The Mountain Dance

I would like to say the mountains met me with gentle conversation but they did not. Their cruelty began early and livened our time together with sharp grades and undulations. For I am the traveler the mountain understands. I am the lone traveler with the human powered engine and the cooling sweat that drips onto the thirsty parched pavement.

Those bigger vehicles with their metal pistons and fake atmosphere would not understand this journey as I do. Those “others” float fat on gravy seats hastening the throttled explosions under the hulking hood while portly maneuvering around the bends made so generous for their proud obese fenders. Those damned vehicles that will someday deliver my doom. Curse them all!

My eyes are hollow now and I look through my eyelids for respite ahead. As the snow appears I feel the cool promise or relief but know it is a lie told only to the weaker pockets in my brain to keep doubt at bay. At 9000 feet the only relief is at home, thousands of feet below.

The serpent dance has begun on my pedals as I am standing looking to find the mythical rhythm to get me through the kick and deliver me to a gentler bend. In truth I want more. Suffering is the way, the badge, the life. Here on this road built by men long dead and surrounded by monstrous boulders I am searching for a moment of my own and the only souvenir I can carry home is the suffering.

Cresting the top I tug at the zipper on my jersey providing the only protection I will have on the cold descent back to the toil of cars and bustle. I lean, bend and contort my body into shapes to steal any precious speed I can find. The wheels are whirling now and the room for error was vacated at the top. Lean left and push hard on the right pedal. Pick that line and carve, carve, carve!

The ride down is the drive home from the hot date. The real action was on the way up but the way down gives me a chance to relish in the hot sweat and love. It’s a beautiful dance of pain and desire and the mountains are always a wonderful partner. A brief break for refreshments and it’s time to go again. The orchestra begins to play a waltz I will never tire from and I will always answer to with lively legs and a pumping heart. The glory is in the mountains.

You would probably find Floyd Landis in a Radio Shack Team kit before you would find me participating in a community wide, 22-mile (free-for-all) path ride…but there I was elbows out praying for safe passage like Michael Rasmussen trying to descend during a 2005 Tour de France time trial (I’ll take obscure TdF references for $200 Alex…). The bottom line was the kids wanted to ride and I was going to make sure they did. It’s not every day that you can get teenagers away from video games and I was not going to miss this opportunity. Red Dead Redemption be damned! We were riding!

That morning I left for a quick primer of 50 miles with Turbo-Mom and we told the kids to drink plenty of water and be ready at 2:30 to ride. As we were leaving out the door I noticed the boy eating two big burritos…It was then I decided I would be pulling the whole way. We finished our training ride and took a quick nap while the junior cycling squad got ready to roll. I took quick inventory before we left. Water, sunscreen, helmets, patience and I took some gels just in case.

Of course I only had my team gear to wear (I did tone it down with black bibs). Paul Sherwin would have commented that I looked “resplendent in my team strip” but in the crowd of YMCA t-shirts, cargo shorts and baseball hats under first generation Bell helmets I stood out like the Pope at a Slayer concert. Even though certain portions of the route would not be paved I still rolled out on the Tommaso Volo…If I could race the Boulder Roubaix on my carbon Tommaso dream machine I think I could handle some gravel paths and 50 soccer moms…

The team (family unit) and I quickly fell into formation and headed out into the sea of T-shirt, tetanus threatening drivetrains and…well…bad bike handling. At 10 mph there is going to be some weaving. Throw in some children, hot sun and poor course marking and it all goes right into the Port-o-Let.

Right from the start we were having fun. There was laughing and zero shaved leg, “don’t ding my $8,000 bike” aggression. Dads were sitting way too low on their bikes and Mom’s were busy telling little Jimmy to stop cutting off the other riders. It was a Cat 1 racer’s nightmare…I thought it was hysterical! Where else would I find myself being pulled by a girl in a swimsuit on a cruiser and a guy on a mountain bike wearing a cowboy hat smelling like some summer ale? Not at the local ACA event that’s for sure.

As the miles wore on we laughed and surged through the carnival pack and came to a rest stop. It was time for the teenage girl to have an energy gel to get her through the next hour…she balked. She did not want to eat the gel. It was like Joe Regan trying to get some Fear Factor contestant to eat a live centipede. Amazing…the kid can eat popcorn, orange juice and 4 scoops of ice cream drowning in chocolate sauce (in one sitting) and you can’t get her to eat something that tastes like 1.1 ounce of vanilla pudding. With some encouragement from the group and a switch to chocolate she survived…barely.

