The Big Lunch

photo by turtlemom4bacon via Flickr

I love Thanksgiving. Without a doubt, it is my favorite holiday.  I always envision that movie style Thanksgiving with a house full of well-dressed friends and family mingling around the house while a feast is in the making in an expansive kitchen.  My reality is a little less polished, but no less enjoyable than that. I love doing the recipe research and trying to pull together this epic meal that lingers as leftovers for a week to come.  I obsess over Martha Stewart a little more than usual (I have a "thing" for Martha Stewart, don't ask, it is unexplainable...) trying to find recipes that not only look good, but will taste out of this world.

But what is with all of the Christmas stuff?  Christmas trees in the street, Santa sweating in his suit on a warm fall day, these things overshadow Thanksgiving and take away its simple idea of sharing a meal with family and friends and giving thanks for all that you have.

Have a great Thanksgiving, spend time with family and friends, get out and ride your bike and we'll see you Saturday for some coffee, homemade cinnamon rolls and a storewide sale as part of the 3/50 Project's Small Business Saturday.

Shameless Commercial Post

This is the big, crazy retail sales week that culminates with "Black Friday" (say that in your head with a really spooky voice - an echo/reverb effect works well, too).  Any way, Black Friday is a heady rush of crazy discounts that draws flocks of folks to the malls and big box stores to gather money for megacorporations.  Needless to say, this leaves the Lenoir Uptown Business District rather short on shoppers.  We have our own take on things.

Saturday has been dubbed Small Business Saturday and seeks to get people to shop at the many small, locally-owned businesses that are among the hardest hit in this economic down time.  We will be closed on Friday, but Saturday we are going to be open extended hours and will have a store full of products on holiday discount to help you get ready for a cycling-centric Christmahanukwanzaku!  We'll be open at 10 am with homemade cinnamon rolls (while they last) and coffee (until we jitter ourselves into collapse).

Make a day of it by checking out all of the great businesses downtown.  Rediscover the personal connection that comes with supporting a small local business and help keep our town's unique character and stem the tide of the chain store/restaurant tsunami that threatens to wash it all away.

photo by Hammer51012 via Flickr

Even though we'll be closed on Friday, we'll have a special Black F*Y! Friday deal on our online store! So hang out with family and friends, eat a lot of turkey, ride your bike and then come see us Saturday!

NCGP Day 1

Warm temps and bright, sunny skies were not the ideal weather for a mid November 'cross race, but that's what we got.  In a season that has been the polar opposite of last year's mudfest, unseasonably warm temps and dry conditions are the norm.  This year's NCGP course was much as it has been over the past years with the "Wall", a large run up on the back side, several tight turning sections, a singletrack climb in the woods and a long, mixed surface straightaway that puts riders in the headwind for a power sapping chunk of each lap's total time.

Master's field were enormous with 54 35+ riders and 50ish in the 45+ category.  At this point in this season, everyone is going fast and the starts have become gut-wrenching exercises in pushing the internal tachometer to the redline and hoping you don't blow.  For me, that delicate balancing act went awry right as I made contact with the lead group of 8.  If you've never blown spectacularly, it is soul crushing as you go backwards through the field, but you just can't feel sorry for yourself.  I rallied and moved back up through a few field, but my race yesterday was more an exercise in perseverance than competitiveness.

Jeff got to battle it out at the head of affairs in the 45+ race, ultimately finishing 2nd.  Sonni D, Faster Pastor, Bob Pugh, and Cecilio all had strong finishes, while the Ghost Faced Killah rolled a tubular, ran to the pits (a long way from his crash) and finished the race.  Sam Dyer threw down for the Luna Future Stars team, putting a smack down on all comers in the kid's race.  Good job Sam!

Thanks to our friends Jess and Shannon, we had a great meal and warm digs to crash in for the night.  We went to the Chocolate Lounge in downtown Asheville for some dessert after a great meal at their home.  If you have any type of chocolate addiction, you might want to avoid the Chocolate Lounge.  I found what may be the perfect food stuff: The Highland Stout Chocolate Cake. These secret spy photos, smuggled out at great personal risk, confirm the existence of this wonder food.  If this technology progresses to add coffee into the mix of chocolate and beer, I may have no need of other food ever again.  I may also need to ride my bike way more to avoid gaining 1000 lbs.

Here's to another day of racing.  See you on the line!

The big weekend

Jeff and I are heading to the NC Gran Prix of Cyclocross in Hendersonville this weekend to do a little bike racing.  Since this is a UCI Elite Race, the Pro races are gonna be incredible with guys and gals coming from all over the country to grab UCI points to help with their call ups at Nationals and their quest to make it to their respective national teams for World Championships.  If you're near Hendersonville or are inclined to check out a 'cross race, this is the one to come see.  The course features several vantage points to get a clear view of most of the race and the "Wall" feature is a great spot to hang out and ring the cowbells as the riders tackle a steep ride up that inevitably turns into a run up for some.

Our bachelor weekend will probably be a lot like The Hangover except no Las Vegas, baby, fat guy with a beard or Mike Tyson (hopefully).  A visit to the Thirsty Monk may do just the trick for some post race recovery and will ensure a fresh set of legs for the next days race.  There's always the Chocolate Lounge to assist with the serious medicinal implementation of chocolate to heal up any damage done by the day's racing as well.  Other members of the team are heading down as well, so Fiets Maan Racing should be well represented in the old man races this weekend.

In other news: First, you may have noticed the opening of our online store this week.  If you haven't checked it out yet, please give it a look.  A new program that we will be running through our online store will be the Friday F*Y! Deal.  Basically, we will have some product on very steep discount that will run for 24 hrs or until we are sold out.  If you can help us spread the word, we'd be most appreciative.

The second thing new is that we are putting together a curriculum for a basic mechanic's class to be held after Christmas.  After having many people ask, we're in a position now to put it together right.  Included in the class will be a repair manual/textbook, a t-shirt showing how special you are with your new knowledge and special deals on tools to help you get geared up for some DIY bike repair.  Details and sign ups will be coming in the near future, so stay tuned!

If you get nothing else accomplished this weekend, get out and ride your bike!

Jack Frost is a little nipper

People at work keep saying how cold I must get riding in to work every morning.  I must confess that I love the cold commute in the morning.  Like a scottish shower in reverse, you start out cold and then after about 10 minutes of riding, you're nice and warm.  The trick is to not overdress or else you get to work sweaty and hot.

The cold and rainy morning commute is even better.  It's the one time that a full rain suit isn't a stuffy, personal sweatbox.  I fear that my 12 year old Burley rain suit is coming to the end of its lifespan, though.  It has lost its edge on the moisture and is no longer able to keep me dry in the rain, managing a slight level of damp on a good day to a look- I- just- peed- myself level of wetness on a bad day.  I've been checking out the offerings from Showers Pass, a company in Oregon. A good rule of thumb: when shopping for bike commuting harsh weather gear, look for companies from the Pacific Northwest, they know what they are doing.

Another bike commuting/bike-as-vehicle acquisition I'm looking to make is a cargo trailer for serious hauling.  I love nothing more than to go buy lumber and load it up on the Xtracycle, but there is only so much I can safely carry.  Enter the trailer.  And not just any trailer, but a 300lb weight capacity beast of a trailer from the guys at Surly Bikes.  Sheets of plywood!  2x4's!  4x4's!  The DIY world will be my fossil fuel free oyster!

The Queen City Throwdown

First, major kudos, big ups and much props to Chris Behrmann, Bob Pugh and Jeff Welch for organizing the 5th round of the NCCX series.  Their hard work meant a fantastic event full of music, food, awesome spectating and fantastic racing on a truly excellent and challenging course that all of the major Euro 'cross design checkboxes and then some.  It is my sincerest hope that Fiets Maan Racing has a reputation for putting on high quality races that make you want to come back each year.

