Changes are around the corner.

Man I need to get better at this.  I used to due so well, but not so much anymore.

Anyway, change happens.......Sometimes you plan it, and sometimes you don't.  I have made a ton of changes in the last few years, and now it just seems like the norm.  I've changed jobs, homes, states, cars, you name it.  I've now found a place I feel good.  I'm in a great relationship, and getting married in June.  I have a great job, great family, and great pets.  However, change can happen when we least expect it.  Ashley and I are getting married in June, and that is a big change.  No longer individuals, we are family.

Who knows what the next change will be, but I hope it is a good one.

I turned the big 30 in December.  Although, it was just like any other day.  Nothing crazy or monumental happened.  Ashley threw me a nice little party and we had some good food at home with our puppies.  Being 30 hasn't really changed anything.  I don't feel older, slower, greyer, or anything else that is supposed to go with that milestone.  I'm sure 40 will be different.

Sometimes it is just nice to put random thoughts up here and see how they come out of my mind and into my keyboard.

So Little Time

LA Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes

All right, so in my previous post I mentioned that Ashley and I went to the LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes game at the end of June.  It was fantastic, even though the Galaxy lost 4-3.  That game showed me a few things.  First, David Beckham still has passion and fire for the game and cares about his team and the game.  Second, his accuracy is crazy.  Not only did he nail a free kick from outside the box into the upper 90, but he sent a nice lob onto a guy on the ground and magically healed him with the power of the ball.

Let me explain that one.  Towards the end of game, an Earthquakes player laid on the ground acting like he had been attacked  and was in severe pain.  Well, that wasn't the case.  Beckham sent a 20 yard lob onto the player, who was magically healed and wanted to fight.  This is one of my big problems with soccer.  I played for a long time, and I never took a dive or acted hurt.  I can't stand players that take dives.  It does yourself a disservice as well as the game and it has no place in sports.  Play hard and the results will come.

Anyway, the game was at Stanford Stadium in Santa Clara.  Pretty cool stadium, minus the rude fan next to us and the horrible parking.  They don't have a paved lot and you park in the trees next to the stadium.  That would be cool, until you take away the lot number signs, and 50,000 people walk around aimlessly trying to find their car because they don't see the lot numbers because someone removed them.

Hope you enjoy some pictures from the game.  They did an armed services show at halftime complete with all branches of the military; Coast Guard, Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.  It was pretty cool and all the soldier received huge ovations and support from the crowd.  It was a pretty powerful scene with everyone cheering our service men and women.  It was a great halftime and the game overall was wonderful to see and experience.

Update post with way too much stuff to concentrate......

The follow is in no particular order, which is very much how my brain works.  I haven't posted in a really long time and wanted to give you some highlights before I dived headfirst into breaking down some posts into much smaller ones.

So here goes nothing!!!!!!!

 I went to the Tour of California Stage 3 from San Jose, CA to Livermore, CA.  It was awesome.  I got to see one of my favorite all time pro cyclist's in Robbie McEwen and had him sign a hat that I had with me.  It was definitely a great highlight for this year.  Robbie is someone that I have watched since I started cycling almost 10 years ago.  It was great getting to see him in his final race as a professional.  While he did not win this day, that honor went to Peter Sagan, it was still a great day to see that level of racing where I now live.

 A few month ago I was lucky enough to meet another rider whom I have looked up to for the last few years.  I didn't really know about him until I started working for The Bike Way and I watched the movie 'Seasons'.  In that movie I was introduced to Matt Hunter and his amazing riding style.  If you haven't seen any clips of this guy you are missing out.  Anyway he came to Specialized a few months ago and I was able to get a poster signed and get this picture with him.  I can say that he is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and I was blown away by that fact.  He took the time to answer questions from some of my coworkers and share some pretty cool stories about his riding and upcoming projects. 

