This year has been a busy one.  The wheel queue is unreal.  Unfortunately - still at the level where I need to go to work at my "real job" m-f.  That or stop eating - which could improve my race results so.....maybe....  I digress- I was trying to say that's the reason I haven't been posting a ton of race reports.  Then again - excuses...I hate them. So....make your judgments and move on.

Glencoe....

Heading into the race I have been experiencing a low like no other.  In general I am horrible in the summer.  The heat that is.  It naturally makes me want to stay indoors.  Coupled with a good few weeks of heavy wheel work and my "fitness" level - at least according to WKO+ - is back to where I was int he spring.  Sucks but meh.  I was starting to out climb some goats too before I imploded.  I peaked around the end of Superweek and then...

Since then it's been the story of the pulls.  I have been yanked in so many races it's sad.  At this point I have to recognize Dave Fowke's fine ability to pull someone in possibly the nicest way you can.  So nice I usually have to tell the rest of the group that they got pulled.  I don't mind though.  I'd rather spend 100 yards convincing another piece of cat 4 pack fodder that they just got pulled instead of having 4 hours of people coming by saying - "yeah - I saw you get pulled."

As you can tell - this is where this report is leading.  I expected nothing from myself.  I raced Glencoe because I wanted to support the community and I just can't miss an event like this.  Showed up in time to see the Chuck Norris of Chicago Cycling  (Wayne Simon) win not only his race but the sprint prime where - if I am not mistaken - he won a tub of his own Enzo's Buttonhole Chamois cream.  That's how you do it folks.

I tried a meager warmup as I sweat my ....uh..buttonhole off.  Jumped on the course with the rest of the 4's to take a lap before our race.  WTF - is that a "hill"??!!  It wasn't the hill as much as the false flat after the hill that lead all the way until the final turn.  I knew I was in trouble but figured I would put some hot laps in and pack it in for the day.

By the time we rolled around to the start some sleepers had snuck into the front on the line - result....we were in the dead back of a 100+ field.  You HAD to know that this was going to get strung out from the gun and we'd probably get slapped in the butt by the leaders before we ever got dropped off of the pack.

This was one of those races where you could hear the whistle, wait....wait.....wait some more....and then clip in as you saw the leaders take the first turn.  Good people in the pack. Lots of familiar faces.  Someone convinced someone that the race was won on the first lap so we had a cyclocross start - sprint at the start.  The Chicago cat 4 scene is like a club that everyone talks about going to but never does because they think it's too dangerous.  These are my people though.  As much as I love these guys though sometimes you just want to smack them.  For the love of God please learn how to take a f'n corner.  It's funny how I am always on my brakes when in the pack, but wide open when I finally fall off.

I think I made it 1 lap before I was looking for the back.  My mind wasn't in it so I was just looking to have fun - and not look like a total jackass in front of my wife.  I fell off.  Mixed with a few groups, but actually got better - again - after warming up and getting rolling.  I threw in the towel so many times I felt like a housekeeper in Vegas during the Adult industry convention.

Just about the time when I felt like Dave was about to step in and provide some relief I heard a familiar voice come up from behind - "CURTIS!  F'n LATCH ON!  I have a line of guys.  Jump on the back!"  I turn right to see Bryan Fuller slide by.....with no one in tow.  He's flailing and yelling, "COME ON CURTIS!  DON'T PUSS OUT!!!!" while I'm still waiting for the line of guys to come by....well....he dropped them.

Luckily I jumped in on his wheel once I realized what was going on.   It ended up being Bryan, myself and a xXx yet to be named.  We traded pulls and generally looked like working men through the dregs of the race.  At one point we were cruising throught he few corners after tha hill and all 3 of us at the same time noticed a particular local celebrity sitting at the apex of the turn and taking pictures - Luke S.  At the same time all 3 of us said, "hey Luke."  If you've ever ridden hard you'd know that the fact that all of us said anything at all means we were doing it wrong.

We didn't give a crap though.

As we came around I spied Dave Fowkes hanging on the line....oh noes.....he didn't do his trademark star at the crowd or officials table....he looked down.  That's our sign.  Sure enough he looked up and gave us the sign.  Dave - I don't care how many horrible things I have no doubt said about you in the past - you have my respect.  Thanks for throwing some love to the perpetual cat 4 OTB fodder.  We show up every week, pay our fees, and are given that little slice of respect from you every week - thx!

