Oh my god! This video. Fuck yeah! 2013 UCI World Cyclocross Championships from Gizmo Pictures on Vimeo. Continue reading

I need to learn how to stretch. But the good news is I've been promised a new desk. Continue reading

Here's a video of the Saturday M2 Cyclocross race. Continue reading

Dear Diary This past weekend I did my first XC race. I was pretty much garbage but I figured I'd write this down for review later. Essentially all my failings as a rider were exposed. Those failings were: I'm terrible at cornering. Unfortunately singletrack is full of corners and I was all over the brakes. I'm a bad mechanic. My crank arm came off at the end of lap 2 of 3. The first lap consisted of me moving steadily back once we hit the twisty bits, which I expected, but I lost ground a bit faster than I thought... Continue reading

What's better than a brand new carbon road bike that weighs in at just 6.8 kg? A brand new carbon bike that's been fit to me, with components of my choosing, and has my name painted on the side. This bike has been a long time coming. I could have replaced my terrible road bike with a less terrible road bike at multiple points over the last 2 or 3 years, but I've been planning out this purchase, and waiting until I could do it right. Julien, owner of Vitess, has been very patient with me over the years and... Continue reading

During the past few years, we've been taking the kids with us as my lovely wife has done her trail running series around Southern Ontario. These are her goal races and they're on the calendar as soon as they're announced. It's a family obligation that we're out in support and it'll take a very special bike race to get me off the hook from attending. We've been watching, taking pictures, and enjoying the scenery in the various conservation areas where these are held. The great thing about these races, put on by 5Peaks, is that they have a kids race... Continue reading

I've got to keep this short as i'm currently one handed, and off to bed. My wife has kindly bandaged me up and and purchased me a burrito to make me feel better. So this was my third year doing P2A and i'd graduated to the top 100. While still a bit sick I woke up feeling pretty good. Tom and I warmed up in the rain, and got ready. everything was going to plan. It was going to be muddy and hard. Off we went at the horn, a number of Lapdogs in the first wave. We went up... Continue reading

Today I did my first Hell of the North, southern Ontario style. A race put on by the RealDealRacing/labicicletta crowd. Now, I am tired on top of tired. But the bike is clean and the recovery tights on. After running, of all things, with the kids on Friday, and killing my legs, I'm looking forward to a day off. The race started at a farmhouse near Uxbridge. A quick sign-in, no numbers, just coffee, a photocopied map, and a mad panic to get changed and say hello to the usual suspects. A large contingent from Quebec gave it a nice... Continue reading

A great photo from Roxanne King on Flickr. The post race crash was unfortunate. Continue reading

So I earn enough points to get out of the house for 3 hours. A clean bike, some shaved legs, and a desire to put in a hard workout. Maybe I just don't have the focus. Maybe there's just too many damn stoplights. Maybe I need to learn how to get my hr monitor to beep. Basically I rode at random efforts, while thinking I was working steadily. I've come to the conclusion that I need to find a more inspired route and/or get out on some group rides with people better than myself. Currently my P2A goal is top... Continue reading

We live in an amazing world. Computers connect us, virtually, to almost all human knowledge. We can send robots to other planets. Our cell phones are made on the other side of the planet. So why can't I buy a car with a custom paint colour? Most customized bikes you can order have a finite selection of colours and schemes to choose from such as the Trek Project One custom bikes. Fortunately that's not the case with my bike, currently on order from Vitess. For a few extra bucks I don't have to suffer with some smashup of colours some... Continue reading

This past weekend, for the second time in 3 years, I decided to head back to Gatineau for some serious ski action. Thinking back, I'm not sure why I didn't race in 2011, although to read my blog entry at this time last year, I see it was to "spend more time with family". I'm guessing that I was getting a lot more grief on the home front for not spending time with the kids on the weekends. Kathleen was wanting to train for the Hardwood Loppet and had wanted to put in some longer ski sessions. This year I... Continue reading

Things have been slow. Ski Races Upcoming Bike Purchases Upcoming. Wicked. Continue reading

via yfrog.com Holy Honey Badger Batman! This is a crazy leap. Credit to @ispaphoto Check his site here Continue reading

I'll keep this short. Mainly because I need to down a Cognac and go to bed to get ready for a busy week. Today the usual suspects were up at Hardwood Hills for what was for most people their 7th or 8th race, my 4th this year. It seems like a big gap. Perhaps not, but I'm sad I missed those other races. The race today was better than last year, and I liked last years cours a lot. Varied and quick, some twisty bits, and a couple small hills to shake things up. This year had a sand pit... Continue reading

Recently I've been super busy, and not recording my thoughts here, thus causing it to be even less regularly visited by readers than usual. I suppose it's a good problem, but really need some breathing room. Anyway, I've actually had lots to talk about, but I'll focus today on rambling about my return to the rough and tumble world that is Masters cyclocross racing in Southern Ontario. Last week I decided that my recently separated shoulder was feeling ok enough that I should try and race during the weekend. I'd been on the trainer for about 6 hours since my... Continue reading

Tonight I got on the bike for 30 minutes and watched a bit of the Vuelta. I learned that it's tricky, and a bit tiring to ride with one hand, but it was good to spin the legs a little bit. The arm is feeling somewhat less painful and I'm looking forward to at least being back into things by ski season. On another note, my kids are loving cross country practise. 3 days of early morning running per week is wonderful for them. Continue reading

I'd trade having to wash my bike 200 times if it meant healing my shoulder any faster. Continue reading

Wanted. Used Mountain bike to train on and do a couple of O-Cups on next summer. Wish List. (Keeping mind I have no f-ing idea about mountain biking) Fit - 6ft Tall, ride a 56 cm CX bike. No shit components. Hardtail? 29'r 2X10 Really, I just don't want a heavy piece of junk I'll regret buying. I'm looking to purchase this over the winter, probably after Christmas sometime. If I'm lucky I'll have new road bike by spring also. If you want to give me a TT bike as well I'll be set for life. Continue reading

I'll keep it short and sweet. I've had a couple decent races. The toolbox is organized. The legs feeling fine. The wheels? Carbon! So I headed out to Centennial Park this past Tuesday. CX Practise day. Interval Day. I showed up, and started doing laps. The course going up up up the small ski hill, and then zigging around a bit. Feeling good. Knowing that I needed to start really coming to grips with cornering at speed. HAHA I paid my 10 bucks and kept riding around, going a bit harder each time. I came down the hill, saw a... Continue reading

Seriously. Where the hell was Conky? Last year had the missing cheeseburger. This year, a missing puppet. What gives? I woke up feeling good, and scored some expensive french toast made with white bread with icing sugar. Holy cow no wonder the world is fat. Car packed, kids cranky, wife pissed off at me 'cause we're running late and I'm ruining my karma. Arrive, snag a parking spot and drag out the tent and the rest of all my kit I brought to the races. I think I over packed, and yet, when asked for some duct tape, I didn't... Continue reading

Here begins my 3 part series about the beginning part of my CX season so that future historians may shake their heads in sorrow. Or so I can read it next year and be somewhat inspired. This past weekend was a double race weekend and the family, minus my wife, who was catching up, and I, headed down to Niagara for some CX fun. So dark and early, we got in the car, hoping not to have forgotten anything and rolled out. We got there early, saw Jeff frantically taping off the course, and set up the Lapdogs tent, and... Continue reading

via www.youtube.com I'm looking forward to watching more CX races on youtube instead of going to bed. Continue reading