Site Redo

I plan on revamping this blog in early 2008. It shouldn't take too long, but I really wanted to clean up a lot of the clutter on the right panel and maybe update the layout like I've done on many of my other blog sites. Also, I need to update the ride and race list for 2008. There have been so many New Years events I couldn't keep up like the Resolution Run, 1-1-1 Ride, all the New Years Runs and Rides, etc. It doesn't bode well with my holiday activities and especially not my shop revamping. I've uncovered a ton of bike parts laying around in my shop and really don't need them anymore. So look out on the MMBA Classifieds for the goodies... Back in 2008! Have a Happy New Year!

Back Alley Bikes

Just something to check out:

Back Alley Bikes

GU Energy Gel: Mint Chocolate

My favorite energy gel out there is GU in the Vanilla Bean variety. Ever since GU started making the stuff, that has been my favorite. Recently, another of my fave flavors was strewn across a GU gel pack... Mint Chocolate. Yum yum yummy. The mix of the vaporous mint with the creamy chocolate is to die for... especially in ice cream, coffee or hard candies. So hey... I tried a GU gel to see if the paths met...

First, this GU is suppose to be specifically for Winter training with the claim, "SUPERIOR MID-WINTER TRAINING RECIPE!" Snow flakes on the box and green and red simulated ribbon strewn on the box. And on top of that, a little blank area with "TO:" and "FROM:" on it. OK. Plus, 10% of the proceeds goes to GU's favorite charity, the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Alright!

So I cracked one open and sucked one down...

Eh?! The flavor was fair but not a wow sensation by any means. Certainly not a mint mocha or a scoop of Edy's Slow Churn. Just fair. The chocolate overpowered the mint with a slight bitter cocoa taste. Personally, I would have preferred a touch more cooling mint freshness to get a better reaction from my palette, but neh.

The ensuing run felt fairly normal if not a little easier than most days. I suck down a Vanilla Bean when I need something and really couldn't distinguish a difference in performance. So what this tells me is one thing...

I'll stick with my fave... Gu Vanilla Bean for a bit longer....

Super diet-boosters

The following is copied from an article on the Carmichael Training Systems website.

Next time you make a sandwich, salad, smoothie, or bake; add a healthy nutritional punch with one or more of the following ingredients. Your body -- and your taste buds -- will be glad you did.

Ground Flaxseed
ADD TO: Warm oatmeal in the morning, cold smoothie following a workout, or mixed into yogurt as a snack
WHY: In the ground form, 2 Tbsp of this sweet and nutty tasting seed provides 140% of the recommended amount of cholesterol-busting omega-3 fatty acids which also act as anti-inflammatories, and maintain your vision.

Almonds
ADD TO: A great topping to any salad
WHY: One-quarter cup of almonds contains 41% of the daily value (DV) for Vitamin E to boost your immune system, 19% DV for magnesium to maintain normal nerve and muscle functioning and 18% DV for dietary fiber to control blood sugar levels and regulate your digestive system.

Wheat Germ
ADD TO: Homemade breads or sprinkle it in yogurt or smoothie
WHY: Wheat germ has more potassium and iron that any other food source per weight. Its rich B-Vitamin content helps to maintain energy levels and maintain healthy muscles, organs, hair and skin.

Olive Oil
ADD TO: Whole grain bread as a spread instead of butter or margarine
WHY: Numerous studies have shown olive oil to be protective against heart and other degenerative diseases. Also, the high phenol content found in this kind of oil provides antioxidant properties.

Pumpkin
ADD TO: Any recipe calling for butter; substitute pumpkin for half of the butter listed
WHY: You reduce the fat you eat and receive 310% of your daily Vitamin A. Plus pumpkin delivers high doses of potassium, magnesium and iron.

Hummus
ADD TO: Any sandwich or use as a vegetable dip
WHY: Hummus replaces typical spreads (i.e. ranch dressing, mayonnaise, butter) that are extremely high in saturated fat and cholesterol. And hummus serves up a hefty portion of protein and iron, as well as manganese which plays an important role in energy metabolism and the body's immune system.

Lemon Juice
ADD TO: Water, to add a zesty kick
WHY: Limonoids (found in lemon juice) have been shown to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon, and may have the potential to lower cholesterol.

Spinach
ADD TO: Any sandwich or in place of lettuce in a salad
WHY: One cup of spinach can do wonders in maintaining your bone health by working with calcium to maintain bone structure. This leafy green also contains lutein, a key nutrient in preventing degenerative diseases in the eye.

