Master State RR

Road Race
The B's race was 68 miles consisting of 3 full laps + 7 miles (the +7 included the climb) netting a total elevation gain of appx. 4500 ft. If I thought the crit was hot the road race was hotter (85-88 degrees) and featured a lovely headwind on the climb, turning to a cross-wind on the upper-prairie. Maybe I am just a bit too masochistic but even with the wind and heat this was one of the best courses I have ever raced.

The race got off to a shaky start. Just after the first trip up the hill there was a crash that took down about 5 riders. I was just beginning to chase an attack when it happened so I was a rider or two in front of it but once I bridged I told the 3 others what was up and we all slowed the pace-- it was just too early for a bunch of riders day to be over. After a mile or two everyone was back together and the attacks began again. All the early attacks were caught until once again, Andy Luhn attacked with 2+ laps to go. The already small starting field (24 riders I think) was split significantly the second time up the climb and continued to dwindle. It was not too long before there were only about 12 of us + Luhn off the front. I knew from the crit that Luhn was a great descender and I tried my best to organize a chase group several times, but to no avail. I only got mumbles of “there is 35 miles to go, he cannot stay away.“ Ya, right. The one real chance I thought we did have started with 1 ½ laps to go and ended when one of the chasers flatted (Greg Turpen From Chinook Cycling- I think). The more time that went by the less anyone wanted to chase, myself included. After the 3rd time up the climb I was beginning to cramp, but just on the climb.

On the last lap just before the left turn onto the cross-wind prairie section, Max Coleman from L’ Ecole attacked and got a descent gap. We picked up the pace a bit and started coming upon some Masters A riders as well as some 4/5’s and/or Juniors and I thought we had caught Coleman. I later found out we hadn’t. The last time up the climb was brutal. I had to pace myself and try and stay in touch with the main pack which at this point consisted of 5 riders with 4 or so riders totally blowing up on this last trip up. I basically pushed myself to the edge of cramping and lost about 10-15 seconds on the group. At the top of the climb I was able to push it hard and chase up to Keiichi Otani from Hagens who also lost a bit of time to the lead group. Once I caught him I jumped on his wheel for a couple seconds and pulled around him. I was expecting the lead group to see us catching back on and make and aggressive move to try and keep us off the back. I was right but after only one such attempt they slowed and I hollered for Keiichi to take a pull. I don’t remember if he did (all I remember is him letting out a scream of pain), but if he did it was short lived and I worked my living tail off to get us back on. We finally bridged and were all back together (all 7 of us).

The next 5 miles to the finish were pretty darn slow. There were just two real attacks, one at about 2k and the other at about 1k that were both countered as quickly as they happened. So, there it was, a sprint finish for what I thought was 2nd. Greg Turpen, who had chased back on after flatting much earlier in the race made a move at about 250m and I jumped on his wheel. I am not sure but either David or Aliaster was on my right I believe Keiichi was on his wheel. I came around Turpan with about 50m to go and, needing another gear, spun as fast as I could but just got nipped by Keiichi (yah, the guy I pulled back to the group) and I finished 2nd in the sprint.

My initial thought was I go third overall but soon found out we had not caught Coleman so another 4th place finish. No regrets though, I left everything I had on the course. At least Keiichi is a cool guy and was very thankful after the race for getting him back to the group. Keiichi, you owe me :)

Fortunately, concerning the BAAR hunt the 3 riders finishing in front of me were not the same 3 from the crit so I was actually able to make up a small amount of ground for the overall BARR race. The WSBA site is a bit messed up since the don’t have the Circuit race points allotted correctly but with the adjustments I am currently in 3rd 6 points out of 2nd and 58 points out of 1st with the TT, Omnium, TTT and HCTT left.

Blessings, ~Cole

Masters State Crit

This weekend in Spokane was a blast. Some of the best racing of the year on some of the best courses I have ever raced. I will post my RR report later today but here is a brief report on the crit.

