zero degrees means getting the mail is less of a hardship. Zero is almost t-shirt weather..."

The writings of a hardened railroad man driving fuel-oil trains in the land of three-hour daylight, brittle steel, and -60ºF nights.

Zero is still cold to me, tho. I ain't that hard, but I felt pretty good this morning as I set out.
For me, eleven degrees above is "warm" now. I just got inside from taking the trash cans out, and it's almost pleasant outside. No wind tonite helps. This morning was different.

I have spent weeks and weeks griping about the weather. Too cold. Too much snow on the roads. (Ok, that one is legit sometimes) The trail is all iced up. I'll ride next weekend.

Extremes have a way of motivating people. Two weeks back, it was much warmer than usual -- some might say, extreme for January. Of course, a lot of us got out, suited up, and rode. It was nice! Extremes of another kind can motivator also, but only in a few strange cases. I happen to be one of those. For some reason, LAST week 20 degrees seemed too cold to tolerate. THIS week, I saw the first little "negative" symbol in front of a temperature, and got excited. Yeah, I know -- weird. But, it motivated me. I dusted off the BIG gloves, got the nice jacket out of wraps - you know, that special winter gear that is so ridiculous that it's only really usable when it's below ten degrees -- but for some reason I bought a lot of it. Yeesh. With such an arsenal, it's amazing I make excuses not to commute at all -- but I still do sometimes. Today, I - without hesitation - suited up, readied the bike, and set out.

Full ice face, frozen tears clinging to my eyelashes, I made my way into a steady headwind from the north - temperatures at the handlebars must have been WAY below zero with the wind chill, but I was enjoying myself, and the looks from confused motorists! Some nodding with approval, some thumbs up, some agape mouths, some head shakes of disbelief or doubt about my sense of self-preservation. The looks sometimes out-weigh the power of the ride itself. The acknowledgement of doing something extreme, something that only the hearty will do. Something perhaps only the insane would subject themselves to. Weeks of nasty weather, and disappointing encounters with co-workers culminating finally with a "yes" to their questions,

"...so, did ya ride TODAY?"

Yes. Yes I did. And it was GREAT.

Yeah, it may not be -60ºF, and I may never impress those that post in the forums about their epic metric century in deep Manitoba winter-time, with blowing snow and -30 on the dial...but it's pretty good for me. After all, I'm not out to impress -- only to show it's possible, maybe only to myself. It's confirmation that I'm alive, and I still have a sense of adventure - maybe a slight taste for danger. It feels good to have those feelings again, instead of being so afraid.

All I know is, +50ºF this coming Sunday is going to feel HOT!!!!!

Kansas Weather. Rock on!

Trek 450 - The details

Okay, I promised a more in-depth posting, so here it is: It's good for the detail-junkie in all of us, I suppose, and I'm CERTAINLY one of those!

The project was originally started as an all-original Trek 450 from 1985. I remember the day this bike came home with it's original owner, the Warbird, back in probably 198...... hmmmm... 89? Something like that... all I know is, my parents had recently moved into a new house, and I tihnk it was around 1989 or so -- se graduated in 1990, so it was before then... that narrows it down. It turns out, interestingly enough, that I had ridden this bike TWICE before I brough it officially into my own stable, which is kinda neat. Of all the garage sale specials I've taken home (the Schwinn World Sport, The Univega, the Purple Hippo), all the quality used frames that I had no clue the mileage and previous experience of the owners (The Bianchi, Trek 720, the Steamroller.), this was a true prize because I actually knew just about everytihng about it, and had ridden it! Ride number one -- I had NO idea what I was doing, the 'Bird had JUST bought it and brought it over to show me, and I rode it down the street and back. At the time my only bicycling exposure was mtn. bikes -- cheap ones -- and bike trail riding. I was in the middle of working on my 1976 Buick at the time, if that gives you any idea. I was interested -- but not REALLY interested. The 'Bird on the other hand was an accomplished cyclist, racer, and century rider. Again, I moan a little - deep inside - knowing what I missed back then, only with retrospect. It's hard to tell what paths we will take in life, but not discovering cycling earlier is something I regret. The Warbird took the bike home, and that was that. Life went on.

A few years later... more like a decade-plus... I HAD discovered cycling, and turns out the Warbird had taken some time off. We both started up training for the MS-150 in the year 2000, and that year my road bike, the first real road bike of mine, the Schwinn Passage (aka The Weapon) was in the shop for some much needed attention --- clearly fledgling, I had not yet learned to turn a wrench yet. On one HOT August afternoon, it was training time, so we headed out, and I borrowed the Warbirds Trek 450, he now straddling a NEW Trek 2100 road missle. The Trek 450 was still in all-original trim, bar tape faded, shifts a little slow between - but still willing, able, and more bike than I knew how to handle. It accellerated down hills, I rode the brakes -- it was just more nimble than the Schwinn I was riding at the time. It took 15 miles to get used to it, and by the time we were headed back north on Switzer for the bike trail head and the last leg of the training ride, I was REALLY getting into the swing of things, hammering along and smiling. It was there that I decided the Schwinn Passage, with it's aluminum tubing, was not quite as good as I'd thought it was. It started my love affair with steel.

Quick as a flash, other bikes started showing up in the stable, *ALL* of them steel. That was my new benchmark, and it had started with the Trek 450. I went thru the Trek 720, the Bianchi, the Univega, the Steamroller, the Surly Crosscheck, The Schwinn World Sport, finally settling on the Kogswell, and ironically and unexpectedly right back full-circle to the one that started the steel craze and convinced me there was simply no other way to roll. Now, the stable is "perfect" -- something I'd said before, yes. -- but now I have the Kogswell fully outfitted for commutes and rainy brevets, able to carry heavy loads well balanced and shrug off the nastiest roads, and the Trek 450 takes up the reigns as "glory bike": steel, no fenders, no racks, no lights -- just lightweight, fast, fun.