After getting pulled it was all about the team love and the community support.  I dropped a ton with the Rotary/312 setup.  I got to watch David Jaggi destroy the 3's.  Yelling splits while eating a brat and drinking a 312....yes please.

Little P took 3rd or 4th in the 4-5 group - finally turning the pedals in anger and making dad shed a tear while running behind him in carbon soled shoes.  Mrs. P was, once again, teh awesome.  Glue, family, all that stuff, etc.

Great race.  Great course.  Great people.  I could have spent the whole weekend hangin out at home drinking beer and mowing my lawn.....thank God we had Glencoe.  See you all this weekend.

"Aug 31 XXX is having a 2 man challenge race.  I am going to get someone from the team to ride with me.  So be prepared, I will be throwing down the gauntlet to you.  The time has come for me to start crushing you with your own wheels.

BBVP-Bob rides again!!!!"

*standing up to go sniff some tubular glue*

Either way I was cruising through bikerumor and found this video from our own cross series last year.  I am sure i am in it - although I didn't watch too closely, but the sounds struck me and brought me back.

Check it

Chicago Cross Cup 2009

I've got some things cooking - like always.  Much to Mrs. PSIMET's displeasure I always have about 20-30 different ideas grinding along.  some highlights:

1. PSIMET Custom Wheels will be a sponsor of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series this year
2. PSIMET Racing will be helping the boys from Beverly as well as the good doctor Kearns put on both the Dan Ryan Woods and the Woodstock Cyclocross races this year
3. New Cross specific PSIMET logo is in top secret development in the mountains of Colorado
4. A shopping cart is coming to the website to help facilitate easy sale of some specific key products and accessories - Chamois Cream, PSIMET Hats, T-Shirts, even waterbottles
5. Looks like I might be going to Vegas in September
6. AeroCat isn't going to support cyclocross this season so we've taken to looking into Giant and Specialized rigs.  Good local people

Other big ideas are in development.  stay tuned.

Cycling is an endurance sport.  Unlike other "sports" that can be started or finished in an hour or less with multiple opportunities to catch your breath or regain your composure cycling requires that you plant your soft bits onto an over-glorified and awfully expensive piece of plastic, carbon, steel and leather.  Some might actually pay "professionals" to subject them to that kind of torture but in general cyclists aren't the kind of crowd that need to memorize a safety word before the Tuesday Night World Championships.  When one becomes a little serious with their cycling habit one of the first things they do is go buy some "bibs" or lycra shorts with padding.

Considering this same crew likes to shave their legs, dress in lycra and spend hours on end staring at another man's lycra clad buttocks a foot or so in front of their face - IF they're "lucky" or if they are wheel-"sucking"....I might need to revisit that safe word comment - but I digress.

The hours of pressure and movement, even with good tight fitting shorts with a modern elastic chamois (padding - yes it used to be made out of real chamois....and once upon a time I used to ride a bike without a helmet) can cause certain "things" to happen that should never happen "there".  Being the techno nerdy crew that cyclists tend to be various solutions have been tried and implements with varying degrees of success.  One - usually one of the last addictions a rider tends to pick up - is what we affectionately refer to as chamois cream.

This is a fancy name for taint lube/lotion.  Nice, right?  In the early days it was simply Vasoline.  Some use various lotions or homemade concoctions.  A while back a few cycling specific formulas started becoming popular.  Chamois Butt'r was probably the start of the equipment centric naming trend.  Then Assos (no really that's the name of a great Swiss clothing company....not a reference to their obsession with our butts) and finally DZ Nuts being the heavy hitters.  Most of the dyed in the wool junk yard juice users used to single-handedly (not that hand) agree that Assos was the reining king of the realm.  At some point though the precious Assos formula was changed.  No longer would the masses enjoy that famous tingly heat.

