Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Right Equipment

I recall someone really famous and fond of Michelob Ultra once saying: "It's Not About the Bike."  I think it was this lady:


So I do my best not to be obsessed over equipment, particularly since I have no idea what I'm talking about anyway.  But this last week has reminded me that sometimes equipment is quite important.  Take for example this guy:
Fred Malm

On this particular day Malm forgot his bib shorts, but decided to tough it out for an hour anyway.  Not having equipment can harm your equipment.

On the other end of the spectrum I was recently hooked up with a sweet deal on these bad boys:


They also appear to be equipment of the important type, though I don't think they'll make me as tough as Malm.  This continues my long tradition of upgrading and stating, "Now I have no excuses."  That is, of course, not true because I can come up with all kinds of excuses.  And will chronicle those for you in the upcoming road season.

Speaking of chronicles, I was alerted to an article in the SF Chronicle by my buddy Dan and here's an excerpt:


But should hipsters start wearing monocles? This has been a hot-topic of debate with scientists at UC Berkeley. A monocle has everything a hipster craves. It complements a twirly mustache. Perfect! Using facial muscles to hold a monocle in place causes one to sneer. Excellent! A monocle create the impression that the person knows everything there is to know. Fantastic! Wearing a monocle is extremely ironic and makes you look like Rich Uncle Pennybags. Amazing! A surprised expression will cause a monocle to drop for emphasis. Fabulous!


Clearly this is the equipment I need in order to be excusesless, and it has the added bonus of not being about the bike.  Though the article is about hipsters I noticed the key upgrade potential of monocles for racers: The Race Face.  Note in the following images how the monocle would enhance and encourage race face to the detriment of your opponents.

Monocle would enhance cobble handling
Dual monocles

Many amateur racers aren't serious enough about their hobby

As long as it doesn't mess with your depth perception, I see no down side.


I think I'll get into the game early with carbon and bamboo models.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Sac CX - Lodi

This past Saturday I finally made it out to one of the Sac CX series races.  It was a beautiful blustery day, kinda like this:

Thankfully, I didn't have to ride in the wind, but these guys did!


The course was at Langetwins Winery, and of course they had some wine tasting going on.  I was a little confused since the fans sat in a nice spot sipping wine, rather than standing in a muddy beer garden hurling heckles and beer cans.  Chris decided to bring a case of Pabst, which normally wouldn't stand out at a CX race, but did so here.  Sadly, I missed Mark's finish, but did get a nice shot of the podium.