June 30th Ashley and I went to the LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes game.  While the Galaxy did not win the game, and I saw that the Earthquakes were a bunch of actor's on the pitch it was still a great game.  We even got to see Beckham score a goal from a restart in a vintage bending kick into the upper left corner from 25 yards away.  A great game, and we will try to go to the game in October which is in San Jose.  Seeing Beckham play was amazing.  Yes he is past his prime, but still.  Soccer wouldn't be near what it is today without him.  He brings a certain flair to games and crowds cheer for him wherever he plays.  I have played soccer almost my entire life and had many heroes;  Beckham, Gerrard, Michael Owen,

 I finally got my Crux in and got it built.  I took this shot before I ran brake cables and housing and taped the bars, but you get the idea.  Hopefully this little baby will carry me across some finish lines this year in the Bay Area Super-prestige and CCCX races.

Last, but certainly not least.  Ashley and I are 328 days away from out wedding.  Both of us are super excited and couldn't be happier.  While the move to California has been difficult in certain sports.  It has made up stronger as a couple and will cement our strong foundation for an amazing and happy marriage.  Hopefully, we can truly live happily ever after......

A Crux and a Little Bit of Riding.

 Alright, so I have spent the last year and change aboard a Specialized Crux Frameset that I built up.  While the picture above is not of my current bike, it may be my future bike, minus the WC stripes and Zipp wheels.  Mine will continue to have my Easton tubulars and I'm not a World Champion, so I can't really rock the stripes.

I can't rave enough about the bike.  It's stiff, rides smooth, and handles with precision, but above all else has NO BRAKE CHATTER.  One things that drives me nuts about cantilever brakes is the brake chatter.  My Crux utilizes the brake hanger from a Tricross that lowers the cable hanger to above the brake, and not near headset spacers as a lot of bikes.  I have noticed that a lot of other companies are starting to use this on their CX bikes. 

This past CX season was a total waste.  After getting smashed at the USGP in Madison, WI I didn't race again the rest of the season.  Which sucks and is ok at the same point.  I really wanted to race this year, but at the same time I was really burned out on bikes and was not really enjoying riding all that much. 
Well that has certainly changed since I moved to California.  I have rediscovered my love for the bike and am riding about 6 days a week.  I usually take Monday or Tuesday off and ride the rest of the week.  I'm not putting in a ton of time right now, less than 10 hours a week, but I am building up and am looking to move a little further away from work so I can do the triple ride; ride to work, ride at lunch, ride home.  That was come next CX season I can have a go at the great series of races that we have out here, and hopefully get in a little travel to race back in the Midwest somewhere.

To be honest, I haven't ridden that much over the last few years, and I have paid for it.  I have gained weight and lost speed.  Now is the time to lose weight and gain speed.  I feel myself getting stronger every singe ride, but above all else I am having fun.  I honestly think I needed the change of scenery, and to be surrounded by people that love to ride.  Don't get me wrong, at The Bike Way we were really starting to get something special going as I was lining up to leave.  I really miss the Monday night rides with the crew, but hopefully when I am back in June I can go out on a ride with everyone and show them that I got faster.  hehe.

I have lived my entire life in the midwest and while it will always be my where I am from, it did not always feel like home.  My family is all over the US, and we have been pretty far apart since we all moved our separate ways once we graduated high school.  Moving to California was a great opportunity for my career, but also to start building a life with Ashely.  I feel like I am home now, although it isn't complete until June when Ashley moves out here.  Then it will be home.  For those of you that do now know, I asked Ashley to marry me over the winter holiday and she said, 'Yes.'

Now on to another topic.  Strava.  Does anyone use it?  I love it and have quickly become addicted to trying to get faster around here.  That is pretty hard since I am surrounded by world class riders, current pro's and former pro's.  Strava is a great web-based service that you can download your GPS ride data and see where you rank among your friends.  It's free and simply awesome.  It allows me to see who is riding back in Nebraska, but allows me to see who has been riding out here in California.  If you don't have a Garmin, don't worry because there is an app for Iphone, and I believe one for Android. 

Well I have a ton of stuff in my head, so I will try and spread it out a little and do some more posts in the coming days.  I hope you enjoyed this post, and I will see you around.

Finding the Perfect Line

Part 2: The Adventure Continues

All right, so here we go again.

