cannondale track

met up with jeremiah today at the ferry building.  we stayed for a bit, expecting to see a couple more people (eugene from mash, joshua mcdonald a messenger, and anyone else eugene brought) but no one else showed.  we jetted over to the golden gate bridge parking lot and met up with ben and justin.  track bikes on paradise felt oddly familiar, yet weird since I hadn’t ridden the track bike in several weeks.  it was a bit breezy out, the wind definitely picked up at around 11am.  bummer we left a bit late, but sometimes it’s okay to have a medium paced social ride, right? gotta mix it up, haha.

the downside of leaving late was the amount of tourists and cars on the road.  I won’t get into that now, since it’ll only make me angry.  I just love people that ride in the middle of the bridge path.  LOVE IT.  okay, that’s all I have to say about that.

tomorrow, I’m heading out with justin to do alpine dam on our road bikes.  should be another fun morning, hoping for less wind!

met up with justin this morning at the bridge.  we hustled a paradise loop on track bikes.  wasn’t too windy going out, but coming back through marin, it started to pick up a bit.  we set a nice tempo the entire ride, it was nice enjoying the weather in marin for a change.  crushed the climb out of sausalito and got props from an older road biker in a mission cycling kit.

then I got home, and attempted to upload the picture I took with my phone, and somewhere along the way, it got corrupted…?  I don’t see how, considering I saved it on the spot.  oh well.  sold my zero gravity stainless steel calipers to a guy off craigslist – EYES ON THE PRIZE.  I’ll give you a hint: black and white, high modulus, and bb30.

ugh, I’m gonna have the best dreams.

met up with ben and justin at the bridge today.  then travis, connor, and one of their metromint teammates rolled up, and we all rode into sausalito together.  they split off in the middle of the bike path, probably headed towards 4 corners.  it was perfect out today, not too much wind, and not too hot.  we jetted around paradise in NO TIME!  my legs were feeling perfect, I couldn’t have asked for any more.  got back to the marin side of the bridge in 2 hours flat.  then justin got a…flat.  skidded through his gatorskin, sadly.  at least he got a ride back from the wifey.

ben and I headed back to the city and parted ways.  ah shiz, the perfect sunday.

(I took a picture, saved it, and somehow, it didn’t save to the pictures folder on my phone.  SAD FACE.) did a quick paradise loop in the morning on the track bike before the wind picked up, so glad I did.  later in the day the wind was just crazy.  I spotted a guy riding a cinelli vigorelli with white drops wearing a mash histogram kit on the bridge, and caught up to him.  we rode for a bit, and I struck up a conversation with him on the sausalito bike path.  I’m going to be riding paradise loop with him tomorrow on track bikes.  stoked!

I picked up my caad9 from freewheel later in the day (my brother drove, thanks for the ride, nick) and had the opportunity to see/touch a bmc team machine slr01.  the first thing I noticed was the massive tapered downtube.  high-modulus carbon fiber all around, and a downtube width that matched the shell of the bb30 bottom bracket.  it wasn’t built up yet, but was mocked with a pro shimano stem, and deep dura-ace carbon clinchers – SICK.  it was ridiculously light, I was jealous like you wouldn’t believe…psh, what am I talking about though.  I don’t deserve carbon yet, HA!

stevie worked on my bike today, he: tightened up the downtube water bottle boss, retensioned all the cables, and fixed my rear hub and pawl!  he took apart the cassette housing and noticed that the springs were a bit sticky, must’ve been thicker grease causing the teeth not to engage properly.  he noticed it right away when he took it around the block – CALLED IT!  I told travis if he rode it around the block he’d feel it right away.  the hub doesn’t grab properly.  or that’s how it used to be.  until stevie touched it.  he increased the spring tension on the teeth, and put in some lighter weight grease.  man, this hub just howls now.  it snaps and engages as it should.  can’t wait to take it for a real ride on wednesday.  super excited.

I’m going to dream so well tonight.  fingers crossed that my camera phone works tomorrow.  I hate not having a daily snap to remember a day by.

I’m with my lover.  lit up paradise drive again, today.  took it easy out of the city, there was lots of crosswind which made the front wheel feel like a sail.  definitely should’ve put on the aluminum rims today, at least in the front.  but after getting off the bike path, and climbing camino alto, the wind wasn’t noticeable at all.  looking at a map, the reason becomes obvious.  paradise drive heads in a westward direction, with the wind.  also, the road is lined against a windy mountain (-ish?) covered in trees which break up the wind quite well.

taking a much needed rest day tomorrow.  happy memorial day.

paradise loop – it was a bit windier today, noticeably so on the golden gate bridge.  saw some fixed gear riders heading out as I was coming into the sausalito skyline.  some of them looked awfully familiar, maybe friends of friends?  either way, I’m really starting to love this wheelset – flawless spin up, climbs like air.  torque it from side to side, and it’s not phased at all.  there’s no “lag”, since the rims are light, unlike my phil/velocity training wheelset.  however, I would like to mention that having a heavier wheelset before having a light one like this one, has definitely helped me get faster.

only good thoughts.

paradise loop – hit it hard today, met ben at the bridge at 10:05 and took this picture in tiburon at 11:14.  and yea, the wheelset is amazing.  the rear wheel spins up so effortlessly and just maintains speed much better than my phil/b43 rear.  I was amazed on how stiff the wheels were.  they absorbed just the right amount of road virbration, and felt just…awesome.