The major feature this year was the steep run up at the start which was ultimately towards the end of each lap once the races were underway.  After that it was high speed straightaways, technical off camber turns and into the triple sandpits of doom.  A heavy, non-race spectator turnout made racing your bike feel like being part of an exciting show.  Thank you to all of you who cheered for me while I went from having a breakout race to a less than stellar 15th place.  Thanks to all of you even if you called me "Bob" or "Jeff" every time you cheered for me.  I'll take it, I'm not proud.

As 'cross season heats up through the winter, the bike business begins to enter its usual slow period.  I want to take a moment to invite you to stop by and visit; we've always wanted our shop to be a place to just come, hang out, talk about bikes or whatever.  Also, we have several things in the works for this winter as well:

Check out our online store! Help us spread the word and if you happen to see one of our models out on the bike, please give them a compliment (they are a little self-conscious).

Bike mechanic classes are coming!  Many people have expressed interest in a basic bike mechanic class and we will be offering several through the cold and dark times of winter.  Already know the basics? We've got you covered on that as well.  We'll be offering an advanced mechanic class to help further your knowledge and help you maintain your fine cycling machine.  Details will be coming soon.

If you haven't joined our Facebook fan page, followed us on Twitter or signed up for our newsletter, please take a moment to do so.  This is a great way to stay in touch with the latest goings on of the shop.

Race day!

You put your sand in my bike race! You put your bike race in my sand!

It's race day in Charlotte!  We set the course up yesterday and it looks rad.  I didn't get a chance to pre-ride it yesterday; it was getting dark when we finished up and Owen was on the verge of a meltdown.  We're headed back early this morning to put the finishing touches on the course and then I race first at 10 am.  Veterans Park was filled with tons of people playing in the warm weather so we may get a fair bit of non-cycling spectators to add to the fun.  Hope to see you out there, cheering for all of the Fiets Maan racing team members no doubt!

In the clear morning light

It is one of those mornings you get in the fall; the ground is dusted with frost, the sunlight is a flat white, and the normally riotous colors of the leaves is muted and dark.  I love these mornings.  The crisp air is invigorating, but it makes me turn inward a bit becoming more contemplative.

Now that I have set the tone, I need to share the object of my contemplation with you.  When Golden and I first moved to Lenoir in 2002, the first thing we did was walk downtown to check out what we thought would be the heart of our new town.  It was empty.  Storefronts were mostly shuttered with broken windows and "For Rent" signs.  There was a bakery and a wig shop.  Golden burst into tears, turned to me and said, "What the hell have you done to us?"

We moved here from Flagstaff, AZ.  Flag' has a thriving, bustling downtown.  It is the place to go and shop, to eat, to hang out, to meet up with friends and the commerce is active from morning through the night.  It is the beating heart of the town, filled with locally owned businesses that give the town its uniqueness, its character.  I put forth for your consideration that this is the function of a healthy downtown.  As you move away from the high speed thoroughfares with their collections of fast food restaurants and chain stores clinging to the asphalt ribbon like a remora to a shark, you shift from the generic blandness that is found in Anywhere, USA to a truer expression of the place you are in.  Local color, flavor and flair are what differentiates us from everywhere else.  Honestly, how different is McWendArbees going to be from town to town?

Lenoir's downtown has come a long way in a short time.  Beginning with the original revitalization efforts of Keith Willis and Chuck Luddeke who, no longer content to wait for the city to figure out how to bring the near dead downtown back to life, began buying and renovating buildings for retail occupation over 5 years ago.  We owe a lot to these guys.  They broke the mold of the rapacious landlord by trying to help businesses get started with reasonable lease terms and the opportunity to put sweat equity into a renovation project in order to reduce a start-up's up-front costs.

The key ingredient to all of this is you.  Your spending habits and purchase decisions are the life and death of locally owned businesses.  Large chain retailers are motivated by a corporate balance sheet and when they business algebra works out to a negative answer, those corporations will shutter and move on to the next town.  You can see the large abandoned corpses of these businesses in every half empty strip mall and darkened mall hulk that looms in towns around the country.  But while chain stores abandon towns when the going gets tough, locally owned businesses try to gut it out, clawing for their very survival.  It is this tenuous situation that downtown Lenoir is in right now.

As we come up on Black Friday, I implore you to participate in Small Business Saturday the very next day.  I'm not saying "Come buy a bike from me!" (although, I'm not gonna fight you if you do ;).  No, I'm hoping you will come stroll through your downtown, checking out all of the shops and restaurants that are working hard to give our town character and vitality.  I'd rather spend money with a local business that looks me in the eye and genuinely thanks me for my business than hear about how my purchases added a few dollars to a windfall of millions for chain retailers and their stockholders on the Monday news.

Dude, where's my car?

Sunday morning. Getting ready to head out to the NC State CX Championships.  Fourth cup of coffee? Check.  Egg and cheese sandwich? Check.  I grab our gear bags, the air pump and car keys.  Open the door, walk out to the car.  Wait. Where's the car? Crap.  I must've left it in neutral and it rolled down the driveway into the backyard.  Walk out to the driveway to survey the damage.  No car.  Wait, no car?  Damn.  The Element has been stolen along with some gear and a race bike that was locked to the rack overnight.

This was not the way Sunday was supposed to go.  About an hour after the police arrived and took the report, our neighbor found all of the contents of the car, including Golden's Tri Cross with our new set of Carroll Composites carbon tubular race wheels, in the park in our neighborhood.  This was a huge relief.  Still no car, but our personal stuff was back and I wasn't going to have to hassle with explaining how a bike was worth $4000 to an insurance agent.

Monday, I start all of the insurance stuff and talk to the guys at Cars Plus about getting another Honda Element.  Then, Tuesday morning, the police find our car.  Visions of a wrecked, totalled heap of stripped parts and flat tires rattles around my brain as I pedal from school to the police station.  The detective takes me down to the garage area of the station and shows me the Element.  It is exactly as it was the last time I saw it with the exception of a dead battery and an empty gas tank.

So, we have everything back in pretty much the same shape (apparently, the criddler who took it wasn't real up on his use of a clutch) AND they arrested the guy who stole it.  Amazing.  My faith in the Lenoir Police Department is restored.

Changing time, changing weather

Riding is always an option

Finally, the weather seems to have settled into a Fall mix of cold, cool and mild.  There was a little bit of a false start when a veritable heat wave broke up an early season cold snap.  Cyclocross and profuse sweating just don't mix.

With morning commute temperatures in the 20's and 30's, it was time to dig out the cold weather riding gear.  A good set of gloves, a warm/water resistant jacket with some room for multiple layers underneath, a cycling cap, a skull cap, knee warmers and booties are enough to get you through all but the harshest of arctic conditions.  Now add full-time commuting to this mix and you need to add a high quality rainsuit to the mix.

While it seems like a big expense, cold weather riding gear lasts for a long time.  My rainsuit is about 12 years old.  I've got jackets and long-sleeved jerseys that are 6 or 7 years old, so believe me when I say that buying cold weather gear is an investment for the long haul.

Some of our recommendations:

Specialized Element Jacket                  Specialized Deflect Head Warmer

Specialized Base Layer                        Defeet Kneekers

As always, the gear and equipment that we recommend is what we ride with.  It's nice knowing that your local bike shop is out riding and racing putting their inventory to the test in the real world!

Winner, winner, chicken tender dinner!

Damn you, Nicole Thomas and your Pierrick Fedrigo/Thomas Voeckler tandem of stage winners!  And don't even get me started about your boy, Contador.  Anyway, congratulations on your big win here on the second rest day, yada yada yada, blah blah blah... Come by and claim your prize when you get a chance.

So, debate swirls around Contador's actions when Schleck's chain came off.  Rather than debate the action, I'd like to offer my two cents on Contador's reaction.  Contador clearly sees Schleck in trouble, Contador clearly drives the attack and continues to drive it on the descent.  Why claim that you "didn't know" or whatever nonsense?  Please be a man and and clearly state your actions rather than contradicting with words what your actions clearly were.  There really isn't anything wrong in saying that you were capitalizing on the situation because every second is going to count in this tour and that is bike racing.  Much hay has been made of the sporting gestures of Armstrong, but ultimately Armstrong knew that he was head and shoulders above his competition (reasons why are an entirely separate debate) and he could afford such gestures.  The battle going on now is not so clear cut and it is apparent that Contador is scared of Schleck this year.