Criterium
The crit was in beautiful downtown Cheney. It was a pretty darn technical 8 corner, 1 mile loop that included a 3 block gradual climb that came after corner #1. The race started off at a decent pace. I honestly don't remember whole lot besides trying to come up with some sort of a plan since my only knowledge of the course was 1 warm-up lap just before the race start. I could tell that position at the top of the hill was extremely important. Once a person was at the top much of the rest of the course was either flat or downhill and included 7 corners. Pretty early on Andy Luhn from BRI attacked and stayed away solo for much of the race. We often pulled within 15 seconds of him but he would always make time up on the corners and downhill and it seemed he might stay away. With 3 to go I decided to punch it and bridge up. It was just in time since we finally caught him on the last trip up the hill. I had settled into the pack just before the start of the last lap but must admit was not thinking well at this point. Most of us had the same idea of position at the top of the hill but 6 of us created a bit of a gap on the rest of the Field. That is were my preconceived plan ended and I was not aggressive enough-- a HUGE mistake! I felt really good at the top of the hill and should have jumped right then! I waited and got on the wheel of Alistair Leigh who was on the wheel of David Hecht (both from IJM). It "seemed" like a good idea until Lynn Pilant attacked on corner 6-- the steepest downhill section just 2 corners from the finish. While Pilant's move was a very well timed and took us all off guard, it was a sketchy move that nearly took out David Hecht and in-turn started an accordion effect that decided the finishing order. The 4 of us were close at the end but each just held their position-- Pilant, Hecht, Leigh and me.

I have to admit I was frustrated for a few, ahem, minutes after the race. Not with the sketchy move (that's just crit racin') but with my failure to be aggressive enough on the last lap. I should have made my move and made the others match. I had the legs but was simply not aggressive enough. In the end 4th still earns me good BARR points. Did I mention it was like 86 degrees?

RR report to come this afternoon.

Boston Harbor

Sunday was the Master's State Championship circuit race, simply known as Boston Harbor. Fortunately for me, BH is in Olympia so it is a short 25 min drive- nice. The weather was beautiful-70's and sunny. Cucina was fairly well represented. There were 7 or 8 of us in Masters A/B race-- all of us B's.

The race began at a fairly low pace with a pointless surge or two from time-to-time. It was really on the second lap that things picked-up and the attacks started. I was riding toward the front to be sure to keep an eye out. I chased several attacks I was hoping would stick but to no avail. These failed attempts went on for about 2 laps until, of course, I don't chase and wouldn't you know it, it actually begins to stick. Good news was teammate Andy James was in it. The peloton was aquiver with the normal chatter, "you guys got anyone in the break?" and lots of waiting for someone else to chase. At one point the very hard-working Michael Black (A.K.A., Blackness) came up to me and asked me if I wanted to get up there to them. I said yes and he began pulling me up. Problem was we were not in a ideal location for an attack so we were pulling the peloton up with us so, having a man in the break, we relented.

About another half-lap we saw that our lone Cucina in the break was falling off the back and likely was going to get reeled-in, which he unfortunately did- great effort though Andy. Problem was no one seemed to want to chase save one huge exception- again, Blackness. We had the escapees within our sights for the last 2 laps but, save Blackness, no one would commit to chasing from any team for long enough. With two to go there was one, unfortunately sort-lived concerted effort. Just after the finishing stretch a number of guys punched it, including fellow Cucinas Larry Boyer and Bill Zimmerman, but only lasted about 3 miles and fizzled. On the last lap, I just worked to maintain my position toward the front and watched for another attack. It came right away, again after the finishing stretch when a rider, (huge track guy- don't remember his name), came on me left and I jumped on his wheel. A number of other guys did the same. The pace quickened until the same spot as the lap before. I settled in and saw the same teammates. The pace stayed higher than previous laps but we still were unable to reel in the break-away and everyone knew it once we came within about 2 miles of the finish-stretch. The pace slowed and the jockeying for bunch-sprint position began. As we approached E. Bay road, yet once again, Blackness punched it to string us out coming to the small hill just before the final turn and the 1k sign. It was a thing of beauty. Blackness was able to stay on the front well into the turn after which I got in about 4th position. Several riders came up on my left and once I saw one of the wheels I know would have a strong finish I moved left. Another group of 2 riders came up on our right and we moved behind them. By the time I could see the 200m sign I was 4 or 5th wheel. Brian E. from Garage came up on me left and I thought about getting his wheel until he slowed right beside me. I thought for sure he was setting me up to be blocked in and passed by his teammates on my left. At about the 150m mark pretty much the entire leading group jumped, Brian and I included. I had a small opening to my left so I took it and passed a couple riders. I think I was 3rd or 4th in the pack sprint but first among the B's. There were 4 riders ih break, 2 A's and 2 B's, so I ended up taking 3rd. I am uncertain where others finished but I know LB, BZ, Blackness had good placings.