So, essentially starting with a dusty all-original bicycle, I knew I wanted to do something special. I began slowly, stripping all the parts off, cleaning, organizing, rebuilding a few parts, and storing others away as collectibles. I spent literally a couple months polishing the frame down, removing old grease stains, chain lube marks that had seeped into the paint layers, and buff marks form being leaned on this and that over the years. You know, typical use kinds of things. The frame, structurally, can't be beaten. The tubing is True Temper RC, one of the gold standards in the frame world, but not as heard-of as the big guns like Reynolds 5-3-1 and Columbus EL tubes. Still, True Temper on a Trek is like Campagnolo on a Bianchi. It's correct. American tubes in the hands of America brazers, in a time when a lot of manufacturers were outsourcing, and having things brazed overseas. Also critical to the mystique of this frameset, Trek was still considered "small" in the bicycle world. They were very good, VERY good, at what they did when many manufacturers were starting to grow too fast and slip a little. Many of the masters were closing up shop already, many of the masterful marques of the 70's had slipped back overseas again, some dissappeared forever. Trek was doing something special, and 1985 was probably the LAST year they really had everytihng right (IMHO). In 1986, the first aluminum Trek, the 2000, showed up on the market. Again, in my opinion, it was all downhill from there. Yeah, yeah -- they took Lance thru the tour. But common. It's steel. 1986 was the beginning of a period of time where cycling forgot about steel. Only now, many years later and thanks to some masterful custom builders tenacity and the persuasion of many have we returned to a time where cycling shops nationwide again have a wide range of choices in ALL materials, including some of the best steels ever drawn. By the way, True Temper RC tubing can STILL be spec'd to a custom frame, if you like. Some of the good stuff just never fades away. I digress.

This is a landmark frame. The pinnacle of Trek design, the best tubes of the day, all coming together. Shimano had some of their best on this bike, too. The 600 series was the predecesor to today's Ultegra group, back when there was no "105" and Dura-Ace was really, honestly, for racers only. 600 was the best the end consumer gould get, unless they wanted to pony-up for Campy, and for many that was too expensive. Trek wanted competitive spec, however, and interestingly the crankset on this model was NOT Shimano. In an effort to help bridge the gap between the Japanese and Italian offerings of the day, the aspiring racer could get Ofmega. Ofmega was a small Italian firm that was quite successful at being the "value alternative" to Campag stuff, while generally having more quality and less weight than the OTHER "value alternative" Campag knockoff, Zeus. As opposed to being rather blatant and made in Spain like Zeus, Ofmega was true Italian, and offered products that were compatible with, but different enough from Campagnolo as to make them a genuine choice. Back in the days before indexing was king, however, you could nearly get away with any combination of parts and have a good bicycle. So, if you wanted the mystique and raciness of the Campy stuff, but couldn't afford Super Record cranks, you got the Mistral from Ofmega. Same 144mm bolt circle, so you could get the ultra-strong Campag chainrings later on, and they'd bolt right up. Shimano's 130mm BCD was still considered "odd", but they DID have a smaller inner chainring, something that would catch on in a few years after 1985. At the time, however, real cyclists rode BIG gears. 144mm BCD meant a 53 tooth outer ring, and a 42 tooth inner ring. These are numbers that would make most cyclists today cringe, especially considering the comeback of the "compact" 110mm BCD cranks, and common arrangements of 50/36t ringsets. 53/42 is HUGE, make no mistake. Also, 53 is fairly commonplace today, on "racing" bikes - but in 1985 all Shimano could get you was 52 teeth. The bigger Campy sets were truly for racers. Shimano was only 1 tooth away, but numbers always talk. They'd catch on by the end of that decade. Without digressing too much more, this was truly marketed and sold as a RACE bike.

So, let's get to it: What was there originally, and what's there now:

Originally, showing Trek's notion of a good spec meant a variety of good parts from many suppliers, the original stem came from Sakae (SR) in Japan. Forged, not the fanciest finish, but strong and functional. All the top bike had these kinds of stems, save for the flash Italian jobs with full Cinelli equip. Sakae was the best bang for the buck. Sadly, this is one area where Shimano was really an innovator, and I really wish it had one of those. Check out Peter White's website under stems for a picture of one, truly a masterpiece. I digress again. The only drawback for Sakae was weight and length. Biometrics and a more upright randonnuering position on the bike were not really important when designing a good racing stem in the mid-80's, so this stem's quill is short. So short, that even with ample steerer tube left over in the headset arrangement, the handlebars were still about four INCHES too short for me. TAlk about low and aero! Again, in step with the massive crankset spec, cycling was perhaps a more manly affair than it is today - or maybe just one more suited for those familiar with pain and struggle. Truly, the more flat you could get your back, the more power you could put down, and stems of the day reflect that.

For its replacement I chose Nitto's Technomic. It has all the same elegance the original stem had, the 117 degree drop to align with the top tube, and the smooth 26mm clamp with single, purposeful fixing bolt. Perhaps not as elegant as Nitto's Technomic Deluxe, this model does have more rise to it, and I was able to get the handlebars up to my preferred 1" below the saddle line height. A good balance of power and ultra-long distance comfort, and the extra bit of silver rising aboe the headset looks good, too. Surprising, and to the solid, bomb-proof reputation of Sakae, even though this new Nitto stem is about 5 inches longer than the Sakae it replaced, it's still lighter. I'm thinking of keeping the stock stem in the glovebox of the car, for personal protection.

Atop the stem is my trusty Cateye Micro-Wireless computer. Keeping with the front end, the next issue was the handlebar. I like a wide bar for randonnuering, and the first problem with the stock bar was the width. The tape measure read an even 40cm, which for me is too narrow. After removing it from the stock stem, it was also clear that this was a CHUNK of steel. Heavy, but forgiving with regards to road vibrations - but probably only a function of sheer mass. FActor in the fact there are no "ergo-bends" in the bar -- not a deal-breaker for EVERYone, but it is for my hands -- and the decision was made. I shopped for a decent deal, based on what I had available to me. Unfortunately, Easton stopped making the venerable EA50 and EA70 series of regular-old 26mm road handlebars. They have all gone to oversized 31.8mm clamp sizes for newer bikes. I slowly see that I am out-moding myself with each passing year of progress on the modern bicycle market: finding parts that look correct and fit to these older style stems and frames is getting harder each season. I took what I could get, and the closest match to the Easton bars I like so much was Salsa's Pro-Road bar. Of course, and again unfortunately, it's only available in modern black. So, I get a little clash up front between stem and bar, but it works for me and makes it "mine". Some wonder why I didn't match to the Nitto stem and get a Nitto silver aluminum handlebar. Well, I've been there; my problems start with the design of the bar being sleeved, as in there is a center finishing sleeve that is squeezed onto the actual handlebar itself, in Nittos' case about a 25.8mm bar has a sleeve around it that give it the 26.0mm clamp surface. It looks AWESOME, make for a great bar with regards to diameter with finishing tape and the etched logos -- it's all very nice. BUT: that sleeve tends to loosen over time, and I don't know if I'm too aggressive a rider or use my uppoer body to assist on standing climbs or what, but I eventually always ended up with an audible CLICK from the sleeve/bar inteface. Once it started clicking, nothing I tried would remedy it. So, I went back to less fancy handlebars that are uniformly 26.0mm, with no sleeve at the center. The stem clamps the bar itself, and all is quiet. If anyone makes a one-piece 26mm road drop handlebar that looks as good as Nitto's two-piece, I'd consider it. Until then, black it is. It works, and more importantly than anything else, it fits my body:

