Friday, March 31, 2006

SPRING IS HERE!!!

Spring might have officially started a few weeks ago, but this week it truely started. The grass is turning greener everyday I am so excited to hit the trails, now all they have to do is dry out. Last weekend Cory and I were out at Kettle Moraine building some new trails. I was really surprised how dry it was, they are opening the trails this weekend and if we don't get a ton of rain the next couple days it looks like we will be able to get some riding in out there!!
If we do get out there this weekend I am going to be sporting the 9.8 fully rigid. The NRS is stripped down to the frame and is waiting parts to get it built. I have been riding the 9.8 set up from the cyclo-cross race all winter. I put wider bars on it just because I had them laying around, but now I have really gotten used to that and am going to try that on the NRS this year. I can't believe how snappy the bike feels with a rigid fork, I haven't had it off road much so that will be interesting to see what that feels like.
As for the NRS here is a sneak preview of what we'll be running on that this year;

SID Team Fork
El Camino Brakes with Stan's Aluminum Rotors
Stan's No Tube rims
Maxxis Tires
Egg Beater Pedals
FSA handle Bar

I should be getting the rest of the parts next week so stay tuned!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Winter just won't give up!!

This past weekend it was really nice and we were able to get some decent miles in. Cathy bundled up with probably more cloths than I wear riding through a blizzard, but she was way pumped to get outside. We headed out of town into a northeast wind. The plan was to push the wind up to Milton and then have it on our backs the way home. Well for some unknown reason the group actually followed my lead, which lead us to the middle of absolutely know-where! Oh yeah and the entire time was against the wind. By this time about 1.5 hours into the ride the wind had switched to northwest. So as we started to head home we were still pushing a head wind. When we finally found Kennedy Road and turned south we had a straight west wind. It wasn't on our heads but definitely wasn't on our backs either.
Oh well it was a good ride.
This week the weather really has taken a turn for the cold. They are saying it is supposed to warm up so hopefully that happens by the weekend.

Are you into hills? Check out this race! I have never done it but from the sounds the one hill is totally killer. We are going to be in Minnesota that weekend for Easter so I think we are going to bring the bikes and see what all the winter training is worth.

Friday, March 17, 2006

- 27 -

I remember when I thought 30 was soooo old! I thought that when you turned 25 you were all grown up and by 30 you were getting old. Now here I am and feeling better than ever!!
Yestarday after work we had to stop by the mall to get my "special" desert. Cathy came out with a HUGE cookie cake...YES! Then we went home and unfortunately had to eat a fast supper before heading off to volleyball, I had to sub again so I must not have done as bad as I thought on Tuesday.
During supper though I was able to open one (I guess the other present needed to be ordered) present....(drum roll).....



When we got home from volleyball I had to watch it. THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE!! If you have to beg, borrow, or steal to see it it is totally worth it. Basically it is about the US cycling team in 2004 all trying to get a spot on the Olympic team. It is a great movie, and has a ton of great race footage.

Yestarday was all around a good day. I put an order in for a new pair of brakes. These things are sweet!

I have heard nothing but good about them, I will get a complete review up once I am able to get some miles on them.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

2006 Schedule

WOW two posts in a row!! This is actually the first time I have followed up with a promise to keep this more up todate. Below is our 2006 schedule. As it does every year things change and races get dropped and added.

2006 Race Schedule

April 22-23 – RR - WISPORT @ Whitewater
April 29-30 – MTB – Rockcut State Park
May 6-7 – MTB – WORS #1 Iola
May 13-14
May 20-21 – MTB – WORS #2 Alpine
May 27-28
June 3-4 – MTB – WORS #3 Wausau
June 10-11 - ?? – 12 hours @ Kettle (relay)
June 17-18 – 2 Year Anniversary
June 24-25 – RR – Badger State Games – Crit.
July 1-2 – MTB – WORS #5 Eau Clarie
July 8-9 - ?? – Super Week Road Races
July 15-16 – MTB – WORS #6 Franklin
July 22-23 - ?? – Super Week Road Races
July 29-30 – MTB – 24-9 @ Wausau
August 5-6 – MTB – WORS #8 Calumet
August 12-13
August 19-20
August 26-27 – MTB – WORS #9 Devils Head
September 2-3
September 9-10 – MTB – WORS #10 Kewaskum
September 16-17 Chequamegon 40
September 23-24 – MTB – WORS #11 Wisc.
Rapids
September 30- - MTB – Fall Color Fest
October 1
October 7-8 – MTB – WORS #12 Sheboygan
October 14-15
October 21-22
October 28-29
November 4-5
November 11-12 – CC – Janesville WI
November 18-19
November 25-26


Last night we spun for a while. I mounted Cathy's cycle computer to her rear wheel. That made a big difference in motivation and pacing during intervals. Tonight we have volleyball, in WE I mean actually both of us. Cathy has been playing twice a week and this week her team needs a sub, they have called everyone else on the list and then finally had to resort to asking me...nothing like being the last ditch option! Oh well I hope I don't prove to be in that position.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Look a new post!!

So I haven't totally forgot about the site...yet! Like always things are really busy this time of year. Spring is on it's way, training is starting to get more intense and figuring out the schedule continues. This weekend we went home to see the fam. While Cathy was hanging with her friends I hooked up with a group ride. We headed out of town into a 20-25mph head wind, oh yeah up hill too. It was a rough way to start the ride but payed off as soon as we turned and had it on our backs. It was really nice and felt good to get out side and actually sweat a little.

Our SRAM order came in a couple weeks ago. We got Cathy's bike all built up with some pretty cool parts. A new fork, that actually works, this crank should cut some weight and a new chain and cassette. I have been selling off parts to get some upgrades as well. A new set of wheels are going to look cool, plus better brakes are hopefully in the works.

Well I need to keep it short but as we start getting more interesting rides in I will have more to post.