All in all I would love to have been in the break but sometimes that's just racing. 3rd is not too shabby. 50 BARR points with hopefully more in the weeks to come.

Thanks Cucinas for your willingness to support me and Blackness-Dude, you really know how to be where you need to be-- not to mention your an animal out there and the new Quattro Assi is HOT.

Blessings, ~Cole

Fair?

This will certainly be my most controversial post to date and I publish it with some apprehension. Please take what I am about to say as some general thoughts not conclusions and please chime in with any thoughts of your own.

As many of you know, Tom Boonen (ProTour rider for Quickstep- 3 time Paris Roubaix winner, TDF Green Jersey winner '07 and World Champion '05 to name a few) has tested positive for cocaine on 3 separate occasions-- all three out-of-competition. Even though cocaine is not on UCI or WADA's list of out-of-competition banned drugs (although it is banned in-competition), the first landed Tom an exclusion from the '08 TDF based on UCI Art. 12.1.005 stating a ban can be levied for a cyclist "harm[ing] the image, reputation or interests of cycling or the UCI." The most recent positive came just days after his third Paris Roubaix win. The fate of this year's TDF for Tom is, at the very least, uncertain (depending on where you get your cycling news).

What I am pondering is, while a ban for Tom's positive for cocaine is undoubtedly within the bounds of UCI Art. 12.1.005, is it fair that Boonen be banned from competition for testing positive for cocaine based on article 12.1.005? (BTW, I know, I know, life is not fair!)

Two particular considerations make me question the former and potential current ban's fairness.

1) If a cyclist is to be banned for non-banned drug use based on Art. 12.1.005 fairness would require that the same penalty be applied for every other equal or greater crime. The question is would a non-drug but equally serious offense bring about the same level of penalty or is there such a stigma attached to the word "drug" within cycling that it wages a penalty more extreme than even more serious non-drug related crime?

2) Fairness would require that every rider must be penalized the same regardless of fame or success. If this were a less famous (or maybe infamous at this point) rider would it bring about the same reaction or is Boonen only "harming the image of cycling" because he is so successful and thus, in the media limelight? Certainly a relatively unknown cyclist would not harm the sport for an equal offense. I guess with this it comes down to whether or not cycling should hold its greatest stars to higher standards.

Part of me feels that Tom should have the book thrown at him. Another part says no, just because you can does not mean you should. I know if I'm honest with myself (which I am from time-to-time) and apply "letter of the law" to my life I fall vastly short, maybe not with drug use, but plenty of other places. Does that mean I should get off the hook for my shortcomings? No, and I don't think Tom should have this all go away either. But I do think he needs to be treated fairly and cycling needs to pursue what is in cyclist's best interest alongside or even before that of the best interests of the sport (cycling's best interests vs. the cyclist's best interests should likely be a post all of its own). BTW, for those of you that do not already know I am a certified relapse prevention/drug treatment counselor.

So, what are your thoughts?