The headset is the only original thing on the entire bicycle. It's perfect, and there is simply nothing wrong with it. It's a old Tange Levin model 1" threaded headset in good old CHROME. THE REAL, pre-EPA chrome that just SHINES. Made in Japan, and even with the original ball bearings and races intact, it's smooth and solid. I cleaned out the old grease, packed in new, and reassembled. I was also thrilled to find online that Tange still makes the Levin headset, in 1" and 1-1/8" sizes, threaded. Some things just never need a re-design, and this is one of them.

My dream headset is probably a Chris King no-logo chrome model - but I don't think the shine is quite as nice as this piece, and until this one shows signs of wearing out, I'm not changing anything.

The brake levers that original came on the bike were Dia-Compes, as were the brake calipers. Brakes in those days came in sets with the levers and the calipers packaged together. In a time where most drivetrain items and such were indeed interchangeable, the one area where you couldn't get away with it was brakes. Lever pulls, cable diameters, sometimes the quick-releases (still to this day for Campy) were in the levers instead of on the calipers. If you ran Shimano calipers, you ran Shimano levers, and so on. In this case, the levers were badly worn, machanically perfect, but the hoods were ripped and had lost a lot of their original cushion. A shame, really, because in vintage white gum with high-rise "non-aero" brake cable fitting, these levers were pretty unique, and would have been an interesting conversation piece. Sadly the

calipers are utterly forgettable, which I'll get to later. So, the

levers, being worn out and not really comfortable, had to go. In their place, my new standard the Cane Creek BRS-5 levers, with Campagnolo "Ergo" style hoods and ramps, and Shimano-style levers for easy reach and pull. Simply PERFECT brake levers, if there is such a thing. Quick releases in the handle, AND at the wheel make getting big tires out a breeze - but that's not really an issue for this bike.

Might as well talk about the brakes to round out the front-end discussion on the Trek. Hands down, brakes are the third in line as the most expensive thing you can buy for a bike. Drivetrain, wheels, then brakes. Shocked at the high prices of the new Dura-Ace calipers, my dreams of making this an ALL Dura-Ace bike will be put on hold for a while. I leaned more towards the inexpensive-but-good side of the table for now, just to get the thing rolling, and at $18.00 a PAIR, I got a steal. Of course, we DO get what we pay for, don't we? Well, it's not ALL bad. For these clampers I turned to my friends at Tektro. They make a LOT of brakes for the original equipment market for manufacturers from Cannondale to Cervelo, and their stoppers are good. You never have to think about them, they aren't too flashy, but not too light, either.

The trade-off is a little extra, as I mentioned, weight, and possible not quite as wickedly mechanical as a Shimano or Campy dual-pivot caliper.

Still, it stops the bike. In the case of these Model 420s, however, they really ARE low-ball. They must have been take-offs from a stock bike, as the front has a little scuffing, but it's not too bad. The pads were utter junk, however, and I have found this to be true of ANY brake, at almost any price. Only the new Ultegra and D/Ace 6600/7800 series calipers come with really good pads. Campy's stock pads are "okay", and Tektros are junk. What do you want for $18 a pair? Mechanically they are tried and true dual-pivot short reach road brakes, not unlike a good Shimano Sora level. The trade offs at this low price point, besides the pads, is the lack of a quick release at the caliper. This is where the aforementioned Cane Creek brake levers saved my skin. I can still spread the pads and get the wheels out without issue, but I knew that going in - which is why these brakes ended up in the shopping cart. The first thing I did, however, and you'll notice in the shot: the brake pads are NOT stock Tektro. Without even rubbing the casting wax off them, I removed the stock pads and put them in the recycle bin. In their place are Shimano BP-6600 cartridge pads filled with Kool-Stop salmons in the front, and all-weathers in the back. If the pads make the brake, these brakes just jumped up a few price points, and the stopping power is more than adequate. The stoutness of them, and the slightly flawwed finish do have me putting brake calipers BACK on the "wants" list, tho. I am searching the globe for a reasonably-priced set of Dura-Ace BR-7700 (old 9-speed) calipers. On the used market, they seem to be fetching around $50 a pair, which isn't bad. For now, tho, this bike stops on a dime -- but there is an opportunity for an upgrade here.

The seatpost, also replaced. The original Sakae SR post is long gone, removed by the WArbird in lieu of a Bontrager post of substantial length, to accomidate his post-high school growth. When he brought the bike back out in 2000, there was not enough adjustment in the original post for him to get the seat high enough, and so it was swapped. It was also too short for me, oddly, as most of the racing seatposts of the day proved to be. Like their stems, Sakae's seatposts were quite stout, even for being so short - 180mm in some cases, compared to the 250mm minimum of today's road posts. The Warbird, for contrast, had a 400mm seatpost designed for one of those wildly sloped compact frames. He's TALL. I am not. So, I swapped out the Bontrager and used the Thomson seatpost that still had my trusty Selle Italia Flite Trans/Am mounted to it, from the Cannondale I had. Again, the only problem is the color being black. The Cannondale was black, so I never thought about it. I don't think it's a huge problem, but with all the rest of the silver on the thing, a black seatpost looks "off". Another opportunity for an upgrade, probably a silver Thomson, maybe a Nitto Model 65 seatpost, in the future.