California is definetly different than Nebraska.  First, it isn't as cold.  Weather here so far has been pretty good.  There has been a couple of rainy days, and there is a rainy season, but I don't have to deal with the snow anymore.  That being said there is no thunderstorms in Northern California.  That is something that I miss.  The earth doesn't readjust herself every day, earthquakes, nor have I felt one out here yet.  I'll let you know when I do.  I've been living in Morgan Hill, CA since day one out here and it is pretty nice.  MoHill is a quiet town about 15 minutes south of San Jose.  There have bike lanes, are pretty accepting of cyclists in general, but that is probably because Specialized is located ehre in town and they are pretty used to seeing us out on the road.

Working for Specialized is great.  I am happy to go to work everyday, and I have rediscovered my passion for riding bikes again.  This summer took a big toll on me and my riding.  We were so busy at the shop, which was awesome, that I really didn't get to take time and enjoy riding my bike or train for cyclocross.  I was pretty burned out to say the least.  The riding here is great.  There is tons of varied terrain for you to ride.  Whether it be the willow loop which has a good climb and a super fun descent, or riding in Henry Coe park, which has some super long cat 3 and 4 climbs.  No it isn't Colorado where you can climb for hours at a time, but you also don't have to deal with the altitude.  Besides, if you really want to pack your day full, you can do a road ride in the early morning, drive the hour to Santa Cruz and go surfing.  You definitely can't get that in Nebraska.

One last thing before I sign off for the evening.  Long distance relationships take a lot of work, but if you are both committed, it can and will work.  

To answer a few questions:

Yes the lunch ride is CRAZY FAST!  People out here are on another level of riding talent and skill.  The people I work with are fast, smooth, super fast, and some of the best riders I have ever seen.  If you come out for a visit and want to do the lunch ride, be prepared to get your butt kicked up and down, side to side, and back again.

Working for Specialized is AWESOME!  There is some pretty cool things going on around the office everyday.  From people bringing their dogs to work, bagel Friday's, lunch rides, and so much more.  The people that work here are truly the best in their field and I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work alongside everyday.


If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line and I will answer them for you.

Update: Part 1

I really need to keep this thing updated more.

So let's catch up, shall we?

As most of you know, I don't live in Omaha, NE anymore.  Towards the end of end of September I flew out to California to interview for a job at Specialized Bicycle Components.  Needless to say, I was extraordinarily nervous about the interview and the job overall.  It would mean I would have to leave Omaha, and Ashley.  Well obviously things went well and on October 10, 2011, I started my new job as an Inside Sales Representative at Specialized.  I was pretty pumped at the opportunity to do something different in the cycling industry and to continue my career in the industry that has given me so much and I think that I think I can still impact in a positive manner.

I have spent the last 2 years at The Bike Way in Omaha, NE and during that time I made some wonderful friends.  It wasn't always easy there, but we were always family, and we always came back together in the end.  I miss everyone there everyday, but it was ultimately time for me to move on.

To Trevin, Tara, The Seng Six, Nate, Sean, Jon, Bruce, Danny, Matt G., and all my race team compatriots; I miss you all and will see you again in June when I come back to Omaha for a visit.  You are truly some of the best people I have ever known or worked with.  I am proud to consider you my friends. 

On October 7th, I loaded up the GTI, said goodbye to the amazing and lovely Ashley, and headed out on I-80 for the next 1700+ miles.  I have done a few trips by myelf, but never going farther than Denver.  So this time I blew way past that.  I spent 26 hours in the car.  I drove through Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Finally most of the across California.  The scenery in certain parts of the country is amazing, and some parts are completely desolate and seemingly without life for upwards of 100 to 200 miles.  Spending that long in a car can get pretty mind-numbing.  I don't think I could make that drive again, at least not alone.

That's enough for tonight.  Coming up in Part 2 I will talk about California, rediscovering my love for riding my bike again, and the wonderful South African's.

Stay Tuned!

Question: Want a chain that works?

