Small Differences

I urge anybody and everybody to take the time to go a foreign country. While there, leave the hotel and take the time to go into town and get lost an the local market. Regardless of what continent or country you are in, it will always be interesting and enrich your life in some small way. I always try to ride some sort of bike because you can see so much more of the city or country side. I had the oppertunity to ride my Trek in Belgium for a few days before heading to France for some more miles.

Being on my bike which I'm intimately familier with, I focused on everything else and not the bike. I noticed the small differences. Roads in Belgium are so smooth. The drivers are so considerate. They wait behind you until its safe to pass and when they do pass, they smile and wave. I can count the times this has happened to me in Wisconsin this spring and I can think of exactly 0 - but thats not my point. I watched a guy from Australia go the wrong way into a traffic circle (they drive on the wrong side of the road in Oz) and almost crash head on into a car. Which side of the road you drive on is a small difference but arguably can become a huge difference depending on the situation.

Watching professional cyclists ride up a cobbled climb is interesting. They do it with speed, power and grace and watching from the comfort of a living room or bar it looks easy. Basic though process is "Oh yea. I can ride that". Then you take that trip to Belgium and turn off the paved road onto the cobbles and start pedaling hard to get up the climb. The difference you are not seeing on TV is how steep the climb is and how impossibly bumpy the cobbles are. Riding your bike up a hill inside of a massive paint shaker would probably be easier. 20 seconds in there is the massive realization that there is a significant chance that you may not make it to the top without choking and putting a foot down. You just have to suck it up, keep grinding and listen to your tires squeeking on the cobbles. I made it; the pro's make it with grace, speed and strength and still have enough energy to crush the decent AND the next 60k of roads. My second time up was slightly better than the 1st but not much better. Another small difference; I rode it, the pros ride it for a living.

The world is a cool place. Be perceptive and notice stuff. Watch small things become big things - you'll be amazed what happens.

And yes. I took these pictures of Fabians bike and tomorrow will be cheering for him with beer-fueled energy.

Scott kick'n the cobbles!

dblomme
Scott's keeping us jealous with more great rides. From all the photos posted lately, it's fair to say most of team has had some epic spring rides and memories.

Belgium

:)

Belgium is so cool

Belgium is so cool.
One if the best things about.my job is that I get to travel all over the world. One of the worst parts of my job is that I have to travel all over the world.
I like my job.
I'm currently in Belgium, in Brugge. Brugge is where the Tour of Flanders starts this Sunday. I was inns little spin this afternoon when I rode by a nice little Best Western on the outskirts of town.
Three Days of De Panne just finished and the mechanics were cleaning bikes from todays stages and the same model bike that I was leaning against was being power washed on the stand. Where else in the world would you run into a Pro Tour team working on bikes in a parking lot? Belgium.
Belgium is so cool.

Scott

Trek Travel Mallorca Ride Camp

While other teammates spent some time out at Trek Travel's Ride Camp in Solvang, I had chosen to try their camp in Mallorca, Spain instead.

 

Mallorca is a small island off the coast of mainland Spain.  And, I'm sure I don't have to explain to any of you all, one of the world's road cycling meccas.  It seems any given road at any time of the day is filled with hundreds of riders.  And the climbing?  Let's just say it is quite epic.  One ride had us climbing up the side of a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean sea.  Others took us up and over mountain tops climbing elevations of over 600 meters which converts to A LOT of feet.  And the cars pretty much let the bikers rule the roads.  I can see why many of the pro teams choose this spot for their training camps.

 

And Trek Travel plans it all for you.  Guided, supported rides, 3 meals a day (with dinner being a 3 course meal), and 5 star accommodations.  This, is how I want to put on a buncha miles and elevation - not having to think about anything while staying somewhere amazing.

 

Can't wait to see what routes and torture TT has for the remainder of the trip!  I hear a Cat 1 climb is on tap for tomorrow.  Ugh.