The drivetrain is a mix of good Shimano stuff, divided between what I had on-hand, and what I had to go out and scrounge for. Old 9-speed Shimano stuff is getting hard to find in NOS condition, or even gently used condition. The 10-speed stuff took over SO quickly, and much of the 9-speed production stopped immediately at the factory. The market didn't hold onto it for very long, as many that were nervous about the new tne-speed stuff snatched it up for future projects. I took what I could get. Returning breifly to the crankset discussion of earlier, it was clear that the Ofmega was a unique and classic arrangement, but it had to go because of the obsolenscense of the 144mm BCD chain-ring. Yes, as the 80's became the 90's and true racing bicycles yielded a little to more recreational pursuits (at least between Greg Lemond wins, and the Lance Era), the chainrings and freewheels of the day followed suit. Shimano's 52/42 racing arrangement yielded to market pressure by offering a 53 tooth large ring for racers, and using their smaller 130mm bolt circle they offered a 39tooth ring for easier climbing. Campy followed suit, as their model ranges were far to race-oriented for the new reccie scene. They reduced their bolt pattern to 135mm, which is where it remains today - barely squeezing in the teeth for their 39-tooth answer to Shimano's set-up. Eventually, the 42 tooth inner ring on road bikes would dissappear. As Campy gave up on the 144mm bolt circle, Zeus in Spain was filing for bankruptcy amid many Campagnolo-brought patent lawsuits, and Ofmega began to lose money as well. The 144mm chainring is a VERY hard thing to find these days, mainly a holdout for track racers -- many standing Keirin rules called for a 144mm bolt circle, and that stuck. So, the market DOES offer the 144mm circle, but you can usually only find REALLY expensive track chainrings, no pins or ramps for easy shifting. So, back to my Ofmega crankset, and the badly worn chainrings (to Warbirds credit, as to THIS DAY I have never seen a truly worn out chainring besides these). I had to do something else, just to make upgrades possible in the future. I opted for a full drivetrain rebuild up front. The square taper bottom bracket came out, and in went one of Shimano's Octalink V1 105-level models. Why 105? The last 105 group is SO good, it's silly. It's only detriment is weight, and the grams are so miniscule between 105 and Ultegra that Shimano had to physically make the appearance of the Ultegra better than the 105 stuff, to make aethetics a consideration. Only Dura-Ace is markedly lighter, but it's cost prohibitive -- and if I thought finding old 9-speed cranksets in general was difficult, finding Dura-Ace 9-speed cranks specifically was impossible. The dream may someday come true for a full-D/A 9-speed period bike, but it won't happen right now. The choice was 105 for the bottom bracket and the crankset for now. For $40, I couldn't complain, as there isn't a single mar anywhere to be found on the crankset. It's out-of-the-box perfect with brand-new chainrings, 53x39. It's modern, but not the garrishness of the new 10-speed stuff - which just looks weird on a frame like this one. 9-speed it is, and it's pretty. The pedals are Shimano, also, the PD-A520 series single-sided SPD road pedals. SPD means toughness, and I can ride with my sandals or my racing shoes and not have to swap anything. And, they are lighter than anything the Look crowd can offer. Plus, I don't have to change all my shoes -- one pedal platform for me. The front derailluer was also updated. This is one area where the 2002-era 105 stuff shines, and compared to the Shimano 600 original front derailluer, it's light-years ahead. Today's derailluers are light, quick, and accurate. The front derailluers of yesterday are the bane of mechanics everywhere. Springs are too heavy, adjustments too narrow, and cages too wiggly. This was a no-brainer.

The same was true for the shifters. I kept things period-correct by sticking with downtube shifters. Since I'm a huge fan of bar-ends, the transition between bikes is not a big deal at all. I rode on STI's for a while, and they are nice - but I like the feel and ability to trim of the bar-end/downtube sets. Plus, they look cool. It's funny how much today's modern reccie-racers obsess about weight on the bike, and STI levers on one of the heaviest things you can add to a bicycle. When I took my old ULtegra STI levers off and swapped in the bar-ends on the Kogswell, I simply couldn't believe how chunky those things were. It's a downgrade (to some) in functionality, perhaps - but a serious upgrade in weight to go backwards a step. How fast do you REALLY need to shift? Well, for me, this stuff works, and for this bike it looks right. In keeping with the eventual full-D/A theme, I sought out the good stuff for this one, and found a set of NOS 9-speed Dura-Ace downtube shifters. Perfect! The Shimano 600 shifters that came off were perfect, but the original friction-only setup was giving the Warbird a few problems as I remembered, namely auto-shift: when climbing out of the saddle, the natural sway of the frame was enough to slacken the cables to the point the rear derailluer spring could begin to take up that slack to a greater degree than the old lever with it's worn friction washer could hold back, and CLUNK...auto-shift. Even tighted down quite a bit, there was not any grip left in those old levers -- so they were removed and tucked away. The Dura-Ace levers look nearly identical, and actually weight MORE than the old stuff, but that's in large part to the SIS indexing assembly these new models were made with. Indexing will make for faster shifts at the downtube, and will also serve to lock the gearing in place, so autoshift is a thing of the past. The cam-like action of the front derailluer shifter, in contrast to the constant ratio of the original shifter, makes for lighting fast front-end upshifts, too, which explains why Lance always ran a front downtube shifter on this racing bikes, all the way up until Shimano 10-speed came out. Look at the old photos closely, and you'll see it. STI can't beat the downtube shift when it comes to the front chainrings, and Lance knew it. A quick reach down, and he was GONE. I feel a slight kinship with the past by running downtubes, and at the same time a connection to recent racing history. There will always be a story there when someone asks my "WHY downtubes?"

The rear end is a similar story, and starts with the original rear wheels. The original Matrix rims were shot, and the old 6-speed rear freewheel was a boat-anchor. Time for upgrades all around. The wheels came from my Cannondale, one of the things I held back for myself when I sold it off. The now timeless Mavic Ksyrium, probably the most successful wheelset Mavic has turned out, and arguably the most successful aftermarket wheelset PERIOD. Strong, light, aero, and with bomb-proof and field serviceable hubs, these wheels simply can't be beat as the perfect jack-of-all-trades and master-of-a-few category. Silver finish, period appropriate, and light, light, lighter than original. Plus, the 9-speed cassette slides right on. Again, 105 specd perfectly for the rear cassette, the grams game being second to value and strength. 12-23 teeth is the perfect (for me) performance gearset, and versatile enough for brevets, too. The rear-D is another carry over, and one of the parts that I have had the longest, longer than I've had ANY of my bikes. Originally the very first upgrade part I bought for the Schwinn Passage, it travelled to the Bianchi, then to the Kogswell, and now to the Trek. The bearings have all been rebuilt and it's smooth as butter and VERY quick between shifts, the perfect match to the D/A shifters. Note the very cool and Trek-exclusive inside-chainstay cable routing! The chain is A SRAM, my standard go-to, Model PC-991-HP. Super, Super strong and lightweight - but not ridiculously so. Makes the shifting snappy, and cruising is effortless and quiet. Love this chain, and it's worth the extra money.