Pacific Raceways- 6/16/09

Last night's PR race was sketchier than a evening art class at your local community college. There was actually a moment I had considered pulling out of the race, something I have only ever done before for injury. Part of the reason was it was a point-per-lap flat race. Basically that means the first two across the finish line each lap, save the first, get 2 and 1 points, additional points for prime laps and the standard fare for the final lap. What you end up with are people jockeying for position every lap like it is a pack sprint finish-- likely the most dangerous part of bike racing. However, this was not the only problem. There is some paving work being done at PR and the west-most corner, corner #1 is pretty tight. If you stay low you run the risk of getting pinched into the lower barrier and if you go wide you run the risk of being pushed into the upper barrier. Nonetheless, the race did go down with no crashes, at least none that I was aware of. Oh and one other thing, we were entirely too many "neutrals" last night. First, we went neutral for the 1-2-3's to pass. Then we caught the 4-5's and they went neutral. Then we re-passed the 1-2-3's only to be re-passed by them once again. Finally we went really neutral and let them get nearly a third-a-lap gap before really going again. It was this passing, re-passing chaos that made me decide to nearly call it a night. It seems that a large part of the problem is the shortened course due to the paving work.

If memory serves there were 5 of us Cucina Frescas in the open Masters race. Erik Olson and I spent most of the night pulling on the front, with pretty much ever other CF coming up from time-to-time. Since I have missed the last 3 races and have slipped from 3rd in the overall to 6th?? so all I was really looking to do was get in a break, chase down breaks and/or start a break. To some degree I accomplished all those goals save the making a break stick. There were a couple of good opportunities but with little cooperation from other riders (and/or knowledge of how to race) they all fizzled. One such was with myself, Erik Olson and an unattached rider. Basically, Erik and I came together after the finish line chaos and Erik took a long pull, I followed, then the unattached guy. However the next time through after Erik's pull the unattached guy shot in behind Erik, pushing me to the left. I hollered, "what the heck are you doing"(or some verbiage thereabout) then to make matters worse, when Erik pulled to the right the unattached guy did not pull through. We were hosed, backed off, noted the guy to avoid, and settled back into the group.

Martin from IJM attacked later that with another teammate and after foolishly waiting a lap for someone else to chase them down I spent a lap-and-a-half chasing them down pretty much solo. I was fine with that but not real happy with a couple teams that hadn't a clue how to chase a break down. Basically, they would follow my wheel, then try to shoot past me akin to a sprint then fizzle 50m later only to settle back onto my wheel. Now, I can see this if your a IJM rider but that was not the case. I dunno what the world they were thinking. Why not put that effort into a concerted pursuit? I must have happened 5, maybe 6 time last night. Crazy, almost comical.

Probably the best chance of making one stick came with two to go. A couple CF riders came up along side me and said to be sure to watch for Martin to go after the last prime. I was figuring he was going to try his usual escape. I saw him go after the sprint and got on his wheel. I was going to ride it until he noticed I was there. He noticed me just before the first turn and I moved up to take a pull. By this time a couple more CF joined the attack. This was actually the end of it all. Once Martin noticed it was 3 CF's and one his desire to work hard diminished greatly on his next pull and we were caught. In hindsight would it have been better for the other CF's to hang back and block??? Dunno, and it does not really matter. That's just a crap-shoot. 3-on-1 in a break seems pretty good but it is worth noting that Marting is clearly a savvy rider and knows where his best chances are and his team's best chances are and a 3-on-1 break is not that great for either.

I settled into the pack for the last lap and tried to maintain between 4th and 8th position. I ended up in a good position #'s wise coming into the last 250m but not a good spot geographically speaking. I was 5th wheel when a large group came up on our left. I moved to the right as my only option and started to get pinched over against the barrier. I held on until the group started to drift to the left, as they usually do after the corner, but it was just 15m or so too late and I ended up 3rd or 4th in the sprint. I'm happy with that in spite of the effort I put out the entire night.

Oh, ya, next time to PR Kat is racing! Woo-hoo.

