The Long Ride.

Ceremonial Champs Elysees?

2009-12-29T00:02:00.002-05:00

Except for LeMond's amazing TT in 1989 on the Champs Elysees to claim victory in the Tour de France over Lauren Fignon, I always pretty much figured the final stage was for toasting the yellow jersey with bubbly and letting the sprinters have at it. Thinking that way made finding this video from 1982 of The Badger that much better. I never knew!

Riding: Indoor Trainer tonight and working on core strength. Amazing how after only a few weeks I can feel the difference during the workout.

A Visit to the Harley Dealer

2009-12-27T22:24:00.004-05:00

I was Christmas shopping at the local Harley shop last week and ran across Marisa Miller's American Bombshell Calendar. Definitely one of the nicest calendars I've seen. Check out the video. See if you can spot a Harley or two in there somewhere.

Old School Lance. (1994)

2009-12-27T18:56:00.003-05:00

I like the parts of him riding with Steve Bauer out in the middle of nowhere Texas. Looks like a cool place.

When the Ravens Play

2009-12-27T16:28:00.003-05:00

When the Ravens game is on the riding around Baltimore is great! I had the roads all to myself. Even better was getting home just in time to watch the Steelers win the game, 23-20.

Ride: 2 hours of riding on roads with a lot of wet patches. Rode pretty easy and felt great out there.

This Would Be Fun.

2009-12-27T09:33:00.005-05:00

I think that sometimes a road is built solely for the nice view. Maybe some bike races are built for the same reason.

Riding: Did some more Intervals on the trainer last night. I'm trying to concentrate on smoothness and higher rpm pedaling.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:29:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas from my family here at TLR to you and yours. Hope your 2010 is your best year of riding yet.

Riding: Just spun for an hour on the trainer last night. Today is a day off with the girls!

Polar Express

2009-12-23T23:40:00.002-05:00

The Girls and I watched Polar Express tonight. It's become sort of a Christmas tradition. You just have to BELIEVE or that bell will stop ringing. The above pic doesn't have a thing to do with the Polar Express but it's my blog and I'll post whatever I want. :)

Did a really great workout on the trainer this evening also. Feeling pretty good about riding right now.

More From the Tube.

2009-12-21T22:38:00.004-05:00

Did time on the trainer tonight then got schooled by my 7 year old Daughter doing push-ups. She's putting me on a core-strength workout regimen now, complete with excel spreadsheet progress charts and graphs.

A Foot of Snow?

2009-12-18T10:16:00.003-05:00

The weather people are predicting up to a foot of snow for my area starting tonight. I sure hope they are wrong and we end up with a dusting or less.

Picked up the Michelins last night. I managed to get two for the price of one. Not bad.

Yes, There is Beer in Ghent.

2009-12-17T22:44:00.004-05:00

For a second I thought it was video of a shale pit party back home in PA, but sure enough it's the "infield" at the Ghent Six Day Races. Looks like fun eh?

Did a bit over an hour of intervals tonight on the trainer. It was tougher than I thought it would be. The last few hurt just about right. It was a nice change of pace from riding out in the cold the last bunch of days.

Six Days of Ghent, Check This Out.

2009-12-16T21:43:00.004-05:00

The last laps of The Madison in Ghent.

Here's one for my bucket list. I'm thinking they have some good beer in there or nearby. Whattayathink?

It's Cold Out There.

2009-12-16T17:16:00.003-05:00

The wind was howling and it was freezing cold out there this evening, but at least the sun was shining. My phone had a tough time with the light so my bike has pretty much disappeared into the pic here. Anyway, it was good to get a ride in.

Oh, and when I got home the phone was ringing. My new Michelin Pro Race 3's came in down at the shop. I've been wanting to try them for awhile now.

Cadel's Chance.

2009-12-15T20:01:00.003-05:00

I'm going to make a prediction right now. Cadel Evans will win the 2010 Giro d'Italia.

Tonight's Ride: 35 Miles fast. Finished in the Dark.

London 2012

2009-12-10T13:34:00.001-05:00

Is the London 2012 logo growing on you yet?

Speaking of Jerseys,...

2009-12-10T10:20:00.002-05:00

After I posted that RadioShack jersey yesterday I remembered the design I did for BPB last year. It was a fun project. Ben and the people at Hincapie were a joy to work with.

Team RadioShack

2009-12-09T16:18:00.003-05:00

I saw the pic of Lance in his new RadioShack kit and thought it would be fun to take a stab at the jersey on my own. I was thinking something black/white/red and very graphic, sorta like Cervelo Test Team does. Never got around to the shorts, but black with a thick white stripe on the sides would be the idea.

Anyway, just playin around. The weather has sucked for riding outside.

Pokemon vs Pro Cycling

2009-12-05T13:12:00.003-05:00

Since it's a snowy day here in Maryland the girls and I headed over to the bookstore for a bit. Dad heads straight for the bike magazines and Daughters head straight for Pokemon. I saw at least a half dozen books I'd like to read while there.