Overall, the bike came out better than I expected. The paint still needs some work, but it's got a story to tell, and some of the marks, like in the fork shot at left, I just can't worry too much about touching up. The frame is not in any danger of collapse from rust, as it was always stored inside, and just to be sure I gave the frame a through coat of Frame Saver internally. It's solid, straight, and strong. Again, immensely excited for some mileage on her, as the weather has really closed in here lately. More "wintery mix" forecast for the next 48 hours or so, so we'll continue to dream a little, and wait for the roads to clear properly for a maiden run on this steed. It's one of those things about old Treks, and good bikes in general; the Kogswell, as nice as it is, has gotten dirty, has the fenders and the history of sloppy conditions now. The Trek, I know it's seen some epic, epic rides -- the 300K from 2002 that I had such an ordeal on in the heavy rains and cold temps, the Warbird was also on that ride, on THIS Trek -- so you know it's been wet, etc. It's just like a new pair of shoes, tho. I can't take a maiden ride on it and get it all sloppy. The parts are still so shiny -- it has to get dirty gradually. Yeah, that's it. Seriously, one of my finishing touches on ANY bike is reflective tape. You can see it on the wheels in the very top full-bike shot. I do a lot of night-time riding, and it's just essential. I got out the sciccors and the reflective tape roll, and sat down behind the Trek in the garage, ready to apply it to the seat-stays, facing to the rear. I carefully trimmed the tape to length and width, and held it up to size it. I stopped. I couldn't do it. I put the reflective tape away. It's not that I will never ride this bike at night or anything, no... but those thin, sexy seat stays -- in red.... I couldn't do it. Still haven't. Probably won't. Reflective ankle bands will be plenty. It's RED, man... putting stickers on it.... it's just.... I dunno.... WRONG.

What a bike.

First Look - Trek 450 complete!

Details to come.... but after a short test ride around the block.... well.....

HOLY........nice...

A couple small upgrades in the next year, and it's perfect. (bow)

Time to get to training... '08 is here!

Song of the Week - 1/15

"Turbo Lover" by Judas Priest.

I joined the band last August, and it's been awesome.

Leather pants on the next 200K. It's on.

A good day for a 200K

...at least for a few fine folks, that is --- for me, a crisscrossed schedule with the wife's job, and kid duty called early, so I was only able to enjoy part of it. But WHAT a day. String south winds usher in warm air, and the temps are in the upper 50's before I even get a few miles from home. Rare, nice, and refreshing. The amount of cold weather acclimation to date makes the lower 60's feel darn like 70's. It's a GREAT day, clear skies, and migrations of geese honking overhead, fighting the headwind right along with me. I'm smiling, for the first time in a long time - in the saddle, nearly giddy after weeks off-again, on-again with the bike. Holidays are tougher this year, and there was a lot to get done -- and the time that I DID have to ride was riddled with challenging weather, and nerves about it. I tell ya, once out there it's not that bad -- but it's the GETTING out there that's the hard part, and after time off the bike with passable weather, and then finally wanting to get back on - well, it was too easy to say, "next weekend will be better." Six weekends in a row, it wasn't even CLOSE! Nasty wrap up to 2007.

2008 is in full swing, talk of the holidays is nearly faded, decorations are coming down, and evern in the halls of work things are back to business. I've taken on some new responsibilities at work, and I'm engaged and ready to get the rest of my life charged back up along with it. Waking early again, 5AM, and getting on the roads when I REALLY love them: empty. The cold temps will make it hard, yeah, but hey -- I'm ready for some training. This coming weekend only shows a high of 40 on the forecast, but it might as well be the same heatwave as last weekend -- I'm ready for a few miles. Looking forward, the brevets - seriously - are nearly around the corner, and spring not far behind. If I blink this late winter, I'll miss it -- things are happening SO fast! I made this placed holder for this post MONDAY. It's Friday tomorrow. Yeesh.

Back to the ride.... a 200K for the six people that showed up at the Grandview start location were in for a warm January treat, and a great way to start off an R-12 run in a normally difficult climate. This was the first RUSA event of 2008 for Kansas/Missouri (well, as far as I can tell, save for maybe Columbia or St. Louis.) -- But more significantly, and why it was kind of a bummer that I couldn't ride the whole thing (trained or not, I would've), this marked the FIRST Permanent for the KC Ultra Cycling group. The Super Big Gulp route, to be exact - a run from Grandview, MO to La Cygne, KS. 200K of awesomeness.
It's, again, a bummer I couldn't do the whole thing --- to be there, as history changes.... ahhhh....At least I was partly there. I got to revel a little bit -- but the real treat would have been with Single-Speed Spencer and Dale, aka "Fine Jewelry" - they penned the route, and got it approved. My day will come, as I have two perms ready for submission, after several revisions they are finally mailed off to RUSA. AHHH!! I can't wait to post the numbers and start getting some award-worthy miles close to home! The goal.........


....remember that "New Years Resolutions" post a few weeks ago? I do.

NO goal for you! Next!! NO SOUP!

I'm keeping that one to myself, of course --- but it's nice to be getting ready for something again without the extra pressure. I have been spending my winter well so far -- not just waiting for the weather to break so I can ride. I've been back in the gym, hard-core. Weights Class, three times a week, which is a good rhythm - and not "too much" by any standards. Results are already showing -- pants are looser, arms tighter, etc. Let's see.... Late October is when I started, so this is 10 or 12 weeks deep. The weight has not dropped off, but I have only been watching the diet since the 1st of December -- arguably a bad time to try and start anything of the sort. The holidays were a little tempting, and I gave in a few times -- the scale reflected it. Those four-day weekends are tough. Sit, rest, munch munch. Not fully steeped in the good habits yet, I back-slid a touch -- but, not farther behind that when I started, which is good -- Actually, to my happiness I only gained back 2 lbs - now, I shoulda gained nothing back, but the national average is now up to 11 lbs over the holidays, I've heard -- so I did okay. I weight in again Saturday, and hopefully this week helped get rid of it, and then some. Overall, tho, me energy level, mood, are back UP. By the time spring gets here, I should hopefully have the Trek 450 running (only one part away from completion) and will be fit enough to look good on it. The riding performance, hopefully, will follow.