Blessings, ~Cole

D2 custom shoes = happy feet

Nearly two years ago I began feeling a pain in my right foot that, at times, felt like I had a piece of glass stuck in my foot and at other times felt like I was pedaling on a marble--seriously, I would have sworn that if I took my shoe off I would feel a marble in my shoe or under my skin. The sensation would be accompanied by a numbness in my foot that was unlike any I had ever experienced. It was a cold and very painful kind of numbness. Well, being the stubborn man I am I did nothing at first thinking it would go away. After about a month of that I finally went to a podiatrist, Dr. Reeves at Virginia Mason Sports Medicine. He diagnosed a neuroma and started a series of cortisone injections to try and shrink the swelling as well as a bike fit. He also suggested I try a pair of cycling shoes with a larger toe-box. I purchased a set of Shimano R300 heat-moldable shoes and a pair of M300-- the mtb version for 'cross. Between the injections, the bike fit and the shoes I found a ton of relief. However, it was short lived.

About 3 weeks after the series of injections were completed the pain returned. I paid another visit to Dr. Reeves and he prescribed a set of orthotics-- some super thin composite ones. A few weeks I went in to have them fit to my cycling shoes. They helped quite a bit but there was a huge problem. The interface between the orthtic and the shoe was not good. I tried numerous insoles to accompany the orthotic and nothing really worked. I tried putting the orthotic under the insole, on top of the insole. I talked with numerous podiatrists, PT's and even ski boot fitters to try to remedy the problem. Last 'cross season it became clear that something had to give. My foot was doing okay but my orthotics were nearly trash. The leading edge had all but disintegrated as it was being sanded done against the bottom of my shoe-- especially with all the grime of 'cross sandwiched in-between. Now comes the D2 part. I called both of the major custom shoe makers in the US and one in the UK. After talking with Dan and Don at D2 in Eagle, CO and having them explain that a large part of their shoe's development was to remedy the orthotic/shoe interface, just the problem I was having, I decided to go with them. They sent me a fit kit and I was on my way to what I was hoping was to be a set of happy-feet.

The fit kit came and fortunately my father-in-law was in town for a visit. He and I spent about an hour measuring and remeasuring my feet and then about 15 min making impression of my feet in some low density foam they sent. 4 weeks later I had my shoes in hand. My first ride was awkward I have to admit. They felt very strange on my feet. Not so much the uppers but rather the orthotics. D2 requires you ride the new shoes for at least 100 miles before they would make any adjustments. So, I worked my way through about 200 miles thinking they would start feeling more normal. Well, they did not. After about a 20 min conversation with Dan he had me send the orthotics back. A couple weeks later, after a shipping delay (you gotta love USPS) I had a new set in hand. The definitely felt more like the ticked but wait, what is that, hip pain in my left hip??? Another call to Dan and he made yet another set, no cost to me I might add, and viola, no more hip pain.

I wish I could say that me right foot was 100% but it is certainly closer than it has ever been since the injury. I do have some numbness from time-to-time but it does not flare-up into anything worse. (Likely the only thing that can fully remedy my problem is surgery.) The shoes are simply the most comfortable cycling shoe I have ever worn. I guess they should be since they are made specifically to my foot. I am more than happy with D2's customer service. They really went above-and-beyond to help me.

Oh, ya and the cost. Well, take a look at D2's website and you can see for yourself. They really are not that outrageous when you consider a set of off the shelf Sidi's or other high-end shoes are $300-$400 bucks not to mention the $$$$ other bike parts set a person back. I am saving my pennies to have a set of their mtb versions made for 'cross. BTW, the first pic is after 7 months of use. They stay amazingly clean- I think I have wiped them down one time and that was months ago.
~Cole

country vs. city top 5

Having just moved back to my hometown of Rochester, WA last December, I have been reminded of the many and numerous ways training in the country differs from in and around the city.

Here are my top five.

5. In the city, courteous but clueless drivers, trying to be kind, come up behind you and honk. In the country, courteous but clueless drivers come up beside/behind you in 4x4 diesel trucks and punch the throttle. Both of them making you think your about to die.

4. In the city, you regularly dodge pedestrians, cars and parched paved-over roots rising to get a drink. In the country, you regularly dodge pets (or you try to), fallen trees, vermin (dead and alive), snakes and parched livestock meandering to the river to get a drink.