DZ Nuts became the defacto dictator - spreading it's influence across the foundations of the community.  While a great product in and of itself the near $25 price for 4 fl oz of product was enough to make the ever budget conscious racers stand up and take notice.  I mean after all the people need to save their dough for important things....like wheels and power meters.  ;)

Around this time the Chuck Norris of Chicago Cycling (my favorite in that link is the one about filling gaps) spent a great deal of time and resources researching and developing a product destined to fill the void between Asso's change and DZ's price.  The result?  Enzo's ButtonHole Chamois cream.

Keep your ButtonHole happy.

Attractively priced at $19.95 for 8oz (Double that of DZ's) it seemed well placed to move into the market.

Personally I had a long history of NOT using chamois cream.  I found that most high quality bibs with nice chamois would be fine for the type of riding I was doing - without the need for added "lubrication".  I held to this belief until the "one" day.  This was the 2 man TTT Arron Hampton and I did 2 seasons ago or so.  At that time I found that what I recall as a 60k TT was a LONG time to spend on a TT bike with that much pressure put in places it shouldn't be.  Add to that I don't spend much time in a TT position and it becomes apparent that the pressure was being put in areas that never usually see it.  By the end I was "torn up" about the situation and decided I needed to do something about it.

Before my next TT I went out to get some Assos.  The shop was out and only had DZ's.  After using it for the TT I was a convert.  So much so I use chamois cream on every ride now.  When I became aware that Enzo's was about to come out I had to get in line.  It was with eager anticipation that I received my first samples to try.  On first impression it smells delightful.  Kind of a mix between a mint chocolate chip ice cream mixed with a brownie smothered in Girl Scout Thin mint cookies.  Can you tell I haven't had lunch yet?

Application yields the same kind of warm tingly that I have become addicted to, and long term performance in the saddle - where it counts - has thus far been everything I had hoped it would be.  So much so that I have now decided to become a dealer.  The large 8 oz tubs are in stock and ready for shipment.  The pricing is $19.95.  Feel free to inquire with your custom wheel inquiry or simply e-mail psimet at psimet dot com for an invoice.

Needless to say I was looking at Cobb Park as an opportunity to push my body back into "oh...yeah this is what it's like" mode.  I decided to only race the 30+ 4/5 instead of the multiple races I could have done.  I got there in time to see the end of the 4's.  On their last lap someone washed out in the last real turn before coming down and around to the finish.  Our man Joe got taken out but a majority of the guys I was watching made it through.

Joe tore up his hand and was under the impression that he had broken his collarbone....so he decided he was good to race the next race.

The field was a little thinner (in count - not weight) than normal.  Can only guess it was because of ToAD action up in Cheeselandia.  The wreck in the 4's must have taken out the really sketchy guys because our race went fairly smoothly...mostly.  1 or 2 laps in I was chatting with Bryan Fuller when a Turin rider moved right in the tight left hand turn 2 and caused a chain reaction that ended with Bryan getting pinched on the curb there - going down in slow motion and at low speed.  Kind of a, "hey....hold it....wha?....nOOooooo...OOOOumph! <crack, crackThud>".....so I accelerated.  It's like instinct.

As I came around I saw Bryan's wife sitting there and was able to yell, "Bryan WENT DOWN!"  then realized I should add, "BUT HE's FINE!"

He re-joined after his free lap and we went back to the do-si-do that is midwestern crit racing - riding around and waiting for the sprint to happen.  I felt fairly good and chalked it up to an easy crit.  Turns out i don't think it ended up being slow it was just that it was fairly smooth.  Whomever was missing from that race that is normally there.....you might be the one that's been causing all the problems this season.  Just sayin...

It seemed to be my day to be caught behind wrecks.  I saw a few small ones here and there.  A guy clipped the curb in that little chicane thingy and went down hard in front of me.  Still not sure how I made it around him but I did.  Smelled my brakes for a while after that.  As we started to ratchet it up in the las 4-5 laps guys started going down with a little more frequency.  At one point someone overshot a turn and ended up riding over the grass/sidewalk.  typical cat 4/5 stuff.

These little stutters combined with the driving on the front made for some accordion in the last few laps that claimed quite a few victims.  I sat up a few times thinking..."this is it" but found I came back.  ended up finishing right off the back of the pack.  Same place....different week.

Joe nabbed 3rd after getting pinched at the line.

Joe with his payout. Nice.