One thing, to that point, I can defintely tell you - and I remember from 2003 when I spent the whole winter in the gym: the gym prepares you for the work of bicycle training -- but it is sure NO replacement for it. I got on the bike Sunday morning to intersect the 200K Perm, and while I was smiling and felt good, MAN I felt WHIPPED after a while, especially when I met the group while riding eastbound as they came west -- I turned around to join them, and with that turn I was facing into the wind, AND was in company --- which, if you ride at all you know, means the 5% rule comes into play. I subconsciously began pushing the pedals about 5% harder than I would have had I remained alone, and THAT is where the good training and having someone to chase comes into play. Today, day one back on the bike, and no one really providing a chase (thankfully), it was hard to hold a conversation. I hadn't breathed that deep in a while, apparently - because afterwards I had that deep chest fullness, and coughs felt "low", if that makes sense. Dang! I'm WAY outta shape!!! Keep at it.... it's only January, but wow. Have I slipped in the last year! Heck, the last seven months, really, is all.

Other than those personal observations, the ride progresses nicely, traffic was Sunday-perfect, light, friendly, and the wind really wasn't THAT bad (yet). We made it along to Spring Hillto the Casey's there, a control for this route, and we all dismounted and proceeded to chat it up - to the familiar stares and casual glances of the locals - a few nods, as they knew A) this is normally a place that attracts cyclists, and B) it was 64 degrees in January in eastern Kansas -- soak it up, baby! Riders, mount up! We had coffee, compared average speeds, miles to that point, and made notes on the fresh cue sheets. Russell and Spencer compared single speeds (fixxie today for Russell), and marvelled at Russell's old-school Scott Drop-In handlebars. Bob was there, and we talked about my perm submissions and compared notes and suggestions for the final versions. Jeff was there (Bike Shack Ultra-Distance speed man), a rare chance to talk with him and shake hands, because normally HE is the one to try and chase -- and I do emphasize TRY.
A great bunch, a great day -- what else can I say?

After the Casey's the 200K bunch headed towards 223rd street for the next section to Paola, and I followed along for a bit, eventually breaking off with good wishes at 223rd east, as they all turned west. MAN, I really wanted to turn west..... I love the Paola to La Cygne section of that ride -- Hedge Ln is one of my favorite roads. Something about it... sadly, I did my eastern lean and headed back towards home. The sun popped out for a second or two, and layers - now with the wind helping me - came off. I don't think I ever arrived back at the driveway in January with so little on as June or May. 24 hours later, cold settled back in... rare treat indeed.... but, man, what a day....

It's good to be back in the saddle, and regardless of the return of colder temps, I still woke up and rode to work on Monday, for a good two-day riding stretch. Ahhh.... more to come!

Plans to Action

Well, here it is -- in little more than an hours time, the new year will be upon us all.
Officially, I raise a glass to friends and family, and wish you all the best in the new year - good health, happiness, prosperity, and fortitiude to handle lifes many challenges.
My only regret at this writing is that I don't have the "new" Trek ready to ride just yet. At this writing I have amassed caliper brakes, brake levers, the stem, the seatpost, shifters, rear derailleur, front derailleur - anything not mentioned I already had in my possesion. In fact, the ONLY pieces missing are the bottom-bracket and crankset, and some incidentals; chain and brake cables. I have three permanent routes submitted to RUSA, and all three have come back as pending, with a few minor modifications needed here and there. As soon as I have a permanent number for any one of them, I'm riding a 200K! Very excited!
2008 should be a fantastic year -- and it's good to put this trying 2007 behind me. I'll likely remember it with the same reverence I remember 2003, honestly. It is the hardest times that make us stronger, and ultimately who we are. In that vein, 2008 should be my strongest year to date. So, as the northwest winds howl outside my window tonite, and the cold Canadian air filters in for a low temperature of +6ºF overnight, I can't think of a more fitting way to start off this new year; from the bottom, looking up - and full of hope.

New Years Resolutions?

Nah. Why bother? HAHAHA!!! I'm kidding.

To resolve, to fix, to remedy.... so for me, resolutions this year are simple. Consistency.
I already consider 2007 to be over, cycling-wise. Yeah, I only commuted once this month -- and that feels pretty crappy to me. I've really lost consistency - but, it's been THAT kind of year - and I'm okay with it -- REALLY. The trails are getting better, but I need to find an overland route to home and work - one that won't get me killed, basically. After attempting the trail last week, and ending up being about 45 minutes late to work for it, a reroute until spring is neccesary. It's hard to get back on the road after enjoying the seclusion of the trail, the protection. But, in years past I'd commuted in all weather on all roads - so I just have to get back into that mindset if I want to get the consistency back. Yeah, the studded tires and pull-behind plows are a great idea, but MAN -- I'd have to work on 7-miles of trail, and get there before anyone else does. What awaited me this week was rutted ice, filled with "pot-holes" from foot traffic by hearty dog walkers and hikers -- and the result, well I don't even think studs would have helped that. Still I did make it work work, but it was slow going. That afternoon, I took 143rd Street primarily, now that it's open again - not my first choice as an east/west route, mainly because it's not completely redone yet: there are new areas that have four lanes and a good shoulder, but there are still the old sections between Switzer and Pflumm that are two-lane country road with no shoulder. Traffic was understanding, my lights were more than effective, so it was fine --- but it's a dice roll on those narrower sections, close to dusk in winter-time, and I'm not really anxious to play the odds. So, a little creative zig-zagging might be in order, and that's fun - exploring a little on the way home to find that perfect bypass. I'll get on that next week. But as far as frequency, I'm not going to stress myself or kill the mood by trying to do too much. I'm not putting a number to it.

Resolutions..... hmmmm.... fixing stuff.....

Well, one of my goals for sure is to NOT get so worked up about stuff in 2008.
I'm still flying under the RADAR -- actually, I fancy myself in spy-place fashion, flying WAY
above the RADAR at Mach 4+.... classified, of course --- but either way, cropdusting or star skipping, I'm not planning on anything big-deal for 2008 - and if I DO, I'm sure not announcing anything until I'm darn good n' ready to. And darn good n'ready to succeed at whatever I choose. That's not to say that I'm not going to challenge myself and take a risk or two -- if we DON'T challenge ourselves, well, you get the idea... I just don't need the extra pressure if something changes, because life is unpredictable. I'm a Dad and husband first, and if that means that I'm not going to announce "ok, here we go, I'm gonna do the Badwater race in 2009", so be it -- because I have to live life one week at a time now, as far as cycling goes.
I'll still commute, and I'll still randonneur -- THAT is who I am. Can't change it. Can't bust it.
Rando FOREVER. But rando will always be there. Kids? You get the idea... So, there -- that'll keep ya'll guessing. If you're all worried that I'm not setting any goals, you're reading this blog for the wrong reasons and you need to get out there and set some goals of your own. I ain't no hero -- knock it off. Go root for Lon Haldeman or Sam Baugh or someone like that, seriously. Those are the cats I look up to -- I may have knocked off a 600K, but *MAN*.... I ain't even in their class, no way, no how. Would I LIKE to be? Heck yes. But it's gonna take work.