Full of renewed energy and rest we were heading towards home. We counted off the last remaining miles out loud and hit our street at exactly 22 miles! We had survived the baby strollers, weavers, criers, drunkards and the course. Most importantly the kids finished their longest ride ever in one piece. Their Mom and I shared a quick glimpse of joy as we parked the bikes in the garage.

Shallow...Like a Kiddie Pool

I’ll be the first to admit to my shallowness as a cyclist in the past. As I get closer to completing my second decade of riding I have learned to tone down the trash talk and keep the “finger” under control. I’ve put away the silly finish line celebration and can even be downright pleasant to ride with on the bike. In the past I was a brash little punk who used cycling as release therapy for my inner angry-man...or angry-child as my friends would joke. I actually thought I was going to be the next Cipollini and I had the ego to match…and you thought the “tools” were only at Home Depot.

Now that I am older and my rear cassette has grown from 7-speed to 10-speed I have gained some knowledge and humility. My ego has shrunk and no longer has its own solar system. I bark a lot less and pull a lot more. I stop to check on cyclist parked on the side of the road looking for karma from past transgressions. I still have a lot of competitiveness in my bones but try to save it for the times I pay to pin a number on my back and try to look good for my 1-woman fan club.

Now…I do have one little pet peeve I still can’t let slide. I am sharing this with you in hopes you don’t fall into this bad habit. Here it is: If you are going to “aggressively” pass a fellow rider (namely me) on a climb you better have the milk to make it stick. Don’t race past me and then blow up like a cheap bottle rocket 10-feet out of the bottle. Blowing by me like Lance Armstrong only to fall back to earth like Neil Armstrong won’t win any points with me. In fact there’s a good chance…like 100%...that I will come after you. Yes, I can be that shallow...like a kiddie pool. There won’t be words but there will be the back of my jersey for you to look at…well, for a little bit.

Cyclists make mistakes. Newbies wear bibs over their jersey. They get squirrely trying to get a gel out of a jersey pocket or drop a bottle on a group ride. Some kickback 5-feet when they stand to climb…these things happen and should be addressed tastefully as a learning moment and not a screaming match. But seeing a fellow cyclist shoot up the climb and thinking your “inner Marco Pantani” is going to teleport you past a fellow roadie into another zip code is just wrong. Pass me like a pro and you will get a cheer..pass me for show and you will get a jeer…and I will hunt you down.

I think we got it now. Jersey over bibs, hold your line, shift down one gear before you stand and climb like you love the mountain more than the attention you want to have on yourself…that’s all I ask.

See you out there!

TR

Back to the Pack

Racing bikes is funny business. I’ve been racing bikes since 1993 and over the years I have had my share of heartbreaks, drama and the occasional trip to the podium and a few envelopes filled with cash. I’ve also had a wide variety of team jerseys from pink and yellow, forest green and orange to the kit I wore for a year that had a Cornish hen on every panel. Our sponsor was a poultry “manufacturing” facility and I heard my share of chicken clucks in the peloton…oddly the last race I won was in that kit…no one was calling me chicken that day.

After that road win I returned to racing mountain bikes and got hooked on the single speed lifestyle for its simplicity and the thrill of chasing down the geared ones with my one gear. After that I jumped over to tri and after a few years found myself crossing the line an Ironman. Checking that off the list I am heading back to the road scene…nine years later! What happened! I lost track of time.

This Sunday marks my silent return to the sport. I’m just a rider like you but this day means a lot to me. I’ve missed my place in the pack and that horrible energy that rips through the peloton as the finish line is in sight. Back in the day I used to be very vocal in the pack…yes, I was that jerk. With 2-miles to go I would ask that any “weak souls please slink to the back as a sprint finish was about take place among adults and it was no place for children.” I wasn’t nice…my sprint salute was even more annoying than Contador’s pistol…mostly because a club racer needs to have a little more modesty. It wasn’t like people where stopping me at the store for autographs. The only thing I signed for strangers was entry fee checks and a lot of them.

