Full Service Station

1st weekend in the new skinsuit taking the "W" at
the Franconia Sculpture Park CX

The past weekend at the USGP Wisconsin was kinda like a full service station.  Annie, Penelope and I left for Waterloo on Friday night for our wonderful weekend accommodations at the Moran's for USGP #1 in Sun Prairie.  We stopped for dinner at the Norske Nook and shortly after Penny was asleep for the night and easily transferred to the crib until morning.

Penny and Rowan 

Micah and I headed to the course to pick up our registration and check out the expo so I could find the Trek CXC set up for the weekend.  I found the team managers and went back to get my equipment from the car. This is when it became like pulling into a full service station for the first time.  You know, when you get out of the car to pump your gas and the attendant says "no, no, I got that".  It is strange because I have always done it by myself and feel guilty for having someone else do my work.   I came back and my bikes and wheels were quickly grabbed by the mechanics and checked over.  I got kitted up and they asked what wheels go with what bike. Which bike is the "A" bike and "B" bike and what pressure I wanted in the tires.  These are things I do like 20 minutes before I race so it was a fantastic surprise to have full on pro support.  I rolled a couple laps, they adjusted pressures and then went to set up a trainer only to get "no, no I will get that, get a bottle and some food and relax".

warming up

Penny with her team beanie and Honey Stinger waffles

"A" and "B" to the millimeter thanks to
Bicycle Fit Guru and bike builds by Penn Cycle

I had full support in the pits for all races and some at start and finish with warm clothing.  The 35+ races were really the focus with the elites being an added workout.  I was lined up in the cheap seats (60th) for the 35+ race and rode my way into 16th which is good enough for series points and should put me in the 2nd row at Ft. Collins.  CJ, Fisher and Roeser were 5th, 6th and 7th in the race and were also in the first 3 rows for the start with great results from last year.
The Saturday elite race I had the best possible non-UCI point racer call up with a 33rd and held pretty well at the start and slowly went backwards finally pulling out after 25 mins to save it for the next day.

Sundays 35+ race I was still in the cheap seats but started well only to have the race stopped because of a bad crash which turned into the race being cancelled.  This also meant I had no excuse not give giv'er in the elite race. I was pretty uninspired after the let down of the cancelled race but I made til 2 to go and got work done which is really all that mattered.

Trek then sponsored the after party with a DJ, frites and New Glarus beer so we hung out and gave Penny dinner so she could sleep all the way home.

It was an awesome weekend and pretty great to be treated so well thanks to Trek, Bontrager, SRAM, Honeystinger and all of the Trek mechanics and employees. Also to Annie for watching Peanut all day while I was busy racing and being pampered.

3 years

I cannot believe it has been 3 years already since I married the most beautiful, wonderful and caring woman in the world.  I have such a great family.  Happy Anniversary Honey!

Family photo for Penelope's 1st birthday

1st birthday-Belgian Style

Penelope, my beautiful, precious daughter, turned 1 on the 7th.  There was not a better way to celebrate a fall birthday than Belgian/CX style with waffles and a new bike just in time for CX season.  Oli, from the Bikery Du Nord brought the Waffle Van and served up some wonderful Belgian waffles with chocolate, strawberries, bananas and whipped cream.  He also had the espresso machine fired up.  The only thing missing was the beer.

She liked the whipped cream the most

New bike, time to start learning her dismounts

smash cake

The smash cake was very uneventful, we had to get it started and she wasn't into it.  She is definitely Daddy's girl and skips the sweets.

Hobo plumber

Apparently, that is what I look like when I am commuting to my secret cx practices.  I have an old Trek backpack that has become my pack for CX practice.  I use it to carry my portable cx barriers.

Hobo plumber backpack

I have definitely changed over to the new cycling season. The scent of embrocation is in the air and that familiar burn is in the legs.  I have already had 2 days with some top secret embrocation.  I know it has been a bit warm but I have to test it before it can be sent out to the CXC.  I am looking forward to the cooler temps so I can break out all of my cool weather clothing from KUHL.

keep it on the DL

It has been a great mtb season with KUHL and Penn Cycle and I will probably end up 2nd in the MNMBS. The last few races Dot Com has definitely made me work for it and will hopefully not overtake me with bonus points.  Brendan walked away with the season pretty handily without being challenged by anyone.

Today I turned the big 35.  Annie made me a ice cream pie and after 3 good days of training, I will probably finish it off tonight.

I also got a nice variety of dark Belgian chocolates, massage gift card, a coffee table book, belgian beers, He-Man dvd and cycling journal.  I guess not only does the cycling season change but the summer beers go away and the belgians and the stouts start to come out.

Days of Thunder

Cole Trickle. That is what the guys at Penn Cycle Minnetonka called me when I first started going to them for mechanical help.  They said I knew how to race but I had no idea what was going on with my bike.  There was even one time when they switched my brakes to moto style on my mtb and I never figured it out until somebody else pointed it out.

Well, the longer they have sponsored me, Pat Sorensen and Penn have been my shop for the past 12 years,  the more I have picked up from having Eric, Doug and Alan help me out. I am not quite Cole Trickle but I still need help on new bike builds.  I have 1 of my new Trek CXC Cronus that was built up by Guse and the other is waiting for a few parts and will be built by Doug H.  I think I should have a frequent buyers card for Pizza Luce because it seems like I have had almost one per week going over there lately.

I have been on a couple rides on the new bike and it is pretty much the same as last years. In fact, the only difference is handlebars so far. I am looking forward to pulling out the portable barriers and starting the bike practice.

I cannot believe it is only 1 week til the first TNC race.

Christmas in August?

That is what it feels like as the new stuff starts showing up for the cx season.

New 2013 Trek Cyclocross Collective team bikes

I definitely have no excuse for going slow.  The new 2013 Cronus CX bikes have been in my garage for 2 weeks but I had to wait until they announced the team to show them. Now I just need to get in to see the man, Bicycle Fit Guru, to get me fit. If it wasn't for him dialing my fit and molding my custom insoles, I would not be as fast as I am.  It is definitely worth your time to go see him.

Trek Cyclocross Collective

Aaahhhh, Fall

Hello?  Is this thing on?  Does anyone still read this?

I know it has been a long time.  It is coming into my favorite time of the year.  The Fall season.  I was married to a beautiful woman in the fall, my daughter was born in the fall, CX season starts up and all of the great dark beers start showing up.  It was also when I spent 2 great months in Europe.  The temps are starting to be tolerable and soon the long sleeve jerseys will come out of the closet.

It is starting to feel like Christmas with all of the new CX gear starting to show up.  I am getting excited for the season to start.

Annie and Penelope are gone for the week which is leaving m with too much spare time.  I am not sure what I did with my time before Penny was here.  Now when her and Annie are gone I am not sure what to do.

A new jersey just like Dad's

1st ice cream cone

Annie said to make sure I did not take too much time doing projects around the house and make sure I have some time to relax and have a beer.

I better get drinking
It has been a while since I have been through the beer closet

I am not only going to need a 3 car garage for the bikes, I will need a cellar for all of this delicious beer.

I will hopefully start making regular posts as the Fall season progresses.