After that I stuck around to see Scott Knoepke race the Cat3 race.  He mentioned to me before that day that there would probably be a break.  I was all, "no....not on that course...."  shows what I know.  There wouldn't be a break in any category I race in but with the 3's Jason K. attacked from the start.  I knew Scott wanted to be in a break but he figured he was going to wait until about 30 minutes in before looking for one.  This one was Jason though and the field was all black riding on the front.  I knew he was going to have to go and catch it or be stuck racing around in the pack.

Sure enough he bridged up a few laps into it and the break was whittled down to 3.  I started tracking time splits and was yelling them out.  I could see Jason turning his head to hear so I was never really sure how much info was getting to the group or not.  A couple of times the field tried to organize a chase - a guy here or there - but nothing was going.  Lots of yelling in the pack from what I could hear.  Lots of unhappy chasers.  Simple numbers though - 2 guys in the break wearing black and the majority of the field....black jerseys.  Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on when they come through the "fast" section 4-6 wide and sitting up-right with all black jerseys on the front.

Scott in 2nd position in the 3 man break at Cobb Park. Photo: Luke Seeman

Whipple was still in the pack and if it was going to get shut down Whipple would be just the kind of guy to get it done.  It seemed like he went after it early but then sat up.  Turns out he's been sick all week and just didn't have it in him (get better John).   I watched the splits go from :30 down to :25 when they were trying to chase and then they just worked their way up to :40-:50.  With about 5-6 laps left when I yelled to the pack they were :50 or so back a couple of guys on the front just sat straight up.  They were done.  I yelled to the front group that was it and they were in with no chasing - ride smart and have fun and enjoy it.

I had a feeling Jason would launch.  I have never watched him race but I am sure there aren't many who want to sprint against Scott - just from sizing him up.  It's funny because he actually has a vicious TT motor....and can sprint when he needs to.  Sure enough Jason went with a few to go and came in 1st.  Scott had a great 3rd and a huge victory.  Essentially he is still a brand new cat 3 who is still recovering from his surgery he had early this season.

In late reporting Jeff Bernaeyge nabbed wors race #4 3rd place sport single speed:

Far Left - Jeff Bernaeyge - WORS Race #4 - 3rd Place

Sponsored rider Debbie Dust also nailed a 5th at Grafton Pro 1/2/3 women's race - riding PSIMET 50mm carbon:

Debbie Dust riding PSIMET 50mm to 5th place at Grafton

To wrap up the rest of the updates I have missed recently - Sherman park, etc:

Raviv Wolfe - Wonder Lake - 2nd 4/5 masters, 4th cat 4.  **upgraded to a 3**

Tim Speciale - 1st place Wonder Lake Cat 3 - Hells Yes.

Scott Knoepke - 3rd Sherman Park Cat 3, 8th Wonder Lake cat 3

John Low - 7th Wonder Lake Cat 5

Rubber side down.  Let's go racing!

It is slowly clearing up though.  I can see the light for sure.  As a result I have started to see something else.  It's an unmistakable rediscovery of my passion or the bike.  Riding, maintaining, the community and the culture.

Riding is the center of the passion.  Being in the saddle.  Feeling the wind.  Smelling the horrid BO from the college kid 3 up from you who hasn't showered or washed his kit in God knows how long.  It's the sound of the tires on the pavement;  the gentle resonant hum that comes from the wheels and drivetrain at speed.  Climbing a hill with a gentle breeze - full zip jersey un-zipped and flapping.

Cornering.  It becomes a rush.  You lean, look through the corner, and then there is that moment when you commit.  It's a process of giving yourself over from the illusion of control to the reality of the machine and the elements.  It's that split second.  In that moment I relax.  I feel.  I ride.

I've gotten into a lot of situations during that moment and I have always been surprised at how quickly my body reacts.  I say body because at that point the mind isn't really "thinking".  It's simply keeping a steady, monotone like hum going.  It's not disengaged just not as in control.

Then you hear that sound.  That tire sound.  Almost like the sound of a wet paint roller on a wall.

You could hit the deck.  You could pedal strike.

Nope....just that clenching as the g-forces wash over you.

Jump and accelerate.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

<cowbell> garble, garble, garble, garble, prime!!

"Was that the prime bell?"

