And I Thought I Was Having A Tough Day...

I think this little guy has me beat.

The long weekend saw a continued effort to add more base miles to the cause. Overdressed and surprisingly tired from the day before, Sunday saw Sam drag me South on then back again. It's shocking to see how much work I have in front of me to get back to what was my mediocre best. Long rides, here we come...

Friday - Wilderness 101

The park is in prime condition. Large hawks, deer (dead and alive), comfortable temps and the pleasant surprise of riding with Paul Chapman for a stretch. Being the only two guys on the trail certainly had some advantages.

Lucas Marshall reads my blog, sort of

He looks at the pictures while someone else reads it to him. He also couldn't deal with the inaccuracies of the last post, so here it is, the (almost) correct colors.





















New t-shirts, available after black Friday, but before Christmas, we promise.

NECX Day 2

What a cold weekend. I kept telling myself that the sun was gonna burn through the clouds any minute. It never happened.

A report from the Champ himself on the fast race. Down in the lowly singlespeed category I spent the weekend chasing Rafal around the course(s), never able to close it down. Like him, I'll be re-commuterizing the bike in hopes of keeping most of the slush off during the winter riding. Hopefully, we'll luck out and not have ice on the side-streets for 2 months. Fingers crossed.

New T-shirts will be done any day now. Same design as before, but simplified to a single color. Gold ink on brown shirts will be the recipe. Yes, I know the graphic has a blue background, deal with it, I promise the shirts will be brown. We also have 4 styles of socks, 3 colors of coozies and wicked-awesome belt buckles that make great stocking stuffers!!! (Ouch, that was so cheesy it hurt.)


Alright then. Everyone stuff your faces for Thanksgiving so Skip and I can keep up on the group rides easier! See you out and about.

NE CX Day One: Mark Was Promised a Jet Pack

As soon as the group came off the road and on to the grass on the opening lap of the "fast" race, today, I turned to ask Sam where MOD was but then Nate caught a pedal and suddenly two Evil Unicorns were off the back. (Do as we say boys, not as we do!)

We could tell something wasn't right, saw Anne peel off back toward the start and, then watched them work their way back up. Mark, "as mad as he can get," just kept coming throughout the hour and managed to work his way back to third on the day. That, is the definition of "Killing It."

This is as close as I got to getting Sam in frame. Pathetic.

Scott maintaining good hydration.

Screw this... we're gonna bridge!

"Say What Again"

This has zero to do with bikes. Visit TheOatmeal.

Lincoln Cyclocross Weekend!

Two days of CX racing this weekend at Pioneers Park.

Details here.

It's fun to participate and it's more fun to watch.

Exactly What Would Happen If I Tried It...

The Isolationist

JB: Pure Class

Jeff Bonsall sent the following, reprinted without permission, out to the usual TI suspects here in Lincoln. A class act and great sense of humor.

Subject: TI V 7
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 16:51:31 -0500

Hey fellas,

I would like to apply for the support crew position at the big ass loop in Iowa. I have been to 4 in a row and feel like it's my turn to give back.

My resume includes:

4 TI starts.

0 TI finishes.

I believe my resume speaks for itself.

Sincerely,

jb

Our New 7"

When we first put socks into the scene, a black/white version seemed obvious. It worked well with our boys at Monkey Wrench and essentially matched everything.

Those socks were 6" and, while sweet, after a while, and particularly after going to 7" inch with the Brown and Blue, we found ourselves wishing they were longer.

Now here they are.

7" Black and White. "Lincoln, NE" for the love of the scene. Watch for them in the War Axe online store soon. If you can't wait, send us a shout.

Don't Call It A Comeback

It's been a long time since I've joined a group ride. So long, in fact, that I can't even remember when the last time might have been.

After going to the now closed South St Cultiva, I got the proper location from Corey and meet a small group for what I hope is the first in a string of rides returning me to my usual riding habits.

Now Skip won't have to ride so far to get his Casey's fix

http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_e07f5a20-e766-11df-aaf3-001cc4c002e0.html

Shore the Core

On Friday I delivered my freshly mended IF Ti Planet Cross to MWC and as I strolled in, saw Sam sitting on a red leather chair looking a little drawn from the week. A little casual chit-chat later and he was asking me how my back was feeling.

"It's getting better. Still a little stiff. We need to go for a short spin some time and see how it feels."

"Maybe you should do some pilates or something similar first so you don't jack it up again."

Exhausted from the week and the guy is still smarter than I am.

Two yoga sessions on Saturday, along with some core work. The back is still tender, but the body is happier for the effort.

Head tube badge and a limestone airbrush

Mopac Warrior

War Machine Sighting: Sir Tony Wilhelm...

... with a cameo by Dave Averill as well, MWC style. Thanks, Jamie.

New Build

While I wish I was referencing another War Axe build, in fact, the real work in my immediate future is getting back into some sort of fitness.

Two weeks ago, my back decided to look more like the twisting Highway 17 leading from San Jose to Santa Cruz than I-80's straight run through western Nebraska.

While I wouldn't say I'm completely starting over, there is a long way to go. As of this morning, my third chiropractic visit in two weeks just confirmed the problem. At this point, just getting back on the bike will be nice, since I am only now beginning to walk normally.

Maybe by the time my bike is ready, I'll actually be able to ride it.

Enjoying Sunday

Intelligence from the Front

This might be better titled, 'Rumors and Loose Plans," but that really wouldn't go well with the folks in our marketing department... So, near to far:

Nebraska cross has started and, to paraphrase Sam, 'it'd be crazy if we were both actually racing.' While I am doing my best to ruin that plan with a bad back and lack of a proper bike, Sam's already in the mix.

Look for an updated War Axe T-Shirt coming to an MWC near you. Right now, we've got three XL's and that's it.

The rumor that I've claimed my slot for 2011's TransIowa is true. Not only am I ready to go back, but it is likely one of the few races that work into a busy family schedule.

A more tightly kept rumor is also true... The Evil Unicorns are poised to ride again. You maybe recall a few years ago, Nate, Mod, Sam and I did quite nicely racing Single Speeds down at Landahl. To quote Sam, "I'll actually train this time." Plus, it's been blogged, so it has to happen.

And lastly, a shout out to friend of the show, Cameron Chambers. He's your new SS 24hr National Champion. We love that guy and are incredibly happy for him.

The Random Singing You've Heard in the Distance...

... is just me riding through Wilderness with this in my head. Feel free to sing along.