Garlic
ADD TO: Homemade dressings and marinades and pasta sauce in crushed form
WHY: It's an excellent source of manganese, Vitamin B6 and selenium. Research has shown positive results of regular garlic consumption on blood pressure, platelet aggregation, serum triglyceride level, and cholesterol levels.

Cinnamon
ADD TO: Cereal, baked potato, or in any baked good
WHY: Cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon prevents blood platelets from clumping together and hindering blood flow. Cinnamon can also help even out blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate absorption in the stomach.

Dirt Rag on the Iceman

Here is a link to a little article on the 07 Iceman by none other than Dirt Rag... on their Web Rag! Read on!!

ICEMAN 2008

For those interested, entry into the Iceman 08 lottery has begun at ACTIVE.COM. Here is some info direct from their site:

Remember, Active will notify (via email) everybody that participated in the lottery whether, or not, they were selected on February 29, 2008. The lottery winners will then receive an email directing them to a separate registration site along with a password for their entry.

Registrants will be able to scroll down the list, pick their name, and then choose their race category and select any merchandize before paying their race fees. Selected riders will have 2 weeks (until March 14, 2008) to register for their event. Riders who miss the payment deadline will forfeit their entry and the Active computers will select the next lucky winners who will have another two weeks to register (until March 28, 2008).

TEAMS & GROUPS PLEASE NOTE: Only one email will be sent to teams/groups on February 29, 2008 specifying whether or not your team/group was selected. The individual whose email address was used as the common thread should then communicate the outcome to the remaining team/group members. A complete list of the selected riders will be posted on http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1503640 and www.iceman.com on February 29, 2008.

Good luck to everyone.

ICEMAN 2007

Well, if you were following along with previous posts, I decided to skip the Iceman this year. I don't regret the decision one bit... seeing as I met the happiest toddler this weekend in Atlanta, my new adopted nephew Reimer.

Anyway, I would like to put out a great congratulations to those participating in the Iceman this year and especially to those that I ride with on a regular basis, the Dirt Dad's. I was secretly hoping for a wicked storm to come through and make things interesting for those riding, but it sounds like this didn't happen and the weather was fairly "pleasant" for this time of year. Ned Overend, one of my early biking heros, raced this year scoring 6th in the standings. Michael Simonson finishing 2nd overall with Brian Matter taking the win for PCW/Trek. On the women's side, Kelli Emmett takes the win for a second year.

For the Dirt Dad's, following are the results for the riders in order of their BIB#s:

0298 - Tim - 2:30:22
1162 - Marc - 2:11:03
1371 - Bob - 2:18:09
1434 - Brian - 2:19:59
1573 - Harv - 2:28:54
1574 - John - 2:28:55

Funny about Harv and John... you would think they were brothers or something...

For 2008, due to the numbers of riders, the Iceman will be going into a lottery for entries. As many people as want to race registers and sometime in March, they draw names to the "lucky" 2000 or so. A lot of pluses and minuses here, but in my opinion, the whiners have won out. The lottery displaces the first race of the year... the race to get an Iceman entry. I'm not sure I will be on the waiting list for it next year :-/.

For complete, searchable results, GO HERE.

Review: Crank Bros Power Pump Mini

I picked one of these up a few years ago and was delighted to have a new, small pump to carry. This was to replace my old, trusty Blackburn Mammoth Mountain Pump (MMP-1).

The CBPPM, it takes too much to keep typing, was small enough to shove in a pocket in my jersey or in my water pack. This was in contrast to the MMP-1 which I had carried on the frame for years.

When I first picked up the pump, I deflated a tire and tried it out. The pump came with a dual head, different from the single-nozzle + flip the innards on the MMP-1. One side of the head of the CBPPM was for schraeder and the other presta style valves. I have all presta valves. So I shove it on the tube. Its really hard to get on! It took quite a bit to get it onto the stem, but I did it. I then began to pump like a fiend. Nothing was happening though I could hear air being expelled from the pump. I eventually found the little flip-switch just under the head. A difficult quarter turn locked in the valve and I was on my way.

It took a bit to fill up an MTB tire with this size pump, but I am sure no different than any other of its size. When the pumping got tough, I flipped another knob, located on the end of the pump handle to the high-pressure setting. A few strokes and I was up to my desired pressure.

It also took a bit of effort to pry the sucker off the valve. I hoped over time, it would become easier to put the pump on and off. A few rides over the last couple of years as well as a ride last week proved to counter that assumption. Every time I try to use the pump, it is always difficult to connect but easy to work once connected. Unfortunately, when patience is scarce or the cold is too much to bear, a difficult to attach device is the last thing someone wants. So, we never got the pump completely attached and moved on to someone else's. I do have to say however that before I pulled out my pump, one of those "insta-flate" CO2 pumps failed to do the trick.