"Don't know.  How far are we in?"

"Was it for cake?!  Beer?"

"Where's Joe?"

"Who is that off the front?  Are his riders blocking?"

"Hey guys!  I hear that guy is fast!  You better chase him down!" *giggle*

<"INSIDE">

"DUDE!"

<"Hey Rob.">

"Hey man!  Haven't seen you in a while.  What's wrong man?  you know you're in the wrong place if you're near me..."

That moment in the pain.  That moment where you feel like you're going to explode.

That rush you feel when you finish up the ride or race.  No so much a feeling of accomplishment as much as relief at the removal of the source of suffering.

I realized that I now get nervous at the line - not because of the race, the course, or the competition but because of the anticipation of the pain.  No matter what it's going to hurt, and no matter what I will be back for more.

"Hey I met your twin in Florida.  By the way, yes I'm ok. I hit the grass. And that is the only way your going to beat me.  Lol
Bob"

Bob being Bob

This weekend was to shape up to be one of the first big race weekends of the year.  I had 3 races already registered and could add another 2 depending on how I felt.  I knew I wasn't ready, but what's that adage: "I'll race into shape."  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...anyway.

Monsters was shaping up to look good.  I was actually feeling strong this week.  I had a bit of an unplanned break coming into it and it was enough  to help me feel really good.  I was kind of looking forward to how I was going to do.

I got there in time to see that Eric Blankenship of the ReCycling Team who said he rolled his tire and dragged his tubular rim across the pavement.  Checking it out it dawned on me, "oh yeah, this is the race where there are some seriously fast and hard wrecks.  I forgot."  That started working in my head.  I have had this weird feeling for a long time during races that I have been due to hit the deck.  It's strange because when I get that feeling during a race I relax and this calmness comes over me.  It doesn't check up my riding at all in fact I think it makes me smoother.

I was on the trainer and warming up - an infrequent occurrence for me but a good thing because if I can actually swing it I do MUCH better.  It sucks being old.  Anyway - I saw Bob.  This would be the great and wonderful Spongebob Beverly Bike Pants Murray.  "Beverly Bob".  I thought, "Oh, hells yes.  I am not in shape, but today....I'm going to kick Bob's ass."

We finally got lined up and ready to go.  Same nerves as always.   Bob ended up right in front of me and Tony Rienks.  I had that opportunity to tell him I was going to kick his ass today.  He mentioned something about me being fat.  I felt the love for sure.  ;)

Race started out like normal.  Sketchy and timid like a bunch of kids at prom wondering if they were going to get lucky or just crash and burn.  I will have to say I have never seen so much turnover in a race.  It was kind of crazy.  You can usually say, "if you're not moving up you're moving back", butthis was ridiculous.  The front to back and back to front movement was so intense and rapid you could change field position from both extremes 2-3 even 4 times during EVERY lap.

Cat 4 racing around here has kind of turned into what pro racing is with race radios.  Everyone has read up what they "should" do via the internet and listening to their now "knowledgeable" elder statesmen on their teams.  As a result you end up with a swarming throng of skittish masses constantly moving to the front only to sit up and slow everything down until they get swarmed by the next mass.  A lot of people call it negative racing - let's sit around and try to be 10th wheel until the sprint, but it's racing and it's what we have.

Within this mess is a few of us elder guys that are perpetual cat 4 pack fodder that try to offer up some advice here and there to help keep things a little bit safer.  I personally was having a ton of fun.  I found the race pace fairly easy  - although I think we did shed a few guys - and ended up talking the whole race.  It's either that or I end up zoning out - turn.shift.accelerate.shift.setup.turn.accelerate.....-which can be a dangerous thing.  I started yelling things like, "hey that guy is really fast someone should chase him down" with no target in mind, etc.  Fun stuff.

Yes - I hate when people complain about the goings on in a pack of cat 4 or cat 5 racers.  Duh...by definition it will be that way.  Accept it or upgrade.  I have to admit though that at Monsters I was getting a little fed up with the braking before and in the corners.  At least one hairy legged rider from a team I won't mention except for their initials "WDT" was changing lines in every corner like some of my customers change their minds on nipple color.  Between that and the huge adjustments he was making to small movements in front of him I found myself  within personal hygiene proximity to him on more than one occasion.  At one point after someone else grabbed a handful of brake in turn 2....seriously...in turn 2 - I finally yelled, "Guys!  No one should have to brake in the corners but if you do - grab your brakes like you would a woman - nice and soft".  Upon reflection - most of that pack was filled with a lot of young meat.  That concept may have still be foreign to them.