A couple of interesting notes on the tour so far:

1. the current gap between first and second place is 8 seconds- Greg LeMonds winning margin in the closest Tour ever, 1989.  That tour was won on the final day in a time trial duel between Lemond and Laurent Fignon, who the day before, congratulate Lemond on his second place finish in the tour (a move which Lemond reacted to by thinking "you just lost the tour").

2. This tour is being fought out by two riders on different teams who are riding the exact same equipment: Specialized bikes, SRAM components and Zipp wheels (which are all American companies, too).  So this Tour will really be a test of man vs. man without the added mechanical advantage battle to complicate things.

Winner, winner, chicken nugget dinner!

As of Monday's rest day, Mr. Steven Boike's Think Pink Cancer Fighter's team was in the lead of the Luna Cycles virtual Tour de France making him our first winner!  Steve needs to come on down and pick up his cash prize.  Savor it well though, as my team has now taken control and should prove difficult to unseat by the next rest day.  Thanks to huge performances by my domestiques - Sylvain Chavenal, Jerome Pineau and Sandy Casar I have gotten some massive points and now thanks to a yellow jersey by Cadel Evans and eventual Tour winner Andy Schleck, the points just keep coming.  Throw in some strong riding by Mr. Vino', some strong climbing by my guys Gadret and Lloyd and the Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh Nnnnnnoooooooooooooooo's are gonna steam roll this thing like you wouldn't believe!  And what is even more thrilling to contemplate is the bottle of Smirnoff Ice that awaits our lanterne rouge!  Get ready Max, it's coming!

It's Fantasy Tour time, baby!!!!!!!

The short and sweet of it is that this year the Fantasy Tour will be done through Velogames. The sign up is free and they have a very thorough scoring system that will make life easy for me (important) and oh so satisfying for all you Fantasy Directeur Sportifs (very important).

So here's the deal: entry is $10.  $5 will go into the pot for a winner take all payout.  The other $5 will be split between the 2 rest days with a prize awarded to the leader of our fantasy tour on each of the two rest days.

So what do you need to do?  Register your team at Velogames.  Once you have your team registered, go to your team roster page and at the bottom you will see where you can join 3 mini leagues.  Here is the mini-league info for our Fantasy Tour:
League Details

League Owner: dirtboy1970
Owner Email: shawnmoore1@gmail.com
League Name: Luna Cycles NC
League Code: 01190650


After you have registered and joined, drop by your ten bucks at the shop (or mail it in if you are out of town).  That's it, but you need to hurry since registration will close at 1600 CET on Saturday.  Good luck!

Medical lessons

I am constantly amazed at how Owen can recover from being sick in a heartbeat.  To go from projectile vomiting to laughing and talking is something that never ceases to cause me a great deal of consternation.  It is probably best that we don't retain this rapid recovery into adulthood or alcohol-fueled parties would be truly nightmarish events...

In wonderfully positive medical news, Joan has received a very good pathology report and is well on her way to recovery.  Please keep her in your thoughts as she deeply appreciates everyone's support.

It pleases me immensely to say that we are back to being a one car household.  While not completely car free, we are as close as reasonably possible for a family of three living in an area with no public transportation.  I went grocery shopping on the xtracycle yesterday to celebrate.

Now I have to get back to school work.

You look relieved

Steve came in to the shop yesterday.  He looked noticeably different from how he has the past few months.  He didn't seem to have such a crushing weight on his shoulders.  Joan is home and recovering as evidenced by her return to using her iphone.  I'm sure her recovery is not going to be easy, but I think it goes with out saying that she will handle it with grace, good humor and aplomb.  I wish I could be such a person.

While I don't think Joan is ready (or able) to be bombarded by a mass of well wishers, I know that both she and Steve appreciate our thoughts and efforts of support.  Continue to think of them, ride your bike, wear some pink and enjoy life because I know those are things that both Joan and Steve will be doing every chance they get.

A ride full of pink

A great ride of pink clad cyclists took off in honor of Joan last night for Mellow Monday.  It was a great time as we cruised along at conversational pace.  Let's keep up the pink until Joan can rejoin us!

I now know that my dream of miniature farm animals in my suburban downtown yard, could be a reality.  The mini cattle that Khelli linked yesterday was a brief shining moment of hope that was quickly and cruelly crushed by my wife.  It isn't that she lacks vision, she just doesn't trust mine.  A thundering herd of 37 inch tall Angus cattle roaming my 1/16th of an acre may yet become reality, but I will place all my eggs in the chicken basket... for now.

Happy first day of Summer!

Last night we had a dinner comprised of food that we grew ourselves plus a few ingredients.  The salad was all from the garden - mixed lettuce, multi-colored carrots (the purple are my favorites), snowpeas and nasturtiums.  We had a chard quiche with it.  Chard was from our garden.  The eggs, alas, were store bought as chickens seem to stay just on the horizon of being added to our household.  The butter and milk were store bought as the idea of a cow in our downtown Lenoir neighborhood is a non-starter - unless there is some variety of pygmy dairy cow about the size of a German Shepherd that I am unaware of.

We had a great Father's Day brunch at The Bistro.  Always fantastic food and the atmosphere to just sit back and relax and have a nice long meal with family.  I decided to do something completely out of the ordinary and we headed down to Hickory to shoot a round of disc golf.  Owen had a good time for a few holes and then left me to my own devices.  While I wandered through the woods throwing frisbees, he went in search of ducks and frogs.  All in all, it was a good day.

Please don't forget to come to the Mellow Monday ride tonight in honor of Joan.  Wear (or attach to your bike) something pink to show your support!

Happy Father's Day!

photo by Jack Dalton

Dad's do a lot for us.  They lead the way when we need to be shown and they let us do our own thing when we're ready to be independent.  They model what it means to be a man for their sons and daughters. 

I'm lucky that I still have my Dad.  After two heart attacks late last year, I could easily be remembering my Dad, rather than having Father's Day brunch with him.  If you aren't so fortunate, I hope that you are able to remember your Dad in some way that would make him proud.  And if you are fortunate enough to still have Dad around, make sure you let him know how much he means to you.

Update on Joan

Joan had a long day yesterday - 10.5 hours in surgery.  Steve says she is recovering well and that preliminary reports look very positive.  Keep up the positive thoughts and rock some pink on your bike rides to show your support!

In the trenches

My typical acclimation to working full time in the shop is coming along nicely.  There are slow times when we look at each other and wonder what we can do to keep occupied and then there are times when we wish we could employ 20 people it is so busy.  I like being busy - down time is too much for me to bear.  The best moments come when you get to talk to someone for a while; someone new to the shop or the area who likes bikes and likes to talk about bikes.  Some of the stuff that has rolled in for repair lately has been pretty amazing.

We've had a pair of '60's era Raleigh 3 speed English Tourers come in.  A matched pair of his and hers in British Racing Green.  We even discovered a beautifully worn Brooks leather saddle hiding under a cheap gel seat cover on one of them.  I also got to rebuild a Marzocchi suspension fork from the late '90's for a customer.  Amazing how simple that fork is compared to how most are now.  All in all, back getting my hands dirty, helping people out and getting to hang out in a bike shop all day is a nice way to spend the summer.

Our good friend Joan is heading for surgery today for her recently diagnosed breast cancer.  Joan has been one of the most amazing people in our riding community.  A tireless organizer with a smile and manner that melts everyone around, Joan has turned the Mellow Monday ride into a wild success and has been instrumental in organizing the women's riding group.  We are showing support for Joan by adding some pink on all of our rides and encouraging you to do the same.  If you can wear pink or add pink to your bike to show support for Joan, we know she would greatly appreciate it.  And since Joan has done so much to improve the Mellow Monday ride, we want to encourage everyone to continue participating in the ride.  I know Joan would be disappointed if participation dwindled in her absence, so let's try to make the Mellow Monday ride even bigger than it has been in the past!  Join us monday at 6, bring something pink and we'll take a picture before we start and send it off to Joan.  I know she'll love it.