...And that leads me to my next resolution. WORK.
There are things that I complained about in 2007, like my weight. In reality, I could be a lot worse. Now, THAT sounds like a big cop-out.... but it's really not. Because when I say to myself "you could be a LOT worse off", what that really means deep down is that I could have like 200 lbs to lose or something. THAT would be BAD. In reality, I'd only LIKE to lose 30 lbs. That's DO-ABLE... so what's the freaking problem? JUST WORK AT IT. I wasn't working at it in 2007. I was eating anything I liked, as much and as often as I liked. The fact that I managed to finish the longest brevet I've attempted to date, and still manage more than a double century at Tejas is amazing to me considering how much I've let myself slip. I have simply NOT been taking care of myself the way a cyclist should. The fact is, it's NEVER too late to change a behavior, and I simply got complacent and lazy. Boo hoo... move on down the road, and get to WORK. Over the last two weeks I've lost 8 lbs., and the initial tummy grumbling and hunger pangs have subsided. I already feel better, and I'm starting to regain touch with the guy that was determined to lose the weight and be successful on the bike in the first place, back a few years ago. Yeah, it's only 8 lbs., but it's a start. Next week, it'll be ten, and the week after that it'll be 12, then 14... and so on. When the brevets start up in March, no-one is gonna want to draft me anymore, and some of my favorite old jerseys will fit again. It just takes work, and I'm finally ready to DO IT.

I'm pretty much on a "not" kick for 2008, as far as resolutions go beyond the stuff I've already mentioned. NOT be lazy. NOT set ridiculous goals. NOT run. NOT enter any "races". NOT treat my body like crap. It's easy to say I want to ride XXXX number of miles in 2008, or I want to weigh XXX, and I want to compete in X -- but what I really need to be doing is setting goals that will get me those things by consequence. If I do NOTHING else, I'll have lost some weight and will be healthier for it.

Finally, I owe a great deal of thanks to my dearest friends that have listened to me rant and vent over these past six months, and helped to point me back in the correct direction. While these aforementioned ideas and goals are my own, the tools that helped forge them were placed into my hands by people who cared enough to see that which I was blind to, and for that I am eternally grateful. You know who you are.

Other projects? I have three RUSA permanents entered into the pipeline, and I'm anxiously awaiting approval so I can get some focused training started. Training for what? I dunno. Wait and see. I have my own ideas that I'm kicking around. But, it'll be nice to support a REAL route, something on the books somewhere that people can take part in for their goals, and something I can use for myself also. If you are interested, punch up www.rusa.org, see about membership, check out the links, and see if randonneuring is for you. If it IS, then riding a RUSA permanent is a great way to get started. Life begins at 200km!

Will brevets and perms be the ONLY rides I'll do? Good grief NO. I can't wait to hit Longview Lake again for the big group ride! I can't wait to get a clear weekend and try out the new Olathe Saturday AM ride that leaves from Bike America's new location! I want to try out the Kill Creek ride next Spring! The Spring Classic (if it doesn't fall on a brevet weekend, like it always seems to, that is.) I can't wait to finally hit Tour De Shawnee again next summer! And whatever impromptu rides come up between now and then, I'm probably game, too! There are a lot of fine, fine folks that I haven't seen in months, and I ache for a good ride with them -- again, you know who you are. Day or night, if the conditions are right let's hit the bricks for cryin' out loud! It doesn't have to be a group of 25 riders for it to be fun; I've finally let go of that "super ride organizer" mode I was trying to get in. Yeah, I love makin' maps, and gathering people -- but you know, it started getting in the way of the ride ITSELF. Heck, I don't want to take over the world, or even the city... I just wanna ride.

That's my 2008 preview.

Happy Holidays, ya'll!

Countdown to a better road

Welp, the ice storm came, and went --- it was rough, but it wasn't 2002 -- or even 1996. But it was interesting! I still haven't been back on the roads since the freezing rain began, but I've thought about it and tried. I still can't justify studded tires, nor could I even FIT them under my fenders on the current bike. I might have to start dumpster diving for another mountain bike that will fit fenders and studded tires, a bike that I can grab at a moment's notice and brave the nasty elements with -- single speed, yeah -- something ridiculously low, like a 36x18 gear. Nokian Extreme 296's, fenders, bright LED light.... yummy.
Of course, as soon as I FIND one of these bikes, the ice will be gone - so maybe it's okay to just take a few days off and save my money! The cash to drop on a pair of Nokians will buy a lot of bus passes! Still, it would be nice to be totally self-sufficient that way, but I might wait until next season, summer-time, to build it -- something to build AFTER I finish the Trek 450.
Above-freezing temps in the forecast for tomorrow -- maybe today it will dry out a bit. I'm ready to suit up and enjoy some winter riding!

Holiday Haze

It's been a while since I posted last -- life has been plenty busy, but unfortunately not so much in the bike game. That's okay -- I HAVE managed to ride at least once a week, so that is a plus - and more consistent that I have been in recent months, so I'll take it. The riding, however, has been limited to commuting only -- this coming weekend marks the FOURTH weekend in a row with the words "freezing rain" in the forecast somewhere - this time for nearly all 48 hours of the weekend. Yeesh. This is a problem.


<-- This is Kansas.




Texas calls.



I'm awash with geographic jealousy for Ort and his warmer climes only a few hundred miles south of here. Deep in the grip of a North-Central Texas winter, they've played with the lower 40's.

Ooooooo, scary.

Up here, we might see out first brush with the teens in the next 72 hours, as seriously cold air settles in just north of us. I feel daunted, and small in it's looming shadow. Around me, other riders that have not had quite as challenging an annum as I have are headed a little bit farther south for a brevet around Springfield, MO -- others still are braving the nasty conditions even farther north that I am. I ache for fitness, weight loss results, and just a little dry weather to test my wings. This is all good - because I haven't ached for a ride like this in quite a LONG time! Keeping that want occupied in the gym, however, is kind ... well, sucky. Weights class, rowing machines, stair-masters, and dumbbells are doing their jobs for me, and yoga is calming the soul and clearing the mind -- but I really REALLY want to feel that fine Italia leather under me, the feedback from the road, and the rush of air around the face. The dangling carrot of an extra permanent route card has been dangled in my face, so to speak -- and part of me really wants to jump. Then, of course, there is Texas in January ---- my RUSA breatheren.... they are always there to help, and encourage. I appreaciate that a lot. While I don't feel strong enough, I hear things like "It'll be a slow ride...", and "plenty of people to ride with" -- along with "just do it". A smile and good conversation await, and the commonality of the bike. I'm tempted in a lot of ways...

