Three weeks to Nauders ....

.. only three weeks to go to Nauders.... morale is low and fitness level is low... horrible back pain but all in all spirit is high ... no riding this w/e for me as I will be away but I will be riding in the Peak Districts next w/e .. I am really looking forward to climb the Stelvio .. not sure why.. it will be tough... very tough .... http://www.wired.cz/cyklo/images/Swiss/Stelvio.jpg
I kind of like this blog stuff...

Chiltern 100 ... a ranch rider was there... (click on the title...)

The start wasn't great with rain pouring down... We started at 08:30 and for the first half hour the rain didn't stop... then it finally stopped and it didn't rain till the end... This course is challenging and I know the Chilterns are not the Alps but the number of hills that you need to climb really kill you... I didn't count them but i guess you are talking of at least 15/20... most of them similar to "la subida de la muerte...." I missed the first food station (it sems like everyone else did as well) and we all arrived at the second (and final station) starving and w/o water... Stopped for five/ten minutes to get some food on and drink some water and move on.... then the disaster happens... near Turville in a tiny little country road I had two cars in front of me and another care coming on the opposite direction... The two idiots decided to stop and I was flying down ... tried to stop but the gravel didn't help and I crashed.... It took a bit to recover then got myself together again and rode till the end... It has never happen to me before ... it was painful and I still had 30 miles to go ... so I joined another peleton and I even managed to chip in a sprint in the final 3miles of the course and pulled the peleton to the end... All in all a good course but I think more challenging than the Prosecco race.. I think the ranch should be there next year in full... See you in Nauders...........

man i love my helmet

Never really considered myself a gear head - this despite the fact when i peak at my bike collection spread throughout europe i count 4 roadies and 2 mt bikes. I have found myself more restrained when it comes to skiing although ski stuff kinda piles up on you which can give a false impression. No - anybody who says he knows me - whould say i am the anti consumption guy as my hobby is squarely set as saving money. The last bet i had was a challenge that i couldnt live on 20 pounds for the week. The poor dope that took the other side of that is now 50 quid lighter. Its not that i consider myself so crass as to be thought of as cheap - rather frugal - as that has a gentler ring to it.

Which brings me to the reason for the post - anybody who read our account of the drilander will recall that this writer hammered his head on a descent coming out injury free and praising rudy project helmets. In fact i wrote rudy project telling them how much i appreciated a quality product - and they sent me a new one - for free. Now given my frugal ways - i kinda love free stuff - problem is - the next generation helmet doesnt fit - it sits at an acute angle on my bean and gives off a bubble head effect. It also doesnt vent as well as i would like with the padding being a bit thin and ackwardly placed. I also happened to notice that their helmets are now being sold at commuter bike shops which is never cool.

So knowing the above - i turned my back on good old rudy project and purchased an italian made suomy. I first noticed these helmets in last years gimondi gran fondo - as they had a booth there. So filing that data point - and tiring of staying faithful to a sub optimal helmet - i went straight to this years booth - and bought one. Last years model of course as i got a 40 euro discount - so my fellow riders dont suddenly get the feeling that im acting out of character. To varify my choice in lids - ridercali - who i count as one of the few hedge fund stars in my camp of frugality - lifted one as well. Riding this weekend in the Taunas outside of frankfurt - the suomy performed extremely well. I was - i have to admit - a bit disappointed that riderSTEMCELL (the DR Pierre Debs) - who while calling himself a mtbike marathoner - rips on a road bike - and who caught me on a climb - NEVER - made mention of the suomy - but i did notice him admiring it - in the same way as a ninth grader covets the fully developed 12 grader hawtie - and sits in silent reverence.

QUADZILLA

nobody was ever going to say NOSHOW was a little short on leg strength - yikes. You think the kid was flexing?

whats up with riderreido

riderreido of aspen col showing his big mountain skiing skills dont stop with arking big turns. Nope, with that beefy beak and that action - world of opportunites await. Riderreido plans on refining the mouth action on his uphill sideways grimaces on unsuspecting italian riders in bergamo this weekend. Riderreido loves a good sammie.

noshow and albinolatino - engine room for gimondi

The ranch takes to the road this weekend for the season opener in bergamo. Pre race chatter has the riderEasy-E as the favorite to carry the the squad. Known more as riderFreetime these past 4 months - easy-E has regained his early 2007 form by putting considerable miles in his legs and following a strict bean diet. On the eve of his re-location to Zurich - easy-E will be bobbing and weaving and causing general havoc for all that choose to suck his wheel. Riderreido will surely slug it out for late race glory - but the smart money has the sinewy argentine crossing first. RiderNoshow will pull riderPitts for 97% of the race with ridercali nipping both at the line. Ranch fans will ask - well what about riderturbo (baby stuff), riderhowe (newborn baby stuff), rider crespo(have another taco), riderchichi (lady friend stuff), and riderZinni (broken bike stuff).
The general mood and level of fitness has yet to be tested as richmond hill - all 10 meters of it - and lapping regents park - will have the nay sayers - saying nay. The ranch will also be without family and lady friend support which could result in a saturday night carbo-load turning into just one more beer. Good clean fun.

tom pitts rider and skier

RiderPitts of edmonton alberta, ski's a line which we at ranchcycling are unable to write about for fear of knuckleheaded scandies stealing what we have come to know as our secret stash. Safe it say - it is in switzerland - it is a resort with a mere 2 lifts. And when it snows - there is no better place to get fresh tree´d steep exposures. Will Hovey where are you.