Not enough has been said about this day. This was the Big Time. You think you know hard? You don’t know hard.

This is the day Andy Hampsten became a hero. The only American to win the Giro d’Italia. Ever.

Andy began the day in the blue “overall points” leaders jersey, a combined “best score” in all disciplines of the race, which was cool, because as Andy tells us “it was wool. All the leaders’ jerseys were wool in those days.” As Andy recounts the story, you can hear in his voice that he’s back in 1988, only this time feeling pride and joy – but also remembering the fear that gripped the peloton as they climbed into the unknown that gray, sleeting morning… June 5, 1988.

Read the rest at Pez Cycing.

We watched Whip It last night. What a great movie! If you haven’t seen it, and you like to see women kicking each other’s asses, watch it. It’s so fucking rad. Juliette Lewis is still hot.

I totally want to try roller derby. I got invited to try outs a couple years ago for the Cincinnati Rollergirls, but didn’t think I’d be into it. After watching that movie, I am starting to think roller derby is even more kick ass than bike racing. I am going to go check out their practice and see what it’s all about.

Yo, when it looks like this (see to the left) outside, it’s time to ride the trainer damn it all. I hate the trainer. I loathe the trainer. I’d rather do nothing than ride the trainer, but since I have been doing nothing for like a month (or more), and the snow is piled up outside, and I don’t have anything else to do, I might as well ride the accursed trainer. I already did my laundry for the travel I have coming up this week (Lansing, MI, and then Burlington, VT), I’ve already cleaned my bathroom. I suppose, I could always watch a million hours of Super Bowl pre-game, but that will only interest me for so long. So, again, trainer ride.

Here is the trainer set up right now, as it stands, in my tiny bedroom. Not optimal, but I’ve got the TV in front of me, iPod close by, and if I get really tired, I can hop off the bike, and jump into bed. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather ride outside, but currently, I’ve got no knobby tired bikes in DC with me, and to ride the road bike out in the crap out there right now, that would be, well, bad isn’t the word for it. I’m sure there would be pain and suffering, and NOT the good kind. Continuing on the cycling path of things, I was sorry to see that Franco Ballerini died in a car crash in a rally where he was navigating for the driver. Gone too soon I think. He won some races himself, and then coached the Italian team, and sometimes even got them to stop fighting amongst themselves, in order to pull in a few world championships and not to mention, a gold medal from Bettini in Athens. He had a good career on the bike, and off. I’m sure he’ll be missed. I’ll leave you all with this little snippet of the 1994 Roubaix with Ballerini throwing it down…

As Judi expressed her opinion re: peachy desktops, I took it upon myself to add to the nonsense. From a pic I took ’bout 10 years ago or more. I’m pretty sure It was an Independent Fabrications but then, I could be mistaken. Enjoy.

—bp.

Gnome. Medium. Big Jonny.

This aught to get a laugh or two. Call me King

I was digging in the crates (anything over school work, go figure) and came up with these two fine wallpaper images from days of yore. Thank you Snake Hawk. You are both a gentleman and a scholar. Click through to download large image.

What’d ya’ll think about DC wallpaper images? Funny? Stupid? Want to see more? Never want to see one again?

This guy is gonna have a stroke. This is for today’s storm forecast in the DC area. He’s cracking me up.

I hurt me.

I fucking had this fucking bike fall on my head today, in a parking lot, on a frustrated search for new sunglasses. My first time taking this rig out after lovingly (and with great effort in a no-bike shop town) building it.

Lame as shit, I pushed on a cleat that was not attached at the same time the chain skipped, thusly threw myself down, and my bike whipped around and clocked me on my helmet-less head.  I’ve been a little fucked since that one.  Anyone want to buy a 57cm carbon fiber bike with Dura Ace down to the hubs?  I think I like my Columbus SL and Campagnolo way way more.  Anyway – Don’t drink and ride.

This bike:  $1000 FOR SALE

57/36 mavic/DA 8/Aegis/Kestrel

Grocery Outlet Sherry:

4 bottles of $3 or less wine, available at GROCERY OUTLET.

one empty bottle of wine

freezer

Distribute the 3 liters of wine among the 5 bottles.  Re cork, half way.  Freeze for 24-48 hours.  Remove and let thaw for about 10 minutes.  Pour off into a screen (to catch the slush) all the remaining liquid.  It is 3-5 times stronger than normal wine.  Discard all the slush or use it as cooking wine.

Now you have a bottle of poison:  Grocery Outlet Sherry.

Put a helmet on when doing fast, dumb, or unusual shit.  Your hands might catch the street but your bike can smack your skull.  (I found out)

Because sometimes we need a little extra something to get us to Friday.

What do a sandwich, a waterfall, and Tom Sellick have in common? Everything.

This kid goes big, and keeps it simple. I like it.

That gets me ready to ride. Kind of like Colt Fake’s little video.

Over at Ninebullets they stream a bunch of mellow shit I have never heard of, enjoy.

If you like bikes and like skateboarding, grab a six-pack and watch this John Cardiel Documentary

Everybody needs a rim shot

…and is this better that the Jersey Shore soundboard?

as for me..well, it’s little Friday. See you at the pub.

Soon, I am going to have a bad ass old school Trek MTB. All for under 100 bucks. Recycled bikes are the best.

What is that phrase I keep seeing? Chromo or….homo? Whatever. This frame is chromoly. I take it that’s a good thing?

New rig almost done. Taking my time on ‘er. Had to machine an extra long nut to mount the front brake in a Kestrel fork, and made attempt at stamping an allen head. Had to grind it down to 8mm two sided. After grinding of STI stops round to flat, will be complete.

Cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut

Some people don’t hold grudges, and I’m sad to say that I am not one of those people. Sometimes they seem like a really productive use of time and energy, but most of the time they are downright foolish.
File this one under foolish:

It goes all the way back to the 1996 NORBA nationals at Mt. Snow, VT. I was 17 years old and downhill racing was my life. Back then we broke a lot of parts,and this rainy Vermont day was no exception. I proceed to limp over to the Rock Shox tent with my tail between my legs, pads full of mud, and a broken shock crown. The one guy in the booth was none other than Greg Herbold. In 1996 there are really only 3 posters a young mountain biker should have on his wall. One of John Tomac, one of Greg Herbold, and one of Paola Pezzo. So here I am faced with a guy I  looked up to a lot…and he proceeded to berate me, the best one was “maybe you should try cross country racing man”. Now I know now that it was just good old fashioned ball busting, but when you are a pissed off kid from NY it sounded like straight insults. For close to 14 years I held this grudge. I took down the poster, talked shit and ignored him every other time we have crossed paths, and I just realized that I have never owned another rock shox product.

Fast forward to SSWC09. Here is my chance. In a bit of a  haze I run up to H-Ball and dump 2 beers over his head as he crossed the finish line. I’m not gonna lie, it felt good, “revenge” was mine.  Then we proceed to drink on the side of the mountain until nobody could ride straight.

I’m out on a little jaunt in the desert today, and who do i run into? Yup, Greg Herbold. In town for some SRAM testing and sunshine. We bullshit for a bit, two grown men on bicycles in the middle of nowhere talking about where to get beers in town and where the local skate parks are. Because when it comes down to it, we are all here for the same reason. The ride and the beer. H-Ball is actually a good dude and the grudge was stupid. Too bad it took 14 years for me to realize it.

Enough of all this nonsense. Tip of the pint to my girl Paola. Keep it dirty.

From: Dan
The once every seven years dusting of snow in Nashvegas. Had to get the ‘cross bike in it.
-dan
eastsidecyclist.blogspot.com

Nice to see a Surly putting in work.

It's all about product placement.

A tip of the hat and a raise of the glass to the U of A cycling team for putting on an impressive race and for getting on the box this past weekend. David Glick of RideClean occupied the top step in the Men’s A field and former Luna Chix Chloe Forsman topped the box, along with fellow CATS Melanie Meyers and Judy Jenkis rounding out the podium in the Women’s A field. Nice job everyone! And what a great way to start the 2010 collegiate season.

More over at Velonews.

TITS (Time In The Saddle). Got that from Suzanne.

Yesterday we rode fixed for 31, today I rode solo for 58.

89 miles in 2 days. I’ll take it for Feb 1st.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, that would be three (3) days of riding. In a row, no less.

The view from the road.

Zirbel’s B sample also positive from Velonews.com. Oops, looks like someone tested positive 2 times now, and will be banned for a couple of years. Say goodbye to the career you never really had doper. Don’t let the proverbial door hit you in the arse on the way out. Seems as though, he has read the excuse list though, because just like everyone else who has ever gotten busted (well, almost everyone), he’s got several excuses, all of which are 99.9% lies. Sure there is a small, very small, almost miniscule chance he’s telling the truth, but those chances are not very good. I think it goes back to the old slim and none, and instead of slim just leaving town, slim and none both RAN outta town. Anyone have the over and under on how many doping positives we’ll get this year during the race season once it gets cranked up? How many more times will Boonen get busted for recreational drugs? He does seem to like to snort the powder. My wife has officially jumped off of the Boonen fan wagon, after she found out he was dating a 16 year old girl (well, she’s probably 18 or so now I guess, or getting close to that age). Now, she finds him creepy. She’s moved over to liking Cavendish, or Millar. She has a thing for pale lanky Englishmen. How she ended up with me (swarthy, dark, hairy, Frenchman) I’ll never really know, but I’m not going to question it. She pretty much rocks my world.

Anyway, regardless of doping going on, I’m still pretty psyched for the real season to start. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, spring classics are where it’s at. This is where the hard men (or the best dopers) come into their own. I think I read somewhere the Lancey-poo is going to be riding the Classics this year, which makes me like him, just a little bit. I know, another Lance hater. Don’t get me wrong. I completely respect what he’s done on the bike, and I respect what he’s done off the bike (Livestrong and cancer stuff and things like that), it still doesn’t make me a fan of him though. That’s all I will say about that for now. But, get out there like you did in the old days Lance, and get in the mud, it’ll be good for you. Ride some cobbles. Taste some cow shit from the roads in Belgium. It’s going to be another great Spring season.

Cross Worlds happened this weekend. And I’m disappointed and sad for one Katie Compton, who had cramp issues this weekend, and didn’t finish the race. I feel sad, because she’s is one fucking super fast woman out there, and she’s not yet gotten her World Championship, and this year, she was on FIRE. Vos won, again, which doesn’t surprise me, because after Compton, she’s got the goods as well. Here is hoping that Katie can figure out her leg cramping issues, and come back again next year, and put the smack down on the women ‘crossers of the world. Maybe she needs to pull a “Page” and just pack up camp, and just stay in Europe from late August until World Championships, because it does appear that her cramping issues come up with lots of travel. She doesn’t need to come back to the US to ride National Championships, she’s already proven, time and again, that she can kick the shit out of the women’s fields here (most of the time) without really trying. Stay in Europe Katie, and bring home the rainbow jersey. What I hope she doesn’t do though, is give up, because she seems to be getting stronger every single year (when she’s not cramping). Good luck Katie, here’s hoping you come back stronger next year, and kick the ass that most of us know that you can.