Don't forget that the Saturday ride will start at 7:30 in the morning to beat the heat.  As always, there will be plenty of people with different schedules to make the ride as long or as short as you would like.  See you then!

#cycling365

I've been quiet for a while.  Not quite a case of writer's block, but a conspiracy of available time, responsibilities and a slight inability to germinate a worthy blog entry has been the culprit.  But now, school is out for the summer and it is like a veil of grey has lifted to reveal sunshine once again.

Don't get me wrong, I like teaching, but there are things about the profession (and this time in the history of education) that grind you down, no matter who you are.  I am in my second semester of graduate school and that is reinvigorating my ideas for the classroom and making me feel like I can make a difference.

I was successful in my quest to commute by bike to school everyday this semester.  Through rain, snow and tremendous humidity, I've pedaled away much to the consternation of my students and the admiration of some of my colleagues.  I have ridden my bike to school everyday this year (2010), a total of about 100 hundred school days equaling 1000 miles of commuting to work.  My car literally lies dead in the driveway, unable to move even if I wanted to drive it.

I have enjoyed myself so immensely with this personal challenge that I have embarked on a new one: #Cycling365.  Beginning June 1st, I will attempt to ride my bike outdoors everyday for a year.  No mileage requirements, no minimum ride length, just on the bike riding outside every day.  Simple.  But often the simple things end up being the most difficult, so we'll see what happens...

Like many of you, I watched the Giro and enjoyed every moment of it.  I can't say the same for the Tour of California.  I guess I just have enough attention span for one major race at the time and in that particular little battle, il Giro will win for me every time.  Once Owen gets a little older, our Giro/Italy bike tour fantasy will become a reality.

I, like many of you, have also been fascinated by the revelations of Floyd Landis.  While I am very disappointed about his admission to doping and the weird "I still won the Tour clean(ish)" claim, he is a high enough level rider to potentially blow the lid off of the whole affair and spark real change in the system.  Unfortuantely, the UCI is so heavily invested in the Lance Armstrong brand that he may be a rider "too big to fail" like the onerous banking groups that had to be bailed out from failing by the federal government even though they created the problem to begin with.

I'm not naive.  Drugs are a part of cycling at the highest level.  They are take for survival by most, misguided shots at glory by some.  Floyd Landis (and Tyler Hamilton for that matter) has payed and enormous cost for what he did; effectively ending the life he had built over decades of hard work and unimaginable effort.  I hope this latest shot in the public spotlight will bring him peace.

But I just met you...

Saturday was the usual schedule for me.  Now that the weather is warmer, I can get out on the group ride and then head back to the shop in time to open up at noon.  This saturday was no different.  We rode up Buffalo Cove, a small group of us broke off from the main group to head back early and Charles and I started changing and opening up the shop. 

At about 15 minutes before our opening time, an older gentleman tried the door by jerking it a few times, found it to be locked and then waited outside.  I hadn't changed out of my riding clothes yet (Charles was mid-wardrobe change), but I figured the guy must be looking for something in particular and I unlocked the door to let him in.

In our time here at Luna Cycles, we have observed a phenomenon that seems to be somewhat unique to this area: the 1st customer of the day (one who usually appears before opening time) is going to provide some sort of anecdotal moment that can be passed along for the enjoyment of others.  Now I apologize ahead of time if the gentleman who came by last Saturday is a relative of yours, but this story simply must be told.

The gentleman in question stepped through the opened door quickly with a sense of purpose to his step. 
"Good morning.  How can I help you?", I asked.
"Do you sell jock straps?", he replied.

Uh-oh, I thought, this is going to be weird.

"No sir.  Cyclists don't use jock straps. You should try a sporting goods store."

"I did that, but they just have the ones with the plastic cup.", he countered.

"Well, that's about the only place I can think of that would have something like that.  I can't really get anything like that from any of my suppliers."

"Well, let me tell you what I got.", he said. 

Okay, it would be unfair at this point to not say that all kinds of alarm bells were ringing in my head. "This is gonna be weird. This is gonna be weird..."

"I got one nut like this (holds up balled fist, makes strange face) and the doctor says I gotta have something to support it.", the gentleman explained.

Now, the image of that balled up fist being brandished before the yearning face of that man as he related such a personal medical condition provoked me to think: "TMI! TMI! TMI!"

"Well sir, I'm sorry I just don't know what I can do to help with that." I said in my best please-strange-possibly-crazy-with-pain-from-your-unsupported-exceptionally-overlarge-testicle-man stay calm and seek help elsewhere voice.

Charles chimed in with a few comments as he took bikes outside to lock up in front of the shop.  The gentleman left wondering aloud where he might be able to find the support he needed.  I went to the back to change clothes, spent from such an early and strange customer encounter.  After changing, Charles said, "Now I know why he came to a bike shop looking for a jock strap."

"Why?"

Charles proceeded to tell me that as the man was pulling out of the parking lot, he called Charles over to his car. (I think Charles must have been the kind of kid who was always eager to look at the puppies that strange men kept in the back of their windowless vans, but that is a story for another time- ed. ) As Charles approached the car, the old man proffered his current jock strap and pointing to the label, said, "See! It says 'BIKE' right on it!"

Milestone

Today marks my 50th straight work day of bike commuting.  My estimated total mileage for commuting is about 500 miles.  I thought that this little personal milestone would be one that I could celebrate with my own little festival of one, but recent events have sobered that.

On Wednesday, Adam Little of Charlotte, was struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident by a car traveling 60 mph as he rode to work.  I sent this email to my co-workers yesterday:

Dear HHS staff,

Yesterday in Charlotte, Adam Little, husband and father of two small children, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle to work.  Adam was struck from behind by a car traveling 60 mph. The vehicle then left the scene in a hit-and-run accident.  By all witness accounts, Adam was killed instantly.  The driver was apprehended within a very short time thanks to the diligence of the Law Enforcement officers on duty at the time.

I did not know Adam, but this hits very close to home for me.  Many of you know that I ride to school every day, good weather or bad and this Friday will mark my 50^th straight commuting day to school (a total of 500 miles since the beginning of this year’s return to school).  While we good-naturedly think that I am a little “crazy”, I don’t think that my riding to work should constitute a life or death decision on my part, any more than your choosing to drive should.  Please take a moment to think about and talk about the rights AND responsibilities of cyclists on our roadways today as a way of honoring the memory of someone that none of us knew, but whose death was a tragedy nonetheless.

Rights AND Responsibilities of cyclists on roadways in NC:

Bicycles are legal vehicles under NC law and must comply with all traffic laws: traffic signals, stop signs, signaling for turns.

Bicycles must travel in the roadway (to the left of the white line, NOT the shoulder), in the same direction as other vehicle traffic.

Bicycles should stay to the right of the roadway as far as is reasonable and safe, but may occupy the ENTIRE lane if necessary.

Cars must pass vehicles (including bicycles) with a minimum safe distance of 2 ft.

A cyclist will only delay you a few seconds, if at all, so please be prudent and safe.  Remember that the life you risk is NOT your own!

Thank you,

Shawn Moore

I received several very positive and supportive responses from coworkers.  I also had a conversation with a coworker who travels on Hwy. 268 who remarked about how "dangerous" that road was and how cyclists "stay all grouped up" and how when she goes around curves that cyclists are "across the yellow line" in the oncoming traffic lane a lot.  I stayed calm and tried to explain to her some of the things that groups of cyclists do to maintain safety while riding with cars.  She wouldn't hear of it.  She steadfastly maintained a cars vs. bikes attitude and said that she knew that one day there wouldn't be anything she could do to avoid hitting a cyclist.