 

- Jennifer

 

Below find a link to Strava for one of the "shorter" rides of 50 miles that include a Cat 2 climb :

http://app.strava.com/rides/5796229

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malibu climbing

We are spending the last few days of the team training camp in the Santa Barbara area, and today we climbed a bit farther south, in the Malibu area. Amazing climbing right off the ocean - from the Pacific Coast Highway, take your pick of canyons to climb! We climbed Latigo Canyon (see the picture below) and Mullholland Canyon (picture below of Barney cruising up - he makes it look so easy!), both about 2,000-2,500 feet of climbing. And tomorrow we end our trip with a climb up Gilbraltar Road (an hour-long climb) in Santa Barbara - excellent way to finish our trip!

All told, we should have about 30,000 feet of climbing under our belts from this trip - now we'll be ready to tackle the 5 minute climbs back home!

The 7:30 crew

dblomme
Great riding west of Madison this weekend despite my 3 flats. I carried as much as my jersey pockets would allow (and more) so all was good. Thanks to the crew for waiting while the flats were fixed!

 

Solvang

A few pics of our visit to Solvang so far..

Did some awesome rides and visited a miniature donkey farm!

The 9:30 crew

Another great ride in March in Madison
Thanks folks!

Another Tough Day in Paradise

On our way up to climb Figueroa Mountain, about an hour-long climb, something we certainly miss having in the Midwest! And there is Shelley on the front of the pace line, torn ACL and all! A beautiful day to be out on the bike!

Solvang training camp - Jalama Beach

Jim Merrifield

An excellent day! By 10AM the temps were up to the low 50s with promises of rapid warming. With gentle breezes blowing, 10 of us rolled out of Solvang towards Buellton, past the ostrich and emu farm and the horse ranches towards Santa Rosa Rd. By the time we reached the first little climb, it was time to shed arm and leg warmers and let the animals tow the group. To call it a pace line would have implied that work was shared. It seemed like Eric or Glen or Barney or Gordie were doing the lion's share. I think I put my nose in the wind a couple times - on descents to slow myself and not disrupt the line :) After yesterday's ride, I was a little tired and there are many days and climbs ahead. We road together thru the valley on Santa Rosa Rd occasionally wondering what was being harvested - bok choy? kohlrabi? Up and out of the valley to Rt 1 for a bit before turning on Jalama Beach Rd, a 16 or so mile road to the coast and one of the prettiest rides around. But not the least painful. We were all together at the bottom of "the climb", a pretty constant 7-8% grade for 12 or so minutes depending on whether you were Eric who has up-see-daisyium in his legs or me trying to keep the climbers in site. From the top we broke up as folks wanted to wait to regroup or to keep their legs moving. And wonder of wonders, you could see the ocean from a long, LONG ways off. Normally, the fog along the coast blocks the view but with gentler breezes blowing down the coast, it was clear. This was my 5th or so time to Jalama and the first that I could see the beach from more than the final descent. It was even warm enough to hang out for a while at the beach, also a first for me. What was not a first was the pain of climbing back up the long descent to the beach. At least I had a little climb left while others were burdened down with Jalama burgers. We rode back in small groups, each finding their own pace, depending on the energy levels. It was a 75 mile day, after all and even if the Wisconsin winter has been gentle, it was still early season. I think for me, tomorrow will be a rest day :)

Lake Effect

Had a strange but beautiful ride today.  Commuting home from Whitefish Bay, my bike computer read 61 degrees.  A mile or so west of lake Michigan, the computer read 66 degrees.  Then I passed through what felt like a wind shear.  The wind instantly shifted from southeasterly to southwesterly and the temperature increased 22 degrees in a matter of a second or two.  The lake effect has made dressing for the ride home a bit challenging lately, but it certainly keeps things interesting.

PC

Western Alps....I wonder where this lunch ride will go today.

