Coming up: Cyclocross Season!

Mountain bike races have started to taper, road events are still going strong, but soon cyclocross season will be here. Our team is gearing up for a CX season to remember. With over 12 of our teammates commiting to the season, we'll have an awesome showing at both the local and bay area races. I'm extremely excited about the season and am starting to ramp up the training. I've enjoyed all the road riding and obviously all the MTB racing so far this season, and now it's time to put the two together into one really fun sport. We'll be down in Vegas for one of the big pro CX races, just as our local series takes off. It'll be a great way to get us all jazzed and ready. There's only a small handful of folks on the team that are podium ringers, but a great deal of hopefulls including myself. I don't think I'm podium quality for CX, but who knows. I'll give it my best. LAst year I struggled in the B's and then for kicks raced in the C's and did pretty well. I think I belong in B's because I typically race Expert single-speed, but I'm still new to CX. Maybe I should be a new category called BC. :-)

Papa Gato

Clear in Sac?

I saw blue skies today! I thought it was a mirage until it included a aircraft at about 30k'. nice.

Today is the Death Ride. Woulda, shoulda, coulda, but didn't. Planned to do a fun MTB ride instead and it looks like that one got smoked out just like a dude driving '63 bus with tye-dye curtains. We've opted to head west and go spin around Tamarancho tomorrow in Fairfax. We're praying that the bay area coastal winds has kept the "Fire Fog" at bay (or away from bay).

I picked up my new CX bike this week and I'm pretty stoked about the season coming up. I'm no pro at CX, but it sure is fun and it's a great sport for spectators. The family can come out and watch you race and not have to stand around twiddling their thumbs for 2 hours while you're somewhere "out on the course". The Sac CX series all takes place in and around Sacramento. I highly encourage anyone to try it out. It's also a way to keep in shape between seasons. Check out http://www.sacramentocx.com/ to learn more. 2008 dates will be posted soon.

We'll be stocking CX supplies as well, so feel free to stop by and pick our brains. We carry Giant, Salsa and Kona CX bikes. We can also get Redline, Masi and a few others.

-The Mad Cat

Waitin' for the Fog to Clear...

So, I got lost driving to work the other day because I couldn't see the street signs. Yeah, I was driving, like I usually do. I drop the kids off each morning, so riding isn't in the cards. At any rate, IT'S WAY TOO SMOKEY! I've lived in Sac nearly all my life and this is the most smoke I've ever inhaled! All my rides and training rides have been cancelled and I feel fat and lazy. I could go to the gym, but that means... going to the gym.

I bailed out on doing Death Ride this year. I want to know more about the heart palpitations (PVC's) before committing to a day of lung busting climbs and long fast descents in poor air quality. With all the smoke, my training got thrown off and I didn't get the mileage under my belt that I needed to complete DR. For me, it's all or nothing and I'd rather not waste a day up there and not complete it. The air quality and the heat played huge into my decision as well. Oh well, there's next year.

The next big idea of the year is the Tahoe-Sierra 100 MTB ride. It's only an idea at this point because I want to wait until after I see the Doc next week to make a decision on whether or not I should be training hard over the next month or so. We'll see. For now, I'm focusing on fun rides.
This weekend, "Sweet Cheeks" and I are hitting the road at 4am to get on the Hole in the Ground trail early so we can be at the top of the climb around sunrise. We all refer to those early rides as "Dawn Patrols". It'll be nice to get home before most people wake up!

PC

Sick in the Alps...?

Sunday we did another Death Ride training. Nine of us rode Monitor Pass up and over the other side and the planned to take a break at the base of Ebbets before the next 2. Upon climbing the backside of Monitor, I started getting dizzy, lightheaded and having heart palpitations. I figured it was the heat and altitude. We reached the summit again and descended down. The dizziness got worse and to the point where I felt sick to my stomach. I had done this ride a week prior with not problems, so it baffled me a bit. A few miles later, I had to pull over and scream at the pine needles (throw up). My day was done.

The next day, back home, I woke to the same feeling of lightheadedness and a sense of something was just not right. I scored a late afternoon appt. with the Doc and had him check me out. After an EKG, I learned that I'm having PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions) where my heart is firing prematurely and pumping blood at an irregular rate. It explains a great deal, but I won't know why or how until after I wear a Holter monitor for a day. Doesn't sound like it's serious in my case, but at least I know it wasn't just a normal "bad day of riding".

For now, I wait to find out what's next. I hear pacemakers are fun. Maybe I can wire one into my Garmin for that extra training tool.. get that cadence DIALED! :-)

-Papa Cat

Gas Bad - Pedals Good

The shop has been overwhelmed with folks looking to save gas and start pedaling. We are regularly hearing requests for bikes to get from A-B and y-Z. Function over form seems to be the trend, but yes we're still selling tons of FS MTB's and road bikes for the enthusiasts out there.

Intrinsic satisfaction seems to be happening regularly (at least on my end) while helping someone find the right bike and all the associated gear. Yeah, selling bikes pays the bills, but selling cycling and the sport is more rewarding. I love it when customers stop in after a day of "hitting the shops" and searching for that special bike to suit their needs. We do our regular presentation, ask them some questions, get to know their needs and make some suggestions. Somewhere in the process, the customer usually begins to appreciate what we do... they're not always looking for the "best deal", but the best service and relationship. We're not a huge shop that carries every bike for every person, but I feel that we care and will do our best to meet their needs. Having someone thank you for the wonderful service at the end of a sale is worth more than anything I sell.

I think that's my greatest reward for being a business owner.

-M

Vacation... Tahoe Style

I just returned from 8 days in Tahoe with the family. Every year, for the last 6 years, we have rented a little cabin at Camp Richardson and it's become a tradition that we can't seem to shake. We load up the bikes, hiking stuff, beach stuff and everything that you'd need to relax in Tahoe (including a good selection of beverages) and head to the hills. It's good "reset" time, but we also manage to get some runs and rides in throughout the week.

This year I decided to take advantage of "the passes" and invite some friends up to ride part of the Death Ride. We rode Monitor and Ebbets on Thursday and it worked us pretty good. I've still got a couple good rides coming up, so I don't feel intimidated, but DR is going to mame the body for a few days. Surprisingly, my muscles liked the climbing and I wasn't even stiff the next day, HOWEVER, my hands, feet, butt and neck were screaming big time during the ride. I just need to have more saddle time. My body is accustomed to MTB where you rarely do the same movement for more than 5 minutes (for the most part). Long road rides are a relatively new thing for me, but I like it and will continue to do so... but I'm a mountain biker at heart.

Glad to be home.

Papa Gato.

Birthday Mileage and Breakfast Club

Yesterday was Breakfast club... A few friends and I decided that once a month we will commit to a 5:00am breakfast and a 6am ride. It just so happens that yesterday was also my Birthday, so it was decided that I needed mileage to meet my age, which is becoming a tradition for our team. With my ripe old of 39, we set out to try and get about 40 miles in the Auburn area. The only way to effectively get that mileage without riding the same trail over and over again, is to ride all trails in the area.. Stagecoach-Manzanita-Flood-Clementine-Connector-Foresthill Divide and the quarry trail on the south side. We ended up with 44.9 in total, ending on the long climb back up Stagecoach in the sun with empty bottles, legs and souls. It was tough, but it felt good in the mind.

I ended the day with the Drive-in movies to see Ironman with the Team and a muscle relaxer that put me in a 10hour coma. Nice Birthday I'd say.