My conclusion is that the pump works, but you have to get it on the valve to experience the bliss. I will more than likely unearth my old MMP-1 and rebuild it (I've done it twice) or pick up another one over the winter.

Bike Tools to the Rescue!

They don't call me twirlyhead for nothing. This weekend, I had a mission to install my small bath and finish it up. All I needed to do was hook up all the plumbing and then address the medicine cabinet and viola! The king's throne is anew!! But a little snafu utilized my biking background into fixing my home. :D!

As I threaded on the new valve for the cold water, I noticed it was a little bit crooked. When I flipped on the water - drip, drip, drip. D'oh! So I tighten it, and it gets worse. I try it again but no dice. And again. I started to feel around an bit more and discover that the 97 year old iron pipe had given up. The back of the threads had split open at the thin spot. It was just getting worse the more I played with it. I came to the realization that I needed to go to the next step.

Choice: cut and rethread pipe or replace the old pipe with copper (which might entail a plumber). After a bit of pondering, I go out in search of an appropriate die set. I had already scanned the web for the pipe die I need... a 3/8" NPT pipe thread. Most kits I found for pipes started at 1/2" and went up. Home Depot... 1/2" dies. Menards... 1/2" dies and up. So I check the web and find only 2 places with 3/8"; Sears and Harbor Freight.

Sears... hundreds. HF... tens. After a rough night of sleep dreaming about sweating pipes and why iron pipe was a bit easier to deal with and ripping the wall open to replace it all and put in complete copper. I was at HF at 9AM this Sunday morning to pick up some dies. I picked up a large set and brought it home. The kit weighed a ton, but if it is what I needed to get the job done, that that was OK. Well, not really. Those things were HUGE. It was like a 3" ratchet with 50mm bits. I laid it aside for the time being and crossed the line of no return; I cut the pipe. I then held the die up to the pipe... and it was so big, I couldn't even get it onto the pipe to thread it. I made the wrong decision on the die kit. I needed a smaller set. Soooo... back to HF for a return. I instead picked up a much smaller tap and die set as well as a complete SAE/metric tan and die set. My assumption was that the handle in the kit could be used with the dies in the separate kit. No dice. The pipe thread dies were too big for what was included in the complete set. So now I had to improvise. I was tired of running around.

I came up with something to do the job. It entailed one of my, now not so used, Park bike tools. The HCW-5 Crank and Bottom Bracket wrench. The die has an alignment slot and two dimples on the outside of the body. So I started the first threads by hand to get a good alignment and then used the HCW-5 to hook the die and I spun it to start cutting the threads... similar to what the tool was suppose to do. I didn't get a pic while working on the project but it worked great! Sink is all good to go! All I have to comment about is that is got harder and harder to keep pushing the thread. I'm glad it is done.

CX Thoughts

I haven't done a cyclocross race in about 3 years. It's not that I hate them... I just have a harder and harder time finding the time. Though the biggest cycling regret I have so far is selling my cyclocross bike last year to try out a full suspension racing bike. Nice, but no where near the same. That is a whole other story...

When I was doing the whole cyclocross thing, I learned how to do one of the most useful skills I've used on a bicycle; the running dismount and remount. The trouble is that I didn't learn the "proper" way of the cyclocross denizen, but it was almost as fast and missing the remount didn't involve a resultant high-pitched yelp. Here is what I do:

1) On the approach, I stand and unclip my right foot - feather the brakes to scrub speed, if needed
2) Swing the leg back behind the bike and over to the left side dangling it behind the left leg
3) When the time is right, a little ankle twist and round the left foot forward and land on the right - keep running!
4) A little lift from the left when unclipping should position the left pedal in the 9 o'clock position
5) Plant the left foot... keep running
6) Jump, run, carry... whatever you need to do, just keep moving forward
7) When ready to remount, have the bike next to you and running
8) Plant the right foot, bring the left foot up and stomp on the 9 o'clock pedal (this will click in if you are good) - this should give a forward push to your bike as the crank will spin down to 6 o'clock
9) Lift your right leg back (or skip frantically if you mess up) and over the saddle
10) Clip the right leg in and begin pedaling (past your foes)

The biggest difference with the proper way is at step 8. When they remount, they will push the bike forward, jump up over the rear wheel, pull the bike back and land on a butt cheek. If they are successful, they clip in. Personally, I prefer to stay with the technique I've learned.

On a side note, I will soon try to put some illustrations to the techniques I babble about. Like they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Plus, I can draw. It is how I pay the bills, don't ya know.