I had a unique opportunity for a midday week ride today. Two peanut butter and honey sammies in the pocket and two large bottles....down the road I rolled. It is amazing how early the trees are budding this year. If you are looking for some 'diesel' climbs in the spring (versus power climbs) - this would be a great route to do. I think there is actually about a 7 mile climb in the middle leading to Blue Mound. In the valleys all the trees are in early budding stage, at the tops of the ridges they are all still dormant. Lots of great scenery out there in western Dane county. A great fluid stop in Mazo and Mt. Horeb, then a roll back into Madison on an extremely bumpy Military ridge trail. I hope you all are enjoying these last couple early summer days before spring comes back. I actually miss spring :) Dirk.Rettig

Solvang Training Camp

Greetings from Solvang, where eight of us are spending a week riding and preparing for the fast approaching race season. Although it is tough to rub it in on those teammates back in Wisconsin when the temperature there has been in the 70s and 80s - so much nicer when its cold and snowy back home and sunny and warm here!

Group photo at the top of Drum Canyon - can't quite see the snow in the mountain tops in the distance. Don't those kits look cool!

California in northern Dane county

We had a great group meet up in Middleton Hills on Saturday. We rolled through the hills to Lodi and back. Of course who gets the flats but yours truely, thanks gang for waiting up! If you have not done so yet this year, check that the tubes in your saddle bags are still good. One of mine went flat 1k after an install....a pin hole was worn into it from the multi-tool in the saddle bag. We cut a little distance off of the route (or root, if you are Canadian eh)...this is a great loop to hit in the spring. Dirk.Rettig

Ride what you have - that's a great place to start

Wisconsin is definitely one of the best places to ride a bicycle...any kind of bicycle. Breaking out of a Midwest winter can be helped by having a great city bike. I just so happened to swap a hockey puck (only in Wisconsin) for this beauty last week. A little air in the tires, a little lube in some special spots, a little steel wool for the chrome...and the corner pub does not look so far away. Gotta get saddle time any way you can.

Dirk.Rettig

Thursday AM commute

With the training camp in Solvang, CA fast approaching, I decided it was time to get some long days in instead of the short but painful trainer workouts that have been the meat and potatoes of this snow-less winter. What better way than a bike commute or two? And the weather cooperated! When I left the house Thursday AM at about 5:30, it was 60F (!) and not a cloud in the sky. The Big Dipper was right overhead but where were the Belt of Orion and some of the other constellations? It was not the same sky as I was used to looking at in the early evening from the hot tub. With the air being so warm and the rivers I passed still cold, I passed thru many belts of fog, some of which I could see over the tops of. And the warm temperature got all the creatures out of bed early. I live in the midst of farmlands and the deer were out in force that morning. And many were trying to figure out what it was that was approaching them. My twin headlights were blazing but I was not making the sort of noise a car or motorcycle would make. So they stared and stared, perhaps curious, perhaps dumbfounded, till I started whistling and shouting at them to get them to move on their way before I got close enough to panic them. The robins were out early also, both time of day and season, doing their best to chase other robins away from territory they wanted for prospective mates. The cranes were active, clattering and calling and as the sky lightened, I saw a flock of sand hill cranes, 11 or 12 of them moving unhurriedly across the sky. Unfortunately, the warm temperatures also aroused the raccoons who seem to insist on crossing the road at just the wrong time. No mishaps but I have had a raccoon slam into me once (fortunately a small one) and I no better than to count on their eye sight or their innate intelligence. The sun was coming up just as I got out of farmlands and into the more populated areas closer to work, painting all the houses a rosy glow.
The ride home was like a day in late May - low 70s. Shorts weather! I had just enough sunblock in my desk from last season to cover my lily white legs. I expected to see a lot of cyclists out and was not disappointed. Everyone seemed to be taking advantage of the crazy warm weather. If only it is this nice in Solvang! This year, we are certainly not escaping the cold and snow!

Jim Merrifield

Branta Canadensis - A Commuting Horror Story

They were there again on my ride home.  Mocking me and hissing at me.  The Canada geese.

I am assuming most of you do not know the sordid history I have with these beasts.  In short, they defile the bike path in Milwaukee from the lagoon near Veteran's Park to the southern edge of Lake Shore State Park, a stretch of about 2 miles.  During much of the year, the geese annoy but do nothing more owing chiefly to a lack of rain (meaning things are dry).  However, I encountered near disaster last year while riding to work in the fall.  After a stretch of wet weather, I found myself negotiating ice-like conditions on the bike path due to an astonishing amount of goose guano covering the path.  The nauseating green covered some sections of the path in its entirety.  The grass did not provide a viable option because a) it was wet and b) it too was copiously fertilized.  Remarkably, I floated over the slick surface with only minimal, though terrifying, fish-tailing.  During this delightful stretch of my commute, I endured the hisses and mocking stares of the massive gaggle of geese lined up along either side of the path like so many enraged tifosi at the sight of a nemesis leaving their hero behind (I can dream, no?).

