“It’s more authentic to who I am” struck a chord with me. The simple phrase surfaced during a conversation I had with one of our customers. He was referring to his bike. It makes sense. We invest countless hours with our bikes. Whether it’s a training tool, means to an end, sanctuary, or an outlet to save our sanity, bikes …
Endurance Athletes and the Concussion
If you saw the 2011 Tour de France, you heard about RadioShack’s Chris Horner and his ridiculous 25k ride AFTER he crashed his bicycle. What a lot of us learned later was that he had suffered a severe concussion and did not even remember riding his bike. VeloNews published a story on 4/26 about concussions and cycling. On 4/25, I …
Sh*t Cyclists Say Video is Satire at its Finest
Not since Velominati’s “The Rules” have I been so entertained by cycling satire. Cyclists and Roadies are a peculiar bunch. We have our own language, rules, rituals, and personalities. If you haven’t already met them, let me introduce you in the video “Sh*t Cyclists Say” — watch it below. Every phrase, statement, and action is unfortunately spot on. It’s a …
Will Strava Lead to More Riders Burning Out?
We see it all the time. We experience it ourselves during the worst possible spans. We know it can destroy entire seasons. We know it can affect our mental state. We call it “burn out”. Its hidden accomplice, overtraining / overextending bring dreaded symptoms. Unfortunately, most of the time, we cultivate it upon ourselves. Always hammering the group ride. Undertaking …
Kill Them with Kindness : A Challenge to All Cyclists
The state of cycling when it comes forging a harmonious bond between motorists and cyclists is certainly a volatile subject. No one wants to blink in this dance. I wrote about my last encounter with a motorist in my “Why is There so Much Hate Towards Me, a Cyclist?” and recently had another incident. This time it’s about dogs chasing …
The Reality of the “Reality Sucks” is GM Blew It. [AGAIN]
It is mind boggling sometimes how aloof some companies are, but leave it to the auto-industry to get lost in the boggle. Yesterday, Tuesday, 10/11, I was logging into the Jack Kane Facebook page and noticed one of my friends had posted a status stating, “Seriously GM?” with a link to a BikePortland Blog Post. What I saw and read …
Why is There so Much Hate Towards Me, a Cyclist?
We read about road-rage all the time and the burgeoning incidents towards cyclists. This happened to me recently and it really struck me as a new low in how non-riders behave and treat us (and I’ve had full 48oz drinks thrown at me by passing cars, run off the road, etc). I had dropped off my car to be worked …
USAT Nationals Part II: Dawn of a New Day
When we last left off, our Jack Kane Pit Crew was driving off into a sunset and while movies may end this way, this is the real world, and a triathlon race weekend at that. Part II: Dawn of a New Day [hr] Day 3: Expo All Day, Jeff: Reloaded, Jack Kane Domination, Calm Before the Storm Friday was a …
USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships Part 1
This is going to be one heck of a post. Actually, it’s not a post, it will be an experience. You have been warned. You’ll laugh; You’ll cry; You’ll question your life; You’ll want to buy Jack Kane bikes over the others; You’ll probably think Shakespeare’s true successor has finally surfaced (and this is only part one!)… The word “EPIC” …
A Water Bottle Upgrade
There are water bottles and there are water bottles. I have always fashioned the standard bottle of my favorite shop or the team I was on. You know the details: push/pull nozzle, squeeze the body for water, taste last weeks Gatorade (but you’ve ridden three times this week with water), leaks everywhere when you least expect it, maybe hints of …
A Bout with Sciatic Pain
Pain in the a$$ is never fun. Especially for a cyclist and/or triathlete. We spend countless hours “sitting”. What makes matters worse is that it is not just on the bike, but at home, at work, in the car, in bed, etc. Therefore, when there is discomfort, especially shooting pain, it is troublesome. (Now, I am not a doctor, nor …
The Endurance Athlete’s Fraternity and Sorority
Paddling aside, endurance athletes like bring pain to others (and themselves). Whether it’s managing excruciating lactic acid levels due to the “I’ve lost count” interval workout in a session, the hill repeats, the unrelenting headwinds, or the worst one of them all, the trainer workouts, where the fan and tv are both broken. All of these are voluntary, self-improving, relationship-building …