I've been keeping myself occupied, one way or another, though - the time is not wasted. Plenty of good kid-time, playing, reading, goofin' around. Good wife time, too -- TV, talks, etc. A little "me" time in the garage with the Trek 450 - which is shaping up nicely. It's getting too cold in the garage lately to keep the touch-up paint sticking, so the rest of the refinish and touch-up may have to wait until spring - but most of the bigger spots are faded in to the rest of the paint. It's THICK factory paint, too. Good stuff. I only have a handful of items left on the purchase-list, too - but I'm still not in too much of a hurry. I actually found a clamp-on Shimano 105 front derailluer (FD-5500) with the CORRECT clamp size of 28.6mm - which is harder to find than I though it would be. It's lighter than the stock Shimano 60 model, and the spring action is lighter - for smoother shifts. Plus, it's a good shiny silver color to match the rest of the components. I chose 105 for the front derailluer, mainly because this is the one place on a bike where it almost DOESN'T matter that much. There's simply not much you can do to it to make it better than itself - and the only difference between the 105 front D and the Dura-Ace front D is weight. The shaping of the cage, the spring, the adjusters - it's all the same. So, a little de-stickering, and it's nice and generic looking, but appropriate for the bike - and a perfect fit, with no weird aftermarket clamps or adapters or reducers. The Dura-Ace rear D cleaned up nicely, and is awaiting service. The Dura-Ace downtube shifters, indexed 9-speed, will solve the old auto-shift issues the old friction Shimano 600's were having, and they look REALLY sharp. The de-logo-ed MAvic Ksyrium wheels look awesome, too. The new stem is top-shelf Nitto -- very slick. The only thing left are bigger items - the bottom bracket and crankset, namely - and a good handlebar. Plus, sadly, probably a new seatpost -- I swapped in my Thomson Elite seatpost, which is probably the best seatpost available - I'm glad I kept it. With my older Selle Italia Flite T/A saddle on it, it's my perfect package. Only problem is, it's black -- it was originally purchased to match the Cannondale. Ugh. I didn't think it would matter to me, but honestly I'm taking the time to do this bicycle RIGHT, and with all the shiny silver components already installed against that gorgeous red paint, the black seatpost looks out of place. So, I've added that to the list of "nice to haves" --- the current one will allow me to ride it, so it'll work - but it won't last long, I'm sure. Same goes for the brakes. I found a set of close-out Tektro 420 road brakes - short-reach, which this bike takes, silver, so they match - but they are heavy, and sorta clunky looking in a way. The price was right. The take advantage of the Cane Creek SCR-5 brake levers, however, in that the brake calipers themselves don't have quick releases on them. The CAne Creek levers, however, DO, so I'd still be able to get the wheels out without issues -- but they just look odd. It's a Campy thing, having the brake release in the lever, but these are certainly not Campy-quality calipers. So, that might ALSO be on my list for aesthetic reasons alone. Tektro makes a FINE brake, and these dual-pivot, modern clampers will be a LOT stronger and more reliable than the old Dia-Compes they replaced. Still, they are kinda low-ball, component-wise - something that would come stock on a lower-end road bike today. Not sure if I want to call that "good enough" for this steed. We'll see. If my goal is to have her ready for a 200K by the end of March, then she'll be ready --- but maybe just not "perfect".
There's always time for upgrades...

The holiday haze, aside from the good points above, has got me shaken up a little, tho. It's hard to stick to the diet, stay in the gym, and put up with the ride-cancelling weather. I suppose it could be a lot worse - but it's hard to not just collapse on the couch with a plate of cookies sometimes. Now, I have not done that - and don't plan to - ecause I FINALLY feel GOOD -- REALLY GOOD -- for the first time in months. My system is clear of excess sugars, and I know it sounds weird, but I feel better. Spring-ier. Does that make sense? It feels good to take care of myself -- because I hadn't been for about a year. Maybe a 200K is exactly what I need...
Still thinking about it. Only a few short months, and this whole "winter" thing will be behind me. But, I'm defintely taking a jaunt south to LSR-Land early next year --- I just HAVE to get a break from this scenery, and feel some mid-60's weather again, now that I'm really itching to ride!

Stay tuned!

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

A quick update -- Happy Thanksgiving, USA!

A good, short week - two commutes WORLDS apart, in typical Kansas weather fashion:

Monday, 74 degrees - short sleeves, shorts, no socks - lots of sun, and strong SW winds.
Tuesday, rest day - helped clean out gutters at the old homestead.
Wednesday, 37 degrees before dawn - drizzle, then heavier rain closer to work.
Wednesday afternoon; 30 degrees, 28 MPH North winds, freezing drizzle mixed with snow.

Dang. THAT was weird. Monday feels like it was a month ago, as I arrive home today with a numb face, and snow-caked sleeves and chest. Wow! An awesome commute, honestly -- only a month ago, I would have talked myself out of it - but this morning and afternoon, I was undaunted by the weather. It was just a fun ride home, in the snow.

Oh, and for the record --- WOOL, WOOL, WOOL. Even if you can only swing ONE wool jersey, make it the long sleeve winter weight wool jersey. I like Woolistic, or Portland Cycle Wear, personally -- but there are lot's to choose from like Boure, Ibex, and some others I think - there aren't any bad ones, as far as I've read. Today: Wool + snow + sub-freezing temps + no rain jacket or barrier layer * nervousness about getting wet and hypothermic = making it 12 miles in thick snow and arriving home perfectly comfortable with big chunks of snow falling off my sleeves and a perfectly dry base layer. WOOL, baby. It's only expensive until you USE IT in conditions like this -- and then it's suddenly the best deal in the world. You only need one good set. For me, next; wool tights, so I can complete the package.

I love this time of year, and I love that I'm coming back on form - coming out of the burnout.
I have a lot to be thankful for, besides - of course - but it's the small things sometimes.
I arrived home with a big grin on my face, thinking that a friend down in Texas that was completing the November leg of his R-12 run was missing all the fun up here.

Again, have a good Turkey Day, ya'll!
Talk to ya next week!