Once I reached the office, I quickly forgot about the geese and their public displays of filth.  The respite proved short-lived.  Exactly 10 hours later, I traveled the same area.  This time, I stayed on the other side of Lincoln Memorial Drive and laughed at the pathetic pests sitting impotently on the lagoon side of the road.  Filled with hubris, I turned east and headed through Lake Shore State Park.  The evening sun still lit the sky and the crisp fall winds lifted my spirits.  I crossed the bridge onto the Park's peninsula and swooped through along the path, carrying speed into a blind corner ...

I rode into the rear guard of geese, perhaps 15 or so standing square in the middle of the path.  Being in only partial possession of my faculties, I opted to scream at the birds rather than modulate my speed and wait for them to move off the path.  This had the effect of alarming the animals.  The immediately took to the air, which is not exactly an apt description of a large bird such as a goose taking flight.  Rather, they immediately attempted to take to the air.  Filled with adrenalin and poorly controlled anger, I may have even pedaled harder.  As I approached the small gaggle, three or four of the geese were only five or ten feet above me and just a few feet ahead of me.

Something happened.  Something unpredictable and horrifying:  those three or four geese started defecating.  I know of no other less crass way to put it.  They started dropping bombs on me.  I swerved and braked and nearly laid the bike down as the enormous green pellets dropped to the earth.  Soon they were high in the air over the lake and I made it through the gauntlet physically unscathed though psychologically shaken.  What madness is this, I thought?

Soon, every time I rode this stretch of bike path I looked out for the geese, fearful of the nefarious traps they might have laid for me.  Resisting the urge to go Carl Spackler on them, I told myself they were just animals without the capacity to plan or to harbor ill will toward me.  Nevertheless, I remain wary of the beasts and got a little jumpy on the ride home today when I noticed they are back on the lake front and out in force.

PC

Morning Commute

The weather has been unseasonably warm this spring in Wisconsin. Usually our commutes are pretty rough this time of year. The roads are usually coated with grit and remnants of winter and at the end of my 23 mile ride to the office I look like I have ridden in from the moon.

This morning was exceptionally great. No only was the weather absolutely fantastic, but I got to share the commute with a group of friends.

Some days there are few things better than a simple bike ride with friends. And this was one of those days.

Scott

The Ullrich Plan (minus EPO)

1.  Spend all winter in an Ibiza-esque food and beer orgy.
2.  Look in the mirror sometime in mid-February.  Feel shameful.  Drink two beers.  Resume self-neglect.
3.  Note the calendar turning into March.  Go to WCA website to check out race schedule.  Have panic attack.
4.  Subject body to exorbitant levels of punishment given predictable challenges deconditioning and weight gain pose.
5.  Dream of TOAD glory.

Have fun rolling around Madison this weekend.  I'll be killing myself in beer town.

PC

Windy in Waterloo - early season riding

With temps in the mid 50s the past couple of days, we couldn't resist getting outside for a few miles. David, Matt and I braved the strong southern 25-30mph winds today for a lunch ride. It was my first ride with only TMT members and they sure made me suffer :) Matt's comment summed it up best. "I don't think I've ever worked so hard to ride a 13mph pace!" Thanks for keeping us honest Mother Nature.

It should also be noted that Mother Nature threw beer cans at us!

LSD in Maine

Dragged my 12 year old niece and 16 year old nephew (and Master's age brother and sister-in-law!) out in the woods to some sweet Maine Huts, including up Little Bigelow - about a 17 mile day! Youch!
I slapped together a 10 min video from some photos and videos on that trip (mostly from that one Tuesday...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAjqlhSNqgU

Ski touring in Maine...not bad?!