Monday, August 27, 2012

 Lions Gate Bridge sure does look a lot like the Golden Gate Bridge...


 Well, I haven't posted in awhile and a lot has changed. I'm now living in Vancouver Canada.(Maybe change the name to Velo in Vancouver?? ) It's pretty nice and I have been meeting all kids of really nice people. I have been finding the cool group rides and getting a sence of the race secene as well. I have missed the road season for the most part but CX is coming so I may jump in and get a bit dirty!

I'm also waiting for our stuff to be retrieved from storage to our new place so I can get my MTB because the riding here is supposed to be just plain incredible. Pic's to follow.

My adventures / rides should be showing up in my Strava feed in the sidebar. Any questions or suggestions about the riding up here give me a shout.

A new chapter begians for Ella and I,  it's all very exciting-

Ciao-

 

Monday, December 05, 2011

SSCXWC madness/ fun

Wow what a hard race, completely nutz and a whole lot of fun too. The qualifier on Sat the day before had my legs feeling a bit broken.. I finished 59th of 140 so not to shabby however I ended up pulling a quad muscle in the process that made things tough going for the last 2 weeks.. Seems better now tho.

Pain face at the end...


This next weekend is the BASP final which should be fun @ Coyote Pt. quad should be fine and I like the venue...

Monday, October 10, 2011

Gotta start somewhere..

Well got it together Sunday for my first CX race and drove down to Manzanita Park. I have always raced well there. It has however dished out the most pain as well. 2+ years ago I piled it and blew my knee wide open requiring 27+ stitches to close it up again. It was tough lesson and the worst I had ever been hurt doing any cycling or motor cycle racing for that matter..





Fast forward few years later and that same dam turn dished out a painful reminder about racing CX.


I managed to pull myself off the ground.. twice. Yes twice, in the same turn..  and finish in 18th. All things considered not a terrible finish. I felt strong toward the end and wasn't thirsty which is a good indicator of fitness. About 3 other guys came to the aid tent right after me because of the same turn. It was a tough one.

I'll do some running this week with some intervals thrown in and things will improve. I'll only will get better from here.

My best friend for a few days...

Friday, September 16, 2011

Time to get back on the Horse..

So it's been 2 years of no Cyclocross racing for many reasons, some good- some bad. I didn't really realize how much it meant to me until I caught a few races at the tail end of last year.

I've gotten a slow start to the road season which for me- is now done. I'm hoping this will have a good effect for CX. I'm motivated and am riding for a new (to me) local team, Dolore Grotta run out of Big Swingin Cycles in SF.



Finally got my new rig going as well..



I will do a mix of Elite A's and Master 35+ A's and I'm sure it's going to hurt bad..

This season... I'm up for it.

  See you out there!     Cross eyed and smiling....

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Monday, June 27, 2011

Burlingame Race Report



Burlingame Crit- June 26th, 2011
Masters 1/2/3
Teammates: Dana, Todd, Channing, Scott W, Marc, Josh and Greg
42nd out of 103
Despite having some issues messing up my training the last 2 weeks, I was ready as I ever could be for this race and motivated. I drove down with Channing and got there early. I got my 30 min on the rollers and felt good to go on the line.

I had to line up almost at the back of an over-full field and when we took off, I got a poor start but didn’t panic. That was until I realized the pace was fast and could see Foose up on the front drilling it.

The pace was fast enough that it took me 4 laps or so to finally get up to Dana and signal I was on him. My only plan was to shadow him and provide a strong lead out or 1-½ lap to go pacing. There were a few moments that while up near the front a few dangerous moves went off the front and I just sucked wheels to get up there and make sure to be there if it stuck, they didn’t..

So I started to move back towards the front and checked the laps they were showing us.. 6 to go, that was quick? Normally I can move around quite well at this course but Sunday was another story. Normally the M 1/2/3 pace is pretty high and that close to the finish it’s pretty strung out but it wasn’t.

It seemed lots of guys were just treating it like a faster Cat 3- race lot’s of swarming and sloppy riding, granted I was back further then I wanted and it always get sloppier the more you get down in positions but it was noticeable.

Anyway, I had legs left, with 2 to go but was blocked left right and center and could not move up. All I wanted to do was get clear and do a long, hard pull at the front. I admit I was frusterated and didn’t sprint for the finish and came in 42nd. I was happy that at least Dana got on the podium however…!

After the race I watched the P ½ race and had wished I signed up for it as my allergies weren’t bothering me much, the reason I hadn’t signed up.. So I drove down to San Carlos and parked at work and rode home, in the brutal headwind for another 1:40…

Recovered well overnight and then rode to work this morning not feeling too bad. I’m hoping to keep this rolling and start firing on all cylinders..

Thanks to all that came out on Sunday. And healing vibes to all that hit the deck..

Nick-

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Great Day for a Commute to Work!

Coyote Pt. / view towads SF..

Monday, June 13, 2011

Benicia Race Report

Benicia Crit
Masters 35+ 1/2/3
Teammates: none
Placing : 13th of 45?
https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2011&id=1795&info_id=38542

I first did this race about 3 years ago and the course was a basic square layout. I guess they changed it and it’s now a large hourglass or 2 boxes w/ the corners touching kind of layout. Really fun course with an uphill sprint.
I had brought a set of the new Ritchey Carbon 88 tubies’s to use but the high winds were enough to change my mind and I just used my alloy Zeta wheels instead.

The field wasn’t the biggest but it was chocked full of all the local heavy hitters. I stayed attentive and near the front for the majority of the race despite being shuffled towards the back a few times.  If you wanted to put your nose in the wind it was possible to move up pretty fast.
Most of the laps were around the 22-23mph mark and I felt fine but near the end of the race I was having a hard time breathing (more than normal for that stage of the race) and while in the right place on the final lap I lacked the boost need to move up before the last few turns and got slowed a bit with the bottleneck into the last turn and finished 13th  not a bad race, however a telling thing happened after the race while sitting on some grass taking a rest, my forearms started to break out in hives from touching the grass. I think I finally have the proof that indeed I am having some allergy issues with grass pollen…


 P 1/2/3
Teammates: Dana and Scott P
Placing: DNP

Well I don’t have much to say here.. The pace from the gun was very fast.  All the laps I recorded were 25 mph or faster. After the break I made the error of going to deep too soon-  I think.  After 20 min I was huffing and out of breath and going backwards thu the field. I was not going to make it and dropped out. A disappointment for sure but in the end about half of the almost full (100) field did not finish either. Scott did a great job to stay in the race until around the 30 min mark and Dana crushed it to finish in the top 10. Way to go Dana! We had a short discussion about tactics before the race and sure enough as I feared a break did managed to stay away for the win. I really wanted to be there to help him but in the end it was so strung out, it was every man for themselves for the most part.  That’s how it goes sometimes. The win went to a Garmin Pro kid with Joel Roberts riding his wheel.
For the most part I felt fine and the bike was great I just need to get a handle on this allergies thing. Of course by late July it will be a moot point but I need it fixed now!

Shout out to Nate S and Scott P for representing in the E 3 race! Next week Pescadero M 1/2/3!

Nick

Gettin called out.

Tarmac Ripper called me out for having a boring blog and (whom ever they are?) are right. I have been very lazy and need to get back on the Blog horse. Maybe thats just what i needed!

Thanks Tarmac Ripper!