On an ESPN radio show, correspondent Tony Kornheiser recently exhorted his listeners to hit cyclists to show them that the roads are for cars.  "Don't run them down, but just tap 'em." were his words.  Unfortunately, we live in time where might makes right, and despite how despicable his words were, his co hosts laughed and threw out their cliched stereotypes as well in support.

As I explained to my coworker, if you see a cyclist do something like run a stop sign or a red light, that no more means that ALL cyclists are doing that than when a car does it and you extrapolate that ALL drivers do that.  We have to use our heads, each and every one of us, despite our living in a thinking optional, gut reaction is primary society.  We all bear responsibility in maintaining a positive relationship with the public as we ride in this area.  We are easily stereotyped and categorized as we are so recognizably different on the road.  Be vigilant and be lawful in what you do. 

I often get asked by coworkers and students why I ride to school every day.  There always seems to be some effort on their part to ascribe some deeper philosophical or political meaning behind the decision.  I always reply with "have you ever done something just because it was fun?"  That is what I feel every time I get on a bike - fun, as well as freedom; a sense of boundless freedom.

Every morning I strap on my Road ID, pause, and think about the real reason I am wearing it.  It is their for if I am injured while commuting to work, plain and simple.  Sobering to think that something as simple as riding a bicycle to get to where you want to go is a life or death decision.  It shouldn't be that way.  None of us deserves to be the lifelong regret of someone that results from their moment of inattentiveness, rudeness or impatience.

Many of you have come in to the shop and talked to me about commuting.  I want to encourage you again to get out there and do it.  The more of us out there, the more accepted we will be on the roads.
Stay safe out there, spread the word among all of your non-cycling family, friends and coworkers of our rights and responsibilities on the road, and always act like an ambassador of goodwill every time you are on the road.  And give me a wave if you see me out on the roads on my morning and afternoon commute - I'm the guy rockin' the jacket and tie on the sweet Globe Haul or the equally awesome Xtracycle (that is probably loaded down with groceries!).

Location. Location. Location.

Hi, my name is Shawn and I'm a SLOB. SLOB is an easy way to remember the mantra that we should all take into account: Support Locally Owned Businesses.

But why? Well, the biggest reason to support locally owned businesses (not including franchises, but only found here kind of businesses) is that far more of each dollar that you spend at a locally owned business stays in our economy. When we shop outside of Caldwell County, shop at chain stores or big box retailers, our county receives very little of that money. Shop on the internet and our county receives NONE of that money. In effect we export the precious dollars that we work so hard to earn.

So what is your role in all of this? You can do some pretty simple things to boost our local economy and improve what our city and county financial states are in by making the conscious effort to shop local. Don't assume that a local business doesn't have what you're looking for. Don't assume that a local business will be more expensive. All you have to do is ingrain the act of shopping local first in any situation. We often encounter people who assume that our products are more expensive than they can get on the internet. These people quickly realize that once they figure in shipping charges and labor charges for us to build or service the item, not only have they equaled or even exceeded our price on a similar item, but they have also settled for inferior quality to boot! A local owned business looks you in the eye when they deal with you, deals with you honestly and hopes that every transaction wins them a new customer relationship and all of the loyalty that entails.

Okay, I get it, now what? We and many other local businesses have joined the 3/50 Project. The idea is simple: each month support 3 locally owned businesses by spending a total of $50 between the 3. This simple act will ensure that 68% of your money returns to the local community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. This is 25% more money than what returns to the community when you shop at chain stores. I know that the sense of community is strong in our area, it is time that we start helping each other out in this simple and easy way.

Well, I'd love to help, but... We, the local business owners of this community bear responsibility in this movement as well. It is important that we act like businesses and not take the easy approach of closing when things are slow, not responding to customer feedback and requests, and the adherence to odd or inconsistent hours that some businesses follow. Our businesses and our customers must work together to transform our community into the thriving marketplace (with our own local flavor) that is commonplace in areas around us. We are surrounded by communities that get these ideas right. We must emulate the best of them, and improve on their weaknesses in order to make our community the destination for anyone living or traveling in our area.

It just takes YOU to start a trend!

National Handmade Bike Show

Here's a glimpse at what we saw. Todd and I both were just blown away by everything that we saw. After I get some sleep and have time to process everything, I will post more on my thoughts and impressions from the show. But for now, enjoy the pictures.

Dream (almost) come true

For years now, whenever the North American Handmade Bicycle Show was happening, I was staring at every photo that was being put on the web, drooling over the absolutely beautiful works of rolling art that were being displayed by the finest framebuilders in North America.  But in just 2 1/2 hours, I get to see it all in person.  After many years, the NAHBS has finally come to the east coast and Preacher Todd and I have made the pilgrimage to Richmond, VA to ogle all these wheeled beauties.

Both of us have a special affinity for classicly styled road bikes and commuter/utilitarian bicycles, so expect a heavy dose of these types in the photos I will be posting later. 

The rise

As I sit here doing my pre-commute procedures (drink coffee, shower, dress, drink coffee, eat breakfast, drink coffee, make lunch, make coffee to carry to school), I gotta take a second to rave about a new piece of equipment that has made my bike commuting life unimaginably better.  The new Breezer Biz Pannier is so much awesome in a bag that it defies attempts at accolades.

It comes with a great, easy to install mounting system for your rear rack, has plenty of cargo space and best of all: it doesn't look like you are carrying a pannier around at work.  It is designed with the bike commuting professional in mind and is styled like a soft briefcase, not as a messenger bag.  A handy thing when you are trying to break your addiction to wearing girl jeans and you like riding bikes with brakes AND gears.  I have only used it for a couple of days and I can't figure out how I ever did without it.



It is lightweight, but has a solid and sturdy feel and the construction is very bomber. The oversized hooks on the mounting sheet easily fit the large diameter tubing on the built in rack of my Globe Haul, something that defied my use of Jannd Mountain panniers until I fabricated my own mounting hooks.  The attachment system is well thought out and the load bearing straps that hold the pannier in place make even the heaviest bag stable and securely mounted.

The one downside is the zipper attachments to the mounting sheet that stays on the rack.  The zippers are small and a little tricky to line up, especially with cold hands or in dark conditions.  Larger zippers would eliminate this issue and would be an easy improvement.  The only other suggestion for improvement would be to pad the laptop compartment and give it a softer fabric lining.  Beyond those two suggestions, I see no need for improvements.

If you wear a jacket and tie, or whatever female equivalent is appropriate, while riding a bike to work, this is definitely a must have.

Window of opportunity

Spent most of the morning playing dragons with Owen.  Running around, flapping wings, and general growling were the order of the day.  We got outside and enjoyed the susnshine.  I'd almost forgotten what sunshine was like.  I noticed that my concept of warm is severely skewed now.  45 degrees felt downright balmy.  We made a snow dragon (snowman was out of the question) covered him in green food dye and filled his mouth with sunflower seed teeth and red food dye ("BLUHHHHHHH-D" as Owen likes to say), made a sign reading: Beware! Here there be dragons! and then we were off to the next activity. 

I got out for a ride this afternoon.  A nice solitary road ride.  Something I hadn't done in a long while, riding alone.  It was perfect.  Crisp and clear without a hint of wind.  Me and breathing and effort in a lone revery.  Nice beyond words despite the chilly temps that crept in towards the end.  So wondrous the long spin on the road, bundled up enough to let the work keep you warm.  If the precipitation will let up, then the temperature is easy enough to deal with.

Now, the commuting week lays ahead.  The commuter miles are different but satisfying and the alertness that comes with a ride to work makes all the difference in the world to my work attitude.

Starting over again

A new semester starts tomorrow.  New students and new classes will make for a fresh start in the middle of winter.