Sons of Anarchy

2009-12-04T23:34:00.003-05:00

I don't watch tv much so I'm finding Season 1 of The Sons of Anarchy a lot of fun while spinning on the trainer. Did an hour with episode 2 and some of 3. I pedal faster whenever a Harley is on screen.

Rider Stocking Stuffers.

2009-12-04T09:41:00.033-05:00

While riding yesterday I was thinking of some cycling related things I have or wouldn't mind having to make the long ride that much better. So rather than a left nut of the week I thought I'd do a holiday gift guide instead.

Pull the wool over your eyes.
I'll admit to having some sort of merino wool fetish so it's off to Earth Wind & Rider for one of their Epic Express Jerseys. It's a jersey that would be great to wear for cool weather riding, or just every day stylin around. One thing about it that especially appeals to me is that it doesn't follow the spandex spaceman from planet bikeracer look. Made in the USA of 100% Australian Merino Wool of course.

It's winter, you're gonna need a cap.
Walz Caps out of California manufactures a proper cycling cap for this time of year, meaning it covers your ears. This one is the Wool Ear Flap model. They also offer embroidery services so you can go custom. I'd go custom of course.

Woolie Boolie!
If you find a better sock for riding let me know, because I think the Woolie Boolie by DeFeet is the very best. The guys and gals down in North Carolina truly make a world-class product. Tom Boonen calls them "Really Sexy Socks!" TLR agrees Tomeke.

Pearl Izumi Gloves.
Cold hands suck when riding this time of year. Pearl Izumi fixes all that with their Zephrr Shell glove, and if you want more warmth, insert the Ultra-Liner thin gloves.

Geek Rider.
Garmin might have a few higher end models with a few more features, but price-wise I think the Edge 500 hits the sweet spot. Besides, next year when the Metrigear Vector hits the bike shop near you it's gonna be over the top.

The Rider.
Tim Krabbe's book The Rider is pure gold. I just finished it for a second time the other day. Short enough to read in one sitting. Some of Krabbe's writing in this book is so funny especially for anyone who's ever trained long miles or raced for any length of time. Beg for it, borrow it, or steal it if you have to. Read it!

Yeah Indoor Training Sucks.
Thanks to Global Ride DVD's you can sit on your stinkin trainer and ride some of the most beautiful roads you'll ever see.

Artsy Fartsy on a Budget.
We might not all have Lance's Live$trong money to collect real art, but when you're hammering away on that trainer you can always take a look over at your 2010 Cycling through History calendar to see when all the races you're going to win next year are. As an added bonus, each month's image will be suitable for framing later.

After Ride Refreshments.
The Folks over at New Belgium Brewing make a beer to honor cyclists. Oh there are others out there, but since this is one I haven't tasted yet it's on my list of beers to have. I can't think of a better way to end a ride than a cold beer. You can keep your post-ride electrolyte replenishment mumbo jumbo.

Well there you have it. They are all almost worth a left nut as far as I'm concerned. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Deer Park

2009-12-03T16:59:00.002-05:00

I just missed a really nice sunset but took a quick pic during today's ride anyway. It was crazy windy out there but I felt pretty strong. Legs felt great. 32 miles.

Spinning with Cadel.

2009-12-02T23:24:00.002-05:00

I haven't gotten tired of watching Cadel kick everyone's butt at the World Championships this year yet. The perennial underdog finally pulled off the big win. Just got off the trainer and finished with this. I find these great for keeping my cadence high.

Quotable.

2009-12-02T09:23:00.005-05:00

"You're better than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can."
- Ken Chlouber; Leadville 100 Race Promoter.

Expensive T-Shirts.

2009-11-30T11:44:00.003-05:00

I was reading a thread on a cycling forum the other day about a certain expensive cycling clothing manufacturer and thought it was time to offer up my own overpriced t-shirt for sale. Get'em before the copyright infringement lawsuit kicks in!

Eating, Drinking and Riding.

2009-11-29T17:16:00.002-05:00

Drive, Coffee, Drive, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Ride, Drink, Eat, Sleep, Eat, Ride, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Eat, Eat, Ride, Drink, Eat, Sleep, Eat, Eat, Ride, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Coffee, Drive, Eat, Drive, Ride, Eat.

That pretty much sums up my Thanksgiving weekend. Hope yours was great! The above is the graph out of my bro's Garmin from yesterday's ride. That first big bump just might have been the steepest hill I ever climbed. Not the longest, but ouch it hurt. Only 27, 45, 37, 45 miles for each day, but the eating was a whole lot more! :)

Just got back from a nice slow and easy 45. Today's weather was really nice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T20:57:00.004-05:00

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is filled with much good food and cheer. I'm enjoying a nice Kellerweis as I type this to get the long weekend started!