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Woke up this morning a year older. Crap one year closer, and one year left 'till I'm a masters, when I said I would try racing again. Maybe I should take up trials.

The Tour of California Prologue stage was a lot of fun. I got to help out Ric at the FSA booth. It was a lot of fun talking with people about the new products they are offering and the Jumpsuit was cool.



A very busy day, I didn’t get to see the race at all but I saw a lot of cool bikes and the weenie dog count was at 3



While I was over at Paul’s yesterday I got a call from Jen whom I meet at the Tour, she asked me to build up a custom Grognard Cross frame she won at the 24 hours of Cool last year. She stopped by last night with her husband Scott so I could check out the frame and help her pick out her components. It’s mostly going to be an FSA build with a CK head set and Shimano shifting and brakes. The frame is a work of art with an awesome paint job, we’re going to have to get a Pro to Photog this one.

And it looks like my first roadie gig will be with the Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team at the Sequoia Cycling Classic next month. I’m really excited to be working with this team. They are not only the NRC #1 ranked women’s team in 2007, and the only UCI-registered Women’s team in North America in 2008, but a really great group of ladies. Working at the Bicycle Outfitter I get to see Karen, Christine, Katheryn, and Beverley often, it’s nice (and a little intimidating) to know I’ll be working with a team of this caliber.

I’m just going to enjoy the rest of my birthday off before the work starts tomorrow.

The Off Season

'Cross is over time to relax... right?

well, here's a Photo Dump to recap the last week or so...

Cali was using the powers of the Puppy Dog Eyes to try to trick dad out of some treats. Of course it worked...


The boys are in town for the big race.


Their bikes suffer from TSA "love" just like the rest of us. Rock's boss maybe jerking around in the media but his riders are pro, Michael was cool and patent when I was working on his bike and very thankful when I finished. It was really cool that we had the parts in stock and could get him rolling with just a quick pit stop.


Michelle and I have been doing more training with the Pups.


Brock got a new toy and asked me do the build. These new Santa Cruz's are building up really nice, the crew over there has deffinatly steped it up. This one is going to be sick, All XTR with a DT Swiss wheel set, CK and Thompson. Brock is going to swap out the tires for something a little more NorCal Cross Coutry, this monster will be flying at the local Simi Pro races this MTB Season.


Super Wisco sets off on a V-Day delivery.


I'm building the most expensive bike I've done so far...


Oh No there goes Ergomo...


And, Michelle put her V-Day present to use




I'll be helping out FSA with their booth at Sunday's Prologue Expo. I'll try to get a few photos, and find out more about Ric's wooden rims. yummm wooden rims...

playing with new toys.

Michelle and I splurged a little yesterday and got iPhone's, so I'm playing around seeing if I can do a blog post on this thing.

Still having a little trouble uploading photos from the phone but typing is hella easy

Blury photos of Tex & Cali soon... I hope

Yeah yeah I'm ah lagggg'n

Sorry got a little behind on the race report...

Mr. Gill and the Fair Grounds didn't disappoint the hard core crossers who showed up for our weekly sermon. The only muddy race day in the Bay Area this season was a goodie. I was a little jaded after the epicness of Portland's USGP monsoon and KC's Natz blizzard, this Sunday was good rain.

as per normal I was sans camera for this one, so all the pics are stolen from the Boss, Lauren and maybe Rob...

The Pit was off in a far corner of the course but it was a really nice set up and being the fair grounds water wasn't a problem. The wash station looked to be a livestock cleaning station for the 4H'ers, on sloping concrete (nice drainage) with an asphalt road butting up to it. It had 5 nicely pressured spickets and four race supplied hoses... score I brought my own.



I really didn't need brushes for most of the race; the water took most of the mud right off. I did grease a few chains and it seemed to help out a little.

Stella killed it during the women’s race on her SS. Her SS in my favorite bike on the team, I hope she drops it off so I can clean it up for the off-season.



The guys got the worst rain of the day but it kept the bikes cleaner then the earlier clay-ier races



DodgeBall lead out the race for the first couple of laps then mechanicaled and got a wheel from the boss on the back side of the course. Tim rode like an animal getting second to Howie and taking the overall in the series.



A good race to end the season on.

The Mud Come-ith

Ah yeah. Last one of the season for me and this baby promises to be epic

The great Mr. Gill and friends will be presenting Peak Season Cyclocross @ the infamous Watsonville Fairgrounds this weekend. Mother Nature will be present for a true cyclocross mud bath.

The Corral will be in play again...



Check list for this race...
Pam
Brushes
Old T-Shirts
Hoses
Garden hose Y-Splitter
Sprayer Head
3 Gallon Bucket
Full rain gear
More chain lube then normal
Bogg Schloggers (rubber boots)

When come the mud I will give them clean bicycles to race through it.