I'm sitting here, drinking fresh-brewed Smokejumper, letting the black magic settle in to my system.  I have added new routines to my mornings with checking the weather and planning for the clothing needed for the day's commuting.  I rode the Xtracycle in the headwinds yesterday.  I had to grab 10 lbs. of hydraulic cement from Lowes and I wasn't about to let that break my commuting schedule.  The reality of that decision struck home as I hit tremendous headwinds while riding up a long climb.  And then to add insult to injury, the wind blew so hard that I had to pedal downhill in order to keep from being blown to a stop.

The Xtracycle always gets curious looks.  The overall look of the bicycle is so noticeably altered that even the most casual glance sees the difference.  Many of my coworkers checked it out and wanted to ask questions about it.  I love those conversations that come from people being curious.  I love to talk about bikes and riding, especially rides with everyday purpose.

What I don't like is the recent tendency of coworkers to feel compelled to explain to me why they can't ride a bike to work.  While the reasons are many that I have been given, none states the fact that the person doesn't normally ride a bike to begin with.  I will talk passionately about commuting and cycling in general for as long as I have a voice, but I don't look down on people for not doing it.  I wish more people would ride bikes, obviously, but not riding isn't a sore spot for me.  No, the person in the H3 Hummer that pulls up beside me at the light at Smith's Crossroads and then floors the accelerator like a drag racer when the light turns green, now that person makes me feel bad for humanity.

Hey, it's called a hand signal

I rode to work everyday last week.  No small feat given that monday through wednesday all had high temps below 20 degrees in the morning portion of my commute.  I discovered that below 17 degrees really requires a kitchen sink approach to clothing, i.e. wear everything you own that is warm.  It was great riding a dedicated commuter bike in my work clothes and regular shoes.  I spent some time on monday fabricating some mounting hardware for my panniers so that they could be mounted to the Haul.  For all of the obvious care and attention that Specialized put into designing the new Globe line,  little things like the rack tubing diameter being larger than a standard pannier mount leave me scratching my head a bit, but no worries, about 5 minutes worth of fabrication time and I'm all set.

I've been riding a couple of different routes to and from school.  I expect a certain amount of incredulousness on the part of the car-obsessed teenagers that I teach, but the inattentiveness of some drivers is a little over the top.  A colleague pointed out to me that I ride into school which is a nexus of inexperienced and inattentive texting-while-driving teenage drivers.  When you put it that way, it seems unsafe, but the reality isn't that bad.  My worst problems are occurring when I try to turn onto the greenway on Powell Ave.

As I approach the entrance to the greenway, I move into the center of my lane, left arm extended in the recognized "left turn" signal configuration.  I squeeze the rear brake (left signal still in effect, mind you) and slow down as I approach the very large speed table in the road that marks the greenway crossing.  Just as I begin to initiate my turn, a car will accelerate around me to make a pass.  This has happened 3 times, with 3 different drivers!  Have they changed the rules on me since last I was at the DMV?

All in all, I would rather ride my bike than drive my car.  I don't know why, I just know that's how I feel.  I've decided to sell my car and do without one for this year as an experiment in simple living.  Sure, we still have a car, but I want to be a one car household rather than the 2+ car household standard.  I think it is pretty doable and it will give me something else to talk about with all of the people I work with who already question my sanity.

Thin line

In case you hadn't noticed, it is a wee bit chilly outside.  It isn't as extreme as Roald Dahl's childhood stories of people dying in the winter, their bodies left outside because the ground was to frozen to dig, until the bodies froze solid and then the body's legs would be sharpened to a point and then the body would be hammered into the ground. No, not that cold, but damn close.

There is a thin line between passion and crazy.  Unlike Joan of Arc (who I have determined was absolutely bonkers after watching Luc Besson's The Messenger recently), I have opted to maintain my last few tenuous threads of sanity and foregone the morning bike commute until the sub-arctic weather abates.  Though my heart (and by dint of connectedness: the rest of my cardiovascular system) and my fresh holiday mid-section bulge urge me to do otherwise, I am firing up the Mercedes and driving it to school each morning.  Now granted it is a diesel, so the odds of me making it to school are only slightly better than riding a bike in this freezing heinousness we call weather.

While people from around the country will smugly retort that our current temperatures are no where near as cold as they are experiencing, they are forgetting that just because the temps are the same, doesn't mean the cold is the same.  For example: my house is heated by a heat pump.  No matter what,  it is never warm.  But walk into a house with a fireplace and the heat is a palpable, living presence.  Cold is the same way.  Go out west where the humidity is low and twenty degrees feels tolerably chilly.  But step out into twenty degrees here with that high moisture content in the air, and you feel an entity seeping into your joints and spreading through your bones.  It can take all day to warm yourself after short periods of time outside.  It is insidious.

With no break in sight, extremes of motivation are being mustered to try and get out and ride.  The trainer and rollers are calling, but they are such cheap imitations of the real thing.  I'm ready for a flight through the woods no matter the weather!

There is going to be a trail day this Sunday at the Wilson's Ridge trail in Wilson's Creek.  I'll let you know more details as I get them.  Also, the Caldwell County Pathways organization is looking for members and anyone interested in being a Board Member.  Contact Tony Deal if you are interested.  Lastly, throw some support IMBA's way this year. It is time we take the bull by the horns and make our home the way we hope it could be: a bike friendly, outdoor recreation destination! Give time (and money if you can) to help make these things a reality.

taking stock

The end of the year is inevitably a time of reflection.  Our New Year's Eve was no different.  The McClinton's graciously invited us to their home for a party.  With Owen in tow, we arrived followed shortly by Jeff and Shelli.  It was a small gathering of friends and it was the perfect way to spend the evening.  Taking a 3 year old to a New Year's Eve party can be dicey, but with a long, late nap under his belt, Owen was very excited about going to a party.  Thanks to Diane McClinton pulling out a large collection of wooden blocks and Lincoln logs, Owen had a great time and didn't even show a hint of tiredness until nearly 11 o'clock.

This holiday season has been great with the small downside of having weather that has not cooperated with the idea of doing much riding outdoors. This has coincided with my normal post 'cross season break, but it has put the total damper on getting into the woods and doing some fun and relaxing mtn. bike rides.  I have made up for it with eating lots of food that I shouldn't and drinking way more than normal.  But now it comes to an end has the holiday season ends and the world shakes off its festive reverie and returns to the normal day to day.

My hope for the coming year is that we all find greater happiness and success in all of our endeavors.  I want all of us to remember that cycling is what we do for fun whether it be racing or casual riding.  Try to explore new and different forms of cycling.  Do a bike tour, ride the greenway, go mountain biking, enjoy a long road ride, commute to work.  Keep that two wheeled perspective on life and see if you aren't just a bit happier for it.

Thanks to everyone for being not just our customers, but our friends.  Thank you for spreading the word about us; it makes all the difference in the world.  Thanks to everyone for helping us not only survive a tough year, but actually thrive. I hope we can all work together to strengthen our cycling community and work to improve our area in the process.

To that end, Caldwell County Pathways is looking for members.  These fine folks work hard to bring us the fantastic Greenway system and they need not just your donation of money, but more importantly your time and volunteerism.  If you are interested, contact Tony Deal at tonyraydeal@gmail.com

Here's looking forward to another great year!

The Christmas Bike

We have sent more bikes out the door that are destined to be christmas presents this year than ever before.  That kind of thing is great in our eyes.  Many of my christmas memories center around bikes.  Bikes are a perfect christmas gift: they are enjoyed for seriously long periods of time (rather than the 5 to 10 minutes it takes to exhaust the fun of some battery operated thing), they can actually improve your life (lose weight, get in shape, meet a bunch of new friends who are into bikes, set you on life-long trajectories of seeking dodgy employment opportunities in bike shops where you make vain, half-hearted attempts to not spend you ENTIRE pay check on bike stuff, etc...), and they seem to spark that glisteny-eyed wonderment upon the first recognition of the gift bicycle beside the tree that few other gifts can give.