Now I’m back and the raw truth of the matter is still the same. Somewhere down the road is a finish line and it only holds glory for one. By glory I mean a pitcher of margaritas and a huge burrito before you go back home and are told by your spouse to cut the grass. If you’re lucky a handful of family and friends (usually not your own) will put up a little golf clap and make you feel somewhat important as you pass over the electrical tape in the road known as the finish line. No matter the amount of “fame” one receives from racing the race is still a thrill that most of your other office dwellers will never know.

Racing on a Tommaso bike makes me proud of the work we do at Tommaso Bicycles. I've became an Ironman on the Tommaso Sixth Sense. It is a moment I will never forget. I raced a season of cyclocross on the soon to be released carbon Tommaso Diavolo and now I return to my road roots on a carbon Tommaso road bike. I get excited every time I throw a leg over one of my Tommaso bikes. I know these bikes as well as I know myself and I consider my Tommaso the best teammate I could have.

So soak it up when you can. Shave your legs and go for those nice pedals. I won’t lie…winning feels great but those are not the moments I remember most. I remember that moment when the pack detonated on a mountain in a West Virginia race and I was still among the leaders. I remember seeing my Dad’s proud look in the race official’s car as he was experiencing watching me race for the first time. I’ll never forget the day I imploded at the state championships in 1996 and had to be nursed into the finishing area by my rival’s girlfriend. She had to hand me his extra water bottles out of her car window as I was nearing death by dehydration. Along the way I have had some wonderful teammates who are now friends for life. We ate together, crammed into small hotel rooms and suffered together. All of these moments are worth the life we lead as cyclists. Winning is rare, finishing is good, being feared is great and riding is forever.

SRAM Apex is sick!

Just when the snow melts and the sun warms the ground I get sick. Not just a little sick…stuck in bed, fever sweating, coughing like I swallowed poison sick…drat! Well…I tried to ride on Friday but that lasted about 3-miles and I turned back home. I know, I know…rest and let it pass. I know this just as well as the next person but when the sun is shining after a long winter it is so hard to listen. So what does a cycling junkie so when they are stuck at home not able to ride? Read cycling product manuals of course.

One of the new products I am very excited about is the new SRAM Apex 10-speed component group. This new family of components is aimed at eliminating the need for triple cranks on a bike in favor of a double with multiple cassette choices for a wide choice of gearing. The Apex group is labeled as “WiFli” for Wider, Faster and Lighter. It has higher and lower gearing than a triple, shifts quicker than a triple and it’s about 250-grams lighter than a triple.

For starters, there is two different rear derailleurs with a short cage (28t capacity) and mid-cage (32t capacity). To make life easier on our legs SRAM is offering 11-32, 11-28, 11-26 and 11-23 cassettes. The SRAM Apex crank is offered in 53/39, 52/38, 52/36 (my personal favorite), 50/36, 50/34 and 46/38 (cyclocross). This means you can set up Apex as a standard, compact, mega-compact and cyclocross gearing. Apex shifters are Double Tap/Zero Loss with hidden cables and reach adjust. The Apex family can do it all. My sources tell me there is great interest by big bike companies in the 50/34 with the wide gearing to take on everything the road can throw at you.

This is why I am such a huge fan of SRAM. They are aggressive in developing new technology that customers can afford (anyone price electric Dura-Ace or Campagnolos 11-speed Record recently?), they seem to know what the average riders needs and they do it with great style. It is for this reason that Tommaso Nation will see the SRAM Apex in the Tommaso line up this Summer! I feel better already.

Tommaso Sponsors Pro Triathlete James Hadley

Tommaso Bicycles is pleased to announce the sponsorship of pro triathlete James Hadley. Hadley is a 30-year old professional triathlete from Weston, England. He is currently living in Boulder, CO and focusing on the North American 70.3 Ironman circuit. The partnership of athlete and bike is an effort by Tommaso to further its dedication to the sport and to provide Tommaso customers with pro level bikes they can afford.

This sponsorship is in conjunction with the launch of three new tri bike offerings from Tommaso. The new tri line will consist of an aluminum base model, the Coltello, and two carbon tri bikes; the Aereo and the Sixth Sense. Tommaso has made the necessary investment to compete at the highest level with their new tri line. The three new models have been in development for over two years and will offer customers the finest craftsmanship and a strong value story.

Part of the development cycle was the Tommaso Product Manager, and triathlon veteran, T.R. Maloney racing the Sixth Sense at Ironman Louisville in 2009. “We want our customers to know we are serious about triathlon and understand the sport. After the hours of training and racing I did on the Sixth Sense I know it is a great handling fast bike ready for the world’s toughest events” said Maloney.