With 3 laps left as we came down the front straight and approached turn 1 I made a loud announcement to the pack which was all together - "There's 3 laps left.  Everyone is felling really twitchy right now.  Ride safe and heads up.  This course is known for big wrecks.  Let's try to avoid that." - of course in late race oxygen debt this was probably paraphrased.

With two left on the back straight it happened.  I could see it about a depth of 8 riders in front of me two guys leaned into each other hard.  I don't know if that was the first thing that happened or not, but I heard what sounded like a bunch of, "Arrrrrrrrrgh", "NO!!!", "UUHHHHH!"s followed closely by the sounds of carbon, brakes, tires locking up, carbon hitting aluminum hitting asphalt, etc.  It was a slo-motion domino all the way back.  I caught the tail end just as I was almost stopped and/or around.  Same as Sherman park last year - I saw the last guy in front of me slide more and more my way - ending with me riding over his wheels and going down.  I know I didn't hit that hard - so get up and go.  I heard a sigh come from somewhere and knew that wasn't going to be good.  There was a lot of groaning and bitching like usual.  Tony Reinks was down and started to get up and bark orders to everyone proving his elder statesmenship within the cat 4 peloton hierarchy.  "If you can get up then get up!  Help the others that can get up to get up and get off the road.  Get out of the way if you can they are going to be coming around soon."  His authority was so commanding I half stopped as I was mounting up to finish to help pull people out of the way.  Tony gets the "PSIMET level headed awesomeness award of the day".

As I start to ride away I see the damage immediately - Shifter bent in, saddle pointed up and twisted.  I rode the last lap and a half that way....standing.  It sucked.

After the race it was a rush as I bent the saddle back, re-leveled it, and pushed the shifter back.  I had to adjust the shifting as it was now out of whack as well.  Opened the brakes as the cable tension shifted - must have moved the shifter as well.  I was ready to go when we got the signal that it was going to be hurry up and wait - there was an ambulance out there.  Someone must have broken a collarbone or something.  The only good news out of all of that is.....I beat Bob.  Even through the wreck.  I hope you're OK Bob....but a victory is a victory. I'll take it.

I was shotting the poo with Andrew Zens from Spidermonkey in between races.  We were recounting all of the stupid shiz that had just occurred - along with his string of bad luck including the last lap curb-CAAD bending event at Vernon -"Chainring Tatoo on the back" - HOLLAR!  It is then it dawned on me we were going back out there....but this time with 5's in tow.

This was going to be the first time I was racing with a bunch of my 5's on the team.  I didn't actually see them much during the race though.  :( - not sure why- maybe positioning thing.  I rode the second race well.  Power was lower but the pace seemed a little more driven to string everyone out.  What WAS annoying was the myriad of newbs calling out the bump/ditch on the back straight.....every.....f'n......lap.  After a few laps I started saying, "AMAZING....IT'S AT EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT IT WAS LAST LAP!"  Some others started joining and towards the end there was as much of a chorus of us as there was "bump" callers.

The final lap was looking OK but I was definitely out of position.  By the final turn I was too far back to try to do anything for sure, I went and put a few heavy pedal strokes in and then sat up.  I know better but I did anyway and watched as I lost 10+ positions to guys who were burning to the end.  Meh.

I had other things on my mind - Stage 2 of the KAWOR! - Wheels on Willy.  Report on that later...

I don't spend hours aimlessly posting on bikeforums.  I no longer post updates to my blog on a daily basis.

I have been finding that even in normal conversations I can't even keep my attention focused.  I am thinking about 3 steps ahead and all of the other stuff I have to do.

Amazingly though I am calm.  Satisfied.  Chaos must make me happy.

Customers:  If you have been waiting on a quote - apologies.

Why the sudden confession of sorts?

.....ugh....

A full build queue....begging for time and attention at every waking moment