(OK, my grandfather gave my grandmother a new car for christmas one year.  Big surprise and a total bitch to get under the christmas tree, but a big christmas surprise nonetheless.  Bikes make that kind of mark and are far easier to hide)

The disturbing trend though is that the vast majority of christmas bikes we have sold this year are for adults.  One kid's christmas bike has been purchased.  Unfortunately, I think that many people are getting the Wal-Marget/Dick'smart bikes for their children.  I understand that kids outgrow stuff.  Owen needs a new pair of pants or shoes like every week right now.  But I also place a premium on getting the most for my money.  Pay good money, get good product, get good return on investment.  We buy good quality stuff a little big, Owen wears it until we can't stuff him into it without drawing the attention of DSS and then we have a perfectly good item that we can resell on consignment or pass on to a friend with kids.

The same goes for bikes.  Last christmas, Owen got a Specialized Hot Rock 12" wheeled bike.  He's ridden the hell out of it and I haven't done a thing to it since I built it, except air up the tires and raise the seatpost.  The bike is in great shape and would last for a couple of more kids if we were so inclined (which we are NOT).  But the great thing about buying a quality bike for a kid is that they will outgrow it rather than destroy it.  When the kid outgrows it, you have options.  You can sell it or trade it in at the bike shop for the next size up.  It's win-win!

The most infuriating thing is people waxing nostalgically about their childhood bikes from the 50's and 60's and then complaining about how expensive bike shop bikes are.  Those childhood bikes were high-quality and expensive in their day!  We hear people talking about years and years of use that they got out of these bikes, but then they want to buy a dept. store bike that is designed to last for 50 miles of use (since the average dept. store bike only sees 10 miles of use in its lifetime).  Sad. Why not buy something you'll enjoy riding?

In the future, if you really want to make a christmas gift of a bicycle, visit your local bike shop, spend your hard-earned cash on something of true value, and then watch the recipient enjoy their gift for years to come!

He's a big pig. You could be a big pig, too!

A steady stream of holiday cheer in the form of homemade foodstuffs has made its way into the shop.  Shortly upon arrival, said foodstuffs make their way into our bellies with little time spared.  Couple this with a serious lack of riding and you have the makings of a significant bloating event.  I feel like a balloon; ready to burst.  Like everyone at this time of year, I may easily add mass and volume to myself with little difficulty.  But resistance is not futile!

There may be a break in the weather this weekend with Saturday's forecast featuring temperatures in the 50's.  This may be our one shot at doing some mtn. biking this break.  Anyone up for some riding at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte?  Charlotte may be the best bet since they didn't get any snow.

In shop news, we are going to be open Christmas Eve from noon to 3pm for any last minute holiday shopping.  We will also have an informal holiday get together starting at 2-ish that day.  We will be closed Friday and Saturday.  Happy Holidays if we don't see you this week!

Right back at it

Before the jet lag had fully left, I was right back into the everyday life that I had escaped in Bend.  It isn't horrible or even bad, really, but that post-trip hangover makes everything about normal life look a little sadder.  But now that has all faded.  The little touch of homesickness that I had (really missing my wife and son) was quickly eradicated when I was greeted at the door by Owen dressed in a triceratops costume, running around like a little whirlwind.  The biggest shock was realizing that he had changed pretty noticeably in the 5 days I had been gone. Wow.

Now, as school winds down for the winter break, the ability to focus on all of the things that the shop needs is a welcome relief.  We have some big things to accomplish prior to beginning the new year and having some days off from school will allow me to help make those things happen.

The one thing that absolutely can't change is the core principle that we are a bike shop and not a bike store. The differences are subtle in writing but dramatic in reality.  A bike shop, our bike shop, is a place to come and be a part of a community.  That idea of community built out of a love of bikes was stoked hotter and brighter by our visit to Bend. As a bike shop, we want to see you, want you to come by to talk or hang out.  Regardless of whether you buy something or not, the bike shop is there to be the hub of our small bike community here in Lenoir.

Since the last 'cross race of the season is in the books, my thoughts are turning to mountain biking.  I have been swept up in the "Big Revolution" of 29er mountain bikes and it has really stoked me on getting out and riding more than ever before.  To say that I am a convert to the 29er would be an understatement.  I freakin' love 'em! Come out join us for a mountain bike ride, the more the merrier!

Even though the weather is chilly, the season starts now for training and getting ready for the coming season.  Saturday road rides will be heading out from the shop at 10 am, weather permitting (i.e. rain or snow, don't show!). Our highly refined, high tea, dirt road rides will begin soon, so keep an eye out for notifications here.

Final day

I raced yesterday at 9:30 am. It was a little weird to wake up, see the temperature at 28 degrees and actually think, "Awesome! It's warm!" Did all the warm up stuff at the house and then rolled down to the course. We are staying less than a mile from the race, so we haven't needed to drive much at all.

The officials started putting everybody in pre-staging; all 180+ of us. I got to stand around for quite a bit waiting for my call up: #130. I lined up, Jeff took all my extra clothes and we began that nervous down time that hits just prior to the start of a race. The gun fired and off we went for about 10 seconds and then a huge crash swept across the field in front of me from left to right. Everybody crashed around me and into me, but I managed to stay upright and unscathed. I got off the bike, ran around everybody rolling around on the pavement and took off after the race. At the first turn, I caught another crash, made it around and then hammered onto the tail end of a long train of riders.

Due to the warmer conditions, the course was totally different from the last race I did. Traction was abundant. The little off camber that you fell trying to walk up was now completely rideable. I fell on the long grass off camber section when two guys crashed in front of me and I had to touch the brakes, a guaranteed fall inducer. Back up and on to the run up, which I now was able to ride up with relative ease, back on to the pavement and the beginning of lap 2.

Slowly but surely, I crept up through the field. Jeff put me in the seventies with 2 laps to go. And then, just after passing the pits, I fell hard on my right side bending the derailleur hanger and putting the derailleur into the rear wheel. Thus ended my 2009 US National Cyclocross Championships.

This has been a great trip. I've had an incredible time and can't wait to come back next year. If you've never been to Bend, this place is beautiful, the people are unbelievably friendly and everyone is into outdoor sports. It was a great choice for the host of this race.

Some sights and sounds of the day:

U23 race - opening lap

Danny Summerhill (Garmin) leads the U23 race

Pre-race

It's 6:30 and the temperature is 27 degrees. It is still pitch black and I am starting the whole pre-race ritual of getting ready. By my estimation, I will line up somewhere around the 16th row given that I have a 131 call up. If I break the top 100 I'll be doing decent; break the top 50 I'll be doing spectacularly. One paramount goal is to just not get to abused by the course and conditions.

Thanks to Jim Brown for the mantra of the day:

Remember, you are supposed to be in front of that guy ahead of you.

The flavor of the Bend course

The video that I shot just doesn't want to upload right.  Didn't think anyone would want to watch an upside down video of Juniors crashing on a seemingly innocuous off camber bump.  The point was to show just how dicey this course is.  By midday it is pretty rideable, but on either end of that day light spectrum it is a game of chance as to how you make any of the more technical aspects of the course.

Fortunately for us, we have stocked up on a little magical elixir that should prove most beneficial during the race:

Not sure how much Bawls would be required for the remaining race efforts that we have, but we will try to carry at least a ton into each race!

The temps are dropping, which means that the few spots that got to thaw will now refreeze with a nice layer of glaze ice.  It is anybody's race until the finish line.

Jeff's flat ultimately cost him a top 20 finish today.  Our bikes and bodies are beat up as multiple crashes do damage to both.  I race tomorrow morning at 9:30, so tonight I am planning on flooding my system with as much antiseptic as possible, i.e. alcohol.

I will do better in video and photo coverage after my race. Promise.

The cards have yet to be dealt

Today is Jeff's big day. Having rocked out with his you-know-what out all season, and with Steve Tilford not coming this year, the national title is up for grabs. In his typical low key style, Jeff is trying to play down any attempts at hype, but I think he has a good shot at the podium this year. Conditions will definitely be a factor as his race is set for the same start time as mine yesterday. The course changes rapidly and dramatically as the sun goes down.