“Tommaso is excited to partner with a Triathlete of James’s caliber and accomplishments and have him race on the all new Tommaso Sixth Sense, said Randall Weidberg, President of Tommaso Bikes. Our research and development department have been working extremely hard on producing one of the world’s finest full carbon triathlon bikes. We are extremely proud to bring the Tommaso Sixth Sense to market and look forward to a successful race season and partnership with James.”

The target of the aluminum tri bike is to open the door to those new to triathlon. The carbon models consist of a Shimano Ultegra version and a Shimano Dura-Ace version and are aimed at those looking to upgrade to a monocoque carbon racing bike worthy of the most grueling events.

Hadley will work with the product team at Tommaso by providing feedback on Tommaso road bikes, tri bikes and equipment. Another area Hadley will be involved in is the Social Media aspect of Tommaso bikes. James will appear on the Tommaso Facebook Fan Page daily and talk about training and answer questions from the fans of Tommaso known as “Tommaso Nation.”

About Tommaso Bicycles:

Founded in 1985 Tommaso Bicycle Company’s philosophy is to produce the finest bicycles in the world. Tommaso is committed to excellence in the design, craftsmanship, and distribution of our beloved road bicycles. Tommaso adheres to strict comprehensive quality control. Every bicycle must pass a relentless and rigorous criterion of tests before they ever make it into production. Our systematic prepping process guarantees precision setups. Every Tommaso bicycles leaves our factories with a lifetime guarantee. Tommaso’s mission is to combine our old world tradition of maximum attention to detail in shaping our premier frame tubes and precision paint schemes with cutting edge technology and innovation.

All In a Day's Work

It’s all in a day’s work (well it’s still night time inside my body) producing bikes for Tommaso Bicycles. This is my 7th trip to Asia and I still get excited walking down the streets of Taipei, Hong Kong or Shanghai. The first step is to trick your body into the 15-hour time difference. I do this by changing my watch as soon as I get on the plane. I also pick flights that land and get me to the hotel in the evening. This way I go to bed and start getting on the new schedule. After a 14-16 hour flight sleep comes quick.

Overseeing bike production is a fast-paced week to 10 days depending on the amount of bikes in production. I usually arrive to see the final part of frame preparation. The decals and paint have already been approved and a couple hundred bare frames are ready to be dressed with paint, decals, clear coat and components. Production has been scheduled months in advance so when it’s time…it’s time. There is no waiting or delaying the process.

Outside the main manufacturing arm of the factory is a huge room full of ordered parts including derailleurs, bars, wrap, saddles, tires and everything else you need to make a complete bike. Collecting and having a precise inventory of these parts is a massive job and takes a couple weeks and a couple people to complete the task. If one part is missing the production train comes to a halt…that is not good. Standing in a room with enough parts to build a thousand bikes or so makes you wish you brought an extra suitcase or shopping cart!

The first time I walked into a bike factory my mouth fell to the floor. The process is amazing and the people involved are very talented. The skilled hands of the wheel builders can throw spokes through a hub flange in seconds. They actually can do eight spokes at a time! This makes for four quick shots per 32 spoked wheel. Then it is laced up, tensioned and put through a machine to check for tolerances. As you walk through each station there is always action and movement. The artist with the torch welding frames and the masters with the paint guns working the paint booth are something I could watch all day.

Turn the corner and the hand applied decals procedure is an art form in itself. The frames are marked off with masking tape to show the exact spot on the frame for the decal. Then as the bike comes by on a padded hook the decal applying crew pulls the water transfer decals from a large pan of water and goes to work. They line up and apply the decal perfectly while the frame is in motion! I can’t even put a sticker on my bike straight when it is locked down in a repair stand.

Once a frame is finished it goes to the assembly line to be adorned with components. The frame is then placed on the assembly line upside down. The line has seat post nubs that hold the frame in place in the seat tube. This allows the bike to be rotated and worked on from any side. It starts as a frame on one end and finishes a complete bike at the other end. The final touch is pulling the bike off the nub and pairing it up with the proper seat post and saddle.

This is a quick overview of the actions on the production floor. Of course there are many other details that I will gladly share during my visit to Tommaso Bicycle production. Stay tuned!