Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Go Georgie Go!!!

It's time to claim your crown...

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Getting ready for Flanders...


I'm doing it... Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) ride on 04 April.  I don't have the fitness to ride the full 256km.  So, I'll do the 140km ride. 
 
I think that 90 miles on steep, cobbled roads (in the cold/rain) should be adequate to confirm that I don't have what it takes to race as a Belgian Pro:-)

I think it will be a ton of fun.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Thank God it started snowing again...


Now, I'll have more time to wear my sweet new HUP Woolie... Classic Euro-chic while totally functional... Flanders, here I come!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Birthday dinner


Not Robert, Rachel, nor Penny's cake, but... Hey, after today's ride... EVERYTHING will taste good.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

First day of Spring


12 miles of hills...  Warm(ish) weather... Nice people...  La Primavera...
A view from the top of "auchthell" (8-hell)... 8 minutes of steep climbing... Someday, we'll run it 8 times...

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Heidelberg...

We ended the day with a great dinner.  Eating outside for the first time (albeit with a blanket on my lap).  It was relaxing to sit and watch the crowds pass.
John and I at the Neckar River.
This guy seemed to be living a life of luxury at the Castle Garden.  He's looking pretty fit for a 300 year old man...

Friday, March 13, 2009

A few highlights of my weekend...

On the left is Paolo Colnago.  He once fit Eddy Merckx to his bike.  On Monday, he spent an hour fitting me to mine... In a great twist of irony, I traveled 9,000 miles to learn that I should ride a stock size 52 sloping... I guess that shouldn't be a surprise since I've ridden my current Colnago more than 40,000 miles (happily).  

On the right is Andrea Cinelli.  He's the son of Cino Cinelli (founder of the company).  He's a man of grace and a true gentleman.  
As I wandered through Milan, I really hoped to see a sheepdog... Imagine my happy surprise when I ran into 2 of them... And they were both cousins of Boo (who is celebrating her 2nd birthday today!).

Monday, March 9, 2009

Decisions, decisions...

Zabel paint scheme... Retro cool creates an interesting contrast with the super-high-tech bike.  The blue is metallic, but consistent throughout.
2009 Euro-Blue stock paint.  Pictures don't do this one justice... It has a slight fade which causes the blue at the edges of the paint to really shimmer.  It gets lighter/darker as the light reflects upon it.  

I'm soliciting feedback on this one...
Which paint scheme should I choose?


My first ride in Italy!

Italians are an outgoing people with a passion for cycling... This was the perfect weekend for me.  Germans are a stand-offish culture.  While every culture has it's value, I really prefer the spirit if Italy.  

Embracing life, cherishing friendships, and taking the time to reflect... In a troubling global environment, we can learn a lot from the Italians.

I had the great joy of riding with the Cycling Team from Cavanega on Sunday.  We rode around 100km.  The weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the day (even after I took a little spill when my chain broke).
Here's a quick shot of the lake near Bergamo (I think) where we rode.  I had my first Espresso at a cafe on the side of this lake.
Just one of the MANY groups of cyclists riding on Sunday.