Two other NC contenders for National titles race today as well. Beth Frye has a great shot at the women's 40-44 national championships and Evie Boswell-Vilt is poised to improve on her 2nd place performance from last year's race. We'll be cheering like crazy for both of them!

Congratulations to Janet Trubey for braving the frigid 7 degree temps at 8:30 in the morning to complete the first race of these National Championships!

Our host, Sherry, had a little dinner party last night. Her friends came over, became our friends, we ate, talked, laughed. A nice end to the day. Plus she taught me how to make a new drink that is lime juice, grape vodka and sierra mist. Tastes exactly like a Grape Nehi and is fabulously enjoyable. It will be the perfect summer drink when the temps rise again!

Stay tuned for as many pictures and videos as I get a chance to shoot today.

Newton -6, Shawn-0

Amazing what a few hours can do to a race course. After pre-riding at noon, the assessment I had of the course was that it was grippier than it looked and surprisingly unslick given the amount of snow on the ground. Fast forward to 3:30, the sun is low in the sky, the mercury is dropping and there is a slight delay to the start. Things change.

I line up deep in the field, somewhere around the 15th row. I get caught behind weird traffic at the start, but move up and around. My willingness to jump off and run when things bottleneck (thanks, Todd!) means I can move up - a lot. I find myself in the top 50 and moving up steadily, constantly pushing, always trying to catch the next rider. Then I crash. Hard.

Up, remount and off. Pushing, pushing. Catch, pass, catch, pass. Trip at the barriers, falling, break wooden course post with collar bone. Up, remount and off. Another crash. By this time the course is freezing solid. The descent after the run up is rideable for just a few and becomes a harrowing ice slick run down for the vast majority of us. Two guys rode home in an ambulance as the conditions continued to deteriorate. Turns were slow dances with the devil, never knowing if you were going to go down until you hit the deck.

I crashed more in this race than the entire season combined. I finished the race with my knee warmers around my ankles, blood coming through my skinsuit and spit/snot-cicles gathered in my beard. Now to recover, and get ready for Saturday.

Paying it forward, backward and sideways

We arrived at our host housing last night.  The temperature outside was 6 degrees.  6.  Degrees.  Fahrenheit.

No humans were home at our host house, but we were greeted by this:

A sheep in wolf-dog clothing for sure.  Mattsie wagged her entire body before dropping to the floor and rolling over for a belly scratch.  Sherry, our host, turned out to be just as friendly.

It's always refreshing to come out to the west coast, meet somebody for the first time and be immediately accepted in the truest "mi casa es su casa" sense possible.  Sherry quickly established that people have always helped her out in her travels and she is just trying to pay that back to help keep the wheel of good karma spinning.

We're adjusting to the time difference, but the big shocker is the temperature.  In the upper 20's isn't bad, but as the mercury drops it gets progressively uncool.  Poor Janet Trubey and the rest of the Master's Women field who have to race at 8:30 this morning.  The sun is barely up, the temp is still hovering in the single digits and there isn't much prospect for improvement in the near term.

Bend has taken this opportunity to have a big 5 day party with everybody participating.  Every business imaginable is offering racers some incentive for coming in.  The town recognizes that outdoor recreation in general, and cycling in particular are huge money makers for the area.  With no recognizable industry, this town is capitalizing on their natural resources.  Lenoir could easily do the same.

On the road

All good adventures deserve to be chronicled.  Sometimes, the chronicler knows that there words will serve as a record of important events.  Other times, one simply chronicles the day to day activities of life and history sheaths those words with the mantle of importance.

This is neither.

Jeff and I are heading to Bend, OR for the US Cyclocross National Championships. This will be my first time at an event of such magnitude but I plan on handling it with my usual steely aplomb.  Jeff is typically reserved, but his inner schoolgirl is decidedly giddy.

We headed out this morning from Lenoir at the ungodly hour of 4 am in order to make our 6:40 am flight in Charlotte.  Rain varied from cats and dogs to gigantic buckets of water being poured across the car as we drove down 321, but we made it safe and sound to the airport and began our cattle drive trip through the labyrinth of American air travel.

I will be posting here as time and internet access permits, but will also do photo tweets and video uploads through our Ustream account to maximize your participation in this particular little adventure.

But for now, I’d like to just reflect on everything that has happened since I last wrote a blog entry (which has been far too long for anyone to even be expected to still be visiting this site, but I am posting nonetheless).

This ‘cross season has been, or at least felt, long.  For the first time, I have been able to race as a family since Golden has decided to race ‘cross this season as well.  Owen has logged many miles in his command module in the Element without complaint.  We have raced in two states other than North Carolina this season and Oregon will make another for me.

I have made the incremental improvements that I had set as goals this season, but haven’t set the world on fire with anything stellar.  I have long ago determined that bike racing is something I do for fun, plain and simple.   Enjoyment is in the doing.  Meeting new people, seeing new places and overcoming the personal challenges are what makes it enjoyable.

For me, racing is a conversation with myself.  Sometimes I yell, sometimes I whine, but I am always honest and it is learning to talk yourself through the immediate stress of the situation that personal change emerges.

I recently finalized a project that I had been working on for years.  My very first race bike, a 1986 Trek 760, has been through the wringer over the past 23 years.  Nothing but the frame remained, and I had been lugging it around the country with every move with the intent of building it up again.
Justin Pogge, of Old Field Cycles in Tallahassee, was the first piece to fall into place.  I had Justin build up a nice steel fork with similar lugs to the frame as a step towards building the bike back up.  The fork was so nice, I decided that I should get Justin to build a custom steel stem for me as well.  The two looked perfect together and made the reality of riding the bike again a bit closer.

All of this languished again.  On hold for lack of paint.  I finally sat myself down and started calling local paint and body shops asking if they would paint a bike frame.  The guys at American Paint and Body were the first ones to say, “Sure.  I don’t see why we couldn’t.”  I went down with the frame, fork and stem, handing them over with reluctance.  This bike frame was an important artifact of my childhood and adulthood all rolled into one.  This was Bike Zero for me.  The starting point that launched me on this trajectory that I still find myself on.

I went back in a few days and was immensely pleased with the job that American had done.  The frame was a deep, sparkling grey; nondescript, yet classic.  I took it to the shop and started building it up with the SRAM Force group that I’ve been riding for the past few years, slapped some fenders on it and started commuting on it to school.

The first ride brought sheer amazement.  I floated along the road, buoyed by a flood of memories the bike brought forth.  I was that 16 year-old kid finding his dream bike by the tree on Christmas Day again.  That joyful floating feeling of freedom and possibility that I got every time I rode as a kid came back in spades. It was beautiful.

My mom tells a story about me that I have no memory of.  After my first serious MS attack, I couldn’t stand up without assistance and walking without a cane was out of the question.  When my parents took me home from the hospital, my mom stayed home with me for a while.  I somehow convinced her to let me go for a bike ride.

She helped me to the drive way, helped me onto the bike and then held the bike for me while I clipped into the pedals.  The deal we struck was that I would ride for five minutes.  She watched me wobble out of the driveway, head down the road and disappear out of sight, doubting the sanity of her decision to help me get on the bike.  Five minutes later, I came riding by and yelled, “five more minutes” before disappearing out of sight again.

I rolled up the driveway and mom helped me off the bike and up to my room.  Mom says that I slept the rest of the day, lying in bed with my clothes and bike shoes still on.

I am incredibly thankful everyday to be able to ride a bike. Now I am able to ride THAT bike once again, and that is special beyond words.  Thanks mom, for helping me ride that day.  And thanks mom and dad for that Christmas 23 years ago (the best Christmas I ever had before Owen) when you made my dreams come true with the gift of that teal and violet road bike that people always told me was ugly, but was beautiful to me.  That bike launched a thousand others and I love you with all of my heart for putting me on this path.

For everyone wishing for the latest and greatest technology and for all of the endless debates over the minutiae of cycling, I hope that you learn that sometimes the bike is so much more than the sum of its parts.  Sometimes, a bike can be a part of life itself.