3. In the city, many drivers think cyclists should not be on the roads but on bike trials. In the country, many drivers think cyclists should not be.

2. In the city, people prefer to shout politically correct slurs like a-hole, and jack-a**. In the country, well... all political correctness is out the door-- but I really cannot quite figure out why country-folk like to call cyclists a "bundle of sticks." Must be a firewood reference??

1. In the city, the people shout, "get a car" from BMWs and Land Rovers. In the country, people shout, "get a car" from Pintos, Geos and Festivas (worth, of course, a fraction the price of a race worthy bike).

~Cole

'09 Tarmac Pro SL- 200 mile review

As most of you have already read, I cracked my '05 Tarmac S-works and received an '09 Tarmac Pro SL as a warranty replacement. Again, props to Specialized for their service! Well, yesterday marked mile 200 on the new frame and so I thought I would offer some early impressions.

Specs:
56cm (56.5 Top tube)
Fact 10r carbon
Oversized lower HS bearing 1-1/2 in
Huge tubes throughout

Appearance:
Specialized Tarmacs have always seemed a bit understated to me and while there are some exceptions to that this year, the black and red Pro SL certainly fits the understated bill. While it is understated it is not ugly IMO. Unlike the SL2 model the frame does have a cosmetic carbon weave overlay which I honestly could do without esp. knowing it is not structural but as one teammate put it, "is likely there just to make sure the frame weighs more than the SL2." Overall appearance wise...well, the lines are fast looking and I do like the subtle pinstriped graphics on the top-tube and chain-stays. Grade B

Performance:
The only complaint I ever really had about my '05 Tarmac was the the handling was a bit "twitchy." I learned to live with it and truth be told, at times even like the "really need to be paying close attention to what your doing feeling." I had heard that complaint from several people as well as that the new tapered head-tube had remedied that problem. I also had test-ridden both the Pro SL and the SL2 earlier this year and from what a person can tell from a 20 min test ride thought the bike did feel more stable. After 200 miles, including 1 60 mile race, I can confirm that, while it is by no means a slow steering bike, its twitchiness is gone. IMO Specialized has struck a perfect balance of stability and liveliness. Mee likey a lot.

The area of greatest praise I had for the '05 Tarmac was its stiffness. From the moment I first mashed the pedal of that bike I was in love with the frames ability to transition my pedaling force into forward momentum. Fortunately the stiffness of the '05 did not come at the cost of ride quality. I did numerous centuries on that bike and it never left me seeking a dentist. In the are of stiffness I have to admit I did have a bit of a trepadacious feeling when it came to the new frame. Would the '09 Pro SL match the '05 S-works in this area? Well, I am not disappointed! It is even a bit stiffer and at least as comfortable! I guess with 4 years of engineering there should be some improvements. The stiffness of the bike's front end is the most significant. The over-sized lower steer-tube allows for the down-tube to be oversized and this combination really stiffens-up the front end (though I never complained about the '05). As far as the rest of the frame's stiffness, I honestly cannot tell if there is really any real difference, but I'll consider that a good thing, it is at least equal in stiffness.

I should also note that I have ridden a '09 SL2 and I can honesty say that given the price difference between these two frames ($1900 msrp vs. $2900 msrp) there is no way IMNSHO the SL2 warrants the extra 1K. BTW, the only difference in the frames is the carbon, Fact 10r vs fact 11r that equals about 145 grams in a 56cm frame-- the tube shapes are identical. Don't get me wrong, I would have taken an SL2 if they had given me one but if I were using my own cash I would either pocket the 1k or buy another wheelset.