Answer: KMC X10SL (In gold of course)

I have used the KMC X10SL chain for 2 seasons now and will not be going back to chains from Shimano or SRAM anytime soon. This chain just plains works. It is quiet, extremely light, and coolest of all available in Pink or Gold. My first experience was early last year, when we started sell them at The Bike Way as a signature of custom bikes we were building or just to add a little bling to someone's bike. So I put one on my road bike and never looked back. First ride was great because it was quieter than the Shimano Dura-Ace chain I took off, but I also noticed that it shifted great.
The chain has hollow pins, hollow outer plates, and hollow inner plates to keep the weight down. Weight for the chain uncut is around 240 grams, which is about 15 grams lighter compared to the SRAM 1091R chain. KMC also includes a quick-link for your installation pleasure. They also make a 9 speed version that works just as good.
The part that really makes this chain so good is that it lasts, in part due to the titanium-nitride coating that is used on the chain, which helps improve its slickness, and enhances that gold hue on the chain. I used 1 chain last year for commuting, cross practices, and cross races. I had a good 2500 miles on the chain before I changed it, and it wasn't even stretched to the normal replacement range yet. Normally I go through a chain about every 1000-1200 miles before it is shot. The 10 speed chain retails for around $80, but you get what you pay for on this one folks. This chain lasts and looks great. A great upgrade for any drivetrain.

Specialized Romin Pro Saddle

I started running the Specialized Romin saddle from Specialized last year, and I instantly fell in love when I rode it for the first time. Gone was the numbness, the tingling, the soreness. In came a great saddle, with a superb design, and ultimate comfort.
The BG Saddle program from Specialized works, and it works well. Their standards and R&D are second to none. I was lucky enough to meet Roger Minkow, the father of using blood flow analysis in bicycle saddles, in February at Specialized, and I was also allowed to see the blood flow testing that Specialized uses on all their Male BG saddles. It really spoke volumes to me that the test subject maintained 74% off his normal blood flow on the Romin, and had 0% on a competitors saddle. I was sold before, but it was further solidified when I was able to see the marketing become reality and realized that it wasn't a bunch of hype, but actual science.
This year I got on the *NEW* Romin Pro. The Romin Pro differs from the Comp and Expert with the addition of FACT carbon rails. It retails for $160, not too shabby for a carbon railed saddle. Most saddles in this category retail for over $200 and don't have the science to back up their claims about comfort or fitting people. The Romin Comp has hollow chromoly rails and retails for $85, while the Romin Expert has hollow titanium rails and is sold for $110.
Now, I know that not all saddles fit all people. Specialized has come up with a solution. In addition to having a variety of saddles to pick from, each one comes in 3 different widths; 130, 143, and 155. Before you buy a Specialized saddle, I would recommend that you have your sit bones measured with the BG saddle sizer. I know there are other companies doing different width saddles, and all have their own marketing and research behind them, but the Specialized BG saddles.
All Specialized saddles have a 30 day guarantee. Specialized has saddles for everyone, so give one a try and you will not be disappointed.

Busy life. I am trying to ride more and I have a very high motivation for cyclo-cross season since I have upgraded to a 3 and need to get faster.....way faster. Went on the Monday night road ride from The Bike Way last week and it turned into a 2 hour solo ride since I couldn't keep up. It was a good wake-up call for where I need to be and where I currently am at. It's not that far, but I need to get better and get the miles in.

http://ubikes.com/2011/03/442/

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/winners-and-losers-from-paris-roubaix

To summarize my fall:

Broke up with Andrea after 2 years together
Moved out, but had to leave my 2 dogs and rabbit in her care
Have roommates for the first time
Met an AWESOME girl, Ashley. - MOST IMPORTANT
Had a very up and down cyclocross season. Got 2 top 10's to close out the season, but also had my first DNF. Like I said very up and down
Still at The Bike Way and I love all my coworkers
Going to kick ass all next year on and off the bike
Big things coming for me and for The Bike Way
details to come.....................

cyclocross part 2

We are 2 weeks into cyclocross practices with the first races about a month away. Out of those 2 practices, I have been to just one. We had a really sick dog this week, and when I say 'sick', I mean really sick. Anyway she is all better now and back to her old self. I am looking forward to practice this week.

Cyclocross is really the only aspect of cycling that I still enjoy purely for its attributes and beauty. Road is convoluted by commuting and I don't have the drive to race on the road anymore. I don't own a mountain bike, so I don't ride that as much as I would like to. Hopefully that changes next year. I am not a pro, nor ride with great grace, but I love it nontheless. I need work on my remounts and tight corners, but I enjoy every second I am on my bike at practice or racing. I don't win, but I don't really care. I just want to enjoy the most beautiful aspect of cycling....cyclocross. Bring on the pain.