cat-a-pult

Last Tuesday's training ride was eventful to say the least. It was low to mid-tempo recovery ride-- nothing out of the ordinary-- or so I thought. The first 25.4 miles went off without a hitch but as I approached home the cat-a-pult happened. I was riding on James Rd-- a main road I take nearly every training day to get where I'm going. With all the warm weather the grass in the ditch has really shot up and is quite tall. This was both a bad and good thing thing in this case. With less than 300m before I turned off of James and less than 1 mile from home an large orange tabby did its best crouching-tiger impression jumping right, I mean right in front of me. Before I knew it I was doing a 20+ MPH header into the ditch flipping over and landing on the crown of my head. All I really remember from the moment is the cracking sound that accompanied the impact. Standing to my feet I tried to orient myself which was particularly difficult as I was seeing multiple everything including at least 5 orange tabbies fleeing the scene. I attempted to flag down a passing vehicle but he apparently did not find it suspicious to see a beaten, grass-stained and disoriented cyclist wobbling in the ditch and just gave an obligatory "country-howdy" wave. Pulling my cell phone from my jersey I called Kat to pick my up. Fortunately the boys were already at Grandma and Grandpa's house so after dropping off my bike and changing my clothes Kat drove me to the ER where I was quickly fitted with a neck-brace and an MRI. All I could really think was my season was over. I was trying to be positive and happy that I was walking but, well. After about an hour wait my doc finally cleared me to take off the neck-brace and said something like, "interestingly, you did not break your neck but you did at some point in the past." Apparently, my C5 vertebra had been fractured years ago. I have no idea when that happened, I can think of many potential moments, but I was quite relieved there was no current fracture. After some insane prescription writing (including 2 narcotics, jeez) I was walking out the door much relieved. Forgoing the narcotics for ibuprofen, I actually slept fairly well Tuesday night. I took Wednesday off the bike but went for a 1 1/2 hour "eyes-on-the-ditch" ride on Thursday and got fully back on track yesterday with a smooth 2 hrs. Pondering the "why" of such an event of course really gets a person nowhere but I can say after revisiting the scene, I was very fortunate. I missed hitting a mailbox by less than 2 feet. Had that happened I would certainly have had more significant injuries. Oh, and BTW, for those of you that have your priorities in the, ahem, right place, the only bike damage was to my Powertap wheel which now needs a rebuild.
Blessings, ~Cole

Kudos to Specialized and Old Town Bikes

So, a couple weeks ago a good friend Mark came down from Seattle for a visit/ride. Days prior I diagnosed a worn headset on my '05 Tarmac S-Works and ordered a new one. It came in on late on a Friday and I had it installed on a Saturday at Old Town Bikes in Olympia (I do almost all my own wrenching save wheel work and pressed headsets). After the install I asked about a small line that had appeared on the seat-tube/top-tube/seatstays junction (see pic) to which the tech responded, "holy cr*p, your frame is cracked." So, there I was with a new headset in a POS frame. How exciting. Of course I took it home and rode it that weekend followed by a couple phone calls and emails to the shop I purchased it at in Vancouver, BC (The Bike Gallery) and a couple conversations with Jason, Old Town Olympia's store manager. So, even though they were not the original shop the bike was purchased at Old Town graciously offered to handle the warranty claim. The warranty process took about a week and they gave me a new frame. Though my old frame was an S-Works they gave me a Pro SL as a replacement, but I certainly cannot complain. My old frame was fact-7 carbon (Whatever the "H" that means) and my new one is fact-10. It also has a tapered steer-tube 1-1/2 to 1-1/8 and overall feels more comfortable yet stiffer (I will review the bike in the next few days). Overall, I am amazed at the smoothness of the process and very satisfied with Specialized and Old Town Bikes! Thanks guys!

Why?

So, this is the first of many pedomotive posts to come. First off, as you can see from the header, pedomotive means "Moved or worked by the action of the foot or feet on a pedal or treadle." Specifically in this case it refers to the pedaling action of a road bike. My name is Cole Meckle and I race road and 'cross for Cucina Fresca (Seattle Super Squadra). I decided that blogging about my experiences would be a fun way to share the sport I love with my firiends and family. I plan to share race reports as well as worthwhile training updates. I may also, from time-to-time chime in on the pro-peloton as well as offer some reviews/thoughts on the gear I am using. Oh, and of course you are certain to hear about my lovely wife Kat, who also races for Cucina Fresca, and my two adoreable sons, Noah and Luka.